Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In vivo assessment of toxicant action on Leydig cell function is subject to homeostatic mechanisms which make it difficult to determine whether any changes seen in serum testosterone (T) concentration are due to extragonadal endocrine alterations or to a direct effect on the Leydig cell. For example, metal cations administered in vivo have been shown to depress serum T concentration and alter serum concentrations of pituitary hormones in laboratory animals. The studies reported here use a testicular cell culture technique to evaluate Leydig cell testosterone biosynthesis in the presence of several metal cations. To determine the site of toxic action, the Leydig cells were stimulated to produce testosterone by using human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), dibutyl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (db-cAMP), or several substrates required for the biosynthesis of testosterone. hCG was chosen because resultant T production requires an intact membrane receptor and db-cAMP was used to test for post LH receptor defects caused by the metals. The other substrates were chosen to isolate the effect of metals on enzymatic pathways. Collagenase dispersed testicular cells (15% Leydig cells) were incubated with metal cations (1 to 5000 microM) for 3 hr in the absence and presence of maximally stimulating concentrations of hCG, db-cAMP, 20 alpha-hydroxycholesterol (HCHOL), or pregnenolone (PREG), and T concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. In one separate experiment we also tested the effect of the substrates progesterone, 17 alpha-hydroxy-progesterone, and androstenedione on Cd2(+)-treated Leydig cells. The results show no change in Leydig cell viability with any metal cation treatment during the 3-hr incubation. Ca2+, Cr3+, Fe3+, Mg2+, Na+, or Pb2+ had no effect on stimulated testosterone. Dose-response depression in both hCG- and db-cAMP-stimulated T production were seen with Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ treatment. Surprisingly, Cd2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+, which caused a depression in hCG- and db-cAMP-stimulated T production, caused significant increases in HCHOL- and PREG-stimulated T production over untreated and similarly stimulated cultures. This indicates that these cations may act at multiple sites within the Leydig cell.
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PMID:Effect of cadmium and other metal cations on in vitro Leydig cell testosterone production. 185 Jan 71

The action of group IIb cations [Cadmium (Cd2+), Zinc (Zn2+), Mercury (Hg2+)] on the cardiac fast sodium current (INa) was investigated in calf Purkinje fibres and in ventricular cells isolated from guinea-pig hearts. In calf Purkinje fibres, INa was depressed by submillimolar concentrations of Zn2+ and Hg2+. With both cations, the current reduction occurred at all voltages in the range of current activation and the voltage dependence of peak current was unchanged. The degree of peak current inhibition depended on the cation concentration but not on voltage. The position of the inactivation curve on the voltage axis was unaltered at cation concentrations giving substantial current inhibition, and moved to the right only with concentration exceeding 1-1.5 mM. These effects can be interpreted as due to INa channel blockade. The action of Zn2+ and Hg2+ was similar to that described earlier of Cd2+ on Purkinje fibres (DiFrancesco et al. 1985b). INa was also inhibited by group IIb cations in isolated guinea-pig ventricular cells. Depression of INa by Cd2+, Zn2+ and Hg2+ was essentially voltage-independent, in agreement with its being caused by channel block. The dependence of INa block by Cd2+ upon external Na concentration [Na+0] was investigated in ventricular myocytes. The fraction of INa block by 0.1 mM CdCl2 was 0.50 at 140 mM, 0.81 at 70 mM and 0.83 at 35 mM [Na+]0. A similar increase of block efficiency at low [Na+0] was observed with 0.05 mM CdCl2. In both the Purkinje fibre and the ventricular cell, the order of potency of INa block by group IIb cations was Hg2+ greater than Zn2+ greater than Cd2+. Manganese (Mn2+, 2-5 mM), an ion of group VIIa, also depressed the INa in Purkinje fibres and ventricular myocytes. This effect was however due mainly to a positive shift on the voltage dependence of current kinetics rather than to a reduction of the conductance of the channel (GNa), and can be accounted for by an ion-screening action of Mn2+ on the external membrane surface. The block by group IIb cations is a typical property of cardiac Na+ channels and characterizes the cardiac as opposed to other types of Na+ channel.
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PMID:Sodium current block caused by group IIb cations in calf Purkinje fibres and in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes. 196 24

