Development of a method to measure sensory perception in children at the European level.

BACKGROUND: The 5-year multilevel epidemiological IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants) study, launched under the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Commission, aims at counteracting the epidemic of dietary- and lifestyle-induced adverse health effects in children. To reveal possible links between overweight/obesity in childhood with taste sensitivity and taste preferences, special procedures were developed for application at the European level. This paper presents these newly developed procedures. METHODS: Testing procedures to assess taste sensitivity for sucrose, sodium chloride, caffeine and monosodium glutamate and taste preferences for sweet, flavour, salty, fatty and umami tastes were developed with 191 children from nursery schools and preschools in northern Germany. To assess test-retest reliability, Cohen's kappa was calculated. RESULTS: The study shows that it is possible to assess taste sensitivity and taste preferences even in young children, provided the framework of the procedures applied is adapted to this scenario. Test-retest reliability was calculated for the procedures applied and the results show that they are very reliable for assessing taste preferences and taste sensitivity in young children. CONCLUSION: It is possible to assess taste sensitivity and taste preferences even in young children, provided the methods applied are adapted to the special requirements that working with young children entail.

Enhancement of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine-induced DNA amplification in a Simian virus 40-transformed Chinese hamster cell line by 3-aminobenzamide.

A Simian virus 40-transformed Chinese hamster cell line (CO 60) amplifies integrated viral DNA sequences as a response to treatment with a variety of carcinogens. To study a possible involvement of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis, DNA amplification was induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), an alkylating carcinogen that strongly stimulates poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis. In the presence of 3-aminobenzamide (3AB) (2 mM), a competitive inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, MNNG-induced amplification was increased two to six times the level induced by MNNG alone. Concomitantly, 3AB reduced cellular poly(ADP-ribose) levels and increased MNNG-induced cytotoxicity, as expected. The effect of 3AB on MNNG-induced amplification depended both on the concentration of 3AB and the duration of its presence after MNNG treatment. By contrast, 3-aminobenzoic acid, a noninhibitory structural analogue of 3AB, had no influence on amplification induced by MNNG. These data strongly suggest an involvement of poly(ADP-ribose) in the process of DNA amplification, as it is shown that inhibition of carcinogen-stimulated poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis by 3AB is correlated with an enhancement of inducible DNA amplification in this cell line.

Nicotinamide and nicotinamide analogues as antitumor promoters in mouse skin.

Phorbol ester-induced promotion of initiated NMRI mouse skin keratinocytes to papillomas could be largely prevented when nicotinamide-like inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (nicotinamide, benzamide, 3-aminobenzamide) were applied simultaneously with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). A similar suppression of tumor promotion by nicotinamide analogues was demonstrated in clone 41 JB6 epidermal cells which are promotable by TPA to anchorage-independent growth. The antipromotion effect of nicotinamide analogues, however, does not appear to come about by an inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase. Acid analogues of nicotinamide, such as benzoic acid or 3-aminobenzoic acid which do not inhibit the polymerase, showed antipromotion activity similar to that of their corresponding amides. It could also be ruled out that these antipromoters mediate their effect on keratinocytes by a cytostatic action, by scavenging the promoter TPA in a chemical reaction, or by inhibiting protein kinase C. In initiated mouse skin, nicotinamide analogues strongly suppressed TPA-induced accumulation of inflammatory cells and vascular permeability, while epidermal hyperplasia was not significantly affected.

Determination of 5-AMP in the presence of excess 3'(2')-AMP with the aid of antibodies raised against n6-carboxymethyl-5'-AMP conjugates. Use for the quantitation of pyridine nucleotides and of protein-bound ADP-ribose.

5'-AMP antigens were synthesized by conjugation of N6-carboxymethyl-5'-AMP (Cm65'-AMP) to native or methylated serum albumin. Injection of the antigens resulted in antibodies with high affinity and specificity for 5'-AMP in all animals, thus allowing discrimination against 3'(2')-AMP even when present at 10(4)-10(5) times higher concentrations. This specificity was comparable to that of anti 5'-AMP antibodies raised against Cm65'-AMP serum albumin antigens formed in situ from Cm6ADP-ribose serum albumin conjugates by intracellular or pericellular phosphodiesterases. The hapten in the Cm65'-AMP-methylated serum albumin conjugate appeared to be bound almost exclusively via the N6-position. Due to the free exposure of the 5'-phosphate group in this antigen, the resulting antibodies discriminated 5'-AMP derivatives substituted at the phosphate group more efficiently than derivatives with modifications in the adenine ring. It also led to the concomitant formation of adenosine-specific antibodies due presumably to dephosphorylation of the antigen by phosphatases present in the recipient animals. The conjugates formed from Cm65'-AMP and native serum albumin, which appeared to be linked to a large extent via carboxyl groups of the protein and hydroxyl groups of the ribose, recognized modifications in the adenine ring much better than substitutions at the phosphate group. However, in spite of these relatively small differences in specificity, all three types of antibodies could be used successfully to quantitate by radioimmunoassay protein-bound ADP-ribose in adult rat liver and NAD+-NADH in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells as shown by the excellent agreement of the values obtained with the three antisera.

