Transradial rescue angioplasty for failed thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction: reperfusion with reduced vascular risk.
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Publications and source records attributed to K Dickinson.
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Mitochondrial proton cycling is responsible for a significant proportion of basal or standard metabolic rate, so further uncoupling of mitochondria may be a good way to increase energy expenditure and represents a good pharmacological target for the treatment of obesity. Uncoupling by 2,4-dinitrophenol has been used in this way in the past with notable success, and some of the effects of thyroid hormone treatment to induce weight loss may also be due to uncoupling. Diet can alter the pattern of phospholipid fatty acyl groups in the mitochondrial membrane, and this may be a route to uncoupling in vivo. Energy expenditure can be increased by stimulating the activity of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipocytes either directly or through beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists. UCP2 in a number of tissues, UCP3 in skeletal muscle and the adenine nucleotide translocase have also been proposed as possible drug targets. Specific uncoupling of muscle or brown adipocyte mitochondria remains an attractive target for the development of antiobesity drugs.
Mitochondrial proton leak in rat muscle is responsible for approx. 15% of the standard metabolic rate, so its modulation could be important in regulating metabolic efficiency. We report in the present paper that physiological concentrations of AMP (K(0.5)=80 microM) increase the resting respiration rate and double the proton conductance of rat skeletal-muscle mitochondria. This effect is specific for AMP. AMP also doubles proton conductance in skeletal-muscle mitochondria from an ectotherm (the frog Rana temporaria), suggesting that AMP activation is not primarily for thermogenesis. AMP activation in rat muscle mitochondria is unchanged when uncoupling protein-3 is doubled by starvation, indicating that this protein is not involved in the AMP effect. AMP activation is, however, abolished by inhibitors and substrates of the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT), suggesting that this carrier (possibly the ANT1 isoform) mediates AMP activation. AMP activation of ANT could be important for physiological regulation of metabolic rate.
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether trials in head injury are large enough to avoid moderate random errors and designed to avoid moderate biases. DESIGN: All randomised controlled trials on the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with head injury published before December 1998 were surveyed. Trials were identified from electronic databases, by hand searching journals and conference proceedings, and by contacting researchers. Data were extracted on the number of participants, quality of concealment of allocation, use of blinding, loss to follow up, and types of participants, interventions, and outcome measures. RESULTS: 279 reports were identified, containing information on 208 separate trials. The average number of participants per trial was 82, with no evidence of increasing size over time. The total number of randomised participants in the 203 trials in which size was reported was 16 613. No trials were large enough to detect reliably a 5% absolute reduction in the risk of death or disability, and only 4% were large enough to detect an absolute reduction of 10%. Concealment of allocation was adequate in 22 and inadequate or unclear in 25 of the 47 (23%) in which it was reported. Of 126 trials assessing disability, 111 reported the number of patients followed up, and average loss to follow up was 19%. Of trials measuring disability, 26 (21%) reported that outcome assessors were blinded. CONCLUSIONS: Randomised trials in head injury are too small and poorly designed to detect or refute reliably moderate but clinically important benefits or hazards of treatment. Limited funding for injury research and unfamiliarity with issues of consent may have been important obstacles.
