The purpose of this study was to define the role of the Rho family of small GTPases in the beta-adrenergic regulation of the Na,K-ATPase in alveolar epithelial cells (AEC). The beta-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol (ISO) increased the Na,K-ATPase protein abundance at the plasma membrane and activated RhoA in a time-dependent manner. AEC pretreated with mevastatin, a specific inhibitor ...

Daytime exchanges with glucose osmotic agents often lead to dialysate reabsorption, poor ultrafiltration (UF), positive sodium balance, and restricted purification of uremic toxins. We studied 5 anuric children on continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (mean age: 10 years, 10 months), comparing icodextrin to a conventional glucose-based dialysate. The same fill volume (980 +/- 290 mL/m2) and th...

Clenbuterol, a compound classified as a beta2-adrenoceptor (AR) agonist, has been employed in combination with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) to treat patients with severe heart failure. Previous studies have shown that chronic administration of clenbuterol affects cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. However, the acute effects of clenbuterol and the signaling pathway involved rema...

BETA2/NeuroD, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, is a key regulator of pancreatic islet morphogenesis and insulin gene transcription. Here we report for the first time that the BETA2/NeuroD protein can permeate several cells, including pancreatic islets, due to an arginine- and lysine-rich protein transduction domain sequence in its structure. The BETA2/NeuroD protein was transduced...

As the aged population is soaring, prevalence of osteoporosis is increasing. However, the molecular basis underlying the regulation of bone mass is still incompletely understood. Sympathetic tone acts via beta2 adrenergic receptors in bone and regulates the mass of bone which is the target organ of parathyroid hormone (PTH). However, whether beta2 adrenergic receptor is regulated by PTH in bone...

The physiological roles of phospholipase C (PLC) beta2 in hematopoiesis, leukocyte function, and host defense against infection were investigated using a mouse line that lacks PLC beta2. PLC beta2 deficiency did not affect hematopoiesis, but it blocked chemoattractant-induced Ca2+ release, superoxide production, and MAC-1 up-regulation in neutrophils. In view of these effects, it was surprising...

Recent data suggest that beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes couple differentially to signaling pathways regulating cardiac function vs. cardiac remodeling. To dissect the roles of beta1- vs. beta2-receptors in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy, doxorubicin was administered to beta1, beta2, and beta1/beta2 knockout (-/-) and wild-type mice. Expression and activation of MAPKs were measured. Wild-...

beta2 integrin molecules are involved in a multitude of cellular events, including adhesion, migration, and cellular activation. Here, we studied the influence of beta2 integrins on interleukin-2 (IL-2)-mediated signal transduction in human CD4(+) T cell lines obtained from healthy donors and a leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) patient. We show that IL-2 induces tyrosine phosphorylation of a ...

Screening of serum by using a surface plasmon resonance analysis assay identified beta2-glycoprotein-I/apolipoprotein H as a plasma component binding to the renal epithelial endocytic receptor megalin. A calcium-dependent megalin-mediated beta2-glycoprotein-I endocytosis was subsequently demonstrated by ligand blotting of rabbit renal cortex and uptake analysis in megalin-expressing cells. Immu...