Cytolysis and piecemeal degranulation as distinct modes of activation of airway mucosal eosinophils

In contrast to the protective effect of chronic caloric restriction on tumor development, we have shown that fasting sustained tumor initiation in rat liver by a noninitiating dose of diethylnitrosamine. Here we investigated whether fasting had a similar favorable effect on initiation in the colorectal mucosa in 80 male F344 rats. Animals fasted for 4 days were given a single s.c. dose of azoxymethane (AOM) (20 mg/kg) on the first day of re-feeding, and rates of kinetic proliferative parameters, and development of the pre-neoplastic lesions such as aberrant crypt foci (ACF), were evaluated. Starvation before AOM treatment enhanced the growth of ACF, as shown by the significantly higher crypt multiplicity of fasted/re-fed rats as compared with fully fed rats (3.97 +/- 0.50 vs. 2.64 +/- 0.20, p < or = 0.025). This difference was associated with perturbations in cell death and cell proliferation. Fasting induced apoptosis and depressed cell division, while re-feeding had opposite effects, resulting in a higher percentage of S-phase cells at the time of AOM injection and 2 days thereafter. Starvation-induced apoptosis may represent the mitogenic stimulus to an increase in the number of cells susceptible to AOM damage, and may favor its fixation, leading to enhanced growth of ACF. Our data therefore suggest that fasting/re-feeding enhances colon cancer.     

Menin, the product of the MEN1 gene, is a nuclear protein

The MEN1 gene, mutations in which are responsible for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), encodes a 610-amino acid protein, denoted menin. The amino acid sequence of this putative tumor suppressor offers no clue to the function or subcellular location of the protein. We report herein, based on immunofluorescence, Western blotting of subcellular fractions, and epitope tagging with enhanced green fluorescent protein, that menin is located primarily in the nucleus. Enhanced green fluorescent protein-tagged menin deletion constructs identify at least two independent nuclear localization signals (NLS), both located in the C-terminal fourth of the protein. Among the 68 known independent disease-associated mutations, none of the 22 missense and 3 in-frame deletions affect either of the putative NLS sequences. However, if expressed, none of the truncated menin proteins resulting from the 43 known frameshift/nonsense mutations would retain both the NLSs. The precise role(s) of menin in the nucleus remain to be understood.     

Specific binding of L-triiodothyronine modulates Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in adult rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes

Interactions of L-triiodothyronine (T3) in adult rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes were studied in vitro. Scatchard plot analysis revealed two sets of T3 binding sites. The degree of saturation of T3 binding sites (putative receptor) correlated well with the dose-dependent inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in synaptosomes. The relative binding affinities and relative inhibition of enzyme activities for different TH analogues were L-T3 > T3-amine > TRIAC = L-T4 > r-T3 > T2 and L-T3 > T3-amine > TRIAC > L-T4 > r-T3 > T2, respectively. The present study demonstrates the nature of inhibition of synaptosomal Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity may be as a function of T3 occupancy of synaptosomal receptor sites in adult mammalian brain.     

Autonomous cell death of mouse male germ cells during fetal and postnatal period

OBJECTIVE: To determine the utility of CT-determined main pulmonary artery diameter (MPAD) for predicting pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with parenchymal lung disease. DESIGN: Retrospective review of right-heart hemodynamic data and chest CT scans in 45 patients. SETTING: Tertiary-referral teaching hospital and VA hospital. PATIENTS: Between October 1990 and December 1995, 36 patients referred for evaluation of parenchymal lung disease or possible pulmonary vascular disease were found to have PH, as defined by mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) > or =20 mm Hg. Nine control patients (mPAP <20 mm Hg) were also identified (4 from hospital records search, 5 after evaluation for possible PH). RESULTS: CT-determined MPAD was 35+/-6 mm in patients with PH and 27+/-2 mm in control subjects. In our group of patients, MPAD > or =29 mm had a sensitivity of 87%, specificity of 89%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.97, and positive likelihood ratio (LR) of 7.91 for predicting PH; in the subgroup of patients with parenchymal lung disease (n=28, PH and control subjects), MPAD > or =29 mm had a sensitivity of 84%, specificity of 75%, PPV of 0.95, and positive LR of 3.36 for predicting PH. The most specific findings for the presence of PH were both MPAD > or =29 mm and segmental artery-to-bronchus ratio > 1:1 in three or four lobes (specificity, 100%). There was no linear correlation between the degree of PH and MPAD (r=0.124). CONCLUSIONS: CT-determined MPAD has excellent diagnostic value for detection of PH in patients with advanced lung disease. Therefore, standard chest CT scans can be used to screen for PH as a cause of exertional limitation in patients with parenchymal lung disease. Because CT is commonly used to evaluate parenchymal lung disease, this information is readily available.     

