Contractile responses of human deferential artery and vas deferens to vasopressin

We studied the effects of vasopressin on isolated rings of human deferential artery and vas deferens (prostatic portion) obtained from patients undergoing radical cystectomy (n = 11) or prostatectomy (n = 10). Ring segments of artery or vas deferens were studied in organ bath experiments at optimal resting tension. In artery rings, vasopressin produced concentration-dependent, endothelium-independent contractions with an EC50 of 4.5 x 10(-10) M. The presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (10(-4) M), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, did not change significantly (P > 0.05) the vasopressin-induced contraction. In ring preparations of the prostatic part of the vas deferens, vasopressin induced phasic contractions with an EC50 of 7.0 x 10(-9) M. The vasopressin V1 receptor antagonist, d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (10(-8) and 10(-6)), displaced to the right in parallel the control curve to vasopressin in artery and vas deferens rings. These results indicate that vasopressin exerts a powerful constrictor action on human deferential artery and vas deferens by direct stimulation of V1 receptors. It is concluded that the deferential artery may dampen the passage of blood to the vas deferens in circumstances characterized by increased plasma vasopressin levels.

[Use of ticlopidine in primary care]

OBJECTIVES

To find the reasons for prescription of Ticlopidine, which acts against the aggregation of platelets and is catalogued as "with hospital diagnosis", and to evaluate the criteria for its correct use and whether it is actually used in Spain to treat authorised symptoms.

DESIGN

A descriptive, crossover and retrospective study.

SETTING

Primary Care districts in the catchment area of the Virgen del Rocío hospital in Sevilla.

PATIENTS

Those who requested permits for Ticlopidine prescriptions, documented by the clinical report.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The following data were recorded from the clinical reports presented when the Ticlopidine prescription permits were requested: patient's identification, diagnosis, pharmaceutical speciality, dosage, length of treatment and recommendation of haematological check-ups. Out of 407 reports available, the diagnosis corresponded to one of the authorised symptoms in 50.6% of cases. In a third of the patients the recommended dose was half that endorsed by the published clinical trials. Only in 2.7% of cases was mention made of the desirability of having haematological check-ups to forestall possible adverse reactions. The possibility of a counter-indication to Acetylsalicylic acid was only rarely mentioned.

CONCLUSIONS

Ticlopidine is recommended in 50% of cases for symptoms for which it is not authorised in our country: moreover, in 35% of cases, at doses lower than those established as effective. The information given by the doctor who initiates the treatment is usually insufficient. There is a need to reassess whether cataloguing a medicine as "with hospital diagnosis" aids its rational use.

[Electrolytic changes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during remission induction]

The alterations of the water-electrolyte balance are among the commonest early complications of treatment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). A study was carried out in thirteen patients with ALL aged between 1.5 and 14 years. Four had high risk ALL and nine had standard risk ALL. All patients received intravenous epirubicin and vincristine, per os prednisone, allopurinol and bicarbonate, and intrathecal methotrexate and hydrocortisone. Venous blood was drawn before starting therapy and on days second and sixth of treatment in order to assay sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate, magnesium, albumin, urea nitrogen, creatinine and uric acid concentrations. The following alterations were found: hyponatraemia in 4 cases, hypokalemia in 9, hypomagnesaemia in 9, hypocalcaemia in 11, hypophosphataemia in 9, hypouricemia in 3 and hyperuricaemia in 3 others. None of the patients developed acute renal insufficiency. These abnormalities could be due to the leukaemia itself or appear as a consequence of the remission induction treatment.

