Effects of mood state and psychosocial functioning on plasma Interleukin-6 in adult patients before cardiac surgery.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the potential effect of mood states and psychosocial functioning during the waiting weeks prior to major cardiac surgery on the plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in 236 patients immediately before their operation.

Method: The sample was recruited from patients at the cardiac clinic of the University of Michigan Medical Center (Ann Arbor). Two weeks before cardiac surgery, trained research assistants conducted a face-to-face interview with these middle-aged and older patients on their preoperative physical examination date at the clinic.

Isoflavone levels in five soybean (Glycine max) genotypes are altered by phytochrome-mediated light treatments.

The objective of the present study was to determine whether concentrations of different isoflavones (puerarin, genistein, genistin, daidzein, and daidzin) in shoots and roots of five selected soybean genotypes would respond the same or differently to red (650 nm peak transmittance) and far-red (750 nm peak transmittance) light treatments given under controlled environments. Levels of isoflavones (mg g(-1) dry weight biomass) present in seeds, control roots, and shoots and 10 day light-treated seedlings (light, dark, red, and far-red wavelengths) of soybean (Glycine max) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis in comparison with known isoflavone standards. Seeds of the five soybean genotypes studied consistently stored most of their isoflavones as glucosyl conjugates (e.

Differential effects of opioid peptides on myocardial ischemic tolerance.

Background: Opioid peptides, which can induce mammalian hibernation, may provide protection against subcellular and molecular changes during hypothermic myocardial ischemia. This study examined the differential effects of the three known myocyte opioid receptors, Mu (micro), Delta (delta), and Kappa (kappa), in augmenting myocardial ischemic tolerance.

Methods: Control hearts (CH) were compared to hearts pretreated with either the micro-agonist, fentanyl, the delta-agonist, DADLE, or delta-antagonist, NTB, or the kappa-agonist, U50488H (U50), or kappa-antagonist, nor-BNI.

Relative contribution of endogenous opioids to myocardial ischemic tolerance.

Background: Opioid preconditioning by exogenous opioids experimentally protects the myocardium against ischemia/reflow injury. Additionally, endogenous opioid peptides released during ischemia also enhance ischemic tolerance. Promiscuous opioid receptor agonists conceal the differential contribution of the mu, delta, and kappa opioid subtypes.

HL-1 myocytes exhibit PKC and K(ATP) channel-dependent delta opioid preconditioning.

Background: Opioid preconditioning protects the myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. By enhancing cardiomyocyte viability, opioids can enhance cardiac function and recovery from IR injury during acute cardiac care. The myocyte model HL-1 is an immortalized, mouse atrial cell line that expresses functional delta-opioid receptors.

Antioxidant capacity of polyphenolic extracts from leaves of Crataegus laevigata and Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn) subjected to drought and cold stress.

Crataegus laevigata and Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn) were subjected to drought and cold stress treatments, and polyphenolic extracts from control and stress-treated plants were assayed for antioxidant capacities using a modified version of the Total Antioxidant Status Assay (Randox, San Francisco, CA). In addition, these plants were analyzed for levels of flavanol-type substance [(-)-epicatechin] and flavonoid (vitexin 2' '-O-rhamnoside, acetylvitexin 2' '-O-rhamnoside, and hyperoside) constituents that are important metabolites in hawthorn herbal preparations used to treat patients with heart disease. Drought and cold stress treatments caused increases in levels of (-)-epicatechin and hyperoside in both Crataegus species.