Effect of recombinant erythropoietin on hospital admissions, readmissions, length of stay, and costs of dialysis patients

To examine the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) on hospital utilization, hospital costs, and Medicare reimbursements for hospital care, a longitudinal, matched cohort study was conducted using Medicare claims data of 23,806 Medicare-eligible, dialysis patients who received rHuEPO, did not have a transplant, and were alive for 18 mo or longer and 22,720 controls matched on age, sex, race, cause of ESRD, and dialysis modality. The relative odds (rHuEPO versus control) of admission for all causes and for specific causes over 9 mo, adjusted for admission in the prior 9 mo and the per patient change in total admissions, inpatient days, hospital costs, and Medicare hospital payments between the prior 9-mo period and the subsequent 9-mo period was examined. The adjusted relative odds (95% confidence interval) of admission (rHuEPO versus control) was: higher and statistically significant for all causes, 1.08 (1.03 to 1.14); seizure, 1.52 (1.28 to 1.75); vascular access revision, 1.11 (1.06 to 1.17), and heart failure, 1.17 (1.09 to 1.26); higher but not statistically significant for angina, 1.09 (0.99 to 1.20) and stroke, 1.08 (0.86 to 1.31); and lower but not statistically significant for myocardial infarction, 0.91 (0.72 to 1.10); peripheral vascular disease, 0.81 (0.60 to 1.02); anemia, 0.86 (0.56 to 1.17); and depression, 0.89 (0.37 to 1.40). The mean change per 1,000 patients in admissions was less by 38 (P = 0.03) because of fewer readmissions, and in days was 1,309 less (P < 0.001), for patients treated with rHuEPO versus controls. The mean change per patient in hospital costs was $371 less and was statistically significant (P = 0.03) and in Medicare hospital payments was $132 less but was not statistically significant (P = 0.43) for patients treated with rHuEPO versus controls. rHuEPO was associated with an increase in the probability of hospital admission (particularly admissions potentially related to adverse effects) but a decrease in readmissions, overall admissions, hospital days, and cost to hospitals in this cohort of patients surviving for 18 mo. Although not realized short term, Medicare savings from potential rHuEPO-related reductions in hospital care may be long term through future adjustments in diagnosis-related group-based hospital payment.     

Codistribution of procathepsin B and mature cathepsin B forms in human prostate tumors detected by confocal and immunofluorescence microscopy

Ascorbic acid can recycle alpha-tocopherol from the tocopheroxyl free radical in lipid bilayers and in micelles, but such recycling has not been demonstrated to occur across cell membranes. In this work the ability of intracellular ascorbate to protect and to recycle alpha-tocopherol in intact human erythrocytes and erythrocyte ghosts was investigated. In erythrocytes that were 80% depleted of intracellular ascorbate by treatment with the nitroxide Tempol, both 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) and ferricyanide oxidized alpha-tocopherol to a greater extent than in cells not depleted of ascorbate. In contrast, in erythrocytes in which the intracellular ascorbate concentration had been increased by loading with dehydroascorbate, loss of alpha-tocopherol was less with both oxidants than in control cells. Protection against AAPH-induced oxidation of alpha-tocopherol was not prevented by extracellular ascorbate oxidase, indicating that the protection was due to intracellular and not to extracellular ascorbate. Incubation of erythrocytes with lecithin liposomes also generated an oxidant stress, which caused lipid peroxidation in the liposomes and depleted erythrocyte alpha-tocopherol, leading to hemolysis. Ascorbate loading of the erythrocytes delayed liposome oxidation and decreased loss of alpha-tocopherol from both cells and from alpha-tocopherol-loaded liposomes. When erythrocyte ghosts were resealed to contain ascorbate and challenged with free radicals generated by AAPH outside the ghosts, intravesicular ascorbate was totally depleted over 1 h of incubation, whereas alpha-tocopherol decreased only after ascorbate was substantially oxidized. These results suggest that ascorbate within the erythrocyte protects alpha-tocopherol in the cell membrane by a direct recycling mechanism.