bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shortening of the esophagus in response to swallowing
Authors: Edmundowicz S. A. , Clouse R. E.
Published: December 2017

Esophageal shortening accompanies peristalsis in laboratory animals and is attributed to longitudinally oriented fibers in esophageal muscle layers. To evaluate this phenomenon in humans, esophageal shortening during suspended respiration in response to swallows was measured in five normal volunteers (median age, 23 yr). Metal mucosal clips were endoscopically placed at and 10 cm above the gastroesophageal junction, and their movement was recorded by videotaped fluoroscopy. All subjects demonstrated esophageal shortening with each swallow in a characteristic pattern with small interswallow variance. Early, minimal shortening of the proximal segment (6.0 +/- 2.4 mm) was followed by delayed, prominent distal segment shortening (18.9 +/- 9.3 mm) that principally accounted for overall change in total esophageal length (18.0 +/- 8.1 mm). The degree of esophageal shortening did not correlate with circular muscle contraction wave parameters that were obtained with intraluminal manometrics in a separate study (P greater than 0.2 for each correlation), and distal segment shortening uniformly preceded the onset of contraction waves in the same region. These findings indicate that patterned esophageal shortening with swallows occurs in humans, most prominently in the distal esophagus. The technique may be useful in determining the participation of axial esophageal movement in esophageal motility disorders.
Regulation of smooth muscle contraction in rabbit internal anal sphincter by protein kinase C and Ins(1,4,5)P3
Authors: Bitar K. N. , Hillemeier C. , Biancani P. , Balazovich K. J.
Published: December 2017

We have examined the role of protein kinase C (PKC)-beta II and its functional relationship to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and intracellular Ca2+ in the contraction of smooth muscle cells from the rabbit internal and sphincter (IAS). PKC-beta (0.1-100 U/ml) and Ins(1,4,5)P3 (10(-9) to 10(-6) M) caused concentration-dependent contraction of IAS smooth muscle cells permeabilized by saponin. The combination of threshold concentrations of Ins(1,4,5)P3 (10(-9) M) and PKC (0.1 U/ml) was more than additive, causing near maximal shortening (28.2 +/- 2.1% decrease in cell length from control). The response to high concentrations of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and PKC used in combination was not greater than the response to either agent alone. The calmodulin antagonist W-7 (10(-9) M) inhibited the maximal contraction induced by Ins(1,4,5)P3 but not contraction caused by PKC, whereas the PKC antagonist H-7 (10(-6) M) inhibited the maximal contraction induced by PKC but not contraction caused by Ins(1,4,5)P3. Threshold doses of the ionophores A23187 (10(-9) M) and ionomycin (0.2 ng/ml) caused little contraction by themselves, but they potentiated the response elicited by a threshold concentration of PKC (0.1 U/ml), inducing maximal contraction. Preincubation of IAS cells with 4 mM Sr2+, which inhibits the release of intracellular Ca2+, abolished the potentiating effect of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and calcium ionophores on PKC, but the calmodulin antagonist W-7 did not. These data suggest that the contractile effect of maximally effective doses of PKC is independent of the effects of Ins(1,4,5)P3. At submaximal concentrations, however, PKC-dependent contraction is potentiated by Ins(1,4,5)P3 or by ionophore-mediated release of intracellular Ca2+ without requiring calmodulin activation.
Can regulatory peptides be regarded as words of a biological language
Authors: Mayer E. A. , Baldi J. P.
Published: December 2017

Despite the complexities of individual systems, neurocrine, endocrine, and growth factor-mediated signaling systems show striking similarities in the molecules they use for communication and in their signal-transduction mechanisms. In contrast to the traditional view in cell biology, which has focused on the regulatory aspects of neurocrine and endocrine messengers and growth factors, an analysis of various aspects of peptidergic cell-to-cell communication on the basis of information theory is suggested. According to theorems for efficient and error-free encoding, the differences in rate and distance of information transfer and in noise interference between neurocrine, endocrine, and growth factor-mediated messages require different encoding strategies. These differences are reflected in the use of plurichemical transmission (to increase information content) or in the number and sequence of amino acids within peptide molecules (to protect against noise interference). In contrast to the quantitative information content, the qualitative information of the messages is not transmitted but is retrieved when the message interacts with transduction networks at the receiver cell. The semantic information is contained within the rules specifying the conditional co-occurrences of signals. The suggested analysis provides a framework for the understanding of various aspects of cell-to-cell communication, such as structure-function relationship of regulatory peptides, multiple receptor subtypes, plurichemical transmission, and transduction networks. The data discussed are consistent with the role of regulatory peptides as signals in a universal structured code for biological communication.
Relation between postprandial gastric emptying and cutaneous electrogastrogram in primates
Authors: Bruley des Varannes S. , Mizrahi M. , Dubois A.
Published: December 2017