BACKGROUND: Medical antishock trousers (MAST) have been used to increase venous return to the heart until definitive care could be given. This, combined with compression of blood vessels, is believed to cause the movement of blood from the lower body to the brain, heart and lungs. However, the equipment is expensive, and may have adverse effects. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the effect on mortality and morbidity of the use of medical anti-shock trousers (MAST)/ pneumatic anti-shock garments (PASG) in patients following trauma. SEARCH STRATEGY: Trials were identified by searches of the Cochrane Injuries Group Trials Register, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIDS ISI Service and Science Citation Index. References in relevant papers identified were followed up. A citation analysis of references to randomised controlled trials was conducted using the Science Citation Index. Authors of identified trials were contacted and asked about any other trials that may have been conducted, whether published or unpublished. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised and quasi-randomised trials of MAST/PASG in patients following trauma (excluding fractures of the extremities in which MAST/PASG may be used as a splint). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. Data were collected on mortality, duration of hospitalisation and ICU stay, and quality of allocation concealment. MAIN RESULTS: Two trials were identified that met the inclusion criteria. These trials included 1202 randomised patients in total; however, data for only 1075 of these were available. The relative risk of death with MAST was 1.13 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.32). Duration of hospitalisation and of intensive care unit stay was longer in the MAST treated group. The weighted mean difference in the length of intensive care unit stay was 1.7 days (95% CI 0.33 to 2.98). REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence to suggest that MAST/PASG application reduces mortality, length of hospitalisation or length of ICU stay in trauma patients and it is possible that it may increase these. These data do not support the continued use of MAST/PASG in the situation described. However, it should be recognised that, due to the poor quality of the trials, conclusions should be drawn with caution.
The novel antidiabetic agent BTS 67 582 (1,1-dimethyl-2-[2-(4-morpholinophenyl)]guanidine monofumarate) demonstrated a concentration-dependent stimulation of insulin release in perifused rat pancreatic islets. EC50 values of 7.7 microM and 6.3 microM were obtained for BTS 67 582 in the presence of 8 mM glucose, after islets were pre-equilibrated with 4 and 8 mM glucose respectively. In contrast, there was little or no stimulation of insulin release at substimulatory (4 mM) or maximal stimulatory (15 mM) glucose concentrations. The plasma EC50 value for the glucose lowering effect of BTS 67 582 in fasted normal rats was 3.9 microM indicating a similar potency in vivo. In islets, BTS 67 582 completely antagonised (EC50 value of 13.2 microM) the actions of the selective ATP-dependent K+ channel opener diazoxide indicating K+ channel blocking activity. BTS 67 582 only weakly reversed the alpha2-adrenoceptor mediated inhibition of insulin release in islets (EC50 of 83 microM). BTS 67 582, like other imidazoline/guanidine insulin releasing agents, appears to promote insulin release via an effect on the islet ATP-dependent K+ channel which is not mediated by binding to the sulphonylurea receptor.
1. The effect of BTS 67 582, a novel antidiabetic agent, has been evaluated on plasma glucose and plasma insulin in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. 2. BTS 67 582 (3 to 300 mg kg-1, p.o.) caused a dose- and time-dependent reduction in plasma glucose and an increase in plasma insulin in both fasted and glucose-loaded normal rats. The ED50 for the glucose lowering effect of BTS 67 582 in fasted rats was 37.6, 18.4 and 18.5 mg kg-1 at 1, 2 and 4 h after administration respectively. 3. In streptozotocin-induced (50 mg kg-1, i.v.) diabetic rats, BTS 67 582 (37-147 mg kg-1, p.o.) caused significant reductions of plasma glucose following a glucose load, whereas glibenclamide (100 mg kg-1, p.o.) was ineffective. BTS 67 582 significantly increased plasma insulin compared to controls whereas glibenclamide did not. 4. BTS 67 582 did not displace [3H]-glibenclamide from its binding sites in rat brain, guinea-pig ventricle or the HIT-T15 insulinoma beta-cell line. BTS 67 582 does not therefore appear to modulate its action via an effect on the 'sulphonylurea' receptor. 5. In fasted rats, the glucose lowering effect of BTS 67 582 (100 mg kg-1 p.o.) and glibenclamide (1 mg kg-1, p.o.) were antagonized by diazoxide (30 mg kg-1, i.p.). In addition BTS 67 582, like glibenclamide, caused a dose-dependent rightward shift of cromakalim-induced relaxation of noradrenaline precontracted rat aortic strips, suggesting the involvement of KATP channels. 6. In summary, BTS 67 582 produces a blood glucose-lowering effect in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats associated with increased insulin concentrations. This effect appears to be due to a blockade of ATP-sensitive potassium channel activity via a different binding site to that of glibenclamide.
