Further studies on a defect in the intracellular transport and secretion of proteins by the liver of choline-deficient rats.
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Renal hypouricemia (serum urate < 2.0 mg/dl) is the inborn disorder due to the impaired tubular urate transport resulted in an increased urate excretion. The inheritance shows an autosomal recessive trait. The prevalence of renal hypouricemia is 0.15% in the outpatients. Based on the 4-component model, by using the pharmacological inhibitor, renal hypouricemia is classified into the 4 types as follows, 1) defective presecretory reabsorption, 2) defective postsecretory reabsorption, 3) enhanced urate secretion, and 4) both defective presecretory and postsecretory reabsorption including the three subtypes. Although renal hypouricemia has asymptomatic as usual, acute renal failure and urolithiasis (hematuria) have been reported as the complication. We further introduced the novel pathophysiology of the renal hypouricemia such as the aciduria correlating to the accelerated urate excretion and the hyperoxipurinemia in this review.
Type 2 diabetes is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by defects in insulin secretion and action. Insulin resistance is a key feature of type 2 diabetes. However, insulin resistance alone does not appear to be sufficient to cause diabetes. Longitudinal studies have shown that the development of overt hyperglycemia is associated with a decline in beta-cell secretion. In patients with impaired glucose tolerance or in the early stages of type 2 diabetes, first-phase insulin release is almost invariably lost despite the enhancement of second-phase secretion. Both animal and human studies support the critical physiologic role of the first-phase of insulin secretion in the maintenance of postmeal glucose homeostasis. This effect is primarily mediated at the level of the liver, allowing prompt inhibition of endogenous glucose production (EGP) and thereby restraining the mealtime rise in plasma glucose. In type 2 diabetes, the loss of the early surge of insulin release is a precocious and quite common defect that plays a pathogenic role in postmeal hyperglycemia and one that may require specific therapeutic intervention. This becomes even more apparent if the negative impact of prandial glucose spikes is taken into consideration. Epidemiological evidence exists to indicate that 2-h postload plasma glucose levels are strongly associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality relative risk. Indeed the acute elevation of plasma glucose concentration triggers an array of tissue responses that may contribute to the development of diabetic complications. Considering that type 2 diabetes begins with meal-related hyperglycemia in many patients, it becomes apparent that normalization of postmeal plasma glucose levels should be the target for rational therapy and the goal in the early stages of the disease. If a primary goal of diabetes therapy is control of postmeal glucose excursion, then the regulation of glucose absorption from the gut and entry into the circulation is an important mechanism to consider. The restoration of the rapid increase in plasma insulin concentration may be quite an efficient therapeutic approach.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent chloride channel that is defective in cystic fibrosis. The aims of this study were to determine if defective apical chloride secretion in the intestine of patients with cystic fibrosis alters the intracellular electrolyte milieu and to examine the geographical localization of CFTR in the normal intestine. METHODS: The content of intracellular elements was assessed in cryosections using energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis, and CFTR was identified by immunocytochemistry using commercially available antibodies. RESULTS: Cystic fibrosis jejunum had a significantly lower Na+ content, higher K+ and Cl- content, and higher potassium/phosphorus ratio in both villus and crypt regions. Incubation of normal jejunum with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (300 mumol/L) resulted in decreased K+ and Cl- content in both crypt and villus regions, indicative of Cl- secretion. CFTR was identified on the surface of normal villus and crypt enterocytes but not in cystic fibrosis samples. CONCLUSIONS: Defective apical chloride channels in cystic fibrosis result in alterations in the intracellular electrolyte milieu. The microanalysis observations and immunocytochemical studies imply a role for villus enterocytes in human intestinal chloride secretion.
In order to establish whether long-term abstinence from alcohol reverses the defective serotonergic and GABAergic controls of growth hormone (GH) secretion affecting alcoholic patients, the 5-HT1D serotonergic receptor agonist sumatriptan and the GABAergic agent gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) were administered to 12 normal men (32-49 years) and 22 non-depressed male alcoholic subjects (38-52 years) after 1-2 years of abstinence from alcohol. All subjects were also tested with placebos. Furthermore, tests with GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and L-arginine (which releases GH from somatostatin inhibition) were performed to determine whether GH secretion in response to its major determinants is preserved in alcoholics. Administration of placebo did not change plasma GH levels in any subject. Similar GH responses were observed in normal controls and alcoholic subjects when GHRH or arginine were administered. A significant GH increase was observed in normal controls after sumatriptan or GHB injection; in contrast, GH secretion was not modified by sumatriptan or GHB administration in alcoholic patients. These data show a persistent selective loss of 5-HT1D receptor and GHB-mediated neurotransmissions in alcoholics that a long-term abstinence from alcohol is unable to restore.
