CLINICAL SIMULATED EXPERIMENT ON THE SYNDROMI STANDARDS OF PULMONARY SYSTEM DISEASES

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Multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of fluocortin butyl in perennial rhinitis

Fluocortin butyl (FCB) is a newly synthesized corticosteroid with a high ratio of topical to systemic activity. FCB was studied in a multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of therapy of perennial rhinitis. The study was conducted between January and May 1981. Patients evaluated suffered from either chronic allergic or chronic nonallergic rhinitis or both. A total of 306 patients from 16 investigative centers were evaluated by comparing FCB to placebo. Three separate dosage regimens were employed. Patients received a total daily dose of 2, 4, or 8 mg. FCB was found to be an effective therapeutic agent. It reduced symptoms of nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, postnasal drainage, and sneezing. It also markedly reduced the use of concomitant medications (chlorpheniramine maleate and/or pseudoephedrine). Relief of symptoms was noted as early as the first week of therapy, and the degree of improvement increased progressively during the study. There was little difference between the relief produced by the 4 mg and 8 mg regimens. Both of these were superior to the 2 mg regimen. The drug was well tolerated; no significant side effects were noted.     

Does hyperimmunoglobulinemia-E protect tropical populations from allergic disease?

The Waorani Indians of eastern Ecuador have the highest blood concentration of IgE reported in a human population. Evidence obtained by medical history, physical examination, and immediate hypersensitivity skin tests suggests that pollen allergy and other atopic diseases are rare among the Waorani. A similar association between parasite-induced hyperimmunoglobulinemia-E and a low prevalence of conventional atopic disease has been reported in numerous other tropical populations. Saturation of mast cell IgE receptors with antibodies directed to the parasite and/or other antigens and competitive inhibition of passive binding of pollen allergen-specific IgE is one hypothetical cause of this association. We have tested this interesting conjecture by passively sensitizing the skin of Waorani Indians with serum containing pollen allergen-specific IgE antibodies. Waorani Indians with hyperimmunoglobulinemia-E can be adoptively sensitized with human ragweed or rye grass hyperimmune IgE antisera. This suggests that the cutaneous mast cells of healthy Waorani have active IgE receptors. The high circulating plasma concentrations of IgE in the Waorani do not prevent adoptive cutaneous sensitization with pollen-specific IgE antibodies.     

Effect of bronchodilator therapy administered by canister versus jet nebulizer

Bronchodilator efficacy of metaproterenol sulfate aerosol therapy delivered either by canister or jet nebulizer was compared in 25 patients, 13 with severe asthma and 12 with COPD. Treatment was carried out in double-blind crossover fashion on 2 days and consisted of either metaproterenol sulfate solution 15 mg in 2.3 ml administered from a jet nebulizer or three puffs of metered-dose metaproterenol sulfate (total 1.95 mg) inhaled sequentially. FVC and FEV1 were monitored before and after therapy for 2 hr. In 13 asthmatic patients, FEV1 increased from a baseline mean of 0.83 L to 1.57 L at 2 hr after jet nebulizer therapy and increased from 0.84 L to 1.52 L after canister therapy. In 12 patients with COPD, FEV1 increased from 0.58 L to 0.78 L after jet nebulizer therapy and from 0.57 L to 0.76 L after canister therapy. FVC also increased similarly after each form of therapy. The two types of aerosol therapy were equally effective and were without side effects. Canister therapy has the advantage over jet nebulizer therapy by being convenient and cheaper.     

Exclusion mapping of 12 X-linked disease loci and 10 DNA probes from the long arm of the X-chromosome

Specific chromosome rearrangements associated with disease entities are invaluable resources for physical mapping. A deletion on the X chromosome of a male leads to the nullisomy for X-linked genes, resulting in the onset of genetic diseases and/or the absence of the DNA probe detectable sequences. This permits the localization of these loci within the deleted area. On the other hand, the region for some other X-linked loci can be excluded from the deleted area according to the absence of the characteristic symptoms of the disease and/or the presence of the hybridization signals. An interstitial deletion on the long arm of the X chromosome of a male has been characterized by high resolution banding. The karyotype of the proband is 46,Y,del(X)(pter----q21.1::q21.33----qter). The regions for 12 X-linked disease loci as well as 10 DNA probes are excluded from the deleted area, and localized either proximally or distally to the deletion. The results also reveal a controversy in the present linkage data concerning the assignment of these loci.     

