Formation of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, a vasoactive and natriuretic eicosanoid, in human kidney. Role of Cyp4F2 and Cyp4A11.

20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), an omega-hydroxylated arachidonic acid (AA) metabolite, elicits specific effects on kidney vascular and tubular function that, in turn, influence blood pressure control. The human kidney's capacity to convert AA to 20-HETE is unclear, however, as is the underlying P450 catalyst. Microsomes from human kidney cortex were found to convert AA to a single major product, namely 20-HETE, but failed to catalyze AA epoxygenation and midchain hydroxylation.

Face-to-face diagnosis vs telediagnosis of pigmented skin tumors: a teledermoscopic study.

Background: Teledermoscopy uses telecommunication technologies to transfer images of pigmented skin lesions, including clinical and anamnestic data, via e-mail to specialized centers for teleconsultation.

Design: Sixty-six pigmented skin lesions examined on a face-to-face basis in a skin lesion clinic in L'Aquila, Italy, were sent via e-mail on a standard-resolution color monitor for consultation at a university dermatology department in Graz, Austria.

Intervention: Digital photographs of the clinical and dermoscopic images of all pigmented tumors were taken with a stereomicroscope connected to a high-resolution video camera in Truevision advanced graphic array (Targa) format file and converted successively into a Joint Photographic Expert Group (PEG) format file.

NAD(+) consumption in carcinogen-treated hamster cells overexpressing a dominant negative mutant of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a posttranslational modification of nuclear proteins catalyzed by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP, EC 2.4.2.

Lysozyme degradation by the bovine multicatalytic proteinase complex (proteasome): evidence for a nonprocessive mode of degradation.

The multicatalytic proteinase complex (MPC, proteasome) is composed of 28 subunits organized into four rings surrounding a water-filled canal. The catalytic centers face the inner canal confining protein substrates to an enclosed space. Experimental findings obtained with MPC from archaebacteria suggest that degradation of proteins by the complex is processive and have led to the proposal that the lengths of the peptides formed during degradation depend on the distances between active sites in the catalytic chamber.

Fiz1, a novel zinc finger protein interacting with the receptor tyrosine kinase Flt3.

The receptor tyrosine kinase Flt3 has been shown to play a role in proliferation and survival of hematopoietic progenitor cells as well as differentiation of early B lymphoid progenitors. However, the signaling events that control growth or differentiation are not completely understood. In order to identify new signaling molecules interacting with the cytoplasmic domain of Flt3, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen.

Synthesis of diacylamines and the preparation of alpha-amino-acylureas, a new type of alpha-amino acid derivatives.

Sixteen new and one known unsymmetrical open-chain diacylamines were synthesized by sodium methoxide catalyzed acylation of amides with carboxylic esters and acylamino-carboxylic esters, or acylureas with acylamino-carboxylic esters and alpha-amino acid esters.

Sensitivity in the clinical diagnosis of malignant melanoma.

Accurate clinical diagnosis of malignant melanoma is of great importance for early detection and further treatment. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the accuracy of clinical diagnosis by using different clinical and histopathological parameters. Calculations are based on a total of 44,258 histopathologically examined skin neoplasms, including 529 melanomas, which were recorded in the histological database of the Department of Dermatology, University of Graz during a 2 year period.

Duplication of hyp genes involved in maturation of [NiFe] hydrogenases in Alcaligenes eutrophus H16.

Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 harbors seven hyp genes (hypA, B, F, C, D, E, and X) as part of the hydrogenase gene cluster on megaplasmid pHG1. Here we demonstrate that three of the hyp genes (hypA, B, and F) are duplicated in A. eutrophus, which explains the lack of a phenotypic change in single-site mutants impaired in one of the two copies.

Downstream activation of a TATA-less promoter by Oct-2, Bob1, and NF-kappaB directs expression of the homing receptor BLR1 to mature B cells.

The chemokine receptor, BLR1, is a major regulator of the microenvironmental homing of B cells in lymphoid organs. In vitro studies identify three essential elements of the TATA-less blr1 core promoter that confer cell type- and differentiation-specific expression in the B cells of both humans and mice, a functional promoter region (-36 with respect to the transcription start site), a NF-kappaB motif (+44), and a noncanonical octamer motif (+157). The importance of these sites was confirmed by in vivo studies in gene-targeted mice deficient of either Oct-2, Bob1, or both NF-kappaB subunits p50 and p52.

Ancient melanocytic nevus.

Ancient melanocytic nevus is an example of a simulator of malignant melanoma, designated ancient because it shares numerous features with ancient schwannoma. Knowledge of the histopathologic characteristics of this benign melanocytic neoplasm should enable pathologists to avoid overdiagnosis of it as melanoma arising in the intradermal portion of a nevus. Ancient nevi are found most commonly on the face of older persons.

Ultraviolet radiation of melanocytic nevi: a dermoscopic study.

Background: UV radiation can lead to clinical, histological, and ultrastructural changes in melanocytic nevi. In this study, we investigated whether exposure to 2 minimal erythema doses of UV radiation induces changes in the dermoscopic image of acquired melanocytic nevi.

Observations: Fifteen melanocytic nevi were exposed to 2 minimal erythema doses of UV radiation.

