alpha-MSH acetylation in the pituitary gland of the sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) in response to different backgrounds, confinement and air exposure

MSH is a pituitary hormone derived by post-translational processing from POMC and involved in stress and background adaptation. N-terminal acetylation of MSH to monoacetyl alpha-MSH or diacetyl alpha-MSH increases the bioactivity of the peptide. The aim of this study was to characterize alpha-MSH acetylation in the sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) pituitary gland in response to the stressors air exposure and confinement, as well as in fish adapted for 15 days to a white, gray or black background. Pituitary homogenates were purified by reversed-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC). The alpha-MSH content of fractions was measured by RIA. Immunoreactive RP-HPLC fractions were further analyzed by electrospray mass spectrometry and the peptide sequence determined as SYSMEHFRWGKPV-NH2. In the pituitary gland of sea bream, des-, mono- and diacetyl alpha-MSH were identified. Then plasma alpha-MSH levels were measured in sea bream adapted to different backgrounds. Surprisingly, we found the highest plasma alpha-MSH levels in white-adapted as compared with black-adapted sea bream with intermediate values for gray-adapted fish. This observation is in contrast with results that have been obtained in eel, trout or terrestrial vertebrates. Next, des-, mono- and diacetyl alpha-MSH forms were measured in homogenates of the pituitary gland and in plasma of sea bream exposed to air, to confinement, or to different backgrounds. Monoacetyl alpha-MSH was the predominant form in all control and experimental groups. The lowest content of monoacetyl alpha-MSH relative to des- and diacetyl alpha-MSH was found in white-adapted fish. Levels of des- and diacetyl alpha-MSH forms were similar under all conditions. We observed that monoacetyl alpha-MSH is the most abundant isoform in the pituitary gland after background adaptation, confinement and air exposure, in sea bream. These data indicate that the physiologically most potent isoform of alpha-MSH may vary from species to species.     

延边地区汉族和朝鲜族居民脂肪分布与代谢异常的关系

目的:了解延边地区朝鲜族和汉族居民的脂肪分布特征及其与血压、血脂及血糖的关系。方法:于2006-08-8/17在延边地区九龙和翁声社区随机选择40～60岁朝鲜族和汉族常住居民2378名进行内脏脂肪率和体脂肪率以及血压、血脂、血糖等生化指标的检测。调查以健康体检形式进行,①内脏脂肪和体脂肪率测定采用日本TANITA株式会社生产的BC-600型体成分计测定,并且按其判定标准确定超过标准者[内脏脂肪率≥15%(男)、≥10%(女),体脂肪率(40～59岁)≥23%(男)、≥36%(女),体脂肪率(≥60岁)≥25%(男)、≥37%(女)]。②取清晨空腹(禁食12h)静脉血,采用日立-7600-010全自动生化分析仪测量血清总胆固醇、三酰甘油、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、空腹血糖等指标。③高血压的诊断标准:收缩压≥140mmHg(1mmHg=0.133kPa)及或舒张压≥90mmHg。④血脂异常的诊断标准:总胆固醇≥5.72mmol/L,三酰甘油≥1.7mmol/L,高密度脂蛋白胆固醇<0.90mmol/L(男)、<1.0mmol/L(女)。⑤高血糖的诊断标准:空腹血糖≥6.1mmol/L。结果:①汉族男性的内脏脂肪率和体脂肪率均值分别为(10.51±3.66)%和(22.70±4.85)%,朝鲜族男性分别为(9.16±3.81)%和(20.28±5.02)%,汉族均高于朝鲜族(P<0.01);汉族女性的内脏脂肪率和体脂肪率分别为(6.22±2.27)%和(35.31±5.65)%,朝鲜族女性分别为(5.88±2.19)%和(34.00±5.72)%,汉族均高于朝鲜族(P<0.01)。②汉族男性的内脏脂肪率和体脂肪率超标率分别为12.1%和45.8%,朝鲜族男性分别为7.8%和28.6%,汉族均高于朝鲜族(P<0.05);汉族女性的内脏脂肪率和体脂肪率超标率分别为6.7%和47.9%,朝鲜族女性分别为3.8%和37.3%,汉族均高于朝鲜族(P<0.05)。③Logistic逐步回归分析结果表明,内脏脂肪率与民族、性别、年龄、高血压、高三酰甘油血症和高血糖有密切关系;体脂肪率与民族、性别、高血压、高三酰甘油血症、低高密度脂蛋白血症和高血糖有密切的关系。结论:①延边地区汉族居民内脏脂肪率和体脂肪率平均水平及其超标率明显高于朝鲜族。②内脏脂肪率和体脂肪率均与民族、性别、年龄(体脂肪率除外)、高血压、高三酰甘油血症和高血糖相关。     

