Effects of hemorrhagic shock, aspirin, and ethanol on secretagogue-induced experimental pancreatitis

The effects of hemorrhagic shock, aspirin, and ethanol on the biochemical and morphologic changes of experimental pancreatitis were evaluated. Pancreatitis was induced by infusing rats with a supramaximally stimulating dose (5 μg/kg/h) of caerulein. Hemorrhagic shock was established by removing sufficient blood to reduce mean arterial pressure by 30%, where it was maintained for 30 min. Aspirin (25 mg/kg) and ethanol (2 g/kg) were administered through an orogastric tube at 8-h intervals for 48 h. Hemorrhagic shock did not alter the degree of hyperamylasemia, pancreatic edema, cathepsin subcellular redistribution, or in vitro LDH leakage that characterize this model of pancreatitis. Hemorrhagic shock did, however, worsen the morphologic evidence of pancreatic injury. Administration of aspirin with ethanol did not alter the degree of hyperamy-lasemia, pancreatic edema, or subcellular cathepsin redistribution. Aspirin-ethanol pretreatment also did not alter the morphologic severity of pancreatitis.     

Affinity label for beta-adrenergic receptor in turkey erythrocytes.

The compound N-[2-hydroxy-3-(1-naphthoxy)-propyl]-N'-bromoacetylethylenediamine (NHNP-NBE) was found to label covalently the beta-adrenergic receptor in turkey erythrocytes. The compound inhibits irreversibly 1-epinephrine-dependent adenylate cyclase activity [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1] in the whole turkey erythrocyte as well as in the erythrocyte membranes possessing the beta-receptor. The affinity label blocks, also irreversibly, the specific [3H] propranolol binding, whereas other bromoacetyl compounds tested have no effect on binding, even at high concentrations, which cause enzyme inactivation. 1-Epinephrine and propranolol offer protection against the affinity label in whole turkey erythrocytes as well as in membranes prepared from these cells. The potential usefulness of an irreversible beta-antagonist is discussed.     

Both thermal and non-thermal stress protect against caerulein induced pancreatitis and prevent trypsinogen activation in the pancreas.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recent studies have indicated that prior thermal stress causes upregulation of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression in the pancreas and protects against secretagogue induced pancreatitis. The mechanisms responsible for the protective effect are not known. Similarly, the effects of prior non-thermal stress on HSP70 expression and pancreatitis are not known. The current studies were designed to specifically address these issues. METHODS: In the current studies pancreatitis was induced by administration of a supramaximally stimulating dose of caerulein 12 hours after thermal stress and 24 hours after non-thermal (that is, beta adrenergic stimulation) stress. RESULTS: Both thermal and non-thermal stresses caused pancreatic HSP70 levels to rise and resulted in increased expression of HSP70 in acinar cells. Both forms of stresses protected against caerulein induced pancreatitis and prevented the early intrapancreatic activation of trypsinogen which occurs in this model of pancreatitis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that both thermal and non-thermal stresses protect against pancreatitis by preventing intrapancreatic digestive enzyme activation and that HSP70 may mediate this protective effect.     

Updated model of group A Streptococcus M proteins based on a comprehensive worldwide study

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) M protein is an important virulence factor and potential vaccine antigen, and constitutes the basis for strain typing (emm-typing). Although >200 emm-types are characterized, structural data were obtained from only a limited number of emm-types. We aim to evaluate the sequence diversity of near-full-length M proteins from worldwide sources and analyse their structure, sequence conservation and classification. GAS isolates recovered from throughout the world during the last two decades underwent emm-typing and complete emm gene sequencing. Predicted amino acid sequence analyses, secondary structure predictions and vaccine epitope mapping were performed using MUSCLE and Geneious software. A total of 1086 isolates from 31 countries were analysed, representing 175 emm-types. emm-type is predictive of the whole protein structure, independent of geographical origin or clinical association. Findings of an emm-type paired with multiple, highly divergent central regions were not observed. M protein sequence length, the presence or absence of sequence repeats and predicted secondary structure were assessed in the context of the latest vaccine developments. Based on these global data, the M6 protein model is updated to a three representative M protein (M5, M80 and M77) model, to aid in epidemiological analysis, vaccine development and M protein-related pathogenesis studies.     

The Binding Characteristics and Number of β-Adrenergic Receptors on the Turkey Erythrocyte

Turkey erythrocyte ghosts (empty membranes) possess a class of receptors that can bind both L-[(3)H]isoproterenol and DL-[(3)H]propranolol. The binding of [(3)H]isoproterenol to these receptors occurs with a dissociation constant of 0.15 muM and can be fully inhibited by 1 muM propranolol. The binding of [(3)H]propranolol occurs with a dissociation constant of 2.5 nM and can be fully inhibited by 0.2 mM DL-isoproterenol. Ligand binding is sensitive to sonication, boiling, and 8 M urea. The cells possess 500 to 1000 beta-adrenergic receptors per cell. Binding of propranolol to the beta-receptor was found to be stereospecific for the L stereoisomer. If one assumed a 1:1 relationship between beta-adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase, the turnover number of this adenylate cyclase would be close to 100 min(-1).