Decreased plasma and cardiac matrix metalloproteinase activities in patients with coronary artery disease and treated with pravastatin

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), which is activated by oxidative stress, plays an important role in the development of ventricular remodeling in coronary artery disease. Pravastatin is shown to reduce oxidative stress. We tested the hypothesis that cardiac oxidative stress and MMP activity are reduced in patients with coronary artery disease and treated with pravastatin. Forty-eight patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) were studied. Twenty-four patients had the serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level >2.59 mM, and were treated with pravastatin (10 mg/day) for 2 months before CABG (pravastatin group). The other 24 had LDL cholesterol相似文献   

Neurochemical responses to antidepressants in the prefrontal cortex of mice and their efficacy in preclinical models of anxiety-like and depression-like behavior: a comparative and correlational study

Rational Marble burying and forced swimming behavior are widely used and sensitive tests for identifying clinically effective antidepressant drugs, although the underlying neurobiology of these behaviors is not fully elucidated. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the behavioral effects of antidepressant drugs and their ability to modulate extracellular neurotransmitter levels in the prefrontal cortex. Materials and methods The effects of fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, citalopram, imipramine, and desipramine (0 to 60 mg/kg by oral gavage, except fluoxetine at 0 to 40 mg/kg) were studied independently in CD-1 mice in the marble-burying task, forced swim task and on extracellular concentrations of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the prefrontal cortex by freely moving microdialysis. Results Fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, and citalopram all suppressed marble-burying behavior, but produced no change in immobility time in the forced swim test. In contrast, imipramine and desipramine suppressed both marble-burying behavior and increased swimming time in the forced swim test, although desipramine mildly suppressed locomotor activity at the maximal dose. Fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, and citalopram all increased extracellular levels of cortical serotonin. Desipramine and imipramine increased extracellular dopamine levels. Fluoxetine, desipramine, and imipramine increased extracellular norepinephrine levels. Correlational analysis revealed a positive correlation between efficacy of drugs in the forced swim test and cortical extracellular dopamine levels, whereas a positive correlation was found between efficacy in the marble-burying test and extracellular serotonin levels. Conclusions Although marble burying and forced swimming behavior have strong predictive validity in tests of antidepressant action, each assay appears to be underpinned by entirely different neurochemical systems.     

Effect of atrazine on metamorphosis and sexual differentiation in Xenopus laevis

There is a growing international concern that commonly used environmental contaminants have the potential to disrupt the development and functioning of the reproductive system in amphibians. One such chemical of interests is the herbicide atrazine. Effects of atrazine on sex differentiation were studied using wild-type Xenopus laevis tadpoles and all-ZZ male cohorts of X. laevis tadpoles, produced by mating wild-type ZZ male to sex-reversed ZZ male (female phenotype). Stage 49 tadpoles were exposed to 0.1-100 ppb atrazine or 0.27 ppb (1 nM) 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) until all larvae completed metamorphosis (stage 66). Metamorphosis, gonadal morphology and histology, CYP19 (P450 aromatase) mRNA induction, and hepatic vitellogenin (VTG) induction were investigated. Effects of atrazine on VTG-induction were also assessed in vitro in primary-cultured X. laevis hepatocytes. Atrazine had no effect on metamorphosis of developing wild-type or all-male X. laevis larvae. Statistical increase in female ratios was observed in 10 and 100 ppb atrazine groups in comparison with control group. While no hermaphroditic froglet was observed in all atrazine groups. In ZZ males, sex reversal was induced by 0.27 ppb E(2), but not by atrazine at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 ppb. In addition, neither P450 aromatase mRNA in the gonad nor hepatic VTG were induced by atrazine. Furthermore, VTG was not induced by 1000 ppb atrazine in primary-cultured hepatocytes. Our results indicate that female ratios in developing X. laevis tadpoles were increased by 10 and 100 ppb atrazine under the present experimental conditions. While the other endpoints showed no effect in the range of 0.1-100 ppb atrazine. These results suggest that effect of atrazine on sexual differentiation was not caused by estrogenic action and has no induction ability of P450 aromatase gene in gonad.     

E and ID proteins regulate cell chirality and left–right asymmetric development in Drosophila

How left–right (LR) asymmetric forms in the animal body is a fundamental problem in Developmental Biology. Although the mechanisms for LR asymmetry are well studied in some species, they are still poorly understood in invertebrates. We previously showed that the intrinsic LR asymmetry of cells (designated as cell chirality) drives LR asymmetric development in the Drosophila embryonic hindgut, although the machinery of the cell chirality formation remains elusive. Here, we found that the Drosophila homologue of the Id gene, extra macrochaetae (emc), is required for the normal LR asymmetric morphogenesis of this organ. Id proteins, including Emc, are known to interact with and inhibit E‐box‐binding proteins (E proteins), such as Drosophila Daughterless (Da). We found that the suppression of da by wild‐type emc was essential for cell chirality formation and for normal LR asymmetric development of the embryonic hindgut. Myosin ID (MyoID), which encodes the Drosophila Myosin ID protein, is known to regulate cell chirality. We further showed that Emc‐Da regulates cell chirality formation, in which Emc functions upstream of or parallel to MyoID. Abnormal Id‐E protein regulation is involved in various human diseases. Our results suggest that defects in cell shape may contribute to the pathogenesis of such diseases.     

Accuracy and reliability of continuous blood glucose monitoring during pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass

Journal of Artificial Organs - The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy and reliability of a continuous blood glucose monitoring system (artificial endocrine pancreas; STG-55, Nikkiso,...     

A case of HeartMate II implantation in non-dilated left ventricle

Journal of Artificial Organs - Left ventricular assist device is an established therapeutic option for the patient with end-stage heart failure. Recently, durable continuous-flow devices have...