BACKGROUND: Some patients with angina pectoris and normal coronary arteriograms have reduced coronary flow reserve and abnormal endothelium dependent vasodilator responses. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, is an important modulator of microvascular function and may also have algogenic properties. METHOD: Plasma ET-1 was measured in peripheral venous blood in 40 patients (30 women) (mean (SD) age 56 (8) years) with angina and normal coronary arteriograms and 21 normal controls (17 women) (mean (SD) age 53 (7) years). Patients with systemic hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, or coronary spasm were excluded. Plasma ET-1 was measured using radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Thirty five patients had > or = 1 mm ST segment depression during exercise. Left bundle branch block was present in four patients at rest and in one during exercise. Mean (SD) (range) concentration of ET-1 (pg/ml) was higher in patients than in controls (3.84 (1.25) (1.97-7.42) v 2.88 (0.71) (1.57-4.48) P < 0.0001). In patients with "high" (> control mean (one SD)) ET-1 concentrations (n = 23), the time to onset of chest pain during exercise was significantly shorter (6.21 (3.9) v 9.03 (3.9) min; p = 0.01) than in patients with "low" ET-1 concentrations. Of the five patients with left bundle branch block, four had plasma ET-1 concentration > 4.0 pg/ml. CONCLUSION: Plasma endothelin is raised in patients with angina and normal coronary arteriograms and is consistent with the demonstration of endothelial dysfunction in such patients. The association between "high" plasma ET-1 and an earlier onset of chest pain during exercise suggests that endothelin may also have a role in the genesis of chest pain in patients with normal coronary arteries.
1. Flosequinan, milrinone, isoprenaline and forskolin given intravenously at similarly hypotensive doses have been evaluated in separate studies for their effect on ischaemia-induced arrhythmias and on ventricular cyclic nucleotide content following coronary artery ligation in the pentobarbitone anaesthetized rat. 2. Flosequinan did not affect mortality or arrhythmias following coronary artery ligation in either study and no change in ventricular cyclic nucleotide content was observed. 3. Isoprenaline caused a significant increase in mortality (P < 0.05) in both studies whereas milrinone and forskolin caused a significant increase in mortality in only one of the two studies conducted. All three agents caused significant increases in cyclic AMP which were associated with increased incidence of arrhythmias. 4. When compared at similarly hypotensive doses, flosequinan, in contrast to milrinone, isoprenaline and forskolin, did not influence ischaemia-induced arrhythmias or raise ventricular cyclic nucleotide levels in the anesthetized rat.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether use of the Cytobrush/spatula or the cotton swab/spatula is better in obtaining satisfactory Papanicolaou smears as defined by the Bethesda System. METHODS: This 1-year randomized trial was performed at the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Women's Hospital colposcopy clinic. Participants were all nonpregnant patients referred to the colposcopy clinic for abnormal Papanicolaou smears. The main outcome measurement was the effectiveness in obtaining satisfactory Papanicolaou smears as defined by the Bethesda System. Data were analyzed using the Pearson chi 2 test. RESULTS: The sampling methods had similar abilities to obtain a satisfactory smear (Cytobrush/spatula 63%, cotton swab/spatula 57%; P = .23). Less-than-optimal smears accounted for 28% of the Cytobrush group and 38% of the cotton-swab group. The Cytobrush was superior in its ability to obtain endocervical cells (Cytobrush 80%, cotton swab 60%; P less than .01). Both sampling methods had similar rates of correlation with histologic diagnosis. No complications were associated with either technique. CONCLUSIONS: The Cytobrush/spatula is superior to the cotton swab/spatula in obtaining endocervical cells. There appears to be no difference in each method's ability to obtain satisfactory smears. Application of the Bethesda System results in a significant number of less-than-optimal smears using either technique.