Contraluminal transport of hexoses in the proximal convolution of the rat kidney in situ

In order to study contraluminal hexose transport, concentration and time-dependent influx of³H-2-deoxy-d-glucose from the interstitium into cortical tubular cells has been measured. The influx curves fit to a two parameter kinetics (K _m 1.3±0.2 mmol/l,J _max 0.67±0.16 pmol/s · cm) plus an additional diffusion term (withP=6·10^–8 cm²/s) and a distribution ratio extracellular to intracellular amount of 2-deoxy-d-glucose of 10.6. Since the extracellular to intracellular free water space as estimated from morphological data was 12, one must conclude that glucose has only free access to 1/3 of the cell water. The intracellularly accessible space was augmented when the tubules were preperfused for 10 s with hypotonic saline. Thereby an increase of the compartment into which diffusion occurs was revealed and a final rupture of this intracellular compartment at 1/4 isotonic solutions was observed. Total replacement of ions in the peritubular perfusate by mannitol did not change 2-deoxy-d-glucose influx, indicating that it is Na⁺-independent. By adding isotonic concentrations of the respective sugars to the capillary perfusate, three degrees of inhibition of 2-deoxy-d-glucose influx could be revealed: strong inhibition byd-glucose, methyl--d-glucoside,d-mannose, 3-O-methyl-d-glucose, 2-deoxy-d-galactose, methyl--d-galactoside and 6-deoxy-d-glucose, moderate inhibition byd-galactose,l-glucose,l-mannose andd-fructose, no or borderline inhibition by methyl -d-glucoside, 2-deoxy-methyl--d-galactoside, 1-thio--d-glucose, 1-thio--d-galactose, 5-thio--d-glucose, myo-inositol and mannitol. The contraluminal 2-deoxy-d-glucose influx was also inhibited by phloretin, chlormerodrin and preperfusion with cytochalasin B. Starvation as well as streptozotocin diabetes has no influence on contraluminal 2-deoxy-d-glucose transport. Thus, in contrast to the luminal hexose transport system the contraluminal system is Na⁺-independent, does not require on OH-group at C-atom 2, acceptsl-glucose and fructose, but not an -methyl group at C-atom 1.     

Morphological variability, lectin binding and Na+,K+-activated adenosine triphosphatase activity of isolated Müller (glial) cells from the rabbit retina

Rabbit retinal Müller cells were isolated by means of papaine and mechanical dissociation. These cells were shown to have a well preserved morphology and to preserve viability for many hours. Intense wheat germ agglutinin binding occurs on the photoreceptor side of Müller cells, especially in the microvillous region. Rabbit retinal Müller cells have a Na+,K+-activated adenosine triphosphatase activity in the same order of magnitude as brain astroglial cells.     

Buoyant density in cesium chloride of the human reoviruslike agent of infantile gastroenteritis by ultracentrifugation,electron microscopy,and complement fixation

The buoyant density in cesium chloride of the human reoviruslike (HRVL) agent of infantile gastroenteritis was studied utilizing electron microscopy and complement fixation (CF) for the detection of reoviruslike particles in fractions of the density gradient. Three virus positive stool filtrates were studied. “Full” reoviruslike particles had a density of 1.35–1.37 g/cm³, whereas “empty” particles had a density of 1.29 g/cm³. Peak CF activity coincided with the peak fraction of both the “full” and “empty” reoviruslike particles. In addition, by differential centrifugation, CF activity was also associated with the virion and not a “soluble” antigen.     

A Strain Device Imposing Dynamic and Uniform Equi-Biaxial Strain to Cultured Cells

The objective of this study is to design a new apparatus to allow the control of the magnitude and frequency of dynamic stretch applied uniformly to cells cultured on a silicon elastic membrane. The apparatus is designed to produce equi-biaxial dynamic stretches with area changes ranging from 0% to 55% and frequencies ranging from 0 to 2 Hz. Homogeneous finite strain analysis using triangles of markers was performed to compute the symmetric two-dimensional Lagrangian strain tensor on the membrane. Measurements of strain in both static and dynamic conditions showed that the shear component of the strain tensor (E_rc) was near zero, and that there was no significant difference between radial (E_rr) and circumferential (E_cc) components, indicating the attainment of equi-biaxial strain. Bovine aortic endothelial cells were transiently transfected with a chimeric construct in which the luciferase reporter is driven by TPA-responsive elements (TRE). The transfected cells cultured on the membrane were stretched. The luciferase activity increased significantly only when the cells were stretched by 15% or more in area. Cells in different locations of the membrane showed similar induction of luciferase activities, confirming that strain is uniform and equi-biaxial across the membrane. © 1998 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC98: 8780+s, 8745-k, 8722-q