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Intercellular communication within the rat anterior pituitary gland. III. Postnatal development and periodic changes of cell-to-cell communications in female rats.

Cell-to-cell communication by gap junctions was investigated in the female rat anterior pituitary gland from 10 through 45 days of postnatal development and in 60-day-old animals. Gap junctions initially appeared between adjacent folliculo-stellate cells on day 25. Their appearance in female rats was 5 days later than that observed in males (Soji et al., 1990). Gap junction number increased until the animals became 40 days of age, when they reached a level that resembled that found in adults. In addition, a correlation was evident between the frequency of gap junctions and stages of the estrous cycle, where they were most numerous during either proestrus or estrus. These results along with those previously published suggest that gap junction formation within the female rat hypophysis is in part modulated by both gonadal steroid hormones as well as prolactin.

Animals↗

Intercellular communication within the rat anterior pituitary gland: IV. Changes in cell-to-cell communications during pregnancy.

Cell-to-cell communication by gap junctions was investigated in the female rat anterior pituitary gland from 9 through 21 days of pregnancy and subsequently on days 2 and 20 of the lactational period. Compared with intact estrus females, the major morphological characteristics of the pituitary gland during pregnancy were remarkably developed prolactin cells and gonadotrophs. A close relationship of both cell types was clearly evident. Gap junctions were present at each of the time intervals studied; however, they were noted only between adjacent folliculo-stellate cells. No remarkable changes were noted in the number of gap junctions during the middle stage of pregnancy (day 9 through day 15), with the relative number resembling that found in intact, 90-day-old controls during estrus (0.47 +/- .01 junctions/follicle-control vs. 0.50 +/- 0.08--day 15 of pregnancy). In the later stages of pregnancy (day 17 through day 21), a demonstrable increase was observed (0.64 +/- 0.10--day 17, 0.79 +/- 0.11--day 19 and 0.72 +/- 0.12--day 21), whereas during the lactation, this pattern returned to that seen at midpregnancy. Since both prolactin and the gonadal steroid hormones dramatically fluctuate during pregnancy and lactation, it is postulated that they may have an active role in gap junction formation during these two phases of reproductive life.

Animals↗

Intercellular communication within the rat anterior pituitary gland: V. Changes in cell-to-cell communications as a function of the timing of castration in male rats.

Cell-to-cell communication by gap junctions was investigated in the male rat anterior pituitary gland following several experimental regimens involving castration. The regimens included the following animals: (1) Group 1, castrated at 10-day intervals from day 10 to 50 and sacrificed at 60 days of age; (2) Group 2, castrated every 10 days from days 10 to 50 and sacrificed 50 days after castration; (3) Group 3, castrated at 5 days of age and sacrificed every 10 days from day 10 to 60; or (4) Group 4, remained intact and sacrificed every 10 days from days 10 to 60. In all of the castrated animals, numerous so-called castration cells were scattered throughout the pars distalis of the pituitary gland, with occasional "signet ring cells" being observed. In Groups 1 and 2, the pattern of gap junction development and their number was no different from the intact control (Group 4). In contrast, the number of gap junctions in the animals castrated on day 5 remained very small even into adulthood. These data demonstrate that gonadal steroids are important in the initial development of gap junctions within the pituitary gland but are not necessary to sustain their presence once an animal becomes an adult.

Animals↗

Rat mast cells communicate with fibroblasts via gap junction intercellular communications.

Usually mast cells (MCs) modulate other cellular activities through the release of their cytoplasmic granules. Recently, gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) between an established human MC cell line (HMC-1) co-cultured with human dermal fibroblasts in fibroblast populated collagen lattices (FPCLs), enhanced the rate and degree of FPCL contraction. However, HMC-1 cells were unable to generate GJIC with human neonatal fibroblasts in monolayer culture. Here freshly isolated rat peritoneal MCs are co-cultured with fibroblasts in collagen lattices and in monolayer culture in vitro and introduced into rat polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponge implants in vivo. Co-cultured MC-FPCL contracted faster and to a greater degree. Loading Calcein AM green fluorescent dye into red fluorescent Dil tagged MC generates MC-paratroopers. When MC-paratroopers form GJIC with fibroblasts, some green dye is passed into the fibroblast, while the MC-paratrooper retains both its red and green fluorescence. MC-paratroopers passed green fluorescent dye into both human and rat dermal fibroblasts in monolayer culture. In rats 7-day-old subcutaneous PVA sponge implants, which received an injection of MC-paratroopers, exhibited auto-fluorescent green fibroblasts, when harvested 24 h later. MC-paratroopers pretreated with a long-acting GJIC inhibitor prior to their introduction into PVA sponge implants, failed to pass dye into fibroblasts. It is proposed that GJIC between granulation tissue fibroblasts and MCs can modulate some aspects of wound repair and fibrosis.

