[Motor and Sensory Blockade by Combined Spinal-Epidural Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery].

Background: We compared three combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) techniques for cesarean delivery. Hypotension, nausea and vomiting are main problems produced by coonventional intrathecal doses. These problems were our secondary observations.

[Effects of anesthetic agents on seizure duration and hemodynamics in electroconvulsive therapy].

Background: Thiopental and suxamethonium have been recommended as anesthetic agents for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We hypothesize that propofol and vecuronium can also be used and superior to thiopental and suxamethonium in seizure duration and hemodynamics.

Methods: We made couples of anesthetic and muscle relaxant with these anesthetic agents and obtained four different combinations.

High-throughput protein refolding screening method using zeolite.

We established a 96-well-plate-based refolding screening system using zeolite. In this system, protein denatured and solubilized with 6 M guanidine hydrochloride is adsorbed onto zeolite placed in a 96-well plate. The refolding conditions can be tested by incubating the samples with refolding buffers under various conditions of pH, salts, and additives.

Refolding of lactate dehydrogenase by zeolite beta.

We used zeolite beta as an adsorbing matrix to refold recombinant lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) protein collected as an insoluble aggregate from a bacterial expression system. The adsorption isotherm revealed that 1 g of zeolite adsorbed 200 mg of denatured LDH solubilized with a buffer containing 6 M of guanidine hydrochloride. The pH of the buffer had little effect on the adsorption, but this property was abolished by preincubation of the zeolite with polyethylene glycol (PEG) in a weight ratio of 1:10.

Use of zeolite to refold a disulfide-bonded protein.

Zeolites are microporous crystalline aluminosilicates with a highly ordered structure. Using zeolite beta as an adsorbent, denatured/reduced hen egg lysozyme was refolded to the active form at high concentrations. The denatured/reduced lysozyme was adsorbed onto the zeolite and the protein was refolded by desorbing it into refolding buffer, consisting of redox reagents, guanidine hydrochloride, polyethylene glycol, and L-arginine.

RanBPM contributes to Semaphorin3A signaling through plexin-A receptors.

Secreted Semaphorin3A (Sema3A) proteins are known to act as diffusible and repellant axonal guidance cues during nervous system development. A receptor complex consisting of a Neuropilin and a Plexin-A mediates their effects. Plexin-A signal transduction has remained poorly defined despite the documented involvement of collapsin response mediator protein and molecule interacting with CasL proteins (MICALs) as mediators of Plexin-A activation.

Structural bases for CRMP function in plexin-dependent semaphorin3A signaling.

Collapsin response mediator proteins (CRMPs) are cytosolic phosphoproteins involved in neuronal differentiation and axonal guidance. CRMP2 was previously shown to mediate the repulsive effect of Sema3A on axons and to participate in axonal specification. The X-ray crystal structure of murine CRMP1 was determined at 2.

Skin disinfection before epidural catheterization: comparative study of povidone-iodine versus chlorhexidine ethanol.

Background: Chlorhexidine is better than povidone-iodine for skin preparation before intravascular device insertion or blood culture collection, but it is not known whether chlorhexidine is superior in reducing the colonization of continuous epidural catheters.

Methods: Patients requiring an epidural catheter for postoperative analgesia were randomly assigned to receive skin preparation with 0.5% chlorhexidine ethanol (CE group) or 10% povidone-iodine (PI group) before catheter insertion.