Immunohistochemical analysis of substance P containing nerve fibres and their contacts with mast cells in the diabetic rat's tongue.

Sensory neuropathy is common symptom of the diabetes mellitus and the prevalence of oral lesions is higher in diabetic patients. The distribution of substance P was studied immunohistochemically in streptozotocin induced diabetic rat's tongue. The morphological association of sensory nerves (substance P immunoreactive) with mast cells (nerve fibre-mast cell contact) was monitored. The substance P nerve fibre mast cell contacts were very scanty in control tongue. The number of substance P nerve terminals and mast cells was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in diabetes mellitus after 4 weeks of the treatment compared with the control tongue. The number of mast cell nerve contacts was even more significantly increased (p < 0.001) in diabetes. The distance between nerve fibres and mast cells was about 1 mm and very often less than 200 nm. In some instances, the mast cells were degranulated in the vicinity to nerve fibres. Increased number of mast cell nerve contacts in neurogenic inflammation might cause vasoconstriction and lesions of the oral mucosa, so some disorders such lichen planus, leukoplakia and cancer might frequently develop in diabetes mellitus.

[Diabetes mellitus as a general membrane disease and its consequences]. / Diabetes mellitus mint általános membránbetegség és ennek következményei.

The metabolic disturbances and their consequences in diabetes mellitus are well known more or less in details too. However, our knowledge on the diabetic disorders in membrane functions are limited. These damages are connected mostly with the disregulation of the membrane protein syntheses due to deficiency of insulin. In this review the impairments of the Na(+)-pump and the Ca(2+)-transport mechanisms as well as the insulin-dependent glucose transporter GLUT4 will be discussed in diabetes. The capacity of these transporters could be decreased even more than 50 percent in diabetes. This is the reason why using the same dose of cardioactive steroids as if in not diabetic subjects--can cause toxic alterations on the heart in diabetic patients. Insulin regulates not only the expression of some membrane proteins but it can initiate the translocation of the Na(+)-pump and GLUT4 from the intracellular membrane compartments to the plasma membrane in muscle, heart and adipose tissue. Therefore the uptake of K+ and glucose into these tissues will increase significantly under the acute influence of insulin. Untreated diabetic patients generally show hyperkalemia. Forceful treatment with insulin of these subjects often causes severe hypokalemia as a consequence of sudden translocation of the Na(+)-pump. Different Ca(2+)-transport systems are also impaired in diabetes. These changes may result significantly higher free Ca2+ concentration in the cytoplasma of cardiomyocytes. This is one of the most important reason for the Ca2+ overloading and ultimately for heart death. According to authors opinion, beside the dangerous metabolic disorders, general membrane damage and extended disturbances in membrane functions are also very characteristic for diabetes. The acknowledgement of these alterations are very important for the exact planning of the up to date treatment of diabetes.

Patterns of colocalization of GABA, glutamate and glycine immunoreactivities in terminals that synapse on dendrites of noradrenergic neurons in rat locus coeruleus.

Amino acid transmitters play a key role in regulating the activity of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus. We investigated the anatomical substrate for this regulation by quantifying immunoreactivity for GABA, glutamate and glycine in terminals that contacted the dendrites of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive principal neurons in rat locus coeruleus. Pre-embedding peroxidase immunocytochemistry was used to detect tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactivity in Vibratome sections of tissue perfused with 2.5% glutaraldehyde. GABA, glutamate and glycine were localized with postembedding immunogold labelling. Gold particle densities over terminals were measured in three semiserial ultrathin sections, each reacted for a different amino acid. More than 90% (range among rats, 89%-95%) of the terminals analyzed (n = 288) were immunoreactive for at least one amino acid. A high proportion (39%-49%) were positive for two or three amino acids. About two-thirds (60%-69%) of the boutons contained GABA, of which more than half (51%-55%) also contained glycine. More than one-third (36%-38%) of the terminals were positive for glycine. Terminals immunoreactive for glycine alone were rare (0%-2%). About one-third of the terminals showed glutamate-immunoreactivity (32%-37%). GABA and/or glycine occurred in one-fifth to one-third of these. These results show that amino acid-immunoreactivity is present in almost all of the terminals that synapse on tyrosine hydroxylase-positive dendrites in locus coeruleus. Glutamate provides a major excitatory input. The almost complete colocalization of glycine with GABA suggests that the inhibitory input to locus coeruleus is predominantly GABAergic with a contribution from glycine in about half of the GABAergic boutons.