The relation between the cutaneous electrogastrogram (EGG) and gastric emptying was investigated in six rhesus monkeys. Gastric emptying was measured using scintigraphy after administration of two 80-ml mixed solid liquid meals (1.5 and 5.0 kcal/kg) tagged with 99mTc-sulfur colloid and 111In-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid. Six epigastric bipolar recordings of the EGG were concurrently obtained, digitized, and band-pass filtered. Portions of the signal with motion artifacts were automatically detected and excluded using two microwave motion sensors. During the early postprandial period, gastric emptying was greater after the 1.5-kcal/kg meal than after the 5-kcal/kg meal, and EGG amplitude increased significantly compared with fasting only after the 1.5-kcal/kg meal. Both emptying and EGG amplitude subsequently decreased after the 1.5-kcal/kg meal, whereas these two parameters increased after the 5-kcal/kg meal. As a result, EGG amplitude was significantly correlated with gastric emptying of solids in all six animals. In contrast, EGG frequency was not significantly different between the two meals and was not correlated with emptying. These results indicate that both the EGG and gastric emptying are modified differently by meals with different caloric contents and that the EGG may represent a useful, although indirect, index of gastric emptying.
Cholinergic regulation of human proximal duodenal mucosal bicarbonate secretion
Authors: Ballesteros M. A. , Wolosin J. D. , Hogan D. L. , Koss M. A. , Isenberg J. I.
Published: December 2017

Cephalic-vagal stimulation affects a number of upper gastrointestinal secretory and motility events. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of vagal-cholinergic regulation on human proximal duodenal mucosal HCO-3 secretion. The duodenal bulb was isolated between balloons and perfused with 154 mM NaCl, and HCO-3 secretion was measured. Although cholinergic stimulation with bethanechol (50 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 iv) produced systemic effects, resting HCO-3 secretion was unchanged. Cephalic-vagal stimulation, induced by sham feeding, significantly increased duodenal HCO-3 secretion from a basal of 177 +/- 17 to 240 +/- 19 mumols.cm-1.h-1 (P less than 0.02). The response to sham feeding was approximately 50% of the peak response to acid-stimulated HCO-3 output. Atropine (22 micrograms/kg iv) inhibited basal HCO-3 secretion significantly (79 +/- 5%). However, the net incremental increases in duodenal mucosal HCO-3 secretion in response to luminal acidification and vagal stimulation were unaltered by atropine pretreatment. Additionally, indomethacin (100 mg po) failed to modify the response to vagal-stimulated HCO-3 secretion. These findings indicate that basal human proximal duodenal mucosal HCO-3 secretion is maintained largely by resting cholinergic innervation and is stimulated by cephalic-vagal stimulation. Furthermore, since the incremental HCO-3 responses to cephalic-vagal stimulation and luminal acidification were unaltered by atropine pretreatment, each is likely mediated by noncholinergic mechanisms.
Effects of vasopressor hormones and modulators of protein kinase C on glutathione efflux from perfused rat liver
Authors: Raiford D. S. , Sciuto A. M. , Mitchell M. C.
Published: December 2017

Vasopressor hormones alter efflux of glutathione (GSH) and increase permeability of tight junctions in perfused rat liver. Infusions of 10 nM angiotensin II, 10 microM phenylephrine, and 10 nM vasopressin significantly increased efflux of GSH into perfusate by 32-41% and decreased biliary efflux by 31-57%. Direct modulation of protein kinase C (PKC) activity by 600 nM phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDB), 5 microM 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), 5 microM sphingosine, or 10 nM staurosporine altered the pattern of efflux of GSH but not biliary oxidized glutathione disulfide (GSSG)-GSH ratios. Phorbol dibutyrate mimicked the vasopressor-mediated effects, increasing perfusate efflux by 31% and decreasing biliary efflux by 45%. Inhibitors of PKC caused qualitatively opposite responses, changing perfusate GSH by -37 to 18% and increasing biliary efflux by 22-161%. Whereas vasopressin increased penetration of [14C]sucrose into bile, modulation of PKC activity by PDB and H-7 did not affect the permeability of tight junctions to [14C]sucrose. Although pretreatment with H-7 blocked vasopressin-mediated changes in efflux of GSH, it did not prevent the increase in [14C]sucrose penetrance. We conclude that alterations in sinusoidal and biliary efflux of GSH can occur independent of changes in permeability of hepatocellular tight junctions. These findings suggest a role for protein kinase C in modulating the hepatic efflux of GSH.
Prostaglandin E2 desensitizes cAMP-mediated pepsinogen secretion in chief cells
Authors: Fiorucci S. , McArthur K. E.
Published: December 2017

To evaluate whether pretreatment with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) could desensitize pepsinogen secretion in chief cells from guinea pig, chief cells were pretreated with 10 microM PGE2 for up to 30 min. Desensitization of subsequent PGE2-stimulated secretion was maximal after 15 min, averaging only 29 +/- 9% (SE) of pepsinogen secretion in control cells stimulated with 10 microM PGE2. Desensitization was half-maximal with 30 nM PGE2. PGE2 pretreatment at 4 degrees C did not cause desensitization. In cells pretreated with 10 microM PGE2 for 15 min and then given 60 min to recover, responsiveness increased to 79 +/- 7% of that for control cells stimulated with PGE2. Thus the desensitization was reversible. Pretreatment with PGD2 and PGF2a did not alter subsequent PGE2-mediated secretion. PGE2-induced desensitization was heterologous but mediator specific because pepsinogen secretion was reduced in response to adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-mediated agents (secretin and vasoactive intestinal peptide) but not Ca(2+)-mediated agents (CCK-8, gastrin, or carbachol). Pretreating chief cells with 10 microM PGE2 did not significantly alter cAMP generation in response to PGE2, secretin, or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, suggesting that desensitization was not mediated by an alteration in the receptor-coupled adenylate cyclase system. Because PGE2 pretreatment also desensitized pepsinogen secretion induced by the synthetic cAMP analogues 8-BrcAMP and 2'-O-monobutyryl-8-BrcAMP, it is likely that the ability of PGE2 to desensitize pepsinogen secretion in chief cells isolated from guinea pig is due to a mechanism distal to generation of cAMP.
On the activation of outwardly rectifying anion channels in excised patches
Authors: Tabcharani J. A. , Hanrahan J. W.
Published: December 2017