Relaxation of human isolated mesenteric arteries by vasopressin and desmopressin

1. The effects of vasopressin and deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP, desmopressin) were studied in artery rings (0.8-1 mm in external diameter) obtained from portions of human omentum during the course of abdominal operations (27 patients). 2. In arterial rings under resting tension, vasopressin produced concentration-dependent, endothelium-independent contractions with an EC50 of 0.59 +/- 0.12 nM. The V1 antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (1 microM) and the mixed V1-V2 antagonist desGly-d(CH2)5D-Tyr(Et)ValAVP (0.01 microM) displaced the control curve to vasopressin to the right in a parallel manner without differences in the maximal responses. In the presence of indomethacin (1 microM) the contractile response to vasopressin was significantly increased (P < 0.01). 3. In precontracted arterial rings, previously treated with the V1 antagonist, d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (1 microM), vasopressin produced endothelium-dependent relaxation. This relaxation was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) by indomethacin (1 microM) and unaffected by the V1-V2 receptor antagonist desGly-d(CH2)5D-Tyr(Et)ValAVP (1 microM) or by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 0.1 mM). 4. The selective V2 receptor agonist, DDAVP, caused endothelium-independent, concentration-dependent relaxations in precontracted arterial rings that were inhibited by the mixed V1-V2 receptor antagonist, but not by the V1 receptor antagonist or by pretreatment with indomethacin or L-NAME. 5. Results from this study suggest that vasopressin is primarily a constrictor of human mesenteric arteries by V1 receptor stimulation; vasopressin causes dilatation only during V1 receptor blockade. The relaxation appears to be mediated by the release of vasodilator prostaglandins from the endothelial cell layer and is independent of V2 receptor stimulation or release of nitric oxide. In contrast, the relaxation induced by DDAVP is largely dependent on stimulation of V2 receptors.

4-Hydroxynonenal, a lipid peroxidation product, induces relaxation of human cerebral arteries

The relaxant effect of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), a lipid peroxidation product, on human cerebral arteries was studied. Addition of 4-HNE to artery rings promoted no contraction, and after stimulation with prostaglandin F2 alpha (PFG2 alpha; 10(-7)-3 x 10(-6) M), 100% relaxation was obtained with 3 x 10(-5) M 4-HNE. Inhibition of nitric oxide formation with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME; (10(-4) M), as well as prostaglandin synthesis with indomethacin (3 x 10(-6) M), partially prevented 4-HNE-induced relaxation, but each of these substances separately failed to inhibit complete relaxation. Addition of both inhibitors together reduced 4-HNE-induced relaxation to approximately 50%, but relaxation could not be abolished. When the endothelium was removed, 4-HNE did not promote relaxation after PGF2 alpha stimulation. The possible roles of different intracellular signaling systems in the vascular effect of 4-HNE are discussed.

[Self application of preventive measures and opinion about applying them to the population at the health centers of Cantabria]

OBJECTIVE

To establish the degree of fulfillment of preventive measures and health promotion recommended by the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine for medical staff; to determine the opinion for medical staff about the application to these preventive measures in the general population and to analyse the relationship between the self application and the recommendation to the population.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional observational through questionnaire.

SETTING

Health Centers in Cantabria.

PARTICIPANTS

Medical staff of Health Centers.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A response of 67.9% (146 out of 215) was obtained. The results of the self application had been: smokers, 35.6%; know their TA, 89.5%; know their weight, 99.3%; know their cholesterol, 81.5%; tetanus vaccinated, 41.4%; influence vaccinated, 33.6%; hepatitis B vaccinated, 38.6%; consume alcohol in excess, 5.6%; make breasts annual exploration, 44.4%; mammography, 33.0%; cervical cytology, 73.1% protected against german measles, 87.2%. The opinion of the medical staff about the application of the preventive measures in the general population of was positive in more of 90% the respondent. We found a significant relation (p < 0.01) between self application and recommendations to the population; and the population recommendation also showed an inverse relationship with the number of years of experience in First Aid (p < 0.01). However, the statistical was low for these variables (0.2).

CONCLUSION

The self application of the preventive measures in the Health Centers of Cantabria is in general better than in other Spanish regions and although, we found relations between self application and recommendation to the population the statistics potency was low for this variable.

Phosphorylation of maize RAB-17 protein by casein kinase 2

The maize gene RAB-17, which is responsive to abscisic acid, encodes a basic glycine-rich protein containing, in the middle part of its sequence, a cluster of 8 serine residues followed by a putative casein kinase 2-type substrate consensus sequence. This protein was found to be highly phosphorylated in vivo. Here, we show that RAB-17 protein is a real substrate for casein kinase 2. RAB-17 protein is phosphorylated in vitro by casein kinase 2 isolated from rat liver cytosol and from maize embryos. A maximum of 4 mol of phosphate were incorporated per mol of RAB-17 protein following incubation with casein kinase 2. Phosphopeptide mapping experiments show that the peptide phosphorylated by casein kinase 2 in vitro is identical to that derived from the protein phosphorylated in vivo. Purification by high performance liquid chromatography and partial sequencing of the phosphopeptide indicate that it corresponds to the region of the protein (residues 56-89) containing the cluster of serine residues. Our results indicate that RAB-17 is phosphorylated by casein kinase 2 or a kinase with a similar specificity and that phosphorylation takes place in the serine cluster region of the protein both in vitro and in vivo.