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes alters the oligomerization pattern of acetylcholinesterase in rat skeletal muscle.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Diabetes mellitus has a serious effect on most of the properties of skeletal muscles. Changes in neuromuscular transmission are also involved in propagating the disease. METHODS: In our experiments, acetylcholinesterase was extracted from the fast extensor digitorum longus and slow soleus muscles of control, non-treated 6-week-diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic rats. The extracts were applied to velocity sedimentation and acetylcholinesterase activity was determined. RESULTS: We observed considerable differences in the distribution of individual acetylcholinesterase molecular forms in diabetic fast muscles. This included a 59% decline in G4 content together with a fivefold increase in A8 and a 53 % increase in A12 activity resulting in a shift of acetylcholinesterase profile characteristically towards slow muscles. These alterations were partly reversed by insulin treatment. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: In slow muscles diabetes caused an increase in G4 activity without affecting the sedimentation profile. Decline in G4 content in fast muscles could contribute to enhanced desensitization of acetylcholine receptors in diabetes.

The Hsp90-specific inhibitor geldanamycin selectively disrupts kinase-mediated signaling events of T-lymphocyte activation.

The 90-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp90) is the most abundant molecular chaperone of eukaryotic cells. Its chaperone function in folding nascent proteins seems to be restricted to a subset of proteins including major components of signal transduction pathways (eg, nuclear hormone receptors, transcription factors, and protein kinases). Improper function of these proteins can be induced by selective disruption of their complexes with Hsp90 using the benzoquinonoid ansamycin geldanamycin. In this study, we demonstrate that geldanamycin treatment blocks interleukin (IL)-2 secretion, IL-2 receptor expression, and proliferation of stimulated T-lymphocytes. Moreover, geldanamycin decreases the amount and phosphorylation of Lck and Raf-1 kinases and prevents activation of the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)-2 kinase. Geldanamycin also disrupts the T-cell receptor-mediated activation of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NF-AT). Treatment with geldanamycin, however, does not affect the activation of lysophosphatide acyltransferase, which is a plasma membrane enzyme coupled to the T-cell receptor after T-cell stimulation. Through demonstrating the selective inhibition of kinase-related T-lymphocyte responses by geldanamycin, our results emphasize the substantial role of Hsp90-kinase complexes in T-cell activation.

The basal forebrain corticopetal system revisited.

The medial septum, diagonal bands, ventral pallidum, substantia innominata, globus pallidus, and internal capsule contain a heterogeneous population of neurons, including cholinergic and noncholinergic (mostly GABA containing), corticopetal projection neurons, and interneurons. This highly complex brain region, which constitutes a significant part of the basal forebrain has been implicated in attention, motivation, learning, as well as in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia. Part of the difficulty in understanding the functions of the basal forebrain, as well as the aberrant information-processing characteristics of these disease states lies in the fact that the organizational principles of this brain area remained largely elusive. On the basis of new anatomical data, it is proposed that a large part of the basal forebrain corticopetal system be organized into longitudinal bands. Considering the topographic organization of cortical afferents to different divisions of the prefrontal cortex and a similar topographic projection of these prefrontal areas to basal forebrain regions, it is suggested that several functionally segregated cortico-prefronto-basal forebrain-cortical circuits exist. It is envisaged that such specific "triangular" circuits could amplify selective attentional processing in posterior sensory cortical areas.

The Hsp90-specific inhibitor, geldanamycin, blocks CD28-mediated activation of human T lymphocytes.

