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Influence of PUVA therapy on dermoscopic features of acquired melanocytic nevi.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether PUVA therapy can induce changes in the dermoscopic image of acquired melanocytic nevi. In this study, 28 acquired melanocytic nevi of 14 patients undergoing PUVA therapy were examined. Two nevi of morphologically similar features were selected in each patient. During UVA radiation, 14 nevi were protected from UVA exposure and 14 nevi were left unprotected. Before and after 3 months of PUVA therapy, all nevi were documented under standardized conditions by means of a Dermaphot apparatus. Color dermoscopic images of all nevi were examined by two investigators for size, color and structural features (pigment network-streaks, brown globules, black dots). After PUVA therapy, an increase in size (p < 0.05 in protected nevi and p < 0.01 in unprotected nevi) and a general color darkening (p < 0.01 for both groups) were documented in both groups. While significant structural changes (broadness of pigment network, formation of focal branched streaks, increasing in number and size of brown globules) were detected in unprotected nevi (p < 0.05), no significant changes were in protected nevi (p > 0.05).

Adolescent↗

Reproducibility of the diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia, and well-differentiated carcinoma.

Many studies have attempted to identify histologic features that aid in the distinction of atypical hyperplasia (AH) from hyperplasia without atypia and well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma, but few have evaluated the reproducibility of these diagnoses. Five pathologists independently reviewed 100 endometrial biopsy and curettage specimens chosen to represent the entire spectrum of proliferative lesions of the endometrium, including proliferative endometrium (PEM), hyperplasia without atypia, AH, and well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma. Slides were reviewed twice for diagnosis, with an intervening evaluation of a checklist of histologic features. Intraobserver and interobserver agreement were assessed using the kappa statistic. Intraobserver kappa values ranged from 0.67 to 0.89 (76% to 89% agreement). Interobserver kappa values by diagnostic category were: proliferative endometrium: 0.86; hyperplasia without atypia: 0.60; AH: 0.47; well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma: 0.83; with a kappa value of 0.69 for all cases combined. Associations between the selected histologic features and the given diagnoses for each pathologist were analyzed using multiple logistic regressions to identify features that were useful for distinguishing among diagnostic categories. Histologic features determined by univariable and multivariable analyses that were found to be most associated with distinguishing diagnostic categories were: proliferative endometrium versus hyperplasia without atypia: gland crowding (univariable, multivariable), and gland branching (univariable); hyperplasia without atypia versus AH: presence of nucleoli (univariable, multivariable), nuclear enlargement (univariable), vesicular chromatin change (univariable), nuclear pleomorphism (univariable), chromatin irregularities (univariable), and loss of polarity (univariable); hyperplasia without atypia versus carcinoma: glandular confluence/complex cribriform pattern (univariable, multivariable), stromal alteration (univariable, multivariable), and necrosis (univariable). In summary, interobserver agreement was good but was lowest for AH. Only the presence of nucleoli was strongly associated with distinction of AH from hyperplasia without atypia. Individual pathologists use additional features to diagnose atypia, but these features are not consistently associated with that diagnosis. Cribriform architectural pattern and stromal alteration were associated with the distinction of well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma from AH.

Carcinoma↗

Female Bicyclus anynana butterflies choose males on the basis of their dorsal UV-reflective eyespot pupils.

Sexual and natural selection pressures are thought to shape the characteristic wing patterns of butterfly species. Here we test whether sexual selection by female choice plays a role in the maintenance of the male wing pattern in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. We perform one of the most extensive series of wing pattern manipulations in butterflies, dissecting every component of the 'bulls-eye' eyespot patterns in both ventral and dorsal wing surfaces of males to test the trait's appeal to females. We conclude that females select males on the basis of the size and brightness of the dorsal eyespot's ultraviolet reflecting pupils. Pupil absence is strongly selected against, as are artificially enlarged pupils. Small to intermediate (normal sized) pupils seem to function equally well. This work contradicts earlier experiments that suggest that the size of dorsal eyespots plays a role in female choice and explains why male dorsal eyespots are very variable in size and often have indistinct rings of coloration, as the only feature under selection by females seems to be the central white pupil. We propose that sexual selection by female choice, rather than predator avoidance, may have been an important selective factor in the early stages of eyespot evolution in ancestral Lepidopteran lineages.

