Implementation of a retinal stroke-code protocol results in visual recovery in patients receiving reperfusion therapies.

Introduction: Reperfusion therapies represent promising treatments for patients with Central Retinal Artery Occlusion (CRAO), but access is limited due to low incidence and lack of protocols. We aimed to describe the benefit of implementing a Retinal Stroke-Code protocol regarding access to reperfusion, visual acuity and aetiological assessment.

Patients And Methods: Prospective cohort study performed at a Comprehensive Stroke Centre.

Plasma coenzyme Q status is impaired in selected genetic conditions.

Identifying diseases displaying chronic low plasma Coenzyme Q (CoQ) values may be important to prevent possible cardiovascular dysfunction. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate plasma CoQ concentrations in a large cohort of pediatric and young adult patients. We evaluated plasma CoQ values in 597 individuals (age range 1 month to 43 years, average 11 years), studied during the period 2005-2016.

Role of upstream stimulatory factor 2 in glutamate dehydrogenase gene transcription.

Glutamate dehydrogenase (Gdh) plays a central role in ammonia detoxification by catalysing reversible oxidative deamination of l-glutamate into α-ketoglutarate using NAD or NADP as cofactor. To gain insight into transcriptional regulation of , the gene that codes for Gdh, we isolated and characterised the 5' flanking region of from gilthead sea bream (). In addition, tissue distribution, the effect of starvation as well as short- and long-term refeeding on Gdh mRNA levels in the liver of were also addressed.

Elastase-2, a Tissue Alternative Pathway for Angiotensin II Generation, Plays a Role in Circulatory Sympathovagal Balance in Mice.

and experiments indicate that elastase-2 (ELA-2), a chymotrypsin-serine protease elastase family member 2A, is an alternative pathway for angiotensin II (Ang II) generation. However, the role played by ELA-2 is unclear. We examined ELA-2 knockout (ELA-2KO) mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice and determined whether ELA-2 played a role in hemodynamics [arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR)], cardiocirculatory sympathovagal balance and baroreflex sensitivity.

Functional Local Renin-Angiotensin System in Human and Rat Periodontal Tissue.

The initiation or progression of periodontitis might involve a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in periodontal tissue. The aim of this study was to further characterize the local RAS in human and rat periodontal tissues between healthy and periodontally-affected tissue. Components of the RAS were investigated using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo experiments involving both human and Wistar rat periodontium.

A short neuropsychological evaluation of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: To investigate cognitive deficits in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS).

Method: Eighteen patients with PSS, aged between 25 and 61 years, were subjected to a short neuropsychological battery and compared with 18 patients with multiple sclerosis and 18 healthy controls.

Results: The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the clinical groups had significantly worse performance than the control group on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test 3; (F(2,53) =3.

Activating transcription factor 4 mediates up-regulation of alanine aminotransferase 2 gene expression under metabolic stress.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) provides a molecular link between carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. In humans, two ALT isoforms have been characterized: ALT1, cytosolic, and ALT2, mitochondrial. To gain insight into the transcriptional regulation of the ALT2 gene, we cloned and characterized the human ALT2 promoter.

Angiotensin II-independent angiotensin-(1-7) formation in rat hippocampus: involvement of thimet oligopeptidase.

The involvement and relevance of the renin-angiotensin system have been established clearly in cardiovascular diseases, and renin-angiotensin system involvement has also been investigated extensively in the central nervous system. Angiotensin II acts classically by binding to the AT1 and AT2 receptors. However, other pathways within the renin-angiotensin system have been described more recently, such as one in which angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)) binds to the receptor Mas.

Ageing is the main determinant of haemodynamics and autonomic cardiac changes observed in post-menopausal female rats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of early and physiological menopause on cardiac autonomic parameters in aged female rats. To this end, female Wistar rats (22 and 82 weeks old, N=96) were divided into 4 groups: Young Sham-operated Rats, Aged Sham-operated Rats, Young Ovariectomised (OVX) Rats, and Aged OVX Rats. Young Sham-operated and OVX rats were used as controls.