Previous studies have shown that outwardly rectifying anion channels can be activated in excised patches by exposure to protein kinases or large depolarizing voltage pulses and by raising the bath temperature to 37 degrees C. These maneuvers presumably induce some conformational change in the channel or a regulatory molecule. However, the mechanisms underlying stimulation have not been defined. We have tested several procedures known to influence the structure and solubility of proteins for their effects on activation of anion channels in excised patches. Spontaneous and voltage-induced activation of outward rectifiers was enhanced by increasing the ionic strength or the pH of the bath solution. These maneuvers had no effect on the activity of calcium-activated cation nonselective channels. Activation of outward rectifiers depended on the anion used and followed the (inverse) Hofmeister series consistent with a salting-in process. Divalent cations also enhanced activation with relative potencies Ba greater than Ca greater than Mg but at a much lower concentration (4 meq/l). Exposing patches from T84 cells to purified catalytic subunit of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent kinase had no effect on the outward rectifier but did activate the low-conductance Cl channel. The results indicate that the outward rectifier is labile and raise the possibility that nonspecific physical mechanisms may contribute to its activation in excised patches by kinases and other stimuli.
Hypothalamic unitary responses to gastric vagal input from the proximal stomach
Authors: Yuan C. S. , Barber W. D.
Published: December 2017

Gastric vagally evoked extracellular unitary responses were recorded in the hypothalamus of anesthetized cats. The evoked unitary responses were localized in the paraventricular dorsomedial region, ventromedial nucleus, and lateral hypothalamus. The mean latency of the gastric vagally evoked hypothalamic neuronal responses in these three areas ranged from 368 +/- 39.8 to 371 +/- 45.2 (SD) ms. The majority (82%) of the gastric vagally evoked hypothalamic responses consisted of one to five spikes, while the remaining 18% were tonically active units. The vagal effect was inhibitory in 78% of the tonically active hypothalamic units responding to gastric vagal input. Convergence of gastric vagal input on single hypothalamic units from afferents in the dorsal and ventral vagal trunks was observed. Units were identified in the hypothalamus that responded to activation of mechanoreceptors in the proximal stomach by an intragastric balloon. This study provided new direct evidence of the density, localization, and characteristics of neuronal processing of gastric vagal input from the proximal stomach in the hypothalamus. The reciprocal connections between these areas of the hypothalamus and nucleus tractus solitarius in the caudal brain stem suggest that the hypothalamus may serve an important role in modulating the input of primary vagal afferent input from the proximal stomach.
Ontogeny of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase in rat liver, intestine, and adipose tissue
Authors: Little M. T. , Hahn P.
Published: December 2017

The development of acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), was determined in the rat liver, intestine, and white (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). Animal studies have shown that dietary manipulation of cholesterol metabolism during an animal's early development can have persistent and permanent effects. Therefore it is important that the ontogeny of ACAT, one of the key enzymes in cholesterol metabolism, be clearly established. White Wistar rats were killed on day 21 of gestation, at birth, and on postnatal days 10, 14, 18, 21, 22, 25, 30, and 60. The tissues were rapidly excised, microsomes were prepared, and the activity of ACAT was measured as the rate of incorporation of [1-14C]oleoyl coenzyme A into cholesterol esters. Age-specific changes were observed in three of the four tissues investigated. Rat liver and intestine possess significant amounts of ACAT activity throughout development with marked variations in activity during this time. ACAT activity in BAT is low and variable throughout development with the exception of high activity noted in the adult animal. WAT contained little or no ACAT activity during development.
ATP-dependent organic anion transport system in normal and TR- rat liver canalicular membranes
Authors: Nishida T. , Hardenbrook C. , Gatmaitan Z. , Arias I. M.
Published: December 2017

Many non-bile acid organic anions enter hepatocytes, where they are converted into polar conjugates and preferentially secreted into bile. ATP-dependent and membrane potential-dependent transport of non-bile acid organic anions across the plasma membrane of rat hepatocytes was studied in canalicular (CMV) or sinusoidal membrane vesicles (SMV) using sulfobromophthalein (BSP), a representative non-bile acid organic anion. Temperature-dependent, osmotically sensitive, saturable, ATP-dependent, and unidirectional (inside to outside) BSP transport was observed in CMV but not in SMV. Apparent Michaelis constants for ATP and BSP were 0.26 mM and 31 microM, respectively. ATP-dependent BSP transport was inhibited by oxidized glutathione, dinitrophenyl-glutathione (GSDNP), BSP glutathione, and bilirubin diglucuronide but not by daunomycin, taurocholate, and reduced glutathione. Inhibition by GSDNP and bilirubin diglucuronide was competitive, with apparent inhibitor constants of 41 and 4.2 microM, respectively. CMV from normal rats demonstrated ATP-dependent and membrane potential-dependent BSP transport that was additive. CMV from TR- rats lacked ATP-dependent BSP transport but retained membrane potential-dependent transport of non-bile acid organic anions as well as ATP-dependent transport mechanisms for organic cations (i.e., daunomycin) and bile acids (i.e., taurocholate).
Neutrophil accumulation in ischemic reperfused rat liver: evidence for a role for superoxide free radicals
Authors: Komatsu H. , Koo A. , Ghadishah E. , Zeng H. , Kuhlenkamp J. F. , Inoue M. , Guth P. H. , Kaplowitz N.
Published: December 2017