The 90 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp90) is a molecular chaperone aiding the folding of nuclear hormone receptors and protein kinases. Hsp90-mediated folding can be disrupted by the Hsp90-specific drug, geldanamycin. Here we provide evidence for the inhibition of the CD28-specific BW 828 antibody-mediated activation of human T lymphocyte proliferation, IL-2 secretion and IL-2 receptor expression by geldanamycin. Our results suggest that the major cytoplasmic chaperone, Hsp90, plays an important role in CD28-mediated T lymphocyte activation.

[Clinicopathology of aortic dissection]. / Az aortadissectio klinikopatológiája.

A population based study was carried out over a 25-year period (1972-1997) to disclose the clinical and pathological features of aortic dissection based on the analysis of 79 (71 acute and 8 chronic) consecutive cases of disease observed in an defined population of 106,000 inhabitants. Of the 79 patients 65 (82.3%) were admitted to hospital and 14 (17.7%) died out of hospital. Their ages ranged from 36 to 97 years (mean, 65.4 yrs), 49 (62.0%) were men and 30 (38.0%) were women with means 61.2 and 69.1 years, respectively. The male/female ration was 1.6:1. All but two operated patients died. The pain was the leading symptom. Every patients had some kind of cardiovascular and respiratory signs. Neurologic symptoms occurred in 27/65 (41.5%) patients. In five patients the clinical picture of abdominal catastrophe and in two patients renal failure occurred. The major vessels were affected in 32/75 (42.7%) autopsies. Aortic rupture were seen in 64/79 (81.0%) cases. Five spontaneous healings were observed. The hypertension, the advantaged age and the arteriosclerosis are regarded as the mean predisposing factors.

[Incidence and mortality of aortic dissection]. / Az aortadissectio incidenciája és mortalitása.

A population-based study was carried out over a 24-year period between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 1996 to determine the incidence and mortality of the aortic dissection in an administratively defined population of 106,000 inhabitants. The study comprises the consecutive cases of both inpatients and outpatients. Altogether, 74 cases of aortic dissection were found corresponding to 2.89%/year incidence. From the 74 patients 60 were admitted to hospital and 14 outpatients dead before the admission. In the first half of the observational interval (1973-84) 32 cases and in it's second half (1985-96) 42 cases were occurred with incidence of 2.50%/year and 3.28%/year, respectively. The higher incidence of the cases in the second half interval was explained by the significant increase of the autopsy rate of the dead outpatients. The male/female ratio was 1:1.6. The age ranged from 36 years to 97 years with a mean of 66.4 years and the women have had higher mean by the 7.0 years (p < 0.05). The mortality was explosively abrupt at the onset of the disease. Fourteen outpatients (18.9% of the total) died suddenly before admission and in the inpatients after the admission 28.4% died within the first hour, 44.6% within 12 hours, 62.2% within 24 hours and 75.5% within the first two days. Six patients were surgically treated and their perioperative mortality was 2/6, one month survived 4/6 and three years survived 3/6. The other 71 patients died. On the bases of the above-mentioned facts this work may be considered as an representative study. Hereby, the incidence of the aortic dissection in Hungary at least 3.0/100,000/year or rather 300 cases/year should be assessed.

Changes in the expression of Na+/K+-ATPase isoenzymes in the left ventricle of diabetic rat hearts: effect of insulin treatment.