Nine dogs with intermediate- or high-grade lymphoma were prospectively entered into a protocol to be given a total of 15 weekly doses of doxorubicin (10 mg/m2 of body surface, IV) in an attempt to eliminate all clinical evidence of neoplasia, with minimal risk of drug toxicity. Eight of these dogs did not complete the protocol because of progression of the disease. The median number of doses administered to dogs that developed progressive disease before the regimen was completed was 5 (range, 2 to 9). Seven dogs achieved partial (n = 5) or complete (n = 2) remission, with median duration of 14 days (range, 7 to 231 days). The dog that was given all 15 weekly treatments remained in complete remission for 231 days. Complete remission that lasted for 14 days was observed in another dog. Toxicosis developed in 3 dogs; signs of toxicosis were generally mild and included colitis (n = 1), vomiting (n = 1), neutropenia (n = 1), and lethargy (n = 1). The lowest neutrophil count (1,876 cells/microliter) was seen in one dog after 7 doses of doxorubicin were given. Doxorubicin at dosage of 10 mg/m2/wk appears to be safe, but is generally ineffective for treatment of lymphoma.
One hundred twenty-nine dogs with histologically confirmed malignant tumors were used in a prospective study to determine the toxicity of the new dihydroxyquinone derivative of anthracene, mitoxantrone, which was administered IV at 21-day intervals at dosages ranging from 2.5 to 5 mg/m2 body surface area. Each dog was evaluated for signs of toxicosis for 3 weeks after each dose was administered or until the dog died, whichever came first. The number of dogs in each evaluation period were as follows: 1 dose (n = 129), 2 doses (n = 82), 3 doses (n = 43), 4 doses (n = 26), 5 doses (n = 19), 6 doses (n = 9), 7 doses (n = 6), 8 doses (n = 5), 9 doses (n = 3), and 10 doses (n = 1). The most common signs of toxicosis were vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and sepsis secondary to myelosuppression. None of the dogs died of complications resulting from mitoxantrone treatment. Dogs with signs of toxicosis during the 21-day interval from administration of the first dose of mitoxantrone were 95 times (P = 0.003) more likely to develop signs of toxicosis during the 21-day interval from the second dose of mitoxantrone. Similarly, dogs that developed signs of toxicosis during the 21-day interval from the administration of the second dose were 34 times (P less than 0.001) more likely to develop signs of toxicosis during the 21-day interval from the administration of the third dose. With each 1 mg/m2 increase in mitoxantrone, the odds of developing signs of toxicosis increased by 5.9 fold (P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
One hundred twenty-six dogs with histologically confirmed, measurable malignant tumors were evaluated in a prospective study to determine the response to the antineoplastic drug mitoxantrone. Ninety-five dogs had been refractory to one or more treatment modalities (surgery, n = 57; chemotherapy other than mitoxantrone, n = 37; radiation, n = 4; whole body hyperthermia, n = 1). The extent of neoplastic disease was determined immediately before each dose of mitoxantrone was administered (1 to 10 doses, 2.5 to 5 mg/m2 of body surface area, IV) 21 days apart. Each dog was treated with mitoxantrone until the dog developed progressive disease or until the dog's quality of life diminished to an unacceptable level as determined by the owner or attending veterinarian. A partial or complete remission (greater than 50% volume reduction) was obtained in 23% (29/126) of all dogs treated. Tumors in which there was a partial or complete remission included lymphoma (11/32), squamous cell carcinoma (4/9), fibrosarcoma (2/9), thyroid carcinoma (1/10), transitional cell carcinoma (1/6), mammary adenocarcinoma (1/6), hepatocellular carcinoma (1/4), renal adenocarcinoma (1/1), rectal carcinoma (1/1), chondrosarcoma (1/2), oral malignant melanoma (1/12), cutaneous malignant melanoma (1/1), myxosarcoma (1/1), mesothelioma (1/1), and hemangiopericytoma (1/1). Our results indicated that mitoxantrone induces measurable regression in various malignant tumors in dogs.
