Positive and negative cis-acting elements are required for hematopoietic expression of zebrafish GATA-1

BACKGROUND: The Na+,K+-adenosine triphosphatase is a ubiquitous enzyme system that maintains the ion gradient across the plasma membrane of a variety of cell types, including cells in the central nervous system. We investigated the antinociceptive effect of intrathecally administered ouabain and examined its potential interaction with spinal morphine and lidocaine. METHODS: Using rats chronically implanted with lumbar intrathecal catheters, the ability of intrathecally administered ouabain, morphine, and lidocaine and of mixtures of ouabain-morphine and ouabain-lidocaine to alter tail-flick latency was examined. To characterize any interactions, isobolographic analysis was performed. The effects of pretreatment with intrathecally administered atropine or naloxone also were tested. RESULTS: Intrathecally administered ouabain (0.1-5.0 microg), morphine (0.2-10.0 microg), and lidocaine (25-300 microg) given alone produced significant dose- and time-dependent antinociception, but systemic administration of ouabain did not produce such an effect. The median effective dose (ED50) values for intrathecally administered ouabain, morphine, and lidocaine were 2.3, 5.0, and 227.0 microg, respectively. Isobolographic analysis exhibited a synergistic interaction after the coadministration of ouabain and morphine. With ouabain and lidocaine, there was no such evidence of synergism. Intrathecally administered atropine, but not naloxone, completely blocked the antinociceptive effect of ouabain and attenuated its interaction with spinally administered morphine. CONCLUSIONS: Intrathecally administered ouabain produces antinociception, at least in part, via an enhancement of cholinergic transmission in the spinal nociceptive processing system. The results of the interaction of ouabain with morphine and lidocaine suggest that modulation of Na+-,K+-electrochemical gradients and thus subsequent release of neurotransmitters in the spinal cord are likely to play important roles in the spinal antinociceptive effect of intrathecally administered ouabain.     

Sp1 recognition sites in the proximal promoter of the human vascular endothelial growth factor gene are essential for platelet-derived growth factor-induced gene expression

The daily practice of radiation oncology is increasingly influenced by the late tolerance of normal tissues. The treatment decision must be based on detailed arguments and the physician's duty to extensively inform his patients is emphasised every day. The incidence and severity of radiation-induced sequelae and late complications can be reduced by decreasing the total dose to the normal tissues, and by decreasing the dose protraction, provided that the interval between fractions remains longer than 6 to 8 hours. This approach yields a selective protection of late responding normal tissues, since tumours are less sensitive to the effects of fractionation. Despite its own limitations, the linear- quadratic model is nowadays the standard method to compare the biological effects of different radiation treatments.     

Interaction of Ets-1 and the POU-homeodomain protein GHF-1/Pit-1 reconstitutes pituitary-specific gene expression

The effect of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) on human factor V (F.V) or alpha-thrombin-activated human factor V (F.Va) was studied in vitro by prothrombinase assays, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and NH2-terminal sequence analysis. Incubation of F.V (600 nmol/L) with HNE (2 nmol/L) in the presence of Ca2+ resulted in a time-dependent increase in its cofactor activity. In contrast, treatment of F.Va (600 nmol/L) with HNE (60 nmol/L) in the presence of Ca2+ resulted only in a time-dependent decrease in its cofactor activity. Under the conditions of these experiments, the maximum extent of F.V activation accomplished by incubation with HNE was approximately 65% to 70% of that observed with alpha-thrombin in presence of Ca2+. The extent of both the HNE-dependent enhancement in F.V cofactor activity and the HNE-dependent decrease in F.Va cofactor activity was not influenced by the addition of phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine (PCPS) vesicles (50 micromol/L). The HNE-derived cleavage products of F.V, which correlated with increased cofactor activity, as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions, were different from those generated using alpha-thrombin. Treatment of F.V (600 nmol/L) with HNE (2 nmol/L) in the presence of Ca2+ resulted in the production of three closely spaced doublets of: 99/97, 89/87, and 76/74 kD whose appearance over time correlated well with the increased cofactor activity as judged by densitometry. Treatment of F.Va (600 nmol/L) with HNE (60 nmol/L) in the presence of Ca2+ resulted in the cleavage of both the 96 kD heavy chain and the 74/72 kD light chain into products of: 56, 53, 35, 28, 22, and 12 kD. Although densitometry indicated that both the heavy and light chains of F.Va were hydrolyzed by HNE, cleavage of the 96 kD heavy chain was more extensive during the time period (10 to 30 minutes) of the greatest loss of F.Va cofactor activity. NH2-terminal sequence analysis of F.V treated with HNE indicated cleavage at Ile819 and Ile1484 under conditions during which the procofactor expressed enhanced cofactor activity in the prothrombinase complex. NH2-terminal sequence analysis of F.Va treated with HNE indicated cleavage at Ala341, Ile508, and Thr1767 under conditions, which the cofactor became inactivated, as measured by prothrombinase activity. The activation and inactivation cleavage sites are close to those cleaved by the physiological activator and inactivator of F.V and F.Va, namely alpha-thrombin (Arg709 and Arg1545) and Activated Protein C (APC) (Arg306 and Arg506), respectively. These results indicate that HNE can generate proteolytic products of F.V, which initially express significantly enhanced procoagulant cofactor activity similar to that observed following activation with alpha-thrombin. In contrast, HNE treatment of F.Va resulted only in the loss of its cofactor activity, but again, this is similar to that observed following inactivation by APC.     

