The effect of membrane lipid composition on the permeability of membranes to Ca2+

Effect of calcium on rat intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity and molecular aggregation

Two fractions of rat intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) were detected by Western blot: 168 +/- 6 and 475 +/- 45 kDa. The low molecular weight fraction constitutes 43% of the isolated proteins exhibiting 82% of the enzymatic activity, and a heavier fraction constitutes 57% of the isolated proteins and has 18% of the enzymatic activity. Calcium produced an increase of the 475-kDa form to the detriment of the 168-kDa form. This work also describes the kinetic and structural changes of IAP as a function of calcium concentration. With [Ca2+] < 10 mmole/L, the Ca(2+)-IAP interaction fitted a binding model with 7.8 +/- 4.4 moles of Ca2+ /mole of protein, affinity constant = 19.1 +/- 8.4 L/mmole, and enzymatic activity increased as a linear function of [Ca2+] (r = 0.946 p < 0.01). On the other hand, with [Ca2+] > 10 mmole/L the data did not fit this model and, the enzymatic activity decreased as a function of [Ca2+] (r = - 0.703 p < 0.05).

Dietary fat and protein interact in suppressing neuropathic pain-related disorders following a partial sciatic ligation injury in rats

Chronic neuropathic sensory disorders (CNSD) of rats receiving a partial sciatic nerve ligation injury (the PSL model) are suppressed by dietary soy protein. Although previously shown to modify nociceptive behavior in acute pain models, dietary fat has never been tested for its putative analgesic properties in chronic pain states. Here we tested the role of dietary fat, protein and fat/protein interactions in the development of tactile allodynia and heat hyperalgesia in PSL-injured rats. Male Wistar rats were fed nine different diets, comprising of three proteins (soy, casein and albumin) and three fats (corn, soy and canola) for a week preceding PSL injury and for 2 weeks thereafter. Rats' responses to tactile and noxious heat stimuli were tested before surgery and 3, 7 and 14 days afterwards. Tactile and heat sensory abnormalities following PSL injury were significantly different among the nine dietary groups. Consumption of corn and soy fats suppressed the levels of tactile and heat allodynia and hyperalgesia, whereas consumption of soy and casein proteins was associated with lower levels of heat hyperalgesia but not tactile allodynia. A significant fat/protein interaction was found for the heat but not tactile stimuli. We conclude that dietary fat is a significant independent predictor of levels of neuropathic sensory disorders in rats and that this effect is accentuated by dietary protein. The mechanisms by which fat suppresses neuropathic disorders have yet to be determined.

Oxysterols and TBARS are among the LDL oxidation products which enhance thromboxane A2 synthesis by platelets

In this study, we compared the effects of normal LDL (nLDL) and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) on thromboxane (TXA2) release by platelets triggered by low concentration of thrombin, and we determined which component of oxLDL is responsible for that activation. After oxidation of LDL with copper sulfate, the small molecular weight fraction (< 10 kDa) which was high in TBARS was removed; using Amicon Centriprep-10 concentrator membrane. More than 67% of TBARS in the oxLDL preparation was found in solution while the remaining was covalently attached to the oxLDL particles. OxLDL contained significantly higher levels of oxysterols and TBARS than the nLDL. Platelets preincubated with low concentrations of oxLDL (33-132 micrograms protein/mL) produced significantly higher TXA2 than platelets preincubated with equivalent concentrations of nLDL when triggered with thrombin. Platelets treated with oxLDL also contained significantly higher levels of oxysterols than platelets treated with nLDL. Platelets preincubated with pure cholestanetriol (10 micrograms/mL) contained a high level of cholestanetriol in the membrane, and TXA2 release was significantly increased in these platelets compared to the control platelets. The TBARS in solution also was very potent in enhancing TXA2 release by thrombin-treated platelets. These results indicate that oxysterols and the free TBARS either in solution or covalently attached to the oxLDL particles are partly responsible for the stimulatory effect of oxLDL on TXA2 release by platelets. The present study also showed that this enhancement of TXA2 release was due to activation of phospholipase A2 and to the increase of arachidonic acid liberation from the platelet phospholipids.