Oxygen-derived free radicals and leukocytes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury. This study aimed at determining, by using biochemical and histochemical techniques, whether an accumulation of neutrophils occurs in the ischemic reperfused rat liver and whether superoxide free radicals play a role in mediating this neutrophil accumulation. Hepatic ischemia was induced by occluding blood supply to the left and median lobes, and reperfusion was reinstituted by releasing the occlusion. Myeloperoxidase activity of the liver was measured with a tetramethylbenzidine-H2O2 assay after removal of glutathione (by dialysis) and in the presence of 3-aminotriazole (catalase inhibitor). A modification of Graham and Karnovsky's method was used to stain neutrophils in liver frozen sections, and the number of neutrophils was counted. Results showed that ischemia-reperfusion of the liver produced a 4.4-fold increase in myeloperoxidase activity (from 0.073 +/- 0.009 to 0.320 +/- 0.017 units/mg liver, means +/- SE), which was proportional to the number of neutrophils (3.1-fold increase from 18 +/- 7 to 57 +/- 4 cells/mm2) in the liver tissue. Pretreatment with long-acting superoxide dismutase significantly attenuated the elevated myeloperoxidase activity and the number of neutrophils. These results indicate that reperfusion after a period of ischemia induces an accumulation of neutrophils in the liver, and superoxide anion free radicals are important mediators in the mechanism of this neutrophil accumulation.
A study of regional gastric mucosal blood flow in a rat model of hepatic cirrhosis
Authors: Geraghty J. G. , Angerson W. J. , Carter D. C.
Published: December 2017

There is controversy surrounding the effects of portal hypertension on the level of perfusion to the gastric wall. This study maps the regional distribution of gastric mucosal and muscle blood flow measured using quantitative autoradiography in a carbon tetrachloride-induced rat model of hepatic cirrhosis. There was a significant increase in both corpus mucosal (124.3 +/- 13.8 vs. 84.8 +/- 4.2 ml.100 g-1.min-1) and muscle blood flow (50.9 +/- 3.6 vs. 33.4 +/- 2.3 ml.100 g-1.min-1) in animals with experimental cirrhosis compared with controls. There was no significant difference in the ratio of blood tracer concentration between the basal and luminal aspects of corpus mucosa in cirrhotic and control groups. We conclude that experimental cirrhosis is associated with gastric mucosal hyperperfusion and that "active" rather than "passive" congestion of the stomach wall may be a more appropriate description of the basic hemodynamic change in this model.
Evidence for intestinal release of absorbed selenium in a form with high hepatic extraction
Authors: Kato T. , Read R. , Rozga J. , Burk R. F.
Published: December 2017

Selenium is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and utilized for synthesis of selenoproteins. Roles of intestine, liver, and selenoprotein P in this process were evaluated. Rats were given 75Se-selenite by stomach tube, and distribution of 75Se was followed for 3 h. A high portal vein plasma-to-hepatic vein plasma ratio of 75Se 15 min after 75Se administration and earlier uptake by liver than by other tissues indicated avid hepatic extraction of absorbed selenium from portal vein blood. The results of gel filtration of plasma taken 15 min after 75Se administration suggested that the 75Se was in the form of small molecules with some affinity for protein. Immunoprecipitation studies using plasma indicated that 75Se began to appear in selenoprotein P between 15 and 30 min after intragastric administration. To evaluate the role of the liver in the fate of absorbed selenium, rats with portacaval shunts, in which absorbed selenium bypasses the liver, were compared with sham-operated rats. After intragastric administration of selenium, uptake by the liver and incorporation into selenoprotein P were diminished in rats with portacaval shunts but kidney uptake and urinary excretion were increased. This suggests that hepatic extraction of absorbed selenium from portal vein blood decreases its entrance into the systemic circulation. The results of this study indicate that intestine releases absorbed selenium into portal blood in a small-molecule form, designated A-Se, which is highly extracted by the liver. The liver takes up A-Se better than other tissues because of a high extraction capacity and the fact that it is the first organ through which the blood from the intestine passes.
Lytic effects of mixed micelles of fatty acids and bile acids
Authors: Lapre J. A. , Termont D. S. , Groen A. K. , Van der Meer R.
Published: December 2017

It has been hypothesized that bile acids and fatty acids promote colon cancer. A proposed mechanism is a lytic effect of these surfactants on colonic epithelium, resulting in a compensatory proliferation of colonic cells. To investigate the first step of this hypothesis, we studied the lytic activity of fatty acids and physiological mixtures of fatty acids and bile acids. Experiments were performed in both erythrocytes and cultured Caco-2 cells, a model system for intestinal epithelium. Fatty acids with a chain length of 10 C atoms or more were lytic, and the hemolytic activity increased in the order C10:0 less than C18:0 less than C16:0 less than C12:0 less than C14:0 much less than C18:1 approximately C18:2 but was not dependent on their critical micellar concentration. Addition of a sublytic, submicellar concentration of cholate resulted in the formation of highly lytic mixed micelles. Lytic activity of these mixed micelles was closely associated with their micellar aggregation as determined in parallel incubations using a fluorescent micellar probe. With use of identical concentrations of fatty acids and mixed micelles, lysis of erythrocytes was highly correlated (r greater than 0.95) with lysis of Caco-2 cells measured by either release of the apical membrane-marker alkaline phosphatase or the cytosolic marker lactate dehydrogenase. This indicates that the cytolytic activity of these surfactants is not cell-type dependent. Addition of bile acids in concentrations corresponding with the total bile acid concentration in human fecal water resulted in an increased lytic activity of fatty acids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Migration of IEC-6 cells: a model for mucosal healing
Authors: McCormack S. A. , Viar M. J. , Johnson L. R.
Published: December 2017

