A circadian rhythm in lipid mobilization which is altered in IDDM.

It is not clear how circadian lipolysis and circulating concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) are altered in intensively treated insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) patients. Ten IDDM patients on an intensive insulin regimen and eight healthy control subjects were investigated under ordinary living conditions for 27 h by microdialysis of subcutaneous adipose tissue. The true tissue glycerol concentration and adipose blood flow changes were monitored as an index of lipolysis.

Subtyping of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 strains by using antibodies specific for the third variable domain (V3) of gp120: results may be affected by divergent V3 sequences.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 serotype C was found in 545 of 712 Ethiopian patients by peptide enzyme immunoassay. Serotyping failed in 146 samples due to the absence of V3 antibodies or multiple reactivities. In 6 of 34 samples, discordant results were obtained by serotyping and genotyping, possibly due to divergent V3 sequences.

The rat glucocorticoid receptor mutant K461A differentiates between two different mechanisms of transrepression.

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) can both activate and repress transcription of target genes by interaction with specific genomic response elements, glucocorticoid response elements (GREs). Activation of transcription is usually the result of the direct interaction between GR and the GRE, whereas GR-mediated transcription repression is either the result of the indirect action of GR, mediated by a response element as a result of protein.protein interaction or by an occlusion mechanism in which GR displaces a general or regulatory transcription factor.

Characterization of AT-1 cardiomyocytes as a model for studies of T3 effects on cardiac cells.

AT-1 cardiomyocyte derive from atrial tumors in transgenic mice. Earlier studies have indicated a highly differentiated, contracting, cardiac phenotype in primary cultures and the AT-1 cardiomyocyte may thus be an excellent in vitro model in cardiac research. Thyroid hormone (T3) has positive inotropic and chronotropic effects and is clinically known to be relevant in various pathological heart conditions.

Crosstalk of the heart and periphery: skeletal and cardiac muscle as therapeutic targets in heart failure.

Heart failure syndrome is initiated as the body's metabolic needs temporarily exceed the pumping capacity of the heart. In most cases, this phenomenon tends to occur during physical exercise. Although not always subjectively recognized, limited exercise capacity remains the clinical hallmark of congestive heart failure.

Glucocorticoid-dependent transcriptional repression of the osteocalcin gene by competitive binding at the TATA box.

The human osteocalcin gene is transcriptionally repressed by glucocorticoids. A specific binding element for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) overlapping the TATA box of the human osteocalcin promoter has previously been identified. In the present study, the function of this element has been further characterized by competitive gel mobility-shift assay and transfection experiments.

B cell-deficient muMT mice as an experimental model for Mycoplasma infections in X-linked agammaglobulinemia.

B cell-deficient muMT mice were investigated as an experimental model for human X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). Mice were intranasally infected with Mycoplasma pulmonis and in 16 out of 17 muMT mice, dissemination of the bacteria from the airways was observed. More than 50% of these mice developed arthritis and/or changes in periarticular tissues.

Carbamazepine treatment induces the CYP3A4 catalysed sulphoxidation of omeprazole, but has no or less effect on hydroxylation via CYP2C19.

Aims: Omeprazole has been shown previously to be metabolized by the two cytochrome P450 isoforms CYP2C19 (hydroxylation) and CYP3A4 (sulphoxidation). The objective of this study was to test the inducibility of these enzymes by carbamazepine (CBZ).

Methods: Omeprazole was given as a single oral dose before and after 3 weeks of treatment of five patients with CBZ (400-600 mg daily).

A 6-month venographic follow-up in 164 patients with acute deep vein thrombosis.

Unlabelled: A total of 164 patients were recruited from a randomized trial comparing a low molecular weight heparin, dalteparin, given subcutaneously once daily with a continuous intravenous infusion of unfractionated heparin in the initial treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis. The primary objective of this follow-up study was to investigate whether there were any differences between the two treatment groups with respect to Marder score changes 6 months after the initial diagnosis using repeated venography. The secondary objectives were to analyse whether certain haemostatic and acute phase parameters or patient characteristics influenced the venographic outcome.

Dynamic analysis of hepatitis C virus polymorphism in patients with orthotopic liver transplantation.

Background: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) quasispecies feature is important for HCV persistence. Most liver grafts are reinfected by HCV after liver transplantation (LTx).

Methods: The degree of HCV polymorphisms during LTx was determined by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and direct sequencing of the HCV hypervariable region 1 (HVR1).

Low bacterial contamination of nebulizers in home treatment of cystic fibrosis patients.

Many reports have shown bacterial contamination of nebulizers used by patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) at home. At the Stockholm CF centre we recommend dismantling the equipment, washing, rinsing and drying it after each use, and disinfecting it once daily by boiling water or by 2% acetic acid followed by drying without rinsing. We studied whether patients comply with these recommendations and whether they are sufficient to prevent bacterial contamination.

Generation of cytokines in red cell concentrates during storage is prevented by prestorage white cell reduction.

Background: The effect of prestorage white cell (WBC) filtration on the cytokine content in red cells (RBCs) has not been clarified.

Study Design And Methods: Six units of buffy coat-poor RBC concentrates were prepared. Each unit was divided into three parts: one was used as a control, the second was made WBC-rich by the addition of WBCs from the buffy coat, and the third was made WBC-poor by filtration.

Perinatal asphyxia induces long-term changes in dopamine D1, D2, and D3 receptor binding in the rat brain.

