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Biomedical subjects

Y Yang

Publications and source records attributed to Y Yang.

At least 1,225 records · Page 68Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Phylogenetic position of the genus Hydrogenobacter.

The genus Hydrogenobacter consists of extremely thermophilic, obligately chemolithotrophic organisms that exhibit anaerobic anabolism but aerobic catabolism. Preliminary studies of the phylogenetic position of these organisms based on limited 16S ribosomal DNA sequence data suggested that they belong to one of the earliest branching orders of the Bacteria. In this study, the complete 16S ribosomal DNA sequences of two type strains, Hydrogenobacter thermophilus TK-6 and Calderobacterium hydrogenophilum Z-829, and another isolate, Hydrogenobacter sp. strain T3, were determined, and the phylogenetic positions of these organisms were examined. Our results revealed that the two type strains are members of a single genus, the genus Hydrogenobacter. Our results also verified the previous conclusion that the Aquifex-Hydrogenobacter complex belongs to a very early branching order, the "Aquificales." Within this order, the relationships among the various organisms are such that only a single family, the "Aquificaceae," can be recognized at this time. Given the early branching point of the "Aquificales," the characteristics of these organisms support the view that the last common ancestor of existing life was thermophilic and suggest that this ancestor may have fixed carbon chemoautotrophically.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1994

Transfer of dideoxyinosine across the human isolated placenta.

1. Dideoxyinosine (ddI) has recently been approved for the treatment of patients with HIV infection. As increasing numbers of such patients are pregnant, we wished to define the rate and mechanism(s) of ddI transfer by the placenta to the foetus. Using isolated single perfused human term placental cotyledons, the drug was shown to cross the placenta from mother to foetus at a rate of 25% that of a freely diffusible marker, antipyrine, and at about half the rate of zidovudine (AZT). The transfer of ddI was similar in both directions (maternal to foetal and the reverse), equal to that of L-glucose, a passively transported sugar, and was not inhibited by excess inosine or uric acid (structural analogues of ddI). ddI did not cross to the foetus against a concentration gradient. The transport process appeared to be passive and it was not altered by AZT. 2. ddI was not metabolized in the Krebs Ringer buffer/albumin perfusate, and placental homogenates converted only 4% of ddI to hypoxanthine over the 4 h incubation. However, when maternal term or cord blood was incubated with ddI for 3 h, 50% of the drug was converted to hypoxanthine in maternal blood and to hypoxanthine and uric acid in cord blood. 3. Thus, ddI metabolism in maternal blood should decrease its net transfer to the foetus in vivo. In the foetal circulation, ddI will be further metabolized by erythrocytes to hypoxanthine and possibly to uric acid. Hence, the fraction of administered ddI delivered to foetal tissues should be much lower than that of AZT.

Antipyrine↗
PubMed1994

IL-6 induces hepatic inflammation and collagen synthesis in vivo.

IL-6 regulates the synthesis of a broad spectrum of acute phase proteins in the liver. Also, it is involved in the pathogenesis of many fibrogenic diseases. To study the inflammatory effects of IL-6 on the liver in vivo, human rIL-6, produced in Escherichia coli, was injected intraperitoneally into rats (25 micrograms/100 g body weight). The major fraction of injected IL-6 was accumulated in the liver within 40 min, and the number of platelets was increased during 72 h after injection. After 5 weeks of injection, the levels of serum glutamine pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) were not changed, but they were significantly elevated at 13 weeks of treatment. Meanwhile, serum albumin levels were slightly decreased compared with those of controls. The same phenomena were observed in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats. Collagen synthesis was increased in the liver tissues and in the culture supernatants of hepatic lipocytes isolated from the rats treated with IL-6 for 13 weeks. Histological analysis correlated well with biochemical analysis. At 5 weeks of treatment, only mild pathological changes were observed, but severe hepatocyte necrosis and the accumulation of fibres in necrotic area were developed in the liver of IL-6-treated rats after 13 weeks of treatment, confirming that hepatic inflammation and fibrosis were developed. IL-6 activities in the sera and in the culture supernatants of lipocytes from IL-6-treated rats were elevated compared with those in controls. These biochemical and pathological data indicate that IL-6 can induce hepatic inflammation, and it has important roles in the pathogenesis of fibrosis and diseases of the liver in vivo. In addition, these results will provide useful information for the clinical trials of IL-6.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed1994

Differential regulation of uterine and glomerular angiotensin II receptors in normal and hypertensive pregnancy in the rat.