Animals↗

Chronic radiation-induced alteration in hematopoietic repair during preclinical phases of aplastic anemia and myeloproliferative disease: assessing unscheduled DNA synthesis responses.

Protracted, low-daily-dose gamma-ray exposure (3.8-7.5 cGy/day) segregates canines into separate survival- and pathology-based subgroups by the early elicitation of distinct, repair-mediated hemopathological response pathways. In this study, we verified the blood and marrow responses of two major subgroups prone to either aplastic anemia or myeloproliferative disease, along with two variants, and extended our analyses of hematopoietic repair to include studies of DNA repair in bone marrow blasts using an autoradiographically based unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay. The myeloproliferative disease-prone subgroup exhibited extended survival (> 200 days), related to partial, gradual restoration of blood leukocyte, platelet, and marrow progenitor levels following an initial phase of acute suppression. Marrow blasts taken during the restoration phase showed expanded and qualitatively modified UDS relative to marrow blasts of age-matched control animals. The amount of UDS per blast (signal strength) increased significantly, as did the number of UDS-positive cells and their sensitivities to high-dose UV induction and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine chemical inhibition. A nonevolving myeloproliferative disease-prone variant having prolonged survival (> 200 days) and restored blood cells and marrow progenitor levels also had marrow blasts with expanded UDS responses, but these were uniquely evoked by low (but not high) doses of UV inducer. The aplastic anemia-prone subgroup was characterized by short survival (< 200 days), progressive decline (without restoration) in all measured blood and marrow compartments, and largely nonsignificant changes in UDS responses of marrow blasts. A variant of this aplastic anemia-prone subgroup (with comparable short survival due to markedly ineffective hematopoiesis, but expressing select preleukemic features) exhibited reduced numbers (relative to age-matched controls) of highly responsive, UDS-positive marrow blasts (in terms of UDS signal strength and increased to sensitivity 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-induced UDS inhibition). From these observations we conclude that: (a) the UDS response of marrow blasts, a correlate of hematopoietic progenitorial repair, is altered differentially within selected subgroups of animals under chronic radiation exposure; and (b) the nature of altered UDS repair response patterns appears to be largely related to the preclinical status/predisposition of the individual animal and thus may provide prognostically useful information in the clinical monitoring of chronically irradiated individuals with minimal but evolving hematological disease.

Anemia, Aplastic↗

Using argumentation to extract key sentences from biomedical abstracts.

PROBLEM: key word assignment has been largely used in MEDLINE to provide an indicative "gist" of the content of articles and to help retrieving biomedical articles. Abstracts are also used for this purpose. However with usually more than 300 words, MEDLINE abstracts can still be regarded as long documents; therefore we design a system to select a unique key sentence. This key sentence must be indicative of the article's content and we assume that abstract's conclusions are good candidates. We design and assess the performance of an automatic key sentence selector, which classifies sentences into four argumentative moves: PURPOSE, METHODS, RESULTS and CONCLUSION METHODS: we rely on Bayesian classifiers trained on automatically acquired data. Features representation, selection and weighting are reported and classification effectiveness is evaluated on the four classes using confusion matrices. We also explore the use of simple heuristics to take the position of sentences into account. Recall, precision and F-scores are computed for the CONCLUSION class. For the CONCLUSION class, the F-score reaches 84%. Automatic argumentative classification using Bayesian learners is feasible on MEDLINE abstracts and should help user navigation in such repositories.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

Extracting key sentences with latent argumentative structuring.

