Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to W F Long.
Results of infrared spectroscopy of complexes between cations and heparins, heparans and chemically-modified polymers suggest the existence of two conformational forms of heparins/heparans, differing in their modes of interaction with cations. Functions of heparans at normal and cancer cell surfaces are discussed in the light of this model.
The variation of fine structure and quantity of heparans at cell surfaces could endow cells of different tissues, and in different growth states, with varying degrees of competence in reacting to extracellular free radicals known to be associated with neoplasia.
Photographs of the corneal endothelium are taken usually with special purpose cameras or by using the Holden-Zantos technique with a conventional photo slitlamp. The latter method requires the camera back to be mounted on the photo slitlamp eyepiece and the resulting slide to be magnified by being rephotographed with a slide copier. This report describes another way of obtaining the requisite magnification using a teleconverter placed before the camera back mounted in its usual position and special darkroom techniques exploiting the properties of Kodak Technical Pan, a fine grain, variable contrast film.
As YAG laser capsulotomy has become increasingly popular, concern over its side effects has grown. Because side effects appear to be dose related, they are minimized by using the smallest incision consistent with good optical performance of the eye. This paper uses diffraction theory to calculate the minimum incision diameter necessary to allow a patient to achieve optimum acuity.
Analysis by equilibrium dialysis of the binding of Zn2+ to heparin suggested that two interactions, one of high affinity and one of low affinity, occur. The stoichiometry of binding in both cases is about one Zn2+ ion bound per average heparin disaccharide unit. Both types of interaction appear to be entropy-driven.
A generalized expression for spectacle magnification is derived and used to determine the magnification of focal telescopes used to correct ametropia and/or to view objects at finite distances. When applied to low-powered hand-held telescopes, the expression predicts a clinically negligible difference between spectacle and nominal magnification.
A specific glyco-6-O-sulphatase has been purified to homogeneity from Flavobacterium heparinum. The enzyme hydrolyses the 6-O-sulphates of 2-deoxy-2-sulphamido-6-O-sulpho-D-glucose (GlcNS-6S), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-6-O-sulpho-D-glucose (GlcNAc-6S) and 2-amino-2-deoxy-6-O-sulphato-D-glucose (GlcN-6S). The activity was purified 2100-fold by successive chromatography on CM-Sepharose CL-6B, Sepharose CL-4B, hydroxyapatite and blue-Sepharose CL-6B. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a protein of relative molecular mass 64000. Four novel assays were developed using 35S-labelled and 14C-labelled monosaccharides. The purified enzyme was free of all other known heparin-degrading enzymes. In particular this was the first resolution of the 6-O-sulphatase from the sulphamidase. Optimal activity was at pH 7.5. Enzyme activity was virtually unaffected by Na+ and K+ ions. Enhancements of activity of 12% and 30% were effected by Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions respectively. Inorganic phosphate and sulphate (both 0.005 mol dm-3) inhibited activity by 48% and 50% respectively. The Km value for the free amino substrate GlcN-6S was 1.35 mmol dm-3. In contrast the Km values for the GlcNAc-6S and GlcNS-6S were 54 mumol dm-3 and 16 mumol dm-3 respectively.
A novel bacterial sulphatase has been discovered in an extract of Flavobacterium heparinum. The enzyme hydrolyses the 3-O-sulphate from 2-deoxy-2-sulphamido-3-O-sulpho-D-glucose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-sulpho-D-glucose. The activity was purified 10 800-fold by chromatography successively on CM-Sepharose CL-6B, hydroxyapatite, taurine-Sepharose CL-4B and CM-Sepharose CL-6B. Sodium dodecylsulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed the enzyme to be homogeneous and of relative molecular mass 56 000. Two novel assays were developed using 2-[14C]acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-sulpho-D-glucose and 2-deoxy-2-sulphamido-3-O-sulpho-D-glucose as respective substrates. The purified 3-O-sulphatase was shown to be free of all other known heparin-degrading enzymes. Optimal activity was at pH 7.5 for the disulphated substrate and pH 8.0 for the N-acetylated substrate. Enzyme activity was virtually unaffected by Na+, K+ or Mg2+ ions. A 1.2-fold enhancement of activity was effected by 0.002 mol dm-3 Ca2+. Inorganic phosphate and sulphate inhibited 3-O-sulphatase activity. The Km value of the N-acetylated substrate was determined to be 42 mumol dm-3. No activity was detected with 2-amino-2-deoxy-3-O-sulpho-D-glucose.