We have investigated the long-term effects of 15-16 min or 19-20 min of perinatal asphyxia on D1, D2, and D3 receptors (analyzed by quantitative autoradiography) in the mesotelencephalic dopamine systems of the 4-week-old rat. Perinatal asphyxia reduced D1 antagonist binding ([3H]SCH 23390 in the presence of ketanserine) in the accumbens nucleus, the olfactory tubercle, and the substantia nigra and increased D1 agonist binding ([3H]dopamine in the presence of spiperone) in the accumbens nucleus and the olfactory tubercle. No changes in D2 antagonist binding ([123]iodosulpride) were found, whereas D2 agonist binding ([3H]N-propylnorapomorphine, [3H]NPA) was reduced in the posterior part of the caudate-putamen, and following 19-20 min of asphyxia it was also reduced in the accumbens nucleus.

Allotype-associated variation in the human gamma3 switch region as a basis for differences in IgG3 production.

High and low serum concentrations of IgG3 are associated with the human G3 m(b) and G3 m(g) allotypes, respectively. We previously hypothesized that a low frequency of switching is the most likely defect in (g) allotype-positive individuals, and therefore analyzed the structure, recombination breakpoints, and binding of nuclear proteins to the switch (S)gamma3 regions of these two allotypes. There are no allotype-associated differences in the length and basic structure of the Sgamma3, since both contain eighteen 79-bp repeats.

Local wound and systemic coagulation/fibrinolysis responses in hip arthroplasty. Influence of allogeneic and autologous blood transfusion.

22 patients undergoing elective hip arthroplasty were studied. In 12 patients, a closed-loop autotransfusion system, without anticoagulant, was used and 10 had an ordinary wound drainage allowing repeated blood sampling from the wound. Plasma concentrations of antithrombin (AT), fibrin, soluble (SF) and fibrin D-dimer were determined preoperatively, 3, 8, and 24 hours after starting surgery.

A scanning electron microscopy study of disturbances in the developing rat molar induced by cyclophosphamide.

Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the effect of cyclophosphamide (Cy) on molar development in 18 Sprague-Dawley rats from 15 to 48 days of age after birth. Doses of 30 mg/kg body weight of Cy dissolved in 1 ml 0.9% NaCl were given to the rats at 10 and 13 days of age.

Report from the HLA class II typing by PCR-SSP Multicentre Study.

Results from 360 HLA-DR and -DQ 'low-resolution' typings with polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP), performed by nine laboratories, were analysed for their overall utility in routinely defining the HLA-DR1-DR18, DR51-DR53 and DQ1-DQ9 specificities in less than 2.5 h. Thirty EDTA blood samples and 10 DNA samples were distributed and analysed by each laboratory.

Age-related impaired affinity maturation and differential D-JH gene usage in human VH6-expressing B lymphocytes from healthy individuals.

To elucidate the basic molecular events underlying humoral immunity during ontogeny and senescence, we analyzed a panel of 179 polymerase chain reaction-derived VH6-D-JH rearrangements from cord blood, peripheral blood, and spleen. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the CDR3 region shows that there is a difference in D and JH gene usage in functional rearrangements between lymphocytes from peripheral blood and spleen. Analysis of the VH6 gene shows that the mutational frequencies rise from 0.

Effect of sucralfate on induced chemical cystitis in rabbits.

Objective: To study the histological effect of locally applied sucralfate on the urinary bladder in rabbits with chemically induced cystitis.

Materials And Methods: Sucralfate (1 g dissolved in 10 mL saline) was instilled into the bladders of six rabbits, while four controls had no instillation. The procedure was repeated 4 days later and followed immediately by 10 mL of 2% formaldehyde infused into the bladder and retained for 10 min in all 10 rabbits.

Linomide-induced suppression of experimental autoimmune neuritis is associated with down-regulated macrophage functions.

Experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease of the peripheral nervous system, in which macrophages and T-cells feature prominently in nerve lesions. EAN represents a counterpart to Guillain-Barré syndrome in humans. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo effects of Linomide (LS-2616, quinoline-3-carboxamide), a synthetic immunomodulatory compound, on macrophages in relation to EAN.

Differential susceptibility to Mycoplasma pulmonis intranasal infection in X-linked immunodeficient (xid), severe combined immunodeficient (scid), and immunocompetent mice.

Mice with the scid mutation are highly susceptible to Mycoplasma pulmonis infection and develop a disseminated disease. In order to study the contribution of humoral immunity to the immune response, M. pulmonis was inoculated intranasally to X-linked immunodeficient (xid) mice.

Oral administration of antibodies as prophylaxis and therapy in Campylobacter jejuni-infected chickens.

Passive immunity against gastrointestinal infections has recently been successfully applied as prophylaxis and therapy in patients in a variety of virally and bacterially induced infections. Campylobacter jejuni is frequently associated with acute diarrhoea in humans, and several species of animals have been shown to transmit the disease, although birds have been implicated as the main source of infection. We used bovine and chicken immunoglobulin preparations from the milk and eggs, respectively, of immunized animals for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of chickens infected with C.

Efficacy of immunosuppressive drugs in islet xenotransplantation: leflunomide in combination with cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil prevents islet xenograft rejection in the pig-to-rat model.

Background: Morphological characteristics of islet xenograft rejection differ from those of islet allograft rejection. Therefore, prevention of islet xenograft rejection probably requires a different type of immunosuppression from that used in allogeneic transplantation.

Methods: Fetal porcine islet-like cell clusters (ICC) were transplanted into the renal subcapsular space of rats treated with different immunosuppressive protocols.