Neuromedin B: physiological and pharmacological perturbations.
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Amino Acid Sequence↗
Biomedical subjects
W E Wilson
Publications and source records attributed to W E Wilson.
Fast atom bombardment/tandem mass spectrometry of physalaemin-like peptides.
Fragment ion spectra obtained from collision-induced decomposition of protonated molecular ions have been used to determine amino acid sequences of several physalaemin-like peptides which were recently purified from rabbit stomach. This technique was chosen because the peptides were available in microgram quantities and were anticipated to contain pyroglutamate as the blocked N-terminal residue. Such spectra of several synthetic analogs of the naturally occurring peptides were obtained and analyzed to confirm the veracity of this peptide sequencing strategy. In addition, methyl ester derivatives of these synthetic peptides provided a crucial test for the spectral interpretation via the mass shifts thus induced.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
An immunoreactive peptide in milk contains bombesin-like bioactivity.
Parallel in vitro bioassays using rat uterus and guinea pig large intestine tissues specific for the bombesin family of peptides, demonstrated that the bombesin-like peptides present in bovine milk can produce a dose-related response similar to bombesin and litorin. The bioactivity of this type of milk peptide appeared to be approximately 20-50% as active as the amphibian peptides. These data support the proposal that a bombesin immunoreactive peptide in milk contains bombesin bioactivity.
Animals↗
Microscopic track structure of equal-LET heavy ions.
The spatial distributions of ionization and energy deposition produced by high-velocity heavy ions are crucial to an understanding of their radiation quality as exhibited eg., in track segment experiments of cell survival and chromosome aberrations of mammalian cells. The stopping power (or LET) of a high velocity ion is proportional to the ratio z2/v2, apart from a slowly varying logarithmic factor. The maximum delta-ray energy that an ion can produce is proportional to v2 (non-relativistically). Therefore, two HZE ions having the same LET, but in general differing z and v will have different maximum delta-ray energies and consequently will produce different spatial patterns of energy deposition along their paths. To begin to explore the implications of this fact for the microscopic dosimetry of heavy ions, we have calculated radial distributions in energy imparted and ionization for iron and neon ions of approximately equal LET in order to make a direct comparison of their delta-ray track structure. Monte Carlo techniques are used for the charged particle radiation transport simulation.
Animals↗
Peptide sequencing program.
A computer program has been devised to automate rationalization of peptide fragmentation patterns. The program systematically generates all possible linear amino acid sequences which might be attributable to a peptide with a known amino acid composition. The generated sequences are then searched to find those that most closely match the spectrum of an unknown sequence.
Algorithms↗
Physalaemin-like immunoreactive peptides from rabbit stomach.
Two physalaemin (PHY)-like immunoreactive peptides, designated PHLIPs, have been purified from extracts of rabbit stomach tissue. Fast atom bombardment/mass spectrometry (FAB/MS) indicated that the m/z values for the PHLIP protonated molecular ions were 867.419 and 796.4. FAB/tandem MS spectra, coupled with a knowledge of the amino acid composition and the aid of a computerized fragment-matching program, indicated the amino acid sequences to be: (formula; see text) The sequences of PHLIPs-7 and -8 were confirmed with synthetic peptides. The PHY-antiserum cross-reactivity of the PHLIPs reflects homology at amino acid residues 1, 3, 4 and 5 for the mammalian and amphibian residues.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Trimethyltin-induced alterations in brain amino acids, amines and amine metabolites: relationship to hyperammonemia.
An investigation of several neurochemical consequences of exposure of the rat to 3/4 of the estimated single injection LD50 quantity of trimethyltin chloride (TMT) indicated that a significant elevation in the levels of glutamine (Gln) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) occurred at post-dosing day 7 in each examined region of the brain; elevated Gln persisted in the hippocampus through day 14 and returned to control levels at day 28. At post-dosing day 7, levels of glutamate were decreased in the hippocampus, while levels of GABA were decreased in hippocampus and frontal cortex, but not in corpus striatum; hippocampal glutamate and GABA returned to control levels by post-dosing day 14. Decreased levels of taurine (Tau) occurred on day 7 in both hippocampus and frontal cortex; hippocampal Tau remained below control levels through post-dosing day 28. Levels of other amino acids and of amines and amine metabolites were not altered by TMT in the 7 to 28 day post-dosing interval. At day 7, TMT treatment did not alter brain regional activities of glutamine synthetase; however, plasma ammonia was elevated 100% above the control value. Alterations in several serum enzymes (esp., alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase) revealed several other peripheral consequences of TMT exposure which persist through post-dosing day 28. The more prominent and wide-spread neurochemical alterations resulting from TMT exposure appear to reflect consequences of hyperammonemia resulting from a peripheral effect of the organotin compound.
Amino Acids↗
Classifying acute leukemia by immunophenotyping: a combined FAB-immunologic classification of AML.
