Purification and characterization of the heat-labile toxin of Bordetella pertussis

A procedure is described for purification of pertussis heat-labile toxin (PEHLT) from cells of Bordetella pertussis. The purification procedure, performed in the cold and in the presence of protease inhibitors, gives 1,350-fold purification with yields of about 60%. The toxin was shown to be a single-chain polypeptide of 140 kDa, pI 6.02. It was completely inactivated by heating at 56 degrees C for 60 min. Rabbit antiserum prepared against PEHLT neutralized the toxin and gave a single precipitin line on immunodiffusion. In immunodiffusion assays, this anti-PEHLT serum did not react with pertussis toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin, or preparations of pertussis adenylate cyclase. Purified PEHLT elicited dermonecrosis and atrophy of the spleen. PEHLT is extraordinarily active; 0.4 X 10(-12) g caused necrotic lesions in newborn mice, and with 18- to 20-g mice the 50% lethal dose was about 11 X 10(-9) g.

Nuclear calcium gradients in cultured rat hepatocytes

Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]) in cytosol and nucleus in fura-2-loaded cultured rat hepatocytes were determined by three-dimensional (3-D) optical-sectioning microscopy. After determining the empirical 3-D point spread function of the fluorescence microscope-coupled digital video imaging system, contaminating light arising from optical planes above and below the plane of interest was removed by deconvolution using the nearest-neighboring approach (NNA) algorithm. Although deconvolution resulted in substantial improvement in accuracy of fluorescence intensity determinations in single-wavelength excitation images as well as sharper delineation of boundaries between cellular compartments, the complicated mathematical process did not significantly enhance the precision of [Ca2+] values derived from ratiometric (ratio of dual-wavelength excitation) images. In resting hepatocytes, cytosolic Ca2+ (210 +/- 15 nM) was 1.6- to 2-fold higher than nuclear Ca2+ (128 +/- 12 nM). This difference in Ca2+ between the two compartments was detected both in raw ratiometric images and in those processed with NNA algorithm. Addition of arginine vasopressin or epidermal growth factor resulted in significant increases (2- to 3-fold) in both cytosolic and nuclear Ca2+; however, the nuclear-to-cytosolic Ca2+ gradient was preserved in hepatocytes stimulated with mitogens. We conclude that the hepatocyte nuclear membrane contains Ca2+ permeability barriers and Ca2+ transport mechanisms that may be hormonally sensitive. We postulate that the increase in nuclear Ca2+ may be important in regulation of cell proliferation induced by mitogens, possibly by activating Ca(2+)-dependent endonucleases, nuclear calmodulin, or nuclear protein kinase C.

Anti-presynaptic membrane receptor antibodies in myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is considered as an autoimmune disease of neuromuscular junction resulting from antibodies directed to acetylcholine receptors (AChR). We describe the use of beta-bungarotoxin (beta-BuTx) and alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BuTx) to capture their corresponding proteins from preparation of crude human muscle receptor. beta-BuTx binds to presynaptic membrane receptor (PsmR) of the whole receptor fraction, while alpha-BuTx binds to AchR. The captured proteins were used as antigen in ELISA to detect antibodies to PsmR and to AchR in sera from 82 Chinese patients with MG and in controls. In MG, antibodies to PsmR only were detected in 13%, to AchR only in 11% and both to PsmR and AchR in 54%. Only 3 of 50 patients with other neurological diseases and none of 50 healthy subjects had these antibodies. Specificity tests for antibodies showed that the detection systems which we used are specific and confident. No correlation was found between antibody levels and clinical status. The significance of the PsmR antibodies in the pathogenesis of MG is unknown. We suggest that myasthenia gravis is not only due to damage of the postsynaptic membrane, but of presynaptic structures as well.

The role of the macula densa in renin synthesis

1. The role of the macula densa in renin synthesis was studied using mice with one hydronephrotic kidney. 2. Renin synthesis was assessed by measurement of renal renin, renal mRNA for renin and plasma renin. 3. Sodium depletion stimulated mRNA and renal renin to a similar extent in the hydronephrotic and contralateral kidney. 4. Enalapril stimulated mRNA concentration in both kidneys but renal renin did not rise in the hydronephrotic kidney. 5. Propranolol did not alter the response to sodium depletion in either kidney. 6. The macula densa is not crucial for the stimulation of renin synthesis following sodium depletion. However, it may regulate renin production after mRNA synthesis, possibly by controlling the conversion of prorenin to renin.

