The effects of the nitric oxide donor molsidomine prevent in warm ischemia-reperfusion injury of the rat renal — A functional and histophatological study

Aim of this experimental study is to verify the protective effect of molsidomine on the renal function and structural modifications in the ischemia-reperfusion rat kidney. Sixty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats, which were right nephrectomized and occluded left renal artery for 60 minutes were used. Group I (n = 10) Sham-Operated animals, which only underwent right nephrectomy. Group II (n = 20) Untreated ischemic rats, which underwent left renal ischemia by occlusion of the renal artery for 60 minutes before blood flow was restored. Group III (n = 18) Molsidomine treated ischemic rats, Group IV (n = 20) L-NAME (N^G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) treated ischemic rats. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured daily and biopsies were obtained from the remaining left kidneys. At seventh day, 55% and50% of the rats remained alive at the G-II and G-IV respectively. Molsidomine treated rats (G-III) were alive and healthy at day 7. The serum creatinine and BUN levels were significantly higher in G-II and G-IV when compared with the sham-operated group (G-I). G-III rats showed a rapid return to the normal serum creatinine and BUN values on postoperative days 1, 2, 3 and 4. The obtained values in G-III were significantly lower in comparison to the values of G-II and G-IV. The most severe damage (grade3 to 4) was determined in the kidneys of rats from GII or GIV. The degree of renal tubular damage in GIII was evaluated as grade 1 or 2 tubular damage according to Jablonkski's scale. Our findings suggested that the administration of molsidomine may vanquish the pernicious effects of warm ischemia on kidney structure and function. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Contents Volume 32, No. 4

Table of Contents

Contents Volume 32, No. 4     

Synthesis and evaluation of antibacterial activity of some 2-[[alpha-(4-substituted benzoyloxy)-alpha-phenylacetyl or methylacetyl]amino]-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)- 1,3,4-oxadiazoles

In this study, a new series of 1-[[alpha-(4-substitutedbenzoyloxy)-alpha-phenylacetyl or methylacetyl]amino]-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles were obtained by condensation of 2-[(alpha-chloro-alpha-phenylacetyl or alpha-bromopropionyl)amino]-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)1,3,4-oxadiazoles with sodium salts of 4-substituted benzoic acids. Structures of the compounds were assigned on the basis of spectral data (UV, IR, 1H NMR, El MS) and elemental analyses. The antibacterial activities of the novel compounds against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538. Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 4352, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 1539, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri and Proteus mirabilis and antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 were tested using disk diffusion method. Compounds 4a, 4d and 4g were found to be active against S. aureus ATCC 6538 (MIC, 78, 39 and 78 microg ml(-1), respectively) and compound 4e against S. epidermidis ATCC 12228 (MIC, 156 microg ml(-1)).     

Small erosion of adjustable gastric band: endoscopic removal through incision in gastric wall

The erosion of a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) can cause pain that is not controlled by analgesics. In such cases, early endoscopic removal may be indicated, but only when gastric penetration is greater than 50%. We report the case of a patient with severe shoulder pain due to a small area of LAGB erosion, which was treated with early endoscopic removal through an incision in the gastric wall. The pain worsened after eating and gastroscopy revealed slight gastric erosion of the band under the cardia. The gastric wall covering the LAGB was incised using an endoscopic needle knife. In a second upper endoscopy performed 7 days later at the endoscopy suite, endoscopic scissors were used to cut the thread and part of the band lock. The open band was then removed orally. This novel endoscopic incision in the gastric wall hastened band erosion and avoided abdominal reoperation.     

Comparative cytotoxicity of 2,3,9-trimethoxypterocarpan in leukemia cell lines (HL-60, Jurkat,Molt-4, and K562) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative activity of 2,3,9-trimethoxypterocarpan, a known pterocarpan with cytotoxic activity against many tumor cell lines, in a panel of four leukemia cell lines (HL-60, Molt-4, Jurkat, and K562) and on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The pterocarpan showed IC₅₀ ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 μg/ml at leukemic cells after 72 h of incubation, with K562 being the most resistant cell line. This compound seemed to be selective to tumor cell lines, since at a concentration of 10 μg/ml after 72 h, it only reduced 19% of viable peripheral mononuclear cells.     

