Growth hormone and amino acid supply interact synergistically to control insulin-like growth factor-I production and gene expression in cultured ovine hepatocytes.

Many of the anabolic effects of growth hormone (GH) are indirect, occurring through GH-stimulated production of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) by the liver. As well as being regulated by GH, plasma IGF-I concentrations have been demonstrated to depend upon the level of dietary protein intake, with low protein diets being associated with reduced circulatory IGF-I levels. This inhibitory effect cannot be reversed by GH injection, suggesting that liver sensitivity to GH becomes impaired.

Differentially expressed genes in hormone refractory prostate cancer: association with chromosomal regions involved with genetic aberrations.

Differential gene expression between the androgen sensitive human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and an insensitive clonal variant, LNCaP-r, was demonstrated by suppression subtractive hybridization. Twenty-one sequences were identified of which 9 are homologous to known genes, 11 are represented by expressed sequence tags (ESTs), and 1 is novel. We present data for 5 of 7 sequences confirmed to be differentially expressed by Northern blot analysis and semiquantitative RT-PCR.

TCR usage by homocysteine-specific human CTL.

We have recently demonstrated that homocysteine can modify HLA class I Ags and induce homocysteine-specific CTL (Hom-CTL) responses in humans. Here, we have investigated TCR usage by Hom-CTL from five patients with ankylosing spondylitis or reactive arthritis. TCR of HLA-A68-restricted Hom-CTL from two unrelated donors share the same TCR Valpha, Vbeta, and Jbeta gene segments (AV4, BV23, and BJ2S1, respectively) with similar third complementarity determining regions (CDR3) of the beta-chains.

MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNA expression in human ovarian tumors: possible implications for the role of desmoplastic fibroblasts.

Expression of activated MMP-2 (72 kDa type IV collagenase) is highly associated with the malignant phenotype in adenocarcinomas, but predominant expression of the mRNA appears to be in stromal cells. MT1-MMP (membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase) is implicated in tumor-epithelial cell surface activation of latent pro-MMP-2, indicating a mechanism for tumor-stromal interaction in invasion. We determined the relative mRNA distribution of these MMPs in human ovarian tumors with a view to analyzing potential variations in the epithelial-mesenchymal interactions dictating ovarian tumor cell spread.

Prostate cancer; the interface between pathology and basic scientific research.

Current research into prostate cancer increasingly demands greater input from pathologists. There is a requirement for improved morphological assessment, classification and grading of neoplasia. The provision of optimally preserved material and establishment of tissue 'banks' is vital to facilitate molecular biological analysis.

Second messenger up-regulation of androgen receptor gene transcription is absent in androgen insensitive human prostatic carcinoma cell lines, PC-3 and DU-145.

A theoretical pathway of transcriptional regulation of the androgen receptor (AR) gene is via a cAMP response element (CRE) present in its promoter region (-508 to -501). After 20 h of stimulation with 8-bromo-cAMP, AR mRNA was upregulated in LNCaP but not in either PC-3 or DU-145 cell lines. We have demonstrated that the level of CRE binding protein (CREB) was the same in all cell lines and that the putative AR-CRE forms specific and compatible protein interactions with CREB.

Penetrating eye injury from a rigid infant pacifier.

Background: The use of infant pacifiers (dummies) is common in Australasian communities and has been reported to be associated with various injuries, but to date ocular trauma has not been reported.

Case Report: A 14-month-old child sustained a penetrating eye injury from the infant pacifier that was in his mouth during a minor fall. Only a lid laceration was detected at the time.

Renin-containing Müller cells of the retina display endocrine features.

Purpose: An ocular renin-angiotensin system has been implicated in the proliferation of retinal blood vessels and blindness in diabetes mellitus. Its cellular basis has not been established. The objective was to identify sites of renin synthesis, secretion, and processing in eyes from humans, BALB/c mice, Sprague-Dawley rats, and a hypertensive transgenic rat model (mREN-2) that displays amplified extrarenal renin synthesis.