Cytotoxicity of some oxysterols on human vascular smooth muscle cells was mediated by apoptosis

A decrease in smooth muscle cells is observed in advanced atherosclerotic lesion. To understand this mechanism, we selected oxysterols as candidates for toxic lipid, and examined their cytotoxicity on human cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, together with the manner of cell death. In the presence of 7-ketocholesterol or 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol (50 mumol/L), the percentage of detached cells increased significantly with dose dependency, and an increase in detached cell number and DNA nick detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling study (TUNEL) preceded an increase in lactate dehydrogenase released into the medium. DNA extracted from smooth muscle cells incubated with 7-ketocholesterol or 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol showed a laddering pattern on agarose electrophoresis. In the presence of 7-ketocholesterol or 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol, fragmented DNA quantified by the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay was significantly increased. From these results, it is proposed that 7-ketocholesterol and 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol are toxic to smooth muscle cells, and that this cytotoxicity is mediated by apoptosis.

Intestinal transport of calcium in rat biliary cirrhosis

The characteristics of intestinal calcium transport in chronic cholestasis remain largely unknown. Using an experimental model of biliary cirrhosis in the rat, we aimed to investigate changes in calcium transport at the jejunal and ileal levels. Two methods were used: 1) uptake of 45Ca in brush border membrane vesicles and 2) measurements of transepithelial fluxes of calcium in Ussing chambers. Thirty days postsurgery, cholestatic rats presented biliary cirrhosis, with normal growth, normal daily energy, and calcium intakes, but had depressed circulating levels of 25-(OH)-vitamin D2 and 1,25-(OH)-vitamin D3. Compared with sham-operated controls, 45Ca uptake ([Ca2+] = 0.03 mmol) measured in vesicles from cholestatic rats was decreased by 3-fold in the duodenojejunum, in concordance with a lower content in brush border membrane calmodulin. Other changes in brush border membrane composition included decreases in structural proteins, microvillous enzymes, and in triglyceride content. Transepithelial fluxes of calcium measured in the ileum ([Ca2+] = 1.2 mmol) revealed in controls a net basal secretion flux (Jnet = -30.4 +/- 8.1 mmol.h-1.cm-2) that was reduced by 3-fold (p < 0.05) in vitamin D-deficient rats (Jnet = -10.4 +/- 4.8 mmol.h-1.cm-2). In response to 25-(OH)-vitamin D2 treatment, calcium uptake rates increased by 40% in the jejunum, whereas in the ileum, the secretion flux returned to basal control levels. Oral administration of taurocholate or tauroursodeoxycholate (50 mmol) depressed almost completely calcium uptake capacity in the duodenojejunum. By complexing free calcium, tauroconjugated bile acids inhibited in vitro calcium uptake proportionally to their concentration in the medium (0-40 mmol). Our data indicate that, in rat biliary cirrhosis, transport capacity of calcium in the duodenojejunum is markedly reduced in association with vitamin D deficiency and alterations in brush border membrane composition.

Toxicity of oxidized low density lipoproteins for vascular smooth muscle cells and partial protection by antioxidants

Oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is known to be toxic to a variety of cell types, but relatively little is known about the toxic effects of oxLDL on vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). We found that LDL oxidized by incubation with 5 microM cupric ions was toxic to cultured porcine SMC when administered at concentrations of 25 micrograms protein/ml and higher. The toxicity was demonstrated whether cells were proliferating or not, and was more evident in the presence of 0.4% lipoprotein-deficient serum than in 10%. Because of recent evidence that 7-ketocholesterol and 7-hydroxycholesterol are toxic species in copper-oxidized LDL, inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase was hypothesized as a mechanism of toxicity. However, mevalonic acid, the product of this enzyme, failed to protect against the toxicity of either oxLDL or the pure oxysterols. Alpha-tocopherol, alpha-tocopherol acetate, probucol, butylated hydroxytoluene, and deferoxamine provided partial protection to SMC exposed to oxLDL. These results suggested a toxic role for newly initiated lipid peroxidation, either in cells or in media oxLDL. Cellular lipid peroxidation appeared more likely, since no further oxidation of media oxLDL was demonstrated in the presence or absence of antioxidants. Overall, the results suggest that toxicity of copper-oxidized LDL for SMC is multifactorial and differs from the previously described toxicity of iron-oxidized LDL for fibroblasts.

