Diagnosis of unilateral mainstem bronchial obstruction following single-lung transplantation with routine spirometry.

Single-lung transplantation has become a treatment option for many patients with advanced pulmonary disease. Recent advances in surgical technique and refined immunosuppressive regimens have led to improvement in long-term outcomes, but postoperative complications, including airway disorders, remain problematic. Serial spirometry with flow-volume loops is sensitive in detecting early small-airway disease associated with lung allograft rejection or bronchiolitis obliterans, but its role in the diagnosis of large-airway disease in the posttransplantation setting has not been delineated.

Phospholipase A2 in alveolar type II epithelial cells: biochemical and immunologic characterization.

The enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2) catalyzes phospholipid hydrolysis and is thought to play important roles in surfactant synthesis and in the generation of lipid mediators, including eicosanoids and platelet-activating factor. This study sought to characterize PLA2 in rat type II pneumocytes by biochemical and immunologic means. Type II cells were found to contain an alkaline-active, Ca(2+)-dependent PLA2 activity predominantly localized to cytosol fraction.

Platelet intracellular pH in essential hypertensives and normotensives.

Using the intracellularly trapped pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, BCECF, basal intracellular pH was measured in 18 essential hypertensives and 23 normotensives. The average intracellular pH was slightly, but not significantly, lower in the hypertensives (7.173 +/- 0.

Inhibition by dihydropyridine class calcium channel blockers of tumor cell-platelet-endothelial cell interactions in vitro and metastasis in vivo.

Three calcium channel blockers of the dihydropyridine class were tested in vitro for their effects on tumor cell-platelet-endothelial cell interactions and in vivo for antimetastatic properties. Felodipine, nimodipine and nifedipine inhibited tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. These compounds also inhibited platelet-enhanced tumor cell adhesion to endothelial cells in vitro.