Contributions to biorheology during hemodialysis

Thrombogenicity is the property of a foreign surface to induce clotting processes or formation of aggregates after contact with blood. Beside the sort of anticoagulation patient's prethrombotic state, rheological factors as well as physicochemical properties of foreign membranes decisively influence thrombogenicity. We examined the influence of chronic renal failure and different hemodialyzers and blood transfusion therapy during hemodialysis on hemorheological parameters. Different membranes cannot be discriminated by the used hemorheological parameters. We clearly could demonstrate the close relationship between the hemofiltration rate and an increase of viscosity. Blood transfusion therapy or elevated hematocrit in combination with increased hemofiltration rate have influence on the flow behaviour of blood, especially in disturbed microcirculation.

How to build a glycinergic postsynaptic membrane

The inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) is a ligand-gated chloride channel protein found at many synapses of the mammalian central nervous system. During development, distinct isoforms of the GlyR are generated by the sequential expression of different alpha subunit variants. The appearance of adult-type GlyRs in spinal cord is accompanied by the accumulation of a 93 x 10(3) Mr receptor-associated peripheral membrane protein. The latter has been localized at the cytoplasmic face of glycinergic postsynaptic membranes and is thought to anchor GlyRs beneath glycinergic nerve terminals. The 93 x 10(3) Mr protein binds with high affinity to polymerized tubulin, suggesting that it functions as a receptor-microtubule linking component. Our data suggest that the interaction of developmentally regulated receptor isoforms with specialized microtubule-associated proteins represents a crucial step in the assembly of postsynaptic receptor matrices.

Characterization and intracellular distribution of microtubule-associated protein 2 in differentiating human neuroblastoma cells

The use of a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against different determinants of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) enabled us to identify two distinct high-molecular-mass MAP2 species (270 and 250 kDa) and a substantial amount of MAP2c (70 kDa) in human neuroblastoma cells. The 250-kDa MAP2 species appears to be confined to the human neuroblastoma cells and was not observed in microtubules (MTs) from bovine and rat brain, mouse neuroblastoma, or MTs from human cerebellum. A new overlay method was developed, which demonstrates binding of tubulin to human neuroblastoma high-molecular-mass MAP2 by exposing nitrocellulose-bound MT proteins under polymerization conditions to tubulin. Bound tubulin was detected with a mAb directed against beta-tubulin. The binding of tubulin to MAP2 could be abolished by a peptide homologous to positions 426-445 of the C-terminal region of beta-tubulin. Immunological cross-reactivity with several mAbs directed against bovine brain MAP2, taxol-promoted coassembly into MTs, and immunocytochemical visualization within cells were further criteria utilized to characterize these proteins as true MAPs. Indirect immunofluorescence with anti-MAP2 and anti-beta-tubulin mAbs demonstrated that there is a change in the spatial organization of MTs during induced cell differentiation, as indicated by the appearance of MT bundles and the redistribution of MAP2.

Neuraxin corresponds to a C-terminal fragment of microtubule-associated protein 5 (MAP5)

From cloned DNA, neuraxin has been identified as a tubulin binding protein of predicted molecular weight of 94 kDa. The deduced sequence of the rat protein exhibits high homology to the C-terminal region of mouse microtubule-associated protein 5 (MAP5). Here, we show that different neuraxin antibodies recognize MAP5, but fail to detect a protein of 94 kDa, in subcellular and microtubular fractions of the rat central nervous system. Furthermore, tubulin binding by neuraxin was found to be dependent on taxol. These data are consistent with neuraxin corresponding to a C-terminal fragment of MAP5 that contains a low-affinity tubulin binding site.