1. In the non-pregnant state uterine and glomerular angiotensin II (AII) receptors have been shown to regulate in a similar fashion. This study sought to determine whether such parallel regulation occurred during pregnancy. We also investigated the role of plasma AII in these changes. 2. These studies were performed in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The SHR has increased receptor number, increased sensitivity to infused AII and decreased plasma volume compared to the WKY. These features are also seen in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). 3. Age matched female WKY and SHR were exposed to an appropriate breeder and sacrificed on day 14 of gestation. Plasma AII was measured by radio-immunoassay. Uterine and glomerular receptor binding was determined by saturation analysis using 125I(Sar1,Ileu8)AII. Data were analysed using the program LIGAND. 4. Uterine and glomerular AII receptors showed different patterns of regulation during pregnancy. The uterine AII receptor affinity decreased significantly in both strains at 14 days of gestation and receptor number also decreased significantly in WKY. In contrast, glomerular AII receptor affinity did not change significantly in either strain. Receptor numbers in the glomeruli increased significantly compared to their respective non-pregnant controls. 5. We conclude that the uterine and glomerular AII receptors do not regulate in a parallel fashion in pregnancy. Plasma AII concentration does not appear to be involved in the regulation of either uterine and glomerular receptor expression in pregnancy.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1994

Promotion and inhibition of activation-induced apoptosis in T-cell hybridomas by oncogenes and related signals.

The Two Signal: Death/Survival Model suggests that cellular proliferation and physiological cell death should be intimately associated such that, in the absence of external influences, a normal cell departing from rest will have an equal probability of undergoing either process. The c-Myc protooncogene product has been implicated in cell cycle progression and in the control of gene expression, and more recently c-Myc has also been seen to promote apoptotic cell death. As predicted from the model, c-Myc-induced apoptosis is inhibited by growth factors or other anti-apoptotic signals including those provided by some oncogenes. Here, we discuss experiments that test the Two Signal: Death/Survival Model in the phenomenon of activation-induced apoptosis in T-cell hybridomas. Ligation of the antigen receptor on these cells leads to activation, resulting in cytokine production and apoptosis. Inhibition of c-Myc expression by addition of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides or transforming growth factor beta inhibits this form of apoptosis. Because c-Myc is known to bind to several cellular proteins, including Max, we further examined the effects of expression of a dominant negative Max on activation-induced apoptosis. We found that this Max mutant, which interferes with the function of the Myc/Max heterodimer, inhibits the induction of apoptosis by antigen receptor ligation. Thus, both Myc and Max play roles in activation-induced apoptosis, presumably via control of gene expression. Further, as predicted, signals generated from growth factor receptors or the v-Abl oncogene interfere with activation-induced apoptosis. In contrast, the anti-apoptotic effects of Bcl-2 are not active in this form of apoptosis. Finally, a role for Fas/Fas-ligand interactions in activation-induced apoptosis is considered.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Cloning and expression of a cloxacillin-hydrolyzing enzyme and a cephalosporinase from Aeromonas sobria AER 14M in Escherichia coli: requirement for an E. coli chromosomal mutation for efficient expression of the class D enzyme.