Quantitation of coronary venous adenosine in patients: limitations evaluated by radioimmunoassay.

Experimental studies have shown that adenosine is rapidly released in response to myocardial ischaemia. To evaluate whether coronary venous adenosine release is a metabolic characteristic of myocardial ischaemia in patients, adenosine concentrations were measured by a highly sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. In three patients with normal coronary arteries and in seven with obstructive coronary artery disease coronary venous adenosine content was measured at rest and during atrial pacing. When whole blood or plasma were extracted immediately with perchloric acid the adenosine content was found to be lower than that previously reported. Recovery studies showed that the importance of time and temperature at low adenosine concentrations had been underestimated in preceding studies. In patients with coronary artery disease coronary venous adenosine concentration increased from 106.3(48.8) nmol.litre-1 to 114.9(57.0) nmol.litre-1 (NS) during pacing and was 130.4(63.3) nmol.litre-1 (NS) 2 min after pacing. Even in the presence of lactate production enhanced adenosine release was not consistently evidenced. Furthermore, venous adenosine content did not increase in five patients undergoing coronary artery occlusion during angioplasty of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The extremely short half life of coronary venous adenosine appears to preclude its use as an index of myocardial ischaemia in patients.

Isolation of the myc transcription factor nucleoside diphosphate kinase and the multifunctional enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by cAMP affinity chromatography.

Cyclic AMP affinity chromatography applied to various mammalian tissue extracts yielded two proteins in addition to the regulatory subunits of protein kinase. This paper characterizes these proteins and provides a simple procedure for their preparation. The polypeptides (36 kDa and a 19 kDa/21 kDa doublet) were isolated from the cAMP matrix by sequential elution with cAMP solutions of increasing concentrations. Microsequencing was accomplished following chemical or enzymic degradation of isolated polypeptides. Partial amino acid sequences of the 36 kDa protein and analyses of its enzymic activity indicated identity with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase whilst the lower MW protein proved to be identical with mammalian nucleoside diphosphate kinase subunits. In both cases, binding to cAMP appeared to occur at the nucleotide (NAD and ATP, respectively) sites. In conclusion, we present a one step-procedure, applicable to tissue and cell extracts, which allows the simultaneous isolation of both glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and nucleoside diphosphate kinase. This procedure may help to elucidate the multiple functions of these two important enzymes.

Steroidogenic capacity of isolated adult mouse Leydig cells does not decrease with age.

Leydig cells were isolated from the testes of adult young (5--7 months), old (21 months), and senile (27 months) mice using a highly preservative Percoll procedure. The yield in Leydig cells per testis from young animals was slightly lower than from the old age groups. hCG-induced testosterone synthesis proceeded in a linear fashion for at least 5 h in all three groups. The maximal steroidogenic capacity of cells from old animals was identical to that from young adults. There was no significant difference between Leydig cells from young and old mice with respect to hCG-induced cAMP accumulation and protein kinase activation. Determination of hCG concentrations required for half-maximal stimulation of testosterone synthesis and cAMP accumulation showed identical, or even lower, values in the old age groups. The phenomenon may be connected with the significant augmentation with age of the DNA content per cell (polyploidization), possibly acting as a compensatory mechanism of age-induced deficiencies. Detailed kinetic studies of cAMP accumulation, protein kinase activation, protein kinase activation, and steroidogenesis as well as ultrastructural analyses support the findings of unimpaired or increased capacities of the testosterone-forming cells in old animals. Thus, the aging of Leydig cells appears to differ from that of other tissues of the mouse (e.g. skeletal muscle), which exhibit decreasing abilities to respond to stimuli.

A novel covalent modification of nitrogenase in a cyanobacterium.

In extracts of the unicellular cyanobacterium Gloeothece, the Fe-protein of nitrogenase can be separated by SDS-PAGE into two antigenically identifiable components. Unlike the situation in photosynthetic bacteria such as Rhodospirillum rubrum, these two forms do not arise from covalent modification of the protein by ADP-ribosylation. Rather, the Fe-protein of Gloeothece nitrogenase is subjected to modification by palmitoylation.

The age-dependent decrease in creatine kinase and aldolase activities in human striated muscle is not caused by an accumulation of faulty proteins.

In human striated muscle obtained in surgery, an age-dependent decrease in aldolase and creatine kinase specific activities and an increase in DNA content per wet weight was found. In the group of the elderly (64-84 years), the enzymes decreased by 40-60% when compared with a group between 24 and 47 years old, while DNA content rose by a factor of 1.53 indicating loss of tissue water. Titration of aldolase and creatine kinase molecules by specific antibodies against aldolase A and creatine kinase MM isozymes, respectively, revealed very little accumulation of aldolase cross-reacting materials in the old age group (1.13 fold), and no accumulation of inactive creatine kinase molecules. Similar conclusions can be drawn from thermostability analyses of these two enzymes. The data do not support the view that accumulation of modified proteins due to random errors or to post-translational alternations is a general or causative phenomenon of aging in human muscle tissue.

Negative adaptation to physical training in senile mice.

