Differential Response of Neural Cells to Trauma-Induced Swelling In Vitro.

Brain edema and the associated increase in intracranial pressure are major consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that accounts for most early deaths after TBI. We recently showed that acute severe trauma to cultured astrocytes results in cell swelling. We further examined whether trauma induces cell swelling in neurons and microglia. We found that severe trauma also caused cell swelling in cultured neurons, whereas no swelling was observed in microglia. While severe trauma caused cell swelling in both astrocytes and neurons, mild trauma to astrocytes, neurons, and microglia failed to cell swelling. Since extracellular levels of glutamate are increased in brain post-TBI and microglia are known to release cytokine, and direct exposure of astrocytes to these molecules are known to stimulate cell swelling, we examined whether glutamate or cytokines have any additive effect on trauma-induced cell swelling. Exposure of cultured astrocytes to trauma caused cell swelling, and such swelling was potentiated by the exposure of traumatized astrocytes to glutamate and cytokines. Conditioned medium (CM) from traumatized astrocytes had no effect on neuronal swelling post-trauma, while CM from traumatized neurons and microglia potentiated the effect of trauma on astrocyte swelling. Further, trauma significantly increased the Na-K-Cl co-transporter (NKCC) activity in neurons, and that inhibition of NKCC activity diminished the trauma-induced neuronal swelling. Our results indicate that a differential sensitivity to trauma-induced cell swelling exists in neural cells and that neurons and microglia are likely to be involved in the potentiation of the astrocyte swelling post-trauma.

Optically detected magnetic resonance of Escherichia coli glutamic acid specific transfer ribonucleic acid and its anticodon-anticodon complex with yeast phenylalanine-specific transfer ribonucleic acid.

The low-temperature phosphorescence and the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectra of Escherichia coli tRNA2Glu and its anticodon-anticodon complex with yeast tRNAPhe are reported. The ODMR signals are assigned to the modified base 5-[(methylamino)-methyl]-2-thiouracil (mnm5S2U) located at the "wobble" position of the anticodon. The zero-field splittings (zfs) are larger than those found for 1-methyl-2-thiouracil previously studied in a 1-methyluracil host system by ODMR. They are comparable, however, to those found for neat, polycrystalline 1-methyl-2-thiouracil and for the latter dissolved in ethyl acetate solvent. In the polycrystalline sample, five traps with widely varying zfs are assigned. A very large (15-25%) reduction in the D parameter of mnm5S2U is found to occur on formation of the anticodon-anticodon complex with yeast tRNAPhe. Additional ODMR signals found in the complex are assigned to the wybutine base of yeast tRNAPhe. The extreme sensitivity of the zfs parameters of S2U to environmental perturbations is ascribed to the variable involvement of the heavy atom containing chromophore, C = S, in the triplet-state wave function, which is largely localized on the C = C - C = O portion of the molecule.

Optically detected magnetic resonance of the phosphorescent bases of Escherichia coli valine-specific transfer ribonucleic acid.

Phosphorescence spectroscopy and optical detection of triplet state magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectroscopy have been used to characterize bases that contribute to the phosphorescence emission of Escherichia coli valine-specific transfer ribonucleic acid. When it is excited with 335-nm light, a short-lived phosphorescence with an origin near 435 nm is observed and is assigned to 4-thiouridine (s4U) at position 8 of the tRNA sequence. With excitation at 290-300 nm, a structured, long-lived phosphorescence is observed with an origin near 380 nm, in addition to the s4U phosphorescence. Comparison was made of the phosphorescence and ODMR spectra between Mg2+-containing and Mg2+-free tRNA samples. The s4U phosphorescence of the Mg2+-containing sample is more structured, and the peak is blue shifted relative to the Mg2+-free sample. Both samples give a single low-frequency (ca. 2.9 GHz) ODMR signal, but the high-frequency signal region (ca. 19-20 GHz) is structured. The Mg2+-containing sample has a partially resolved group of lines centered at 19.3 GHz, whereas the Mg2+-free sample has two broad bands centered at 19.2 and 20.0 gHz. The differences are attributed to effects of Mg2+ on the tRNA conformation. The ODMR signals observed by monitoring the long-lived phosphorescence are assigned to a pyrimidine nucleoside, possibly 5-(carboxy-methoxy)uridine in the anticodon.