Endothelium-independent contractions of human cerebral arteries in response to vasopressin

We studied the effects of vasopressin in isolated segments from branches (500-700 micrograms in external diameter) of human middle cerebral arteries obtained during autopsy of 15 patients who had died 3-8 hours before. Paired segments, one normal and the other de-endothelized by gentle rubbing, were mounted for isometric recording of tension in organ baths. In 11 normal segments, vasopressin produced concentration-dependent contractions with an EC50 of 7.0 X 10(-10) M. Removal of the endothelium from 12 segments did not significantly affect vasopressin-induced contractions. Vasopressin produced further contractions in arterial segments with (n = 4) or without (n = 5) endothelium precontracted with KCl. In segments precontracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha, acetylcholine choline caused relaxation only of those with endothelium. At 10(-8) M (n = 11), the vasopressin V-1 receptor antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP produced a 60-fold shift to the right of the control response curve for vasopressin. Increasing the concentration of the receptor antagonist to 10(-6) M (n = 7) further displaced the control curve in a parallel manner. These results indicate that vasopressin exerts a powerful constrictor action on isolated human cerebral arteries by direct stimulation of V-1 receptors located predominantly on smooth muscle cells. It appears that this contractile response is not modulated by the presence of an intact endothelial cell layer.

[Treatment of diarrheic disease at home. Comparison of 2 forms of oral solutions: liquid and concentrated in small bags]

One hundred children, ranging in ages from a month to a year, with acute diarrhea who were treated at home following the basic standard recommendations, were studied. In order to prevent dehydration, half of the children were given oral solution (OS) containing the concentrated official formula in packets (group A), and the remaining half was given a commercially prepared ready-to-use OS (group B). During the treatment period, two house calls were made and the third day the patient was asked to come in for a check-up at the hospital. The clinical and socioeconomic characteristics were similar in both groups. The majority of parents made some reference to the "salty" taste of their OS, while only a few thought it has a sweet taste. In Group B, there were greater numbers of relatives who did not wash their hands before administering the OS and did it through bottles. A reminder was given on suggestive signs of dehydration expected, during the second home visit, although they were few. In both groups the average amount of OS administered was greater than 40 mL/kg/24 hours. The majority of the patients gained weight during the treatment. Four patients showed signs of slight dehydration (three from group A and one from group B). The OS's bacteriologic examination was positive for enteropathogens in 16% of the samples from group A and in 5% from group B. The average time the diarrhea continued was similar for both groups. Sodium concentration ranged from 60 to 120, potassium from 15 to 30 mmol/L, in 85% of those cases in group A and 98% in group B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Lung embolism with liquid silicone

A lung embolism was reported in a case involving death following repeated injections of liquid silicone for aesthetic reasons. The liquid extracted from the sites of injection was identified as methylsilicone using infrared spectrophotometry, and the presence of silicone in vacuoles in the lung was verified by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). A study has been carried out with rats after intravenous and subcutaneous injections of methylsilicone.

