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Andreas Schulz

Publications and source records attributed to Andreas Schulz.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Comparison of pharmacokinetics and vasodilatory effect of nebulized and infused iloprost in experimental pulmonary hypertension: rapid tolerance development.

Aerosolized iloprost has been suggested for selective pulmonary vasodilatation in severe pulmonary hypertension, but its pharmacokinetic profile is largely unknown. In perfused rabbit lungs, continuous infusion of the thromboxane mimetic U46619 was employed for establishing stable pulmonary hypertension. Delivery of a total amount of 75, 300, and 900 ng of iloprost to the bronchoalveolar space by a 10 min-aerosolization maneuver caused a dose-dependent pulmonary vasodilatation. Similarly, dose-dependent appearance of iloprost in the recirculating perfusate was noted, with maximum intravascular concentrations of iloprost ranging at 140, 510, and 1163 pg/mL at the same time period. Comparing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in a more detailed fashion, the following aspects were of interest. (i) The bioavailability (i.e., the percentage of aerosolized iloprost appearing intravascularly) decreased from 76% at the lowest to 33% at the highest iloprost dosage. (ii) The pulmonary vasodilatory response commenced already during the nebulization maneuver and preceded the perfusate entry of iloprost. (iii) After 3-3.5 h, the pulmonary vasodilatory response to aerosolized iloprost had virtually completely leveled off, whereas approximately two-thirds of the maximum iloprost perfusate levels were still detectable. A corresponding loss of vasodilatory response was also noted in experiments with continuous iloprost perfusion for clamping of the intravascular concentration of this prostanoid. We conclude that aerosolized iloprost causes dose-dependent vasodilatation and iloprost entry into the vascular space in a pulmonary hypertension model. Limited bioavailability in the higher dose range may suggest active prostanoid transport processes, and the early pulmonary vasodilatory response appears to be independent of prostanoid entry into the vessel lumen. Surprisingly, rapid tolerance development to the vasodilatory effect of iloprost is noted, occurring even with fully maintained perfusate levels of this agent.

15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5↗
PubMed2005

Inhaled iloprost reverses vascular remodeling in chronic experimental pulmonary hypertension.

RATIONALE: Inhaled iloprost is an effective therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, no study to date has addressed the effects of inhaled iloprost on changes to pulmonary vascular structure that occur in PAH. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to investigate chronic antiremodeling effects of inhaled iloprost in monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH in rats. METHODS: Four weeks after a single injection of MCT, after full establishment of PAH, rats were nebulized with iloprost at a dose of 6 microg . kg(-1) . day(-1), or underwent sham nebulization with saline. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of inhalation therapy, right ventricular pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were reversed in rats treated with iloprost, but not in sham-treated control animals. Systemic arterial pressure was unaffected. In addition, right heart hypertrophy, the degree of pulmonary artery muscularization, and the medial wall thickness of intraacinar pulmonary arteries regressed in response to iloprost. Furthermore, the MCT-induced increase in matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activities and tenascin-C expression was suppressed. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the inhalation of iloprost reverses PAH and vascular structural remodeling in MCT-treated rats. This regimen suggests the possibility of an antiremodeling therapy in PAH.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2005

Inflammatory cells in the formation of tumor-related sarcoid reactions.

Tumor-related sarcoid reactions were analyzed in 14 lymph nodes in comparison with sarcoidosis using immunohistochemical markers to lymphocytes (CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD20), myeloid-related protein (MRP) 8 and MRP14 (S100A8 and S100A9), angiotensin I-converting enzyme (CD143), and mature or immature dendritic cells (S100, HLA-DR, fascin, CD83, and CD1a). We found that solitary epithelioid cell granuloma (ECG) first occur between lymph sinus and T-zone and that multiple ECGs mainly occur within T-zone, whereas confluent types often occupy the whole lymph node except some residual lymphoid follicles. This pattern suggests a continuous spread and growth of ECGs in sarcoid reactions along T-zone, where antigen presentation mainly takes place. Irrespective of granuloma type, a constant invasion of freshly recruited MRP8 + and MRP14 + macrophages was observed. Similar to sarcoidosis, angiotensin I-converting enzyme expression was a constant finding in epithelioid and giant cells, suggesting a common inflammatory pathway. An increasing ratio of CD4 + to CD8 + T lymphocytes (r = 0.789, P = .001) and a decreasing number of S100 + and CD83 + dendritic cells (r = 0.787, P = .001) within ECGs correlated with granuloma growth, whereas CD1a + immature dendritic cells were never observed inside ECGs. Our findings show that sarcoid reactions represent a T-cell-mediated immune response, leading to histological appearance and cell distribution similar to sarcoidosis and other granulomatous conditions, but the mechanism is different from dendritic cell-based tumor vaccination. Furthermore, mature dendritic cells occur inside ECGs especially of early sarcoid reactions but may not be required for the enlargement and further maintenance of ECGs, in contrast to CD4 + lymphocytes.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Fluorescence quenching of dyes by tryptophan: interactions at atomic detail from combination of experiment and computer simulation.

Fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation are combined to characterize the interaction of two organic fluorescent dyes, rhodamine 6G (R6G) and an oxazine derivative (MR121), with the amino acid tryptophan in aqueous solution. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching experiments reveal the formation of essentially nonfluorescent ground-state dye/Trp complexes. The MD simulations are used to elucidate the molecular interaction geometries involved. The MD-derived probability distribution of the distance r between the centers of geometry of the dye and quencher ring systems, P(r), extends to higher distances for R6G than for MR121 due to population in the R6G/Trp system of fluorescent interaction geometries between Trp and the phenyl ring and ester group of the dye. The consequence of this is the experimental finding that under the conditions used in the simulations about 25% of the R6G dye is fluorescent in comparison with 10% of the MR121. Combining the above findings allows determination of the "quenching distance", r, above which no quenching occurs. r is found to be very similar (approximately 5.5 A) for both dye/Trp systems, corresponding to close to van der Waals contact. Both experimental dynamic Stern-Volmer analysis and the MD trajectories demonstrate that the main determinant of the fluorescence intensity is static quenching. The approach presented is likely to be useful in the structural interpretation of data obtained from fluorescent conjugates commonly used for monitoring the binding and dynamics of biomolecular systems.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed2003

Measurement of submicrosecond intramolecular contact formation in peptides at the single-molecule level.

We describe a single-molecule-sensitive method to determine the rate of contact formation and dissociation between tryptophan and an oxazine derivative (MR121) on the basis of measurements of the photon distance distribution. Two short peptides (15 and 20 amino acids) derived from the transactivation domain of the human oncoprotein p53 were investigated. With the fluorophore attached at the N-terminal end of the flexible peptides, fluorescence of the dye is efficiently quenched upon contact formation with a tryptophan residue. The mechanism responsible for the efficient fluorescence quenching observed in the complexes is assumed to be a photoinduced electron-transfer reaction occurring predominantly at van der Waals contact. Fluorescence fluctuations caused by intramolecular contact formation and dissociation were recorded using confocal fluorescence microscopy with two avalanche photodiodes and the time-correlated single-photon-counting technique, enabling a temporal resolution of 1.2 ns. Peptides containing a tryptophan residue at positions 9 and 8, respectively, show contact formation with rate constants of 1/120 and 1/152 ns(-1), respectively. Whereas the rate constants of contact formation most likely directly report on biopolymer chain mobility, the dissociation rate constants of 1/267 and 1/742 ns(-1), respectively, are significantly smaller and reflect strong hydrophobic interactions between the dye and tryptophan. Fluorescence experiments on point-mutated peptides where tryptophan is exchanged by phenylalanine show no fluorescence quenching.

Fluorescent Dyes↗
PubMed2003

Molecular mechanics force field parameterization of the fluorescent probe rhodamine 6G using automated frequency matching.

Novel single-molecule fluorescence experimental techniques have prompted a growing need to develop refined computational models of dye-tagged biomolecules. As a necessary first step towards useful molecular simulations of fluorescence-labeled biomolecules, we have derived a force field for the commonly used dye, rhodamine 6G (R6G). A novel automated method is used that includes fitting the molecular mechanics potential to both vibrational frequencies and eigenvector projections derived from quantum chemical calculations. The method is benchmarked on a series of aromatic molecules then applied to derive new parameters for R6G. The force field derived reproduces well the crystal structure of R6G.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