PROBLEM: Key word assignment has been largely used in MEDLINE to provide an indicative "gist" of the content of articles. Abstracts are also used for this purpose. However with usually more than 300 words, abstracts can still be regarded as long documents; therefore we design a system to select a unique key sentence. This key sentence must be indicative of the article's content and we assume that abstract's conclusions are good candidates. We design and assess the performance of an automatic key sentence selector, which classifies sentences into 4 argumentative moves: PURPOSE, METHODS, RESULTS and CONCLUSION. METHODS: We rely on Bayesian classifiers trained on automatically acquired data. Features representation, selection and weighting are reported and classification effectiveness is evaluated on the four classes using confusion matrices. We also explore the use of simple heuristics to take the position of sentences into account. Recall, precision and F-scores are computed for the CONCLUSION class. For the CONCLUSION class, the F-score reaches 84%. Automatic argumentative classification is feasible on MEDLINE abstracts and should help user navigation in such repositories.

Bayes Theorem↗

Sympathetic and brain monoaminergic regulation of energy balance in obesity-resistant rats (Lou/C).

In contrast to the Wistar rat, the Lou/C rat does not develop obesity with age. To determine the role of sympathetic output and brain monoamines in the different energy balance of Lou/C rats, the monoamine contents and activity of rate-limiting enzymes in catecholamine and serotonin biosynthesis were assessed in brain structures involved in energy balance regulation, i.e., brainstem noradrenergic (A6, A5, A2) and serotonergic cell groups (dorsal raphe, and median raphe), and two hypothalamic nuclei (ventromedial nucleus and paraventricular nucleus). In vivo tyrosine hydroxylase activity and noradrenaline content were measured in sympathetic target organs storing fuel substrates, the liver, white adipose and brown adipose tissues in the Lou/C rat and compared to the Wistar rat. In Lou/C rats, indirect calorimetric measurements showed a higher energy expenditure despite a reduced food intake. The Lou/C rat displayed selective monoamine features. The catecholaminergic activity was higher in the white adipose tissue and interscapular brown adipose tissue but lower in the liver and adrenal gland of Lou/C rats. The noradrenergic activity in A2, A6 and ventromedial nucleus, and the serotonergic pattern in A6, dorsal raphe and median raphe were lower in Lou/C. The metabolic particularities of Lou/C rats are associated with (i) a selectively enhanced sympathetic activity restricted to the white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue, (ii) a reduced noradrenergic activity in selective brainstem and hypothalamic areas, which control the energy expenditure and food intake.

Adipose Tissue↗

Association between the clinical presentation and epidemiological features of familial prostate cancer in patients selected for radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated if epidemiological features of familial prostate cancer are associated with certain clinical or histopathological characteristics of the disease. METHODS: 463 German patients with familial prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy were stratified according to several epidemiological criteria: (1). the apparent mode of disease transmission, (2). the average age of onset and (3). number of affected relatives/family, (4). whether or not they met the Johns Hopkins criteria of hereditary prostate cancer. The variables analysed included the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and the digital rectal examination at diagnosis, histopathological characteristics of the prostatectomy specimen and relapse free 5-year survival rates. These characteristics were compared within the subsets of familial patients and compared to 492 control patients with sporadic prostate cancer. RESULTS: Age of onset was the only clinical parameter differentiating familial and sporadic prostate cancer. Otherwise there was no association between epidemiological features of familial predisposition and the clinical presentation or outcome of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Familial and sporadic prostate cancer seem to be the same disease. Alternatively it may be concluded that the common epidemiological features of familial prostate cancer are not useful to tell tumours that are based on inherited susceptibility apart from those that are not. Whether hereditary prostate cancer is clinically distinct from sporadic forms cannot be determined before the underlying genetic alterations are identified.

Age of Onset↗

A long CAG repeat in the mouse Sca1 locus replicates SCA1 features and reveals the impact of protein solubility on selective neurodegeneration.