Role of [Ca2+]i in lethal oxidative injury in rat cultured inner medullary collecting duct cells

Reactive oxygen metabolites have been implicated in the pathogenesis of toxic, ischaemic and immunologically mediated renal injury. An increase in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) has been proposed as a mechanism of oxidative stress-induced cell injury. We used a fluorescence spectrometer and a fluorescence probe to measure the [Ca2+]i and viability of rat primary cultured inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells during oxidative stress induced by 5 mM tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). Initially, this oxidative stress evoked a small increase in [Ca2+]i which was followed by a slower sustained increase from the resting level of 170.8 +/- 38.8 nM to 1490.5 +/- 301.7 nM after 60 min, and this preceded the loss of plasma membrane integrity, measured by the propidium iodide fluorescence method. The elimination of extracellular Ca2+ from the culture medium prevented the TBHP-induced [Ca2+]i increase and improved cell viability. Restoration of extracellular Ca2+ resulted in an immediate and large increase in [Ca2+]i and extensive cell death. Verapamil, a Ca2+ channel blocker, inhibited the [Ca2+]i increase and afforded significant protection against cellular injury following exposure to TBHP-induced oxidative stress. Extracellular acidosis also prevented the increase in [Ca2+]i and cell death caused by this oxidative stress. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that oxidative stress-induced IMCD cellular injury may be the result of increased [Ca2+]i caused, in part, by activation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.

Calcium transport mechanism in human colonic apical membrane vesicles

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Recent studies have shown the role of human colon in the absorption of calcium, especially in the presence of severe disease or resection of the small bowel. The aim of the current study was to explore the mechanism(s) of calcium uptake by the purified human colonic apical membrane vesicles.

METHODS

Apical membrane vesicles were purified from mucosal scrapings of colons from organ donors, and 45Ca uptake was measured using a rapid filtration technique.

RESULTS

The majority of the 45Ca associated with vesicles represented uptake into closed intravesicular space, whereas the remaining 45Ca uptake represented binding to the vesicles. Ca2+ uptake was found to be dependent on time, pH, temperature, and ionic strength of the incubation medium and inhibitable by ruthenium red, La3+, and ethylene glycol-bis(beta-amino-ethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid. Experiments of the effects of membrane potential generated by K+/valinomycin or anion substitutions on Ca2+ uptake showed that the Ca2+ uptake process was potential insensitive. Calcium uptake was unaffected by outwardly directed H+, K+, and Na+ gradients. Ca2+ uptake showed saturation kinetics with no significant differences in Michaelis constant and maximum velocity values of this transporter between proximal and distal colonic segments.

CONCLUSIONS

The uptake of Ca2+ by human colonic apical membranes involves predominantly a carrier-mediated transport mechanism.

Phytosterolaemia in three unrelated South African families

Phytosterolaemia (beta-sitosterolaemia), a rare, autosomal recessive disorder, has not hitherto been reported in Southern Africa. We report four new homozygous patients, from three unrelated families with significant beta-sitosterolaemia (6.6-11.3%), campesterolaemia (2.2-4.6%) and clearly detectable, though unquantified, levels of cholestanol. Three of the four patients had characteristic cutaneous and tendinous xanthomas within the first decade of life. The fourth patient, a 5 year old, was free of xanthomas despite persistently elevated concentrations of plant sterols in her plasma. All our patients were female bringing the male:female ratio in reported cases to 8:23. All were at or below the 50th percentile for height and weight, and presented at some stage with borderline, hypochromic anaemia associated with red cell abnormalities and thrombocytopaenia. The oldest patient showed suggestive clinical evidence of atherosclerosis affecting her aorta, ileofemoral bifurcation and possibly coronary arteries. All homozygotes responded to a diet restricted in phytosterols and the administration of cholestyramine with falls in plasma sterols of up to 68%. The recent discovery of a possible inherited defect in the synthesis of HMG CoA reductase in patients with phytosterolaemia makes this disorder a model system for studying the biological role of this enzyme in regulating the absorption and clearance of sterols other than cholesterol, and the factors governing the sterol composition of cell membranes.

