Effects of enterally- and parenterally-administered bombesin on intestinal luminal tryptic activity and protein in the suckling rat

Summary Because of the presence of bombesin-like immunoreactivity in milk we investigated if enteral administration of bombesin affects the intestinal luminal content of trypsin and protein in 12-14-day-old rats. Bombesin (40 g/kg), given either orogastrically or subcutaneously, produced a significant elevation in the intestinal content of trypsin activity. Thus, enterally-administered bombesin can produce acute biologic effects in suckling rats.     

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha controls the development of a hepatic epithelium and liver morphogenesis

Although advances have been made in understanding cell differentiation, only rudimentary knowledge exists concerning how differentiated cells form tissues and organs. We studied liver organogenesis because the cell and tissue architecture of this organ is well defined. Approximately 60% of the adult liver consists of hepatocytes that are arranged as single-cell anastomosing plates extending from the portal region of the liver lobule toward the central vein. The basal surface of the hepatocytes is separated from adjacent sinusoidal endothelial cells by the space of Disse, where the exchange of substances between serum and hepatocytes takes place. The hepatocyte's apical surface forms bile canaliculi that transport bile to the hepatic ducts. Proper liver architecture is crucial for hepatic function and is commonly disrupted in disease states, including cirrhosis and hepatitis. Here we report that hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (Hnf4alpha) is essential for morphological and functional differentiation of hepatocytes, accumulation of hepatic glycogen stores and generation of a hepatic epithelium. We show that Hnf4alpha is a dominant regulator of the epithelial phenotype because its ectopic expression in fibroblasts induces a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. Most importantly, the morphogenetic parameters controlled by Hnf4alpha in hepatocytes are essential for normal liver architecture, including the organization of the sinusoidal endothelium.     

Effects of enterally- and parenterally-administered bombesin on intestinal luminal tryptic activity and protein in the suckling rat

Because of the presence of bombesin-like immunoreactivity in milk, we investigated if enteral administration of bombesin affects the intestinal luminal content of trypsin and protein in 12-14-day-old rats. Bombesin (40 micrograms/kg), given either orogastrically or subcutaneously, produced a significant elevation in the intestinal content of trypsin activity. Thus, enterally-administered bombesin can produce acute biologic effects in suckling rats.     

Epidermal growth factor receptors increase during the differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells.

Mouse teratocarcinoma stem cells (embryonal carcinoma, or EC cells) bind very small amounts of mouse epidermal growth factor (EGF) and the latter hormone seems to have no stimulatory effect on the growth of two cloned lines of EC cells. However, when EC cells are induced to differentiate into large flat endodern-like cells (END cells), EGF receptors increase in number reaching a plateau in 6 to 8 days. At 8 to 10 days after induction, END cells multiply very slowly, but when EGF is added (3 x 10(-10) M) to the medium, cell division is stimulated and a further change in morphology occurs. This letter describes the binding characteristics and numbers of the EGF receptors on EC and END cells and shows that exogenous retinoic acid increases the numbers of EGF receptors on END cells. We were unable to find endogenous competing factors produced by EC cells. Such factors could account for the lack of detectable binding of EGF on these cells. As EC cells differentiate to END cells, so the ability of the cells to form tumours is reduced. Since this change is accompanied by an increase in the number of EGF receptors there may be a relationship between these two events.     

Mutations in progranulin cause tau-negative frontotemporal dementia linked to chromosome 17

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common cause of dementia in people under the age of 65 years. A large proportion of FTD patients (35-50%) have a family history of dementia, consistent with a strong genetic component to the disease. In 1998, mutations in the gene encoding the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) were shown to cause familial FTD with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17q21 (FTDP-17). The neuropathology of patients with defined MAPT mutations is characterized by cytoplasmic neurofibrillary inclusions composed of hyperphosphorylated tau. However, in multiple FTD families with significant evidence for linkage to the same region on chromosome 17q21 (D17S1787-D17S806), mutations in MAPT have not been found and the patients consistently lack tau-immunoreactive inclusion pathology. In contrast, these patients have ubiquitin (ub)-immunoreactive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions and characteristic lentiform ub-immunoreactive neuronal intranuclear inclusions. Here we demonstrate that in these families, FTD is caused by mutations in progranulin (PGRN) that are likely to create null alleles. PGRN is located 1.7 Mb centromeric of MAPT on chromosome 17q21.31 and encodes a 68.5-kDa secreted growth factor involved in the regulation of multiple processes including development, wound repair and inflammation. PGRN has also been strongly linked to tumorigenesis. Moreover, PGRN expression is increased in activated microglia in many neurodegenerative diseases including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, motor neuron disease and Alzheimer's disease. Our results identify mutations in PGRN as a cause of neurodegenerative disease and indicate the importance of PGRN function for neuronal survival.     

Antineoplastic activity of lipid-soluble dialkyl esters of methotrexate

Résumé L'action biologique de 6 esters liposolubles di-n-alkyle de la méthotrexate (MTX) a été comparée à celle du composé non estérifié. En tant qu'inhibiteurs de la réductase dihydrofolate de cellules leucémiques L1210 de la souris, les esters ont été moins efficaces que la MTX. In vivo, les esters dialkyles ont eu une action égale à celle de la MTX, en prolongeant la survie des souris inoculées par l'injection de cellules leucémiques L1210. Puisque les esters sont rapidement hydrolysés in vivo on conclut que l'action antitumeur chez la souris est due à la libération de la MTX.

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We thank Dr.Dorris J. Hutchison, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, for supplying mice bearing the L1210/A (XL) tumor; and Mr.C. J. Derr, Mr.J. C. Drake and Mr.S. T. Yancey for skilled technical assistance.