Changes in alphaB-crystallin content in adult rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) were examined after 8 wk of 3,5, 3'-triiodothyronine (T(3)) and propylthiouracil (PTU) treatments. Cellular distributions of alphaB-crystallin expression related to fiber type, and distribution shifts with these treatments were also examined in detail from the gray level of reactivity to specific anti-alphaB-crystallin antibody. alphaB-crystallin content in both soleus and EDL muscles was significantly decreased after T(3), and that in EDL was significantly increased over twofold after PTU treatment. In both control soleus and EDL muscles, the gray level of type I fibers was higher than that of type II fibers. alphaB-crystallin expression among type II subtypes was muscle specific; the order was type I > IIa > IIx > IIb in control EDL muscle and type IIx > or = IIa in soleus muscle. The relation was basically unchanged in both muscles after T(3) treatment and was, in particular, well maintained in EDL muscle. Under hypothyroidism conditions with PTU, the mean alphaB-crystallin levels of type IIa and IIx fibers were significantly lower than levels under control conditions. Thus the relation between fiber type and the expression manner of stress protein alphaB-crystallin is muscle specific and also is well regulated under thyroid hormone, especially in fast EDL muscle.

Gynecomastia in boys with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and Sertoli cell tumors of gonadal origin results from increased estrogen production due to increased aromatase activity within the testicular tumor. We present a prepubertal boy with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, gynecomastia and bilateral neoplastic Sertoli cell proliferation in whom the only abnormal hormonal profile was increased concentration of inhibin Β and Pro-α C in serum.

Myosin of human skeletal muscles was analyzed by means of several electrophoretic techniques. Myosin heavy chain (HC)-IIa-and HC-IIb-based isomyosins were identified by pyrophosphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PP-PAGE). The electrophoretic mobilities of these fast-twitch muscle isomyosins differed in the order HC-IIa triplets < HC-IIb triplets. To determine the subunit composition of myosin molecules that function in intact muscle, two-dimensional electrophoresis in which the first and second dimensions were PP-PAGE and sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE, respectively, was also performed. Slow-twitch muscle isomyosin contained, in addition to slow-twitch light chain (LC) and HC-I isoforms, appreciable amounts of LC-2f, HC-IIa, and HC-IIb isoforms, and fast-twitch muscle isomyosin consisted of LC-2s and HC-I isoforms as well as fast-twitch LC and HC isoforms. Without consideration of HC- and slow-twitch alkali LC heterodimers, at least 31 possible isomyosins are derived from these findings on the subunit composition of isomyosins in human skeletal muscle.

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