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W W Webb

Publications and source records attributed to W W Webb.

137 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1971

Inhibition of hepatic triglyceride formation by clofibrate.

The effect of clofibrate (CPIB) on hepatic glycerolipid formation has been studied in vivo and in vitro in the rat. Feeding 0.25% CPIB in laboratory chow significantly reduced serum triglyceride levels by 6 hr and concomitantly decreased the rate of glycerol-(14)C incorporation into hepatic and serum glycerides, in vivo. These changes persisted for at least 14 days. A similar decrease in serum triglyceride and glycerol incorporation into hepatic glycerides was observed in rats fed high glucose diets containing 0.25% CPIB. Serum glycerol was reduced by feeding CPIB for 14 days. The formation of diglyceride and triglyceride from (14)C-sn-glycerol-3-P by rat liver homogenates was inhibited by addition of 1-40 mM CPIB to the reaction mixture. These results suggest that CPIB reduces hepatic glycerolipid synthesis, possibly by inhibition of one or more reactions in the esterification of sn-glycerol-3-P. This change may account for the early fall in serum triglyceride. At later time periods, serum glycerol levels fall and in some experiments, hepatic triglyceride content increases. Therefore, it is likely that additional metabolic alterations may contribute to the sustained hypotriglyceridemic effects of CPIB.

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Imaging [Ca2+]i dynamics during signal transduction.

The elevation of free intracellular Ca2+ activity ([Ca2+]i) is widely recognised as a central event in many signal transduction processes in cellular physiology. Recent advances in optical techniques for measuring [Ca2+]i as well as developments in quantitative low light level fluorescence microscopy have led to the application of these methods to the study of subcellular [Ca2+]i in many biological systems. In the following paper we describe some techniques in our laboratory to provide quantitative high spatio-temporal resolution measurements of [Ca2+]i in individual living cells during the signal transduction of cell surface receptor ligand interactions. In particular, we are studying the changes in [Ca2+]i induced by the micro-aggregation of immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor complexes on the surface of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells (a tumor mast cell line) by multivalent antigen. We seek to understand the mechanisms which are involved in the detection of these cell surface events which lead to changes in [Ca2+]i as well as the interactions between the various subcellular components which impart the delicate control of [Ca2+]i during cellular stimulation. The limitations and properties of the technology used for these studies will be discussed, and some illustrative examples of the type of [Ca2+]i changes found in this biological system will be given.

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