Regulation of gallbladder ion transport: role of biliary lipids.

Recent studies indicate that biliary lipids influence in vivo gallbladder absorption and solute-coupled water flow. To clarify the electrophysiologic effects that underlie this phenomenon, prairie dog gallbladders were mounted in an Ussing-type chamber, and the influence of bile acids and varying ratios of bile acids and biliary phospholipids on transepithelial potential difference (Vms), resistance (Rt), and short-circuit current (Isc) was examined. Exposure to 5 mmol/L taurodeoxycholate (TDC) resulted in inhibition of Vms (p less than 0.

Pigment gallstone formation and altered ion transport.

Feeding corn and alfalfa to young prairie dogs resulted in formation of gallstones composed of 45 percent cholesterol, 30 percent bile pigments, and 25 percent calcium bilirubinate in half of the animals. This diet also resulted in increased gallbladder bile concentrations of calcium, phospholipids, and cholesterol. Although the cholesterol saturation index was significantly increased compared with control subjects, it remained less than 1.

Biliary lipids alter ion transport during cholesterol gallstone formation.

Recent studies indicate that gallbladder absorption increases during the early stages of experimentally induced cholesterol gallstone formation. The purpose of the present study was to ascertain whether this change results from an alteration in gallbladder mucosal function per se or is a response of an otherwise healthy mucosa to the presence of cholelithogenic bile. Prairie dogs were fed either a control chow or a 1.

Increased biliary calcium in cholesterol gallstone formation.

The hypothesis that biliary calcium levels increase during cholesterol gallstone formation was tested in a prairie dog gallstone model. In addition to the previously documented changes in biliary lipid composition, animals with gallstones had a significant increase in gallbladder bile concentrations of total and ionized calcium compared with control animals. The observation that hepatic bile levels of calcium remained unchanged in the cholesterol-fed animals suggests that the increase in gallbladder bile calcium is due to a gallbladder-related phenomenon, rather than an alteration in hepatic metabolism.

The role of dietary iron in pigment gallstone formation.

Recent studies suggest that dietary factors may be responsible for the increasing incidence of pigment gallstones. Although iron deficiency alters the activities of several hepatic enzymes, its effects on biliary lipid metabolism are not known. The aim of this study was to define the role of dietary iron in pigment gallstone formation.

Ventilatory function in normal Saudi Arabian adults. Observations and comparison with some Western and Eastern reference values.

Ventilatory function was studied in healthy non-smoking Saudi Arabian adult males from Riyadh area, and findings compared with those of some Western and Eastern populations. It was found that while the FVC and FEV1 in our subjects were lower than in American, Canadian, Jordanian, and Hongkong Chinese, these were higher than in Indian and Singapore Chinese. Most parameters of expiratory flowrate (e.

Localisation of collagen types and fibronectin in cartilage by immunofluorescence.

Collagens type I, II, III, IV, and V and the minor cartilage collagens, 1 alpha 2 alpha 3 alpha, C-PS 1, and C-PS 2, were purified, antibodies raised, and then used in immunofluorescence studies on bovine nasal cartilage (BNC). Punctate localisation was seen with the type II antibody. However, pretreatment of sections with hyaluronidase to remove the proteoglycan resulted in diffuse staining over all the section with this antibody.

Isolation and native characterization of cysteine-rich collagens from bovine placental tissues and uterus and their relationship to types IV and V collagens.

A simplified procedure for the fractionation and purification of different collagen types from various tissues is described which is particularly efficient in separating type-V from type-IV collagen, and high-mol.-wt. (HMW) aggregates from 7 S collagen.

Immunosuppressive activity of cord blood leukocytes.

The in vitro effects of cord blood cells from term and preterm infants on cell-mediated immune responses by adult lymphocytes were studied. The experiments showed that cord blood cells were potent suppressors of antigen- and mitogen-induced proliferation of adult T cells. In contrast to the previously reported observations with adult suppressor cells, the cord blood cells did not require mitogenic activation to exert their suppressive activity.

[Collagen- and total-vitamin c-content of humanplacentae (author's transl)].

The contents of collagen and total-vitamin C in human placentae of varying periods of gestation, specially in the period from 27 to 40 weeks, have been chemically determined. During this period a linear increase of the mentioned placenta-contents has been found.