The calcium uptake of the rat heart sarcoplasmic reticulum is altered by dietary lipid

Small amounts of dietary n-3 fatty acids can have dramatic physiological effects, including the reduction of plasma triglycerides and an elevation of cellular eicosapentanoic (EPA) and docosahexanoic acids (DHA) at the expense of arachidonic acid (AA). We investigated the effects of alterations in the fatty acid compositions of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (CSR) produced by dietary manipulation on the calcium pump protein that is required for energy dependent calcium transport. CSR was isolated from rats fed menhaden oil, which is rich in n-3 fatty acids, and from control animals that were given corn oil. Relative to control membranes, those isolated from rats fed menhaden oil, had a lower content of saturated phospholipids, an increased DHA/AA ratio, and an increased ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids. These changes were associated with a 30% decrease in oxalate-facilitated, ATP-dependent calcium uptake and concomitant decreased Ca-ATPase activity in the membranes from the animals fed menhaden oil. In contrast, there was no alteration in active pump sites as measured by phosphoenzyme formation. Thus, the CSR Ca-ATPase function can be altered by dietary interventions that change the composition, and possibly structure, of the phospholipid membranes thereby affecting enzyme turnover.

Shear stress-facilitated calcium ion transport across lipid bilayers

Small unilamellar liposomes were used in this study of shear stress effects on the trans-bilayer flux of calcium ions (Ca2+). Liposome suspensions were prepared from 99% egg phosphatidylcholine by a microporous filter extrusion technique. The inner aqueous phase of the unilamellar liposomes contained indo-1(5-), a fluorescent indicator of free Ca2+. The external aqueous phase was composed of Hepes-buffered saline containing normal physiological levels of common ionic species. Calcium ion levels were set at 100 nM and 1 mM in the inner and outer aqueous phases, respectively. Liposome suspensions were exposed to graded levels of uniform shear stress in an optically modified rotational viscometer. Intraliposome Ca2+ concentration was estimated from continuous measurement of indo-1(5-) fluorescence. Electronically measured particle size distribution was used to determine liposome surface area for estimation of trans-bilayer Ca2+ flux. Trans-bilayer Ca2+ flux increased linearly with applied shear rate from 27 s-1 to 2700 s-1. Diffusional resistance of the lipid bilayer, not the convective resistance of the surrounding fluid, was the limiting step in the transport of Ca2+. Liposome permeability to Ca2+ increased by nearly two orders of magnitude over the physiologically relevant shear rate range studied. Solute transport in injectable liposome preparations may be dramatically influenced by cardiovascular fluid stress. Solute delivery rates determined in liposomes exposed to static conditions may not accurately predict in vivo, cardiovascular solute transport.

Hypothesis: etiology of atherosclerosis and osteoporosis: are imbalances in the calciferol endocrine system implicated?

Atherosclerosis and osteoporosis are currently considered unrelated diseases. Osteoporosis involves bone calcium (Ca) loss and predominantly affects females after menopause. Atherosclerosis is an illness predominantly affecting males, and is primarily characterized by abnormal lipid metabolism. However, pathological calcification of the arterial wall is an underlying feature of atherosclerosis. Ca homeostasis is thus important in atherosclerosis as well as in osteoporosis. Men also develop osteoporosis although at a later age than women, and, as osteoporosis progresses in women, there is an accompanying calcification of arteries leading to increased incidence of atherosclerosis in aging women. Thus, during old age, both atherosclerosis and osteoporosis are prevalent in both males and females. The dramatic increase in atherosclerosis among women as they develop osteoporosis suggests that the two illnesses may be more closely related than previously realized. The use of vitamin D as a food supplement coincides with epidemic onsets of atherosclerosis and osteoporosis, and excess vitamin D induces both conditions in humans and laboratory animals. These observations suggest a role for chronic vitamin D excess in the etiology of the two illnesses. Magnesium (Mg) deficiency, nicotine, and high dietary cholesterol are contributing factors that accentuate adverse effects of vitamin D.

Cytosolic free Ca2+ and proteolysis in lethal oxidative injury in endothelial cells

