Cognitive outcome after coronary artery bypass: a one-year prospective study

BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits have been reported in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting, but the incidence of these deficits varies widely. We studied prospectively the incidence of cognitive change and whether the changes persisted over time. METHODS: Cognitive testing was done preoperatively and 1 month and 1 year postoperatively in 127 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Tests were grouped into eight cognitive domains. A change of 0.5 standard deviation or more at 1 month and 1 year from patient's preoperative Z score was the outcome measure. RESULTS: We identified four main outcomes for each cognitive domain: no decline; decline and improvement; persistent decline; and late decline. Only 12% of patients showed no decline across all domains tested; 82% to 90% of patients had no decline in visual memory, psychomotor speed, motor speed, and executive function; 21% and 26% had decline and improvement in verbal memory and language; approximately 10% had persistent decline in the domains of verbal memory, visual memory, attention, and visuoconstruction; and 24% had late decline (between 1 month and 1 year) in visuoconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes that the incidence of cognitive decline varies according to the cognitive domain studied and that some patients have persistent and late cognitive changes in specific domains after coronary artery bypass grafting.     

Simultaneous determination of S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine by capillary zone electrophoresis

A reproducible, rapid procedure for the simultaneous quantitative separation of S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine by capillary zone electrophoresis has been developed. Separations were performed by using an uncoated capillary of 60 cm effective length and 50 microm ID, 40 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 2.50, as background electrolyte solution, and 30 kV. On-line detection was carried out at 254 nm. Under the conditions selected we resolved a standard solution containing S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine in a run time shorter than 8 min. A mass detection limit in the range of 10 fmol was achieved. Adenosyl-L-methionine, S[methyl-3H] has also been assayed under the same experimental conditions. Other related compounds did not show interference, including those derived from the hydrolysis of S-adenosylmethionine. The present method allows simultaneous determination of these compounds, which play an important role in many microbiological and enzymatic research studies.     

Structure of 5S rRNA within the Escherichia coli ribosome: iodine-induced cleavage patterns of phosphorothioate derivatives

The protection patterns of 5S rRNA in solution, within the ribosomal 50S subunit, 70S ribosomes, and functional complexes, were assessed with the phosphorothioate method. About 20% of the analyzed positions (G9-G107) showed strong assembly defects: A phosphorothioate at one of these positions significantly impaired the incorporation of 5S rRNA into 50S particles. The reverse has also been observed: A phosphorothioate is preferred over a phosphate residue in the assembly process at a few positions. The results further demonstrate that 5S rRNA undergoes conformational changes during the assembly in the central protuberance of the 50S subunit and upon association with the small ribosomal subunit forming a 70S ribosome. In striking contrast, when the 70S ribosomes are once formed, the contact pattern of the 5S rRNA is the same in various functional states such as initiation-like complexes and pre- and posttranslocational states.     

Procorticotrophin-releasing hormone: endoproteolytic processing and differential release of its derived peptides within AtT20 cells

Procorticotrophin-releasing hormone (proCRH) is expressed mainly in the hypothalamus and in the placenta, where it undergoes tissue-specific endoproteolysis. Our results show that within stably transfected AtT20/D16V cells proCRH is cleaved to generate two fragments of approximately 8 and 3 kDa which could account for proCRH(125-194) and proCRH(125-151), respectively, and a 4.5 kDa product which could account for mature IR-CRH(1-41). The immunofluorescence staining patterns for IR-CRH and IR-ACTH and their response of secretagogues indicate targeting of proCRH and POMC to the secretory pathway in transfected AtT20 cells. In this work, we have used a unique set of specific RIAs and IRMAs to the full length POMC and proCRH molecules and several products of endoproteolytic processing to assess if they could be released differentially in response to stimulation. Although the release of both IR-ACTH and IR-CRH peptides from transfected AtT20 cells is stimulated in response to exposure to high potassium stimulation (51 mM KCl/SmM CaCl2), the sorting index (SI) suggests that mature ACTH is sorted to the regulated secretory pathway 2.1-fold more efficiently than mature CRH(1-41). Mature ACTH is also sorted to the regulated secretory pathway 9-fold more efficiently than IR-proCRH(125-151). Also, mature CRH(1-41) is sorted to the regulated secretory pathway 3-fold more efficiently than IR-proCRH(125-151). These results therefore indicate that the intracellular mechanisms for the storage and release of POMC, proCRH and their endoproteolytic products differ and would sustain the hypothesis that within mammalian peptidergic cells, different biologically active peptides originating from the same or different precursor molecules, could be differentially released in response to specific stimuli. This would give these cells the capacity to finely regulate neurotransmitter release in response to environmental and physiological demands.     

The importance of studies of the glycosaminoglycans in the peripheral blood leukocytes of patients in the diagnosis of the phases of chronic myeloleukemia]

To elucidate new diagnostic markers of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) phases, we investigated quantitative and qualitative composition of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) of leukocytes from peripheral blood of 72 patients. Chronic CML phase was characterized by elevated GAG levels (2 times compared to normal values), weakening of anionic properties of chondroitin sulfate (CS) and high amount of heparan sulfate (HS). In CML transformation in the progressive phase overall concentration of GAG grew still higher, GAG fraction composition changed. In the blast crisis there was a sharp fall in the overall GAG, new electrophoretic fractions emerged. In the myeloid variant of the crisis an additional GAG component appeared (GAG-m), whereas in the lymphoid variant another component was found (GAG-1). It is suggested that the number and composition of GAG in peripheral blood leukocytes may serve markers of CML phase.     

Isolation of riboflavin-binding apoprotein from chicken egg protein and its use for determining riboflavin in biological samples

A riboflavine-binding protein has been isolated from egg white and its properties have been characterized. The apoprotein-employing techniques for riboflavine detection in foods, urine, and blood serum are highly competitive with conventional labor-consuming procedures and with the high expensive HPLC method in sensitivity and selectivity, and can be recommended for riboflavine detection in biological objects.     

Interaction of catalytically active antibodies with oligoribonucleotides

The interaction of antibodies from blood sera of patients with autoimmune pathology, systemic lupus erythematosus with oligoribonucleotides was studied. The RNA-hydrolyzing activity was shown to be an intrinsic property of autoantibodies. Enzymic activity of antibodies in hydrolysis of poly(U) was estimated at 20-40% of that of RNase A. In contrast to known eukaryotic RNases, the autoantibodies possess a specific RNA-hydrolyzing activity for oligo r(A). The RNA-nicking activity of antibodies in hydrolysis of oligoadenylates was more higher than with hydrolysis of oligo d(A). Optimal conditions of r(pA)13 hydrolysis were selected, including the optimal of pH = 8.7.