Abnormal expression of PDC-E2 on the apical surface of biliary epithelial cells in patients with antimitochondrial antibody-negative primary biliary cirrhosis.

The presence of antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) is a major criterion for the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Although it is not clear that AMA are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease, the study of these autoantibodies has enabled much information to be accumulated about the specificity of this response. The autoantigens have been identified as components of a functionally related enzyme family, the 2-oxo-acid-dehydrogenase complex.

Embryo vaccination of chickens with infectious bronchitis virus: histologic and ultrastructural lesion response and immunologic response to vaccination.

Chicken embryos 18 days of age and newly hatched chicks were vaccinated with an infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccine (V-IBV) or with an IBV vaccine that had been serially passaged 40 times in chick kidney tissue culture (P-IBV). Immunologic and pathologic changes in the chicks were compared at selected intervals until the 35th day. Pathologic changes were evaluated by light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy.

Does breakfast make a difference in school?

This article reviews selectively the literature on the effects of breakfast on cognition and school performance. The focus is on studies published in refereed journals after 1978 that tested those effects on well-nourished and nutritionally at-risk children. In at-risk subjects (defined by clinical history and anthropometry), a morning and overnight fast had adverse effects on cognition, particularly the speed of information retrieval in working memory.

Measurement of membrane potential of endothelial cells in single perfused microvessels.

The membrane potential is an important modulator of calcium ion flux into endothelial cells of venular microvessels. We developed a method to measure the membrane potential of endothelial cells forming the walls of individually perfused microvessels under the same experimental conditions as those used to measure cytoplasmic calcium concentration and microvessel permeability. The membrane potential-sensitive fluorescent dye, bis-oxonol (1 microM), was added to the perfusate and the changes in bis-oxonol fluorescence intensity (FI) were calibrated in terms of changes in membrane potential using the cationic ionophore, gramicidin.

Participation of the disulfide bridge in the redox cycle of the ferredoxin from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus: 1H nuclear magnetic resonance time resolution of the four redox states at ambient temperature.

The oxidized and reduced forms of the [4Fe-4S]-containing ferredoxin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, Pf, have been investigated by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and thiol titrations. We have identified and isolated at Ambient temperature four distinct redox states for the [4Fe-4S] form of the ferredoxin. These states differ in the redox state of the cluster, which is coordinated by Cys 11, Asp 14, Cys 17, and Cys 56, and of a disulfide bridge between Cys 21 and Cys 48.

Photic headshaking in the horse: 7 cases.

Seven horses with headshaking are described. No physical abnormalities were detected in any of the cases. Six of these horses had onset of clinical signs in the spring.

Cerebral and callosal organisation in a right hemisphere dominant "split brain" patient.

Patients described in previous reports who have undergone corpus callostomy for control of seizures have been left hemisphere dominant for language. To determine the hemispheric localisation (and possible coexistence) of language and traditional right hemisphere skills in reversed dominance, the first right hemisphere dominant corpus callostomy patient was studied. Localisation of callosal functions was also investigated, as MRI showed 1.

Predicting cardiac autonomic neuropathy in type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.

A total of 24 subjects with type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were studied. Cardiac parasympathetic function was measured by supine heart rate variability (HRV) in the respiratory frequency 0.10-0.

Histopathology of transgenic mouse mammary tumors (a short atlas).

Mammary hyperplasias, dysplasias and tumors have been described in many strains of transgenic mice. Many of the transgenes produce characteristic disturbances of growth, development and neoplasia. The disturbances can now be classified into groups.

Potential growth and control of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in soft hispanic type cheese.

This study examined growth and control of two enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 strains in a soft Hispanic type cheese (Queso Fresco). Cheese was made in the laboratory using a commercial procedure and after inoculation it was stored under vacuum at temperatures ranging from 8 to 30 degrees C. The minimum temperature that allowed growth of E.

Importance of bicarbonate to the progesterone-initiated human sperm acrosome reaction.