Three age groups (6, 22 and 27 months) of CWI mice (female, outbred strain) were subjected to a physical training program for up to 5 weeks. During the training period the body weight remained constant in all groups. Hind leg muscle mass increased in response to the exercise in 6 and 22 month old mice but decreased in the senescent (27 months) animals. Physical exercise also increased the key enzyme creatine kinase in the 6 months group and to a lesser degree in the 22 months group. By contrast, senile animals showed a progressive loss of the enzyme throughout the training period. Similar changes - though less-pronounced - were seen with regard to soluble protein and to total DNA. The data indicate that old animals (22 months) are still able to adapt adequately to physical training while senile mice (27 months) respond paradoxically by a negative adaptation to a physical challenge.

Positive and negative adaptation of muscle enzymes in aging mice subjected to physical exercise.

CWI mice at the age of 6, 22 and 27 months were subjected to a controlled physical training program for 5 weeks. Changes in specific activity of the enzymes aldolase, superoxide dismutase and catalase of the total hind-leg muscle tissues were followed. During the training period, specific activities of these muscle enzymes exhibited an adaptive increase in the 6 and 22 months groups. In senile (27 months) mice, however, enzyme activities decreased as a consequence of the physical challenge. Total body weight was not altered under these conditions. Immunotitration of extracts with anti-aldolase and anti-creatine kinase antibodies showed no significant differences, indicating that there was no accumulation of disappearance of faulty proteins during aging and physical exercise.

Mono ADP-ribosylation and poly ADP-ribosylation of proteins in normal and malignant tissues.

Three subclasses of (ADPR)n protein conjugates were quantified from intact tissue; proteins carrying poly(ADPR) and two types of mono(ADPR) protein conjugates, one susceptible, the other resistant to neutral hydroxylamine. Mono(ADPR) conjugates were found in all major compartments of the liver cell although the two subfractions were unevenly distributed. Poly(ADPR) protein conjugates appear to be restricted to the nucleus. Independent changes of the subclasses in normal and malignant tissues associated with cell growth and differentiation also point to independent functions. Hydroxylamine-resistant mono(ADPR) protein conjugates of various tissues changed with the degree of terminal differentiation. Formation of poly(ADPR) proteins, on the other hand, was stimulated by treatment of cells with alkylating agents which lead to DNA-fragmentation. This points to an involvement of polyADP-ribosylation in DNA excision repair.

ADP-ribose. A historical overview.

ADP-ribosylation of proteins was first detected as a modification of nuclear proteins by polymeric ADP-ribose residues derived from NAD+. Subsequently, the field developed into three destinct sections: (i) Possible function(s) of poly-ADP-ribosylation with increasing evidence for participation in DNA excision repair and perhaps in DNA recombination; (ii) Mono-ADP-ribosylation as a mechanism to inactivate (by some toxins) or to regulate enzymes/proteins (e.g. in bacterial nitrogen fixation, in protein traffic through membranes, in intercellular communication); (iii) Intramolecular ADP-ribosylation converting NAD+ to cyclic ADP-ribose, a possible Ca(2+)-mobilizing agonist. Thus, NAD+ first known as a cofactor of oxidoreductases has experienced an impressive metamorphosis from a housekeeping coenzyme to a multifunctional group transfering metabolite involved in an increasing number of intracellular and intercellular regulatory loops.

Phospho adenylylation and phospho ADP-ribosylation, types of covalent protein modification derived from NADP.

The structure of NADP implies, in addition to the hydrogen transfer potential, two activated groups: 2'-phospho AMP and 2'-phospho ADP-ribose. Recent findings demonstrate that both can be used to modify covalently eukaryotic proteins. 2'-Phospho adenylylation appears to be an important route of post-translational modification involving various acceptor polypeptides in different subcellular compartments of rat liver. The true substrate of the transferases involved, however, is free 2'-phospho ADP-ribose derived from NADP by the action of NADP glycohydrolase, conferring a new function to the glycohydrolase beyond its purely catabolic action. The second type of modification, 2'-phospho ADP-ribosylation, was detected as an activity of the arginine specific ADP-ribosyl transferase from erythrocytes (Moss and Vaughan, 1978) which in the presence of H1 used NADP in preference to NAD. These findings show that both pyridine nucleotides represent versatile, multifunctional co-factors, serving as hydrogen-transferring as well as group-transferring co-enzymes.

[Molecular forms of prostate-specific antigen and their clinical significance]. / Molekulare Formen des PSA und ihre klinische Signifikanz.

PSA is a proteolytic enzyme produced in the prostatic epithelium and secreted into the seminal fluid. PSA can also be a constituent of the serum even under apparently normal conditions. In many cases of prostate cancer (PCa), increased serum concentrations are found. Elevated serum levels, however, are also observed in benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), thus limiting the specificity of serum PSA as a marker for prostate cancer. Recently, subfractions of PSA ("free PSA"; PSA-antichymotrypsin complex) were analyzed in order to gain a higher specificity of PSA as a tumor marker. The present paper describes biochemical features and clinical significance of the various PSA subfractions, pointing out an improved discrimination of PCa and BPH by evaluating the ratio "free PSA": total PSA.