TNF and PGE(2) in human monocyte-derived macrophages infected with Chlamydia trachomatis.

In this study levels of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) alpha in medium from monocyte derived macrophages (MdM) infected with Chlamydia trachomatis (L(2)/434/Bu or K biovars). TNF and PGE(2) were found in both cases while IL-1 alpha was not detected. Both TNF and PGE(2) levels were higher in the medium of the MdM infected with K biovars.

[Metal endoprostheses for endoscopic therapy in malignant bronchial tumors].

Self-expanding metal stents were implanted in the trachea or main bronchus in 12 patients (eleven men, one woman; mean age 60 +/- 8 years) with nonresectable bronchial carcinoma (n = 11) or tracheal metastasis of a hypernephroma (n = 1). They all had pulmonary complications caused by tumour stenoses (group I: severe dyspnoea [n = 6], group II: retention pneumonia [n = 4] or lung abscess [n = 2] after unsuccessful antibiotic treatment). The procedure was undertaken after local anaesthesia with a flexible bronchoscope (in the first three cases still with a rigid bronchoscope under general anaesthesia) under fluoroscopic control.

[Physical exercise tolerance in chronic obstructive emphysematous bronchitis and coronary heart disease under antiobstructive therapy].

19 consecutive patients (18 men, one woman, mean age 61.4 [49-73]years) with chronic obstructive airways disease (bronchitis and emphysema) together with angiographically confirmed coronary heart disease were studied to investigate their cardiopulmonary exercise tolerance and the effects of bronchodilators on their myocardial ischaemia. Because they were receiving drug therapy for angina or because they had previously undergone aortocoronary bypass operation or balloon dilatation, the patients were symptom-free.

Chlamydial rRNA in the joints of patients with Chlamydia-induced arthritis and undifferentiated arthritis.

Synovial fluid and synovial membrane specimens of 11 patients with Chlamydia-induced arthritis (CIA), 24 patients with undifferentiated arthritis (UndA), 4 patients with post-enteritic reactive arthritis, 3 patients with Lyme arthritis and 9 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were investigated for the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis). A single stranded DNA-probe was used for nucleic acid hybridization with ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from C.

[The implantation of self-expanding metal prostheses (stents) into the bronchial system in central neoplasms].

This paper reports the use of an endobronchial metallic prosthesis (wall stent) for palliative management of 6 patients with central neoplasms and life-threatening airway obstruction. In five of six patients implantation of the stent resulted in improvement of their dyspnoea. However, functional data showed only a slight amelioration.

Kindling does not induce persistent changes in fluorographic labeling patterns of benzodiazepine binding proteins in various rat brain regions.

The GABAA receptor has been implicated in the mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of kindling. Photoaffinity labeling with 3H-flunitrazepam followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis allows the fluorographic visualization of GABAA receptor proteins with benzodiazepine binding sites which presumably correspond to different alpha-subtypes. This method offers an opportunity to investigate whether up- or down-regulation of single benzodiazepine binding proteins occurs.

Rat vasopressin and oxytocin genes are linked by a long interspersed repeated DNA element (LINE): sequence and transcriptional analysis of LINE.

Sequence analysis of the rat vasopressin and oxytocin gene family reveals that the two genes are linked by a long interspersed repeated DNA element (LINE) giving rise to seven long open reading frames encoding hypothetical proteins of 99 to 556 amino acid residues. Furthermore, although both DNA strands of LINEs serve as templates for transcription, transcripts initiated at the 3' end are more abundant than those started from the 5' end. The LINEs are transcribed preferentially in brain tissues as analyzed by Northern blot, in situ hybridization, and RNase protection experiments.

Functional characterization of estrogen and glucocorticoid responsive elements in the rat oxytocin gene.

Expression of the gene encoding the oxytocin precursor occurs in the hypothalamus and, to a lesser extent, in a number of peripheral organs, the tissue-specific regulatory mechanisms of which are largely unknown. By DNA sequence analysis several elements upstream of the transcriptional start point of the rat oxytocin gene were identified matching the consensus sequence of enhancers inducible by estrogen or glucocorticoids, respectively. Their general transactivating capacities were investigated using heterologous gene constructs and revealed that the rat oxytocin gene harbours two functional estrogen responsive elements near the transcription initiation site, one of which is conserved in the respective human gene.

Implications for persistent chlamydial infections of phagocyte-microorganism interplay.

In vitro models of Chlamydia trachomatis inhibition by cytokines, human-monocyte derived macrophages (HMDM) and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (HPMN) are discussed in an attempt to delineate the molecular basis of parasite-host cell interplay in persistent and chronic chlamydial infection. Interferon gamma (IFN) has been found to reversibly inhibit chlamydial growth at an early stage in the replicative cycle, while tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has a more profound effect on chlamydial growth resulting in production of aberrant reticulate bodies and enhancement of production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Chlamydia trachomatis (serovar L2) replicate in HMDM while serovar K has been found to be restricted in these cells.

In-line holography with a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser for particle size analysis.

An arrangement for determining the size distribution of small particles (e.g., droplets or bubbles) is presented.

[Chlamydia-induced arthritis: diagnosis--follow-up--therapy].

Chlamydia-induced arthritis (CIA) is an inflammatory reactive arthritis caused by extraarticular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. CIA presents as peripheral arthritis or spondylarthropathy. Extraarticular manifestations are present in most but not all cases, Reiter's syndrome occurs only in a minority of patients.

Postmortem degradation alters fluorographic labeling patterns and affinities of benzodiazepine binding proteins.

