A new perivascular multi-element pulsed Doppler ultrasound system for in vivo studies of velocity fields and turbulent stresses in large vessels

A pulsed Doppler ultrasound (PDU) multi-element system was developed for perivascular registration of velocity fields and turbulence in large vessels. In vivo evaluation and comparison with hot-film anemometry (HFA) was performed. C-shaped shells were designed with holes to fit five small 10 MHz ultrasonic probes directed at five measuring points along a diameter perpendicular to the vessel axis. By rotating the shell in 45 degrees steps, blood velocities were measured in 17 points covering the entire cross-sectional vessel area. Measurements were performed in the ascending aorta and at three axial locations in the descending thoracic aorta in pigs. Simultaneous PDU and HFA measurements were performed distal to induced vascular stenoses of different degrees. Three-dimensional visualisation of velocity profiles was made, and Reynolds normal stresses (RNS) were calculated for different levels of turbulence intensities based on the simultaneous PDU and HFA measurements. The velocity profiles in the ascending aorta were skewed at top systole with the highest velocities towards the posterior wall. In the descending thoracic aorta at the ligmentum of Botalli, the velocity profiles were skewed throughout the entire systole with the highest velocities at the right anterior vessel wall. Further downstream in the descending aorta the velocity profiles appeared blunter. The frequency response of the modified PDU system was determined by a 'random noise test' revealing an upper -3dB cut-off frequency of approximately 200 Hz. Regression analysis showed a linear relationship between RNS measured with PDU and RNS measured with HFA (r = 0.93). Two vessel diameters distal to a 75% stenosis RNS up to 28 N m-2 were measured.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Molecular typing of hepatitis C virus genome from sera and liver tissues of patients with anti-HCV positive chronic liver disease

The authors investigated the distribution of HCV genotypes in patients with various chronic liver diseases in Korea. Study population was 70 individuals, positive for second generation anti-HCV EIA, consisting of 37 cases with sporadic non-A, non-B (NANB) chronic hepatitis (CH), 12 NANB hepatocellular carcinoma, 16 post-transfusion NANB hepatitis, 4 non-B blood donors and 1 healthy family member of a patient with sporadic CH. Molecular typing was performed by RT-nested PCR with type-specific primer sets deduced from the NS-5 region of HCV. The prevalence of type II was 75.0% and type III was 25.0% in sera. In liver tissues, type II HCV was shown in 63.0%, type III HCV in 3.7% and co-infections with type II and III HCV were observed in 18.5% of 27 samples biopsied. In the sera of patients with chronic hepatitis, typing results were relatively well correlated with those in tissues (75%), but type III could not be observed. Among 12 HCC patients, type III HCV appeared only in tissues, not in sera. These results suggest that type II HCV may be the major HCV type in Korea, and co-infections with type II and-III HCV may not be rare in chronic liver diseases with HCV.

Three dimensional visualisation of velocity profiles in the normal porcine pulmonary trunk

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to obtain detailed data of velocity profile development in the porcine pulmonary trunk.

METHODS

Hot film anemometry was used for point blood velocity measurements in the entire cross sectional area one diameter downstream of the normal porcine pulmonary valve. Computerised three dimensional visualisations of the spatial and temporal development of blood velocity profiles were made. Measurement series were conducted under spontaneous and stressed haemodynamic conditions in 16 pigs with a body weight of approximately 90 kg.

RESULTS

The velocity profiles revealed consistent temporal and spatial development characteristics. In the systolic acceleration phase the profile was flat, but during peak systole an initially counterclockwise rotation was seen; subsequently the profile turned clockwise and ultimately counterclockwise to become flat during early and late systolic deceleration phases.

CONCLUSIONS

These skewed, rotating velocity profiles are in conflict with the generally accepted assumption that the velocity profile in the pulmonary trunk is flat. The rotating skewness of the velocity profile in the porcine pulmonary trunk has not been described before. The reason for the rotating velocity profile is obscure.

