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Biomedical subjects

W Gross

Publications and source records attributed to W Gross.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Modelling germline mosaicism and different new mutation rates simultaneously for appropriate risk calculations in families with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

For several genetic diseases two biological phenomena have been recognised as important: germline mosaicism; and different new mutation rates in males and females depending on mutation type. Both principles have been investigated separately and their influence on risk estimation in families has been exemplified in the literature. The aim of this paper is to present a general model that includes mosaicism and different new mutation rates. Mosaicism is introduced by defining additional alleles at the disease locus in combination with adapted segregation rules. Taking Duchenne muscular dystrophy as an example, we derive the conditions which have to be fulfilled for a population in mutation selection equilibrium. Our approach describes the model at the population level and not in individual subjects. This has the advantage of being able to use well known algorithms for the calculation of likelihoods in pedigrees, and to include additional diagnostic information such as marker genotypes and carrier deletion test results. We demonstrate the impact of the new model on a typical pedigree. In families where the patient is not available, the distinction between point mutations and deletions is important, since often molecular diagnostic tests for females can only screen for deletions. Negative deletion test results can now be included in the risk calculations.

Female↗
PubMed2006

RISCALW: a Windows program for risk calculation in families with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

RISCALW is a novel convenient Windows program for risk calculation in families with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is based on an extended genetic model which includes germline mosaicism and different new mutation rates depending on sex and mutation type. Arbitrary family structures and additional diagnostic information such as genotypes from intragenic and flanking genetic markers of the dystrophin gene, creatin kinase values, and female deletion test results can be taken into account. Comprehensive online help is available. RISCALW has been extensively tested in more than 100 families. The user is able to perform risk calculations in large families in an easy way, and thus explore the dependence of the results on different model assumptions, for example different mutation rates in males and females. A detailed handbook and example files are distributed with the program. RISCALW is freely available for scientific use at http://www.riscalw.uni-hd.de.

Genetic Markers↗
PubMed2005

Long term cardiac follow up of severe twin to twin transfusion syndrome after intrauterine laser coagulation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess long term changes in cardiac morphology and function in survivors of severe twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) after intrauterine laser coagulation of placental anastomoses. DESIGN: Prospective follow up of fetuses with severe TTTS treated by laser coagulation of intrauterine placental anastomoses. Fetal echocardiography and Doppler studies of feto-placental haemodynamic function were performed at the time of laser coagulation (median gestational age of 21.7 weeks). Postnatal cardiac follow up included a detailed echocardiographic study of systolic and diastolic cardiac function at a median age of 21.1 months. SETTING: Paediatric cardiology unit. PATIENTS: 89 survivors from 73 consecutive pregnancies with severe TTTS. RESULTS: Before laser treatment, 28 of 51 (54.9%) recipient twins had typical signs of cardiac dysfunction due to volume overload and 9 of 38 (23.7%) donors had absent or reversed end diastolic flow in the umbilical artery. Echocardiography was normal in 87.6% of the survivors (34 of 38 donors, 44 of 51 recipients). The prevalence of congenital heart disease and particularly of pulmonary stenosis, which was recorded only in recipients, was increased in comparison with the general population (congenital heart disease, 10 of 89 (11.2%) v 0.3%; pulmonary stenosis, 4 of 51 (7.8%) v 0.03%). Findings before laser treatment were not correlated with the development of structural heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high rate and severity of prenatal cardiac overload in recipients, the majority of cases of TTTS are normalised after laser treatment. However, given the increased prevalence of congenital heart disease and in particular pulmonary stenosis, intrauterine and postnatal follow up is warranted.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2005

Surface contact measurement of electrical cell uncoupling in the mouse heart during ischemia.