Na+/K+-ATPase related strophanthidin sensitive 3-O-methylfluorescein-phosphatase activity, [3H]ouabain binding and expression of Na+/K+-ATPase subunit isoforms were measured in the left ventricle of the heart of normal and streptozotocin-diabetic rats with and without insulin treatment. Compared to control animals, the enzyme activity was 0.75 +/- 0.09 and 0.62 +/- 0.06 times lower in rats diabetic for 2 and for 4 weeks, respectively. This was associated with a proportional decrease of the [3H]ouabain binding sites. Immunoblots indicated a 0.76 +/- 0.08 and 0.61 +/- 0.08-fold decrease of alpha1, a 0.68 +/- 0.09 and 0.41 +/- 0.04-fold decrease of alpha2 subunit in 2- and 4-week diabetic rats, respectively relative to controls. Beta1 subunit decreased proportionally 0.71 +/- 0.07 and 0.38 +/- 0.06-fold, and beta2 decreased 0.75 +/- 0.08 and 0.31 +/- 0.06-fold, respectively. Northern blot analysis revealed a significant reduction in mRNA level of Na+/K+-ATPase subunit isoforms after 2 and 4 weeks of diabetes (for alpha1 66.2 +/- 8.2 and 55.9 +/- 7.8% of controls for alpha2 91.7 +/- 12.1 and 41.1 +/- 7.1% of controls and for beta subunit 93.4 +/- 11.1 and 49.8 +/- 6.8% of controls, respectively). Although, mRNA levels of isoform reverted to even higher levels than the control values after insulin treatment, insulin caused only a partial recovery of enzyme activity, [3H]ouabain binding capacity and protein expression. We have obtained evidence that in cardiac left ventricle there are more than one type of Na+/K+-ATPase alpha and beta subunit isoforms which are affected in diabetes and by insulin treatment. The time course of diabetes induced changes and the degree of involvement suggest that the Na+/K+-ATPase isoforms are altered individually.

Distribution of calretinin-containing neurons relative to other neurochemically identified cell types in the medial septum of the rat.

The topographic distribution of calretinin-immunoreactive neurons was studied in the medial septum diagonal band of Broca complex of the rat, in relation to the localization of other neurochemically identified cell groups containing choline acetyltransferase, parvalbumin or calbindin D28k. Double-labelling experiments revealed that these four antigen-containing cells formed distinct dorsoventrally running lamellae overlayed on top of each other similar to onion leaves. There was only a slight overlapping of the various cell groups. None of the four antigens were co-localized in the same cells. The lamella occupied by calretinin-positive neurons is situated at the border of the medial septum and the intermediolateral septal nucleus, and shows some overlap with the area occupied by cholinergic neurons. Retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase from the hippocampus combined with immunostaining for calretinin revealed that calretinin-containing neurons do not participate in the septohippocampal projection. The lack of projection to the amygdala was also confirmed. Thus, calretinin-containing neurons represent a distinct cell group in the medial septal region, which either projects to subcortical areas, or may function as interneurons relaying hippocampal feedback to the medial septal projection neurons.

Alterations in the properties and isoform ratios of brain Na+/K(+)-ATPase in streptozotocin diabetic rats.

In this study we analysed the changes in the properties of rat cerebral cortex Na+K(+)-ATPase in streptozotocin induced diabetes (STZ-diabetes). Special attempt was made to determine whether insulin treatment of diabetic animals could restore the altered parameters of this enzyme. Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity was found to be decreased by 15% after 2 weeks, and by 37% after 4 weeks in diabetic rat brains with a parallel decrease in maximal capacity of low affinity ouabain binding sites. There was no significant change in the high affinity ouabain binding sites. The Kd values did not change significantly. Western blot analysis of brain Na+/K(+)-ATPase isoforms indicated a 61 +/- 5.8% and 20 +/- 2.8% decrease of the alpha 1 and alpha 3 isoforms, respectively in 4 weeks diabetic animals. Change in the amount of the alpha 2 isoform proved to be less characteristic. Both types of beta subunit isoform showed a significant decrease in four weeks diabetic rats. Our data indicate a good correlation in diabetic rats between changes in Na-/K(+)-ATPase activity, low affinity ouabain binding capacity and the level of alpha 1 isoform. While insulin treatment of diabetic animals restored the blood glucose level to normal, a complete reversal of diabetes induced changes in Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity, ouabain binding capacity and Na+/K(+)-ATPase isoform composition could not be achieved.

Interference of the sulphonylurea antidiabeticum gliquidone with mitochondrial bioenergetics in the rat under in vitro conditions.

