INACTIVATION OF RENIN IN A MIXED MITOCHONDRIAL-LYSOSOMAL FRACTION OF POST-PARTUM UTERUS

1979 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 731-745
Author(s):  
Jørgen Jørgensen

ABSTRACT The marked renin inactivation seen during in vitro incubation of post-partum uterine slices which mimics the in vivo condition, is not accompanied by a similar general proteolysis. The inactivating mechanism is so far non-specific with respect to organ or species as added hog renal renin is inactivated at a similar rate as endogenous renin. Endogenous alkaline phosphatase is not significantly inactivated and added alkaline phosphatase is completely stable. A marked inactivation of endogenous renin also takes place during incubation of a mixed mitochondrial-lysosomal suspension prepared from post-partum uterus. The process is more pronounced at pH 7.4 than at 6.8. Freezing and thawing and addition of Triton X-100 prior to incubation inhibits the inactivation. ATP and α-ketoglutarate slightly stimulates the process while CoA and chloroquine have no effect. Both iodoacetate and phenylmethylsulphonylfluoride inhibit the inactivation, suggesting that more than one enzyme is involved in the inactivation.

1977 ◽  
Vol 37 (01) ◽  
pp. 053-061 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Klener ◽  
P Kubisz ◽  
J Suranová

SummaryInfluence of melphalan on some platelet functions, plasmatic coagulation and fibrinolysis “in vitro” was investigated, using different concentrations of the drug (25, 50 and 250 μg/ml). The lowest concentration slightly inhibited adrenaline and/or collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Following the highest concentration of the drug, strong inhibition of aggregation was recorded, regardless of the inducer used. Melphalan was also shown to inhibit release of aggregating activity and release of platelet factor 4, as well as availibility of platelet factor 3 and platelet acid phosphatase. The intensity of inhibition depended on both, melphalan concentration and the time of preincubation. In contrast to this, adhesion of platelets to glass slide was not found to be influenced by melphalan. Similarly, melphalan did not induce (in any concentration) loss of LDH from platelet cytoplasma, while triton X-100 or freezing and thawing of platelets caused significant increase of LDH activity. From coagulation tests studied, only thrombin time and reptilase time was found to be moderately prolonged in the presence of melphalan.Authors assumed that melphalan acts as a specific inhibitor of release reaction and can induce an acquired thrombocytopathy. The platelet membrane is not damaged by the drug, as was confirmed by the investigation of LDH activity. Influence on coagulation indicates some antithrombin effect of the drug. Although presented results were obtained in vitro, analogous changes in vivo could be suspected. Thus, impairement of platelet functions might play a part in haemorrhagic complications accompanying, in some cases, melphalan therapy.


1991 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Hayden ◽  
Denise Brennan ◽  
Katherine Quirke ◽  
Paddie Murphy

SummaryXanthine oxidase/dehydrogenase (XO/XDH) increases at mid gestation in mammary gland but not in liver of the mouse and remains elevated until the pups are weaned at 20 d post partum. The increase in enzyme activity is due neither to alteration in activators or inhibitors nor to a production of a variant enzyme with altered catalytic properties. The increase is preceded in vivo by a surge of prolactin-like activity (placental lactogen) in plasma, and prolactin is required for induction of XO/XDH in explant culture in vitro. Induction of XO/XDH in vivo and in vitro precedes the full histological differentiation of the gland. In addition, induction of XO/XDH in vitro occurs more rapidly and at lower concentrations of prolactin than does histological differentiation. Thus although XO/XDH is present in milk, increased XO/XDH activity is an early event in mammogenesis in vivo and in vitro rather than a terminal component of differentiation.


2001 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.W. Thatcher ◽  
M. Binelli ◽  
D. Arnold ◽  
R. Mattos ◽  
L. Badinga ◽  
...  