Animals↗

Restoration of gap-junctional intercellular communication in a communication-deficient rat liver cell mutant by transfection with connexin 43 cDNA.

To study the biochemical basis of gap-junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and its role in tumorigenesis, a mammalian cell expression vector carrying both a rat connexin 43 (Cx43) cDNA and an amplifiable dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene was transfected into the GJIC-deficient rat liver mutant cell line aB1. Two stable transfectants were selected for further amplification of the transfected Cx43 gene by increasing stepwise the concentration of methotrexate (MTX) in the culture medium. The results indicate that GJIC was restored in these two Cx43 cDNA transfectants after they became highly resistant to MTX but not in the control-vector transfectants, in which the DHFR gene was similarly amplified. The amount of Cx43 DNA revealed by Southern blot analysis and the expression of Cx43 gene revealed by northern and western blot analyses were concomitantly increased in the Cx43 cDNA transfectants resistant to high concentrations of MTX. Western blot analysis, using an antipeptide antibody that specifically recognizes Cx43 protein, further revealed that an approximately 46-kDa phosphorylated Cx43 protein that was prominent in the parental GJIC-competent cells was absent in the aB1 cells. This Cx43 protein, however, reappeared in the two Cx43 cDNA transfectants after amplification. After treatment of the membrane proteins with alkaline phosphatase in vitro, the approximately 46- and 44-kDa proteins disappeared, whereas the approximately 42-kDa proteins remained with increasing intensity, indicating that the higher molecular-weight proteins were the phosphorylated Cx43. These results indicate that a defect in posttranslational phosphorylation of Cx43 protein associated with low expression of the Cx43 gene might be responsible for the GJIC deficiency in aB1 cells and that increased expression of Cx43 by gene amplification might restore this phosphorylated Cx43 protein and so reestablish GJIC.

Animals↗

[Health campaigns in the mass media: communications theory for communications practice].

Evaluative research clearly shows that public health campaigns can be effective. However, it is important that theories and results of communication research are applied in the planning phase of a health campaign. Questions to be considered are: What are the specific goals of the campaign? Who is the target group, and who selects it? What is the message to be conveyed, and who shall develop it? What is known about the effectiveness of the media in reaching the target audience? And last but not least: Only evaluative research can prove if a campaign has reached its goals!

Communication↗

Practice and communications systems: a word processor based communications system.

The majority of computerized systems currently available for the orthodontic office have been designed for and aimed at those offices that have a volume practice and frequently have multiple practitioners. The stand-alone practitioner and the small office have been grossly ignored. Systems designed for large practices are frequently too complex, too involved in business administration, and too costly for the small office to use effectively. This article describes how an office communications system can be assembled by using commercially available programs. For background information and definition of terms used in this article, I suggest referring to "An Introduction to the Computerization of the Orthodontic Practice," in the Oct. issue of this Journal.

Communication↗

Augmentative and alternative communication to support receptive and expressive communication for people with autism.

In this article the authors discuss the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) as used to enhance comprehension and expression of people with autism. A theoretical model for AAC assessment and intervention planning is presented. Application of the model is illustrated through a case report of a 6-year-old boy with autism who had severe expressive and receptive language impairments.

Autistic Disorder↗

Health care providers and purchasers and evaluation of interactive health communication applications. Science Panel on Interactive Communication and Health.

Health care providers and purchasers of health services have an opportunity to improve patient care and potentially save costs through the wise purchase of interactive health communication applications for patients and employees. Purchasing decisions based on evaluation and evidence should drive the design and development of new systems. The cycle of evaluation includes a needs assessment before system development, usability testing during development, and studies of use and outcomes in natural settings. This type of evidence is critical to our understanding of how best to provide health information and decision assistance to patients, employees, and others.

