Postoperative induction of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 proteolytic activity: relation to insulin and insulin sensitivity.

Increased serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) proteolytic activity (IGFBP-3-PA) has been demonstrated in a number of clinical states of insulin resistance, including severe illness, after surgery, and in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In the present study we assessed the role of insulin sensitivity in expression of IGFBP-3-PA in serum. In 18 patients studied, a significant increase in IGFBP-3-PA (P < 0.

The interactions between the fluorescent dye thiazole orange and DNA.

The interaction of the fluorescent dye thiazole orange (TO) with nucleic acids is characterized. It is found that TO binds with highest affinity to double-stranded (ds) DNA [log (K) approximately 5.5 at 100 mM salt], about 5-10 times weaker to single-stranded polypurines, and further 10-1000 times weaker to single-stranded polypyrimidines.

Short-term hypocaloric nutrition but not bed rest decrease insulin sensitivity and IGF-I bioavailability in healthy subjects: the importance of glucagon.

Hyperinsulinemic, normoglycemic clamps were performed before and after 24 h of either hypocaloric nutrition or bed rest in healthy subjects. Decreased insulin sensitivity and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) bioavalibility, as measured by the serum IGF-I/insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) ratio, was found after fasting, whereas no metabolic changes were found after bed rest. Glucagon seems to be a key regulator of IGFBP-1 after brief hypocaloric nutrition.

Site of insulin resistance after surgery: the contribution of hypocaloric nutrition and bed rest.

1. Insulin resistance after surgery has been shown to be related to several important derangements in protein and fat metabolism. However, mechanisms of impaired glucose tolerance after surgery remain ill-defined.

The oxygen effect in permeabilized and histone-depleted cells: an enhanced OER for DNA double-strand breaks, compared to single-strand breaks, is abolished by soluble scavengers.

The oxygen enhancement ratios (OER) in mammalian cells for DNA single- and double-strand breaks (ssb and dsb) are similar, usually 2-3. This seems to contradict the hypothesis that dsb are formed by multiple lesions, since one would then expect a quadratic OER for dsb compared to ssb. A higher OER for dsb than for ssb was however found in permeabilized cells (OERdsb = 7.

DNA double- and single-strand breaks induced by accelerated He2+ and N6+ ions in human cells: relative biological effectiveness is dependent on the relative contribution of the direct and indirect effects.

Double (dsb) and single-(ssb) strand breaks induced by accelerated He2+ ions (LET from 10 to 220 keV/micron with > 70% in the range of 35-55 keV/micron, mean LET about 40 keV/micron) and N6+ ions (LET 125 keV/micron) have been determined in three DNA substrates derived from human cells in culture. He ions were 50% more efficient than N ions to induce dsb in intact cells. In the presence of a high concentration of an OH-radical scavenger, dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO), the dsb were reduced by a factor of 4.

The comet assay: mechanisms and technical considerations.

The comet assay is frequently used to measure DNA damage in individual cells. In order to better understand the mechanisms behind the technique, we have studied the behaviour of DNA under different electrophoresis conditions in mammalian cells exposed to gamma radiation. The comet tails obtained after neutral electrophoresis seem to consist of DNA loops which are attached to structures in the nucleus, since the DNA cannot move in the second direction after two-dimensional electrophoresis.

The metabolic response to cholecystectomy: insulin resistance after open compared with laparoscopic operation.

Objective: To study the changes in insulin sensitivity and plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) after open compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Design: Prospective open study.

Setting: University hospital, Sweden.

Preoperative gastric emptying. Effects of anxiety and oral carbohydrate administration.

Background: Overnight fasting is routine before elective surgery. This may not be the optimal way to prepare for surgical stress, however, because intravenous carbohydrate supplementation instead of fasting has recently been shown to reduce postoperative insulin resistance. In the current study, gastric emptying of a carbohydrate-rich drink was investigated before elective surgery and in a control situation.

Disturbed anabolic hormonal patterns in burned patients: the relation to glucagon.

Objective: Complex changes in the anabolic regulators of metabolism occur after major injury. We have studied the time course for IGF-I and IGFBP-1 after burn injury and their relations to circulating levels of other anabolic and catabolic hormones. The hormonal patterns during the onset of sepsis were also investigated.

Chromatin structure and radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in human cells: soluble scavengers and DNA-bound proteins offer a better protection against single- than double-strand breaks.

In the present investigation we have studied the formation of DNA double-strand breaks (dsbs) in different chromatin substrates and made a comparison with our previous results on radiation-induced single-strand breaks (ssb). Removal of soluble scavengers increased the number of ssbs by a factor of 2, but increased dsbs only 1.2 times.

Haloperidol Concentrations in Patients With Alzheimer's Dementia.

To investigate the relationship between clinical response and haloperidol blood concentrations in Alzheimer's dementia (AD) patients with behavior problems, 29 AD inpatients were assigned to a fixed oral dosage of haloperidol (0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, or 2.

Induction of DNA strand breaks by ethylene oxide in human diploid fibroblasts.

In vitro exposure of normal human diploid fibroblasts (strain VH-10) to ethylene oxide (EtO) induced DNA strand breaks in the dose range of 2.5-30 mMh of EtO. Alkaline DNA unwinding (ADU), neutral filter elution (NFE), pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and the comet assay were used to measure DNA single (SSBs) and double strand breaks (DSBs).

The filter does not act as a DNA size discriminator in the neutral filter elution technique.

Various types of filters were used with the neutral filter elution technique. No significant differences in elution rate or curve shapes were found. Therefore we assume that the release of DNA fragments from the DNA gel formed by lysis of cells is the rate-determining event in elution and not the rate of migration through the filter.

DNA-bound proteins contribute much more than soluble intracellular compounds to the intrinsic protection against radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in human cells.

To assess the role of soluble intracellular compounds and DNA-bound proteins in the intrinsic protection against radiation-induced DNA strand breaks, the alkaline unwinding technique was applied to cellular, nuclear, and nucleoid monolayers. It was found that, when the soluble intracellular compounds were removed from human fibroblasts by permeabilization (nuclear monolayers) and irradiated in a phosphate buffer containing 150 mM monovalent cations (Na+ and K+) and 0.8 mM MgCl2, the frequency of radiation-induced DNA strand breaks increased twofold.

Interindividual influence on diurnal rhythms of activity in cycling and noncycling populations of the field vole, Microtus agrestis L.

The effects of interaction among individuals with respect to wheelrunning activity has been investigated in two geographically separated populations of the field vole Microtus agrestis L. In one of them, a northern cyclically varying population, a strictly nocturnal activity pattern is changed into a more or less short term 24 h pattern under conditions of increased contact among individuals. In the other population, south-Swedish, without population cycles, no such effects were observed.