Mechanisms of proteinuria in nephrotic humans

The glomerular capillary wall imposes a remarkably efficient barrier to the passage of proteins the size of albumin and larger. The development of heavy proteinuria signifies impairment of the function of this barrier. Because endogenous proteins of graded size are heterogeneous with respect to their molecular charge and undergo extensive tubular reabsorption, they are not useful for quantifying the extent of barrier dysfunction. An alternative approach is to determine the fractional clearance of uncharged and non-reabsorbable polymers of graded size. When combined with a hydrodynamic theory of solute transport through a heteroporous membrane, the intrinsic properties of healthy and diseased glomerular capillary walls can be inferred. This approach reveals the nephrotic range proteinuria that attends minimal change nephropathy to be associated with impairment of both the size- and charge-selective properties of glomerular capillary walls.     

Imaging biomarkers of inflammation <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> with fun ctionalized quantum dots in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) model of mouse colitis

Objective and design: Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proinflammatory cytokines play an important role in the development of inflammation. These markers are generally measured using tedious ELISA procedures. In this study, a novel technique utilizing antibody conjugated quantum dot nanoparticles was developed to detect Myeloperoxidase, Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) in vivo in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) model of experimental colitis. Materials and methods: Colitis was induced in animals (n = 8 animals/group) by feeding 4% DSS solution ad libitum for seven to eight days. Quantum Dots (QDs) exhibiting fluorescence at various wavelengths were conjugated to MPO, IL-1α and TNF-α polyclonal antibodies and tested in vivo at various stages of colitis. Tissue sections obtained were imaged with confocal microscope. The image intensity obtained from the tissue specimen was correlated with clinical activity measured as Disease Activity Index (DAI). Results: Myeloperoxidase, IL-1α and TNF-α were visualized with quantum dots on various days of disease. The intensity of quantum dots increased with the increase in inflammation. The increase in intensity showed an excellent correlation with the DAI based on the clinical parameters. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that multiple biomarkers can be detected simultaneously and their quantitative expression correlated well with clinical disease severity. This novel technology should facilitate design of a novel optical platform for imaging various biomarkers of inflammation, early detection of acute and chronic disease markers and inflammation-mediated cancer markers. This detection may also facilitate determination of therapeutic success. Received 14 March 2007; returned for revision 8 May 2007; accepted by M. Parnham 27 June 2007     

右旋糖酐40、70对红细胞与内皮细胞粘附的影响

采用流室显微观察系统，定量研究右旋糖酐４０（ＤＸ４０）和右旋糖酐７０（ＤＸ７０）对红细胞与内皮细胞动态粘附特性的影响。统计分析处理数据，得到反映切应力与细胞间动态粘附数关系的经验公式及粘附特征常数ａ，ｂ值。ａ值反映红细胞的初始粘附数，ｂ值反映随切应力增大，粘附数减小的速率。ＤＸ７０实验组的ａ值大于ＤＸ４０组的，而ｂ值的情况相反。故结果显示切应力越大，粘附的红细胞越少；ＤＸ４０使红细胞的粘附明显减少；ＤＸ７０使红细胞粘附显著增加。由此提示不同长度的细胞桥接分子对红细胞的粘附影响不同，且临床上选用ＤＸ４０作血浆扩容剂较ＤＸ７０优越得多     

Elevation of plasma viscosity induces sustained NO-mediated dilation in the hamster cremaster microcirculation in vivo