AbstractA series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to characterise the dialogue between embryo and maternal units relative to the mechanisms controlling embryo survival in dairy cattle. Endometrial explants from pregnant cows had an attenuated PGF2α secretory response following treatment with melittin (stimulator of PLA2) and phorbol 12, 13 dibutyrate (PDBu). Thus previous exposure to the conceptus appears to regulate the endometrial synthetic pathway at a point coincident with or distal to PLA2 as well as inhibit PKC or PKC mediated events. Endometrial explants collected from cows receiving intrauterine infusions of rblFN-τ had a reduced secretory response following stimulation with PDBu indicating attenuation in PKC activity. Based upon tyrosine-phosphorylation of STAT-proteins and their translocation to the nucleus after treatment with rbIFN-τ, the JAK-STAT pathway is functional in immortalised bovine endometrial cells (BEND cells). Bend cells, exposed to rblFN-τ, reduced PDBu induction of PGF2α secretion and also decreased protein expression of Cox-2 and PLA. RblFN-τ clearly reduced PKC mediated events leading to an antiluteolytic response in endometrial cells. Feeding diets containing 2.6, 5.2 and 7.8% Menhaden fish meal to lactating dairy cows reduced uterine secretion of PGF2α following sequential injections of oestradiol and oxytocin. Thus antiluteolytic effects in early pregnancy may be amplified by feeding by-pass fats. Pregnancy rate to a timed insemination at first service post-partum is increased in association with injection of bST(500 mg; sc) given at insemination. Furthermore injection of bST at time of insemination in superovulated donor cows increased the number of blastocysts and reduced number of unfertilised embryos. Prospects of integrating novel strategies to improve embryo development and survival into reproductive management systems appear to be attainable in high producing dairy cows.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Ma G. E. González-Yáñez ◽  
Catalina Rivas-Morales ◽  
María A. Oranday-Cárdenas ◽  
María J. Verde-Star ◽  
María A. Núñez-González ◽  
...  

There is a trend to use medicinal plants for primary medical care or as dietary supplements; however, the safety of many of these plants has not been studied. The objective of this work was to determine the toxic effect of the aqueous extract of Calea ternifolia (C. zacatechichi), known popularly as “dream herb” in vivo and in vitro in order to validate its safety. In vivo, the extract had moderate toxicity on A. salina. In vitro, the extract induced eryptosis of 73% at a concentration of 100 μg·mL−1 and it inhibited CYP3A by 99% at a concentration of 375 μg/mL. After administering 8.5 mg/kg of C. ternifolia to rats, we found a reduction in platelets and leukocytes and an increase in urea and the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Histological analysis showed spongiform changes in the proximal tubules of renal tissue and a lymphoid infiltrate in liver tissue. This plant is used in the treatment of diabetes, and it is commercialized as a dietary supplement in several countries. Our results show renal and hepatic toxicity; therefore, more profound research on the toxicity of this plant is needed.


2002 ◽  
Vol 156 (4) ◽  
pp. 609-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Sawada ◽  
Michael P. Sheetz

Force-initiated signal transduction can occur either via membrane-based ionic mechanisms or through changes in cytoskeletal–matrix linkages. We report here the stretch-dependent binding of cytoplasmic proteins to Triton X-100 cytoskeletons of L-929 cells grown on collagen-coated silicone. Triton X-100–insoluble cytoskeletons were stretched by 10% and incubated with biotinylated cytoplasmic proteins. Analysis with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed stretch-dependent binding of more than 10 cytoplasmic protein spots. Bound cytoplasmic proteins were purified by a photocleavable biotin tag and stretch-dependent binding of paxillin, focal adhesion kinase, and p130Cas was found, whereas the binding of vinculin was unchanged and actin binding decreased with stretch. Paxillin binding upon stretch was morphologically and biochemically similar in vitro and in vivo, that is, enhanced in the periphery and inhibited by the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, phenylarsine oxide. Thus, we suggest that transduction of matrix forces occurs through force-dependent conformation changes in the integrated cytoskeleton.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 227
Author(s):  
M. Nõmm ◽  
E. Mark ◽  
O. Sarv ◽  
S. Kõks ◽  
Ü. Jaakma