Risk factors for decreased total body and regional bone mineral density in hemodialysis patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Hyperparathyroidism contributes significantly to decreased bone mineral density (BMD) in end-stage renal disease patients, but this negative influence is not homogeneous throughout the skeleton. We studied the BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry on total body and on different regions of the skeleton in 42 patients with severe hyperparathyroidism on hemodialysis. We also evaluated the relationship between different risk factors and BMD found on the regions examined in these patients. The legs and other sites where cortical bone predominate were mostly affected, whereas trabecular bone was relatively preserved. This is probably the result of the different effects of hyperparathyroidism on cortical and trabecular bone, but we cannot rule out the interference of ectopic calcifications and sclerotic lesions of vertebral end-plates falsely increasing lumbar spine BMD. The main determinants of low total-body BMD were, in order of importance, immobility, high intact parathyroid hormone levels, low body mass index, and low albumin. Eleven patients presented with pathologic fractures, mainly in the legs, and BMD was lower in this group than in patients without fractures. In conclusion, our study makes clear that hyperparathyroidism is a great threat to bone density in hemodialysis patients, mainly in the legs, the site mostly affected by fragility fractures in our patients. Physicians must worry not only with high parathyroid hormone levels, but also with the nutritional state of these patients.     

Left Ventricular Diastolic Function and Exercise Capacity in Patients with Chagas Cardiomyopathy

Parameters of diastolic function have been shown to correlate with exercise capacity (EC) in individuals with impaired left ventricular (LV) systolic function. However, the role of LV diastolic function in predicting EC in Chagas cardiomyopathy has not been reported. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between LV diastolic parameters assessed by echocardiography and EC in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy. Methods: We studied 40 patients (23 men; 49 ± 8 years), with diagnosis of Chagas disease and dilated cardiomyopathy. Medical therapy was individually adjusted according to standardized guidelines. Methods of acquiring two‐dimensional Doppler, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and their measurements were described. Exercise testing was performed by a Bruce protocol. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were also determined. Results: Most patients (63%) were in NYHA functional class I. Mean peak oxygen consumption estimated (peakVO₂) was 31.7 ± 10.2 mL/kg per minute, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 36.3 ± 7.8%. Univariate analysis showed that various echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function were correlated with peakVO₂. There was no correlation between BNP levels or LVEF and EC. Multivariate analysis, after adjustment for age and gender, revealed that E/E′ ratio and left atrial volume (LAV), emerged as independent predictors of EC, as demonstrated in the model: peakVO₂= 60.825 + (0.439 × LAV) ? (1.620 × E/E′ ratio) ? (0.483 × age) ? (4.821 × female gender). The R² of this model was 0.52. Conclusions: Functional capacity assessed by peakVO₂ was related to increase LV filling pressures, independently on systolic function in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy. (Echocardiography 2010;27:519‐524)     

Determination of polyprotein processing sites by amino terminal sequencing of nonstructural proteins encoded by plum pox potyvirus

Nonstructural proteins of plum pox potyvirus were partially purified following a procedure described for the isolation of tobacco etch virus nuclear inclusion proteins. Plum pox virus proteins with electrophoretic mobilities corresponding to 49, 59 and 68 kDa reacted with antibodies against the 49 kDa and 54 kDa components of the nuclear inclusions and the 70 kDa component of the cylindrical inclusions of tobacco etch virus, respectively. Further purification by size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography or SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and amino terminal amino acid sequencing permitted the location in the plum pox virus polyprotein of the cleavage sites from which the 49 kDa (NIa-type, protease), 59 kDa (NIb-type, putative RNA replicase), and 68 kDa (CI-type) proteins originate. A 110 kDa protein which copurified with the plum pox virus inclusion proteins reacted with both anti-NIa and anti-NIb sera and had the same amino terminus as the plum pox virus 49 kDa protein, indicating that it is a non-processed 49-59 kDa polypeptide.