Expression and developmental regulation of the NMDA receptor subunits in the kidney and cardiovascular system.

Antagonists to the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor bind to various extraneuronal tissues. We therefore assessed the expression of the main NMDA subunit, NR1, in various tissues. We demonstrate that NR1 appears to be most abundant in the rat kidney and heart.

Idiopathic localized eosinophilic synovitis in a cat.

A 4-year-old male castrated Seal Point Himalayan cat was presented for evaluation of right thoracic limb lameness of 6 weeks duration. Synovial fluid analysis of the swollen right carpal joint revealed a mixed cell synovitis, with a total nucleated cell count of 13,200/microliter and 34% eosinophils. A diagnosis of idiopathic localized eosinophilic arthritis was made.

Are physicians aware of the risks of alternative medicine?

Evidence supports the fact that alternative medical therapies play an increasingly prominent role in healthcare. Relevantly, this study posed three questions: (1) Do physicians ask their patients about their use of herbs/dietary supplements? (2) Do physicians use the available resources to evaluate the possible drug interactions and/or side effects of the dietary supplements? and (3) Are physicians aware of the side effects, drug interactions and contraindications of ten commonly used herbs? A questionnaire was randomly distributed to medical students and faculty of the State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn. One hundred sixty five surveys were returned out of 193 handed out (85%).

Renal morphology in connexin43 knockout mice.

Connexins (Cx) are a family of proteins that constitute the intercellular membrane channels of gap junctions. These junctions permit intercellular movement of ions and other molecules between cells, a property vital to organogenesis. Cx43 is a member of the family of channel-forming proteins that are essential for cell-cell communication of developmental signals.

Hormonal regulation of sodium-dependent phosphate transport in opossum kidney cells.

There are multiple regulators of renal proximal tubule sodium-dependent phosphate (Na(+)-Pi) transport, including 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-Vit. D), parathyroid hormone (PTH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and arachidonic acid (AA) and/or its metabolites. The purpose of our studies was to determine whether the effect of these factors on Pi transport is synergistic or antagonistic.

Multiple myeloma in cats: variable presentation with different immunoglobulin isotypes in two cats.

Multiple myeloma was diagnosed in two cats with monoclonal hyperglobulinemia, proteinuria, and plasma cell proliferations in bone marrow. An immunoglobulin G-producing myeloma occurred in the vertebral bone marrow of one cat, and twice responded to surgical reduction followed by a combination of local irradiation and chemotherapy. The cat's survival time was approximately 2 years.

Risk factors for hyperlipidemia in long-term pediatric renal transplant recipients.

Hyperlipidemia (HL) is a common problem in adult renal transplant (TP) recipients, contributing to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic TP nephropathy. There are multiple causes of HL post renal TP in adult patients, including pre TP HL, immunosuppressive agents, renal dysfunction, hypoalbuminemia secondary to nephrotic syndrome, obesity, and conditions that lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We evaluated the incidence and risk factors of HL in 62 pediatric renal TP recipients (15.

Correlation among markers of renal osteodystrophy in pediatric hemodialysis patients.

Serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), alkaline phosphatase (AP), and calcium (Ca2+) have been used to evaluate renal osteodystrophy (RO) in adult patients undergoing dialysis. Osteocalcin (BGP) is a bone protein which also serves as a marker for bone turnover. Serum BGP levels correlate positively with rates of bone turnover and serum concentrations of PTH, AP, and Ca2+ in various studies of adult end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, whereas other studies reveal BGP to be a poor indicator of bone turnover in ESRD.

Multiple arachidonic acid metabolites inhibit sodium-dependent phosphate transport in OK cells.

The cytochrome P450-dependent monoxygenase pathway represents a major route for the metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) in the kidney. In turn, AA metabolites have been shown to affect renal electrolyte metabolism, including sodium transport. Specifically AA, 20-HETE and 12-HETE inhibit sodium-dependent (Na+-Pi) uptake into renal culture cells, and both 12-HETE and 14,15 EET have been shown to reduce renin release from renal cortical slices.

Use of calcium-channel blockers in pediatric renal transplant recipients.

Hypertension (HTN) is a significant problem in pediatric renal transplant (TP) recipients, predisposing the individuals to the development of cardiovascular disease and graft dysfunction. Calcium channel blockers (CCB) are considered excellent agents to treat post-TP HTN. We compared the efficacy and adverse effects of the two most commonly prescribed CCBs in our pediatric renal TP population: nifedipine (Procardia, or P) and amlodipine (Norvasc, or N).