Cell migration is the principal force behind the early restitution of erosions of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Despite the importance of cell migration to healing, no attempts to study the process in culture have been reported. We have attempted to standardize conditions for migration and test the migration responses of the small intestinal epithelial crypt cell line IEC-6 in some experimental situations already well known in vivo. We found good correspondence between in culture and in vivo on the following points: 1) migration was independent of DNA synthesis; 2) DNA synthesis was not concentrated at the wound edge; and 3) inhibition of actin polymerization stopped migration altogether. In addition, the presence of an extracellular matrix maximized migration. Protein inhibitors with different modes of action inhibited cell migration to different degrees, not always commensurate with their inhibition of protein synthesis. Cell surface proteoglycans were important; hyaluronic acid had an effect, but the secretion of a migration-stimulating substance by wounded cells was equivocal. Significantly, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), which inhibits ornithine decarboxylase and polyamine synthesis, almost totally prevented cell migration. Because DFMO also prevents healing of mucosal erosions in vivo, we believe that this model can be used, keeping in mind its spatial limitations, to study the process of cell migration involved in the early restitution of mucosal erosions.
Ontogenetic development of nutrient transporters in rat intestine
Authors: Toloza E. M. , Diamond J.
Published: December 2017

We measured intestinal brush-border uptakes of three sugars and three amino acids, plus intestinal morphometric parameters, in rats from the day of birth until adulthood. Rates of body weight gain had pronounced peaks in the suckling phase and again during weaning, separated by a dip at the onset of weaning. These two peaks coincided with peaks or plateaus in intestinal growth and in glucose (Glc) and proline (Pro) uptake capacities, which may provide the basis for high rates of body growth. Pro uptake declined relative to Glc uptake upon weaning, reflecting decreasing protein needs for growth and decreasing protein intake relative to carbohydrate intake. Fructose (Frc) and lysine uptake increased steeply on weaning, whereas galactose uptake declined relative to that of Glc. Rats prevented from normal weaning by being maintained on dry milk were generally similar to normal rats weaned onto chow. Notably, their Frc uptake still rose steeply on weaning despite low dietary Frc levels, suggesting hard-wired regulation of Frc transporter development. Our in vitro uptakes are similar to modern in vivo values in the same strain of rats. Nutrient uptake capacities exceed normal dietary intakes by only a modest safety margin.
Helicobacter pylori-associated ammonia production enhances neutrophil-dependent gastric mucosal cell injury
Authors: Suzuki M. , Miura S. , Suematsu M. , Fukumura D. , Kurose I. , Suzuki H. , Kai A. , Kudoh Y. , Ohashi M. , Tsuchiya M.
Published: December 2017

The role of neutrophil and its chlorinated oxidant were investigated in Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric mucosal injury in vitro. Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (ChL) was used to detect neutrophil-derived oxidants. ChL activity was significantly elevated when neutrophils were incubated in H. pylori, indicating that H. pylori actually elicits oxidative burst of neutrophils. To assess whether H. pylori-activated neutrophils exert the cytotoxicity for gastric mucosal cells, rabbit gastric mucosal cell was monolayered in culture wells and labeled with a fluorescence dye, 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)carboxy-fluorescein, which is retained in the intracellular space as long as the cell membrane is intact. Labeled cells were coincubated with neutrophils and H. pylori. We inferred from the cytotoxicity index (specific %cytotoxicity), which was calculated from fluorometrical measurements of supernatant and lysate, that the mucosal cells were significantly damaged by H. pylori-activated neutrophils. This injury was largely attenuated by eliminating urea from the incubation mixture or by acetohydroxamic acid, a potent urease inhibitor. Additionally, the scavengers of neutrophil-derived oxidants, including taurine, methionine, and catalase, also attenuated this injury. Cultured mucosal cells that were exposed to the solution containing monochloramine (an oxidant yielded by reaction of hypochlorous acid and ammonia) were highly damaged compared with cells exposed to hypochlorous acid or hydrogen peroxide at physiological concentrations. These data suggest that H. pylori-activated neutrophils promote gastric mucosal cell injury and that monochloramine plays a unique and important role in this process.
Spatial analysis of transcriptional activation in fetal rat jejunal and ileal gut epithelium
Authors: Rubin D. C.
Published: December 2017