Osteoprotegerin protects against generalized bone loss in tumor necrosis factor-transgenic mice.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in systemic bone loss of chronic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to address the therapeutic potential of osteoclast blockade. METHODS: We investigated systemic bone changes in human TNF transgenic (hTNFtg) mice, which spontaneously developed severe inflammatory arthritis. RESULTS: Osteodensitometry revealed a significant decrease in trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) (-37%) in hTNFtg mice, and histomorphometry revealed a dramatic loss of bone volume (-85%) compared with wild-type controls. Osteoclast-covered bone surface and serum levels of deoxypyridinoline crosslinks were significantly elevated, suggesting increased osteoclast-mediated bone resorption in hTNFtg mice. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) completely blocked TNF-mediated bone loss by increasing BMD (+89%) and bone volume (+647%). Most strikingly, formation of primary spongiosa was dramatically increased (+563%) in hTNFtg mice after OPG treatment. Osteoclast-covered bone surface and serum levels of deoxypyridinoline crosslinks were significantly decreased by OPG, suggesting effective blockade of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. OPG did not influence levels of hTNF, TNF receptor I (TNFRI), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and IL-6. However, OPG decreased bone formation parameters (osteoblast-covered bone surface and serum osteocalcin levels), which were elevated in hTNFtg mice. In contrast to OPG, bisphosphonates and anti-TNF treatment did not affect generalized bone loss in hTNFtg mice. Anti-TNF, however, did not affect levels of TNF and TNFRI at the concentrations tested. These data indicate that generalized bone loss due to increased TNF can be blocked by OPG. CONCLUSION: OPG may represent a potent tool for preventing generalized loss of bone mass in chronic inflammatory disorders, especially RA.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Different immunophenotypes in Buerger's disease.

Recently, we reviewed the morphology of 31 specimens of thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO, Buerger's disease) in a multivariate analysis and showed that certain novel features of the affected vessels are different from arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) and thromboembolism. However, the pathogenic concept of TAO is still controversial. We applied immunohistochemistry to 58 amputated lower extremities and five autopsy controls. At specific sites of the diseased vessels, different cellular components were immunotyped by CD3, CD4, CD20, CD31, CD68, actin and desmin. These results were carefully compared among different diagnostic groups of vasoocclusive lesions by statistical methods. Some unique characteristics of TAO were identified when compared with ASO or thromboembolism. Consistent with a primary inflammatory and immunogenic lesion, lymphocytes and especially CD4+ T cells emerged significantly in TAO vessels and their adventitia. In the subset of definite TAO cases defined by all clinical criteria, the linear arrangement of macrophages, and B- and T-lymphocytes along vascular elastic fibers was the most striking additional finding, suggesting elastic fibers are an important immunogen. However, this feature was not apparent in closely related cases, otherwise similar to TAO and different from ASO and thromboembolism. Thus, our results indicate a heterogeneous group of TAO diseases, suggesting that damage to elastic fibers may be a secondary change to primary inflammation.

Actins↗
PubMed2003

[Life threatening neuroleptic malignant syndrome due to olanzapine].

The frequency of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) after clozapine or olanzapine is low and often of non-serious nature. A 49 year-old female patient developed NMS 12 days after olanzapine re-exposure. Olanzapine was stopped, the patient was transferred to an ICU and received a course of nine uni- and bilateral ECT treatments. This led to remission. 14 months earlier the patient had presented with a first severe NMS episode after haloperidol depot injection and 4 days after starting oral clozapine. Following the first NMS episode olanzapine (20 mg per day) was administered for 11 months without adverse effects.

Antipsychotic Agents↗
PubMed2002

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of infused versus inhaled iloprost in isolated rabbit lungs.

Iloprost is a potent prostacyclin analog, which has been shown to exert beneficial effects in several vascular disorders. Inhalation of aerosolized iloprost was found to cause selective pulmonary vasodilatation, and this approach is under current investigation for treatment of chronic pulmonary hypertension. The present study investigated pharmacokinetics and metabolism of aerosolized iloprost in isolated buffer-perfused rabbit lungs, compared with intravascular administration of the prostanoid. After buffer admixture of iloprost, a steady decline of perfusate concentrations of the intact prostanoid was noted (half-life approximately 3.5 h), mostly attributable to progressive metabolism to dinor- and tetranoriloprost. Inhaled iloprost rapidly entered the intravascular compartment, with peak buffer concentrations being noted after 30 min (bioavailability approximately 63%). Compared with infused iloprost, significantly more rapid metabolism to dinor- and tetranoriloprost was noted for iloprost administered via the inhalative route of application. However, the percentage of the nebulized agent that enters the intravascular space as intact iloprost displays the same clearance rate as directly perfusate-admixed prostanoid. We conclude that a high percentage of inhaled iloprost rapidly enters the intravascular compartment in intact rabbit lungs. The lung is capable of metabolizing iloprost via beta-oxidation, and more rapid appearance of dinor- and tetranoriloprost is noted for the inhalative as compared with the intravascular route of iloprost administration.

Administration, Inhalation↗