Openness: a critical component of special needs adoption.

Openness in adoption is both a philosophical concept and a description of relationships. Regardless of the age of the adoptee or the circumstances of the adoption, the goal of openness is to minimize loss and to maintain connections. This article presents a model for expanding the principles learned from openness in infant adoptions to the field of special needs adoptions.

Serum beta2-microglobulin and immunoglobulin levels in young hemodialysis patients.

Amyloidosis is a complication of long-term hemodialysis treatment. The major histological feature of hemodialysis-associated amyloidosis (HAA) is the deposition of amyloid fibrils in the affected lesions, due, in part, to elevated serum beta2-microglobulin (beta2M) levels. In vitro studies reveal that serum immunoglobulin light and heavy chains co-deposit with beta2M in tissues affected by HAA.

20-HETE mediates the effect of parathyroid hormone and protein kinase C on renal phosphate transport.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a major inhibitor of renal proximal tubule (PT) sodium-dependent phosphate (Na+-Pi) cotransport. PTH is thought to exert its effect on Pi transport in the PT via the protein kinase A (PKA) and C (PKC) intracellular signalling pathways. PKC-dependent phosphorylation of phospholipase A2 stimulates arachidonic acid (AA) release, the latter a potent inhibitor of Pi transport.

Joubert syndrome associated with multicystic kidney disease and hepatic fibrosis.

There are several diseases characterized by renal cysts and neurological abnormalities. Joubert syndrome is distinguished by hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis, hypotonia, retinal dystrophy characterized by abnormal eye movements, and impaired psychomotor development, together with abnormal respiratory pattern. We describe a boy with Joubert syndrome associated with multicystic renal dysplasia and hepatic fibrosis.

A putative growth-related renal Na(+)-Pi cotransporter.

The mRNA that encodes for NaPi-2, the renal Na(+)-Pi cotransporter that is upregulated by Pi depletion in the adult rat, is low in the young animal. Yet, renal Na-Pi cotransport rates are higher in rapidly growing than in fully grown rats. The aim of this study was to unravel the molecular basis of this apparent discrepancy.

Cardiomyopathy in a male with cystinosis.

Cystinosis is a lysosomal storage disease classically associated with renal failure, photophobia, and hypothyroidism. Multi-organ dysfunction tends to develop over time, a factor of increasing significance as patient survival improves. Herein, we describe a male patient with cystinosis who developed a restrictive cardiomyopathy associated with myocardial cystine deposition and an ap-proximately 1000-fold elevation in myocardial cystine levels.

Mechanism of renal phosphate retention during growth.

We have previously demonstrated that the retention of phosphate required for growth is due to a a high Vmax of the Na(+)-Pi cotransport system located in the brush border membrane of the proximal tubule. Because of this and other similarities between adaptation of the kidney to a high Pi demand (growth) and that to low Pi supply, we measured the levels of NaPi-2 mRNA and cDNA present in kidney cortex of 3- and > 12-week-old rats. Like in Pi depletion, Western blots revealed that a 80 to 85 kDa protein recognized by a polyclonal antibody directed against the N-terminal region of the NaPi-2 protein was 2.

Characterization of a new Marburg virus isolated from a 1987 fatal case in Kenya.

In 1987, an isolated case of fatal Marburg disease was recognized during routine clinical haemorrhagic fever virus surveillance conducted in Kenya. This report describes the isolation and partial characterization of the new Marburg virus (strain Ravn) isolated from this case. The Ravn isolate was indistinguishable from reference Marburg virus strains by cross-neutralization testing.

Vernier acuity during image rotation and translation: visual performance limits.

Our capacity to detect spatial misalignments a fraction of the distance between retinal receptors in the presence of image motion challenges our understanding of spatial vision. We find that vernier acuity, while robust to image translation, rapidly degrades during image rotation. This indicates that orientation is a critical cue utilized by the visual system in vernier acuity tasks.

Sequential occurrence of IgA nephropathy and Henoch-Schönlein purpura: support for common pathogenesis.

We report a patient who developed Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) 13 years after he presented with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). In both HSP and IgAN renal biopsy most commonly reveals focal proliferative glomerulonephritis on light microscopy and immunofluorescence displays mesangial IgA deposits. In addition, patients with HSP or IgAN have elevated serum IgA levels, circulating IgA immune complexes, IgA-bearing lymphocytes, immunoglobulin-producing cells, and binding of IgG to glomerular components of similar molecular weight.