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Background and purpose: Liver X receptors (LXRs) activate genes that regulate lipid and cholesterol metabolism. LXR agonists were shown recently to also increase murine renin gene expression in vivo. To further examine a link between lipid metabolism, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system and blood pressure regulation, we investigated the effect of a LXR agonist (GW3965) on angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated vasoreactivity and vascular angiotensin II receptor (ATR) gene expression. Experimental approach: Arterial blood pressure (BP) was measured during Ang II infusions (1.5 min duration; 0.001–3 μg kg−1) in pentobarbital-anesthetized male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 6-9) after oral administration of GW3965 (10 mg kg−1, q.d.) or vehicle for 7 – 15 days. Mesenteric arteries and plasma were collected to analyze ATR gene expression and to measure plasma renin activity (PRA) and lipid profile, respectively. Key results: Basal mean arterial pressure (MAP) was similar between groups. GW3965 dosing blunted the vasopressor effect of Ang II, which was significantly different with the 0.3 and 3 μg kg−1 doses. No difference in heart rate, PRA or lipid profile was observed between groups. A time-course indicated that ATR type 1 and 2 gene expression of GW3965-treated vs. vehicle-treated rats decreased by 50%, reaching significance for ATR type 2, but not for ATR type 1, at time-points coinciding with BP measurements. Conclusions and implications: GW3965 decreased Ang II-mediated vasopressor responses coincident with a trend toward reduced ATR gene expression, suggesting that LXR agonists could affect vascular reactivity. British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 450–456; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707241

Recently, we reported on a family showing transmission of the FRAXA gene by three nonpenetrant, normally intelligent, full and half brothers to their affected grandsons [Kirkilionis et al., 1992]. We have reanalyzed this family for CGG repeat size by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification/Southern blot and FMR1 methylation status using EcoRI/BssHII double digests with pE5-1 as the hybridization probe. The half brother was found to have a premutation allele size of 59 CGG repeats. MnlI digestion of PCR products showed the absence of intervening AGG sequences. All of his obligate carrier daughters had CGG alleles ranging from 65 to 90 repeats, with a final expansion of more than 200 repeats in his FRAXA-affected grandson and 131 repeats in his carrier granddaughter. Two full brothers were shown to have inherited a 47-CGG repeat premutation allele. Analysis of one brother showed that he stably transmitted the 47-repeat allele to his daughter. Analysis of the second brother, his daughter, and his granddaughter showed that this allele was meiotically unstable, with the allele size increasing from 47, to 48, to 49 from the father, to the daughter to the granddaughter, respectively. MnlI digestion and DNA sequencing of PCR products showed the absence of intervening AGG sequences. This is the first case in which the lack of AGG interspersions has been associated with instability of a gray zone allele resulting in a one-repeat increase in two successive generations. Am. J. Med. Genet. 75:28–34, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The contractile and electrophysiological properties of cultured adult feline ventricular myocytes were studied. Cells were field stimulated and contraction was measured using a video-based edge detector. The magnitude of contraction decreased by 36% and the rate of contraction decreased by 52% 2 h after the cells were plated on laminin-coated cover slips. The magnitude and rate of contraction then remained stable for 1 wk. The duration of contraction prolonged and a second component to the twitch frequently, but not invariably, developed after 5 days in culture. This was associated with prolongation of the action potential duration. After 7 days in culture, cells could be divided into two groups based on resting membrane potential. Norepinephrine increased the magnitude of contraction for 5 days after plating. Cultured ventricular myocytes became unresponsive to the effects of norepinephrine after 7 days. Adult cardiac myocytes maintained in primary culture continue to respond to field stimulation and retain many contractile properties for up to 7 days; however, the functional characteristics of these cells do not remain uniform during this time period.

