Plasma soluble (pro)renin receptor is independent of plasma renin, prorenin, and aldosterone concentrations but is affected by ethnicity.

A soluble (pro)renin receptor (sPRR) circulates in plasma and is able to bind renin and prorenin. It is not known whether plasma sPRR concentrations vary with the activity of the renin-angiotensin system. We measured plasma sPRR, renin, prorenin, and aldosterone concentrations in 121 white and 9 black healthy subjects, 40 patients with diabetes mellitus, 41 hypertensive patients with or without renin-angiotensin system blockers, 9 patients with primary aldosteronism, and 10 patients with Gitelman syndrome.

Mass spectrometric quantification of AcSDKP-NH2 in human plasma and urine and comparison with an immunoassay.

Rationale: Precise assessment of renal glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is essential for the early detection of chronic kidney disease. AcSDKP-NH(2), an analogue of the endogenous tetrapeptide AcSDKP, is not degraded in vivo and is freely filtered by the kidney and eliminated in urine; for that reason this analogue is an ideal candidate marker for the assessment of GRF after administration to humans. Proof-of-concept demonstration and lack of toxicity in animals have allowed an ongoing clinical study in which AcSDKP-NH(2) was administered intravenously at a dose of 100 µg and compared with currently available GFR markers.

Inhibition of autophagy of fetal rabbit gonoducts by puromycin, tunicamycin and chloroquin in organ culture.

At the end of ambisexual stage, mullerian or wolffian ducts are programmed to die. Cell degeneration is initialized by an appearance of lysosomes, subsequently involved in invading autophagic vacuoles. In an organ culture assay, performed for 6 days, treatments by puromycin, tunicamycin and chloroquine, known to act on synthesis, transport and activation of lysosomal enzymes, were applied to inhibit the duct regression.

Elastin derived peptides protect elastic fibres degradation by human neutrophil elastase: in vitro and in vivo studies using a mechanically induced rat gingival inflammatory model.

An elastin peptide (kE57) obtained from organoalkaline hydrolysis of calf ligamentum nuchae insoluble elastin, was isolated by gel permeation on Sephadex G150 and high performance liquid chromatography on a TSK G 3000 SW column. It possessed an average Mr = 57,000 and similar amino acids composition as its insoluble counterpart. kE57 behave as a competitive inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) with Ki = 1.

Ultrastructure of mullerian and wolffian ducts of fetal rabbit in vivo and in organ culture.

Emphasis is put on programmed cell death in the epithelial cells of mullerian and wolffian ducts, in rabbit fetuses, by observations on the timing and ultrastructural characteristics of cell degeneration. Genital tracts were collected on days 17 to 25 post-coitum and processed for electron microscopy. An organ culture assay was performed on fetal ducts and testis or ovary, for 4 days.