Hydralazine (1-hydrazinophthalazine) produces skeletal defects resembling those observed in experimentally induced manganese deficiencies. Since glycosylation of collagen, a step preceding its secretion, requires Mn2+, the effect of hydralazine on collagen secretion and the formation hydroxylysine glycosides was examined in explants of embryonic chicken long-bone rudiments. Auto-radiographic studies showed that hydralazine blocked collagen secretion. Secretion was restored by Fe2+ alone or Fe2+ + Mn2+ but not by Mn2+ alone, suggesting that a Fe2+-requiring step was involved. Biochemical analyses showed that hydralazine inhibited the formation of hydroxylysine, a step requiring Fe2+, but it did not inhibit the formation of hydroxylysine-glocosides by Mn2+-requiring steps, although the reaction was inhibited in vitro. Hydralazine also failed to inhibit intracellular mucopolysaccharide synthesis which involves several Mn2+-requiring enzymes. These observations suggest that the deleterious effects of hydralazine on bones are caused by its inhibition of hydroxylation steps in collagen synthesis.
One or more phospholipases of the C and A2 types exist in rodent islets and may play a pivotal role in the cell signaling cascade culminating in exocytotic insulin release. Phospholipase C generates myo-inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate, which mobilizes a "pool" of calcium in the endoplasmic reticulum and which may also secondarily facilitate calcium (Ca++) influx from the extracellular space to replenish that pool. Diacylglycerol is also generated by phospholipase C action and activates protein kinase C; it may thereby potentiate the cellular response to elevations in cytosolic free Ca++ concentration. Arachidonic acid may be released during the degradation of diacylglycerol and may also contribute to islet activation. Phospholipase C is activated by glucose, cholinergic agonists, and probably by Ca++ fluxes. Phospholipase A2 action generates arachidonic acid and lysophospholipids. Certain lysophospholipids mobilize cellular Ca++, at least in part from superficial, plasmalemmal stores. Native (unoxygenated) arachidonic acid also has the capability of mobilizing cellular Ca++ from membrane-bound stores; it may, in addition, activate protein kinase C, as suggested by recent indirect studies. The further metabolism of arachidonic acid via lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygenase appears to provide positive and negative modulation, respectively, of stimulated insulin secretion. Many pieces of the puzzle remain, however, to be supplied. For example, it has not yet been unequivocally demonstrated that phospholipase A2 is activated by physiologic stimuli in intact islets. Furthermore, the absence of truly specific pharmacologic stimulators or inhibitors of these processes currently precludes precise delineation of the respective physiologic roles of each potential mediator in stimulus-secretion coupling. When such roles are elucidated, it can be asked whether the defects in insulin secretion in diabetes mellitus may be due in part to abnormalities in the turnover of beta-cell membrane phospholipids and the generation of intracellular lipid-derived signals.
Children undergoing hypospadias repair and their parents have anxieties related not only to the operation but to future expectations. These anxieties are expressed by children through their drawings and by parents through interviews. They are enhanced by the fact that the hypospadias defect is only noticeable to the parents and child and is kept as secret information. Other defects, such as cleft palate, are obvious and cannot be hidden. The anxieties associated with hypospadias appear to be different whem compared to those associated with more obvious deformities.
Microsomal TG transfer protein (MTTP) is required for the assembly and secretion of TG (TG)-rich lipoproteins from both enterocytes and hepatocytes. Liver-specific deletion of Mttp produced a dramatic reduction in plasma very low density lipoprotein-TG and virtually eliminated apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100) secretion yet caused only modest reductions in plasma apoB48 and apoB48 secretion from primary hepatocytes. These observations prompted us to examine the phenotype following intestine-specific Mttp deletion because murine, like human enterocytes, secrete virtually exclusively apoB48. We generated mice with conditional Mttp deletion in villus enterocytes (Mttp-IKO), using a tamoxifen-inducible, intestine-specific Cre transgene. Villus enterocytes from chow-fed Mttp-IKO mice contained large cytoplasmic TG droplets and no chylomicron-sized particles within the secretory pathway. Chow-fed, Mttp-IKO mice manifested steatorrhea, growth arrest, and decreased cholesterol absorption, features that collectively recapitulate the phenotype associated with abetalipoproteinemia. Chylomicron secretion was reduced dramatically in vivo, in conjunction with an approximately 80% decrease in apoB48 secretion from primary enterocytes. Additionally, although plasma and hepatic cholesterol and TG content were decreased, Mttp-IKO mice demonstrated a paradoxical increase in both hepatic lipogenesis and very low density lipoprotein secretion. These findings establish distinctive features for MTTP involvement in intestinal chylomicron assembly and secretion and suggest that hepatic lipogenesis undergoes compensatory induction in the face of defective intestinal TG secretion.