To faithfully recreate the features of the human neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) in the mouse, we targeted 154 CAG repeats into the endogenous mouse locus. Sca1(154Q/2Q) mice developed a progressive neurological disorder that resembles human SCA1, featuring motor incoordination, cognitive deficits, wasting, and premature death, accompanied by Purkinje cell loss and age-related hippocampal synaptic dysfunction. Mutant ataxin-1 solubility varied with brain region, being most soluble in the neurons most vulnerable to degeneration. Solubility decreased overall as the mice aged; Purkinje cells, the most affected in SCA1, did not form aggregates of mutant protein until an advanced stage of disease. It appears that those neurons that cannot sequester the mutant protein efficiently and thereby curb its toxicity suffer the worst damage from polyglutamine-induced toxicity.

Animals↗

[Progress in mammography technics. Bimetal anode tubes and selective filtration technic].

The use of molybdenum (Mo) as material for anodes and filters in mammography has been a result of contrast optimisation for breasts of low to medium radiation absorption. To penetrate denser breasts the kV must be increased, thus increasing the fraction of the harder radiation component and deteriorating image contrast. Besides this an increased radiation exposure to the patient must be accepted. In these cases the flexible use of rhodium (Rh) as anode and filter material is promising. A newly developed mammographic equipment (Senographe DMR, General Electric-CGR) offers these features. With selective rhodium filtering and anode material our measurements confirm a reduced radiation exposure (less than 50%) in dense breasts with significantly improved image contrast compared with the conventional molybdenum technique.

Equipment Design↗

Selective visual attention in a neurocomputational model of phase oscillators.

In order to understand the dynamic property of covert selective visual attention, which is different from the proposed mechanism of the spotlight metaphor, a two-layered network of phase oscillators was developed. The first layer is related to the hippocampus and controls attention focus formation. The second layer is related to the visual cortex, and each cortical oscillator in it simulates an assembly of cells coding for a particular stimulus in the sense of feature binding. Selective visual attention is interpreted as the result of the emergent synchronization of hippocampus oscillators and a part of cortical oscillators. Numerical experiments are presented to illustrate attention focus formation and attention shifting from one set of stimuli to another. From a neurocomputational point of view, our results demonstrate that attention is an emergent property of the dynamical cell assemblies responding to the whole visual field.

Attention↗

Histology of aberrant crypt foci in the human colon.

Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) have been identified in the methylene-blue stained mucosa of the human colon. Some lines of evidence suggest that ACF may be precursors of colon cancer. The objective of the present study was to establish morphological criteria able to define and classify ACF in histological sections. Twenty-four colectomy specimens were collected after operation for colorectal cancer and fixed in 10% formalin. Strips of grossly normal mucosa were stained in a 0.2% solution of methylene blue in saline for 5-10 min. The strips were measured, put on a glass slide and observed under a light microscope at x25. One hundred and fourteen ACF identified by topology were sectioned parallel to the muscularis mucosae. Eighty-four ACF were evident at histological examination and could be classified into three main groups: group A (61 ACF, 72.6%) including foci whose epithelial cells had regular nuclei, with only mild or focal crowding but no stratification, no mucin depletion and no dysplasia; group B (16 ACF, 19.1%), in which features of hyperplasia were evident; and group C (seven ACF, 8.3%) including foci with enlarged, crowded and stratified nuclei, mucin depletion, frequent mitoses, and evident dysplasia, diffuse or focal (mild in five cases, moderate in two) representing microadenomas. Finally, hyperplastic foci were significantly larger than foci of group A and C. Group B ACF were also more frequent in the rectum than in the colon. In conclusion, selected histological features allow the definition of groups of ACF, which may represent sequential steps in the development of human colorectal tumours.

Aged↗

[Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for early cervical cancer].