Oxygen free radicals (OFR) are thought to mediate ischemia-reperfusion injury to endothelium of heart, lung, brain, liver, and kidney and contribute to development of atherosclerosis, pulmonary O2 toxicity, and adult respiratory distress syndrome. Increased cytosolic free Ca2+ (Cai2+) has been proposed as a mechanism of injury from oxidative stress, yet the pathways by which an increase in Cai2+ may cause OFR-mediated endothelial cell injury remain unknown. Using multiparameter digitized video microscopy and the fluorescent probes, fura-2 acetoxymethyl ester and propidium iodide, we measured Cai2+ and cell viability in human umbilical endothelial cells during oxidative stress with xanthine (50 microM) plus xanthine oxidase (40 mU/ml). Oxidative stress caused a sustained increase in Cai2+ from a resting level of 90-100 nM to near 500 nM, which was preceded by formation of plasma membrane blebs. The increase in Cai2+ was prevented by removal of extracellular Ca2+ (Cao2+). Prevention of the increase in Cai2+ was associated with prolonged cell viability. Readdition of Cao2+ resulted in an immediate large increase in Cai2+ and rapid onset of cell death. The protease inhibitors, leupeptin and pepstatin, delayed the increase in Cai2+ and prolonged cell viability. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that endothelial cell injury due to oxidative stress may be the result of Cai2+ influx and resultant activation of Ca(2+)-dependent proteases.

Characterization of calcium uptake by brush border membrane vesicles of human small intestine

Calcium uptake was characterized in human duodenal, jejunal, and ileal brush border membrane vesicles. Calcium uptake into human intestinal brush border membrane vesicles represented uptake into intravesicular space as evidenced by studies of osmolality, temperature dependence, calcium ionophore A23187-induced efflux and influx, and lanthanum displacement. Calcium uptake into membrane vesicles was sodium-independent. Negative membrane potential induced by valinomycin and anion substitution studies indicated an electroneutral process. Initial rate of uptake of calcium was linear up to 30 s (Y = 0.11 + 0.02x, r = 0.99). Kinetic parameters were determined from uptake measurements at 7 s, well within the linear phase of uptake. Calcium uptake represented mediated and nonmediated components. These components showed changes along the intestinal tract. Km values of the mediated component increased aborally, being lowest in the duodenum and highest in the terminal ileum. Vmax was highest in the duodenum, followed by, in descending order, the ileum, terminal ileum, and jejunum. The nonmediated component was greatest in the duodenum and decreased aborally. The duodenum appears to have a high-affinity, high-capacity system for the transport of calcium in humans. These studies are the first to characterize calcium transport by brush border membranes of the human small intestine.

Rapid method for the analysis of red blood cell fatty acids by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for a rapid qualitative and quantitative analysis of p-bromophenacyl esters of red blood cell fatty acids in humans. Both free and bound fatty acids, extracted with hexane-2-propanol (3:2) from packed red blood cells were derivatized with p-bromophenacyl bromide and analysed. Ten identical samples taken from a mixed pool of packed red blood cells from healthy subjects were analysed on two different columns. The fatty acid p-bromophenacyl esters were analysed on a 10 RP-18 column with methanol-acetonitrile-0.01 M ammonium formate as mobile phase and also on a 10 RP-8 column with acetonitrile-0.01 M ammonium formate as mobile phase. The two methods gave analogous results except in total analysis time: that on a 10 RP-8 column is ca. 40% shorter. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis of a standard solution to evaluate the extraction procedure in the absence or in the presence of the red blood cell core indicated a significant difference when the core is present.

Effects of estrogen-induced hyperlipidemia on the erythrocyte membrane in chicks

The effects of estrogen-induced hyperlipidemia on plasma lipid peroxidation, fatty acid composition and osmotic fragility of erythrocytes in chickens were studied. Young male chickens implanted with estrogen for three wk developed a marked hyperlipidemia. Plasma levels of triglyceride, cholesterol and phospholipid were elevated 68-, four- and 24-fold, respectively, over controls. There was also a two-fold increase in plasma lipid peroxidation measured by the thiobarbituric acid test. Vitamin E supplement (1,000 IU/kg diet) reduced the plasma lipid peroxidation to the control level, but had no effect on the plasma lipid content. Estrogen-induced hyperlipidemia resulted in changes in the fatty acid composition of membrane lipids of erythrocytes. The major changes were an increase in oleic acid from 10.0% to 14.2% and a decrease in linoleic acid from 31.3% to 26.0%. The erythrocytes with an altered membrane fatty acid composition were found to have an increased osmotic fragility. It was apparent that there was a direct correlation between the oleic acid content and the osmotic fragility of erythrocytes.

