Regulation of cardiac fibroblast extracellular matrix production by bradykinin and nitric oxide.

The beneficial effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on ameliorating cardiac fibrosis have been partially attributed to their ability to prevent the degradation of kinins. The potential role of bradykinin and the related signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO) in modulating extracellular matrix (ECM) production was examined in primary cultures of adult rat cardiac fibroblasts. Treatment of fibroblasts with 5 nM bradykinin for 24 h led to a reduction in steady-state mRNA levels for fibronectin (34 +/- 7%) and collagens type I (19 +/- 8%) and type III (48 +/- 4%), as determined by Northern blot analysis.

Amebic meningoencephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris: case report and review.

Balamuthia mandrillaris, formerly referred to as a leptomyxid ameba, is a free-living ameba that has recently been identified as a cause of meningoencephalitis. Previously, only two genera, Naegleria and Acanthamoeba, were recognized as causes of central nervous system (CNS) infections in humans. In contrast to Naegleria, Balamuthia causes a subacute-to-chronic infection of the CNS.

Inhaled nitric oxide (40 ppm) during one-lung ventilation, in the lateral decubitus position, does not decrease pulmonary vascular resistance or improve oxygenation in normal patients.

Objectives: To determine the effects of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) on venous admixture (Qs/Qt), mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP), and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients undergoing one-lung ventilation (1LV) in the lateral decubitus position.

Design: Prospective, blinded, crossover.

Setting: University hospital.

High c-erbB-3 protein expression is associated with shorter survival in advanced non-small cell lung carcinomas.

c-erbB-3 is a new member of the Type I growth factor receptor family that includes epidermal growth-factor receptor (also called c-erbB-1) and HER-2/neu (also called c-erbB-2). Frequency and significance of c-erbB-3 overexpression in lung cancers have not been reported previously. A series of 549 cases of primary lung carcinomas were immunostained with a monoclonal anti-human c-erbB-3 antibody (Clone RTJ.

Ultrastructural effects of lactoferrin binding on Giardia lamblia trophozoites.

Lactoferrin and its derived N-terminal peptide may be important host defenses against Giardia lamblia. We showed earlier that lactoferrin and the derived peptides have potent giardicidal activity in vitro. Using indirect immunofluorescence, we now demonstrate binding of lactoferrin and the peptides to the live trophozoite surface.

A model for the coupling between cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism during neural stimulation.

A general mathematical model for the delivery of O2 to the brain is presented, based on the assumptions that all of the brain capillaries are perfused at rest and that all of the oxygen extracted from the capillaries is metabolized. The model predicts that disproportionately large changes in blood flow are required in order to support small changes in the O2 metabolic rate. Interpreted in terms of this model, previous positron emission tomography (PET) studies of the human brain during neural stimulation demonstrating that cerebral blood flow (CBF) increases much more than the oxygen metabolic rate are consistent with tight coupling of flow and oxidative metabolism.

Epidermal growth factor-binding protein activates soluble and receptor-bound single chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator.

Epidermal growth factor-binding protein (EGF-BP) is a serine proteinase that reversibly associates with epidermal growth factor (EGF). We analyzed the reaction of EGF-BP with urokinase type plasminogen activator (u-PA), a serine proteinase that promotes pericellular proteolysis and cellular migration. EGF-BP cleaved single chain u-PA (scu-PA) between Lys158 and Ile159, converting the zymogen into enzymatically active two-chain u-PA (tcu-PA), as shown by SDS-PAGE, N-terminal sequence analysis, and enzymatic assay.

The effect of hypoxia on baroreflexes and pressor sensitivity in sleep apnea and hypertension.

Many persons with sleep apnea are hypertensive. Forty-two subjects of similar age and weight were divided into four groups of hypertensives and normotensives with and without sleep apnea. All subjects had heart rate, blood pressure (BP), baroreflex sensitivity and pressor sensitivity to phenylephrine measured while breathing room air or 15% oxygen.

Techniques for bronchial anastomosis.

Background: Many techniques have been described to optimize the construction of the bronchial anastomosis in lung transplantation. Over the past 60 months we have performed 86 bronchial anastomoses in 70 patients receiving single lung or bilateral single lung transplants.

Methods: No anastomosis was wrapped and no attempt was made at revascularization of bronchial arteries.

Giardicidal activity of lactoferrin and N-terminal peptides.

Human and bovine lactoferrins and their derived N-terminal peptides were giardicidal in vitro. Fe3+, but not Fe2+, protected trophozoites from both native lactoferrin and peptides, although the latter lack iron-binding sites. Other divalent metal ions protected only against native lactoferrin.

A phase I trial of paclitaxel and etoposide for metastatic or recurrent malignancies.

Etoposide and paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) each exhibit substantial activity against a variety of solid tumors. Etoposide promotes accumulation of cells in late S phase and in G2. Paclitaxel causes cell arrest in G2 and M.