Progesterone, a putative in vivo initiator of the human sperm acrosome reaction (AR), has previously been shown to act at the sperm plasma membrane to initiate the AR in vitro. Here, we have investigated whether bicarbonate (HCO3-) was required for the progesterone-initiated human AR and whether HCO3(-)-dependent cAMP activation might be involved. Capacitated human sperm were suspended in the presence of high (25 mM) or low (1 mM) HCO3- media.

Avian neural crest cells can migrate in the dorsolateral path only if they are specified as melanocytes.

Neural crest cells are conventionally believed to migrate arbitrarily into various pathways and to differentiate according to the environmental cues that they encounter. We present data consistent with the notion that melanocytes are directed, by virtue of their phenotype, into the dorsolateral path, whereas other neural crest derivatives are excluded. In the avian embryo, trunk neural crest cells that migrate ventrally differentiate largely into neurons and glial cells of the peripheral nervous system.

Heterogeneity of autoreactive T cell clones specific for the E2 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in primary biliary cirrhosis.

The extraordinary specificity of bile duct destruction in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and the presence of T cell infiltrates in the portal tracts have suggested that biliary epithelial cells are the targets of an autoimmune response. The immunodominant antimitochondrial response in patients with PBC is directed against the E2 component of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDC-E2). Hitherto, there have only been limited reports on the characterization and V beta usage of PDC-E2-specific cloned T cell lines.

Molecular cloning of mei-41, a gene that influences both somatic and germline chromosome metabolism of Drosophila melanogaster.

The mei-41 gene of Drosophila melanogaster plays an essential role in meiosis, in the maintenance of somatic chromosome stability, in postreplication repair and in DNA double-strand break repair. This gene has been cytogenetically localized to polytene chromosome bands 14C4-6 using available chromosomal aberrations. About 60 kb of DNA sequence has been isolated following a bidirectional chromosomal walk that extends over the cytogenetic interval 14C1-6.

Relationship of cytochrome P450 activity to Clara cell cytotoxicity. IV. Metabolism of naphthalene and naphthalene oxide in microdissected airways from mice, rats, and hamsters.

Parenteral administration of naphthalene produces a dose-dependent and tissue-, species-, and cell-selective lesion of murine Clara cells. The rate and stereoselectivity of naphthalene metabolism by microsomal preparations correlate with tissue and species differences in cytotoxicity. Because earlier studies used microsomes obtained from whole tissue, differences in susceptibility of proximal and distal airways could not be related to differences in the metabolic activation or detoxication of naphthalene.

Location of the PH-20 protein on acrosome-intact and acrosome-reacted spermatozoa of cynomolgus macaques.

Fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to determine the location of the membrane protein PH-20 on spermatozoa of cynomolgus macaques. Rabbit antiserum raised against recombinant cynomolgus macaque sperm PH-20 was used as the primary antibody, and the second antibody was goat anti-rabbit IgG conjugated with either fluorescein isothiocyanate or 15 nm gold particles. Spermatozoa were evaluated before capacitation and after capacitation and induction of acrosome reactions with calcium ionophore A23187.

Investigation of epidermotropism in canine mycosis fungoides: expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and beta-2 integrins.

In human mycosis fungoides (MF), interactions between LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and ICAM-1 (CD54) are involved in lymphocyte adhesion to keratinocytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of ICAM-1, beta-2 integrins and class II major histocompatibility complex molecules (MHC II) on keratinocytes and infiltrating lymphocytes in canine MF. Sections of frozen skin biopsy specimens from normal dogs (n = 3) and dogs with MF (n = 17) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for expression of ICAM-1, beta-2 integrins, and class II MHC molecules.

Does the brain influence somatic responses to noxious stimuli during isoflurane anesthesia?

Background: Recent evidence suggests that anesthetic action within the spinal cord is important in suppressing somatic responses to painful stimuli. Whether the brain influences this response is not clear. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the brain affects anesthetic requirements.

The kinase inhibitor staurosporine induces G1 arrest at two points: effect on retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 in normal and transformed cells.

Staurosporine (ST), a protein kinase inhibitor, at a concentration of 20 nM arrests normal diploid fibroblasts 3 h into G1 (H. A. Crissman et al.