The effects of pH, buffers, and fatty acid concentration on the incorporation of radioactive arachidonate into endogenous neuronal nuclear lipids

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 962-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Roy Baker ◽  
Huu-Yi Chang

Using neuronal nuclei (N1) isolated from cerebral cortices of 15-day-old rabbits the incorporation of [3H]arachidonate into N1 lipids was followed in vitro. Arachidonate was principally incorporated into triacylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. When low concentrations (32 mM) of Tris–HCl (pH 7.4) were used, rates of total arachidonate incorporation were small and phosphatidylinositol received the bulk (> 84%) of the arachidonate. When the concentration of Tris–HCl (pH 7.4) or, in certain cases, the concentration of arachidonate was increased, there was a rise in total arachidonate incorporation into N1, with an increasing proportion of radioactivity entering triacylglycerol until it was the predominantly labelled lipid. Using other buffers (phosphate, imidazole, HEPES, pH 7.4), the shift from phosphatidylinositol to triacylglycerol as principal labelled lipid, with buffer concentration, was not as marked as with Tris–HCl (pH 7.4). When the buffer concentration was maintained at 107 mM and the pH was lowered to 6.5, the three amine-containing buffers showed a sizeable decline in arachidonate incorporation into N1 lipids and a corresponding decrease in triacylglycerol labelling. The proportion of the total radioactivity in N1 phosphatidylinositol rose as the pH declined. Of the buffers used, Tris–HCl showed the greatest changes over the pH range. Based upon pK values for the amine buffers, it is suggested that an increased proportion of the protonated amine may be inhibitory to arachidonate incorporation in N1. Studies of acyl-CoA synthetase in N1 indicated this enzyme as the site of the inhibition.

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Roy Baker ◽  
Huu-Yi Chang

A neuronal nuclear fraction (N1) was isolated from cerebral cortices of 15-day-old rabbits. Samples of N1 were incubated with a radioactive fatty acid ([3H]arachidonate or [14C]oleate), acylation cofactors, and 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoinositol (1-acyl-GPI) or 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (1-acyl-GPC). In competition studies, both radioactive fatty acids were incubated with one lysophospholipid or the two lysophospholipids were incubated with one radioactive fatty acid. Using [3H]arachidonate and one lysophosphoglyceride, a maximal rate of incorporation into phosphatidylinositol (PI) was found at a relatively low concentration of 1-acyl-GPI (10 μM), while increasing rates of incorporation into phosphatidylcholine (PC) were seen with increasing concentrations of 1-acyl-GPC (to 65 μM). At low concentrations of lysophosphoglyceride (≤ 25 μM) the rate of arachidonate incorporation into PI greatly exceeded rates of arachidonate incorporation into PC. This higher rate of arachidonate incorporation into PI was also seen in incubations where both lysophospholipids were present. For oleate, greater rates of incorporation into PC were found in comparison with rates of labelling of PI in assays using relatively high concentrations of one or both lysophospholipids. When comparing arachidonate and oleate, in assays with one or both fatty acids, the polyunsaturate showed at least threefold higher rates of incorporation into PI. For PC labelling higher rates of arachidonate incorporation were evident at the higher concentrations of 1-acyl-GPC and the superiority over oleate was not as marked as that seen in PI labelling.


2000 ◽  
Vol 166 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
RE Kramer ◽  
TV Robinson ◽  
EG Schneider ◽  
TG Smith

Disturbances in acid-base balance in vivo are associated with changes in plasma aldosterone concentration, and in vitro changes in extracellular pH (pH(o)) influence the secretion of aldosterone by adrenocortical tissue or glomerulosa cells. There is considerable disparity, however, as to the direction of the effect. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which pH(o) independently affects aldosterone secretion or interacts with other secretagogues are not defined. Thus, bovine glomerulosa cells maintained in primary monolayer culture were used to examine the direct effects of pH(o) on cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i))( )and aldosterone secretion under basal and angiotensin II (AngII)-stimulated conditions. pH(o) was varied from 7.0 to 7.8 (corresponding inversely to changes in extracellular H(+) concentration from 16 nM to 100 nM). Whereas an elevation of pH(o) from 7.4 to 7.8 had no consistent effect, reductions of pH(o) from 7.4 to 7.2 or 7.0 caused proportionate increases in aldosterone secretion that were accompanied by increases in transmembrane Ca(2+) fluxes and [Ca(2+)](i). These effects were abolished by removal of extracellular Ca(2+). A decrease in pH(o) from 7.4 to 7.0 also enhanced AngII-stimulated aldosterone secretion. This effect was more pronounced at low concentrations of AngII and was manifested as an increase in the magnitude of the secretory response with no effect on potency. In contrast to its effect on AngII-stimulated aldosterone secretion, a reduction of pH(o) from 7.4 to 7.0 inhibited the Ca(2+) signal elicited by low concentrations (</=1x10(-10) M) of AngII, but did not affect the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) caused by a maximal concentration (1x10(-8) M) of AngII. These data suggest that pH(o) (i.e. H(+)) has multiple effects on aldosterone secretion. It independently increases aldosterone secretion through a mechanism involving Ca(2+) influx and an increase in [Ca(2+)](i). Also, it modulates the action of AngII by both decreasing the magnitude of the AngII-stimulated Ca(2+) signal and increasing the sensitivity of a more distal site to intracellular Ca(2+). The latter action appears to be a more important determinant in the effects of pH(o) on AngII-stimulated aldosterone secretion.