 We studied whether a flow-independent increase of luminal wall shear stress (WSS) could dilate hamster arterioles in vivo and which endothelial mediators are potentially involved. To this end the plasma viscosity was elevated by exchanging blood for dextran-erythrocyte solution thereby augmenting WSS. Diameters of small and large arterioles as well as red blood cell velocities were measured before and after exchange of blood for solutions of identical haematocrit containing either high- (HMWD) or low-molecular weight dextran (LMWD). The potential role of endothelial autacoids was investigated by local application of the NO-synthase inhibitor N ^G-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), the inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, indomethacin (3 μM), or the K⁺-channel blocker, tetrabutylammonium (TBA, 0.1 mM) to assess the potential effects of EDHF. HMWD (n = 11 animals) increased plasma viscosity by 64 ± 3% and dilated arterioles of all branching orders (A1–A4) significantly [by 24 ± 3% (A1–A2) and 32 ± 3% (A3–A4)]. This dilation compensated fully for the calculated initial increase of WSS. LMWD (n = 6) did not affect plasma viscosity or arteriolar diameters. Tissue treatment with L-NNA (30–300 μM, n = 12) substantially diminished the HMWD-induced dilation in small arterioles (A3–A4; to 13 ± 3%; P<0.05) and virtually abolished it in large ones (A1–A2). Consequently, the calculated WSS increased significantly in these arterioles (by 31 ± 5%). TBA combined with L-NNA (n = 4) did not reduce further the remaining dilation. Indomethacin (n = 6) had no effect on HMWD-induced dilation. We conclude that an increase of WSS induces a mainly NO-mediated arteriolar dilation. This dilation occurs in all arteriolar branching orders and is of sufficient magnitude to compensate for the initial WSS-increase. Thus, any elevations of WSS fulfil the requirement for a signal to change diameter along the arteriolar tree in a coordinated manner. The fully compensating dilation which we observed indicates that WSS is a controlled variable. It does, however, raise questions as to its role as a continuous endothelial stimulus. Received: 2 August 1996 / Received after revision: 24 February 1997 / Accepted: 14 April 1997     

Subcortical auditory input to the primary visual cortex in anophthalmic mice

Anatomical and imaging studies show ample evidence for auditory activation of the visual cortex following early onset of blindness in both humans and animal models. Anatomical studies in animal models of early blindness clearly show intermodal pathways through which auditory information can reach the primary visual cortex. There is clear evidence for intermodal corticocortical pathways linking auditory and visual cortex and also novel connections between the inferior colliculus and the visual thalamus. A recent publication [L.K. Laemle, N.L. Strominger, D.O. Carpenter, Cross-modal innervation of primary visual cortex by auditory fibers in congenitally anophthalmic mice, Neurosci. Lett. 396 (2006) 108–112] suggested the presence of a direct reciprocal connection between the inferior colliculus and the primary visual cortex (V1) in congenitally anophthalmic ZRDCT/An mice. This implies that this mutant mouse would be the only known vertebrate having a direct tectal connection with a primary sensory cortex. The presence of this peculiar pathway was reinvestigated in the ZRDCT/An mouse with highly sensitive neuronal tracers. We found the connections normally described in the ZRDCT/An mouse between: (i) the inferior colliculus and the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, (ii) V1 and the superior colliculus, (iii) the lateral posterior nucleus and V1 and between (iv) the inferior colliculus and the medial geniculate nucleus. We also show unambiguously that the auditory subcortical structures do not connect the primary visual cortex in the anophthalmic mouse. In particular, we find no evidence of a direct projection from the auditory mesencephalon to the cortex in this animal model of blindness.     

Vergleichende Untersuchung von niedermolekularem Dextranoder Hydroxyäthylstärkelösungen als Volumenersatzmittel bei Hämodilutionstherapie

Summary Rheological therapy, as an immediate treatment in conjunction with physical therapy and the removal of risc factors, plays a significant role in the management of patients with peripheral vascular disease experiencing reduced walking tolerance. An essential element of rheological therapy is hemodilution. Currently, is still uncertain which plasma substitute solution would be the most appropriate in such cases. This study compared the effectiveness of low molecular hydroxyethyl starch to low molecular dextran during a 16-day hemodilution in combination to physical therapy. The clinical improvement observed with both plasma substitute solutions was comparable, yet in view of the cardiac volume overload, dextran demonstrates greater circulatory stress due to the transient pressure increase and more side effects. For this reason, we prefer to administer low or middle molecular hydroxyethyl starch in the dilution treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease as a chronic degenerative vascular disease.

