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Biomedical subjects

A Andre

Publications and source records attributed to A Andre.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Effects of cGMP on calcium handling in ATP-stimulated rat resistance arteries.

The mechanisms by which guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) modulates the contraction induced by ATP were investigated in small mesenteric resistance arteries of the rat. The nitric oxide donors 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1, 10 microM) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10 microM) increased cGMP but not adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) content of the tissue. SIN-1, SNP, and 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcGMP, 100 microM) inhibited the myosin light chain phosphorylation and the contractile response to ATP. Both effects were completely reversed by the selective inhibitor of cGMP protein kinase, Rp-8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate (30 microM). The sensitivity to Ca2+ of arteries permeabilized with Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin (4,000 hemolytic units/ml) was not affected by 8-BrcGMP. The two nitric oxide donors and 8-BrcGMP decreased the rise in intracellular Ca2+ induced by ATP. The vasodilator agents abolished the contractile response to the exogenous calcium in vessels that were exposed to 3 mM ATP after depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores. Thapsigargin (1 microM), an inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-adenosinetriphosphatase, reversed the inhibitory effect of the vasodilator agents when the contraction induced by ATP was elicited in the presence of the Ca2+ entry blocker nitrendipine (1 microM) or in Ca(2+)-free medium. These results show that cGMP inhibits ATP-induced contraction by decreasing intracellular Ca2+ concentration in small resistance arteries. They indicate that this effect results from decreased Ca2+ influx and enhanced Ca2+ sequestration through a thapsigargin-sensitive pump via activation of a cGMP protein kinase.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Effect of bacterial lipopolysaccharide on function of rat small femoral arteries.

The effects of endotoxin on endothelial and smooth muscle function were investigated in small femoral arteries removed from rats 4 h after intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 20 mg/kg) or solvent. In the absence of L-arginine in the organ bath, the sensitivity of the arteries to norepinephrine (NE) was decreased only slightly, and the relaxing effects of neither 3-morpholinosydonimine-N-ethyl-carbamide (SIN-1), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, nor acetylcholine (ACh) were modified by LPS treatment despite morphological damage to the endothelium seen with scanning electron microscopy. However, L-arginine (30 microM to 1 mM), which had no effect on control vessels, caused a rapid and stereospecific relaxation of arteries from LPS-treated rats that was abolished by both NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (1 mM), a NO synthase inhibitor, and methylene blue, an inhibitor of the activation of guanylyl cyclase by NO. The relaxing effect of L-arginine was observed in the absence of endothelium, although it was significantly greater in its presence. In addition, a 30-min exposure to extracellular L-arginine (100 microM) moderately but significantly decreased the sensitivity to ACh and SIN-1 of vessels from LPS-treated but not from control rats. These results indicate that LPS treatment induced a NO synthase activity in smooth muscle cells of rat small femoral arteries and that the resulting relaxation was dependent on extracellular L-arginine in these resistance vessels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Left atrial myxoma in the elderly: diagnosis by M-mode and bidimensional echocardiography.

Two cases are reported of left atrial myxoma in elderly patients, diagnosed by combined M-mode and bidimensional echocardiography. One patient was an 80-year-old man presenting with typical signs of mitral obstruction by an atrial tumor. His symptoms were erroneously attributed to chronic bronchitis until an echocardiogram was obtained. The other patient was a 70-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation of one year's duration. Left atrial myxoma, although rarely observed in the elderly, may be diagnosed easily by means of echocardiography. Some cases may prove amenable to surgical treatment.

Aged↗

The use of radio-immuno-inhibition assay for the study of the y, d and w determinants of hepatitis B surface antigen.

A radioimmunoassay determination of the HBs antigen subtypes is discussed, it is simple but effective technique was used in association with the use of the Austria II kit (Abbott Laboratories). This method consists of an inhibition reaction of the Austria II test, by previous incubation of the antigen to be subtyped with a monospecific antibody. With this method we were able to distinguish the y and the d antigens as well as the w1, w3, w4 determinants of hepatitis B surface antigen. We have included a frequency table of the various HBs subtypes found among donor and patient populations in Liège.

Chemical Phenomena↗