Measles virus infection is associated with suppression of immune functions both in vivo and in vitro. The virus infects T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and monocytes, but does not produce cytolysis. One consequence of infection in vitro is the failure of T and B lymphocyte mixtures to cooperate in secreting Ig in a PWM-driven system. Here we report that this defect in Ig secretion resides in the infected B lymphocyte, but not in the T lymphocyte or monocyte. Further, NK cells are not involved, since neither their depletion nor reconstitution abrogates suppression of B cell function. Proliferation of B cells in the early culture period is suppressed, suggesting that measles virus suppresses B cell development at the activation or proliferation stages, but does not affect terminal differentiation into Ig secreting cells.
Glucose toxicity is a well-established entity that has been shown in animal models of diabetes to contribute to development of insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. In type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes in humans, a considerable body of evidence has accumulated indicating that a chronic physiological increment in the plasma glucose concentration leads to progressive impairment in insulin secretion and may contribute to insulin resistance as well. The precise biochemical mechanism(s) responsible for the hyperglycemia-induced defect in insulin secretion remains to be defined but may be related to a defect in phosphoinositide metabolism. In animal models of diabetes, development of insulin resistance is related to downregulation of the glucose-transport system, and a similar phenomenon is also likely to occur in humans. In addition, hyperglycemia in humans may lead to a defect in glycogen synthesis. In this respect, humans may be different from rats. In type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients who are poorly controlled, insulin resistance is a characteristic feature and can be ameliorated by tight glycemic control, suggesting that hyperglycemia is responsible for the insulin resistance. Evidence also has accumulated to implicate glucose toxicity in the functional impairment in insulin secretion that occurs during the initial presentation of patients with type I diabetes, and this may explain the honeymoon period so commonly observed after the institution of insulin therapy.
Four families with growth hormone (GH) deficiency, either isolated or with other pituitary hormonal deficits are described. Members of each underwent pharmacological testing for GH secretion and infusions of GH releasing hormone (GHRH) to determine the locus of the defect in GH secretion. In addition, we have extracted DNA from white blood cells to characterize the GHRH and GH genes. All members tested had the normal complement of GH and GHRH genes. Four generations of one family with isolated GH deficiency, autosomal dominant were studied. The younger members showed minimal GH responsiveness to a single infusion of GHRH. However, the older members did not respond even after 30 doses of GHRH given intravenously every 3 h. Two members of a family with the autosomal recessive type of isolated GH deficiency had large GH increases after GHRH infusion. Thus in these families the GH secretory defect lies within the hypothalamus. Members of two families with pituitary deficiency (GH and other tropic hormones) of the autosomal recessive type had variable responses to GHRH and varying amounts of pituitary tissue seen on high resolution CT scans. Although it is not possible to delineate the precise location of the secretory defects in these latter two families, a hypothalamic defect is probable based on the responses to multiple trophic stimuli. Heterogeneity of structure and function exists within and between families with isolated GH deficiency and within and among families with pituitary deficiency. It is from the study of such families in which all members presumably have the same underlying defect that one can more readily decide on a pathogenetic mechanism.
Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion and action. Recent studies have found mutations in the hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 alpha gene (HNF-4alpha) in families with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), an autosomal dominant form of diabetes characterized by early age at onset and a defect in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. During the course of our search for susceptibility genes contributing to the more common late-onset NIDDM forms, we observed nominal evidence for linkage between NIDDM and markers in the region of the HNF-4alpha/MODY1 locus in a subset of French families with NIDDM diagnosed before 45 yr of age. Thus, we screened these families for mutations in the HNF-4alpha gene. We found a missense mutation, resulting in a valine-to-isoleucine substitution at codon 393 in a single family. This mutation cosegregated with diabetes and impaired insulin secretion, and was not present in 119 control subjects. Expression studies showed that this conservative substitution is associated with a marked reduction of transactivation activity, a result consistent with this mutation contributing to the insulin secretory defect observed in this family.
Defective HCO(3)(-) and fluid secretion are hallmarks of the pathophysiology of the pancreas of cystic fibrosis patients. Recently, impaired HCO(3)(-) secretion has been shown in most tissues known to express the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). New results suggest that CFTR plays an important role in the transcellular secretion of HCO(3)(-).
