Developmental expression of neurokinin A and functional neurokinin-2 receptors in lung.

Peribronchial smooth muscle constriction causes airway stretch, an important mechanical force in developing lung. Little is known about factors influencing these spontaneously active muscle elements. We measured contractile activity of neurokinin (NK) receptors on fetal intrapulmonary smooth muscle by tracheal perfusion assay (n = 11).

Measurements of maternal protein binding of bupivacaine throughout pregnancy.

Unlabelled: Pregnancy-related decreases in protein binding may contribute to altered effects of local anesthetics in the parturient. Previous studies have measured protein binding of bupivacaine in term parturients; the current study defines the ratio of bound-to-free bupivacaine throughout gestation at both therapeutic and toxic systemic concentrations of bupivacaine. Venous samples were obtained from 81 women, including 70 parturients, ranging from 7 to 42 wk of gestation and 11 nonpregnant controls.

Induction of tenascin-C in cardiac myocytes by mechanical deformation. Role of reactive oxygen species.

Mechanical overload may change cardiac structure through angiotensin II-dependent and angiotensin II-independent mechanisms. We investigated the effects of mechanical strain on the gene expression of tenascin-C, a prominent extracellular molecule in actively remodeling tissues, in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. Mechanical strain induced tenascin-C mRNA (3.

Apoptosis induced by infection of primary brain cultures with diverse human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolates: evidence for a role of the envelope.

Apoptosis of neurons and astrocytes is induced by human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) infection in vitro and has been demonstrated in brain tissue from patients with AIDS. We analyzed a panel of diverse HIV-1 primary isolates for the ability to replicate and induce neuronal and astrocyte apoptosis in primary human brain cultures. Apoptosis was induced three- to eightfold by infection with the blood-derived HIV-1 isolates 89.

Localization of Bcl-2 in the human fetal müllerian tract.

Objective: To determine if apoptosis is involved in development of the human fetal mullerian tract and regression of the uterine septum and to localize Bcl-2. a protein involved with regulating apoptosis.

Design: Descriptive controlled study.