1963 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 530-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard J Katchman ◽  
Robert E Zipf ◽  
James P F Murphy

Abstract The kinetic effect of palmitate, stearate, oleate, linoleate, and linolenate upon in vitro endogenous respiration of rat chloromyeloid leukemic cells has been investigated. Inhibition of respiration has been correlated with the ability of fatty acids to cause decreased cell viability and cell count; in the bioassay of fatty acid-treated tumor inocula, the increase in animal life span is correlated to the degree of dilution of the inocula due to cell lysis. The degree of lysis is dependent upon the chemical structure of the fatty acid, concentration, and duration of contact; unsaturated fatty acids are more effective than saturated fatty acids. Tumor cells, when incubated at low concentrations of fatty acids, show stimulation of O2 uptake; however, in the bioassay these fatty acid-treated inocula showed no loss in tumor activity. The nature of the physiochemical interaction between fatty acids and tumor cells is discussed.


1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 379-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Roy Baker ◽  
Huu-Yi Chang

Neuronal nuclei (N1) were isolated from cerebral cortices of 15-day-old rabbits. With the addition of both EGTA and CMP the incorporation of radioactive oleate into N1 triacylglycerols in vitro (in the presence of ATP, CoA, and MgCl2) was increased threefold. The same large increase could not be achieved using citrate or EDTA in the presence of CMP or using AMP, UMP, or TMP in the presence of EGTA. The increased labelling of N1 triacylglycerols could be greatly reduced when CDP-choline was added to incubations containing EGTA and CMP. Levels of endogenous N1 diacylglycerols increased threefold following a 10-min incubation in the presence of buffer (pH 7.4) and MgCl2, when CMP and EGTA were also added. Of the major N1 phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine was most similar in fatty acid composition to the enlarged endogenous diacylglycerol pool. The rate of formation of oleoyl-CoA in fraction N1 was not significantly changed by the presence of EGTA and CMP. Rates of triacylglycerol labelling could only be modestly increased when EGTA and CMP were added to incubations containing N1 samples with artificially enlarged endogenous diacylglycerol pools (produced by phospholipase C preincubations). It is suggested that EGTA, as a Ca2+ chelator, and CMP, as a substrate, may allow an enhanced diacylglycerol production mediated by the back reaction of cholinephosphotransferase in N1. The endogenous N1 diacylglycerols produced in the absence of EGTA and CMP may come from another metabolic route.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Vukomanovic

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are important environmental chemicals and the objective of this study was to assess the effects of pH, temperature and bromide concentration on the genotoxicity of DBPs in chlorinated water. Cells were exposed to humic acid samples and genotoxicity was assessed by chromosomal aberration assay using Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells in vitro. A strong positive correlation between bromide concentration and the number of chromosomal aberrations formed was observed. Higher temperature values resulted in more chromosomal aberrations (14.6%) and a greater percentage of aberrant cells (24.6)% at pH 9 and, at higher bromide concentrations, more aberrations were formed at 25°C than 5°C for all pH values. There is some evidence that the number of aberrant cells is higher at 5°C at pH 7 than pH 5 or 9, however there does not appear to be any appreciable change in genotoxicity over the pH range tested.


1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (12) ◽  
pp. 1265-1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Roy Baker ◽  
Huu-yi Chang

