In vitro transcription by isolated nuclei of Rhynchosciara americana salivary glands. Characteristics of incorporation and inhibition by alpha-amanitin

A method for the isolation of polytene nuclei from salivary glands cells of the Diptera Rhynchosciara americana is described. The stage-specific morphological pattern of the chromosome is maintained during the isolation. The isolated nuclei show two distinct RNA polymerase activities, namely I and II, characterized on the basis of ionic requirements and alpha-amanitin sensitivity. Studies of the product under the incubation conditions show that the system allows the synthesis of high-molecular weight RNA, beside a low molecular weight peak which may comprise pre-4S and 5S RNAs. Autoradiographic studies carried out in the presence or absence of the toxin alpha-amanitin showed that micronucleoli contain products of RNA polymerase type I activity (ribosomal RNA) and that the DNA puffs are engaged in alpha-amanitin sensitive RNA synthesis and thus are sites of polymerase type II activity.     

Esophageal perforation. An unusual presentation with a benign clinical course

A case of esophageal perforation occurring in a 75-year-old man is presented. The clinical presentation was benign and the diagnosis of esophageal perforation was made incidental to an upper gastrointestinal barium examination. Conservative management consisting of nasogastric suctioning, antibiotics and antacids was effective in minimizing the clinical course. This represents a rare instance of a successful nonsurgical approach to esophageal perforation.     

Cellular mechanisms for developmental toxicity of chlorpyrifos: targeting the adenylyl cyclase signaling cascade

Developmental neurotoxicity caused by chlorpyrifos exposure is generally thought to target cholinesterase but chlorpyrifos may also act on cellular intermediates, such as adenylyl cyclase, that serve global functions in the coordination of cell development. In the current study, neonatal rats were exposed to apparently subtoxic doses of chlorpyrifos (no weight loss, no mortality) either on Postnatal Days 1-4 or on Postnatal Days 11-14, and the effects on components of the adenylyl cyclase cascade were evaluated in brain regions that are enriched (forebrain) or sparse (cerebellum) in cholinergic innervation, as well as in a nonneural tissue (heart). In all three, chlorpyrifos evoked deficits in multiple components of the adenylyl cyclase cascade: expression and activity of adenylyl cyclase itself, functioning of G-proteins that link neurotransmitter and hormone receptors to cyclase activity, and expression of neurotransmitter receptors that act through this cascade. Disruption of signaling function was not restricted to transduction of cholinergic signals but rather extended to adrenergic signals as well. In most cases, the adverse effects were not evident during the immediate period of chlorpyrifos administration, but appeared after a delay of several days. These results suggest that chlorpyrifos can affect cell development by altering the activity and reactivity of the adenylyl cyclase signaling cascade, a major control point for trophic regulation of cell differentiation. The effects are not restricted to cholinergic targets, nor even to the central nervous system. Hence, disruption of cell development by chlorpyrifos is likely to be more widespread than previously thought.     

Effects of the glucocorticoid agonist, RU28362, and the antagonist RU486 on lung phosphatidylcholine and antioxidant enzyme development in the genetically obese Zucker rat

The biochemical maturation of the lung in late gestation and in the young animal is regulated by glucocorticoids. The present study was aimed at dissociating the different glucocorticoid receptor sites involved in these regulatory functions. The obese Zucker rat was selected as a model for this study as it exhibits hypersensitivity to glucocorticoid hormone action by virtue of its elevated receptor numbers and activity. Two synthetic steroid analogues were administered to obese animals; RU28362, a specific type II receptor agonist, and the type II antagonist RU486. RU28362 promoted a strong catabolic effect, which was associated with reduced food intake and the abolition of growth in the rats. The agonist, RU28362, attenuated developmental increases in antioxidant enzyme activities, and altered the growth of the tissue. At the age studied, development of the lung phosphatidylcholine (PC) system was almost complete, but RU28362 increased disaturated PC 16:0/16:0 concentrations by almost 2-fold, and altered the molecular composition of total pulmonary PC. RU486 attenuated the growth of the rats and reduced their food intake. Treatment with the type II antagonist attenuated lung growth and increased the activities of pulmonary copper zinc (Cu/Zn) and manganese (Mn) superoxide dismutases. RU486 had no effect on lung PC concentrations and molecular composition. The data suggest a role for type I glucocorticoid receptors in the regulation of the antioxidant enzyme system in the lung, as type II antagonism will channel endogenous glucocorticoid binding to the type I site. Type II receptor binding would appear to play a role in regulating the lung PC content.     

Variable presentation of cerebrovascular disease in monovular twins

We describe twin girls with bilateral cerebrovascular disease. In one child, a diagnosis of moyamoya disease was made after presentation in infancy with an acute hemiparesis; her asymptomatic sibling was found to have significant bilateral cerebrovascular disease after neuropsychological evaluation and assessment with transcranial Doppler ultrasound. Both subjects showed a discrepancy between verbal and performance IQ and deficits on a test of frontal-lobe function suggesting that these domains should be targeted in cognitive assessment. Family members of subjects with moyamoya are at risk of cerebrovascular disease. Clinical symptoms do not reliably predict disease and those at risk should be offered screening with non-invasive vascular imaging.     

Interaction of tryptamine and ergoline compounds with threonine 196 in the ligand binding site of the 5-hydroxytryptamine6 receptor

We examined the ligand-binding site of the 5-hydroxytryptamine6 (5-HT6) receptor using site-directed mutagenesis. Interactions with residues in two characteristic positions of trans-membrane region V are important for ligand binding in several bioamine receptors. In the 5-HT6 receptor, one of these residues is a threonine (Thr196), whereas in most other mammalian 5-HT receptors, the corresponding residue is alanine. After transient expression in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, we determined the effects of the mutation T196A on [3H]d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) binding and adenylyl cyclase stimulation. This mutation produced a receptor with a 10-fold reduced affinity for [3H]LSD and a 6-fold reduced affinity for 5-HT. The potency of both LSD and 5-HT for stimulation of adenylyl cyclase was also reduced by 18- and 7-fold, respectively. The affinity of other N1-unsubstituted ergolines (e.g., ergotamine, lisuride) was reduced 10-30 fold, whereas the affinity of N1-methylated ergolines (e.g., metergoline, methysergide, mesulergine) and other ligands, such as methiothepine, clozapine, ritanserin, amitriptyline, and mainserin, changed very little or increased. This indicates that in wild-type 5-HT6 receptor, Thr196 interacts with the N1 of N1-unsubstituted ergolines and tryptamines, probably forming a hydrogen bond. Based on molecular modeling, a serine residue in transmembrane region IV of the 5-HT2A receptor has previously been proposed to interact with the N1-position of 5-HT. When the corresponding residue of the 5-HT6 receptor (Ala154) was converted to serine, no change in the affinity of twelve 5-HT6 receptor ligands or in the potency of 5-HT and LSD could be detected, suggesting that this position does not contribute to the ligand binding site of the 5-HT6 receptor.