A panel of commercially available monoclonal antibodies and five heteroantisera were used to distinguish and subtype 138 cases of acute leukemia (AL). The immunophenotype was compared with the French-American-British (FAB) classification obtained on the cases. The immunophenotype discriminated acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and recognized cases not distinguished by cytochemistry (22% of cases), mixed lineage phenotypes (13% of cases), and cases with separate populations of lymphoblasts and myeloblasts (one case). Using the immunologic panel and derived criteria to subtype AML, correspondence of the immunophenotype to the FAB subtypes M1, M2, M4, and M5 was possible in greater than 80% of cases. A combined classification of the immunophenotype and FAB morphology/cytochemistry was devised for AML subtyping. It is recommended that immunophenotyping should be done at least in all cases with negative or inconclusive cytochemistry. At present, we suggest that until a "gold standard" for identifying leukemic subtypes is developed, the best method for typing acute leukemia is by using a combination of morphology, cytochemistry and immunophenotyping.
Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
Evolutionary relationship between nonmammalian and mammalian peptides.
An hypothesis has been developed to rationalize the evolution of regulatory peptides. In order to account for critical relationships involving peptide regulators, their receptors, and peptide processing enzymes, the following generalizations will be supported: (1) peptides arose from protein precursors as proteolytic digestion by-products and acquired hormonal status during the course of natural selection; (2) initially, peptides served primarily nutritional roles, thereby permitting increased growth rates and reproductive advantages for recipient cells; (3) specific peptide sequences were conserved during evolution and were associated with biological activities which were essential for survival of species as divergent as unicellular organisms, amphibians, and mammals; and (4) regulatory peptides probably arose simultaneously with their membrane-oriented, macromolecular receptor sites. In support of the conservation of sequence information or function, or both, during evolutionary development, evidence has been obtained to indicate that peptide sequences which occur in two classes of amphibian peptides appear to be extensively conserved in mammals. Studies with an antiserum directed against the N-terminal sequence of amphibian physalaemin have permitted the recognition of a mammalian octapeptide which exhibits 80% homology with residues 1-5 in that region. Another study with an antiserum directed against the midregion (sequence 5-8) of amphibian bombesin has indicated the existence of milk peptides which mimic bombesin in several pharmacological bioassays. These studies indicate that radioimmunoassays can be powerful tools in facilitating recognition of peptide sequences conserved throughout evolution.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Simultaneous or sequential expression of lymphoid and myeloid phenotypes in acute leukemia.
Acute mixed myeloid-lymphoid leukemia is uncommon. We report four cases in which myeloid and lymphoid cell markers were observed simultaneously or sequentially when 94 patients with acute leukemia were phenotyped according to the French-American-British (FAB) classification system, with cytochemical stains, and with immunologically defined differentiation markers (identified by monoclonal antibodies and antiterminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase [TdT]). In one case, conversion from acute lymphoblastic leukemia to acute myeloid leukemia was noted (FAB L1, TdT+ to FAB M4, Auer rods, TdT-). In another patient, two distinct populations of myeloid and lymphoid blast cells were observed simultaneously (TdT-, LeuM1+/TdT+, LeuM1-). In two additional patients, acute leukemia was characterized by the expression of both lymphoid and myeloid markers on the same cell (TdT+/Leu M1+, B4+/Leu M1+ and greater than or equal to 70% TdT+, T11+, My9+). The Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome was negative in all cases, though other chromosomal abnormalities were noted in three out of four cases. Malignant transformation of a pluripotential stem cell for both lymphoid and myeloid lineages, with or without the Ph1 chromosome marker, could explain the coexistence of distinct populations of lymphoblasts and myeloblasts in acute leukemia. Acute leukemia with a biphenotypic profile may reflect genome depression accompanying neoplasia.
Adult↗
Cytarabine-induced palmar-plantar erythema.
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Cytarabine↗
Effects of chlordecone exposure on brain neurotransmitters: possible involvement of the serotonin system in chlordecone-elicited tremor.
The purpose of this study was to correlate the chlordecone-elicited tremor activity with alterations of brain neurotransmitters. A single injection of chlordecone (80 mg/kg, ip) significantly increased the brain levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) but did not affect the concentrations of dopamine, dihydroxphenylacetic acid, aspartate, taurine, glutamate, glycine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). There was a dose- and time-related correlation between the increases in striatal 5-HIAA levels and tremor after chlordecone treatment. A subsequent study with pargyline indicated that the increase in striatal 5-HIAA level represented an increase in the turnover of serotonin. This study plus the previous finding that pizotifen (BC-105), a serotonin receptor blocker, attenuated chlordecone-elicited tremor strongly suggests a possible involvement of the serotonin system in mediating the tremor elicited by this insecticide.
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
Effect of acrylamide on neurotransmitter metabolism and neuropeptide levels in several brain regions and upon circulating hormones.
The effect of acute and subchronic acrylamide treatment on levels of dopamine, serotonin, and their metabolites was determined in several brain regions of the rat. Concentrations of several neuropeptides and circulating hormones were also measured. Both a single and repeated doses of acrylamide resulted in elevated levels of 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid in all regions studied (frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, brain stem, and hypothalamus). Changes in regional content of other monoamines were much less pronounced. Turnover studies following pargyline blockage of monoamine oxidase, suggested results were due to increased rates of serotonin turnover in acrylamide-treated rats. Changes in neuropeptide levels were only detected in the hypothalamus where a single acrylamide treatment caused elevated levels of beta-endorphin and substance P, and in frontal cortex where met-enkephalin levels were higher after repeated acrylamide injection. Such repeated injection caused a major depression in plasma levels of testosterone and prolactin.
