Distribution of placental protein 14 in tissues and body fluids during pregnancy

Summary. Placental protein 14 (PP14) levels were measured in serum samples from non-pregnant and pregnant women. amniotic fluid, cord blood, and extracts of placenta, decidua and fetal membranes. The levels were low (15–40 μg/ l ) in serum of non-pregnant women. In four pregnancies following in-vitro fertilization, the serum PP14 levels started to rise 2–12 days after embryo replacement. In normal pregnancy, the highest serum PP14 concentrations (up to 2200 μg/l) were detected between 6 and 12 weeks. After 16 weeks the level decreased and plateaued at 24 weeks to around 200 μg/l. In amniotic fluid, the highest PP14 levels (232 mg/l) were found between 12 and 20 weeks, being considerably higher than those in maternal serum throughout pregnancy. In cord blood, the levels were low (15–22 μg/l) or undetectable. In early pregnancy decidua. the PP14 content was higher (41–160 mg/g total protein) than in late pregnancy decidua (60–2700 μg/g total protein). In amnion and chorion laeve, the PP14 concentration varied from 50 to 750 and 50 to 1000 μg/g protein, respectively. Early pregnancy placenta contained 0-25-15 mg/g and late pregnancy placenta 3–430 μg/g protein of PP14. These results show that the levels of PP14 in pregnancy serum have a similar profile to hCG, but in contrast to other placental proteins, the amniotic fluid PP14 levels are remarkably high. This may be explained by suggesting that decidua is a source of PP14.     

A Bacteriological Comparison between Two Methods of Exchange Transfusion

Twenty-three cases of hyperbilirubinemia in newborn babies were treated with exchange transfusions according to the method of Sanchez. Bacteriological samples were examined from the inner surface of the fresh cut end of the umbilical stump and from the part of the umbilical vein used in Sanchez's method. Growth was obtained in 16 cases from the stump and in three cases from the vein.     

Treatment Strategies for In-Stent Restenosis

In-stent restenosis has become a significant clinical problem. It is estimated that in 1997, up to 100,000 patients with in-stent restenosis were treated worldwide. Serial intravascular ultrasound analysis has shown that neointimal hyperplasia represents the most important cause for in-stent restenosis, while late recoil and remodeling are neglectabe. With the recent explosion in the use of coronary stents, clinical investigation on stent restenosis has lagged behind. For example, the true prevalence of in-stent restenosis varies with the lesion and patient subset. It is much higher in the "real world" than in selected patients who are typically controlled in most studies. Diffuse restenosis can be expected in about two-thirds of stented patients, and it is difficult to treat because of unfavorable long-term results. Conventional catheter-based treatment modalities include plain balloon angioplasty (PTCA), rotational atherectomy (RA), excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA), directional coronary atherectomy (DCA), and additional stent implantation. Exact individual recurrence rates for these approaches are not known and show a considerable degree of variability. Recently, brachytherapy has emerged as the most promising way to treat in-stent restenosis.     

Binding of 14C-spermidine to melanin in vivo and in vitro

It has been shown that melanin has the properties of a polyanion and may in vivo and in vitro bind inorganic cations and drugs which are positively charged at physiological pH by a cation-exchange mechanism. In the present study, we explored if the organic aliphatic polycation spermidine would bind to melanin in vivo after administration of ¹⁴C-spermidine to pigmented mice and in vitro at incubations with pigment from beef-eyes. The results showed a high labelling of the pigmented tissues in the mice after the administration of ¹⁴C-spermidine. At long survival intervals, the radioactivity in the melanin was higher than in any other tissue. A strong melanin affinity of ¹⁴C-spermidine was found in vitro. An analysis of the binding by the method of Scale hard showed that the data could be best fitted by the assumption of two classes of binding sites. The in vivo bound material could be displaced by in vitro incubation in solutions containing inorganic cation-chloride salts or HCI and HC1 was also very effective in inhibiting the melanin-binding of ¹⁴C-spermidine in vitro. The results indicate that an electrostatic interaction between spermidine and melanin will occur both in vivo and in vitro.     

Conformational analysis of dopamine by the INDO molecular orbital method

The results of INDO calculations on dopamine are reported. A conformational energy map and an isodistance map for the key distances N—OH₁, N—OH₂ in dopamine as functions of the two main torsion angles τ₁ and τ₂ were constructed. In addition to the three known minima of dopamine corresponding to the trans and gauche forms, two new minima were found. The key distances of the rigid analogues of dopamine, apomorphine, isoapomorphine, 2-amino-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene and isoquinoline were plotted on the isodistance map of dopamine. By taking the corresponding τ values as coordinates on the energy map, conformations of dopamine, resembling the rigid analogues, could be found. When a conformation is close to a local minimum it is assumed that this conformation is energetically favourable. The possible relation between the energy minima and the biological action of dopamine is discussed. An explanation is suggested for the lack of dopaminergic activity of isoapomorphine.     

PSEUDOHYPOALDOSTERONISM Clinical, Biochemical and Morphological Studies in a Long-term Follow-up

ABSTRACT. A boy with pseudohypoaldosteronism was followed from birth to the age of 7 years. Failure to thrive, vomiting, dehydration, hyponatraemia and urinary sodium loss were prominent findings. Urinary excretion of corticosteroid metabolites was normal. Before treatment, excessively high plasma renin concentration was found, associated with a marked activation of aldosterone secretion. A renal biopsy showed pronounced hypertrophy of the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Persisting metabolic acidosis and an insufficient urinary acidifying capacity suggested the presence of distal renal tubular acidosis. Treatment with sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride from 19 to 31 months of age resulted in normal growth and normal physical and mental development. The plasma electrolytes were normalized but a pronounced activation of the renin–aldosterone system persisted after therapy, and on sodium restriction this system responded with a considerable further activation.