Plasma protein binding of furosemide in the elderly

Summary The protein binding of furosemide was investigated in plasma from 22 old and 11 young subjects by equilibrium dialysis. The unbound fraction of furosemide was 3.16% in plasma from the elderly and 1.71% in plasma from the young. A significant correlation was found between the unbound fraction of furosemide and the plasma concentration of albumin. The average number of binding sites was 3.8 (elderly) and 2.7 (young) 10^–6 mol/g albumin. The average association constant (K) was 4.3 (elderly) and 4.2 (young) 10⁵ M^–1. By increasing the concentration of furosemide up to 200 µg/ml buffer the unbound fraction of the drug rose to 5.2% (elderly) and 3.5% (young).     

Nucleolus-associated J chains in myeloma cells: clinical significance

Bone marrow aspirates from 20 patients with multiple myeloma (MM), 4 with smoldering multiple myeloma (S-MM), 1 with idiopathic Bence Jones proteinuria (I-BJP), and 6 with primary macroglobulinemia (PMG) were examined for nucleolus-associated J chain. The incidence of nucleolar J chain-positive (J+) cells among nucleolated cells producing M-component was measured. This incidence (94.0-100%) in terminal MM was significantly higher than that (0-58.0%) in non-terminal MM. Judging from a low incidence in the remission phase, chemotherapy might cause a selective elimination of less differentiated myeloma cells with J+ nucleoli and might have some effect on J chain synthesis. The incidence of nucleolar J+ cells was very low in S-MM. The IgM cells in PMG, where J chain is present in a disulfide-linked form, had no or few J+ nucleoli. No correlation between the incidence of nucleolar J+ cells among nucleolated plasma cells and the percentage of nucleolated cells or that of J+ cells was found. Large J+ nucleoli seemed to be another morphological feature indicating anaplastic myeloma cells. A high incidence of nucleolar J+ cells may be one of the indicators for progressive disease.     

Plasma volume estimation using indocyanine green with biexponential regression analysis of the decay curves

We studied seven analytical methods of estimating the plasma volume from the decay curves of indocyanine green. Fifteen volunteers received 1.0 mgkg⁻¹ of the dye by intravenous injection and the plasma concentration was measured continuously using spectrophotometry. Plasma volumes were calculated using three single-regression methods (1-a, 1-b, 1-c) and four biexponential regression methods (2-a, 2-b, 2-c, 2-d). The means (SD) of 1-a, 1-b and 1-c were 39 (5.0), 44 (5.7) and 54 (11.5) mlkg⁻¹, respectively, and these were significantly different from each other (p < 0.05). The values for methods 2-b, 2-c and 2-d were similar to each other: 39 (4.6), 40 (4.1) and 40 (4.0) mlkg⁻¹, respectively. These required more than 3 min circulation or mixing time. When the time allowed for mixing was less than 3 min (method 2-a) the plasma volume was underestimated. We conclude that plasma volume estimation using indocyanine green and spectrophotometry is most accurate when the mixing time is adequate (3–5 min) and the decay curves are analysed using biexponential regression.     

The spermatozoal volume as indicative of the plasma membrane integrity (modification of the hypoosmotic swelling test). I. Methods

Summary. The aim of the present study was to establish a more differentiating indicator of plasma membrane integrity of spermatozoa than the classic version of the hypoosmotic swelling test according to Jeyendraan. Spermatozoa were prepared by density gradient centrifugation (90% Percoll) to select 'fertilization competent' spermatozoa only. After a second washing procedure sufficiently pure sperm cell suspensions were obtained. The volume distributions of these sperm cells were measured with a Coulter Counter at 25 °C after adaptation in 300 mosmolar NaCl solution resp. 150 mosmolar NaCl solution for 5 min. These volume distributions showed significantly different patterns for the isotonic and hypotonic stress situation in the simple salt solution. Moreover, the comparison of the response to hypoosmotic stress showed more than four reproducible characteristic patterns, promising well differentiated results for different sperm populations. The new method for the detection of hypoosmotic swelling effect might be a real and valuable functional parameter.     

An Analysis of Chromosome on Sterility Caused by Azoospermia or Oligospermia

ＡｎＡｎａｌｙｓｉｓｏｆＣｈｒｏｍｏｓｏｍｅｏｎＳｔｅｒｉｌｉｔｙＣａｕｓｅｄｂｙＡｚｏｏｓｐｅｒｍｉａｏｒＯｌｉｇｏｓｐｅｒｍｉａ￥ＷｕＭｅｉｈｅｎｇ；ＴａｎｇＷｉｎｇｎｕｏ．（ＡＣＴＡＡＣＡＤＥＭＩＡＥＭＥＤＩＣＩＮＡＥＮＡＮＪＩＮＧ，１９９５（...     