Effects of aging on diaphragm contractile function in golden hamsters

The present study investigated the effects of aging on the contractile properties of the adult diaphragm in 42 Golden Syrian hamsters. Experiments were performed on isolated diaphragm strips from three groups of animals 4.9 +/- 0.4 (SE), 12.8 +/- 0.2, and 18.8 +/- 0.3 months of age. Aging was associated with a decrease in the maximal isometric tension generated per unit cross-sectional area of muscle and slowing in the time-to-peak tension and rate of muscle relaxation. The velocity of muscle shortening at a given load was also significantly less in older than in younger animals, and the force-velocity curve became flatter with advancing age as reflected by increases in the Hill coefficient (a/P0). Changes in maximal active tension and maximal velocity of unloaded shortening with aging correlated weakly (r greater than 0.3; p less than 0.05) and were of similar magnitude (-17 to -21%), suggesting that aging affects these two indices of muscle function in similar fashion. Finally, the diaphragm fatigued more rapidly in older than in younger animals. We conclude that aging depresses the ability of the adult diaphragm to generate tension and to shorten and resist fatigue.

Tissue-specific differences in the binding of nuclear proteins to a CCAAT motif in the promoter of the androgen-regulated C3 gene

The expression of the gene for the C3 polypeptide is confined to the ventral prostate of the male rat and is regulated by androgens. To study the mechanism of this tissue-specific and hormone-dependent regulation we have used DNase-I footprinting and band-shift assays to locate binding sites for nuclear proteins isolated from different tissues. In this paper we present evidence that there are tissue-specific differences in the nuclear proteins that are able to bind to a CCAAT motif and a nuclear factor-I consensus that are present in the promoter of the rat C3 gene. Using competition assays and heat denaturation we show that the CAAT box/enhancer binding protein itself may be one of the transcription factors involved.

[Transpalmar transplantation of a severed hand to the opposite side: a case report]

A man of 20 got both his upper limbs badly injured by an accident on May 28, 1989. Crush of all the 4 fingers of right hand, traumatic amputation through the left arm with severe damage of soft tissue and burst fracture of bones around left elbow. And so, the chance of providing him a useful hand could only be transpalmar transplantation of the undamaged left hand to the opposite side. This was done urgently to reconstruct a new hand, a hand with its fingers in a reversed order. The wound healed up nicely, the transplanted fore-hand was well taken and the new hand functions satisfactorily, though the natural little finger of left hand takes the place of and works as index one, and the original ring finger of left hand seats the position in and acts as long one; and so on. The details of operative procedure are described and the importance of rehabilitation training is particularly emphasized.

Intravenous tetrandrine in terminating acute episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia

The use of intravenous tetrandrine on paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) in 32 episodes of 27 cases were studied. The single blind test was done by injecting normal saline as placebo for self-control. Ambulatory ECG was recorded continuously. The dose of tetrandrine ranged from 0.12 to 0.21 g. The success rates of conversion of the placebo and tetrandrine were 3.1% and 83.9% respectively, being statistically significant (P less than 0.001). The efficacy of tetrandrine was comparable to that of verapamil (85%). In 4 cases of WPW syndrome one was converted by the placebo, the other 3 by tetrandrine. Those who did not respond to tetrandrine were mostly suffering from organic heart disease and were supposed to have automatic atrial tachycardia. The time needed for conversion ranged from immediacy after intravenous injection to 20 minutes, with an average of 4.6 minutes. The ECG changes of the termination of PSVT were similar to that of verapamil and can be explained as the effect of slow channel antagonists. Tetrandrine may be an alternative to verapamil in the treatment of PSVT.

[Inhibition of ova fertilizability by pseudolaric acid B in hamster]

Pseudolaric acid B (PA), a diterpenoid compound isolated from the root of Pseudolarix kaempferi Gorden, was injected into hamster ovarian bursa with various concentration before ovulation. The successful rate of fertilization of ova was significantly decreased, but no effect was observed on spermatozoa activity and fertilizing ability. Hamster ova with or without cumulus were treated with PA at a concentration higher than 50 micrograms/ml in the medium, the fertilizing rate of ova was reduced markedly. At the concentration of 5 micrograms/ml, only the capacity of fertilization of the cumulus-free ova was inhibited. When PA was injected ig 20 mg/kg daily to hamsters (female) for 4 d before mating, partial antifertility effect was observed.