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Abkürzungen A2M Alpha-2-Makroglobulin - D0 Meßzeitpunkt 0 der später mit Dextran behandelten Gruppe - D1 Meßzeitpunkt 1 der Dextran-Gruppe - D2 Meßzeitpunkt 2 der Dextran-Gruppe - Dextran 40 kleinmolekulares Dextran (mittleres Molekulargewicht 40000 Dalton) - ETA Plasmaviskosität - Fib Fibrinogen - Geh Gehstrecke - H0 Meßzeitpunkt 0 der später mit Hydroxyäthylstärke behandelten Gruppe - H1 Meßzeitpunkt 1 der HAES-Gruppe - H2 Meßzeitpunkt 2 der HAES-Gruppe - HAES 40 kleinmolekulare Hydroxyäthylstärke (mittleres Molekulargewicht 40000 Dalton) - Hkt Hämatokrit - LZ Leukozyten-Zahl - Pro Gesamteiweiß - SEA Erythrozyten-Aggregationsindex - SER Erythrozyten-Rigiditätsindex - TY Fließschubspannung - TZ Thrombozyten-Zahl     

Roberts铜盐法测定蔗汁葡聚糖含量的热效应——淀粉对受热蔗汁葡聚糖测定的影响

作者从研究中发现:用Roberts铜盐法测定蔗汁样本葡聚糖含量时,所得结果与蔗汁的受热有关,受热蔗汁的测定值高于真实值,作者将这种现象暂称为Roberts铜盐法测定蔗汁样本葡聚糖含量的热效应。研究表明:蔗汁中的淀粉是引起热效应的重要因素。本文最后提出了一种由淀粉引起的热效应的可行校正方法。     

Properties of hemoglobin and dextran-hemoglobin rightshifted by oxidized inositol tetrakisphosphate

Phytate was digested by wheat bran phytase to yield inositol tetrakisphosphate. Periodate-oxidized inositol tetrakisphosphate (oxyIP4) was coupled by means of reductive alkylation to hemoglobin and the covalent dextran-hemoglobin conjugate to yield the rightshifted (rs) compounds rsHb and rsDxHb, respectively. The variations of the oxygen dissociation curves of these molecules with pH and temperature were compared to those of hemoglobin. The variations with pH were found to be less pronounced for these rightshifted forms. An extensive decrease in the half-saturation oxygen tension was observed, however, with both rsHb and rsDxHb, as in the case of unmodified Hb. Modification of hemoglobin by oxyIP4 at the polyphosphate site was suggested by the lack of a further rightshifting effect of phytate on rsHb, and by the similarity between the difference spectrum of rs-methemoglobin and the difference spectrum induced by the addition of phytate.     

Particle release in extracorporeal low-density lipoprotein lowering therapies

Release of microparticles into the blood during extracorporeal circulation must be kept low because of possibly serious acute and chronic adverse effects. Concentration and size distribution of microparticles were measured during simulated treatments (n = 7) on original equipment for 2 standard low-density lipoprotein (LDL) elimination procedures (DALI 750, Fresenius AG, St. Wendel, Germany and Liposorber, Kaneka Corporation, Osaka, Japan) and compared to hemofiltration solutions. For both systems as well as in hemofiltration solutions, the mean particle concentrations in 500 ml portions gathered from the efferent blood line stayed below 10% of pharmacopoeia standards for infusion solutions (United States Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia) in all measured size classes. Although particle concentrations were comparable in all systems, the mean total number of particles > or =2 microm released per session was lowest in the DALI (167,000) compared to the Liposorber (465,000) and hemofiltration solutions (2,240,000). This was mainly due to different total processed blood volumes necessary to achieve the required LDL reduction.     

葡聚糖硫酸钠结肠炎模型影响因素的研究进展

自1985年首次报道采用葡聚糖硫酸钠(dextran sulphate sodium,DSS)制备出仓鼠溃疡性结肠炎模型以来,已有大量研究证明DSS结肠炎模型与人类溃疡性结肠炎相似.该模型的病因、临床症状、病理改变及治疗应答均与人类UC相类似;对于研究UC病因、发病机制及UC相关增生和肿瘤,确定治疗手段有重要意义.虽然DSS模型制作简单;但该过程受到多个因素的影响:DSS浓度、给药时间、DSS相对分子质量和动物种属等.如不能正确处理这些因素,很难制造出成功的DSS结肠炎模型.本文主要针对DSS造模影响因素及尚需我们进一步研究和探讨的问题作综述如下.