Incubation of endothelial cells in a superoxide-generating system: impaired low-density lipoprotein receptor-mediated endocytosis

Endothelial cells (EC) of blood vessels are submitted to oxidative stress under various circumstances. These conditions may modify EC functions; therefore, in the present work we have studied the receptor-mediated endocytosis of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and malondialdehyde-modified LDL by the LDL receptor and the "scavenger" receptor, respectively, in cultured human umbilical vein EC after short (0-120 minutes) incubations in a superoxide anion (O2-) generating system. In both receptor-mediated processes, the oxidative stress produces a significant decrease at four different LDL concentrations (5-50 micrograms/ml) after 120 minutes of oxidation. On the other hand, the fluid-phase endocytosis of sucrose by EC seems to be stimulated by these conditions. Furthermore, incorporation of antioxidant enzymes in the O2- -producing system shows that H2O2 is an obligatory intermediate in order to produce the effect on the receptor-mediated processes. Hypotheses concerning the mechanisms involved in the modifications of endocytotic processes and their implications in vivo are discussed.

Sarcolemmal phospholipid fatty acid composition and permeability

In this study, the mechanism of ischaemia-induced increased sarcolemmal permeability, as manifested by release of intracellular enzymes, was investigated. The role of changes in the sarcolemmal phospholipid bilayer in this process was evaluated by experimental modulation of the phospholipid fatty acid composition. The isolated perfused rat heart subjected to low-flow hypoxia, was used as a model of global ischaemia. Glucose as well as saturated (palmitate) and unsaturated (linoleate) long-chain fatty acids were used as substrates. Hearts perfused with palmitate or linoleate (1.5 mM, fatty acid/albumin ratio, 3.4) showed a significantly higher rate of lactate dehydrogenase release in both control and ischaemic conditions than hearts perfused with glucose (10 mM). Lactate dehydrogenase release in the fatty acid-perfused hearts was associated with a significant increase in the percentage unsaturation of the sarcolemmal phospholipid fatty acids. Glucose-perfused hearts, on the other hand, showed only minor changes in the sarcolemmal phospholipid fatty acid composition. Attempts to correlate enzyme release directly with an increase in the percentage unsaturation of phospholipid fatty acids failed, since enzyme release was also stimulated in control fatty-acid-perfused hearts which (when compared with glucose) contained a higher percentage saturated phospholipid fatty acids. The results suggest that myocardial ischaemia, apart from changes in the sarcolemmal phospholipid fatty acid composition, also induces several other changes in sarcolemmal composition (e.g., cholesterol loss) which may affect is permeability for macromolecules.

Decreased pulmonary vascular responsiveness in rats raised on an essential fatty acid deficient diet

Leukotriene C4 is produced during hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and leukotriene inhibitors preferentially inhibit the hypoxic pressor response in rats. If lipoxygenase products are important in hypoxic vasoconstriction, then an animal deficient in arachidonic acid should have a blunted hypoxic pressor response. We investigated if vascular responsiveness was decreased in vascular rings and isolated perfused lungs from rats raised on an essential fatty acid deficient diet (EFAD) compared to rats raised on a normal diet. Rats raised on the EFAD diet had decreased esterified plasma arachidonic acid and increased 5-, 8-, 11-eicosatrienoic acid compared to rats raised on the normal diet (control). Compared to the time matched responses in control isolated perfused lungs the pressor responses to angiotensin II and alveolar hypoxia were blunted in lungs from the arachidonate deficient rats. This decreased pulmonary vascular responsiveness was not affected by the addition of indomethacin or arachidonic acid to the lung perfusate. Similarly, the pulmonary artery rings from arachidonate deficient rats demonstrated decreased reactivity to norepinephrine compared to rings from control rats. In contrast, the tension increases to norepinephrine were greater in aortic rings from the arachidonate deficient rats compared to control. Stimulated lung tissue from the arachidonate deficient animals produced less slow reacting substance and platelet activating factor like material but the same amount of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 compared to control lungs. Thus there is an association between altered vascular responsiveness and impairment of stimulated production of slow reacting substance and platelet activating factor like material in rats raised on an EFAD diet.

