Surfactant protein A is decreased in the lung of rats with hepatopulmonary syndrome.

Purpose: To evaluate surfactant protein A levels in an hepatopulmonary syndrome rat model. To date, there have been no studies aimed at evaluating surfactant levels in the setting of cirrhosis or hepatopulmonary syndrome.

Methods: A total of 35 rats were divided into control, sham, and experimental HPS groups.

B-type natriuretic peptide modulates the action potential and the L-type calcium current in adult rat heart muscle cells.

Natriuretic peptides seem to be a potent regulator of cell Ca2+ signalling in their action on the cardiovascular system. It was therefore the aim of this study to investigate the effect(s) of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) on the action potential and the L-type calcium current (I(CaL)) in the rat left ventricular myocytes. Perforated and whole cell patch clamp technique was used to record action potential (AP) and I(CaL) in current and voltage clamp mode, respectively.

Analysis of the immunogenicity and stability of a porcine pulmonary surfactant preparation administered in rabbits.

Purpose: To study the immunogenicity and the stability of the porcine pulmonary surfactant preparation produced by the Instituto Butantan.

Method: Immunogenicity assay: Sixteen New-Zealand-White rabbits (1000 g body weight) were divided into 4 study groups. Each group was assigned to receive either a) Butantan surfactant, b) Survanta (Abbott Laboratories), c) Curosurf (Farmalab Chiesi), or d) no surfactant.

Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG expressing the Sm14 antigen of Schistosoma mansoni protects mice from cercarial challenge.

The Sm14 antigen of Schistosoma mansoni was cloned and expressed in Mycobacterium bovis BCG as a fusion with the Mycobacterium fortuitum beta-lactamase protein under the control of its promoter, pBlaF*; the protein was localized in the bacterial cell wall. The rBCG-Sm14 strain was shown to be relatively stable in cultured murine and bovine monocytes in terms of infectivity, bacterial persistence, and plasmid stability. The immunization of mice with rBCG-Sm14 showed no induction of anti-Sm14 antibodies; however, splenocytes of immunized mice released increased levels of gamma interferon upon stimulation with recombinant Sm14 (rSm14), indicating an induction of a Th1-predominant cellular response against Sm14.

PsaA (pneumococcal surface adhesin A) and PspA (pneumococcal surface protein A) DNA vaccines induce humoral and cellular immune responses against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most important human pathogens and improvement of the currently used polysaccharide vaccines is being pursued. We constructed DNA vaccine vectors containing either the full-length psaA (pneumococcal surface adhesin A) or a truncated pspA (pneumococcal surface protein A--pspA') gene. Both constructs showed transient expression of the antigens in vertebrate cells and induced significant antibody response to the pneumococcal antigens in BALB/c mice injected intramuscularly (i.

Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG expressing pertussis toxin subunit S1 induces protection against an intracerebral challenge with live Bordetella pertussis in mice.

The recent development of acellular pertussis vaccines has been a significant improvement in the conventional whole-cell diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus toxoid vaccines, but high production costs will limit its widespread use in developing countries. Since Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccination against tuberculosis is used in most developing countries, a recombinant BCG-pertussis vaccine could be a more viable alternative. We have constructed recombinant BCG (rBCG) strains expressing the genetically detoxified S1 subunit of pertussis toxin 9K/129G (S1PT) in fusion with either the beta-lactamase signal sequence or the whole beta-lactamase protein, under control of the upregulated M.

Acute rupture of a left ventricular false aneurysm.

Left ventricular aneurysm develop when rupture of the free ventricular wall is contained by the inflammatory surrounding tissues. These false aneurysms rupture secondarily and should be treated soon after diagnosis. The diagnosis is suggested by echocardiography and confirmed by cardiac catheterization.

[Mycotic aneurysm of the external ilial artery: a very rare complication of coronary angioplasty].

Vascular complications, mostly hematomas and false aneurysms, are rare after coronary angiography. Infectious problems are even less frequent and a mycotic aneurysm is an extremely rare complication. Our patient presented with a mycotic aneurysm of the external iliac artery following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

[Coronary surgery in patients 70 years and older. Report of 70 cases].

Between January 1993 and January 1995, seventy patients over 70 years of age underwent coronary artery revascularization and were retrospectively reviewed. The anesthetic protocole, the surgical technique and the intraoperative myocardial protection were similar for all patients. Fourteen patients (19.

Effect of saponin from Quillaja saponaria (molina) on antibody, tumour necrosis factor and interferon-gamma production.

Saponin has been described to contain adjuvant activity in vaccination protocols, in protection against disease, and on humoral immune response. In this paper we describe the effect of a pure saponin from Quillaja saponaria (molina) on the immune response elicited in mice by two antigens, BSA and Crotalus durissus terrificus (South American rattlesnake) venom. Antibody production as measured by ELISA shows that saponin was able to increase antibody synthesis to both antigens.