Measurement of androgen receptor expression in adult liver, fetal liver, and Hep-G2 cells by the polymerase chain reaction.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most commonly fatal malignant tumour worldwide. The role of androgen receptors, which have been found in hepatocellular carcinoma, is controversial. Sequence specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to quantify, for the first time, the expression of androgen receptor in four adult liver biopsy specimens (HL-A to HL-D), fetal liver, and Hep-G2 cells.

Differentiation of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 8 strains: evaluation of three additional phage typing systems, plasmid profiles, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and biotyping.

Three additional phage typing systems for Salmonella enteritidis, plasmid analysis, biochemical tests, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests, were used in an attempt to subdivide 30 phage type 8 (phage typing system used by the WHO International Center for Enteric Phage Typing, London, England) isolates. These isolates represented 18 different egg-related outbreaks (21 strains) and 9 reference strains or strains that were not egg-associated. Only 7 of the 30 strains (28%) were subdivided by one or more of the methods used; this included 3 of the 21 strains from egg-related outbreaks.

Changing clonal patterns of Salmonella enteritidis in Maryland: evaluation of strains isolated between 1985 and 1990.

We examined isolates from 203 sporadic and outbreak-associated Salmonella enteritidis cases occurring in Maryland between 1985 and 1990. Plasmid profiles were determined for all isolates; 52 isolates were phage typed. Ten plasmid profiles were identified.

Phage typing of Salmonella enteritidis in the United States.

The number of reported isolates of Salmonella enteritidis has increased dramatically in the last 10 years. For many years phage typing has been a useful epidemiologic tool for studying outbreaks of S. typhi and S.

Isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic measurement of optimal 5 alpha-steroid reductase activity in Hep-G2 cells.

Measurement of 5 alpha-reductase activity usually involves quantitation of the radiolabelled products of [3H]testosterone. Recently, however, it has been claimed that the activity of 5 alpha-reductase is masked by the activities of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 3-ketosteroid reductase. Therefore in determining 5 alpha-reductase activity in Hep-G2 cells, we have monitored the concentration of androstenedione to ensure that the conditions for measurement of optimum enzyme activity are maintained.

Estrogen and androgen regulation of sex hormone binding globulin secretion by a human liver cell line.

Both estrogens and androgens have been shown to stimulate sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) secretion in vitro in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, Hep G2, in contrast to the expected inhibition by androgens from in vivo studies. However, such in vitro stimulation was only demonstrated at high steroid doses, generally in serum-containing medium, with added Phenol Red. In the present study, Hep G2 cells were grown in serum-free medium, without Phenol Red, under the influence of testosterone (T) (0, 0.

Cerebral-evoked response from stimulation of dorsal nerve in impotent men.

Cerebral-evoked responses from 128 uncategorized, impotent men were compared with responses from 17 healthy age-height matched controls, after stimulation of two penile sites, and one tibial nerve at the ankle. Our goal has been to establish a simple screening test to identify neurogenic impotence in patients with normal superficial sensation. High-frequency stimulation at 5.

Limy 'milky' bile: without apparent gall-bladder obstruction by a gallstone.

Limy bile, characterized by excessive precipitation of calcium carbonate, is an uncommon complication of gallstone disease, and is a condition that seems to follow gall-bladder obstruction. Limy bile was observed at cholecystectomy in a 57 year old woman who presented with biliary colic. At operation a mass of precipitated cohesive crystals, that had coalesced into a whitish paste of calcium carbonate, was observed obstructing the outlet of the gall-bladder.

Comparison of sodium and calcium heparin in prevention of venous thromboembolism.

The relative efficacy of sodium and calcium heparin in preventing venous thromboembolism and their relative side-effects were studied in 234 high-risk patients in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The two heparin preparations were from the same batch and in the same concentration, and were given in a dose of 5000 U 12 hourly. Positive leg scans were found in 19% after placebo, 12% after sodium heparin and 8% after calcium heparin.