To investigate the effect of endogenous proteolysis on the molecular weights of the benzodiazepine binding proteins, brains of trout, chicken, and rat were removed immediately after death and stored at room temperature for various periods of time before they were frozen. Photoaffinity labeling of membranes with [3H]flunitrazepam, followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography, revealed proteolytic fragments of 47K in trout, chicken, and rat. The proteolysis set in rapidly after death.

Anatomy of the extrinsic gut musculature of Gammarus minus (Crustacea: Amphipoda).

Inserting on the buccal and esophageal foregut of Gammarus minus are numerous pairs of serially arranged dorsal dilator muscles, a single pair of lateral muscles, and two pairs of posterior muscles. Muscles of the cardiac stomach include three dorsal sets, a single pair associated with the pterocardiac ossicles, and two pairs inserting on the ventral aspect. A single pair of muscles inserts on the lateral aspect of the pyloric stomach.

Photolabeled tryptic degradation products of benzodiazepine-binding proteins are glycopeptides. Implications for localization of cleavage sites.

Crude synaptic membranes of avian and mammalian brain tissue were photolabeled with the benzodiazepine-receptor ligand [3H]flunitrazepam and subsequently treated extensively with trypsin followed by incubation with endoglycosidase F. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography revealed that the final tryptic degradation product of 25 kDa in both pigeon and calf brain is deglycosylated in two steps. These results were confirmed by immunoblots of similarly pretreated membranes of pig brain using the alpha-subunit-specific monoclonal antibody bd-24.

New echocardiographic and angiographic methods for right atrial volume determination: in vitro validation and in vivo results.

Until now, right atrial (RA) volume calculation by means of two-dimensional echocardiography (2-DE) has only been attempted in a single plane: the apical four-chamber view. Our study reports a new method for RA volume calculation using two intersecting 2-DE views. For this purpose, silicone rubber casts of 19 human necropsy hearts were obtained and thin-walled natural rubber moulds of the RA casts were prepared.

Limited tryptic proteolysis of the benzodiazepine binding proteins in different species reveals structural homologies.

Peptide mapping can be used to elucidate further the structural similarities of the benzodiazepine binding proteins in different vertebrate species. Crude synaptic membrane preparations were photoaffinity-labeled with [3H]flunitrazepam and subsequently degraded with various concentrations of trypsin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by fluorography allowed a comparison of the molecular weights of photolabeled peptides in different species.

A comparative phylogenetic study of the distribution of cerebellar GABAA/benzodiazepine receptors using radioligands and monoclonal antibodies.

In mammalian cerebella the distribution of high affinity GABAA and benzodiazepine binding sites does not parallel each other. Differences in the molecular structure of the receptor complex or conformational changes have been proposed to explain the lack of a co-localization of these binding sites. Using radio- and immunohistochemistry we were able to obtain similar results for cerebella of non-mammalian species, indicating that the respective distribution of the binding sites is well conserved throughout vertebrate evolution.

Persistence of species variation and regional heterogeneity of the apparent molecular masses of benzodiazepine-binding proteins after deglycosylation.

Brain membrane preparations of different vertebrates were photoaffinity labeled with [3H]flunitrazepam and subsequently deglycosylated with endoglycosidase F and peptide N-glycopeptidase. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by fluorography revealed that each benzodiazepine-binding protein is deglycosylated in two steps, indicating that each protein has two glycosylation sites. Species variation of the apparent molecular masses of the benzodiazepine-binding proteins and regional heterogeneity in avians persist after deglycosylation.

A single rat genomic DNA fragment encodes both the oxytocin and vasopressin genes separated by 11 kilobases and oriented in opposite transcriptional directions.

An 18 kb DNA fragment, containing the genes encoding both the vasopressin and oxytocin polyprotein precursors, has been isolated from a rat genomic library. The two genes are linked by approximately 11 kb of intervening sequence and transcribed from opposite DNA strands.

The shark GABA-benzodiazepine receptor: further evidence for a not so late phylogenetic appearance of the benzodiazepine receptor.

Whilst the brain-specific benzodiazepine receptor has been assumed to show a late evolutionary appearance, we present evidence for the presence of a central benzodiazepine binding site in sharks, which shows a high affinity for [3H]Ro 15-1788. However, the receptor density and the affinities of several benzodiazepine receptor ligands are lower than in mammals, thus presumably explaining why the benzodiazepine binding sites had previously escaped detection in elasmobranchs. Additionally, radio- and immunohistochemistry were performed to localize the radioligand binding sites and the antigenic sites of the shark gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-benzodiazepine receptor.

Superoxide anion production by monocytes and synovial fluid macrophages of patients with chronic inflammatory joint disorders.

Peripheral blood monocytes (PBMo) and synovial fluid macrophages (SFMO) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), HLA B27-positive reactive oligoarthritis and controls were investigated for their capacity to generate superoxide anions (O2-) upon stimulation with phorbolmyristoacetate (PMA) in a cytochrome c (cyt c) microassay. PBMo of RA patients, patients with reactive arthritis and controls did not reveal any significant differences and also treatment of RA patients with gold salts or immunosuppressive therapy had no effect on the oxidative burst in PBMo. In contrast, in SFMO of RA patients treated only with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) we found significantly enhanced O2- release, compared with PBMo of the same group.

[Clinical studies of peripheral venous parenteral nutrition. Effect of a 3.5% amino acid solution on postoperative metabolism with special reference to amino acid homeostasis].

We studied 20 patients following vaginal hysterectomy until the third postoperative day. 10 patients (group I) in this randomized controlled study were infused only with water and electrolytes in a volume of 40 ml/kg BW. 10 patients (group II) received a 3.