Tissue-specific and hormonal regulation of the gene for rat prostatic steroid-binding protein in transgenic mice

We investigated the tissue-specific and hormonal regulation of the gene for rat prostatic steroid-binding protein by introducing the C3(1) gene with 4-kilobase (kb) upstream and 2-kb downstream flanking sequences into transgenic mice. There was selective expression in the ventral prostate that was stimulated by testosterone, which indicated that the gene together with 6-kb flanking DNA contains the information required for prostate-specific and testosterone-regulated expression.

[The effect of ginseng stem, leaf and rhizoma saponins on the formation of lipid peroxides in rats of various ages]

The effect of saponins isolated from the stem, leaf and rhizoma of panax ginseng on the formation of lipid peroxides in aged (30, 24 and 20 months) and middle-aged (14 months) wistar rats was studied with both in vivo and in vitro methods. The results showed: The formation of lipid peroxides increased with age in rats and mice: the two saponins of ginseng stem, leaf and rhizoma can obviously inhibit the lipid peroxidation in the serum (plasma) and liver homogenate of aged and middle-aged rats (p less than 0.05 and less than 0.001). The same effect was also shown in the aged LACA mouse (18 months) experiment.

Spontaneous variability of premature ventricular complexes and its significance in assessing anti-arrhythmic drug efficacy

Using ambulatory electrocardiography (AE), the spontaneous variability in 40 cases of chronic stable premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) was studied. The mean hourly PVC frequencies over 24 hours ranged 2-1 682. When analysing pooled data, there was significant variance between different monitoring periods and between patients as well. The most appropriate duration of AE recording was found to be 24 hours. The lower the mean hourly PVC frequencies, the bigger the coefficient of variation. Using linean regression analysis, the reduction of PVC frequency attributable to spontaneous variability with 95% confidence intervals ranged from 59 to 81% being related to the number of hospitalization days. Clinically, to evaluate antiarrhythmic drug efficacy, one should assess the reduction in PVC frequency of spontaneous variability advance, and a greater reduction rate is required to be considered as true drug effect. The previous fixed standard for assessing an antiarrhythmic drug response is no longer advisable.

Relationship between selenium and protein synthesis in cells and subcellular fractions in rat liver

In order to determine the effect of selenium supplementation on protein synthesis in rat liver, the rate of incorporation of (3H)-leucine into protein by isolated hepatocytes, liver mitochondria and post-mitochondrial supernatant derived from four groups of rats fed diets supplemented with 0, 0.25, 0.35 and 0.40 mg/kg selenium as selenite were investigated. In addition, the alteration in nucleic acid, lipid peroxides and glutathione peroxidase in hepatocytes from the same liver were also examined. By the end of feeding, the rates of amino acid incorporation, ribonucleic acid contents and glutathione peroxidase activities were significantly higher in hepatocytes from the 0.25, 0.35 and 0.40 mg/kg Se diet groups compared with the unsupplemented group. With increasing selenium supplementation, the increments of amino acid incorporation activity, RNA content as well as glutathione peroxidase all together plateau at approximately 0.25 mg/kg Se level of selenium supplementation. The rates of amino acid incorporation into protein in liver mitochondria and post-mitochondrial supernatant and RNA/DNA ratio in liver homogenates derived from the 0.25 mg/kg Se group were increased as compared to that from the unsupplemented group; concomitantly the increment of glutathione peroxidase activities and the reduction of malondialdehyde in liver were also found in the 0.25 mg/kg Se group. The results suggested that selenium supplementation at a 0.25 mg/kg level was sufficient to stimulate amino acid incorporation into protein in hepatocytes, mitochondria and post-mitochondrial supernatant from rat liver, and the increases in incorporation were also consistent with increments of glutathione peroxidase activities and decrease of malondialdehyde.

[Low-dose cytosine arabinoside in treatment of 17 patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia]

Low dose Ara-C (LDAra-C, Ara-C 10-15 mg/12 h, i.m. x 14-21 days) was used in the treatment of 17 patients with ANLL, and from 14 patients blast cells were isolated before chemotherapy and cultured in the presence of Ara-C (10(-8) and 10(-7) mol/L), no definite induction of differentiation of leukemic cells was found. Of the 17 cases, 5 obtained CR, only one of them with M4 entered CR without pancytopenia or bone marrow aplasia during the LDAra-C treatment. For the rest, 4 with M2 obtained PR, and 8 did not respond. Toxic effects, including pancytopenia and bone marrow aplasia, were observed in most of the patients. Laboratory results showed that differentiation was not induced by Ara-C in low concentration in in vitro culture. LDAra-C is thought to be effective in the treatment of ANLL, and the mechanism may involve both the cytotoxicity and the induction of differentiation of leukemic cells, but the former is far more important.