Transcription factor GATA-1 and erythroid development

A double-blind trial was conducted in 385 patients with suspected bacterial intra-abdominal infections to compare the efficacy and safety of ampicillin-sulbactam with cefoxitin. Patients were randomized to receive either 3 g ampicillin-sulbactam (2 g ampicillin-1 g sulbactam), or 2 g cefoxitin, every 6 hours. To be evaluable, patients had to demonstrate positive culture evidence of peritoneal infection at the time of operation. A total of 197 patients were evaluable for clinical efficacy. The two treatment groups were comparable in demographic features and in the presence of risk factors for infection. Clinical success (absence of infection and of adverse drug reaction) was observed in 86% of patients in the ampicillin-sulbactam group and 78% in the cefoxitin group. Eradication of infection occurred in 88% of the ampicillin-sulbactam group and 79% of the cefoxitin group. There were no differences in the nature or frequency of side effects observed in the two groups. Ampicillin-sulbactam demonstrated no difference in safety or efficacy when compared with cefoxitin in the treatment of serious intra-abdominal infections of bacterial origin.     

Inhibition of DLX-7 homeobox gene causes decreased expression of GATA-1 and c-myc genes and apoptosis

The DLX gene family is a family of divergent homeobox genes which are related to the Drosophila distal-less (Dll) gene and has been reported to be expressed primarily in the forebrain and craniofacial structures. We have previously identified a new member of this family, DLX-7. We now report that this gene is expressed in normal hematopoietic cells and leukemia cell lines with erythroid characteristics. We used an antisense oligonucleotide targeted against the translation start site of DLX-7 mRNA to inhibit its expression in a human erythroleukemia cell line K562, which expresses DLX-7 at a high level. The antisense oligonucleotide efficiently reduced the DLX-7 mRNA, while control oligonucleotides, including a mutant oligonucleotide identical to the antisense sequence except for four nucleotide mismatches, had no effect on DLX-7 mRNA level. Inhibition of DLX-7 expression decreased the plating efficiency by approximately 70% compared with control. The antisense treatment caused apoptosis, as shown by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. Down-regulation of DLX-7 expression by antisense treatment was associated with a reduction in GATA-1 and c-myc mRNA levels. Thus, we conclude that DLX-7 is expressed in hematopoietic cells and that the inhibition of its expression results in the decreased levels of GATA-1 and c-myc genes, with an accompanying induction of apoptosis.     

MSX-1 gene expression and regulation in embryonic palatal tissue

1. During cardiac surgery, the heart is arrested and protected by hyperkalaemic cardioplegia. The coronary endothelium may be damaged by ischaemia-reperfusion and cardioplegia. Subsequently, this may affect cardiac function immediately after cardiac surgery and cause mortality and morbidity. 2. We investigated coronary endothelium-smooth muscle interaction after exposure to depolarizing (hyperkalaemic; K+ 20 or 50 mmol/L) and hyperpolarizing (the K+ channel opener aprikalim) cardioplegia and organ preservation solution (University of Wisconsin (UW) solution). Endothelium-dependent relaxation and hyperpolarization of the coronary smooth muscle were studied in the porcine and human large conductance and micro-coronary arteries. Intracellular free calcium concentration in endothelial cells was also measured. 3. The endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-mediated relaxation to A23187, bradykinin, and substance P in arteries contracted by either U46619 (10 nmol/L) or K+ (25 mmol/L) was reduced after exposure to either high K+ or UW solution, but was maximally preserved after exposure to aprikalim. The hyperpolarization of the membrane potential in response to the above endothelium-derived relaxing factor stimuli was also reduced by exposure to depolarizing cardioplegia. Studies in microcoronary arteries are in accordance with findings in large arteries. The intracellular free calcium concentration remained unchanged after exposure to hyperkalaemia. 4. We concluded that: (i) during cardiac surgery, the function of coronary circulation may be changed due to exposure to depolarizing cardioplegia or preservation solutions; (ii) the functional change in the coronary circulation is related to the altered interaction between the endothelium and smooth muscle; (iii) depolarizing (hyperkalaemia) cardioplegia or hyperkalaemic organ preservation solutions affect endothelium-smooth muscle interaction through the EDHF pathway; (iv) EDHF relaxes the porcine large and microcoronary arteries through multiple K+ channels; and (v) that hyperpolarizing vasodilators (K+ channel openers) may protect EDHF-mediated endothelial function when used as cardioplegia.