Electrical cell uncoupling via gap junction closure is assumed to cause characteristic changes of the passive dielectric spectrum of ischemic heart tissue. In order to find an independent evidence for this assumption, we analysed heart tissue during ischemia, measured the open state of gap junctions by means of dye transfer and correlated this parameter with the time course of the dielectric permittivity. The hearts were pre-ischemically arrested by perfusion with Ringer solution containing 20 mmol/L of potassium (group KCL, n=10). This solution was also used with the addition of two gap junction blockers, either 3 mmol/L heptanol (group HEP, n=4) or 20 micromol/L palmitoleic acid (group PA, n=7). During subsequent ischemia at 21.0+/-0.5 degrees C, we monitored the passive dielectric permittivity spectrum and the spread of dye. After a sigmoidal increase the dielectric permittivity reached an upper plateau at 61+/-22 min of ischemia in KCL, at 45+/-7 min in PA, and already during perfusion at 2+/-1 min in group HEP. At the beginning of ischemia, dye migrated to neighbouring cells in groups KCL and PA but not in HEP. In KCL and PA, the intercellular diffusion of dye stopped after 64+/-26 and 40+/-11 min of ischemia, respectively. Our results suggest that the sigmoidal increase in dielectric permittivity and the reduction of dye diffusion depend on a common mechanism, namely gap junction closure.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Monitoring water content of rat lung tissue in vivo using microwave reflectometry.

Measurement of lung water is an important diagnostic means of assessing pulmonary oedema. Water content affects the dielectric spectrum at microwave frequencies, but quantification is still a problem. A new lung tissue model is presented that allows the calculation of water content from dielectric permittivity. The dielectric permittivity of lung tissue was measured by microwave reflectometry using a non-invasive surface probe. During perfusion of rat lungs (n = 22) with blood, injury was induced by interruption of the blood supply for a duration between 0 (control) and 2 h. Water content was assessed from dielectric permittivity using a new mixture formula and was also determined by drying and weighing. The mixture formula allows for the dielectric polarisation of water, dry matter and air in the tissue. A linear correlation was found between total water content determined from dielectric permittivity and that from drying and weighing (y= 1.001x, R2 = 0.8). Lung injury showed an increase in total water content from 80.9 +/- 1.2% (control) to 84.1 +/- 0.9% (p < 0.01). The analysis of dielectric permittivity data at microwave frequencies with the new tissue model is sensitive enough to detect water accumulation produced by lung injury and it can be used to monitor total water content without tissue destruction.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Monitoring of water content and water distribution in ischemic hearts.

We determined water content and water distribution by fitting dielectric spectra of ischemic canine hearts between 5 MHz and 3 GHz with a newly developed model which describes heart cells and subcellular organelles as rotational ellipsoids filled with electrolyte enclosed by an isolating membrane. The fraction of dry material is modelled by spherical particles with a small dielectric permittivity. Free model parameters were water content, cell volume fraction, and the conductivity of the electrolytes. Resulting model parameters were compared to data from tissue desiccation and to conductivity changes produced by protons and lactate ions. We investigated hearts in two states: during ischemia after interruption of blood flow (pure ischemia, PI, n=5) and during ischemia after resuscitation with Tyrode's solution (IAR, n=14). The difference between water content determined by tissue desiccation and by dielectric spectroscopy was less than 0.5%. During 360 min of ischemia, water content in IAR decreased from 85+/-1.6% to 83+/-2.2% and in PI from 80+/-0.8% to 78+/-1.5%. Cellular volume fraction in IAR increased from 0.47+/-0.045 to 0.63+/-0.031 and in PI from 0.62+/-0.014 to 0.73+/-0.013, which is consistent with published morphometric data. After 180 min of ischemia, the increase of the cytosolic conductivity was 0.14+/-0.02 S/m as calculated from the dielectric spectrum and was similar to the conductivity increase which was roughly estimated on the basis of tissue lactate concentration. In conclusion, dielectric spectroscopy combined with our model analysis facilitates the monitoring of water content and distribution by means of nondestructive surface probes.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Effect of dienogest-containing oral contraceptives on lipid metabolism.