The hypoglycaemic sulphonylurea gliquidone and glibenclamide exerted a partial uncoupling effect on mitochondrial respiration of liver under in vitro conditions using various citrate cycle intermediates as substrates. Besides the uncoupling effect, gliquidone and glibenclamide caused a direct inhibition of ATP-as well as DNP-stimulated oxygen consumption. Both phenomena proved to be dose dependent. Respiratory control ratio decreased progressively with increasing concentrations of sulphonylureas mainly through the inhibition of ADP-stimulated respiration. Basal and DNP-stimulated ATP-ase activity of isolated mitochondria changed similarly to the respiratory parameters. Changes in membrane permeability of mitochondria and the inhibition of substrate uptake further support the assumption of structural and functional alteration of mitochondria by the hypoglycaemic compounds tested.

Interference of sulphonylurea antidiabetica with mitochondrial bioenergetics under in vivo conditions.

Sulphonylurea antidiabetica effectively inhibits the basal hepatic glucose production. Since it has been firmly established that lipophylic sulphonylurea drugs exerted an uncoupling effect on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, a relationship between the reduction of hepatic gluconeogenesis and the insufficient energy supply due to sulphonylureas could be supposed. In this study we have investigated the effects of glibenclamide and gliquidone on mitochondrial bioenergetics in liver after peroral treatments of normal rats with different doses. The treatment of rats with 5 mg/kg glibenclamide or gliquidone daily for 14 days elicited only a marginal inhibition on mitochondrial oxidation capacity and remained without any effect on mitochondrial ATPase activity. Only the supermaximal dose 50 mg/kg for 14 day produced a significant damage in the mitochondrial functions. The basal respiration increased with 60-80 per cent, whereas the ADP- or DNP-stimulated oxygen consumption significantly decreased independently from the respiratory substrates investigated. Similar alterations were found in the mitochondrial ATPase activity after treatment with these drugs. No essential differences have been observed in the actions between glibenclamide and gliquidone. However, the lowest dose applied in this study is many times higher than the usual therapeutic dose. Consequently, glibenclamide and gliquidone do not interact with mitochondrial bioenergetic processes under therapeutic conditions. On the other hand, in different liver and kidney damages we have no sufficient knowledge whether these drugs can be accumulated in these organs and therefore their elevated concentration may interfere with the mitochondrial energy metabolism.

Effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on kidney Na+/K(+)-ATPase.

The maximal capacity of low affinity ouabain binding sites in kidney medulla was found to be increased by 20 +/- 3.8% after 2 weeks, and by 35 +/- 4.5% in 4 weeks diabetes. However, in kidney cortex no similar changes could be detected. Western blot analysis of Na+/K(+)-ATPase subunits in kidney medulla indicated a significant enhancement of both the alpha 1 and beta 1 subunit in two and four weeks diabetic rats (alpha 1: 35 +/- 3.1, 51 +/- 5.8% and beta 1: 31.3 +/- 5.2 and 43.2 +/- 6.8%, respectively). However, kidney cortex showed no significant change in any condition tested. In diabetes we could detect a significant change only in the medulla in case of the b subunit mRNA transcript, which showed 1.69 +/- 0.59 and 2.89 +/- 0.81 times increased in two and four weeks diabetic state, respectively. There was no change in the alpha 1 subunit mRNA abundance. Insulin treatment of diabetic animals did not result in a complete reversal of diabetes-induced changes in ouabain binding capacity or in the amount of Na+/K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 and beta 1 subunit protein and mRNA levels. Our data indicate a good correlation between changes in low affinity ouabain binding capacity and the level of alpha 1 isoform in diabetic rats, and suggest an important role of the b subunit in the regulation of enzyme quantity.

Changes of the 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (grp78) in livers of diabetic rats.

The 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (grp78) is an abundant member of the 70 kDa molecular chaperone family in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum participating in the quality control of secretory proteins. In the present paper we have analysed the synthesis and level of grp78 in livers of control, streptozotocin-diabetic, and the spontaneously diabetic Zucker rats. The level of grp78 mRNA significantly decreased in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. The effect was reversed by insulin treatment. In case of Zucker rats we did not detect any significant change in grp78 mRNA, grp78 protein level showed opposite changes being essentially unchanged in streptozotocin-diabetes and significantly reduced in Zucker rats. Autoradiograms of Ca-dependent phosphorylation of postmitochondrial supernatants of control and streptozotocin-diabetic livers indicated no significant changes in the 70 kDa region. Decrease in the availability of grp78 may participate in the attenuation of hepatic protein secretion in diabetes.