To assess the development of subsensitivity to antihistamines, titrated prick skin test (PSTs) were performed to seven fivefold dilutions of histamine and either morphine or antigen at specific intervals during therapy. Ten subjects received chlorpheniramine, 24 mg per day, and placebo in a double-blind crossover study. Total wheal area was measured at baseline and after 1, 3, 7, 21, and 24 days. The dose of chlorpheniramine (or placebo) was doubled from days 22 to 24 to assess the response to dosage increase. Serum levels of chlorpheniramine were measured at days 3 and 21 in six patients. Maximal skin test suppression was observed on days 3 or 7. On day 21 there was significantly less (p less than 0.01) suppression of all PSTs than on days 3 or 7. Mean serum chlorpheniramine was 48.7 ng/ml on day 3 and 36.1 ng/ml on day 21 (not significant). There was no significant correlation between changes in serum chlorpheniramine levels and changes in PST suppression. Doubling the dose of chlorpheniramine did not achieve the maximal suppression observed at days 3 or 7. We conclude that subsensitivity to antihistamines develops between 7 and 21 days of therapy and cannot be completely overcome by doubling the dose. The decreased effect does not appear to be due to induced metabolism but may be related to increased H1 receptor number.
The suppression of skin test reactivity by single doses of six antihistamines was measured before and after a period of daily antihistamine ingestion in 18 subjects. Single doses of hydroxyzine, 50 mg; chlorpheniramine, 16 mg; and promethazine, 50 mg; induced significant suppression of skin test reactivity at 2 hr, whereas the suppression produced by tripelennamine, 100 mg; diphenhydramine, 50 mg; and cyproheptadine, 16 mg; did not differ significantly from that produced by placebo. After 3 wk of treatment with hydroxyzine, 75 mg per day, the suppressive effect of hydroxyzine as well as the five clinically unrelated antihistamines was significantly reduced. Although the response to chlorpheniramine was also reduced after chronic treatment with chlorpheniramine, 24 mg per day, the difference was not statistically significant. We conclude that antihistamines in the doses used differ greatly in their suppressive effect on skin test reactivity. The antihistamine producing the most skin test suppression, hydroxyzine, when it was taken daily for 3 wk, caused the development of partial tolerance not only to its own effect but to those of clinically unrelated antihistamines.
The glycosulphatase which hydrolyses the 2-O-sulphate of the disaccharide, 4-deoxy-2-O-sulphato-alpha-L-threohex-4-enopyranosyl uronic acid-(1----4)-2-deoxy-2-sulphamido-6-O-sulphato-D-glucose (delta UA-2S----GlcNS-6S), has been isolated from the soluble fraction of disrupted Flavobacterium heparinum. The activity was purified 3300-fold by chromatography on CM-Sepharose CL-6B, hydroxyapatite, taurine-Sepharose CL-4B and blue-Sepharose CL-6B. From sodium dodecylsulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the enzyme was homogeneous and of 62000 Mr. A novel assay was devised using the de-N-sulphonated [1-3H]alditol, 4-deoxy-2-O-sulphato-alpha-L-threo-hex-4-enopyranosyl uronic acid-(1----4)-2-amino-2-deoxy-6-O-sulphato-D-[1-3H]glucitol (delta UA-2S----[1-3H]GlcNH2-ol-6S). This alditol was shown by 13C-NMR to be desulphated in the analogous manner to the original reducing trisulphated disaccharide. The purified 2-O-sulphatase was completely free of heparinase I, heparinase II (heparitinase), chondroitinases AC, chondroitinase B, the delta 4,5-glycuronidase for heparin delta 4,5-disaccharides, the 6-O-sulphatase and the 2-sulphamidase. It was optimally active over the range pH 5.5-6.5 and was practically unaffected by Na, K, Ca or Mg ions. Inorganic phosphate inhibited the activity. The Km value for the alditol substrate was 1.22 mmol dm-3. Using 13C-NMR, the 2-O-sulphatase was found to hydrolyse the analogous esters of higher delta 4,5-oligosaccharides from heparin. This contrasts with the findings of other authors [Dietrich, C. P., Silva, M. E., and Michelacci, Y. M. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 6408-6415].
Purified m beta-acrosin catalysed amidolysis of several p-nitroanilides with C-terminal arginine residues. Antithrombin III inhibited amidolysis catalysed by the enzyme. This effect of antithrombin III was potentiated by heparin, and to a modest extent by heparan sulphate, cellulose sulphate, dextran sulphate and xylan sulphate. De-N-sulphated heparin, de-N-sulphated N-acetylated heparin, heparin of low relative molecular mass, chondroitin 4-sulphate, chondroitin 6-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and hyaluronic acid were ineffective.