In a double-blind, controlled, randomized, four-arm, bicentric clinical study, the effect of four oral contraceptives (OCs) on lipid metabolism was investigated. Four groups composed of 25 volunteers each (mean age 26.1 +/- 4.5 years; body mass index 21.9 +/- 2.8 kg/m(2)) were treated for six cycles with monophasic combinations containing 21 tablets with either 30 microg ethinyl estradiol (EE) + 2 mg dienogest (DNG) (30 EE/DNG), 20 microg EE + 2 mg DNG (20 EE/DNG), 10 microg EE + 2 mg estradiol valerate (EV) + 2 mg DNG (EE/EV/DNG), or 20 microg EE + 100 microg levonorgestrel (LNG; EE/LNG). The study was completed by 91 women. Blood samples were taken by venipuncture after at least 12 h fasting on Days 21-26 of the control cycle and Days 18-21 of the first, third, and sixth treatment cycle. There were clear differences between the effects of EE/LNG and the formulations containing estrogens and DNG. Although EE/LNG did not change the triglycerides levels, a significant increase was observed during treatment with the DNG-containing preparations. Although EE/LNG significantly reduced HDL-CH and HDL(2)-CH, there was a nonsignificant increase with the DNG-containing OCs. No change was observed in the levels of HDL(3)-CH. A significant rise in apolipoprotein A1 occurred during intake with the three DNG-containing formulations, but not with EE/LNG. In contrast to the women treated with combinations of estrogens and DNG, apolipoprotein B rose significantly in the women in the EE/LNG group. Lipoprotein (a) was significantly reduced by 30 EE/DNG and EE/LNG and remained unaltered with 20 EE/DNG and EE/EV/DNG. Altogether, the changes in lipid metabolism caused by the DNG-containing formulations appeared to be more favorable than those observed with EE/LNG. In OCs with DNG, the EE dose does not seem to play a major role with respect to the effect on lipids.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The complex dielectric spectrum of heart tissue during ischemia.

INTRODUCTION: Because of the variety of tissue structures, the interpretation of the passive complex dielectric permittivity spectrum epsilon (omega) of the heart is still a problem. The aim of this work was to correlate epsilon (omega) of heart tissue with physical processes on cellular level. METHODS: epsilon (omega) of canine hearts was continuously measured in the range from 10 Hz to 400 MHz during cardioplegic perfusion and during following ischemia. Cardioplegic perfusion was performed with HTK (Custodiol) without or with heptanol, in order to produce electrical cell uncoupling via the closure of gap junctions. To analyse epsilon (omega), we present two heart models which consider cell shape, electrical cell coupling, and dielectric polarisation of cell membranes and membranes of intracellular structures. RESULTS: epsilon (omega) of heart tissue shows an alpha-, beta-, and gamma-dispersion. epsilon (omega) remains unchanged during cardioplegic perfusion with HTK, but if heptanol is added, there is an immediate decrease in the region of alpha-dispersion and an increase in the low frequency part of beta-dispersion. Similar changes are observed during ischemia following HTK perfusion without heptanol; additionally, the beta-dispersion shifts to higher frequencies. Using our models, we obtain analogue changes of epsilon (omega) by fitting model parameters which describe water content, water distribution, extra- and intracellular conductivity, and gap junction resistance. DISCUSSION: Changes of these tissue properties as calculated by our models based on the measurement of epsilon (omega) are consistent with intraischemic changes of heart tissue known from immunohistochemical, biochemical, and histological investigations. The next step will be to use our models for the prognosis of irreversible tissue damage.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Multicenter evaluation of a nonweekend reading schedule for radiometric pyrazinamide susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an integral component of the short-course chemotherapy regimen for tuberculosis. The BACTEC 460TB PZA susceptibility test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis with a daily (D) reading schedule has been available for more than 10 years, but weekend laboratory staffing is necessary. A nonweekend (NW) reading schedule has not been validated in a multicenter study. This prospective multicenter study compares the interlaboratory reproducibility of PZA susceptibility results by following both the D and NW schedules. A total of 181 cultures were shared among four laboratories. Isolates were selected based on resistance or borderline resistance to at least one streptomycin-isoniazid-rifampin-ethambutol drug or PZA. One laboratory used a D reading schedule, and three laboratories used a NW schedule. Both reading schedules are based on the standard BACTEC 460TB PZA protocol. With the NW schedule, the growth index (GI) is not available for test interpretation on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Of the 181 shared cultures, 154 were found to be susceptible by all laboratories, 19 were found to be resistant, and 8 had discordant results. The overall pairwise interlaboratory agreement was 97.7%. The discrepancies were not associated with the type of reading schedule used. However, the median control GI was significantly higher for the NW schedule (321) than for the D schedule (259) (P < 0.0001) although results were available on average in about 7 days from setup for both schedules. These results show that the NW schedule is a suitable alternative for laboratories that do not read and interpret PZA susceptibility tests on weekends.