Acute gouty arthritis as a manifestation of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome after initiation of antiretroviral therapy.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in HIV-infected subjects initiating antiretroviral therapy most commonly involves new or worsening manifestations of previously subclinical or overt infectious diseases. Reports of non-infectious IRIS are much less common but represent important diagnostic and treatment challenges. We report on a 34-year-old HIV-infected male patient with no history of gout who developed acute gouty arthritis in a single joint one month after initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Carboxypeptidases A1 and A2 from the perfusate of rat mesenteric arterial bed differentially process angiotensin peptides.

Here we report the isolation of carboxypeptidases A1 and A2 (CPA1 and CPA2) from the rat mesenteric arterial bed perfusate, which were found to be identical with their pancreatic counterparts. Angiotensin (Ang) I, Ang II, Ang-(1-9) and Ang-(1-12) were differentially processed by these enzymes, worthy mentioning the peculiar CPA1-catalyzed conversion of Ang II to Ang-(1-7) and the CPA2-mediated formation of Ang I from Ang-(1-12). We detected gene transcripts for CPA1 and CPA2 in mesentery and other extrapancreatic tissues, indicating that these CPAs might play a role in the renin-angiotensin system in addition to their functions as digestive enzymes.

Physical exercise improves cardiac autonomic modulation in hypertensive patients independently of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor treatment.

We investigated the influence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) treatment and physical exercise on arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate variability (HRV) in volunteer patients with hypertension. A total of 54 sedentary volunteers were divided into three groups: normotensive (NT Group), hypertensive (HT Group) and HT volunteers treated with ACEi (ACEi Group). All volunteers underwent an aerobic physical-training protocol for 15 weeks.

Role of cGMP and cAMP in the hemodynamic response to intrathecal sildenafil administration.

Introduction: Results from our laboratory have demonstrated that intracerebroventricular administration of sildenafil to conscious rats promoted a noticeable increase in both lumbar sympathetic activity and heart rate, with no change in the mean arterial pressure. The intracerebroventricular administration of sildenafil may have produced the hemodynamic effects by activating sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the supraspinal regions and spinal cord. It is well documented that sildenafil increases intracellular cGMP levels by inhibiting phosphodiesterase type 5 and increases cAMP levels by inhibiting other phosphodiesterases.

Tamoxifen and its metabolites cause acute vasorelaxation of aortic rings by inducing vasodilator prostanoid synthesis.

The vascular effects of tamoxifen (Tam) and its metabolites are poorly known. We compared the vasorelaxation induced by Tam and its metabolites (N-desmethyl-Tam, 4-hydroxy-Tam, and endoxifen) in aortic rings from rats using standardized organ bath procedures, and we investigated the mechanisms involved in this effect. Tam and its metabolite-induced vasorelaxation in a concentration-dependent manner.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α transactivates the mitochondrial alanine aminotransferase gene in the kidney of Sparus aurata.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) plays an important role in amino acid metabolism and gluconeogenesis. The preference of carnivorous fish for protein amino acids instead of carbohydrates as a source of energy lead us to study the transcriptional regulation of the mitochondrial ALT (mALT) gene and to characterize the enzyme kinetics and modulation of mALT expression in the kidney of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) under different nutritional and hormonal conditions. 5'-Deletion analysis of mALT promoter in transiently transfected HEK293 cells, site-directed mutagenesis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays allowed us to identify HNF4α as a new factor involved in the transcriptional regulation of mALT expression.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition augments the expression of rat elastase-2, an angiotensin II-forming enzyme.

Mounting evidence suggest that tissue levels of angiotensin (ANG) II are maintained in animals submitted to chronic angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor treatment. We examined the expression levels of transcripts for elastase-2, a chymostatin-sensitive serine protease identified as the alternative pathway for ANG II generation from ANG I in the rat vascular tissue and the relative role of ACE-dependent and -independent pathways in generating ANG II in the rat isolated carotid artery rings of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar normotensive rats (WNR) treated with enalapril for 7 days. Enalapril treatment decreased blood pressure of SHR only and resulted in significantly more elastase-2 mRNA expression in carotid artery of both enalapril-treated WNR and SHR.