Two beta-lactamase genes, asbA1 and asbB1, encoding AsbA1 and AsbB1, respectively, have been cloned from Aeromonas sobria AER 14M into Escherichia coli. AsbA1 was expressed at low but detectable levels in all E. coli laboratory cloning strains tested. AsbB1 was expressed well in the E. coli cloning strain DH5 alpha. However, no enzyme activity could be detected from the same clone when placed in E. coli MC1061. Ampicillin-resistant mutants of E. coli MC1061 were obtained that expressed high levels of enzymatically active AsbB1. Four independent mutants were examined. All four mutations mapped to one locus, designated blpA (beta-lactamase permissive). The blpA locus was distinct from other known loci that play a role in beta-lactamase expression, i.e., the two loci that affect expression of the Bacteroides fragilis metallo-beta-lactamase and the ampC regulatory genes, ampD, ampE, and ampG. Sequence analysis of asbA1 and asbB1 revealed that AsbA1 was a class C beta-lactamase most closely related to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosomal cephalosporinase and probably represents the common A. sobria cephalosporinase. AsbB1 was a class D enzyme most closely related to the oxacillin-hydrolyzing enzyme OXA-1, with 34% amino acid sequence identity. Purified AsbA1 was a typical cephalosporinase with a substrate profile that reflected high rates of hydrolysis of cephaloridine compared with benzylpenicillin. Purified AsbB1 showed strong penicillinase activity, with hydrolysis rates for carbenicillin and cloxacillin 2 to 2.5 times that for benzylpenicillin. Hydrolysis of imipenem was < or = 1% of that for benzylpenicillin. Both clavulanic acid and tazobactam strongly inhibited AsbB1, while sulbactam inhibited the AsbB1 enzyme less effectively. None of the inhibitors worked well against the AsbA1 enzyme. The chelators EDTA and 1,10-o-phenanthroline did not affect the activity of either enzyme. A. sobria AER 14M was found to produce both a group 1 cephalosporinase and a novel group 2d cloxacillin-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase that has been designated here OXA-12.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1994

Contribution of enzymatic properties, cell permeability, and enzyme expression to microbiological activities of beta-lactams in three Bacteroides fragilis isolates that harbor a metallo-beta-lactamase gene.

The metallo-beta-lactamase gene, ccrA, has been cloned from three clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis, TAL3636, QMCN3, and QMCN4. Although all three isolates harbored a gene encoding a potent beta-lactamase, the MICs of benzylpenicillin, piperacillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, imipenem, and biapenem for the three isolates varied from 4- to > 128-fold. QMCN4 was the most susceptible of the three isolates, followed by QMCN3. TAL3636 was resistant to all of the beta-lactams. Previous DNA sequence analysis of the three ccrA genes revealed that the enzymes differed at 5 amino acid residues (B. A. Rasmussen, Y. Gluzman, and F. P. Tally, Mol. Microbiol. 5:1211-1219, 1991). Biochemical characterization of the three enzymes revealed only small differences in kcat and Km values for the majority of beta-lactams tested. Thus, the 5 amino acid substitutions affected the hydrolyzing activity of the enzymes only modestly. Crypticity differences between the three isolates showed that QMCN4 was the least permeable of the isolates to cephaloridine, followed by TAL3636, and that QMCN3 was highly permeable to cephaloridine. Therefore, neither catalytic activity nor permeability was a major contributor to the dramatic differences in the MICs. Instead, microbiological susceptibility was closely related to the level of metallo-beta-lactamase present in each isolate. Both biochemical and physical studies indicated that TAL3636 produced 5- to 10-fold and 50- to 100-fold more metallo-beta-lactamase than QMCN3 and QMCN4, respectively. Therefore, the level of CcrA enzyme production is the dominant contributing factor to high-level resistance among strains harboring a ccrA gene.

Amidohydrolases↗
PubMed1994

Metabolism of naphthalene, fluorene, and phenanthrene: preliminary characterization of a cloned gene cluster from Pseudomonas putida NCIB 9816.