Dietary fatty acids and myocardial function

It is widely recognized that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA's) and cholesterol can profoundly influence the development of atherosclerotic plaques in coronary vessels, which may lead to myocardial infarction. The possibility that dietary fatty acids may also directly influence cardiac function has received less attention. We therefore reviewed the evidence of the effects of dietary fatty acids, in particular n-3 and n-6 PUFA's, on myocardial phospholipid fatty acid composition and cardiovascular performance. Heart organelles appear to incorporate uncommon fatty acids like 22:1 and trans- 18:1. Diets enriched with 22:1 induce myocardial lipidosis. N-9, n-6 and n-3 families compete among membrane C20 and C22 acids. Several studies have dealt with the relation between diet-induced changes of cardiac membrane (sarcolemma, sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria) phospholipids and membrane function. In view of the variety of diets used and of the membrane functions studied, the results do not permit equivocal interpretation. Several investigators have reported an altered stress response of the heart due to a change of PUFA's in the diet. In rats fed with a low 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 ratio combined with relatively low amounts of saturated fatty acids, a high incidence of myocardial lesions has been observed. Pigs are less sensitive but more susceptible to the development of vitamin E deficiency, when the dietary PUFA content is high. Increased contractility and coronary flow rate have been reported for Langendorff-perfused hearts of rats fed 18:2n-6-rich diets. The effects on coronary flow rate are possibly related to alterations in eicosanoid synthesis, which may also contribute to the reduction by n-6 or n-3 PUFA's in infarct size, magnitude of recovery of function and suppression of reperfusion arrhythmias following release of a coronary artery ligation. On the other hand, increased peroxidation of membrane lipids, due to their high content of n-3 PUFA, may be deleterious.

Calcium uptake by intestinal brush border membrane vesicles. Comparison with in vivo calcium transport

In prior studies, we examined kinetics of steady state in vivo transepithelial calcium transport in rat and hamster. The present studies related calcium uptake by the brush border to in vivo transport. We measured calcium uptake by brush border membrane vesicles from the two species. In the rat, our prior in vivo studies had shown that (a) calcium transport was mediated, (b) no nonmediated component was detectable, and (c) Vmax was 2.5 times greater in proximal than distal small intestine. In brush border membrane vesicles from the rat, Vmax for the saturable component of calcium uptake was again 2.5 times greater in proximal than distal intestine. Contrasting with in vivo studies, a major nonsaturable component was present in vesicles from proximal and distal small intestine. In the hamster, our previous in vivo studies had shown (1) both mediated and nonmediated components of calcium transport, (2) greater nonmediated transport in proximal than distal small intestines, and (3) Vmax for calcium transport twice as great in distal as in proximal small intestine. In the present study with brush border membrane vesicles from hamster, Vmax for saturable calcium transport was again twice as great in distal as in proximal small intestine. However, nonsaturable calcium transport rates relative to saturable rates were much greater with vesicles than in in vivo studies, and were greater in vesicles from distal than proximal small intestine. Since rates of saturable calcium uptake by brush border membrane vesicles parallel corresponding in vivo mediated transport rates, we conclude that the segmental rates of calcium transport in rat and hamster could be determined by brush border function.

Neurochemical aspects of depression: the past and the future?

The role of aberrant neurochemical substrates in the etiology of depression and the neurochemical mechanisms of antidepressant therapies have been the subjects of many hypotheses in the last 30 years. Pharmacological studies of early antidepressant drugs indicated that brain monoamines were significantly affected by these drugs and these led to the formulation of the biogenic amine hypothesis of depression. Although this hypothesis has been of heuristic value in the study of drug mechanisms and has provided a basis for screening drugs for antidepressant potential, deficiencies in it have become apparent. Neuroanatomical and neurochemical considerations favour the view that brain noradrenaline and serotonin systems may serve as bias adjusting systems for each other and numerous other neural systems. As a consequence of such a relationship, a primary defect in some other neural system would appear amplified in measurements of serotonin or noradrenaline. A possible site for this primary defect may be in membrane composition and function. Recent studies have found that typical and other antidepressant therapies have a pronounced effect on membrane lipids. Thus, in view of the important functions of membrane lipids and the fact that they have been linked to the initiation and development of a number of other disease processes, it is now suggested that consideration be given to them as playing primary causal roles in the etiology of depression and as a site of action for antidepressant drugs.

Effect of plictran on beef heart mitochondrial ATPases

The in vitro effects of plictran on oligomycin-sensitive Mg2+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activities in beef heart mitochondria were studied. Beef heart mitochondrial fractions were prepared by the conventional centrifugation method. ATPase activities were measured by determining the inorganic phosphate released by the hydrolysis of ATP. Plictran inhibited both oligomycin-sensitive (o.s.) Mg2+-ATPase and Ca2+ ATPase activities at nanomolar concentrations. However, plictran did not affect the oligomycin-insensitive (o.i.) Mg2+-ATPase activity at any concentration studied. Substrate activation kinetics revealed that plictran inhibited o.s. Mg2+-ATPase uncompetitively and Ca2+-ATPase non-competitively. These results clearly indicate that plictran affects ATP synthesis and calcium ion transport in beef heart mitochondria.