The 90 kDa heat shock protein (hsp90) induces the condensation of the chromatin structure.

The 90 kDa heat shock protein (hsp90) is a member of the "chaperone-complex" of steroid receptors believed to be partially or transiently localized in the cell nucleus. Demonstrating that hsp90 has an ATP binding site and autophosphorylating activity we have observed that histones, especially histone H1, are able to modulate the autophosphorylation of hsp90 [Csermely, P. and Kahn, C.R. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4943-4950]. Our present data suggest a direct interaction of hsp90 with histones, showing that hsp90 is able to bind histone-agarose and enhances the binding of histones to DNA. Circular dichroism spectra of rat liver chromatin indicate that hsp90 induces a tighter, condensed state of the chromatin structure which is resistant against disruption by high salt treatment. Interactions of hsp90 with the chromatin may be important in regulating the transcriptional activity of steroid receptors and other transcription factors.

The nonapeptide leucinostatin A acts as a weak ionophore and as an immunosuppressant on T lymphocytes.

Earlier studies have disclosed that leucinostatin A, a hydrophobic nonapeptide antibiotic, assumes an alpha-helical secondary structure in nonpolar environments. The present report demonstrates that the peptide acts as a weak ionophore facilitating the transport of mono-and divalent cations through the plasma membrane of T lymphocytes and through artificial membranes. Leucinostatin A does not change the thymidine uptake of both resting mouse thymocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes but dose-dependently prevents the activation of T lymphocytes by tetradecanoyl-phorbol-acetate and by anti-T cell receptor antibody.

Magnesium content of human myometrium and placenta during various stages of gestation, and of different body fluids at term.

Pregnancy is marked by a state of hypomagnesaemia but not much is known about the effects of maternal magnesium deprivation on the fetus. The aim of this study was therefore to measure magnesium concentrations in human myometrial and placental tissues and in different body fluids during pregnancy and at term, using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The magnesium concentration in umbilical cord blood was higher than in the maternal blood, supporting the existence of an active magnesium transport system. There was also a difference between the magnesium concentration in the amniotic fluid and that in the umbilical cord blood. The magnesium content of myometrium increased from the 32nd week of pregnancy, reaching its maximum level at the 37th week of gestation. Later there was significant decrease in magnesium level until the end of pregnancy. The magnesium content of placental tissue did not change up to the 30th week of pregnancy; however, it then decreased continuously during the last trimester. The significant improvement experienced in certain pathological conditions of pregnancy treatment with magnesium supports the existence of a magnesium deficit induced by pregnancy and the need for magnesium supplementation.

ATP induces a conformational change of the 90-kDa heat shock protein (hsp90).

The 90-kDa heat shock protein (hsp90) is a well conserved, abundant cytosolic protein believed to be a "chaperone" of most steroid receptors. We have recently demonstrated that hsp90 has an ATP-binding site and autophosphorylating activity (Csermely, P., and Kahn, C. R. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4943-4950). Circular dichroism analysis of highly purified hsp90 from rat liver shows that ATP induces an increase of beta-pleated sheet content of hsp90. Vanadate, molybdate, and heat treatment at 56 degrees C induce a similar change in the circular dichroism spectrum. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy reveals an ATP-induced increase in the interchain interactions of the 90-kDa heat shock protein due to an increase in its beta-pleated sheet content. In further studies we found that ATP: 1) decreases the tryptophan fluorescence of hsp90 by 11.6 +/- 1.9%; 2) increases the hydrophobic character of the protein as determined by its distribution between an aqueous phase and phenyl-Sepharose; and 3) renders hsp90 less susceptible to tryptic digestion. Our results suggest that hsp90 undergoes an "open-->closed" conformational change after the addition of ATP, analogous in many respects to the similar changes of the DnaK protein, the immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP/GRP78), and hsp70. The ATP-induced conformational change of hsp90 may be important in regulating its association with steroid receptors and other cellular proteins.