In-hospital and mid-term adverse clinical outcomes of a direct stenting strategy versus stenting after predilatation for the treatment of coronary artery lesions

Background

Direct stenting without balloon dilatation may reduce procedural costs and duration, and hypothetically, the restenosis rate. This study was designed to compare the in-hospital and long-term outcomes of direct stenting (DS) versus stenting after pre-dilatation (PS) in our routine clinical practice.

Methods

The 1 603 patients treated with stenting for single coronary lesions were enrolled into a prospective registry. Patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) within the preceding 48 hours, and those with highly calcified lesions, total occlusions, or a lesion in a saphenous graft were excluded. The baseline, angiographic and procedural data, inhospital outcomes and follow-up data were recorded in our database and analysed with appropriate statistical methods.

Results

Eight hundred and fifty-seven patients (53.5%) were treated with DS and 746 (46.5%) underwent PS. In the DS group, lesions were shorter in length, larger in diameter and had lower pre-procedural diameter stenosis. Type C and diffuse lesions and drug-eluting stents were found less often (p < 0.001). With univariate analysis, dissection and non-Q-wave MI occurred less frequently in this group (0.2 and 0.6% vs 3.9 and 2.1%, p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively). However, the cumulative major adverse cardiac events (MACE) did not differ significantly (4.9 vs 4.6%, p = 0.79). With multivariate analysis, direct stenting reduced the risk of dissection (OR = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.01–0.33, but neither the cumulative endpoint of MACE (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.58–2.11, p = 0.7) nor its constructing components were different between the groups.

Conclusions

Direct stenting in the real world has at least similar long-term outcomes in patients treated with stenting after pre-dilatation, and is associated with lower dissection rates.     

Rotational Atherectomy for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease in Octogenarians: Transradial Approach in a Tertiary Center and Literature Review

Objectives

The aim of this study was to appreciate the safety and effectiveness of transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with rotational atherectomy for highly calcified left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease in octogenarians.

Background

Conventional surgery is still considered the preferred management for LMCA disease; but, when the lesion is severely calcified, and the patient is unsuitable for surgery, the interventional cardiologist faces a complex PCI traditionally approached by femoral access.

Methods

Between June 2004 and December 2010, octogenarians with calcified LMCA disease who were primary denied for surgical revascularization were enrolled. Procedural success and major adverse cerebral and cardiovascular events (MACCE) including death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization (TLR), or stroke during long‐term follow‐up were evaluated.

Results

Forty‐two consecutive patients≥80 years had undergone stenting for calcified LMCA disease (13 with rotational atherectomy, the “Rota” group, and 29 without rotational atherectomy, the “without Rota” group). Procedural success was good (92.3% vs. 96.6%, respectively, p = NS). Mean follow‐up time was 25.7 ± 21.4 and 28 ± 32.3 months, respectively. There was a TLR in 25% and 11.1%, respectively; p = NS. No difference was detected in terms of overall in‐hospital or long‐term mortality or MACCE.