Over a few decades the bovine in vitro embryo production (IVP) systems have been improving rapidly. Still, the goal to produce the same quality embryos in vitro as in vivo has not yet been reached. The FCS is usually added to media during IVP to provide growth factors and energy sources. Currently, serum-free culture systems are often preferred due to the lower risk of contamination and prevention of the development of large offspring syndrome. The aim of this study was to establish whether complete elimination of FCS from the bovine IVP system has an effect on blastocyst rates, embryo quality, and embryo survival rates after slow freezing. We replaced our conventional in vitro maturation (IVM) medium [tissue culture medium-199, 10% (v/v) FCS, 10 µg mL–1 epidermal growth factor (EGF), 1500 U mL–1 serum gonadotropin and chorionic gonadotropin (PG600), Na-pyruvate 0.5 mM, gentamycin sulfate 50 µg mL–1 and l-glutamine 1 mM] with SOF (SOFaaci) supplemented with 0.4% fatty acid-free BSA fraction V, 10 µg mL–1 EGF, and 1500 U mL–1 PG600. Matured cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) from both experimental groups (total of 1145 from serum-free IVP and 687 from our conventional IVP system) were used for in vitro fertilisation and culture. Blastocyst rates were similar in the serum-free and our usual IVP protocol, 18 and 22%, respectively. Seventy-seven Grade 1 (according to IETS) Day 7 blastocysts from the serum-free IVP system and 80 Grade 1 Day 7 blastocysts from our conventional IVP system were frozen in 1.5 M ethylene glycol and 0.1 M sucrose containing cryopreservation medium. The post-thaw survival rates after 24 h of culture and evaluated as percentages of re-expanded embryos were 63.6% for the serum-free IVP and 46.3% for the conventional IVP system (P < 0.05, Z Test for 2 population proportions). These results indicate that it is possible to have a completely serum-free bovine IVP system and based on the slow freezing and thawing results the quality of serum-free IVP embryos might be better than of the embryos matured in our conventional maturation media. However, more experiments and increased sample sizes are needed to confirm the results. This study was supported by Project 3.2.0701.12–0036 of Archimedes Foundation, AP 2.4 of CCRMB, and institutional research funding (IUT 08–01) of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.


Cerâmica ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (348) ◽  
pp. 481-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. Macedo ◽  
E. H. M. Nunes ◽  
W. L. Vasconcelos ◽  
R. A. Santos ◽  
R. D. Sinisterra ◽  
...  

Highly porous three-dimensional biodegradable scaffolds was obtained from beta-tricalcium phosphate-hydroxyapatite bioceramic (BCP), PCL, and Angiotensin-(1-7). We used the solvent casting and particulate leaching methods (SC/PL). The processed scaffolds were characterized by X-ray microtomography (µ-CT). Biocompatibility tests in vitro were performed during three and seven days using MTT and Alkaline Phosphatase Activity (APA) assays. Both the MTT activity and APA were evaluated using a one-way ANOVA test. The µ-CT results showed that the increase of the PCL:BCP weight ratio leads to structures with lower pore sizes. The pore interconnectivity of the processed scaffolds was evaluated in terms of the fragmentation index (FI). We observed that the obtained composites present poorly connected structures, with close values of FI. However, as the polymer phase is almost transparent to the X-rays, it was not taken into consideration in the µ-CT tests. The MTT activity assay revealed that scaffolds obtained with and without Angiotensin-(1-7) present mild and moderate cytotoxic effects, respectively. The APA assay showed that the rat osteoblasts, when in contact for three days with the PCL composites, presented an APA similar to that observed for the control cells. Nevertheless, for an incubation time of seven days we observed a remarkable decrease in the alkaline phosphatase activity. In conclusion, using the solvent casting and salt leaching method we obtained 3D porous that are composites of PCL, BC and Ang-(1-7), which have suitable shapes for the bone defects, a high porosity and interconnect pores. Furthermore, the viability in vitro showed that the scaffolds have potential for drug delivery system and could be used in future in vivo tests.