Community Participation↗

Developers and evaluation of interactive health communication applications. The Science Panel on Interactive Communications and Health.

BACKGROUND: Developers of Interactive Health Communication (IHC) are capable of providing great benefit by creating interactive programs that serve to protect and improve health. Conducting proper evaluation of these programs will ensure that they achieve these goals more successfully. CONCLUSIONS: This article seeks to inform developers of IHC about which types of evaluation are most important to include as a part of the development process and to examine the ways in which such evaluation can be implemented to benefit the producers--and ultimately, the consumers--of IHC.

Community Participation↗

Children's communicative abilities revisited: verbal versus perceptual disambiguating strategies in referential communication.

The way seven- and nine-year-old French children and adults interpret ambiguous object descriptions was studied in four experiments. All four experiments followed the same basic procedure and consisted of two phases. During the training phase, plastic blocks varying in shape, colour and size were associated with fruit names. Some objects were always given just one label, the generic term, whereas others could be given either the generic or the specific label. For example, large circles were referred to as 'pommes' ('apples'), and large blue circles as 'reinettes' (a kind of apple). Still others were given no name at all. During the test phase of the experiment, subjects were presented with referentially ambiguous messages and asked to point to a given object (Experiments 1, 2 and 3) or to draw an object (Experiment 4). The messages consisted of either a generic term preceded by an article (e.g. '(la pomme'-'the apple') or a verbal description based on a colour adjective (e.g. 'le bleu'-'the blue one'). When presented with the generic term, older children and adults persistently chose the object for which no specific term had been given during the training phase. When presented with an adjective description, they chose the referent for which no fruit name had been given during the training phase. Younger children's choices depended on whether the article preceding the description was definite or indefinite. These results are consistent with the Gricean approach to referential communication proposed by Jackson & Jacobs (1982) and with an extended version of the principle of contrast proposed by Clark (1987, 1988).

Child↗

[Risks of risk communication - lessons we may learn from media communication].

The German media system produces an enormous diversity of media contents both in the audiovisual and the press areas. The increasing number of media products promotes keen competition between new and existing media companies. German citizens consume mass media products for about eight hours a day, which makes the media one of the key factors in social life. This has consequences for the type and process of risk communication. Increasing competition results in a biased coverage of events and issues in the world. Key words are sensation, negativity, emotion and personalization. This kind of coverage leads to a sometimes irrational risk dialogue between media, society, economy and administration. A possible misconception of risks and risk management may have undesirable consequences for the social development and benefits of new technologies.

Communication↗

Expression of cell adhesion molecules and connexins in gap junctional intercellular communication deficient human mesothelioma tumour cell lines and communication competent primary mesothelial cells.

Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) has been reported to be markedly reduced in human mesothelioma tumour cell lines compared with primary mesothelial cells. Immunofluorescence stainings have shown that the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) is expressed in both malignant and normal mesothelial cells. In this study the mRNA expression of Cx43 and three different connexins--Cx37, Cx40 and Cx45, which are highly expressed in lung tissue--was investigated in eight human mesothelioma cell lines, and in human primary mesothelial cells from several donors. The expression of the intercellular adhesion molecules A-CAM (N-cadherin) and L-CAM (E-cadherin) was studied at the protein level. No mRNA expression of Cx37, Cx40 or Cx45 in either mesothelioma tumour cells or the primary mesothelial cells was detected. Cx43 was expressed at both the mRNA and the protein level, in seven out of eight mesothelioma cell lines, as well as in all the primary mesothelial cell cultures. The well as in all the primary mesothelial cell cultures. The intercellular adhesion molecule A-CAM was expressed at the cell-cell borders in six out of seven mesothelioma cell lines, as well as in normal mesothelial cells. No expression of L-CAM was observed in these cells. The results suggest that Cx43 and A-CAM are the major proteins in gap and adherens junctions respectively in human mesothelial cells. Most mesothelioma tumour cell lines with markedly reduced GJIC still express both Cx43 and A-CAM. Only one of our mesothelioma tumour cell lines severely deficient in GJIC lacks both the gap junction protein Cx43 and the cell adhesion molecule A-CAM.

Cell Adhesion Molecules↗

Communicative development in Swedish children 16-28 months old: the Swedish early communicative development inventory--words and sentences.