Tyrosine phosphorylation is required for up-regulation of the HOX-11 (TCL-3) homeobox proto-oncogene in T cells.

HOX-11 (TCL-3) is a homeobox proto-oncogene isolated from the breakpoint region of the t(10;14) chromosomal translocation associated with pediatric T-cell acute leukemia. To better understand the transcriptional regulation of the HOX-11 gene in response to extracellular signals, the levels of HOX-11 RNA were examined in normal and leukemic human T cells upon phytohemagglutinin and hematopoietic growth factor stimulation. While individual hematopoietic growth factors tested did not show any effect on HOX-11 gene expression, a drastic increase in HOX-11 RNA was observed under the induction of phytohemagglutinin.

Human proximal duodenal ion and water transport. Role of enteric nervous system and carbonic anhydrase.

Intestinal ion transport is mediated by the interaction of enterocyte function, the enteric nervous system, humoral agents, and mucosal production of carbonic anhydrase. Our purpose was to examine the effect of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide and inhibition of the enteric nervous system with the topical anesthetic lidocaine on basal and prostaglandin E2-stimulated ion and water transport and transmucosal electrical potential difference. At rest, mean basal (95% confidence intervals) net ion secretion into the human proximal duodenum was: Cl- 670 (288-1052), Na+ 818 (410-1225), K+ 32 (14-51) mumol/cm/hr.

Killing of Giardia lamblia by cryptdins and cationic neutrophil peptides.

Antimicrobial polypeptides such as the defensins kill a wide range of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and tumor cells. Because of the recent finding that intestinal defensins, also known as cryptdins, are synthesized by the Paneth cells of the small intestinal crypts and released into the lumen, we asked whether defensins and other small cationic antimicrobial peptides could kill the trophozoites of Giardia lamblia, which colonize the small intestine. Four mouse cryptdins, two neutrophil defensins (HNP-1 [human] and NP-2 [rabbit]), and the unique tryptophan-rich bovine neutrophil polypeptide indolicidin each had some antigiardial activity against trophozoites in vitro.

Adenovirus infection of the duodenum in an AIDS patient: an ultrastructural study.

Intractable diarrhea in a 40-year-old woman with terminal acquired immunodeficiency syndrome resulted from adenovirus infection of the duodenal mucosa. Electron microscopic examination of a duodenal biopsy specimen performed because of clinical suspicion of cryptosporidiosis or microsporidiosis showed pathognomonic viral particles in the nuclei of mucosal epithelium. Extensive sloughing of damaged mucosal cells may have contributed to the diarrhea, for which no other cause was found during either pathologic or microbiologic analysis.

"Isolated" traumatic radial-head dislocation.

A delay in diagnosis of a traumatic radial-head dislocation in the absence of a concurrent ulnar fracture is common. Published reports of this injury imply an isolated injury to the radius without involvement of the ulna. This hypothesis is challenged by a retrospective study of all cases over an 8-year period that demonstrates an identifiable injury to the ulna in every case.

Expression of inducible stress protein 70 in rat heart myogenic cells confers protection against simulated ischemia-induced injury.

Myocardial ischemia markedly increases the expression of several members of the stress/heat shock protein (HSP) family, especially the inducible HSP70 isoforms. Increased expression of HSP70 has been shown to exert a protective effect against a lethal heat shock. We have examined the possibility of using this resistance to a lethal heat shock as a protective effect against an ischemic-like stress in vitro using a rat embryonic heart-derived cell line H9c2 (2-1).

Transcatheter manipulation of asymmetrically opened titanium Greenfield filters.

Purpose: The problem of asymmetric opening of the modified hook titanium Greenfield inferior vena cava filter necessitating transcatheter manipulation was evaluated in a retrospective study.

Patients And Methods: Titanium Greenfield filters were placed in 166 patients over a 36-month period. The radiographic reports of all patients were reviewed to identify cases in which the filter failed to open symmetrically after deployment and catheter or wire manipulation of the filter was performed.

Noninvasive Doppler color flow mapping for detection of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery and for evaluation of surgical repair.

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a rare but important cause of congestive heart failure in infancy and of sudden death at all ages. Diagnosis is often missed when based solely on physical examination and noninvasive methods. A 4 year old patient is presented in whom mitral regurgitation was noted by a referring physician and an anomalous left coronary artery was found by Doppler color flow mapping upon referral and verified at cardiac catheterization.

Theoretical analysis of the sensitivity of the solid phase antibody assay (ELISA).

The sensitivity of the solid phase ELISA antibody assay was analyzed from a theoretical perspective. Results show that the investigator may choose either affinity dependent or affinity independent performance by adjusting the assay conditions. High antigen concentration (concn) and small interepitope distance favor affinity independence, while low antigen concn and large interepitope distance favor affinity dependent assay behavior.