Mechanical Properties of Large Arteries in Mother and Fetus during Normal and Diabetic Pregnancy

Cardiodilatin (CDD)/atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a 28-amino acid peptide hormone known to be synthesized in the heart of a large number of different vertebrates. It plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and natriuresis/diuresis. Since the cardiovascular system of the horse has to meet the highest requirements concerning its physiological performance, we intended to characterize the cardiodilatin/atrial natriuretic peptide system of this species. By means of immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy, we precisely identified auricular cardiocytes as the loci of CDD/ANP synthesis. Using aortic smooth muscle relaxation assay and CDD/ANP-ELISA, we succeeded in isolating the biologically active prohormone. We subsequently cloned the equine cDNA of the CDD/ANP precursor protein and deduced its primary sequence. The entire precursor protein is in good agreement with the CDD/ANP prohormones of other mammals. The deduced theoretical average Mr of equine CDD/ANP-1-126 is 13,764, corresponding to the molecular weight of purified peptide determined by ESI-MS. Our findings suggest that equine CDD/ANP is produced in auricular cardiocytes and the predominant storage form of CDD/ANP in the auricle is the prohormone CDD/ANP-1-126.     

Laparoscopy-assisted and -prepared hysterectomy. A series of 80 cases

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the interest of laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Between January 1991 to december 1994, 80 patients had laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy. We reviewed with particular emphasis characteristic indications, complications. RESULTS: Eighty were performed as laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy. 14 patients (17.5%) had laparotomy conversion; because of size of uterus in 3 cases, suspected ovarian tumor in 3 cases. Pelvic adherences in 4 cases, urinary tract injuries in 1 case, hypercapnia in 1 case, hemorrhage in 2 cases. 9 patients experienced febrile morbidity and 1 urinary infection. 1 patient received 2 units of packed red blood cells. The hospital stay was 5 days for laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy versus 5.9 for laparotomic hysterectomy. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy offers a technique to convert certain abdominal hysterectomies into vaginal hysterectomies with a 17.5% laparoconversion rate.     

FTIR characterization of heterocycles lumazine and violapterin in solution: effects of solvent on anionic forms

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra have been obtained from solution samples of the heterocycles uracil, lumazine, and violapterin and reveal interpretable carbonyl stretching frequencies. Spectra of conjugate bases of lumazine and violapterin demonstrate decreases in these carbonyl stretching frequencies upon ionization. Based on isotopic shifts from amide deuterated analogs, semiempirical QCFF/PI calculations were used to assign the vibrational frequencies in the region 1100-1800 cm-1 observed from samples in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and aqueous solutions to specific normal modes. The observed deuterium shifts and the calculations suggest that, in some cases, N-H bending motions are coupled to the C=O stretching motions of the pyrimidine ring. These data suggest that for lumazine anions a change in solvent can significantly change the mixing of the N-H bending and C=O stretching vibrational motions. This implies that vibrational analysis for lumazine species in relatively noninteracting media like nonpolar solvents, mulls or pellets cannot necessarily be transferred to the system when it is dissolved in a polar, hydrogen-bonding solvent such as water. Although other explanations can be offered, our vibrational analysis suggests that the changes in normal mode composition of the predominantly C=O stretching vibrations of lumazine anion on going from dimethylsulfoxide to water solution are consistent with a change in the predominant tautomer of the heterocycle. This change appears to correspond to a shifting of the location of the remaining acidic proton to a different ring nitrogen atom. This interpretation is of interest in view of recent ab initio calculations which suggest that proton shifts may occur during the hydroxylation of lumazine as mediated by the enzyme xanthine oxidase.     

Three-week hepatitis B vaccination provides protective immunity

To determine whether a 3-week hepatitis B (HB) vaccination could achieve protective immunity, 89 healthy non-immunized young adults received three doses of 20 micrograms each of HBs antigen (GenHevac B, Pasteur) and were randomly assigned to schedule A (n = 44): two doses at day 0, one dose at day 21; or schedule B (n = 45): one dose at days 0, 10 and 21. Seroprotection rates (anti-HBs > or = 10 mIU ml-1) for groups A and B respectively were: 23 and 40% at day 21; and 77 and 91% at day 82 (not significant). Anti-HBs geometric mean titres were higher in group B than in group A (p < 0.05) at days 21 (6.4 versus 3.8) and 82 (77.6 versus 33.5). One year after primary vaccination, the seroprotection rate remained as high as 90% in the vaccinees of group B; after boosting all vaccinees had protective levels of anti-HBs antibodies. Thus 3-week HB vaccination with GenHevac B allowed early and durable protective immunity.     

An antigenic polysaccharide from Campylobacter coli serotype O:30. Structure of a teichoic acid-like antigenic polysaccharide associated with the lipopolysaccharide

A water-soluble antigenic polysaccharide of high M(r) associated with the lipopolysaccharide has been isolated from phenol-water extraction of cells of Campylobacter coli serotype O:30. The polysaccharide and oligosaccharide degradation products formed on O-dephosphorylation and by periodate oxidation followed by reduction have been investigated by one- and two-dimensional 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR. It is concluded that the antigenic polysaccharide has a teichoic acid-like structure with a poly-Ribitol phosphate, [5-Ribitol-1-P]n, backbone with side chains at O-2 of O-(6-deoxy-beta-D-talo-heptopyranosyl)-(1-->4)-(2-acetylamino-2-deoxy-beta-D- glucopyranosyl) units. The structure is unusual in Gram-negative bacteria and is unique in possessing 6-deoxy-D-talo-heptose as a constituent sugar. Evidence for the relationship of the antigenic polysaccharide to the lipopolysaccharide of low M(r) is discussed.     

Bioavailability of phenytoin acid and phenytoin sodium with enteral feedings

In the absence of E1B, the 289-amino acid product of human adenovirus type 5 13S E1A induces p53-independent apoptosis by a mechanism that requires viral E4 gene products (Marcellus, R.C., J.C. Teodoro, T. Wu, D.E. Brough, G. Ketner, G.C. Shore, and P.E. Branton. 1996. J. Virol. 70:6207-6215) and involves a mechanism that includes activation of caspases (Boulakia, C.A., G. Chen, F.W. Ng, J. G. Teodoro, P.E. Branton, D.W. Nicholson, G.G. Poirier, and G.C. Shore. 1996. Oncogene. 12:529-535). Here, we show that one of the E4 products, E4orf4, is highly toxic upon expression in rodent cells regardless of the p53 status, and that this cytotoxicity is significantly overcome by coexpression with either Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL. Conditional expression of E4orf4 induces a cell death process that is characterized by apoptotic hallmark features, such as externalization of phosphatidylserine, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytoplasmic vacuolation, condensation of chromatin, and internucleosomal DNA degradation. However, the wide-spectrum inhibitor of caspases, tetrapeptide zVAD-fmk, does not affect any of these apoptogenic manifestations, and does not alter the kinetics of E4orf4-induced cell death. Moreover, E4orf4 expression does not result in activation of the downstream effector caspase common to most apoptosis-inducing events, caspase-3 (CPP32). We conclude, therefore, that in the absence of E1A, E4orf4 is sufficient by itself to trigger a p53-independent apoptosis pathway that may operate independently of the known zVAD-inhibitable caspases, and that may involve an as yet uncharacterized mechanism.