Expression of the ammonia transporter proteins Rh B glycoprotein and Rh C glycoprotein in the intestinal tract.

Ammonia metabolism is important in multiple aspects of gastrointestinal physiology, but the mechanisms of ammonia transport in the gastrointestinal tract remain incompletely defined. The present study examines expression of the ammonia transporter family members Rh B glycoprotein (RhBG) and Rh C glycoprotein (RhCG) in the mouse gastrointestinal tract. Real-time RT-PCR amplification and immunoblot analysis identified mRNA and protein for both RhBG and RhCG were expressed in stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon.

Roles of interleukin 1 beta and tumor necrosis factor in lipopolysaccharide fever in rats.

The roles of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced fever were investigated in the rat. We used antisera against IL-1 beta and TNF to determine whether we could alter the fever by blocking the action of these cytokines. The intravenous injection of antiserum IL-1 beta 3.

The effects of pentoxifylline on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fever, plasma interleukin 6 (IL 6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the rat.

The purpose of these studies was to test whether pentoxifylline, a drug that can inhibit the production and action of cytokines hypothesized to be endogenous pyrogens (for example, interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]), is antipyretic. We also tested the effects of pentoxifylline on plasma activities of interleukin 6 (IL 6) and TNF in response to an injection of a fever-inducing dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our results showed that a high dose of pentoxifylline (200 mg/kg) caused hypothermia in control rats and blocked LPS fever, while a low dose (50 mg/kg) did not have these effects.

The effects of psychological stress on plasma interleukin-6 activity in rats.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a particular psychological stress, exposure to an open-field, on plasma IL-6 activity in rats. Plasma IL-6 activity was 40.6 +/- 7.