In vitro effects of toxaphene on mitochondrial calcium ATPase and calcium uptake in selected rat tissues

In vitro effects of toxaphene on Ca2+-ATPase activity and 45Ca2+-uptake were studied in mitochondrial fractions of heart, kidney and liver tissues of rat. Mitochondrial fractions were prepared by the conventional centrifugation method. Ca2+-ATPase activity was determined by measuring the inorganic phosphate liberated during ATP hydrolysis. Toxaphene inhibited Ca2+-ATPase in a concentration dependent manner in all the three tissues. Substrate activation kinetics, with heart, kidney and liver tissue fractions, revealed that toxaphene inhibited Ca2+-ATPase activity non-competitively by decreasing the maximum velocity of the enzyme without affecting the enzyme-substrate affinity. Toxaphene also inhibited mitochondrial 45Ca2+-uptake in the three selected tissues in a concentration dependent manner. These results indicate that toxaphene is an inhibitor of mitochondrial Ca2+-ATPase and calcium transport in heart, kidney and liver tissues of rat.

Effect of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 on the surface hydrophobicity of aspirin-treated canine gastric mucosa

The canine gastric mucosa has a uniquely hydrophobic or nonwettable surface that is rapidly disrupted by damaging agents such as aspirin. In this study we investigated the effects of acidified aspirin on the wettability of the luminal surface of gastric mucosae mounted in Ussing chambers in the presence of varying concentrations of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2. It was determined that surface hydrophobicity of the stomach, as measured by contact angle measurements, could be reduced by 50% with an aspirin concentration of 5 mM in the mucosal bath and that this change could be completely and significantly reversed by the addition of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (1 microgram/ml) to the nutrient compartment. 16,16-Dimethyl prostaglandin E2 at this dose was less effective in restoring the surface hydrophobicity in response to a higher concentration of aspirin (20 mM) that abolished the nonwettable property of the tissue. The reduced surface hydrophobicity in the presence of 5 mM aspirin could be increased in a dose response relationship to the nutrient 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 concentration, with an effect being seen at doses as low as 1 ng/ml. These results support the concept that prostaglandins may protect the stomach by the maintenance of a nonwettable hydrophobic lining between damaging agents in the lumen and the gastric epithelium.

The effect of the saturation and isomerization of dietary fatty acids on the osmotic fragility and water diffusional permeability of rat erythrocytes

Weanling rats were fed semi-purified diets containing 15% by weight of either corn oil, a high oleic acid safflower oil, lard or hydrogenated soybean oil. Significant changes in the fatty acid composition of erythrocytes were induced by these dietary fats. The compositional changes did not effect water diffusional permeability, but did affect their osmotic fragility. An increased fragility appeared to be associated with an increased octadecenoate content of the membranes.

The saturation and isomerization of dietary fatty acids and the respiratory properties of rat heart mitochondria

Weanling rats were fed semi-purified diets containing 15% by weight of either corn oil, a high oleic acid safflower oil, lard or hydrogenated soybean oil. Significant changes in the fatty acid composition of heart mitochondrial preparations were induced by these dietary fats. Despite these changes in membrane composition, no effects on the respiratory properties of the mitochondria were observed. These results suggest that mitochondrial membranes adapt to changes in dietary fatty acids in a way which prevents changes in their functional properties.

Modification of cell membrane composition by dietary lipids and its implications for atherosclerosis

Dietary lipids can modify the properties of cell membranes, including membrane fluidity and membrane permeability. The saturation and isomerization of dietary fatty acids may affect the pattern of fatty acids acylated to glycerol in phospholipids. Oxidized sterols may affect membrane properties directly by their insertion in the membrane or indirectly through their effects on lipid metabolism. The flow of calcium and other nutrients into the cells appears to be a major property affected by those changes in lipid composition of membranes and may be important in the onset of atherosclerosis. The factors that alter the character of the lipids in cell membranes should receive increased study in both in vitro and in vivo systems to clarify their role in diseases processes.