Chitinase (E.C. 3.2.1.14) was characterized in microsomal fractions from yeast cells of Candida albicans. Following six washes with buffer (50 mM Bis-Tris.Cl, pH 6.5), enzyme activity of microsomes fell markedly to 0.3% of total and 6% of the specific activity detected in the low-speed supernatant (9000 X g) of a cell lysate. An apparently zymogenic, microsomal chitinase activity became more readily detectable with washing and after six washes enzyme activity was activated 1.7-fold following pre-incubation with trypsin. The following properties of microsomal chitinase were closely comparable with those for cytosolic chitinase (indicated in parentheses): Km = 2.1 mg chitin per ml (2.9 mg chitin per ml); temperature optimum = 45 degrees C (45 degrees C); inhibition by allosamidin competitive, Ki = 0.29 microM (competitive, Ki = 0.23 microM). A range of detergents solubilized and activated microsomal chitinase in a highly specific manner. Following density gradient centrifugation of microsomes, chitinase was distributed approximately evenly throughout the gradient suggesting that microsomal chitinase is not associated exclusively with any one membrane component. The possible morphogenetic role of microsomal chitinase is discussed in relation to the potential of this enzyme as a target for highly specific antifungal agents.
The interaction of azole antifungal antibiotics with purified Candida albicans cytochrome P-450-dependent 14 alpha-sterol demethylase (P-450DM) was measured spectrophotometrically and by inhibition of enzyme activity. Ketoconazole and ICI 153066 (a triazole derivative) formed low-spin complexes with the ferric cytochrome and induced type II difference spectra. These spectra are indicative of an interaction between the azole moiety and the sixth co-ordination position of P-450DM haem. Both azoles inhibited the binding of CO to the sodium dithionite-reduced ferrous cytochrome, and inhibited reconstituted P-450DM activity by binding to the cytochrome with a one-to-one stoichiometry. Similarly, total inhibition of enzyme activity occurred when equimolar amounts of clotrimazole, miconazole or fluconazole were added to reconstituted P-450DM. These results correlated with the inhibition of P-450DM in broken cell preparations, confirming that all five azoles are potent inhibitors of ergosterol biosynthesis in C. albicans.
Human luteinizing hormone (hLH) and the GTP analogue guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio)triphosphate stimulated morphogenesis in the dimorphic fungal pathogen Candida albicans. hLH bound specifically to subcellular fractions from C. albicans and stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in C. albicans microsomes. We provide the first demonstration of guanine-nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins) in C. albicans, and propose that the stimulation of C. albicans morphogenesis by hLH is mediated by a receptor-coupled adenylate cyclase system involving G-proteins.
The purification of cytochrome P-450-dependent 14 alpha-sterol demethylase (P-450DM) from the important opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans, is described. Optimal purification (875-fold) was achieved by extracting the cytochrome from microsomes with sodium cholate followed by hydroxyapatite, octyl-Sepharose and CM-Sepharose chromatographies, giving a cytochrome preparation of 17.5 nmol/mg of protein. By the use of SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis the cytochrome was judged to be highly purified on the basis of Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining of protein. The Mr of P-450DM was estimated to be 51,000. The absorption spectrum of oxidized P-450DM was characteristic of a low-spin cytochrome, and its reduced CO complex had a Soret absorption peak at 447 nm. When reconstituted in a model membrane system of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine with NADPH and O2, P-450DM catalysed the complete 14 alpha-demethylation of lanosterol, which was inhibited by CO. The cytochrome appeared to have a high degree of substrate specificity; it was unable to oxidize a number of xenobiotic compounds in the reconstituted assay.
Candida albicans chitinase isolated using the Dyno-Mill disruption technique was characterized using an improved radiometric assay procedure. The enzyme had apparent temperature and pH optima of 45 degrees C and 6.5, respectively. The preparation yielded an apparent Km of 3.9 mg chitin ml-1 [17.6 mM-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) equivalents] and V of 2.3 nmol GlcNAc formed min-1 (mg protein)-1. The potential of the streptomycete antibiotic allosamidin as an antifungal agent is discussed in view of its dose-dependent inhibition of C. albicans chitinase activity (IC50 = 0.3 microM). Allosamidin was a potent competitive inhibitor of enzyme activity (Ki = 0.23 microM).