Ca(2+)-transport across brush border and basal surfaces of human term [correction of terms] placenta.

Brush border microvillous (BBM) and basal cell membranes (BCM) were isolated from syncytiotrophoblast of human term placenta by homogenization, sonication, prolonged stirring and differential centrifugation. Uptake of 45Ca(2+)-CaCl2 in membrane vesicles in morpholino propane sulphonic acid (MOPS) buffer was studied up to 60 min. Maximum uptake of the radioisotope was recorded at 10 and 15 min of incubation of the BBM and BCM, respectively. Radioisotopic uptake was also dependent on the Ca(2+)-concentration, linear up to 3 mu mole and then assuming hyperbolic substrate saturation kinetics. The Lineweaver-Burk transformation of the data gave Kt value for BBM and BCM, 0.85 and 1.08 microM, respectively while the Vmax of uptake (Jmax) in the same were 105.26 and 188.68 pmole Ca2+/microgram protein/20 min. Ca(2+)-Uptake in placental BBM and BCM vesicles was inhibited by two Ca(2+)-channel blockers, nifedipine and verapamil to as much as 50% while Ca(2+)-ionophore A23187 enhanced the uptake process significantly.

Isolation and characterization of the basal cell membranes of the human term placenta.

A relatively simple and rapid method is described for the isolation of basal cell membranes (BCM) from the human placenta at term which showed considerable improvement in the yield, purity and membrane characteristics as compared to the earlier described methods. The method is based on thorough washings of the syncytium in balanced salt solution, selective grinding, hypotonic lysis, sonication, incubation with EDTA and then more conventional differential centrifugation and ultracentrifugation. The isolated material showed smooth surfaced vesicular structure of various sizes as revealed by both positive and negative staining and transmission electron microscopic analysis. The membrane was highly enriched in Na+/K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ dependent ATPase activities while the cross contamination with brush border surfaces was low as revealed by the marker enzyme assays specific for the brush border membrane (BBM) such as the disaccharide hydrolases, aminopeptidase and alkaline phosphatase. The membrane showed a relatively low lipid/protein ratio and the lipid composition represented by a variety of phospholipids (phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl inositol and phosphatidyl serine), neutral lipids (cholesterol, triacyl glycerol, free fatty acids) and glycosphingolipids (ganglioside, cerebroside and sulfatide). It also contained plasmalogens. On SDS-PAGE analysis and Coomassie blue staining reaction, the isolated membrane showed 14 major bands with as many minor ones with a molecular weight ranging between 30-110 kDa.

Effect of selected metal ions on the motility and carbohydrate metabolism of ejaculated human spermatozoa.

Zinc, lead and cadmium in the form of chloride salts when added to a standard assay system containing 80 X 10(-6) ejaculated washed human spermatozoa caused a dose and duration-dependent inhibition of their motility. The activity of certain key enzymes of carbohydrate and energy metabolism, viz, glycogen phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, amylase, Mg2+- dependent ATPase and lactic and succinic acid dehydrogenases were also found to be inhibited. The order of inhibitory effects of the heavy metals were zinc less than lead less than cadmium. The metal chelating agent, ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA, disodium salt) also interfered with the spermatozoal motility and inhibited the enzyme activities.