Free insulin profiles in insulin-dependent diabetics treated with one or two insulin injections per day

Twenty-four hour profiles of free insulin and blood glucose were determined in 12 healthy controls and 10 insulin-dependent diabetics treated with insulin regimens based on intermediate-acting insulin injected subcutaneously once or twice a day. The diabetics were ambulatory and in a good glycemic control, i.e. without hyperglycemic symptoms or frequent hypoglycemias and with HbA1 less than 9% (reference value 5.9-7.8%). Body weight was normal and median age (32 years) was the same in both groups. Free insulin was determined after polyethylene glycol precipitation of antibody-bound insulin. The controls had a low basal insulin level (median fasting value 3.9 mU/l) and postprandial peaks with a maximum within 30-60 min. There was no rise in plasma free insulin or blood glucose in the early morning hours. The free insulin profiles in the diabetics were highly unphysiological with hyperinsulinemia between the meals and during the night. The highest plasma free insulin value during the 24 hours was reached before lunch (approximately 5-fold compared to normals, p less than 0.01). Postprandially the free insulin concentrations did not reach the peak levels of the normals. After breakfast, blood glucose rose considerably in the diabetics (p less than 0.02 compared to normals) while the rise after lunch and dinner was not higher than in the healthy controls. The difficulties in glycemic control in the diabetic group, i.e. a blood glucose rise after breakfast and hypoglycemias in some patients, could largely be explained by the unphysiological insulin profiles.     

Lymphotoxin produced by human B- and T-cell lines appears in two distinct forms

Production and release of lymphotoxin (LT) was studied by metabolic labeling of human B- and T-cell lines with 14C-leucine and 35S-methionine. LT was immunoprecipitated with antiserum to LT and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by fluorography. Two molecular weight forms of LT with different rates of release were found both in cell supernatants and cell extracts. Monensin, a sodium ionophore, inhibited the release of LT. LT still appeared in two molecular weight forms after deglycosylation with N-glycanase. Treatment of cells with swainsonine followed by digestion of released LT with endoglycosidase H (endo H) demonstrated that the oligosaccharides were of the complex type. Subcellular fractionation of cells on Percoll density gradients demonstrated that intracellular LT is located to intermediate density fractions. No LT was found in the high density fractions corresponding to lysosomes. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the B-lymphoblastoid cell line RPMI-1788. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the presence of two distinct molecular weight forms of LT, which contain N-linked oligosaccharides of the complex type.     

Characterization of a novel breast carcinoma xenograft and cell line derived from a BRCA1 germ-line mutation carrier

A human tumor xenograft (L56Br-X1) was established from a breast cancer axillary lymph node metastasis of a 53-year-old woman with a BRCA1 germ-line nonsense mutation (1806C>T; Q563X), and a cell line (L56Br-C1) was subsequently derived from the xenograft. The xenograft carries only the mutant BRCA1 allele and expresses mutant BRCA1 mRNA but no BRCA1 protein as determined by immunoprecipitation or Western blotting. The primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, and xenograft were hypodiploid by DNA flow cytometry, whereas the cell line displayed an aneuploidy apparently developed via polyploidization. Cytogenetic analysis, spectral karyotyping, and comparative genomic hybridization of the cell line revealed a highly complex karyotype with numerous unbalanced translocations. The xenograft and cell line had retained a somatic TP53 missense mutation (S215I) originating from the primary tumors, as well as a lack of immunohistochemically detectable expression of steroid hormone receptors, epidermal growth factor receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), and keratin 8. Global gene expression analysis by cDNA microarrays supported a correlation between the expression profiles of the primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, xenograft, and cell line. We conclude that L56Br-X1 and L56Br-C1 are useful model systems for studies of the pathogenesis and new therapeutic modalities of BRCA1-induced human breast cancer.     