Smell and taste disorders are common in the general population, yet little is known about their nature or cause. This article describes a study of 750 patients with complaints of abnormal smell or taste perception from the University of Pennsylvania Smell and Taste Center, Philadelphia. Major findings suggest that: chemosensory dysfunction influences quality of life; complaints of taste loss usually reflect loss of smell function; upper respiratory infection, head trauma, and chronic nasal and paranasal sinus disease are the most common causes of the diminution of the sense of smell, with head trauma having the greatest loss; depression frequently accompanies chemosensory distortion; low body weight accompanies burning mouth syndrome; estrogens protect against loss of the sense of smell in postmenopausal women; zinc therapy may provide no benefit to patients with chemosensory dysfunction; and thyroid hormone function is associated with oral sensory distortion. The findings are discussed in relation to management of patients with chemosensory disturbances.
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PMID:Smell and taste disorders, a study of 750 patients from the University of Pennsylvania Smell and Taste Center. 202 70

Condensates of smoke from titanium dioxide/hexachloroethane and zinc/hexachloroethane pyrotechnic mixtures were investigated for their potential to produce genetic damage in the tester strains TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537 of Salmonella typhimurium and in the mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay. Both smoke condensates contained several chlorinated hydrocarbons among which tetrachloroethylene, hexachloroethane, hexachlorobutadiene and hexachlorobenzene were identified by GC/MS. Condensate of smoke from titanium dioxide/hexachloroethane showed a dose-related positive response in the Salmonella assay with strains TA98 and TA100 in the absence of metabolic activation from rat liver S9 fraction. Both smoke condensates were negative in the micronucleus assay but produced a small but significant depression of erythropoietic activity. The results indicate that smoke condensate from titanium dioxide/hexachloroethane mixtures contains unidentified compound(s) that may be considered mutagenic in the Salmonella assay.
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PMID:Mutagenicity testing of condensates of smoke from titanium dioxide/hexachloroethane and zinc/hexachloroethane pyrotechnic mixtures. 202 39

The impact of restricted zinc availability on myoblast differentiation was investigated. Lack of zinc prevented myoblast fusion and the increase in muscle-specific creatine kinase activity. The depression of activity of creatine kinase in the zinc-deficient cultures was accompanied by a similar decrease in the concentration of creatine kinase mRNA and was apparent even when fusion of the myoblasts was inhibited by cytochalasin B. Thus zinc appears to be necessary for the expression of creatine kinase during myoblast differentiation.
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PMID:Inhibition of myoblast differentiation by lack of zinc. 203 64

The human cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) facilitates the exchange of neutral lipids among lipoproteins. In order to evaluate the effects of increased plasma CETP on lipoprotein levels, a human CETP minigene was placed under the control of the mouse metallothionein-I promoter and used to develop transgenic mice. Integration of the human CETP transgene into the mouse genome resulted in the production of active plasma CETP. Zinc induction of CETP transgene expression caused depression of serum cholesterol due to a significant reduction of high density lipoprotein cholesterol. There was no change in total cholesterol content in very low and low density lipoproteins. However, there was a decrease in the free cholesterol/cholesteryl ester ratio in plasma and in all lipoprotein fractions of transgenic mouse plasma, suggesting stimulation of plasma cholesterol esterification. The results suggest that high levels of plasma CETP activity may be a cause of reduced high density lipoproteins in humans.
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PMID:Reduced high density lipoprotein cholesterol in human cholesteryl ester transfer protein transgenic mice. 204 May 99

The present study was performed to determine whether alterations in fuel reserves or energy substrate utilization might explain the performance decrements that occur in bacterial infections. Male Fisher-Dunning rats were studied at 24, 48, and 72 h after inoculation with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Rats were either sedentary or subjected to a 2-h swimming session at these three time points (N = 10 in each group). A more than 60% reduction (P less than 0.01) in performance capacity was observed on day 3 of infection compared with that in noninfected controls. This infection in the rat is characterized by fever (P less than 0.01), depression of plasma zinc (P less than 0.01) and free fatty acid (FFA) levels (P less than 0.01), inhibition of the two- to threefold increase in fasting ketonemia, and a decreased (NS) insulin:glucagon ratio, indicating a catabolic state. Glycogen stores were reduced in the heart (47%), liver (43%), and skeletal muscles (39%) but not in the carcass. Superimposed exercise resulted in a further reduction but not depletion of liver, muscle, and carcass glycogen stores, a less pronounced lactic acid accumulation, and a lower oxygen debt. However, plasma FFA and ketone body levels were still maintained or even elevated, suggesting that fat is supplied as fuel during swimming exercise in this infection. Thus, results indicate that unavailability of energy substrates or lactacidosis is not limiting for performance capacity during this severe infection.
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PMID:Metabolic responses to swimming exercise in Streptococcus pneumoniae infected rats. 205 98

