Ubiquinol decreases hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation-induced microvascular inflammation in rat mesenteric microcirculation

Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is a leading cause of death in traumatic injury. Ischemia and hypoxia in HS and fluid resuscitation (FR) creates a condition that facilitates excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This is a major factor causing increased leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesive interactions and inflammation in the microcirculation resulting in reperfusion tissue injury. The aim of this study was to determine if ubiquinol (coenzyme Q10) decreases microvascular inflammation following HS and FR. Intravital microscopy was used to measure leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesive interactions in the rat mesentery following 1-h of HS and 2-h post FR with or without ubiquinol. Hemorrhagic shock was induced by removing ~ 40% of anesthetized Sprague Dawley rats' blood volume to maintain a mean arterial blood pressure <50 mmHg for 1 h. Ubiquinol (1 mg/100 g body weight) was infused intravascularly in the ubiquinol group immediately after 1-h HS. The FR protocol included replacement of the shed blood and Lactate Ringer's in both the control and ubiquinol groups. We found that leukocyte adherence (2.3 ± 2.0), mast cell degranulation (1.02 ± 0.01), and ROS levels (159 ± 35%) in the ubiquinol group were significantly reduced compared to the control group (10.8 ± 2.3, 1.36 ± 0.03, and 343 ± 47%, respectively). In addition, vascular permeability in the control group (0.54 ± 0.11) was significantly greater than the ubiquinol group (0.34 ± 0.04). In conclusion, ubiquinol attenuates HS and FR-induced microvascular inflammation. These results suggest that ubiquinol provides protection to mesenteric microcirculation through its antioxidant properties.

Evidence that a polymorphism within the 3'UTR of glutathione peroxidase 4 is functional and is associated with susceptibility to colorectal cancer

Low selenium (Se) status has been associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Se is present as the amino acid selenocysteine in selenoproteins, such as the glutathione peroxidases. Se incorporation requires specific RNA structures in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of the selenoprotein mRNAs. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) occurs at nucleotide 718 (within the 3'UTR) in the glutathione peroxidase 4 gene. In the present study, Caco-2 cells were transfected with constructs in which type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase coding region was linked to the GPx4 3'UTR with either C or T variant at position 718. Higher reporter activity was observed in cells expressing the C variant compared to those expressing the T variant, under either Se-adequate or Se-deficient conditions. In addition, a disease association study was carried out in cohorts of patients with either adenomatous polyps, colorectal adenocarcinomas and in healthy controls. A higher proportion of individuals with CC genotype at the GPx4 T/C 718 SNP was present in the cancer group, but not in the polyp group, compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The present data demonstrate the functionality of the GPx4 T/C 718 SNP and suggest that T genotype is associated with lower risk of CRC.

Immunization of nonautoimmune mice with DNA binding domains of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase I results in production of anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm/RNP antibodies

Antibodies against the N-terminal (NT) but not the basic domain (BD), DNA binding regions of the largest subunit (S1) of RNA polymerase I (RNAPI) were detected in the sera of MRL-lpr/lpr lupus mice. Antibodies against both RNAPI(S1)-NT and -BD, as well as other systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) autoantigens (La, ribosomal P proteins and Sm/RNP) were produced by rabbits immunized with anti-DNA antibodies that had been affinity purified from SLE patients. Immunization of nonautoimmune mice (Balb/c) with RNAPI(S1)-NT, RNAPI(S1)-BD, or La in the form of GST fusion proteins, induced production of anti-double-stranded (ds) DNA and anti-Sm/RNP. GST-P1 did not induce an anti-dsDNA response in these mice. These results demonstrate that RNAPI(S1)-NT, RNAPI(S1)-BD and La can participate in an anti-autoantigen/anti-DNA antibody loop during an SLE-like autoimmune response.

The RN-BSN Student: Developing a Model of Empowerment

Nursing practice is being redefined. Today's graduating nurse is practicing in a tomorrow full of unknowns. The relevancy of traditional nursing education is being questioned in today's health care climate of crisis. In an attempt to prepare the graduating RN-BSN student to cope with these changes, nurse educators developed a process of empowerment. The framework for this effort was derived from the curriculum revolution, adult learning theory and empowerment research. The faculty defined empowerment as both an interpersonal process and an outcome. A graphic model has been created consisting of the four elements of empowerment: collegiality, communication, autonomy and accountability. Learning experiences are selected based upon these four elements. Teaching strategies are identified. Positive changes in student behavior have been reported anecdotally. The faculty are beginning the next phase: designing a research project to investigate behavior changes related to this empowerment model.

Alloproliferative responses of purified CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to endothelial cells in the absence of contaminating accessory cells

Human capillary endothelial cells (EC), unlike rodent, constitutively express MHC class II antigens, raising the question of whether they can cause direct stimulation of resting T cells. Although previous reports have demonstrated an alloproliferative response between cultured human EC and resting T lymphocytes, they have not stringently proven the absence of contaminating leukocytes in both stimulator and responder populations. Here, we have quantitated the number of contaminating leukocytes in serially passaged human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and have examined the ability of HUVEC and an EC line (EAhy.926) to cause allostimulation of positively selected CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Contaminating CD45+ leukocytes were found in primary cultures at a mean level of 0.43 +/- 0.49%; by passages 3 and 4 there were less than 1/10,000 cells. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were purified by positive selection on antibody-coated Dynabeads and residual DR+ cells were removed by complement-dependent lysis. They were shown to be depleted of monocytes by their failure to proliferate in response to OKT3 and PHA. Nevertheless, the same cells gave an unequivocal response to cytokine-treated, serially passaged HUVEC or EAhy.926 cells. The response of CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells was dependent upon pretreatment of HUVEC or EAhy.926 with human rIFN-gamma. Neither CD4+ nor CD8+ T cells responded to MHC class II-bearing fibroblasts or epithelial cells. The CD8+ T cells that recognized EC did not respond to spleen cells in an MLR. The results confirm that EC, unlike other non-bone-marrow-derived cells, have the ability to provide all the signals necessary for direct stimulation of resting allogeneic T cells.