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Biomedical subjects

E Morin

Publications and source records attributed to E Morin.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Reduction by (-)-cicletanine of the vascular reactivity to angiotensin II in rats.

Cicletanine [particularly the levorotatory (-)enantiomer] inhibits calcium/calmodulin cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) and potentiates the vasorelaxant actions of the guanylate cyclase activators sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and atriopeptin II, but the possible interference with vasopressor mechanisms remains to be determined. We tested racemic (+/-) cicletanine for its ability to modify the vascular responses to vasocontractant agents in pithed rats. The most significant results were obtained with angiotensin II (AII). Therefore, the dose of AII that increased the carotid artery blood pressure (BP) 50 mm Hg was twice as high in cicletanine-pretreated (50 mg/kg orally, p.o.) as that in vehicle-pretreated animals (ED50 = 0.48 +/- 0.012 vs. 0.25 +/- 0.007 microgram/kg, p < 0.05). The displacement by cicletanine represented 47.2% of that obtained with losartan (40 micrograms/kg, intravenously, i.v.). Similar results were obtained with (-)-cicletanine (p.o. or i.v.), but not with (+)-cicletanine. In isolated rat aorta, the contraction induced by AII was reduced by (-)-cicletanine in a noncompetitive manner (the percent reduction was independent of the AII concentration). (-)-Cicletanine reduces the vascular reactivity to AII, which plays a key role in several forms of hypertension. These findings are compatible with an action of (-)-cicletanine at any of the numerous steps that couple the occupation of AII receptors to the final contractile response, such as calcium/calmodulin cyclic GMP PDE.

Administration, Oral

Evidence for (+)-cicletanine sulfate as an active natriuretic metabolite of cicletanine in the rat.

It was previously shown that the urinary sulfo-conjugate metabolite of cicletanine (cicletanine sulfate), and not free cicletanine, is salidiuretic in rats. Here we investigated potential differences between the resolved (+/-) enantiomers of cicletanine sulfate. Two groups of rats (n = 10) received either (+)- or (-)-cicletanine p.o. High performance capillary electrophoresis revealed that the 24-h urinary excretion of (+)-cicletanine sulfate was 5 times higher than that of (-)-cicletanine sulfate (18.9% vs. 3.8% of the oral dose). The same relative trend was observed after 5 and 10 days of oral administration. Following direct administration into the renal artery of anesthetized rats, (+)-cicletanine sulfate was 3-4 times more potent, in terms of active doses, than (-)-cicletanine sulfate to increase sodium excretion (ED50 = 1.86 +/- 0.28 mg/kg vs. 6.1 +/- 1.0 mg/kg, mean +/- S.E.M., n = 4). The maximal natriuretic potency of (+)-cicletanine sulfate was intermediate between that of furosemide and DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate). In rat erythrocytes, (+)-cicletanine sulfate was between 2 and 3 times more potent to inhibit the Na(+)-dependent Cl-/HCO3- anion exchanger than (-)-cicletanine sulfate (IC50 = 61 +/- 3 microM vs. 142 +/- 31 microM, n = 4). In conclusion, (+)-cicletanine was more sulfo-conjugated and more potent natriuretic agent in rats than (-)-cicletanine. These results strongly suggest that (+)-cicletanine sulfate is the active natriuretic metabolite of racemic cicletanine in rats. This compound may probably act by inhibiting the Na(+)-dependent Cl-/HCO3- anion exchanger at the cortical diluting segment.

Acetates

Urinary excretion of cicletanine in the rat. Stereochemical aspects.

The metabolism of (+)-cicletanine and (-)-cicletanine (10 mg kg-1) was studied in healthy male Wistar rats 24 hr after a single dose and following daily oral administration for 25 days. Urine, collected in 24-hr intervals on days 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25, was analyzed by an HPLC method for parent drug and its sulfate/glucuronide conjugates. In urine, the sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of cicletanine were the only two major components quantitated; parent drug was a minor component. Within 24 hr after the first dose of (+)-cicletanine, the sulfate conjugate was the major urinary component; the ratio of sulfate to glucuronide conjugate was 3. After oral administration of (-)-cicletanine, the glucuronide and sulfate conjugates were present in similar amounts. For each enantiomer, the ratio of sulfate/glucuronide did not change upon multiple dosing, and inversion of the enantiomers did not occur. Although sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of each enantiomer are formed, the relative amounts of each conjugate depends on the enantiomer, indicating that there is stereospecificity in the disposition of cicletanine.

Animals

Operator error in a level coded myoelectric control channel.

Two forms of error exist in the level coded myoelectric control channel: system error and operator error. Currently in level coded (3-state) myoelectric prosthesis, target and switching level settings are optimized for the presence of system error only. In this study, system error was minimized in order to examine operator error. The magnitude of the operator error was found to exceed the magnitude of the experimental system error as well as the system error associated with a typical prosthesis control unit. These findings suggest that operator error should be considered when optimizing target levels and decision boundaries for level coded myoelectric prosthesis controllers. Since the operator response was estimated to be normally distributed, it is described by its mean and standard deviation. This information can be used to determine the desired optimal settings.

Arm

Coliphages and enteric viruses in the particulate phase of river water.

The present study was undertaken to determine if indigenous enteric viruses and coliphages are free or associated with suspended particulate matter in natural waters. River water was filtered on filters of decreasing porosities (100-0.25 micron) that were pretreated with detergent to eliminate viral adsorption while retaining particulates. This filtered water was refiltered in virus-adsorbing conditions to retain free viruses. The virus-adsorbing filter retained most of the enteric viruses (77.4%) and coliphages (65.8%), which indicated that these viruses were probably free or associated with particles with a diameter of less than 0.25 micron. These observations are important because in water treatment plants small particulates are often the most difficult to eliminate.

Adsorption

Characterization and processing of surface recorded spinal somatosensory evoked potentials.

Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded from the skin surface overlying the spinal cord, from the lower lumbar to the lower cervical regions. The recorded responses did not vary over time in any one individual and at each level a consistent wave shape was obtained across all individuals tested. Since the initial signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the evoked response recorded at any cord level is very low, the signal data must be processed. In this study, bandpass filtering or matched filtering was used together with ensemble averaging to obtain a usable signal in a reasonable processing time. SNR was improved approximately 1.5 X with bandpass filtering and 2 X with matched filtering. Although the output of the matched filter is a distorted version of the input signal, detection of information is enhanced and processing time using the matched filter and ensemble averaging can be reduced to 1/4 that required for ensemble averaging alone.

Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory

[Intracellular changes induced by the canine infectious laryngotracheitis virus (CAV-2)].

Canine infectious laryngotracheitis virus, an adenovirus designated CAV-2, induces numerous changes in the nucleus and cytoplasm of canine kidney cells (MDCK). The following features could be observed on ultrathin sections examined in the electron microscope: a shift of the nucleolus towards the nuclear membrane and a compression of the latter by the virus particles; the release of virions into the cytoplasm following the tearing or evagination of the nuclear membrane; the attachment of virus particles onto the numerous microtubules of the infected cell. Microfilaments appear to be involved into the vectorial movement of virus particles towards the cytoplasmic membrane in the final phase of infection.

Adenoviridae