Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0153470 (Spleen)
 4,015 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Rat thymocytes were exposed in vitro to the corticosteroid dexamethasone, 10 nM, for 10 min, or to oleic acid, 500 nM for 2 min. This results in cytolysis after 6 hr, if incubation is continued. Instead, the cells were centrifuged, the supernatant fluid decanted, and the cells subjected to osmotic shock in 1.5 mM MgCl2. The naked nuclei were incubated at 37 degrees C and examined by light and electron microscopy. Nuclear edema was evident early, and most nuclei showed damage with variation in shape and size and distinct folds, which was maximal by 1-2 hr as a result of these treatments. This was true also if nuclei were incubated in MgF2 or Mg(NO3)2 but not in MgBr2, MgI2, MgSO4 or Mg-citrate. Spleen lymphocyte nuclei showed similar damage but only after incubation with 20 microM oleic acid, and not at all with corticosteroids. The effects of both steroid and fatty acid, even at greatly increased concentrations, were inhibited by tri-n-butyl tin chloride, 10 microM, and by 4-4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, sodium salt, 10 microM, both of which block chloride ion transport. It is concluded that the cytolytic effects of both corticosteroids and free fatty acids involve influx of chloride ion resulting in nuclear edema, which subsequently leads to fragmentation of chromatin, karyorrhexis and, ultimately, cytolysis.
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PMID:Role of anions in the lymphocytolytic action of corticosteroids and fatty acids. 649 16

Spleen function was studied in a group of 20 Kuwaiti SS patients (aged 2-12 years), using 99mTc-labeled tin colloid scintigraphy. They were screened for the alpha-thalassemia determinants which are prevalent in the Arabian Peninsula [-alpha (3.7 kb) deletion, alpha2-globin gene polyadenylation signal (AATAAA => AATAAG) mutation, and 5' IVS-I splice junction pentanucleotide (GAGGTGAGG => GAGG) deletion] with a combination of polymerase chain reaction and allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) hybridization techniques. The patients were divided into three groups depending on the result of their colloid uptake. Group I consisted of 7 patients (35.0%) with normally visualized spleens, Group II consisted of 5 (25.0%) with partial visualization, and in Group III there were 8 (40.0%) in whom the spleen was not visualized at all. The significant distinguishing features among those in Groups I and III were mean corpuscular volumes (MCVs) of 74.1 +/- 5.1 and 90.1 +/- 6.6 fl (P<0.0001) and mean corpuscular hemoglobins (MCHs) of 22.4 +/- 2.7 and 27.5 +/- 4.0 pg (P<0.05), respectively. The overall frequency of alpha-thalassemia determinants in the study was 35.0%; however, the frequencies in Groups I, II, and III were 57.1, 30.0, and 18.8%, respectively. alpha-Thalassemia trait, therefore, appears to be associated with normal splenic function in these patients.
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PMID:Influence of alpha-thalassemia trait on spleen function in sickle cell anemia patients with high HbF. 881 88