Clinical, metabolic, and antibody responses of adult volunteers to an investigational vaccine composed of pertussis toxin inactivated by hydrogen peroxide

A toxoid vaccine, composed of purified pertussis toxin inactivated with H2O2 (NICHD-Ptxd), was developed on the basis of evidence that serum neutralizing antibodies (antitoxin) would confer immunity to pertussis. In vivo and in vitro assays of NICHD-Ptxd showed only trace or nondetectable levels of pyrogenic, adenosine diphosphate-ribosyltransferase, binding and pharmacologic activities. Nevertheless, about 40% of the antigenicity of pertussis toxin was retained. Adult volunteers were injected, two times 6 weeks apart, with either 10 (n = 21), 50 (n = 25), or 75 (n = 30) micrograms/dose of one lot, Ptx-06, adsorbed onto AI(OH)3. Neither fever nor changes in the levels of leukocytes, lymphocytes, fasting blood glucose, or insulin were observed in the volunteers. The optimal immunizing dose, 50 micrograms, induced levels of antitoxin (geometric mean (GM) 302 U) comparable to those found in eight adults convalescent from pertussis (GM 269 U) and greater than those found in 18-month-old children after their fourth dose of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine (GM 20.0 U, p less than 0.001). These data indicate that NICHD-Ptxd is safe and immunogenic in adults, and they justify its evaluation in infants and children.

Quantitative keratinocyte assay detects two biological activities of human papillomavirus DNA and identifies viral types associated with cervical carcinoma

Keratinocytes electroporated with human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA (HPV-6, 11, 16 and 18) exhibited an increased cellular proliferation which was quantitated as microcolony and macrocolony formation. However, only macrocolonies induced by HPV-16 or HPV-18 DNA (the two viral types most commonly found in human cervical carcinomas) gave rise to proliferating, poorly-stratified colonies when grown in the presence of serum and calcium. Hydrocortisone increased the frequency of these differentiation-resistant colonies, and studies showed that they were immortalized, contained one copy of viral DNA per cell, expressed three discrete species of viral RNA and synthesized the viral E7 protein. HPV-induced cellular proliferation and altered differentiation are therefore separable events and may represent the activity of different viral genes.

Expression of androgen receptors and prostatic steroid-binding protein during development of the rat ventral prostate

Prostatic steroid-binding protein (PSBP) mRNAs transcribed from the three genes C1, C2 and C3 were quantitated in neonatal rat ventral prostate by Northern blot analysis. Transcription was initiated at day 14 for C1 and C2 and day 10 for C3, and reached mature levels by day 21 for C1 and C2 and day 28 for C3. The changes of both cytoplasmic and nuclear prostatic androgen receptors in 10- to 150-day-old rats were investigated by radioligand assay and showed a fivefold transient increase between days 10 and 28. Thus there was a good correlation between the onset of PSBP gene expression and the transient increase in androgen receptors; increases in receptor concentration may be a prerequisite for changes in gene expression.

Levels of bovine papillomavirus RNA and protein expression correlate with variations in the tumorigenic phenotype of hamster cells

Three independent cell lines were established from primary cultures of LSH hamster embryo cells infected with bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1). Although these cell lines differed in their in vitro saturation densities, none was capable of colony formation in soft agar. Interestingly, two cell lines (BPV-HE1 and BPV-HE3) were tumorigenic in nude mice, syngeneic hamsters, and allogeneic hamsters, whereas BPV-HE2 was not. All three cell lines contained similar numbers of the BPV-1 genome (approximately 50 to 200 copies per cell). However, the nontumorigenic BPV-HE2 cell line contained very low levels of BPV-specific RNA and only small amounts of the BPV-1 E5 transforming protein. The efficiency and rate of tumor formation by BPV-HE1 and BPV-HE3 correlated directly with the apparent amount of viral E5 protein. This analysis suggests that there is a threshold level of BPV protein synthesis required for tumorigenicity, there is a continuum of tumorigenic phenotypes which may depend upon the level of BPV protein expression, and BPV-transformed hamster cells can withstand allogeneic transplantation.