Neuraxin, a novel putative structural protein of the rat central nervous system that is immunologically related to microtubule-associated protein 5

During screening of a rat spinal cord lambda gt11 cDNA library with poly- and monoclonal antibodies against the postsynaptic glycine receptor a cDNA was isolated which covers an open reading frame encoding a protein of calculated mol. wt 94 kd. Sequence analysis identified a novel type of neuron-specific protein (named neuraxin) which is characterized by an unusual amino acid composition, 12 central heptadecarepeats and putative protein and/or membrane interaction sites. The gene encoding neuraxin appears to be unique in the haploid rat genome and conserved in higher vertebrates. Northern blot and in situ hybridization revealed neuraxin mRNA to be expressed throughout the rodent central nervous system (CNS). In spinal cord, neuraxin transcripts were abundant in motoneurons which also expressed glycine receptor subunit mRNA. A bacterial fusion protein containing approximately 90% of the neuraxin sequence was found to specifically bind tubulin. Polyclonal neuraxin antibodies cross-reacted with microtubule-associated protein 5 (MAP5), and a monoclonal antibody against MAP5 recognized the neuraxin fusion construct. Based on these data we suggest that neuraxin is related to MAP5 and may be implicated in neuronal membrane-microtubule interactions.

Successful embryo transfer of cryopreserved and in-vitro fertilized rabbit oocytes

In-vitro fertilization experiments with frozen/thawed rabbit oocytes were performed to develop an effective technique to be used for the in-vitro fertilization of cryopreserved human oocytes. Ovulatory oocytes, collected from the oviduct of virgin does 13 h after induction of ovulation by HCG injection, were cryopreserved slowly to -30 degrees C and plunged directly into liquid nitrogen. A mixture of 1.5 M 1,3-propanediol and 0.1 M sucrose was used as a cryoprotectant. After thawing, the oocytes were incubated with in-vitro capacitated sperm for 5 h in defined Brackett's medium. Fertilized ova were cultured for an additional 20 h until the 4-to-8-cell stage was reached. These embryos were transferred to pseudopregnant recipient rabbits which were 'asynchronous' in the sense that they had been given an injection of HCG 30, 24 and 18 h before starting to do the embryo transfer. A 32% survival rate of frozen/thawed oocytes was achieved. The fertilization rate was 74% (181/264) in this study. A total of 53 embryos was transferred to the oviducts of six recipients of three different asynchronicity and four young were born. The highest implantation rate (including resorptions) of 18% could be achieved in this investigation by using -6 h asynchronous recipients, while the overall implantation rate was 9.4%.

An attempt to evaluate the relative clinical potencies of various diluted and undiluted proprietary corticosteroid preparations

Two series of tests have been performed in order to assess the vasoconstrictor potency of several diluted and undiluted proprietary corticosteroid preparations. Results showed that differences in concentration of a particular corticosteroid were not always reflected as significant differences in vasoconstrictor potency. A previous finding that Eumovate ointment exhibits early vasoconstrictor activity similar to that of Betnovate ointment was confirmed. The extemporaneous dilution of proprietary corticosteroid preparations remains a widespread but controversial habit. In addition, several proprietary products are represented by a range of dilutions of the same corticosteroid with each concentration targeted at a different segment of the market place. Recent work by our group has revealed some interesting results concerning the vasoconstrictor potency of both diluted and undiluted preparations (Gibson et al., 1982). The aim of this study was to extend the investigation to cover a number of widely used preparations.

A comparison of the potencies of several diluted and undiluted corticosteroid preparations using the vasoconstrictor assay

10 subjects were assessed using the vasoconstrictor assay technique in a double-blind study in order to evaluate the relative potencies of several diluted and undiluted proprietary corticosteroid preparations. Dermovate ointment achieved a significantly higher score than any other preparation but there was no significant difference between the scores for Betnovate ointment (betamethasone valerate 0.1%), Propaderm Forte cream (beclomethasone dipropionate 0.5%), Propaderm ointment (beclomethasone dipropionate 0.025%), Nerisone Forte ointment (diflucortolone valerate 0.3%), and Nerisone ointment (diflucortolone valerate 0.1%). Furthermore, no significant difference in scores could be demonstrated between Adcortyl ointment (triamcinolone acetonide 0.1%), Ledercort ointment (triamcinolone acetonide 0.1%) and extemporaneous dilutions of these ointments 1 part in 4 in their recommended diluents (triamcinolone acetonide 0.025%). The relevance of these findings to clinical practice is discussed.