The incidence of carcinoma in situ (CIS) and dysplasia of the uterine cervix has been increasing among young women in recent years. Most of these patients want to preserve their fertility. Also, to accommodate high-risk patients with complications, elderly patients, and those who refuse surgery, we perform PDT as a method to preserve fertility. The technique required for PDT is relatively simple, and can be performed without anesthesia, since it causes no pain or bleeding. PDT, with the use of Excimer Dye Laser (EDL), a type of low pulse laser, has a considerably higher degree of tissue penetration, even compared to PDT using Argon Dye Laser (ADL). Also, PDT using EDL can manage glandular involvement of CIN, and its special feature of selective destruction of malignant cells with almost no effect on normal tissues is noteworthy. Beginning in 1995, PDT using YAG-OPO Laser with a variable laser wavelength has been performed. PDT is performed 48 hours after intravenous injection of 1.5 mg/kg to 2 mg/kg photosensitizer Porfimer sodium (PHE) when the difference in density of PHE becomes greatest between malignant cells and normal tissue. The most advanced features of our method compared to conventional radiation which uses cut fiber are: First, by using colposcope with an optical path for the laser, it is possible to show a 10 mm circular spot at the focus of observation. With this method, cervical lesions can be observed and checked while receiving stable and precise photoradiation by using colposcope through direct observation. Second, for cervical canal treatment, by using a cervical probe to administer photoradiation in the forward direction in the cervical canal and to the side walls, 70% of the laser light is scattered to the side walls, so that all of the cervical canal can be radiated. Also, the cervical canal probe used to administer photoradiation, by inserting 2 cm to 3 cm depending on the conditions of the cervical canal and withdrawing the probe 1 mm, can be performed precisely and promptly by using the cervical probe manipulator feature of the colposcope. At the present time, studies using the PDT method have been conducted on 56 patients (39 CIS and 17 dysplasia patients). Out of these 56 patients, there were 54 CR (96.4%), only one NC, and one PR with very limited remnants but most of the lesions had disappeared. The NC was highly suspected to be invasive carcinoma and the PR was CIS. In the CIS case, some remnant was evident at the end of the cervical canal, and PDT was administered again. After this treatment, it became CR. This was 10 months ago, and no abnormal condition has been reported since. The first CR case was reported 6 years ago among the 56 cases studied, and no recurrence has been observed to date. Five patients became pregnant after the treatment. Four had normal deliveries and one had a cesarean section. PDT's side effect is similar to symptoms of sunburn such as minor skin irritation due to sensitive reaction to sunlight. Normally, it can be relieved by applying carmine lotion, and even cases that required treatment were cured completely within a few days after applying steroid ointment. Before hospitalization, if the patient gets a sunburn from being outside, the sensitive reaction to laser light is almost nonexistent. Thus, we advise patients to get some exposure to the sun before being hospitalized. Also, in cases where strict shading time is observed, side effects are not apparent at all, and no abnormal findings are recognized in the blood and urine due to using PHE. With almost no side effects, bleeding or pain, and with certain improvements in administration methods, a better choice of photosensitizer which would shorten the shading time, PDT is considered to be the best therapy for treating CIS and dysplasia while preserving fertility.

Adult↗

Enantiophore modeling in 3D-QSAR. A data mining application on Whelk-O1 chiral stationary phase.

A combination of the enantiophore concept described in a previous study and a quantitative structure enantioselective relationship (QSER) based on partial least squares (PLS) analysis is presented. In the present study, a comprehensive approach for describing the enantioselective binding properties of the Whelk-O1 chiral HPLC receptor is achieved using molecular descriptors calculated by the GRID program. The GRID descriptors allow us to describe the molecules in terms of their ability to form favorable interactions with independent chemical groups (probes) that can be related to receptor sites. For each molecule, we compute 120 enantiophore descriptors representing the energy contributions from all possible pairwise combinations of probes. The overall procedure was simplified by considering only the most energetically favorable locations and converting selected grid-point energies into alignment-independent descriptors. By using a training set of 143 diverse chiral compounds, an optimal PLS model requiring seven components was chosen by using the cross-validation method resulting in a correlation coefficient R2= 0.88 and a cross validated correlation coefficient Q2= 0.85. An interpretation of the model is proposed based upon a visual inspection of the regression coefficient plots. From these plots, the influence of particular molecular features for selective binding of solutes was estimated and used to outline the chiral recognition sites in the Whelk-O1 receptor. The predictive power of our model has been estimated by means of an external data set emphasizing the suitability of the procedure also for predictive aims.