Regulation of prostatic steroid binding protein mRNAs by testosterone

Testosterone regulates the expression of prostatic steroid binding protein by stimulating the accumulation of C1, C2 and C3 mRNA. We have used intervening sequence RNA probes to quantitate the primary transcript and a processed intermediate for C1 and C3 in nuclear RNA. Both C1 and C3 primary transcript concentration declined by about 100-fold 3 days after castration and were induced by testosterone within 1 h. In view of the magnitude and kinetics of the response we conclude that testosterone acts primarily within the cell nucleus to increase steady-state levels of nuclear RNA.

State of hepatitis B virus DNA in leucocytes of hepatitis B patients

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in leucocytes from 50 hepatitis patients with various patterns of HBV serological markers and serum HBV DNA and 13 normal controls were examined by Southern blot hybridization with 32P-labeled 3.2 Kb HBV DNA. A free form of HBV DNA was observed in leucocytes of 8 patients, 7 of whom were positive for serum HBeAg, and in 6 patients an integrated form of HBV DNA was identified. HBV DNA was not identified in leucocytes from 13 normal controls. The free form of HBV DNA in leucocytes existed as a heterogeneous smear from 2.0 to 3.2 Kb, similar to the pattern in liver and hepatocellular carcinoma cells but different from serum HBV DNA in which the 3.2 Kb band was absent. The banding pattern of the integrated form of HBV DNA in leucocytes varied among different patients. During preparation of white blood cells and purification of HBV DNA probes, it was important to remove plasma contamination and traces of pBR322, respectively. The presence of extrachromosomal DNA sequences partially homologous to pBR322 could cause false results. The presence of a free and integrated form of HBV DNA in leucocytes is important for explaining the biology of HBV, the harbouring and replication sites of extrahepatic origin, the mechanism of recurrent infection, and the rationale of the treatment of hepatitis B.

Pertussis toxin treatment blocks the inhibition of somatostatin and increases the stimulation by forskolin of cyclic AMP accumulation and adrenocorticotropin secretion from mouse anterior pituitary tumor cells

Somatostatin (SRIF) inhibits stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) release from mouse anterior pituitary tumor cells (AtT-20/D16-16). In order to determine whether guanine nucleotide inhibitory proteins (Ni) mediate these effects, AtT-20 cells were treated with pertussis toxin, an agent that inactivates Ni. Pertussis toxin catalyses the ADP-ribosylation of a 41,000 MW protein in membranes of AtT-20 cells. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin prevents the subsequent ability of toxin to catalyse the labeling of Ni. This effect is dependent on the time of pretreatment and is not reversible. The inhibition of SRIF of forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation and ACTH release is prevented by pertussis toxin treatment. The blockade is dependent on the time and concentration of toxin used and is not reversible. Pertussis toxin treatment prevents SRIF from inhibiting corticotropin releasing factor and cholera toxin-stimulated cyclic AMP synthesis. The inhibition of K+ and 8-bromocyclic AMP-stimulated ACTH release by SRIF is attenuated partially by toxin treatment. The ability of forskolin and cholera toxin to stimulate cyclic AMP formation and ACTH release is enhanced by treatment of AtT-20 cells with pertussis toxin. The increased cyclic AMP response to forskolin is prevented by cycloheximide. The data indicate that Ni mediates the inhibition by SRIF of cyclic AMP formation and the ACTH release that results from adenylate cyclase stimulation.

Pertussis toxin. Affinity purification of a new ADP-ribosyltransferase

Pertussis toxin, the major toxin produced by Bordetella pertussis, catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation of a specific membrane polypeptide which appears to be involved in regulation of the catalytic subunit of adenylate cyclase. In the current study, a rapid purification procedure has been developed for the preparation of pertussis toxin in high yields. Through the sequential use of the affinity matrices Affi-Gel blue and fetuin-Sepharose 4B, milligram quantities of apparently homogeneous toxin can be prepared from the culture supernatants of B. pertussis strain 165. Structural, amino acid, and immunologic analyses indicate that toxin prepared from strain 165 is indistinguishable from toxin prepared from other strains. Activation of the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity requires treatment of the toxin with a thiol reducing agent. This activation appears to be associated with the reduction of intrachain disulfide bonds present in the catalytic subunit. Activated toxin preparations catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of a protein (Mr = 40,000) present in cell membrane preparations obtained from human red blood cells and platelets, rat adipocytes, and cyc- S49 cells which are deficient in the adenylate cyclase regulatory component which is the substrate for cholera toxin.