Brownian dynamics simulation of restricted rotational diffusion

The restricted rotational diffusion of an axially symmetric particle is simulated by the Brownian dynamics technique. In addition to the wobbling-in-a-cone model, several continuous potentials are considered. The particle studied is particularly simple: a sphere anchored to a point fixed in space. However, presenting the results in a convenient, reduced form, they are valid for any axially symmetric particle. From simulated rotational trajectories, we calculate (P2(cos alpha] as a function of t, where alpha is the angle between two orientations separated by time t and P2 is the second Legendre polynomial. This correlation function is closely related to time-resolved electro-optic and spectroscopic properties. Simulated results for the cone model are in excellent agreement with the quasiexact results of Lipari and Szabo (1981, J. Chem. Phys., 75:2971-2976). Thus we confirm the good performance of the simulation technique and the validity of our working conditions. Novel results are presented for continuous restricting potentials, V(theta). The (P2) results for V = 1/2K theta 2 and V = Q(1 - cos theta) are practically the same if K and Q are chosen so tht the long-time (P2) values coincide. Thus, the quadratic potential seems to be a good representation of any monotonically increasing potential. However, for an uniaxial potential such as V = Csin2 theta, the decay is appreciably faster. The (P2) decays simulated for the continuous potentials are analyzed by the monoexponential version of the cone model. We found that such an analysis produces an overestimation of the true rotational diffusion coefficient of approximately 15% only, although for uniaxial potentials the error may be larger.

Reversible hearing loss after meningitis. Prospective assessment using auditory evoked responses

Hearing loss (HL) was prospectively studied in 236 children with meningitis using brainstem auditory evoked responses. Hearing loss was detected in 38 (16.1%) in the acute phase of the disease and in 10 (5.2%) of 193 patients who were tested 6 months later. Hearing loss was more frequent and more severe in patients with bacterial meningitis (25.4% in the acute phase, and 8% 6 months later) than in patients with viral and tuberculous meningitis. In half of the affected cases the auditory lesion was bilateral. Follow-up was possible in 32 patients with early postmeningitic HL. Ten (31.2%) had permanent HL while the remaining 22 (68.7%) recovered normal hearing. Severe initial losses tended to be permanent, whereas minimal and intermediate losses were generally reversible and patients recovered completely in 1 to 6 months. The high incidence of HL in bacterial meningitis suggests that any one of the existing methods of auditory screening should be performed in all patients during the convalescent period.

Pro-(carboxypeptidases A) from whole pig pancreas. Their mass, size, shape and solvation

Sedimentation analysis and light-scattering measurements were made with the two forms of pig pancreas pro-(carboxypeptidase A), in order to determine some of their physical properties. The following values were found (the first value applies to the binary complex and the second one to the monomer). The A 1%/280.1 cm values were 19.9 +/- 0.3 and 16.3 +/- 0.3. The partial specific volumes v -0 were 0.707 +/- 0.016 cm3/g and 0.714 +/- 0.015 cm3/g. The sedimentation coefficients S 0/20,w were 4.90 +/- 0.15S and 3.75 +/- 0.15 S. The diffusion coefficients D 0/20,w were (5.8 +/- 0.1) X 10(-7) cm2/s and (6.95 +/- 0.15) X 10(-7) cm2/s. From these data the following values were calculated. Relative molecular masses Mr were 71 000 +/- 4000 and 46 000 +/- 3000. The frictional ratios f/fmin. were 1.37 +/- 0.06 and 1.31 +/- 0.07; assuming a value for the solvation of the molecules (delta = 0.5 g/g) the asymmetry values range from 3 to 5 for the binary complex and from 2 to 4 for the monomer. The Mr values found in the present work coincide with those found by means of polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate [Martínez, Avilés, SanSegundo & Cuchillo (1981) Biochem. J. 197, 141-147]. Therefore the low values obtained by those authors when using gel-filtration chromatography must be the result of the interaction of the zymogens with the gel matrix, as the asymmetry is too small to justify the large discrepancies found.

Independent changes in cerebrospinal fluid and in blood pH and lactate concentrations in children with purulent meningitis

In order to evaluate the relationship of the hydrogen and lactate concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with those in the blood, three groups of children were studied: Group I, (n=20) with purulent meningitis (PM); Group II, (n=20) with metabolic acidosis and Group III, (n=17) with suspicion of septicemia but no metabolic acidosis. In all infants a CSF sample was obtained for cytochemical analysis, culture as well as pH and lactate determinations; the latter two were also measured in a blood sample obtained simultaneously. In group I, the CSF [H+] and [lactate] were higher than in the blood (p less than 0.001 and less than 0.01 respectively) and no significant correlation was observed between the CSF and blood values. In group II, no such differences existed in [H+] and [lactate] between both compartments and again no correlation was disclosed between CSF and blood values. In group III only the [H+] was higher in CSF than in blood (p less than 0.01) and a significant correlation was observed between both compartments (r = 0.486, p less than 0.05). The existence of differences in group I among the CSF and blood [H+] and [lactate], along with the lack of correlation between CSF and blood [H+] or [lactate], could suggest that such compartmental changes are independent from each other. However, the variations were quite large and thus, the biological significance of this observation could be questioned.