Liver X receptors (LXRs) activate genes that regulate lipid and cholesterol metabolism. LXR agonists were shown recently to also increase murine renin gene expression in vivo. To further examine a link between lipid metabolism, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system and blood pressure regulation, we investigated the effect of a LXR agonist (GW3965) on angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated vasoreactivity and vascular angiotensin II receptor (ATR) gene expression.Arterial blood pressure (BP) was measured during Ang II infusions (1.5 min duration; 0.001-3 microg kg(-1)) in pentobarbital-anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6-9) after oral administration of GW3965 (10 mg kg(-1), q.d.) or vehicle for 7 - 15 days. Mesenteric arteries and plasma were collected to analyze ATR gene expression and to measure plasma renin activity (PRA) and lipid profile, respectively.Basal mean arterial pressure (MAP) was similar between groups. GW3965 dosing blunted the vasopressor effect of Ang II, which was significantly different with the 0.3 and 3 microg kg(-1) doses. No difference in heart rate, PRA or lipid profile was observed between groups. A time-course indicated that ATR type 1 and 2 gene expression of GW3965-treated vs. vehicle-treated rats decreased by 50%, reaching significance for ATR type 2, but not for ATR type 1, at time-points coinciding with BP measurements.GW3965 decreased Ang II-mediated vasopressor responses coincident with a trend toward reduced ATR gene expression, suggesting that LXR agonists could affect vascular reactivity.

Recently, we reported on a family showing transmission of the FRAXA gene by three nonpenetrant, normally intelligent, full and half brothers to their affected grandsons [Kirkilionis et al., 1992]. We have reanalyzed this family for CGG repeat size by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification/Southern blot and FMR1 methylation status using EcoRI/BssHII double digests with pE5-1 as the hybridization probe. The half brother was found to have a premutation allele size of 59 CGG repeats. MnlI digestion of PCR products showed the absence of intervening AGG sequences. All of his obligate carrier daughters had CGG alleles ranging from 65 to 90 repeats, with a final expansion of more than 200 repeats in his FRAXA-affected grandson and 131 repeats in his carrier granddaughter. Two full brothers were shown to have inherited a 47-CGG repeat premutation allele. Analysis of one brother showed that he stably transmitted the 47-repeat allele to his daughter. Analysis of the second brother, his daughter, and his granddaughter showed that this allele was meiotically unstable, with the allele size increasing from 47, to 48, to 49 from the father, to the daughter to the granddaughter, respectively. MnlI digestion and DNA sequencing of PCR products showed the absence of intervening AGG sequences. This is the first case in which the lack of AGG interspersions has been associated with instability of a gray zone allele resulting in a one-repeat increase in two successive generations.

A physical map for 13 loci on chromosome 10 was developed by determining the dosage of the corresponding DNA sequences in cell lines with unbalanced chromosome 10 rearrangements. Nine of the sequences were assigned to a smaller segment of the chromosome than previously and four sublocalizations were confirmed. The physical map covers most of chromosome 10, from 10p13 to 10q23. The linear order of loci within the physical map agrees with existing linkage maps of chromosome 10. A comparison between the physical map and existing genetic maps indicate an uneven distribution of recombination for chromosome 10. There appear to be hot spots of recombination in the regions defined by q21.1 and q22–q23. In addition, there is a suppression of recombination in the pericentromeric region in males which is not evident in females.