Role of the spinal cord NO/cGMP pathway in the control of arterial pressure and heart rate.

The modulatory effect of nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO/cGMP) pathway on sympathetic preganglionic neurons still deserves further investigation. The present study was designed to examine the role of the spinal cord NO/cGMP pathway in controlling mean arterial pressure and heart rate. We observed that intrathecal administration of the NO synthase inhibitor Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) causes an increase in mean arterial pressure but does not affect heart rate.

Hemodynamic responses to aortic depressor nerve stimulation in conscious L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats.

The present study investigated whether baroreflex control of autonomic function is impaired when there is a deficiency in NO production and the role of adrenergic and cholinergic mechanisms in mediating reflex responses. Electrical stimulation of the aortic depressor nerve in conscious normotensive and nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertensive rats was applied before and after administration of methylatropine, atenolol, and prazosin alone or in combination. The hypotensive response to progressive electrical stimulation (5 to 90 Hz) was greater in hypertensive (-27 ± 2 to -64 ± 3 mmHg) than in normotensive rats (-17 ± 1 to -46 ± 2 mmHg), whereas the bradycardic response was similar in both groups (-34 ± 5 to -92 ± 9 and -21 ± 2 to -79 ± 7 beats/min, respectively).

Transactivation of cytosolic alanine aminotransferase gene promoter by p300 and c-Myb.

Alanine aminotransferase (Alt) provides a molecular link between carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. In the cell context, the predominant Alt isozyme is located in the cytosol. To gain insight into the transcriptional regulation of the cytosolic alt gene (calt), we cloned and characterized the calt promoter from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).

Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system prevents seizures in a rat model of epilepsy.

The RAS (renin-angiotensin system) is classically involved in BP (blood pressure) regulation and water-electrolyte balance, and in the central nervous system it has been mostly associated with homoeostatic processes, such as thirst, hormone secretion and thermoregulation. Epilepsies are chronic neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures that affect 1-3% of the world's population, and the most commonly used anticonvulsants are described to be effective in approx. 70% of the population with this neurological alteration.

Cardiac mast cell proteases do not contribute to the regulation of the rat coronary vascular responsiveness to arterial delivered angiotensin I and II.

Cardiac mast cells (MC) are apposed to capillaries within the heart and release renin and proteases capable of metabolizing angiotensins (Ang). Therefore, we hypothesized that mast cell degranulation could alter the rat coronary vascular responsiveness to the arterial delivered Ang I and Ang II, taking into account carboxypeptidase and chymase-1 activities. Hearts from animals that were either pretreated or not with systemic injection of the secretagogue compound 48/80 were isolated and mounted on a Langendorff apparatus to investigate coronary reactivity.

Immobilized analogues of sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 constitute a versatile group of affinity sorbents for selective isolation of serine proteases.

Sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1), a natural 14-residue cyclic peptide, and some of its synthetic acyclic variants are potent protease inhibitors displaying peculiar inhibitory profiles. Here we describe the synthesis and use of affinity sorbents prepared by coupling SFTI-1 analogues to agarose resin. Chymotrypsin- and trypsin-like proteases could then be selectively isolated from pancreatin; similarly, other proteases were obtained from distinct biological sources.

Angiotensin processing is partially carried out by carboxypeptidases in the rat mesenteric arterial bed perfusate.

Here we investigated the possible association between the carboxypeptidase A (CPA)-like activity of the rat mesenteric arterial bed (MAB) perfusate and the ability of this fluid of forming angiotensin (Ang) 1-9 and Ang 1-7 upon incubation with Ang I and Ang II, respectively. Initially, we observed that anion exchange chromatography of the perfusate would consistently split the characteristic Z-Val-Phe-hydrolyzing activity of CPA-like enzymes into five distinct peaks, whose proteolytic activities were then determined using also Ang I and Ang II as substrates. The resulting proteolytic profile for each peak indicated that rat MAB perfusate contains a complex mixture of carboxypeptidases; tentatively, five carboxypeptidases were distinguished based on their substrate preferences toward Z-Val-Phe, Ang I and Ang II.