The major late promoter of adenovirus-2 is accurately transcribed by RNA polymerases IIO, IIA, and IIB

Subunit IIa of mammalian RNA polymerase II contains at its C terminus 52 tandem repeats of the consensus sequence Tyr-Ser-Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser. This domain is unmodified in RNA polymerase IIA, extensively phosphorylated in RNA polymerase IIO, and absent from RNA polymerase IIB. In an effort to define the role of the C-terminal domain, we have measured the transcriptional activity of purified RNA polymerases IIO, IIA, and IIB. The ability of each polymerase subspecies to transcribe the major late promoter of adenovirus-2 was examined in a polymerase-dependent transcription system reconstituted from partially purified transcription factors. RNA polymerases IIO, IIA, and IIB are all capable of initiating specific transcripts from this promoter. The transcriptional activity was determined as a function of the concentration of RNA polymerase II, template DNA, and each of the essential general transcription factors. The transcriptional activities of RNA polymerases IIA and IIB were comparable and consistently greater than that of RNA polymerase IIO when assayed under the conditions described here. The kinetics of transcript formation is similar except that RNA polymerase IIO has a more pronounced lag. These results show that the C-terminal domain of subunit IIa is not essential for the accurate initiation of transcripts from the major late promoter of adenovirus-2 and that the effect of the C-terminal domain is not likely mediated by the general transcription factors required for the expression of class II genes.

Purification of RNA polymerase IIO from calf thymus

Three subspecies of RNA polymerase II, designated IIO, IIA, and IIB, have been described in calf thymus and shown to differ in the apparent molecular weight of their largest subunits, designated IIo, IIa, and IIb, respectively. The objective of this study was to develop a procedure for the purification of RNA polymerase IIO. This form of the enzyme predominates in vivo and is responsible for the transcription of most cellular genes. RNA polymerase II is solubilized from isolated calf thymus nuclei in the presence of high concentrations of chelators, precipitated with polyethyleneimine, extracted with salt, and precipitated with (NH4)2SO4. The solubilized enzyme is resolved from factors that destabilize RNA polymerase IIO by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose CL-4B and DE52. RNA polymerase IIO is then partially resolved from RNA polymerases IIA and IIB by chromatography on DEAE-5PW and further purified by chromatography on Phenyl-Superose and Mono Q. RNA polymerase IIO was purified 1000-fold from the polyethyleneimine eluate resulting in about 130 micrograms of RNA polymerase IIO from 300 g of calf thymus. The specific activity of RNA polymerase IIO, in nonselective assays using calf thymus DNA as template, is 440 units/mg and not significantly different from that of RNA polymerases IIA and IIB. The similar transcriptional activities in nonselective assays suggest that the C-terminal domain of the largest RNA polymerase II subunit does not play a major role in the elongation phase of the reaction when deproteinized DNA serves as template. The small subunits of RNA polymerase IIO are indistinguishable from those of RNA polymerases IIA and IIB.

Immunochemical analysis of mammalian RNA polymerase II subspecies. Stability and relative in vivo concentration

Three subspecies of RNA polymerase II, designated IIO, IIA, and IIB, have been described in a variety of eukaryotic cells and shown to differ in the molecular weight of their largest subunit, designated IIo, IIa, and IIb, respectively. The objectives of this study were to establish the in vivo molecular structure of RNA polymerase II in mammalian cells and to examine conditions that influence the stability of RNA polymerase II subspecies. Subunit affinity-purified antibodies were used to determine the relative concentration of subunits IIo, IIa, and IIb in crude extracts of calf thymus tissue, cultured bovine kidney cells, and HeLa cells. HeLa cells contain exclusively RNA polymerase IIO whereas both cultured bovine kidney cells and calf thymus tissue contain RNA polymerases IIO and IIA. RNA polymerase IIB was not detected at significant levels in any of the cell extracts examined. Cell extracts were aged at either 4 degrees or 37 degrees C and the stability of RNA polymerases IIO and IIA determined by protein blotting. In the presence of buffer normally used for RNA polymerase purification, subunit IIo disappears from calf thymus extracts within 24 h at 4 degrees C or within 5 min at 37 degrees C. RNA polymerase IIO is partially stabilized by the inclusion of protease inhibitors and further stabilized by the presence of relatively high concentration of EDTA and EGTA. The prior fractionation of nuclei does not have an appreciable effect on RNA polymerase II stability. An increase in the amount of reducing agent causes a dramatic reduction in the stability of subunit IIo. The following manuscript (Bartholomew, B., Dahmus, M. E., and Meares, C. F. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 14226-14231) examines the transcriptional activity of RNA polymerases IIO and IIA in reactions dependent on the major late promoter of adenovirus-2. Photoaffinity labeling of subunits IIo and IIa, relative to their concentration in the transcription extract, indicates that the transcriptional activity of RNA polymerase IIO is greater than 10 times that of IIA.

Lidocaine intoxication in a newborn following local anesthesia for episiotomy

A case report of lidocaine intoxication in a newborn following local anesthesia for maternal episiotomy is presented. A molded head in the occiput posterior position may predispose to inadvertent, direct injection of the fetal scalp.