To describe the development of words and sentences in Swedish children 16-28 months old, 900 parental reports on 336 children were analyzed. Subjects were randomly selected from the national birth register, and there was a response rate of 88%. The assessments were made using the Swedish Early Communicative Development Inventory--words and sentences (SECDI--w&s). Age-based norms for productive vocabulary, pragmatic skills, grammar skills, and maximum length of utterance (MaxLU) were determined. We describe the development of feedback morphemes, semantic categories, and single words and tasks. Correlation across measures was significant, and especially strong between vocabulary size and grammar skills. Optimized positive predictive values were high for 25 to 28 month predictions (71%-88%), and vocabulary scores were found to be of particular predictive importance. No significant gender differences were detected. The clinical relevance of the instrument is discussed.

Age Factors↗

Similarities between legume-rhizobium communication and steroid-mediated intercellular communication in vertebrates.

Regulation of the actions of flavonoids and Nod factors in legume-rhizobia communication has several interesting similarities with that of steroid-mediated actions in vertebrates. Oxidation or reduction of flavonoids and Nod factors modifies their biological activity just as, for example, oxidation of an alcohol at C11 on hydrocortisone regulates its biological activity. Second, some flavonoids are anti-inducers, functioning like steroid antagonists to negate the actions of inducer flavonoids. Amino acid sequence analyses show that human 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the interconversion of the alcohol and ketone at C17 on estrogens and androgens, and rat 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the interconversion of the alcohol and ketone at C11 of glucocorticoids, and Rhizobium meliloti NodG and Bradyrhizobium japonicum. FixR are derived from a common ancestor. Just as steroid-metabolizing enzymes can regulate steroid-mediated gene transcription, enzymes that modify substituents on flavonoids and Nod factors may have a similar role in regulating signalling between legumes and rhizobia. The enzymes that modify flavonoids and Nod factors have not yet been identified. However, NodG and FixR are two likely candidates to have this role in regulating legume-rhizobia signalling.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hormonal regulation of intercellular communication: parathyroid hormone increases connexin 43 gene expression and gap-junctional communication in osteoblastic cells.

The presence of gap junctions between osteoblastic cells has been previously reported. For this study we used the rat osteosarcoma cell line UMR 106, which expresses the osteoblastic phenotype, as a model to characterize further the nature, physiology, and regulation of gap junctions. Northern blot analysis identified a 3.0-kilobase RNA species corresponding to the gap junction protein connexin 43. The presence of two other connexin RNA species (26 and 32) could not be detected by this method in these cells. The identified connexin RNA was amplified by reverse transcription coupled to polymerase chain reaction; the sequence of the amplified product appears identical to the sequence of a cloned rat heart connexin 43 gene. After treatment with PTH, forskolin, and 8-Br-cAMP (a cAMP analog), the levels of connexin 43 RNA in UMR 106 cells increased. Further evidence for the role of PTH and cAMP in the physiology of gap junctions in these cells was obtained with Lucifer yellow dye transfer experiments. Gap-junctional intercellular communication increased in response to PTH and forskolin (an inducer of adenylate cyclase activity). Expression of connexin 43 RNA increased severalfold in response to PTH in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion. Connexin 43 RNA and its PTH-mediated stimulation were also observed in several other osteoblastic cell lines. The roles of PTH and forskolin in regulating the physiological state of gap junctions were confirmed in primary cultures of rat calvaria osteoblasts.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Teleradiology and picture archiving and communications systems: changed pattern of communication between clinicians and radiologists.

In a few years all radiology departments in Norwegian hospitals will have a picture archiving and communications system (PACS). This depends on telecommunications with great capacity for transmitting radiology images. The new technology questions the need for daily meetings between radiologists and clinicians, 'clinico-radiological conferences'. Qualitative interviews were performed with 23 resource persons experienced with problems related to PACS and teleradiology. The response rate was 91%. In all, 29% answered that the clinico-radiological conferences could be abolished, 52% replied no and 19% replied both yes and no. The clinico-radiological conferences could be abolished for some clinical departments, but only after consultation between radiology and clinical departments. If the conferences are abolished, clinicians and radiologists may spend more time on treatment and interpretation, with a probable productivity gain.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