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It is postulated that the angiogenic potential of tissues is influenced by the fine structure of heparan glycosaminoglycans present in the tissues. Possible mechanisms involved are discussed. It is suggested that compounds chemically related to heparans might usefully act as inhibitors of pathological angiogenesis.
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Beta-Agarase I and II were characterised by their action on agar-type polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. Beta-Agarase I, an endo-enzyme, was specific for regions containing a minimum of one unsubstituted neoagarobiose unit [3,6-anhydro-alpha-L-galactopyranosyl-(1 leads to 3)-D-galactose], hydrolysing at the reducing side of this moiety. Yaphe demonstrated that agar was degraded by this enzyme to neoagaro-oligosaccharides limited by the disaccharide but with a predominance of the tetramer [Yaphe, W. (1957) Can. J. Microbiol. 3, 987-993]. Beta-Agarase I slowly degraded neoagarohexaose but not the homologous tetrasaccharide. [1-3H]Neoagarohexaitol was cleaved to neoagarotetraose and [1-3H]neoagarobiitol. The highly substituted agar, porphyran was degraded to methylated, sulphated and unsubstituted neoagaro-oligosaccharides which were invariably terminated at the reducing end by unsubstituted neoagarobiose. The novel enzyme, beta-agarase II, was shown to be an endo-enzyme. Preliminary evidence indicated this enzyme was specific for sequences containing neoagarobiose and/or 6(1)-O-methyl-neoagarobiose. It degraded agar to neoagaro-oligosaccharides of which the disaccharide was limiting and predominant. Beta-Agarase II rapidly degraded isolated neogarotetraose and neoagarohexaose to the disaccharide. With [1-3H]neoagarohexaitol, exo-action was observed, the alditol being cleaved to neoagarobiose and [1-3H]neoagarotetraitol. Neoagarotetraitol was hydrolysed at 4% of the rate observed for the hexaitol. Porphyran was degraded to oligosaccharides, the neutral fraction comprising 24% of the starting carbohydrate. This fraction was almost exclusively disaccharides (22.4%) containing neoagarobiose (7.4%) and 6(1)-O-methyl-neoagarobiose (15%). Beta-Agarase II is probably the 'beta-neoagarotetraose hydrolase' reported by Groleau and Yaphe as an exoenzyme against neoagaro-oligosaccharides [Groleau, D. and Yaphe, W. (1977) Can. J. Microbiol. 23, 672-679].
Purified m beta-acrosin catalysed amidolysis in vitro of several p-nitroanilides with C-terminal arginine residues. alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor inhibited amidolysis catalysed by the enzyme. This effect of alpha 1-Proteinase inhibitor was not prevented by pre-incubation of the enzyme with heparin or any other glycosaminoglycan. Pre-incubation of the enzyme with sulphated dextran or sulphated cellulose alleviated the effect of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor. These results are discussed in terms of possible in vivo modulation by alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor of acrosin activity.
The agarose-degrading system of Pseudomonas atlantica has been re-examined. In addition to the previously reported extracellular endo-beta-agarase [Yaphe, W. (1966) in Proceedings 5th International Seaweed Symposium, pp. 333-335] a second, membrane-bound endo-enzyme activity, beta-agarase II has been discovered. These two enzymes act in concert to degrade agarose to neoagarobiose [3,6-anhydro-alpha-L-galactopyranosyl-(1 leads to 3)-D-galactose] and also to degrade partially 6-O-methylated agarose to neoagarobiose and 6(1)-O-methyl-neoagarbiose. Novel assays were devised for beta-agarase II and the associated disaccharidase, neoagarobiose hydrolase. These allowed the critical purification of beta-agarase I and II. beta-Agarase I was purified 670-fold from the bacterial medium by a new method using ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. The enzyme was resolved from the small amount of extracellular beta-agarase II. Dodecylsulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated a homogeneous protein and a molecular weight of 32000. Activity was observed against agar over the pH range 3.0-9.0 and optimally at pH 7.0. The enzyme could be used indefinitely at 30 degrees C but only for up to 2 h at 40 degrees C. beta-Agarase II was partially purified (5-fold) from the soluble fraction of disrupted cells by chromatography on Sephadex G-100, hydroxyapatite and DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. This preparation was free of beta-agarase I and disaccharidase. beta-Agarase II was stimulated by NaCl, optimally in the range 0.10-0.20 mol dm-3 (2.4-fold the activity at 0.010 mol dm-3 NaCl). Alkali earth metal (0.002 mol dm-3 CaCl2 or 0.005 mol dm-3 MgCl2) gave 1.2-fold the normal activity. Optimum activity was over pH 6.5-7.5.