Journal Article↗

Quantitative nuclear morphometry, Markovian texture descriptors, and DNA content captured on a CAS-200 Image analysis system, combined with PCNA and HER-2/neu immunohistochemistry for prediction of prostate cancer progression.

One hundred and twenty-four localized prostate cancer patients operated on at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) since 1975 were identified. The sample was optimized for evaluation of prostate cancer progression. Based upon accurate clinical histories, these radical prostatectomy patients included 50 progressors and 74 non-progressors using appearance of serum PSA as an indication of recurrence (mean follow-up = 8.6 +/- 1.8 years, range 7-15 years). All patients included in the study had no involvement of their seminal vesicles or lymph nodes at the time of prostatectomy. Average time to progression was 3.6 +/- 2 years, range of 1-8 years. Using paraffin-embedded specimens, several five micron sections were cut and placed on Probe-On slides; one slide was H&E-stained and the other was Feulgen-stained. The H&E and Feulgen-stained slides were screened and "dotted" by pathologists at JHH and CytoDynostics, Inc. A CAS-200 Image analysis system (Cell Image Systems, Elmhurst, IL) equipped with a Cell Measurement Program version 1.2 beta, was used to capture the Feulgen-stained images and to perform the calculations. From the "dotted" areas, 150 cancer cells were selected for measurement of DNA content and 27 nuclear morphometric shape and size factors, including 21 Markovian chromatin texture variables. Additional sections were used for immunochemistry staining with an alkaline phosphatase streptavidin-biotin complex stain to detect and quantitate cancer cells binding monoclonal antibodies directed against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and HER-2/neu antigen. All data were entered into a statistical program (STATA) for further analysis and univariate and multivariate statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression and its stepwise variant. The biomarkers of greatest utility to detect progressors when analyzed univariately included post-operative Gleason score (p = < 0.0001), HER-2/neu antigenicity (p = 0.0147), CAS-200 DNA ploidy (p = 0.008), and twelve Markovian nuclear texture and shape features (p = < 0.0001), whereas PCNA (p = 0.160) failed. The optimal set of nuclear morphometry progression tumor features were selected using backward stepwise logistic regression estimate analysis which drops variables due to collinearity. Although post-operative Gleason score is a strong univariate predictor of progression, DNA ploidy and HER-2/neu contributed significantly to further stratification of higher risk groups within the low Gleason score subpopulation. The best Markovian features combined with post-operative Gleason score generated sensitivity = 90%, specificity = 96%, positive predictive value = 94%, negative predictive value = 93% and the area under the receiver operator curve was 0.975.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Histological features of hypovascular or avascular renal cell carcinoma: the experience at four university hospitals.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the pathological features of hypovascular or avascular renal cell carcinoma (RCC), by the retrospective review of the histological features that coincide with hypovascular or avascular RCC. METHODS: Seven hundred and ninety-one patients who underwent both preoperative angiography and nephrectomy were examined. Of these patients, the 126 patients (15.9%) who showed hypovascular or avascular angiographic features were selected. Patients with hemorrhage or cyst(s), or with at least 50% necrosis or more in the tumor, and those with renal tumor metastatic to the kidney were excluded. The criteria proposed by the World Health Organization (1998) were adopted for the histological classification. RESULTS: Papillary RCC was the most frequently observed hypovascular or avascular renal tumor (44 cases; 34.9%). The vascularity differed among the variants, i.e., some cases had a basophilic and solid variant with avascular features, while the remaining cases had wide stromal organization showing hypovascular features. The second most frequently observed hyporascular or avascular RCC was chromophobe cell carcinoma (35 cases; 27.8%). No difference in vascularity was detected between variants, except for 2 cases with sarcomatoid changes (avascular features). The third most frequently observed hypovascular or avascular RCC was cyst-associated RCC (29 cases; 23%). All of the 7 RCCs originating in a cyst showed avascular features, and the remaining 22 cystic RCCs showed hypovascular features. The remaining hypovascular or avascular RCCs were cases of clear cell carcinoma accompanied by sarcomatoid changes (8 cases; 6.3%), spindle cell carcinoma (5 cases; 4.0%), and collecting-duct carcinoma (5 cases; 4.0%). CONCLUSION: Hypovascular or avascular RCC can be categorized as non-clear cell carcinoma and some clear cell carcinoma accompanied by sarcomatoid changes.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗

Comparison of murine band 3 protein-mediated Cl- transport as measured in mouse red blood cells and in oocytes of Xenopus laevis.

Murine band 3 protein was expressed in oocytes of Xenopus laevis after microinjection of the mRNA from the spleens of anemic mice. The 36Cl- efflux from the oocytes was compared with the chloride fluxes measured in murine red cells. In both oocytes and red cells, the band 3-mediated chloride transport showed the following features: the selective inhibitor of band 3-mediated anion transport, 4,4'-dinitrostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate exerts its effects only when applied to the outside and not when applied to the inside of the membrane. The K1/2 for inhibition by external 4,4'-dinitrostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate was of the order of 1.5 to 2.0 mumol/l. Flufenamate and persantine also produce similar inhibitory effects. Decreasing the pH from 7.4 to 6.0 leads to some inhibition. It is concluded that essential features of the mode of action of murine erythroid band 3 protein in the plasma membrane of the oocyte are similar to the mode of action in the bilayer of the red blood cell of the mouse.

Animals↗

Ion interactions in the high-affinity binding locus of a voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel.

The selectivity filter of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels is in part composed of four Glu residues, termed the EEEE locus. Ion selectivity in Ca(2+) channels is based on interactions between permeant ions and the EEEE locus: in a mixture of ions, all of which can pass through the pore when present alone, those ions that bind weakly are impermeant, those that bind more strongly are permeant, and those that bind more strongly yet act as pore blockers as a consequence of their low rate of unbinding from the EEEE locus. Thus, competition among ion species is a determining feature of selectivity filter function in Ca(2+) channels. Previous work has shown that Asp and Ala substitutions in the EEEE locus reduce ion selectivity by weakening ion binding affinity. Here we describe for wild-type and EEEE locus mutants an analysis at the single channel level of competition between Cd(2+), which binds very tightly within the EEEE locus, and Ba(2+) or Li(+), which bind less tightly and hence exhibit high flux rates: Cd(2+) binds to the EEEE locus approximately 10(4)x more tightly than does Ba(2+), and approximately 10(8)x more tightly than does Li(+). For wild-type channels, Cd(2+) entry into the EEEE locus was 400x faster when Li(+) rather than Ba(2+) was the current carrier, reflecting the large difference between Ba(2+) and Li(+) in affinity for the EEEE locus. For the substitution mutants, analysis of Cd(2+) block kinetics shows that their weakened ion binding affinity can result from either a reduction in blocker on rate or an enhancement of blocker off rate. Which of these rate effects underlay weakened binding was not specified by the nature of the mutation (Asp vs. Ala), but was instead determined by the valence and affinity of the current-carrying ion (Ba(2+) vs. Li(+)). The dependence of Cd(2+) block kinetics upon properties of the current-carrying ion can be understood by considering the number of EEEE locus oxygen atoms available to interact with the different ion pairs.

Animals↗