1987 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Momayezi ◽  
C J Lumpert ◽  
H Kersken ◽  
U Gras ◽  
H Plattner ◽  
...  

Since it had been previously shown that in Paramecium cells exocytosis involves the dephosphorylation of a 65-kD phosphoprotein (PP), we tried to induce exocytotic membrane fusion by exogenous phosphatases (alkaline phosphatase or calcineurin [CaN]). The occurrence of calmodulin (CaM) at preformed exocytosis sites (Momayezi, M., H. Kersken, U. Gras, J. Vilmart-Seuwen, and H. Plattner, 1986, J. Histochem. Cytochem., 34:1621-1638) and the current finding of the presence of the 65-kD PP and of a CaN-like protein in cell surface fragments ("cortices") isolated from Paramecium cells led us to also test the effect of antibodies (Ab) against CaM or CaN on exocytosis performance. Microinjected anti-CaN Ab strongly inhibit exocytosis. (Negative results with microinjected anti-CaM Ab can easily be explained by the abundance of CaM.) Alternatively, microinjection of a Ca2+-CaM-CaN complex triggers exocytosis. The same occurs with alkaline phosphatase. All these effects can also be mimicked in vitro with isolated cortices. In vitro exocytosis triggered by adding Ca2+-CaM-CaN or alkaline phosphatase is paralleled by dephosphorylation of the 65-kD PP. Exocytosis can also be inhibited in cortices by anti-CaM Ab or anti-CaN Ab. In wild-type cells, compounds that inhibit phosphatase activity, but none that inhibit kinases or proteases, are able to inhibit exocytosis. Exocytosis cannot be induced by phosphatase injection in a membrane-fusion-deficient mutant strain (nd9-28 degrees C) characterized by a defective organization of exocytosis sites (Beisson, J., M. Lefort-Tran, M. Pouphile, M. Rossignol, and B. Satir, 1976, J. Cell Biol., 69:126-143). We conclude that exocytotic membrane fusion requires an adequate assembly of molecular components to allow for the dephosphorylation of a 65-kD PP and that this step is crucial for the induction of exocytotic membrane fusion in Paramecium cells. In vivo this probably involves a Ca2+-CaM-stimulated CaN-like PP phosphatase.


Zygote ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Martins Paschoal ◽  
Mateus José Sudano ◽  
Midyan Daroz Guastali ◽  
Rosiára Rosária Dias Maziero ◽  
Letícia Ferrari Crocomo ◽  
...  

SummaryThe objective of this study was to assess the viability and cryotolerance of zebu embryos produced in vitro with or without the addition of fetal calf serum (FCS) and forskolin (F). Embryos produced in vivo were used as a control. Presumptive zygotes were cultured in modified synthetic oviductal fluid supplemented with amino acids (SOFaa), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and with (2.5%) or without (0%) FCS. On day 6 of growth, the embryos from each group were divided into treatments with or without 10 μM F to induce embryonic lipolysis, comprising a total of four experimental groups: 2.5% FCS, 0% FCS, 2.5% + F and 0% + F. For vitrification, embryos were exposed to vitrification solution 1 (5 M EG (ethylene glycol)) for 3 min and then transferred to vitrification solution 2 (7 M EG, 0.5 M galactose solution and 18% (w/v) Ficoll 70) before being introduced to liquid nitrogen. The presence of FCS in the culture medium resulted in the production of embryos with a similar rate of damaged cells compared with in vivo-produced embryos. After vitrification, the 2.5% FCS group had a significantly higher rate of damaged cells when compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). The results of this experiment indicated that the omission of FCS and the addition of forskolin do not have deleterious effect on embryo production rates. In addition, embryos produced in the presence of FCS had greater sensitivity to cryopreservation, but this effect was reversed when forskolin was added to the medium, which improved embryo survival without affecting embryo development and quality after vitrification.


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