Metabolism of arachidonic acid to 20-hydroxy-5,8,11, 14-eicosatetraenoic acid by P450 enzymes in human liver: involvement of CYP4F2 and CYP4A11.

20-Hydroxy-5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) is a principal arachidonic acid (AA) metabolite formed via P450-dependent oxidation in hepatic and renal microsomes. Although 20-HETE plays an important role in the regulation of cell and/or organ physiology, the P450 enzyme(s) catalyzing its formation in humans remain undefined. In this study, we have characterized AA omega-hydroxylation to 20-HETE by human hepatic microsomes and identified the underlying P450s.

A prospective randomized trial of an antibiotic- and antiseptic-coated central venous catheter in the prevention of catheter-related infections.

Objective: To test the efficacy of the ARROWgard (Arrow International Inc, Reading, Pa) central venous catheter (CVC) coated with silver sulfadiazine and chlorhexidine (A-CVC) in the prevention of CVC-related infections.

Design: Prospective, randomized trial.

Setting: A tertiary care medical center.

A tyrosine kinase assay using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Reverse-phase HPLC can be used as a very precise and accurate routine assay for peptide phosphorylation by protein kinases that has advantages over other methods. In particular, peptides with native amino acid sequences can be used without the need for radioisotopes. However, reaction conditions that are employed can often present difficulties in recovery and quantitation of phospho- and apo-peptides.

NAD+ loading of mammalian cells by electrotransfection leads to increased poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity.

Many cellular enzymes use NAD+ as coenzyme or substrate, depending on the nature of the enzymatic reaction. Under certain conditions the cellular NAD+ concentration may become rate-limiting for such enzymes. For instance, when eucaryotic cells are exposed to high concentrations of DNA-damaging agents, the resulting DNA strand breaks may stimulate the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) to such an extent that the cellular pool of NAD+, which is the substrate for this enzyme, is severely depleted, possibly leading to acute cell death.

Proliferating pilomatricoma. A histopathologic simulator of matrical carcinoma.

We report on 9 patients with pilomatricomas that showed unusual histopathologic features. Our patients were mainly elderly individuals (age range 42 to 88 years; mean age 70.1 years) who presented solitary cutaneous nodules situated on the head and neck (7 neoplasms), upper arm (1 neoplasm), and back (1 neoplasm).

[Reticular lentigo].

We studied the clinical and histopathologic features in five patients with reticulated lentigo. This peculiar pigmented skin lesions has previously been described under the designations "acquired reticulated lentigo", ink spot lentigo, "reticulated melanotic macule" or "reticulated lentigo". Each of the 4 males and 1 females in our study (age range: 16 to 57 years; mean age: 34 years) had a single, 4-6 mm large, black macule with irregular, fingerlike extensions at the periphery.

[Lipid, apoprotein and fibrinogen levels in the blood of male patients following myocardial infarct and the effect of diet on these parameters in ischemic heart disease].

The authors have found significantly higher the levels of two not routinely examined risk factors, fibrinogen and lipoprotein (a) in 28 male patients after myocardial infarction than the corresponding data of the PROCAM-study and in the case of fibrinogen than in 23 healthy blood donors. A positive correlation was observed between the LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol, the LDL-cholesterol and the main apoprotein of LDL, the Apo B level, and between the HDL-cholesterol and the main apoprotein of HDL, the Apo AI. During a 3 week long treatment in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department the effect of low cholesterol, high unsaturated fatty acid content diet on the lipid, apolipoprotein and fibrinogen levels of male patients suffering from coronary heart disease with cholesterol level higher than 5.

Identification of CYP4A11 as the major lauric acid omega-hydroxylase in human liver microsomes.

Human liver microsomes are capable of oxidizing lauric acid (laurate), a model medium-chain fatty acid, at both the omega- and omega-1 positions to form 12- and 11-hydroxylaurate, respectively. These laurate hydroxylation reactions are apparently catalyzed by distinct P450 enzymes. While the P450 responsible for microsomal laurate omega-1 hydroxylation in human liver has been identified as CYP2E1, the enzyme catalyzing omega-hydroxylation remains poorly defined.

Laparoscopic complications in markedly obese urologic patients (a multi-institutional review).

Objectives: Significant obesity is considered to be a relative contraindication to laparoscopic surgery. This study reviews the complications encountered in massively obese patients undergoing urologic laparoscopic surgery.

Methods: Body mass index (BMI) was used as an objective index to indicate massive obesity.

Functional antagonism by a monoclonal antibody to digoxin in a test system of cultured rat heart myocytes.

A monoclonal antibody with a high affinity for digitoxin (KA = 0.50 nM) and digoxin (KA = 0.55 nM) was produced by somatic cell fusion.

Immunopotency of a viral peptide assembled on the carbohydrate moieties of self immunoglobulins.

The T-cell receptor recognizes peptides bound to the major histocompatibility complex antigens. Synthetic peptides corresponding to microbial epitopes can efficiently stimulate the in vitro proliferation of T-cell hybridoma or in vivo primed T cells. However, the in vivo immune responses elicited by synthetic peptides are weak because of their short half-life and poor immunogenicity.