Everyone experiences minor bleeding and clotting, and many illnesses feature extremes of hemorrhage or thrombosis. Recent advances have illuminated the ways in which von Willebrand factor (VWF) contributes to both kinds of hemostatic emergency, whether mundane or life threatening, often through disturbances in VWF synthesis or catabolism. von Willebrand factor multimer assembly depends on the ability of the propeptide to promote disulfide bond formation in the Golgi, possibly by acting as a pH-sensitive oxidoreductase. Once secreted into the blood, multimers are subject to competing processes of clearance and of proteolysis by ADAMTS-13. Defects in the secretion or intravascular clearance of VWF can cause exceptionally severe forms of von Willebrand disease (VWD) type 1. Defects in the assembly of VWF multimers, or exaggerated proteolytic degradation by ADAMTS-13, can cause VWD type 2A and contribute to VWD type 2B. Conversely, defects in the feedback proteolysis of VWF by ADAMTS-13 can cause thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). The pathophysiologic importance of VWF is not limited to the dramatic phenotypes of VWD and TTP. In fact, VWF level also correlates with thrombosis risk and inversely with bleeding risk within the apparently healthy population. More research is needed to understand how VWF function is regulated, and to enable physicians to use this knowledge for the benefit of their patients.
Initiation and maintenance of reproductive capacity is contingent upon the pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. While GnRH deficiency manifests itself clinically as hypogonadism, the time of onset of the defect in GnRH secretion (i.e. before or after the onset of puberty) determines the clinical presentation that is further modified by the severity of the defect. GnRH deficiency can be associated with structural lesions that interfere with the normal pattern of GnRH secretion through compression or destruction of critical areas of the median eminence of the hypothalamus. Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) has been described and is characterized by isolated GnRH deficiency in the absence of a hypothalamic or pituitary lesion. Typically, patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia have been given the diagnosis of Kallmann's syndrome and those with normal olfaction, IHH. However, both entities can be present in the same family, demonstrating variability in phenotypic expression and raising questions about the usefulness of this distinction. GnRH deficiency may be inherited via autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive and X-linked modes of inheritance. Specific defects in a number of genes have now been found in association with GnRH deficiency in the human and including the KAL gene, the DAX gene and the GnRH receptor gene, but not the gene encoding GnRH itself. While these mutations account for only a small fraction of cases, genetic studies not only provide promise for future treatment, but also insights into the complexity of the GnRH neuronal system. The treatment of GnRH deficiency is highly successful whether designed for steroid hormone replacement or for fertility. The challenge in the treatment of these abnormalities is in the early and accurate diagnosis and the use of replacement therapies that are as close to physiologic as possible.
Because the defect in Cl- secretion exhibited by cystic fibrosis (CF) epithelia reflects regulatory rather than conductive abnormalities of an apical membrane Cl- channel, we investigated the role of different regulatory pathways in the activation of Cl- secretion in freshly excised normal and CF nasal epithelia mounted in Ussing chambers. A beta agonist (isoproterenol [ISO]), a Ca2+ ionophore (A23187), and a phorbol ester (PMA) were all effective Cl- secretagogues in normal human nasal epithelia. Agonist addition studies indicated that ISO and PMA but not A23187 may share a common regulatory pathway. In contrast, only A23187 induced Cl- secretion in CF epithelia. Bradykinin raised cytosolic Ca2+ and induced Cl- secretion in both normal and CF tissues, indicating that receptor gated Ca2+ dependent Cl- secretory mechanisms were preserved in CF. The defective Cl- secretory response in CF epithelia to ISO and PMA did not reflect abnormalities in cAMP-dependent (A) and phospholipid Ca2+-dependent (C) kinase activities. We conclude that (a) a Ca2+-sensitive mechanism for regulating Cl- secretion is maintained in CF airway epithelia, and (b) a regulatory pathway shared by two distinct protein kinases is defective in CF, indicating that the CF genetic lesion is not tightly coupled to a single (e.g., cAMP dependent) regulatory mechanism.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome have an increased rate of obesity, with a propensity toward abdominal deposition of body fat. Independent of obesity, at least half of affected women have insulin resistance. To understand the mechanisms of insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome, it is necessary to understand normal insulin signaling. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome have normal binding of insulin to its receptor but have decreased activation of events downstream of the receptor. This insulin resistance occurs mostly in the peripheral tissues (muscle and fat cells), and results in increased pancreatic insulin secretion to maintain normal glucose levels. Obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome have a relative defect in insulin secretion. At least 20% of obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome have glucose intolerance or diabetes, versus about 5% of the healthy age-matched population. Obesity and insulin resistance probably increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. The metabolic features of polycystic ovary syndrome are important health risk factors and need to be considered seriously, even if the patient seeks treatment for other concerns.