The incorporation of radioactive palmitate, oleate, linoleate, and arachidonate into endogenous triacylglycerols was followed in vitro using neuronal nuclei (N1) isolated from cerebral cortices of 15-day-old rabbits. Specific rates of incorporation of fatty acids into N1 triacylglycerols were 33–42 times and more than 100 times the corresponding values for cerebral cortex homogenates and microsomal fractions (P3), respectively. Acyl-CoA synthetase specific activities in N1 were 2.2 to 3.2 times the specific rates for fatty acid incorporation into N1 triacylglycerols. Using single fatty acids, N1 acyl-CoA synthetase showed a preference for linoleate which was more highly marked in linoleate–palmitate and linoleate–arachidonate competitions. In fatty acid incorporation into N1 triacylglycerols a preference for linoleate in competition with palmitate was noted; however, there was also a relatively higher utilization of arachidonate shown competitively than was noted in acyl-CoA synthesis. The data suggested that N1 diacylglycerol acyl transferase shows a selectivity for arachidonoyl-CoA in comparison with CoA esters of palmitate or oleate. Molecular class analyses of radioactive triacylglycerol products indicated that native endogenous N1 diacylglycerols bearing arachidonate or fatty acids of equal or higher unsaturation were used preferentially in N1 triacylglycerol synthesis. This preference was significantly decreased when higher levels of endogenous diacylglycerols were produced in N1 following a phospholipase C preincubation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Vukomanovic

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are important environmental chemicals and the objective of this study was to assess the effects of pH, temperature and bromide concentration on the genotoxicity of DBPs in chlorinated water. Cells were exposed to humic acid samples and genotoxicity was assessed by chromosomal aberration assay using Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells in vitro. A strong positive correlation between bromide concentration and the number of chromosomal aberrations formed was observed. Higher temperature values resulted in more chromosomal aberrations (14.6%) and a greater percentage of aberrant cells (24.6)% at pH 9 and, at higher bromide concentrations, more aberrations were formed at 25°C than 5°C for all pH values. There is some evidence that the number of aberrant cells is higher at 5°C at pH 7 than pH 5 or 9, however there does not appear to be any appreciable change in genotoxicity over the pH range tested.


1972 ◽  
Vol 129 (5) ◽  
pp. 1139-1155 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Austoker ◽  
D. Cox ◽  
A. P. Mathias

1. The nuclei of the cells of the whole rat brain have been fractionated in a B-XIV zonal rotor with a discontinuous gradient of sucrose. Five fractions were obtained. Zone (I) contained neuronal nuclei (70%) and astrocytic nuclei (23%). Zone (II) contained astrocytic nuclei (81%) and neuronal nuclei (15%). Zone (III) contained astrocytic nuclei (84%) and oligodendrocytic nuclei (15%). Zone (IV) contained oligodendrocytic nuclei (92%) and zone (V) contained only oligodendrocytic nuclei. 2. The content of DNA, RNA and protein per nucleus was determined for each zone. Although the amount of DNA per nucleus is constant (7pg) the RNA varies from 4.5 to 2.5pg/nucleus and the protein from 38 to 17.6pg/nucleus. The neuronal nuclei have the greatest amounts of protein. The oligodendrocytic nuclei have the least content of RNA and protein. 3. The effects of pH, ionic strength, and Mg2+and Mn2+concentration on the activity of the nuclear system for synthesis in vitro of RNA have been investigated for unfractionated nuclei. From these studies a standard set of conditions for the assay of nuclear RNA polymerase has been established. 4. The activity of the RNA polymerase in each of the zonal fractions has been determined in the presence and in the absence of α-amanitin. Zone (II) is the most active, followed by zone (I). The nuclei of zones (IV) and (V) have comparable activity, which is 40% of that of zone (II). 5. The extent of incorporation of each of the four labelled nucleoside triphosphates by the nuclei from each zone has been measured. These values have been used to calculate the base composition of the RNA synthesized in vitro in each class of nucleus. 6. The effect of changes in the condition of assay of RNA polymerase in the different classes of nuclei has been investigated. Significant differences in the response to concentrations of metal ions and ammonium sulphate have been observed. 7. Homopolymer formation in each zone of brain nuclei has been determined. The extent of formation of the four homopolymers roughly parallels the RNA polymerase activity.


Author(s):  
Beverly E. Maleeff ◽  
Timothy K. Hart ◽  
Stephen J. Wood ◽  
Ronald Wetzel

Alzheimer's disease is characterized post-mortem in part by abnormal extracellular neuritic plaques found in brain tissue. There appears to be a correlation between the severity of Alzheimer's dementia in vivo and the number of plaques found in particular areas of the brain. These plaques are known to be the deposition sites of fibrils of the protein β-amyloid. It is thought that if the assembly of these plaques could be inhibited, the severity of the disease would be decreased. The peptide fragment Aβ, a precursor of the p-amyloid protein, has a 40 amino acid sequence, and has been shown to be toxic to neuronal cells in culture after an aging process of several days. This toxicity corresponds to the kinetics of in vitro amyloid fibril formation. In this study, we report the biochemical and ultrastructural effects of pH and the inhibitory agent hexadecyl-N-methylpiperidinium (HMP) bromide, one of a class of ionic micellar detergents known to be capable of solubilizing hydrophobic peptides, on the in vitro assembly of the peptide fragment Aβ.


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