In the week before birth (days 15-21 of the 22-day gestation period), the fetal rat small intestinal epithelium undergoes rapid proliferation and differentiation. The developing gut changes from a mesenchymal tube lined by endoderm to a complex absorptive surface composed of differentiated epithelium overlying nascent villi. To begin to characterize the molecular events that take place in nascent intestinal epithelial cells as cytodifferentiation proceeds from jejunum to ileum, we examined spatial, temporal, and cellular patterns of transcriptional activation of the rat liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and apolipoprotein (apo) AIV genes. In situ hybridization analyses revealed that transcription of both genes is activated in the jejunum between fetal days 17 and 18, yet their expression is not initiated in the ileum until 1-2 days later. Transcriptional activation proceeds in a "wavelike" fashion along the horizontal length of the gut and coincides with villus morphogenesis. As nascent villi emerge, heterogeneous cellular accumulation of L-FABP mRNA occurs in both fetal jejunal and ileal epithelium, but persists only in the ileum. In contrast, cellular expression of apo AIV mRNA in nascent epithelium is predominantly homogeneous in both regions of the gut. These results indicate that transcriptional activation in the fetal gut epithelium is a complex, dynamic process that is spatially regulated along the horizontal axis of the intestine. Initiation of transcription in enterocytes is closely linked to villus morphogenesis and histological cytodifferentiation.
Serum complement mediates endotoxin-induced cysteinyl leukotriene formation in rats in vivo
Authors: Jaeschke H. , Raftery M. J. , Justesen U. , Gaskell S. J.
Published: December 2017

To investigate potential mediators responsible for cysteinyl leukotriene formation during endotoxemia, male Fischer rats received an intravenous bolus injection of 5 mg/kg Salmonella enteritidis endotoxin and cysteinyl leukotrienes were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The biliary excretion of leukotriene (LT) C4 (0.20 +/- 0.02 pmol.min-1.g liver-1) and N-acetyl-LTE4 (0.37 +/- 0.07 pmol.min-1.g-1) was increased by 190 and 1,000%, respectively, during the first 30 min after endotoxin injection. Endotoxin also caused a temporary reduction of hepatic ATP levels by 84%. Depletion of serum complement almost completely abolished the endotoxin-induced increase of cysteinyl leukotrienes in bile without affecting the biliary excretion mechanism. Intravenous injection of activated complement factors caused cysteinyl leukotriene formation and reduced the hepatic ATP content similar to endotoxin. Depletion of glutathione in the liver prevented cysteinyl leukotriene formation and the complement-induced ATP depletion. It is concluded that endotoxin-induced cysteinyl leukotriene generation in vivo is mediated predominantly through activation of complement. The vasoconstrictive cysteinyl leukotrienes are then responsible for ATP depletion in the liver.
Formation, absorption, and biotransformation of delta 6-lithocholenic acid in humans
Authors: Malavolti M. , Fromm H. , Nsien E. , Setchell K. D. , Albert M. B. , Cohen B. , Ceryak S.
Published: December 2017

delta 6-Lithocholenic acid was identified in small amounts in fecal samples in vitro after incubation with ursodeoxycholic acid and in vivo in controls and after chenodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acid ingestion. Fourteen to 45.0% of delta 6-[24-14C]lithocholenic acid was biotransformed in vitro in feces within 30 s. After colonic instillation of delta 6-[24-14C]lithocholenic acid, 50% of the radioactivity appeared in bile acids, most of it in lithocholic acid, within 3 h. Jejunal perfusions with delta 6-[24-14C]lithocholenic acid showed 33-92% absorption. One hour after jejunal instillation of 1 mmol, 4.4-27.5% of the biliary radioactivity was found in ursodeoxycholic, chenodeoxycholic, lithocholic, and 7-ketolithocholic acids. A sulfated glycine conjugate of delta 6-lithocholenic acid was identified in bile. One hour after intravenous injection of delta 6-[24-14C]lithocholenic acid, 40.1-42.6% of biliary radioactivity appeared in 7-ketolithocholic, chenodeoxycholic, lithocholic/isolithocholic, and ursodeoxycholic acids. The studies show that delta 6-lithocholenic acid is 1) formed in colonic lumen from chenodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acids, 2) well absorbed in small intestine, and 3) biotransformed in both the colonic lumen and liver. The studies also identified delta 6-lithocholenic acid as a new intermediate in formation of lithocholic acid. Finally, the studies showed that a small portion of delta 6-lithocholenic acid is excreted as a sulfated glycine conjugate in bile.
Interleukin-1 beta modulation of norepinephrine release from rat myenteric nerves
Authors: Hurst S. , Collins S. M.
Published: December 2017

We examined the ability of human recombinant interleukin-1 beta (hrIL-1 beta) to alter the release of [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE) by KCl or electrical field stimulation in longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus of rat intestine. The cytokine had no immediate effect on either the basal or evoked release of [3H]NE. However, hrIL-1 beta caused a biphasic time-dependent suppression of evoked [3H]NE release that was delayed in onset. IL-1 beta also stimulated the cycloheximide-sensitive uptake of [35S] methionine uptake by the tissue. The initial suppression of [3H]NE release was observed after 30 min and could not be inhibited by cycloheximide. A delayed peak was observed after 120 min and was inhibited by cycloheximide. The effect of IL-1 beta was maximal at 10 ng/ml and could be prevented by a neutralizing anti-IL-1 beta antibody or by preincubating the tissue with an IL-1-receptor antagonist. These results indicate that IL-1 beta suppresses [3H]NE release from rat myenteric plexus by two mechanisms, one of which is independent of protein synthesis and the other of which is mediated by endogenous IL-1.
Activation of activating protein 1 during hepatic acute phase response
Authors: Hattori M. , Tugores A. , Westwick J. K. , Veloz L. , Leffert H. L. , Karin M. , Brenner D. A.
Published: December 2017

During an acute phase response following inflammatory stimuli, specific changes occur in the synthesis and secretion of many hepatic proteins. Because the expression of differentiated function requires the coordinated regulation of many genes, we investigated the activity of general and tissue-specific transcription factors using a rat liver model of the acute phase response induced by Freund's adjuvant. Nuclear extracts and RNAs were prepared throughout a 48-h posttreatment period. Mobility shift assays revealed increased binding activity by nuclear factor-kappa B, interleukin-6 (IL-6) responsive element binding protein, and activating protein 1 (AP-1). Two AP-1 complexes were induced during the acute phase response, and correlation between their presence and transcription activity was demonstrated by transfection studies. Elevated binding activity of AP-1 also correlated with elevated levels of c-jun, junD, junB, and c-fos mRNAs. Western blots showed elevated hepatic levels of c-Jun but not c-Fos proteins during the acute phase response. In addition, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and IL-1 beta, cytokine regulators of the acute phase response, stimulated expression of an AP-1 responsive reporter gene introduced by DNA-mediated transfection into adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture. These findings demonstrate the complexity of AP-1 hepatic transcription factor responses to humoral regulators with direct hepatocellular effects.
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide reduces hydrochloric acid-induced duodenal mucosal permeability
Authors: Nylander O. , Wilander E. , Larson G. M. , Holm L.
Published: December 2017

The duodenum in anesthetized rats was perfused with HCl, and mucosal integrity was assessed by measuring the clearance of 51Cr-labeled EDTA from blood to lumen and/or by morphological examination (lesion score). Duodenal blood flow was determined by laser Doppler flowmetry and luminal alkalinization as well as H+ disappearance by backtitration. Intravenous infusion of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP; 13.5 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) increased luminal alkalinization threefold and decreased clearance of 51Cr-EDTA by 50%. VIP also decreased arterial blood pressure and induced a small and irregular decrease in duodenal blood flow. Perfusion with 10 mM HCl increased clearance of 51Cr-EDTA 2.1-fold, but the lesion score was not different from that in saline-perfused animals. Perfusion with 20 mM HCl increased clearance of 51Cr-EDTA four-fold and induced a greater lesion score than did 10 mM. Perfusion with either 10 or 20 mM HCl did not affect the duodenal blood flow. VIP reduced the rise in clearance of 51Cr-EDTA in response to 10 mM but not that to 20 mM HCl. Intravenous injection of prazosin (50 micrograms/kg) decreased luminal alkalinization, clearance of 51Cr-EDTA, blood pressure, and duodenal blood flow. In prazosin-pretreated rats, perfusion with 10 mM HCl increased clearance of 51Cr-EDTA 2.6-fold, and the lesion score was greater in this group than in animals infused with VIP. A positive linear correlation was obtained between HCO3- secretion and the mean rate of H+ disappearance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Interplay of VIP and nitric oxide in regulation of the descending relaxation phase of peristalsis
Authors: Grider J. R.
Published: December 2017

Involvement of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and nitric oxide (NO) in neurally induced relaxation was examined in smooth muscle from rat colon. Relaxation induced by field stimulation or radial stretch (i.e., descending relaxation phase of the peristaltic reflex) was accompanied by VIP release and NO production. NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) abolished NO production in both preparations but only partly inhibited VIP release (45 +/- 8% at 8 Hz and 59 +/- 10% at 10 g stretch) and relaxation (62 +/- 5% and 35 +/- 6%); the effect of L-NNA was reversed by L-arginine but not D-arginine. The pattern implied that NO production normally acts to enhance VIP release. In addition, VIP induced relaxation and stimulated NO production in muscle strips and isolated colonic muscle cells: L-NNA abolished NO production but only partly inhibited relaxation (58 +/- 6%); oxyhemoglobin had no effect. The effect of L-NNA on relaxation was reversed by L-arginine but not by D-arginine. The protein kinase A inhibitor (R)-p-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic phosphorothioate [(R)-p-cAMPS] and the protein kinase G inhibitor KT5823 inhibited VIP-induced relaxation by 76 +/- 5 and 35 +/- 4%, respectively; a combination of the two inhibitors abolished relaxation. (R)-p-cAMPS blocked the direct relaxant effect of VIP, whereas KT5823 blocked the indirect effect of VIP mediated by NO.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Vitamin A metabolism in rat liver: a kinetic model
Authors: Green M. H. , Green J. B. , Berg T. , Norum K. R. , Blomhoff R.
Published: December 2017

Vitamin A metabolism in the liver involves both hepatocytes and the nonparenchymal perisinusoidal stellate cells. To describe and quantitate the dynamic relationships between retinol in these cells and in plasma, we administered either chylomicrons labeled with [3H]retinyl esters or plasma containing [3H]retinol-retinol-binding protein-transthyretin to rats. Radioactivity and retinol masses were measured in plasma, liver, and isolated hepatocytes for 15 days; data were analyzed by model-based compartmental analysis. The resulting model predicts that: 1) approximately 20% of the total plasma turnover of retinol goes to the liver (vs. nonhepatic tissues) and approximately 20% of plasma retinol input is from liver (vs. nonhepatic tissues), 2) about one-half of the retinol recycling from plasma to liver is taken up by hepatocytes and about one-half by nonparenchymal cells, 3) retinyl esters in both cell types are derived preferentially from newly taken up retinol rather than from the main intracellular retinol pools, and 4) at least one-half of the retinol secreted by hepatocytes of rats consuming low levels of vitamin A is directly transferred to nonparenchymal cells. In addition, the data are compatible with the hypothesis that retinol-binding protein is the vehicle for transfer of retinol from hepatocytes to nonparenchymal stellate cells and between plasma and liver cells.
Type I collagen gene regulation and the molecular pathogenesis of cirrhosis
Authors: Brenner D. A. , Westwick J. , Breindl M.
Published: December 2017

Cirrhosis is characterized by an increased deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, including type I collagen. Type I collagen is a product of two genes, alpha 1(I) and alpha 2(I), which are generally coordinately regulated. Since expression of type I collagen genes is increased during cirrhosis, understanding the structure and function of the regulatory components of the type I collagen genes should provide insight into the molecular pathogenesis of cirrhosis. This review will analyze the collagen alpha 1(I) gene with respect to chromatin structure, DNA methylation, regulation by agonists, and DNA-protein interactions.
The computer as referee in the analysis of human small bowel motility
Authors: Benson M. J. , Castillo F. D. , Wingate D. L. , Demetrakopoulos J. , Spyrou N. M.
Published: December 2017

The aim of this study was to determine whether visual analysis of graphic records of small bowel motility is a reliable method of discriminating pressure events caused by bowel wall contraction from those of extraenteric origin and to compare this method with computerized analysis. Each of six independent observers was supplied with the same pair of records of 1 h of fasting diurnal duodenojejunal motility, acquired with a 3-channel ambulant data-logging system; one record included many artifacts due to body movement while the other did not. The observers were asked to identify and classify pressure events and to measure the duration and amplitude of "true" contractions. A computer program for on-line analysis is described; the algorithm was designed to overcome the problems of a variable baseline and sudden changes in pressure due to body movements that are unavoidable in prolonged recording from the small bowel of ambulant subjects. For regular contractions (phase III of migrating motor complex) there was good agreement between observers but not for irregular contractions, particularly when movement artifacts were abundant. When the observers were asked to repeat the analysis 6 mo later, there was poor agreement with their original identification of irregular contractions and artifacts. There was, however, good agreement between the computer analysis, which was totally reproducible, and the median decisions of the observer group; this agreement supports the validity of our computer algorithm. We conclude that computer analysis is not merely a valuable ergonomic aid for analysis of large quantity of data acquired in prolonged ambulatory monitoring, but also that, even for brief recordings, it provides a standard of reproducibility unmatched by "expert" inspection. Visual analysis is unreliable and thus susceptible to subjective bias; this may, in part, account for conflicting reports of small bowel motility under similar conditions reported by different workers in our own and other laboratories.
Cl-HCO3 and Cl-OH exchanges mediate Cl uptake in apical membrane vesicles of rat distal colon
Authors: Rajendran V. M. , Binder H. J.
Published: December 2017

This study describes Cl-HCO3 and Cl-OH exchanges as the mechanism for Cl uptake by apical membrane vesicles (AMV) of rat distal colon. Although HCO3 gradient-stimulated 36Cl uptake was additionally stimulated by the additional presence of a pH gradient, pH gradient-stimulated 36Cl uptake was not further enhanced by a HCO3 gradient. HCO3 gradient-stimulated and OH gradient-stimulated 36Cl uptake was not inhibited by voltage clamping, with K and its ionophore valinomycin, but was inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, an anion exchange inhibitor, with an apparent inhibitory constant of 7.8 and 106.0 microM, respectively. Increasing intravesicular OH concentration in the absence of HCO3 (with fixed extravesicular Cl concentration) yielded a sigmoidal curve for 36Cl uptake. In contrast, increasing intravesicular OH concentration in the presence of equimolar intra- and extravesicular HCO3 (25 mM) yielded a saturable hyperbolic curve. Increasing extravesicular Cl concentration saturated both HCO3 gradient-stimulated and OH gradient-stimulated 36Cl uptake, with a kinetic constant for Cl of approximately 11.9 and 22.6 mM, respectively. We conclude that Cl uptake in AMV of rat distal colon occurs via two separate anion (Cl-HCO3 and Cl-OH) exchange processes. We speculate that one of these two anion exchanges may be responsible for transcellular Cl movement, while the other may be important in the regulation of intracellular pH homeostasis.
Differential neural regulation of circulating somatostatin-14 and somatostatin-28 in conscious dogs
Authors: Greenberg G. R.
Published: December 2017

Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) released into the circulation after nutrients or secretagogues is heterogeneous. To determine whether similar neural pathways regulate secretion of SLI molecular forms, circulating somatostatin-28 (S-28) and somatostatin-14 (S-14) responses to ingestion of a solid meal, intraduodenal perfusion of a liquid defined formula meal, and intravenous infusion of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-OP, 250 pmol.kg-1.h-1) were measured in four conscious dogs with and without cryogenic blockade of the cervical vagus nerves. SLI was separated by gel-filtration chromatography of extracted, acidified plasma and quantified by radioimmunoassay. Basal plasma concentrations of S-28 were 4.1 +/- 0.6 fmol/ml and of S-14 were 3.8 +/- 0.4 fmol/ml. Ingestion of the solid meal increased plasma SLI threefold, and elevations of S-28 and S-14 were equivalent. After the intraduodenal liquid meal or infusion of CCK-OP, plasma SLI rose twofold, but increments of S-28 exceeded S-14, comprising approximately 70% of SLI released. Vagal blockade by cooling reversibly inhibited both the S-28 and S-14 responses to the solid meal, intraduodenal liquid meal, and CCK-OP. In contrast, atropine (50 micrograms/kg iv), given after solid food, intraduodenal nutrients, and CCK-OP, suppressed S-28 but further increased S-14 responses. Atropine did not, however, alter the suppression of S-14 and S-28 by vagal cooling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)