In-vivo studies on Haemaccel-fibronectin interaction in man

An enzyme-linked immunoassay has been recently set up for direct measurement of the binding capacity of plasma fibronectin to gelatin. This binding capacity could be completely inhibited in vitro by an eight-fold excess of gelatin, of Haemaccel, but not of Geloplasma. On the contrary, the levels of immunoreactive fibronectin measured by laser nephelometry did not change, in presence of 10 to 1000 micrograms ml-1 of gelatin, of Haemaccel or of Geloplasma. When infused into normal volunteers, Haemaccel provoked a strong and immediate inhibition of the plasma fibronectin binding capacity to gelatin. This inhibition was dose-dependent and maximal after infusion of 500 ml of Haemaccel. Twenty-four hours after this infusion, there was a progressive recovery of the gelatin-binding capacity, which was almost completely achieved 96 h later. The formation of complexes between Haemaccel and fibronectin was demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and by affinity chromatography. Immunoreactive plasma fibronectin levels remained unchanged up to 24 h after infusion of 500 ml of Haemaccel. A transient decline to 50% of its initial value then occurred the second day after the infusion. Therefore, a delay existed between the formation of fibronectin-Haemaccel complexes and their elimination from the bloodstream. This delay decreased when smaller volumes of Haemaccel were infused, which strongly suggests that plasma fibronectin is cleared by means of Haemaccel and does not seem to play a role of opsonin in these conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Primary Aldosteronism

ABSTRACT A follow-up examination was performed one month to 20 years after adrenalectomy in 28 cases with surgically treated primary aldosteronism due to adrenal adenoma. The mean age at diagnosis was 45, and the mean duration of hypertension seven years. Severe hypertension with a diastolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or more was observed in 35%. Postoperatively cerebrovascular catastrophe developed in two cases, both of which belonged to the group of patients with severe hypertension. Normalization of blood pressure was observed in 70% and in the remaining subjects the blood pressure was lower than at diagnosis. The blood pressure response to adrenalectomy appeared unpredictable in view of such parameters as the initial blood pressure, age at diagnosis, and duration of the hypertensive state. Toxicosis during pregnancy and metrorrhagia was observed with unexpectedly high frequency in this study population. Low ambulatory plasma renin activity was recorded at the follow-up in 15 out of 18 subjects studied in the absence of evidence of hyperaldosteronism.     

急性冠脉综合征中妊娠相关蛋白-A与斑块不稳定性

目的探讨妊娠相关蛋白-A(PAPP-A)在急性冠脉综合征(ACS)中的变化及其与斑块不稳定性的关系。方法26例冠脉正常者作为对照组,稳定性心绞痛(SA)组22例,ACS组40例,包括不稳定性心绞痛(UA)20例、急性心肌梗死(AMI)20例。定量检测外周血PAPP-A、C-反应蛋白(CRP)、肌酸激酶MB同工酶(CK-MB)。对所有冠脉造影显示狭窄≥30%的病变进行影像学分析。结果ACS中PAPP-A含量(13·19±4·04)mIU/L明显高于SA(5·47±3·00)mIU/L(P<0·01)及对照组(5·09±2·19)mIU/L(P<0·01);并且与CRP(r=0·62P<0·01)、复杂性狭窄的数量(r=0·45P<0·05)有显著的正相关。结论PAPP-A在ACS患者外周血中明显升高,可能与斑块的不稳定性有关,对ACS的危险度分层可能具有一定的价值。     

血浆成分分离治疗类风湿性关节炎21例

１９９２年１０月以来，对２１例类风湿性关节炎共进行了７１人次血浆成分分离治疗（ＰＦ），平均１－２周内进行３．６人次，并在治疗前后进行总体评估。结果示：疗程完成后，全部病例的体力活动和实验室指标均有不同程度改善，３例活动受限者治疗后均能自由行走。平均每次分离血浆５７３１±１２９ｍｌ，其中ＩＣ，ＩｇＧ，ＩｇＧ，ＩｇＡ，均有统计学意义的减少。血沉从８０．２１±３４．００ｍｍ／ｈ降到５１．４０±３１．２８ｍｍ／ｈ，８例类风湿因于阳性的患者中，５例阴转，作者认为ＰＦ正在成为一种实用的技术，并可能是治疗类风湿关节炎最好的方法之一。     

Orthogonal solid-phase synthesis of a monobiotinylated analog of Neuropeptide Y

Analogs of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) were synthesized with conventional Boc/benzyl protective group strategy. Instead of Asn⁷ in the native scquence, Boc-Lys(Alloc)-OH was incorporated. At the end of the synthesis the Alloc group was selectively removed by palladium-catalyzed hydrostannolysis and biotin coupled to the e-amino group of Lys⁷. After cleavage and characterization with plasma desorption mass spectrometry the N^e-7-biotinyl-[Lys⁷]-NPY and the nonbiotinylated analog [Lys⁷]-NPY were investigated as ligands to the NPY receptor from rat cerebral cortex. Both analogs were found to be high affinity ligands to the NPY receptor and bound with essentially the same affinity as unmodified NPY.