The severed activation segment of porcine pancreatic procarboxypeptidase A is a powerful inhibitor of the active enzyme. Isolation and characterisation of the activation peptide

The activation peptide of the monomeric procarboxypeptidase A from porcine pancreas was isolated by means of controlled trypsin digestion of the proenzyme followed by ion-exchange chromatography under dissociating conditions (7 M urea). The molecular weight of the isolated peptide was estimated to be around 11500-12000 (corresponding to approx. 100-103 residues) as judged by SDS electrophoresis and amino acid analysis, a figure that agrees with the differences between the corresponding values for procarboxypeptidase A and carboxypeptidase A (peptidyl-L-amino acid hydrolase, EC 3.4.17.1). The activation peptide has a high content of hydrophobic and acidic amino acids, and lacks cysteine. A remarkable feature is the strong competitive inhibitory action of the peptide on both porcine and bovine pancreatic carboxypeptidase A activity, with a Ki in the nanomolar range, and its null ability to inhibit porcine pancreatic carboxypeptidase B (EC 3.4.17.2). The above properties, and the fact that the peptide has the same N-terminal residue (lysine) as the parent procarboxypeptidase A, suggest that the isolated peptide contains most (if not all) of the activation segment of the proenzyme.

Comparison between the monomeric and binary-complex forms of procarboxypeptidase A from whole pig pancreas

Two different forms of procarboxypeptidase A (I and II) were obtained from pig pancreas extracts. The Mr values, the pattern found on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate, and the sedimentation coefficients indicate that form I is a binary complex formed by two different subunits, whereas form II is a monomer. The carboxypeptidase A-precursor subunit of form I and the form II monomer are very similar with respect to Mr value, amino acid composition and fragmentation by CNBr and iodosobenzoic acid. The activation process of both forms is unspecific with respect to the activating enzyme, the peptide released during activation is unusually long (Mr approx.sor subunit of form I and the form II monomer are very similar with respect to Mr value, amino acid composition and fragmentation by CNBr and iodosobenzoic acid. The activation process of both forms is unspecific with respect to the activating enzyme, the peptide released during activation is unusually long (Mr approx.sor subunit of form I and the form II monomer are very similar with respect to Mr value, amino acid composition and fragmentation by CNBr and iodosobenzoic acid. The activation process of both forms is unspecific with respect to the activating enzyme, the peptide released during activation is unusually long (Mr approx. 12500) and, in the case of the binary complex, the activation with trypsin follows a rather complex pattern, suggesting that the accompanying subunit of form I might play a modulating role in the activation process. Although the appearance of enzymic activity is rather slow, a protein with an Mr equivalent to that of active carboxypeptidase A is found very early in the activation process. Both zymogens are glycoproteins (so far no carbohydrate has been reported in any procarboxypeptidase A) and both contain two strongly bound Zn2+ ions/molecule. Other chemical and physical properties were also determined.

[Central and peripheral temperature in pediatrics (author's transl)]

Because of the absence of enough data in the literature of normal values of differential temperature in the pediatric age, authors have registred rectal temperature and peripheral temperature on the tip of the great toe with the use of a thermistor as well as differential temperatures between both of them in 100 children which were divided in four groups depending upon the ages. All of these children had clinical evidence of normovolemia. All the tempertaure recordings were done under constant temperature and constant environmental humidity. The following data were found: Group I (newborn infants between 1-30 days): delta T = 6.08 degrees C; +/- 1.74 SD. Group II (infants between 1-12 months); delta T = 5.91 degrees C; +/- 2.0350 SD. Group III (children between 1-3 years): delta T = 5.39 degrees C; +/- 2.14 SD. Group IV (children between 3-8 years): delta T = 4.78 degrees C; +/- 2.14 SD. Difference between central and peripheral temperatures recorded at constant environmental temperature and humidity is an early and sensible measure of peripheral perfussion degree and is an easy economical and non-aggressive method of monitoring shock syndrome in children.