Conclusion

Rotational atherectomy followed by stent implantation by transradial approach, when applied to heavily calcified lesions, appeared to be a safe and effective strategy for the treatment of LMCA disease in octogenarians who were refused for surgery. (J Interven Cardiol 2013;26:173–182)

     

Antioxidant,hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic effects of methanolic root extract of Cassia singueana in rats following acute and chronic carbon tetrachloride intoxication

ObjectiveTo evaluate in vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of the methanolic extract of the root of Cassia singueana in rats following acute and chronic carbon tetrachloride intoxication.MethodsMalondialdehyde (MDA), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and bilirubin as indices of liver damage and lipid peroxidation were detected in rats after intraperitoneal administration of extract (5 mg/kg).ResultsThe liver, kidney and heart showed significant reduction (P<0.05) in the levels of MDA from (0.18±0.04), (0.23±0.07) and (0.26±0.10) nmol/mg respectively in the CCl₄ control to (0.15±0.03), (0.17±0.04) and (0.17±0.07) nmol/mg protein in groups pre-treated with the extract for three days at 5 mg/kg). Similarly, compared to the CCl₄ control, significant reduction (P<0.05) in serum AST, ALT and bilirubin as well as in level of total cholesterol and MDA with concomitant increase in HDL cholesterol, superoxide dismutase and catalase levels when CCl₄-intoxicated rats were treated with Cassia singueana root extract for two weeks.ConclusionsThese results suggest that methanolic extract of Cassia singueana contain potent antioxidant compounds that can offer significant protection against hepatic and oxidative injuries.     

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), a potent inhibitor of erythropoiesis: neutralizing TGF-beta antibodies show erythropoietin as a potent stimulator of murine burst-forming unit erythroid colony formation in the absence of a burst-promoting activity

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a bifunctional regulator of the growth of myeloid progenitors and is here demonstrated to directly inhibit the growth of primitive erythroid progenitors by 95% to 100% regardless of the cytokines stimulating growth. Autocrine TGF- beta production of primitive hematopoietic progenitors has previously been reported. In the present study, a neutralizing TGF-beta antibody (anti-TGF-beta) added to serum-containing cultures, resulted in a 3-, 4- , and 25-fold increase in burst-forming unit erythroid (BFU-E) colony formation in response to interleukin-4 (IL-4) plus erythropoietin (Epo), SCF plus Epo, and IL-11 plus Epo, respectively. The growth of BFU-E progenitors has been suggested to require a burst-promoting activity in addition to Epo. Accordingly, we observed no BFU-E colony formation in serum-containing cultures in response to Epo alone. In contrast, 50 BFU-E colonies were formed when anti-TGF-beta was included in the culture. In serum-free cultures, Epo also stimulated BFU-E colony formation in the absence of other cytokines, whereas anti-TGF- beta had no effect on the number of colonies formed. Quantitation of TGF-beta 1 in serum by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method showed predominantly the presence of precursor (latent) TGF-beta 1, but also showed active TGF-beta 1 at a concentration sufficient to potently inhibit erythroid colony formation. Thus, neutralization of active TGF- beta 1 in serum shows that Epo alone is sufficient to stimulate the growth of murine BFU-E progenitors.     

Immunophenotypic analysis of reticulocytes in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

The hematologic disorder paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) occurs following an acquired somatic mutation in the Piga gene within a bone marrow stem cell. The progeny of this mutated cell cannot synthesize glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors, with a resultant deficiency in surface expression of all GPI-linked proteins. The protean clinical manifestations of PNH presumably result from the deficiency of these GPI-linked surface proteins. To explain the observation that neutrophils are affected at a significantly higher percentage than circulating erythrocytes and to analyze the proliferative rates of erythroid production in PNH, we studied 25 patients using flow cytometry. The fluorescent dye thiazole orange was used to detect reticulocytes, and CD59 monoclonal antibody was used to identify GPI-deficient cells. In contrast to the mature circulating erythrocytes, the percentage of abnormal reticulocytes was similar to the percentage of affected neutrophils. However, the vast majority of reticulocytes was completely GPI-deficient, ie, were type III cells, even in patients with only modest numbers of circulating type III erythrocytes. In addition, greater than 5% type II reticulocytes were identified in only 3 patients, although greater than 5% type II mature erythrocytes were identified in 10 of 25 patients. The results show that the erythroid and neutrophil bone marrow precursors have an equivalent proliferative advantage in PNH. The data also have important implications for the origin of type-II erythrocytes in PNH.