The dilution of proprietary corticosteroid ointments--an attempt to evaluate relative clinical potencies

Ten subjects were assessed using the vasoconstrictor assay technique in a double-blind study in order to evaluate the potencies of several diluted and undiluted proprietary corticosteroid ointments. Results showed that clobetasol propionate 0.05% (Dermovate) ointment at a dilution of one part in ten (clobetasol propionate 0.005%) in white soft paraffin was equipotent with betamethasone valerate 0.1% (Betnovate) ointment; and no difference in potency was demonstrated between beclomethasone dipropionate 0.025% (Propaderm), betamethasone valerate 0.1% (Betnovate) and clobetasone butyrate 0.05% (Eumovate).

Mating type and sporulation in yeast. II. Meiosis, recombination, and radiation sensitivity in an alpha-alpha diploid with altered sporulation control

In wild-type S. cerevisiae, diploid cells must be heterozygous at the mating-type locus in order to sporulate. In the preceding paper, we described a number of mutants (CSP mutants), isolated from nonsporulating aa and alpha-alpha parent strains, in which sporulation appeared to be uncoupled from control by mating type. The characterization of one of these mutants (CSP1) is now extended to other processes controlled by mating type. This mutant is indistinguishable from alpha-alpha cells and unlike aalpha cells for mating factor production and response, zygote formation, intragenic mitotic recombination, and for X-ray sensitivity. The mutant apparently undergoes a full round of DNA synthesis in sporulation medium, but with delayed kinetics. Only 20% of the cells complete sporulation. Among spores in completed asci, the frequency of both intra- and intergenic recombination is the same as it is for spores produced by aalpha cells. However, experiments in which cells were shifted from sporulation medium back to minimal growth medium gave a frequency of meiotic recombination between ade2 or leu2 heteroalleles only 25% to 29% as high for CSP1 alpha-alpha diploid or CSP1 aa disomic cells as for aalpha diploid or disomic cells. Because the latter result, indicating recombination defectiveness, measured recombinant production in the entire cell population, whereas the result indicating normal recombination sampled only completed spores, we infer that all meiotic recombination events occuring in the population of CSP1 alpha-alpha cells are concentrated in those few cells which complete sporulation. This high degree of correlation between meiotic recombination and the completion of meiosis and sporulation suggests that recombination may be required for proper meiotic chromosome segregation in yeast just as it appears to be in maize and in Drosophila.

Enzymes of fructose metabolism in human liver

The enzyme activities involved in fructose metabolism were measured in samples of human liver. On the basis of U/g of wet-weight the following results were found: ketohexokinase, 1.23; aldolase (substrate, fructose-1-phosphate), 2.08; aldolase (substrate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate), 3.46; triokinase, 2.07; aldehyde dehydrogenase (substrate, D-glyceraldehyde), 1.04; D-glycerate kinase, 0.13; alcohol dehydrogenase (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide [NAD]) substrate, D-glyceraldehyde), 3.1; alcohol dehydrogenase (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NADP]) (substrate, D-glyceraldehyde), 3.6; and glycerol kinase, 0.62. Sorbitol dehydrogenases (25.0 U/g), hexosediphosphatase (4.06 U/g), hexokinase (0.23 U/g), and glucokinase (0.08 U/g) were also measured. Comparing these results with those of the rat liver it becomes clear that the activities of alcohol dehydrogenases (NAD and NADP) in rat liver are higher than those in human liver, and that the values of ketohexokinase, sorbitol dehydrogenases, and hexosediphosphatase in human liver are lower than those values found in rat liver. Human liver contains only traces of glycerate kinase. The rate of fructose uptake from the blood, as described by other investigators, can be based on the activity of ketohexokinase reported in the present paper. In human liver, ketohexokinase is present in a four-fold activity of glucokinase and hexokinase. This result may explain the well-known fact that fructose is metabolized faster than glucose.