Two new morphs (F and G) detected by the centromeric alpha satellite probe p alpha 10RP8 and D10Z1 in HinfI digests are linked to the PstI polymorphisms of D10Z1, confirming their chromosome 10 location. The F and G morphs were in strong linkage disequilibrium with each other but were in weak linkage disequilibrium with the A and B morphs defined in PstI digests. Data for haplotypes formed by using the A and F morphs improved the lod score for linkage between the disease locus for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) and D10Z1 (Z = 14.06 at theta = 0) in the six large families studied by Wu et al. Furthermore, the locus that codes for a distinct phenotype, medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) with parathyroid tumors (PTs) and no pheochromocytomas (PHEOs) (referred to as MTC with PTs), in one of the families was closely linked to two markers, D10Z1 and RBP3, with lodscores of 2.86 and 3.54, respectively, at theta = 0. A possible allelic association was noted between disease phenotypes and centromeric haplotypes. The phenotype MTC and PHEOs with and without PTs was associated with the same relatively common centromeric haplotype (A + B-F-G-) in the four families in which all four morphs could be determined, while the phenotype MTC with PTs was associated with the rare centromeric haplotype (A-B-F-G+) in one family.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) is a rare cancer syndrome that is inherited in an apparently autosomal dominant fashion. Previous linkage studies had assigned the MEN2A locus to chromosome 10 in the pericentromeric region. We recently have described several new easily scorable RFLPs for the chromosome 10–specific alpha satellite DNA (the D10Z1) locus that is known, on the basis of previous in situ hybridization experiments, to lie at the centromere. We report here tight linkage between MEN2A and D10Z1, as demonstrated by a maximum lod score of 12.02 at the recombination frequency of zero (1-lod-unit support interval 0–4 cM), indicating that the genetic defect in MEN2A lies in the immediate vicinity of the centromere. By means of a set of ordered polymorphic DNA markers from the pericentromeric region, multipoint as well as pairwise linkage analyses place the MEN2A locus at the middle of a small region (∼11 cM) bracketing the centromere with FNRB (at 10p11.2) and RBP3 (at 10q11.2) on either side, providing further support for the centromeric location of the MEN2A locus. Marked sex difference in recombination frequencies exists in this pericentromeric region: significantly (P < .01) more female than male crossovers were observed across all of the adjacent intervals D10S24–FNRB, FNRB–D10Z1, and D10Z1–RBP3. However, a sex difference was not seen in the 7-cM interval from RBP3 to D10S5, suggesting that large variation in the sex difference in recombination can occur over small chromosomal regions. Proper clinical application of these DNA markers in genetic counseling to determine the genotypes at the disease locus for those at-risk members in informative afflicted families must therefore take into account the implications imposed by the large and highly significant sex effect on recombination in the MEN2A region.

The beta subunit of the human fibronectin receptor (FNRB) is a transmembrane protein belonging to the VLA (very late antigens of activation) family. Using pGEM-32, a 2.5-kb partial cDNA clone corresponding to the 3' portion of the human FNRB locus, multiple restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were revealed on DNAs from unrelated Caucasians. RFLPs detected by five enzymes, BanII, HinfI, KpnI, BglII, and SacI, are of the simple two-allele form, and pairwise linkage analyses of these RFLPs with numerous known DNA markers from the chromosome-10 pericentromeric region not only confirmed the chromosome-10 assignment of the functional FNRB gene but also supported its localization at p11.2 suggested by in situ hybridization. An infrequent MspI RFLP was detected by pB/R2, a 4.6-kb genomic clone from the FNRB locus. Another type of DNA polymorphism was also revealed by the cDNA clone and it was visualized on the Southern blot analyses as the presence or absence of an extra band (or a set of extra bands). It seems to stem from a stretch of DNA sequence present in some individuals at one single locus but absent in others, and is of non-chromosome-10 origin based on linkage analyses with known chromosome 10 markers. This "presence/absence" type of polymorphism could be revealed by all of the 25 restriction enzymes tested and is similar in nature to that previously reported with one of the human dihydrofolate reductase pseudogenes, DHFRP1. Dissection of the pGEM-32 clone demonstrated that the region revealing the non-chromosome-10 sequences is within a fragment about 1.7 kb in length extending from about 600 nucleotides preceding the stop codon down to the end of the cloned FNRB 3' untranslated region. Due to its high polymorphism information content (PIC) value (0.71 for haplotypes of BanII, HinfI, and KpnI RFLPs) and proximity to the centromere. FNRB will prove to be a highly useful marker for genetic linkage studies of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) as well as for chromosome-10 linkage studies in general.