A modified cloning procedure was used to obtain large DNA insertions (20 to 30 kb) from Pseudomonas putida NCIB 9816 that expressed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) transformation activity in Escherichia coli HB101. Four subclones (16 [in both orientations], 12, and 8.5 kb in size) were constructed from the initial clones. Naphthalene, fluorene, and phenanthrene transformations were investigated in these eight NCIB 9816 clones by a simple agar plate assay method, which was developed to detect and identify potential PAH metabolites. Results indicated that the necessary genes encoding the initial ring fission of the three PAHs in E. coli cells are located in an 8.5-kb EcoRI-XhoI portion, but the lower-pathway genes are not present in a 38-kb neighborhood region. These NCIB 9816 clones could transform naphthalene and phenanthrene to salicylic acid and 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, respectively. With the same clones, fluorene was degraded to 9-hydroxyfluorene, 9-fluorenone, and two unidentified compounds. Genetic similarity between the NAH7 upper-pathway genes and the cloned NCIB 9816 genes was confirmed by Southern blot DNA-DNA hybridization. In spite of this genetic similarity, the abilities of the two clusters to transform multiple PAHs were different. Under our experimental conditions, only the metabolites from naphthalene transformation by the NAH7 clone (pE317) were detected, whereas the NCIB 9816 clones produced metabolites from all three PAHs.

Biotransformation↗
PubMed1994

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and the IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptor: the myth continues.

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) is a polypeptide hormone with structural and functional homology with IGF-I and pro-insulin. It is now thought that IGF-II acts as a growth factor during fetal life and development. In rats, IGF-II levels in the circulation are high in the fetus and decline rapidly after birth. IGF-II mRNA expression in many tissues including the liver and the choroid plexus is also high during fetal life and low thereafter. Targeted disruption of the IGF-II gene in mice leads to a deficiency in their growth. Alternatively, it has been proposed that IGF-II could act as a growth and differentiation factor in the central nervous system. Administration of IGF-II into the central nervous system in rats leads to increased food intake and altered feeding behaviour. In muscle cells and in colon epithelial cells, IGF-II might also serve as an important regulator of differentiation. A key role for IGF-II as a paracrine or autocrine growth factor in certain tumours has been proposed. The IGFs exert their effects by binding to high-affinity membrane receptors that are expressed in many cells and tissues. The IGF-I receptor, which binds IGF-I with the highest affinity and which is very similar to the insulin receptor, is thought to mediate most, if not all, of the IGF-induced biological functions. The IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) receptor is a bifunctional glycoprotein with no homology to the insulin receptor. This receptor binds IGF-II and lysosomal enzymes bearing the M6P recognition marker at distinct binding sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Ultrastructural localization of variant forms of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in human bronchial epithelial of xenografts.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-regulated chloride (CI) channel called the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Previous in vitro studies have indicated that the most common mutation, delta F508 CFTR (a deletion of phenylalanine 508), encodes a protein that is trapped in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), leading to loss of cAMP-regulated CI transport at the plasma membrane. Another common variant, G551D CFTR (a G-->D missense mutation at position 551), is properly transported to the plasma membrane but is unresponsive to cAMP. These hypotheses are based primarily on studies in culture cells. We have attempted to extend the in vitro experiments by characterizing the molecular pathogenesis of the common mutations, delta F508 and G551D, in the context of a more relevant setting, the pseudostratified epithelium of a proximal human airway. Recombinant adenoviruses were used to transduce normal and variant forms of CFTR into surface epithelial cells of human bronchial xenografts grown in nu/nu mice. Recombinant forms of CFTR RNA and protein were expressed at levels that exceed expression of the endogenous gene. Immunolocalization of CFTR at the light and electron microscopic level indicated that products of the wild type and G551D alleles are found primarily at the apical plasma membrane of ciliated cells, while the delta F508 variant is distributed diffusely throughout the ER. Our data support previous observations primarily made in vitro that the G551D variant is a dysfunctional channel that is properly processed and that the delta F508 variant undergoes biosynthetic arrest at the level of the ER.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1994

T cell activation and increases in protein kinase C activity enhance retinoic acid-induced gene transcription.

Retinoic acid (RA) has profound effects on cell growth and differentiation. Its receptors are members of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily, which regulates nuclear transcription and gene expression by binding specific response elements. Protein kinase C (PKC) is activated during signal transduction initiated by a variety of membrane receptors. Using a RA-responsive element and reporter gene construct transfected into a T cell, we found: 1) T cell activation and PKC activators enhance transactivation by RA, 2) down-regulation of PKC protein has little effect on RA transactivation but abolishes superinduction by phorbol ester, which is restored by cotransfection of a PKC alpha-expression vector, and 3) cotransfection of dominant-negative c-jun does not prevent superinduction by phorbol ester. Together, these data demonstrate that PKC can modulate RA signal transduction, apparently without involvement of AP-1, and provide a new example of cross-talk between signal transduction pathways.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Nitrite reductase gene cloning of Amycolatopsis mediterranei U-32.