Acrylamide↗
Correlation of neurochemical and behavioral effects of triethyl lead chloride in rats.
Adult male Fischer-344 rats were dosed sc with 1 or 2.5 mg/kg of triethyl lead chloride (TEL) for 5 consecutive days. One week after the last dose, TEL-exposed rats had decreased Met-enkephalin in the hypothalamus, septum, and frontal cortex, while substance P was decreased in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Dopamine (DA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the caudate nucleus were not altered by TEL nor were serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the caudate nucleus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, or frontal cortex. In a second experiment, rats were dosed with 1.75 mg/kg sc for 5 days. Subsequent assay of brain tissue indicated that TEL decreased met-enkephalin levels in the septum of rats one and seven days after cessation of dosing; effects on substance P were not observed. TEL-induced decreases in Met-enkephalin in the septum were temporally associated with increased hot plate latencies. One day after cessation of dosing with TEL, concentration of 5-HIAA in the caudate nucleus, hippocampus, frontal cortex, and brain stem, and 5-HT in the hippocampus and brain stem were increased. Biogenic amine concentrations were not affected in any other region or at any other time postdosing. A third experiment indicated that TEL-induced analgesia could be attenuated by 10 mg/kg chlordiazepoxide or 10 mg/kg of naloxone. The present results suggest that TEL-induced analgesia may be due to alterations in emotionality or reactivity to noxious stimuli, which may be associated with the alteration in delta opiate mechanism in the limbic system, such as the change of septal enkephalin neuronal activities.
Analgesia↗
Eye irritation response of humans to formaldehyde.
Human panelists sensitive to formaldehyde eye irritation were exposed to low concentrations of formaldehyde vapor (0.35 to 1.0 ppm) for 6 minutes. Eye irritation was evaluated by time to detection of the first trace of irritation and by subjective ranking of severity. Both time to response and severity appeared to be functions of formaldehyde concentration. Severity of response was above "slight" only with highest test concentration, 1.0 ppm.
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug↗
The prenatal prediction of thrombocytopenia in infants of mothers with clinically diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia.
The management of the pregnant patient with immune thrombocytopenia is complicated by the unavailability of the fetal platelet count. Since the transplacental passage of antiplatelet antibodies mediates infant thrombocytopenia, measurement of maternal platelet-associated IgG might predict infant outcome. We related the maternal platelet count and platelet-associated IgG level to the infant's platelet count in 41 pregnancies in 38 patients who were clinically diagnosed as having immune thrombocytopenia. Fifteen of 39 live-born infants were thrombocytopenic at delivery. Maternal platelet-associated IgG was predictive of infant platelet count but maternal platelet count was not; only one of the 20 infants delivered of the 18 thrombocytopenic mothers with normal platelet-associated IgG was affected, whereas 11 of 12 thrombocytopenic mothers with elevated platelet-associated IgG had thrombocytopenic infants. Five infants died in utero between 18 and 28 weeks' gestation, but otherwise there was no significant morbidity in the live births. Measurement of platelet associated IgG in mothers with immune thrombocytopenia during pregnancy can be used to predict infant thrombocytopenia, although it does not predict the severity of the thrombocytopenia.
Adult↗
Dopamine sensitive adenylate cyclase inactivation by organolead compounds.
Several organolead compounds have been shown to inhibit both the basal and dopamine-sensitive forms of adenylate cyclase obtained from rat caudate nucleus. The mode of action of the trisubstituted lead compounds is shown to depend upon the form of adenylate cyclase studied. The dopamine-sensitive form of adenylate cyclase is shown to be inhibited by trisubstituted organolead compounds as a consequence of competition with dopamine for the DA-1 receptor.
Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗
Subchronic dietary exposure of rats to chlordecone (Kepone) modifies levels of hypothalamic beta-endorphin.
Rats were exposed for extended times to low doses of chlordecone (1 and 6 ppm in the diet). After 105 days of exposure of female rats to this diet, levels of circulating prolactin and growth hormone were not significantly altered, but at the higher dose of chlordecone, hypothalamic beta-endorphin levels were selectively reduced. Since no changes were seen in pituitary levels of beta-endorphin of treated rats, chlordecone had some regional specificity. Levels of dopamine, serotonin, and their metabolites were unchanged in the caudate nucleus of female rats exposed to chlordecone. Thus, low levels of chlordecone appear to selectively affect hypothalamic beta-endorphin suggesting the hypothalamus may be especially sensitive to this neurotoxicant. The gestationally and lactationally-exposed female offspring of these rats showed a major increase in the levels of growth hormone at 100 days of age. However, other parameters assayed remained unaltered. These consisted of biogenic amines within the caudate nucleus, pituitary and hypothalamic met-enkephalin and circulating prolactin, growth hormone, and estrogen.
Animals↗