The induction of hepatic metallothionein (MT) by the parenteral administration of iron was studied. Iron administered to chicks by intravenous or subcutaneous injection caused a 1.9-fold increase in hepatic MT. In marked contrast, intraperitoneal (ip) Fe resulted in a 10-fold increase, thus demonstrating the importance of the route of metal administration. This route-dependent effect was found to be dose-dependent, with ip injections between 1 and 10 mg Fe/kg resulting in a linear increase in MT and a concomitant reduction in serum zinc concentration and feed intake. High ip doses of Fe resulted in a persistent depression in serum Zn and elevated MT and MTmRNA. Equimolar ip injections of either Zn or Fe showed similar patterns of MTmRNA accumulation. In both cases MTmRNA levels were elevated by 3 h, with a peak at 6 h postinjection (Fe 8-fold, Zn 12-fold above 0 h). Plasma Zn was maximally reduced by Fe at 9 h (60%). The MT induction by Fe, as well as related depression in plasma Zn, was completely inhibited by actinomycin D. Zn depletion eliminated the accumulation of hepatic Zn and MT protein following ip injection of Fe or endotoxin, but not of cadmium, despite marked elevation of hepatic MTmRNA. Our results demonstrate Fe injected into the body cavity of chicks results in a rapid induction of hepatic MT that, like endotoxin induction, is independent of dietary Zn status.
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PMID:Iron-induced metallothionein in chick liver: a rapid, route-dependent effect independent of zinc status. 221 49

The action of the endogenous divalent cation zinc on Ca2+ and Ca2(+)-dependent currents was studied in rat hippocampal CA1 and CA3 neurons in vitro, by means of a single electrode voltage clamp technique. Bath application of zinc (0.5-1 microM) produced a small membrane depolarization associated with an increase in synaptic noise and cell excitability and a depression of the afterhyperpolarization following a train of action potentials. The effects on the afterhyperpolarization, could not be reversed on washout. In voltage-clamped neurons, zinc induced a steady inward current and reduced, at resting membrane potential, the peak amplitude of the outward current underlying the afterhyperpolarization, IAHP. In caesium loaded neurons (in the presence of tetrodotoxin and tetraethylammonium), zinc reduced the slow inactivating Ca2+ current activated from a holding potential of -40 mV. Similar results were observed with nickel and cobalt at comparable concentrations, with Zn2+ greater than Ni2+ greater than Co2+, in their order of potency. In contrast to nickel and cobalt the effects of zinc did not reverse on washout. These results suggest that low concentrations of zinc enhance cell excitability by reducing IAHP. In addition, zinc reduces the slow inactivating voltage-dependent Ca2+ current. The irreversible effect of this metal ion is compatible with a toxic, intracellular site of action.
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PMID:Submicromolar concentrations of zinc irreversibly reduce a calcium-dependent potassium current in rat hippocampal neurons in vitro. 223 3

The purpose of this 2 factorial designed study was to investigate the influence of citric acid on the availability of zinc from diets containing 140 g corn germs as a native phytate source (0.5% phytate in diet). Growing male rats with an average initial weight of 42 g were divided into 8 groups of 8 animals each. After a 7 d depletion period (2.4 micrograms Zn/g diet) the animals were fed ad libitum for 21 d a diet on the basis of egg white solid and corn germs. The diets were supplemented with zinc in order to obtain phytate:zinc molar ratios of 31, 20, 14, and 0 (control without corn germs, 11 micrograms Zn/g diet). Each diet was fed with and without a supplementation of 1% citric acid. A phytate:Zn molar ratio of 31:1 resulted in typical symptoms of zinc-deficiency like anorexia, alopecia and a significant depression of growth. These effects were apparently reduced by citric acid. The zinc concentration in serum and organs followed the graded levels of phytate:zinc molar ratios. Primary significant effects of the phytate:Zn molar ratio but also effects of citric acid and interactions between the 2 factors phytate:Zn and citric acid could be detected. Only total liver zinc but not liver zinc based on fresh matter was affected by the phytate:Zn molar ratio. In serum and tissues the activity of alkaline phosphatase showed a significant response to the phytate:zinc molar ratio. Furthermore the supplementation with citric acid increased the femur alkaline phosphatase and slightly reduced it in the liver. The concentrations of metallothionein in liver duodenum, jejunum and ileum were significantly affected by the phytate:Zn molar ratio.
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PMID:[The effect of a supplement of citric acid on the bioavailability of zinc from corn germ]. 233 19


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