Southern blot analysis showed great homology existed between niaD (NR gene) of Aspergillus nidulans and A. mediterranei U-32 chromosome DNA. A 5.0kb PstI fragment from A. mediterranei U-32 complementary to A. nidulans niaD gene was cloned in E. coli NM522 using niaD as a probe. An identical DNA band was observed through back-hybridization of the cloned DNA fragment to PstI digest of A. mediterranei U-32 chromosome DNA. Its 2.1 kb SmaI-EcoRV fragment can only hybridize with total RNA from nitrate-cultured mycelium but not with that from ammonia-cultured mycelium. These data suggested that the cloned DNA fragment contains NR gene of A. mediterranei U-32. This is the first report on NR gene cloning from a aerobic bacterium. It was deduced from the molecular weight of the nitrate reductase that the coding sequence of NR gene is almost 1.5 kb in size. Further hybridization analysis indicated that the cloned DNA fragment covers the full-length NR gene of A. mediterranei U-32. We also constructed the physical map of the recombinant plasmid pJL1 with various restriction endonucleases, among them ten with no restriction site, six with unique site and two with double sites on the insert.

Actinobacteria↗
PubMed1994

[Influence of electro-stimulation at auriculo-stomach point in electrogastrogram of peptic ulcer patients].

Through observation on electrogastrogramm (EGG) with electro-stimulation at Auriculo-Stomach and Auriculo-Heart points and in 60 gastric and duodenal ulcer patients without any treatment as control. Results showed that after electro-stimulation at Stomach point the EGG amplitude of ulcer patients' gastric antrum and corpus was reduced (P < 0.01). But there was no such effect in that at Heart point and in the control (P > 0.05). There were also no effects of three methods on the EGG frequency of ulcer patients' gastric antrum and corpus (P < 0.05). It proves that electro-stimulation at Stomach point has some therapeutic effect to ulcer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Leishmaniasis in Karamay. XIV. Identification of promastigote isolates from naturally infected Phlebotomus major wui].

Phlebotomus major wui, an anthropophilic species, was predominant among sandflies in Karamay, Xinjiang of China. The females of this species collected in the wild and houses were detected to be infected with promastigotes. Three isolates of promastigotes obtained from P. major wui were inoculated intraperitoneally and subcutaneously into normal hamsters or BALB/c mice which developed visceral leishmaniasis later. The mean size of amastigotes in hamster viscera (smear observation) artificially inoculated with the cultured parasite originated from sandfly was significantly smaller than those in control hamster inoculated with the cultured Leishmania turanica from great gerbils in situ. The promastigotes from P. major wui hardly grew in NNN medium. In addition, 32P labeled gene gp63 was used as probe to hybridize DNA prepared from L. infantum, L. turanica and Leishmania from this sandfly showed that marked homogeneity existed between the isolates from P. major wui and L. infantum. At the present time, visceral leishmaniasis did not occur in Karamay but cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has been evidenced. Thus, what is the source of natural infection of P. major wui? Whether L. turanica or L. infantum is the pathogen of human CL in this area? These are interesting aspects to deal with in the further study.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Effects of acupuncture hypothermia and its relationship to changes of AVP contents in the plasma and CSF in the rabbits].

The experiment was designed to study the effects of acupuncture hypothermia and its relationship to the changes of arginine vasopressin (AVP) contents in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the rabbits. The results were as follows: (1) The intermittent electroacupuncture obviously inhibits the fever induced by endotoxin in rabbits, AVP contents in the plasma and CSF were increased markedly in comparison with normal and febrile rabbits. (2) Injection of AVP-antiserum into the septal area markedly reduced effects of acupuncture hypothermia. The experimental results suggested that one of the mechanisms of acupuncture hypothermia might be promoting release of endogenous AVP.

Animals↗