Minimal progesterone support required for the maintenance of pregnancy in mice

A study of the degree of progesterone support required for the maintenance of various stages of pregnancy was undertaken in mice. Mated females were ovariectomized at various stages of pregnancy and progesterone and oestradiol support provided by s.c. Silastic implants with known release characteristics. In the earliest stages of pregnancy (days 1-5), very low concentrations of progesterone (<25% of normal physiological values) were sufficient to maintain pre-implantation stages and allow implantation. In the immediate post-implantation period (days 5-9), the development of implantation sites and decidualization required considerably higher progesterone support. In mid-pregnancy (days 11-14), progesterone alone could not maintain pregnancy unless present in very high amounts; however, the presence of oestradiol during this period lowered the progesterone requirements to well within the physiological range. This effect of oestradiol started on day 11 but required the level of oestradiol support to be kept within strictly defined limits, with high concentrations inducing abortion. Progesterone alone was able to maintain pregnancy from day 15. These results indicate that the minimal progesterone support required for pregnancy in mice varies considerably at different stages of pregnancy and is at least partly modulated by oestradiol.      

Update on Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis Typing Based on Nucleotide Sequence Variations in Internal Transcribed Spacer Regions of rRNA Genes

Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis isolates from 207 clinical specimens from nine countries were typed based on nucleotide sequence variations in the internal transcribed spacer regions I and II (ITS1 and ITS2, respectively) of rRNA genes. The number of ITS1 nucleotides has been revised from the previously reported 157 bp to 161 bp. Likewise, the number of ITS2 nucleotides has been changed from 177 to 192 bp. The number of ITS1 sequence types has increased from 2 to 15, and that of ITS2 has increased from 3 to 14. The 15 ITS1 sequence types are designated types A through O, and the 14 ITS2 types are named types a through n. A total of 59 types of P. carinii f. sp. hominis were found in this study.     

Detection of Pneumocystis carinii DNA in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples by polymerase chain reaction.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay was developed for the detection of Pneumocystis carinii DNA in induced sputum and bronchoscopic alveolar lavage samples. The primer pair was selected from the published sequence of the thymidylate synthase gene of P. carinii derived from infected rats. The amplified DNA fragment of 403 bp was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and by Southern and slot blot hybridization. No positive reaction was seen with DNA from different microorganisms typically found in the respiratory tract. P. carinii DNA was demonstrated in 30 of 42 sputum samples from immunosuppressed patients, whereas 21 of 42 sputum samples were positive by indirect immunofluorescence (IFL). Among the 42 patients, 14 were receiving prophylactic chemotherapy. In that group, PCR detected P. carinii in nine sputum samples, whereas IFL detected P. carinii in only four sputum samples. A positive PCR result was also seen in 5 of 43 IFL-negative bronchoscopic alveolar lavage samples from patients with respiratory symptoms. The PCR assay detected 10 copies of the target DNA, which corresponds to 10(-18) g of the specific P. carinii sequence. The results indicate that PCR amplification in combination with DNA hybridization is specific and is a more sensitive diagnostic method than IFL for the detection of P. carinii.     

Detection of the apoptosis-suppressing oncoprotein bc1-2 in hormone-refractory human prostate cancers.

The oncoprotein encoded by bc1-2 is unique because of its intracellular location (a mitochondrial membrane protein) and apparent mode of action (suppression of apoptosis). To date, this oncogene has been associated only with the development of certain forms of human B-cell lymphoma. In this report, we describe our experience with a monoclonal antibody made against a synthetic peptide for bc1-2 that can recognize the bc1-2 protein and identify cells in human prostate glands expressing this proto-oncogene with in situ immunohistochemical procedures. These procedures were utilized to survey a series of 62 human tissues to evaluate whether bc1-2 might have a role in the developing prostate gland or in prostate oncogenesis. While all primordial epithelial cells in a fetal prostate gland immunostain for bc1-2, normal and hypertrophic prostate glands of the adult show bc1-2 expression restricted to the basal cells. All epithelial cells in areas of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia were stained by this antibody, as were most (62%) localized invasive prostatic carcinomas. In contrast, all primary prostatic carcinomas and metastases obtained from metastatic prostate cancer patients after hormone treatment (hormone-refractory tumors) stained positive for bc1-2. This study demonstrates that the oncoprotein encoded by bc1-2 can be detected at sequential stages in the natural history of human prostate cancer. Since the bc1-2 oncoprotein is known to suppress the cellular response to apoptotic stimuli, it will be important to determine whether bc1-2 expression is a factor in the development of prostate cancers and in the survival of hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells.