Influence of high dietary sodium intake on the functional subtypes of alpha-adrenoceptors in the renal cortical vasculature of Wistar-Kyoto rats

1 Increased renal vascular resistance is one renal functional abnormality that contributes to hypertension, and alpha(1)-adrenoceptors play a pivotal role in modulating this renal vascular resistance. This study investigates the functional contribution of alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes in the renal cortical vasculature of Wistar-Kyoto rats on a normal sodium diet (WKYNNa) compared with those given saline to drink for 6 weeks (WKYHNa). 2 The renal cortical vascular responses to the adrenergic agonists noradrenaline (NA), methoxamine (ME) and phenylephrine (PE) were measured in WKYHNa and WKYNNa rats either in the absence (the control phase) or presence of chloroethylclonidine (CEC), an alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor antagonist, 5-methylurapidil (5-MeU), an alpha(1A) antagonist, or BMY7378, an alpha(1D) antagonist. 3 Results showed a greater renal cortical vascular sensitivity to NA, PE and ME in the WKYHNa compared with WKYNNa rats (P < 0.05). Moreover, 5-MeU and BMY7378 attenuated adrenergically induced renal cortical vasoconstriction in WKYHNa and WKYNNa rats; this response was largely blunted in CEC-treated WKYHNa rats (all P < 0.05) but not in CEC-treated WKYNNa rats. 4 The data suggest that irrespective of dietary sodium content, in Wistar-Kyoto rats alpha(1A)- and alpha(1D)-subtypes are the major alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in renal cortical vasculature; however, there appears to be a functional involvement of alpha(1B)-adrenoceptors in the WKYHNa rats.

A genome-wide panel of congenic mice reveals widespread epistasis of behavior quantitative trait loci

Understanding the genetics of behavioral variation remains a fascinating but difficult problem with considerable theoretical and practical implications. We used the genome-tagged mice (GTM) and an extensive test battery of well-validated behavioral assays to scan the genome for behavioral quantitative trait loci (QTLs). The GTM are a panel of 'speed congenic' mice consisting of over 60 strains spanning the entire autosomal genome. Each strain harbors a small (approximately 23 cM) DBA/2J donor segment on a uniform C57BL/6J background. The panel allows for mapping to regions as small as 5 cM and provides a powerful new tool for increasing mapping power and replicability in the analysis of QTLs. A total of 97 loci were mapped for a variety of complex behavioral traits including hyperactivity, anxiety, prepulse inhibition, avoidance and conditional fear. A larger number of loci were recovered than generally attained from standard mapping crosses. In addition, a surprisingly high proportion of loci, 63%, showed phenotypes unlike either of the parental strains. These data suggest that epistasis decreases sensitivity of locus detection in traditional crosses and demonstrate the utility of the GTM for mapping complex behavioral traits with high sensitivity and precision.

Screening reveals conserved and nonconserved transcriptional regulatory elements including an E3/E4 allele-dependent APOE coding region enhancer

We performed an unbiased experimental search for enhancers and silencers in a 153-kb region containing the human apolipoprotein (APO) E/C1/C4/C2 gene cluster using shotgun cloning into a luciferase vector. A continuum of transcriptional effect sizes was observed, possibly explaining the limited success of bioinformatics in identifying regulatory regions. We identified nine statistically significant enhancers and five silencers functional in either liver or astrocyte cells, including two previously known enhancers. Only two of the fourteen elements contained conserved noncoding sequences. Within the coding sequence of the APOE gene we identified an enhancer for the E4 allele associated with Alzheimer's disease, but not E3. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) causing the E4/E3 amino acid substitution was responsible for these variations, potentially explaining the higher expression levels of E4. Our results suggest a wider variety of mammalian transcriptional regulatory sequences than is currently recognized and that these may include coding region SNPs.

Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and apoptosis revealed by proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of the striata in two mouse models of Parkinson's disease

The molecular mechanisms underlying the changes in the nigrostriatal pathway in Parkinson's disease (PD) are not completely understood. Here, we use mass spectrometry and microarrays to study the proteomic and transcriptomic changes in the striatum of two mouse models of PD, induced by the distinct neurotoxins 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and methamphetamine (METH). Proteomic analyses resulted in the identification and relative quantification of 912 proteins with two or more unique peptides and 86 proteins with significant abundance changes following neurotoxin treatment. Similarly, microarray analyses revealed 181 genes with significant changes in mRNA, following neurotoxin treatment. The combined protein and gene list provides a clearer picture of the potential mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration observed in PD. Functional analysis of this combined list revealed a number of significant categories, including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress response, and apoptosis. These results constitute one of the largest descriptive data sets integrating protein and transcript changes for these neurotoxin models with many similar end point phenotypes but distinct mechanisms.

Fine mapping of regulatory loci for mammalian gene expression using radiation hybrids

We mapped regulatory loci for nearly all protein-coding genes in mammals using comparative genomic hybridization and expression array measurements from a panel of mouse-hamster radiation hybrid cell lines. The large number of breaks in the mouse chromosomes and the dense genotyping of the panel allowed extremely sharp mapping of loci. As the regulatory loci result from extra gene dosage, we call them copy number expression quantitative trait loci, or ceQTLs. The -2log10P support interval for the ceQTLs was <150 kb, containing an average of <2-3 genes. We identified 29,769 trans ceQTLs with -log10P > 4, including 13 hotspots each regulating >100 genes in trans. Further, this work identifies 2,761 trans ceQTLs harboring no known genes, and provides evidence for a mode of gene expression autoregulation specific to the X chromosome.

A genome-scale map of expression for a mouse brain section obtained using voxelation

Gene expression signatures in the mammalian brain hold the key to understanding neural development and neurological diseases. We have reconstructed two-dimensional images of gene expression for 20,000 genes in a coronal slice of the mouse brain at the level of the striatum by using microarrays in combination with voxelation at a resolution of 1 mm3. Good reliability of the microarray results were confirmed using multiple replicates, subsequent quantitative RT-PCR voxelation, mass spectrometry voxelation, and publicly available in situ hybridization data. Known and novel genes were identified with expression patterns localized to defined substructures within the brain. In addition, genes with unexpected patterns were identified, and cluster analysis identified a set of genes with a gradient of dorsal/ventral expression not restricted to known anatomical boundaries. The genome-scale maps of gene expression obtained using voxelation will be a valuable tool for the neuroscience community.

Cerebriform nevus sebaceus: a rare entity

We present a case of cerebriform nevus sebaceus in an 18-year-old boy. This form of nevus sebaceus is quite rare, in contrast to the relatively common linear variant.

Profile of noise pollution in Lucknow city and its impact on environment

Automobiles, construction, festivals, factories, stations, diesel shades, garages and workshops are sources of noise. Vehicles are increasing enormously beyond the carrying capacity of the road. Study was carried out at 12 locations with sound level meter to assess day time and night time noise levels of Lucknow city. In residential areas, noise ranged between 67.7 to 78.9 and 52.9 to 56.4; in commercial cum traffic areas 74.8 to 84.2 and 68.2 to 74.9 and in industrial areas 76.9-77.2 and 72.2-73.1 dB(A) during day and night time respectively. Values were higher than their prescribed standards which may pose a significant impact on quality of life.

Characterization of the mouse brain proteome using global proteomic analysis complemented with cysteinyl-peptide enrichment

We report a global proteomic approach for analyzing brain tissue and for the first time a comprehensive characterization of the whole mouse brain proteome. Preparation of the whole brain sample incorporated a highly efficient cysteinyl-peptide enrichment (CPE) technique to complement a global enzymatic digestion method. Both the global and the cysteinyl-enriched peptide samples were analyzed by SCX fractionation coupled with reversed phase LC-MS/MS analysis. A total of 48,328 different peptides were confidently identified (>98% confidence level), covering 7792 nonredundant proteins ( approximately 34% of the predicted mouse proteome). A total of 1564 and 1859 proteins were identified exclusively from the cysteinyl-peptide and the global peptide samples, respectively, corresponding to 25% and 31% improvements in proteome coverage compared to analysis of only the global peptide or cysteinyl-peptide samples. The identified proteins provide a broad representation of the mouse proteome with little bias evident due to protein pI, molecular weight, and/or cellular localization. Approximately 26% of the identified proteins with gene ontology (GO) annotations were membrane proteins, with 1447 proteins predicted to have transmembrane domains, and many of the membrane proteins were found to be involved in transport and cell signaling. The MS/MS spectrum count information for the identified proteins was used to provide a measure of relative protein abundances. The mouse brain peptide/protein database generated from this study represents the most comprehensive proteome coverage for the mammalian brain to date, and the basis for future quantitative brain proteomic studies using mouse models. The proteomic approach presented here may have broad applications for rapid proteomic analyses of various mouse models of human brain diseases.

Natural radionuclides in zircon and related radiological impacts in mineral separation plants

The activity concentration of uranium and thorium present in zircon obtained from mineral sand industries are presented. External gamma radiation levels and inhalation of airborne dust are found to be the significant routes of radiation exposure to occupational workers. The annual average dose attributed to zircon processing is estimated to be 2.3 mSv in the plants under study. This paper presents the results of external gamma measurements, estimation of airborne radioactivity in zircon process locations and radon and thoron in the occupational environment of two mineral separation plants in India. Analyses of the solid wastes and liquid effluent generated and resultant environmental impacts are indicated.

Development and evaluation of a micro- and nanoscale proteomic sample preparation method

Challenges associated with the efficient and effective preparation of micro- and nanoscale (micro- and nanogram) clinical specimens for proteomic applications include the unmitigated sample losses that occur during the processing steps. Herein, we describe a simple "single-tube" preparation protocol appropriate for small proteomic samples using the organic cosolvent, trifluoroethanol (TFE) that circumvents the loss of sample by facilitating both protein extraction and protein denaturation without requiring a separate cleanup step. The performance of the TFE-based method was initially evaluated by comparisons to traditional detergent-based methods on relatively large scale sample processing using human breast cancer cells and mouse brain tissue. The results demonstrated that the TFE-based protocol provided comparable results to the traditional detergent-based protocols for larger, conventionally sized proteomic samples (>100 microg protein content), based on both sample recovery and numbers of peptide/protein identifications. The effectiveness of this protocol for micro- and nanoscale sample processing was then evaluated for the extraction of proteins/peptides and shown effective for small mouse brain tissue samples (approximately 30 microg total protein content) and also for samples of approximately 5000 MCF-7 human breast cancer cells (approximately 500 ng total protein content), where the detergent-based methods were ineffective due to losses during cleanup and transfer steps.

Pill-induced esophageal injury: endoscopic features and clinical outcomes

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Pill-induced esophageal injury is a common but under-reported problem. The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical and endoscopic features, and the outcome of pill-related esophageal injury.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Endoscopy records for the period from January 1997 to June 2003 were searched for reports of esophageal pathology. The records of patients with pill-induced esophageal injury were evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 92 patients with pill-induced esophageal injury were identified (33 men, 59 women; mean age 59, range 25-87). Common symptoms were odynophagia (n = 69, 75 %), chest pain (n = 55, 60 %), vomiting (n = 53, 58 %), dysphagia (n = 31, 33 %), and hematemesis (n = 14, 15 %). The endoscopic findings in the esophagus were: erythema in 76 patients (83 %), erosions in 53 patients (58 %), ulcers in 24 patients (26 %), seven of which were "kissing" ulcers, esophageal ulcer with bleeding in 17 patients (18 %), and esophageal strictures in seven patients (8 %). The causative pills were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in 38 patients (41 %), tetracyclines in 20 patients (22 %), potassium chloride tablets in nine patients (10 %), alendronate in eight patients (9 %), and other drugs in 17 patients (18 %). Underlying diseases included diabetes in 60 patients (65 %), ischemic heart disease in 39 patients (42 %), and hypothyroidism in four patients (4 %). The mean hospital stay was 1.94 days; 14 patients (15 %) required injection of epinephrine 1 : 10,000 to control bleeding; and two patients died.

CONCLUSIONS

Pill-induced injury may present as erosions, kissing ulcers, and multiple small areas of ulceration with bleeding, mainly in the middle third of the esophagus. Advanced age, female gender, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease were common associations. The majority of patients made an uneventful recovery.

Role of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid on hyperhomocysteinemia in a Pakistani population of patients with acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Pakistani people belong to an ethnic group which has the highest rate of coronary artery disease (CAD). We investigated the possible correlation between deficiency of vitamins B6, B12 or folic acid and hyperhomocysteinemia in Pakistani patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A case-control study was carried out involving 224 AMI patients (age 30-70 years; 55 females and 169 males) and 126 normal healthy subjects (age 31-70 years; 35 females and 91 males).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Fasting venous blood was obtained from cases and controls. Serum was analyzed for folic acid and B12 using radioassays. Plasma was analyzed for pyridoxal phosphate (PLP; coenzymic form of B6) using a radioenzymatic assay and for total homocysteine using a fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Mean serum B12 concentration in AMI patients was found to be significantly lower than the mean for controls (241+/-185 pg/ml vs 608+/-341 pg/ml; p < 0.001). Mean serum folate level in patients was also found to be lower than controls (3.35+/-3.78 ng/ml vs 4.93+/-2.93 ng/ml), however, the differences were not statistically significant. Similarly, mean PLP concentration in plasma of cases (19.4+/-24.4 nmol/l) was lower than the concentration in controls (23.2+/-17.6 nmol/l), but the difference was not statistically significant. Mean plasma homocysteine level in AMI cases (18+/-8.36 micromol/l) was higher than the mean level in controls (16.4+/-4.9 micromol/l), but not to a significant extent. However, this mean homocysteine concentration in normal healthy subjects was among the highest reported in the literature and was significantly more than mean values reported in most Eastern and Western studies. Compared to controls, there was significantly greater deficiency of folate (32.5% vs 67.1%), B12 (3.2% vs 63.4%) and PLP (49.2% vs 74.1%) in AMI patients. Deficiencies of folate, B12 and PLP were defined as serum folate levels less than 3.5 ng/ml, serum levels of B12 less than 200 pg/ml and plasma PLP levels less than 20 nmol/l. Mean plasma homocysteine levels in smokers were found to be significantly higher in both cases and controls. Similarly, mean serum folate levels in smokers (compared to nonsmokers) were significantly lower in both cases and controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial nutritional deficiencies of these three vitamins along with mild hyperhomocysteinemia, perhaps through an interplay with the classical cardiovascular risk factors (highly prevalent in this population), could be further aggravating the risk of CAD in the Pakistani population.

A study of effects of acid activated saw dust on the removal of different dissolved tannery dyes (acid dye) from aqueous solutions

The effectiveness of acid activated sawdust in absorbing D-Brown EGP and Lurazol Brown PM dyes from aqueous solutions was studied as a function of agitation time and initial dye concentration. The experimental data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm and found that adsorption process follows both the isotherms. The values of Langmuir and Freundlich constants indicate favorable and beneficial adsorption. Saw dust is an excellent low cost adsorbent of colored organic anions and may have significant potential as a color removal from tannery wastewater.

Predicting serum gastrin levels among men during Ramadan fasting

Increased gastric acidity is common when fasting during Ramadan. Our study aimed to develop a regression equation to predict fasting serum gastrin levels using parameters commonly analysed in clinical laboratories. Fasting blood samples from six men were taken on days 1, 10, 19, 26 and 28 of Ramadan. Serum gastrin, total cholesterol, urea and uric acid were analysed. All 5 samples from each man were included in multiple regression analysis and the prediction equation obtained was: serum gastrin, pg/mL = 198.27-0.199 total cholesterol (mg/dL) + 2.525 urea (mg/dL)--103.238 uric acid (mg/dL) + 10.923 uric acid (mg/dL)2 + 3.683 body mass index, r2 = 0.75, P < 0.001. This equation might be used to estimate gastrin levels and plan dietary and medicinal measures to avoid high gastric acidity during Ramadan.

Profile of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia--a hospital study

OBJECTIVE

To collect baseline information on congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and to identify relevant issues specific to this disease in Pakistan.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of medical records of pediatric patients registered for serum 17 hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) measurement and documented to have CAH in the period 1987 to 1998 was carried out at The Aga Khan University, Karachi (AKU). The clinical notes were reviewed for documentation of CAH as the diagnosis.

RESULTS

Of the 152 children registered for 17-OHP testing, sixty-three were diagnosed with CAH. Salt wasting, simple virilization and non-classical CAH was found in 40 (63%), 18 (29.0%) and 5 (8.0%) patients respectively. Twenty-one (33.9%) patients were incorrectly assigned sex and of these, 20 (32.2%) patients were females who were either considered males or just not assigned gender. Parental consanguinity was found in 33 (52.3%) cases. No case had a history of similar features in either parent but in 19 (30.6%) cases similar features were present in siblings. Sixteen cases (25.4%) had a history of sibling death in the neonatal period and 7 had a history of sibling death in infancy. Maternal obstetric histories identified 3 (4.8%) cases with a history of still birth(s) and 4 (6.4%) with a history of abortion(s).

CONCLUSION

Children with CAH should be diagnosed early as a rational and judicious choice of sex assignment is a critical aspect of treatment. The high rate of consanguinity emphasized the need to establish the true incidence of the defect in Pakistani population.

Mapping behavioral traits by use of genome-tagged mice

OBJECTIVE

Complex trait mapping has been widely used to analyze the genetics of behavior. However, the approach has some disadvantages, including poor gene localization and low replicability. Genome-tagged mice (GTMs) are sets of congenic mouse strains that span the entire mouse genome and are a promising reagent for localization of genes contributing to behavior.

METHODS

In order to map behavioral loci of interest, a GTM was investigated in which the middle region of Chromosome 1 from DBA/2J was introgressed onto a C57BL/6J background. The GTM was analyzed for behaviors related to sensorimotor gating, anxiety, depression, pain sensitivity, and learning and memory.

RESULTS

The GTM was found to harbor a locus contributing to learning and memory, replicating results from complex trait analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The GTMs should be a valuable resource for mapping and confirmation of loci contributing to complex behavioral traits in the mouse, with ultimate implications for human genomic-based research, as well.

Interposition arthroplasty in temporomandibular joint ankylosis

We report a series of 60 cases of post- traumatic temporomandibular joint ankylosis that were treated at our unit from 1992 to 2002 by temporalis fascia flap interposition arthopiasty. Majority of these patients (21 patients, 35%) were in the age group of 15-20 years, with 39 males (65%) and 21 females (35%). The duration of ankylosis varied from 6 months to more than 4 years with 32 patients (54.32%) having a duration of 6 months to 2 years. 44 patients (73.33%) had unilateral white 16 patients (26.67%) had bilateral involvement of temporomandibular joint. Pedicled temporalise fascia axial flap based on superficial temporal artery was used for interpositional arthopiasty. The advantage is that it is available at the operative site, easy to raise, well vascularized, reliable and with better long term results. Adequate mouth opening was achieved in all cases and a long follow up, of up to 10 years for the earlier operated cases, showed no recurrence of ankylosis in any of the patients.

Identifying loci for behavioral traits using genome-tagged mice

Identification of behavioral loci through complex trait mapping remains a widely employed approach but suffers from poor gene localization and low replicability. Genome-tagged mice (GTMs) are overlapping sets of congenic strains spanning the whole genome and offer the possibilities of superior mapping power and reproducibility. In this study, three GTM strains each consisting of an average approximately 27 cM DBA/2J genomic intervals introgressed onto a C57BL/6J background were employed for localization of behavioral traits. These GTMs were chosen because the corresponding chromosomal regions had been previously identified as containing loci for learning and memory. Analysis of the GTMs allowed confirmation of the learning and memory loci, and one on chromosome 3 was in addition fine mapped to an 8.8-cM region of overlap between two of the GTMs. Moreover, loci for prepulse inhibition of the startle response, acoustic startle response, and spontaneous locomotor activity were also mapped. These results suggest that the GTMs should be a valuable resource for mapping and confirmation of loci contributing to complex behavioral traits in the mouse.

High-resolution voxelation mapping of human and rodent brain gene expression

Voxelation allows high-throughput acquisition of multiple volumetric images of brain gene expression, similar to those obtained from biomedical imaging systems. To obtain these images, the method employs analysis of spatially registered voxels (cubes). For creation of high-resolution maps using voxelation, relatively small voxel sizes are necessary and instruments will be required for semiautomated harvesting of such voxels. Here, we describe two devices that allow spatially registered harvesting of voxels from the human and rodent brain, giving linear resolutions of 3.3 and 1 mm, respectively. Gene expression patterns obtained using these devices showed good agreement with known expression patterns. The voxelation instruments and their future iterations represent a valuable approach to the genome scale acquisition of gene expression patterns in the human and rodent brain.

Chromosomal abnormalities as a cause of recurrent abortions: a hospital experience

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the chromosomal abnormalities in couples with history of recurrent abortions.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Cytogenetic section, Department of Pathology at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

PATIENTS

Three hundred couples with history of recurrent abortions.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Structural chromosomal abnormalities in carrier couples.

RESULTS

G-banded chromosomes were analyzed from both partners of 300 couples who had had two or more spontaneous abortions. Sixteen (5.3%) couples showed a chromosomal aberration in one of the partners. Seven translocations, 5 inversions, 2 deletions and 2 sex chromosomal abnormalities were identified. There was an increase in structural aberations, which was not significantly different from that reported worldwide.

CONCLUSION

Chromosomal analysis is advocated as a primary tool in the evaluation of couples with repetitive fetal wastage.