Antitubercular Agents↗
PubMed2002

Multicenter evaluation of ethambutol susceptibility testing of mycobacterium tuberculosis by agar proportion and radiometric methods.

Reproducibility of ethambutol (EMB) susceptibility test results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis has always been difficult for a variety of reasons, including the narrow range between the critical breakpoint for EMB resistance and the MIC for susceptible strains, borderline results obtained with the BACTEC 460TB method, the presence of microcolonies determined using the agar proportion (AP) method, and a lack of agreement between these two testing methods. To assess the frequency of these problems, M. tuberculosis drug susceptibility data were collected in a multicenter study involving four laboratories. Resistant, borderline, and susceptible isolates were shared among the laboratories to measure interlaboratory test agreement. Half of isolates determined by BACTEC 460TB to be resistant were determined to be susceptible by the AP method. Isolates determined to be resistant to EMB by both BACTEC 460TB and AP methods were almost always resistant to isoniazid. Results from isolates tested by the BACTEC 460TB method with an EMB concentration of 3.75 micro g/ml in addition to the standard 2.5 micro g/ml did not show improved agreement by the AP method. While these results do not indicate that the AP method is more accurate than the BACTEC 460TB method, laboratories should not report EMB monoresistance based on BACTEC 460TB results alone. Monoresistance to EMB should only be reported following confirmation by the AP method. Microcolonies could not be confirmed as resistant by the BACTEC 460TB method or by repeat testing with the AP method and do not appear to be indicative of resistance.

Agar↗
PubMed2002

Pharmacokinetics of pravastatin in heart-transplant patients taking cyclosporin A.

BACKGROUND: Heart transplantation is an established tool for the treatment of terminal heart failure. Hyperlipidemia is a common problem following heart transplantation and has been implicated as an additional risk factor in the development of transplant coronary artery disease (TxCAD). Therefore, heart recipients are commonly treated with inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors). However, these patients have an increased risk of developing rhabdomyolysis due to elevated concentrations of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors under co-administration with the immunosuppressive cyclosporin A (CsA). AIM OF THE STUDY: Aim of our study was to obtain pharmacokinetic data on pravastatin whilst monitoring the safety and efficiency of the lipid lowering therapy in heart-transplant recipients under immunosuppression with CsA and to compare these data to those of a healthy control group. SUBJECTS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven patients (30.2 +/- 12.3 months after transplantation) receiving immunosuppressive therapy consisting of cyclosporin A, prednisone and azathioprine with LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations exceeding 3.9 mmol/l and 8 control subjects were included into the study. In addition to the immunosuppressive therapy, the patients received a daily dose of 40 mg/day pravastatin for the first 8 days which was then reduced to 10 mg/day administered until Day 29. Blood was sampled for pharmacokinetic profiling (maximum concentration of the drug (Cmax), time to reach Cmax (tmax), area under the concentration vs. time curve (AUC(0-24h)), elimination half-life time (tcl)) and measurement of the parameters of clinical chemistry on Days 1, 8 and 29. The control group received a single dose of 60 mg pravastatin and the values of Cmax and AUC(0-24h) were normalized for a dose of 10 mg. RESULTS: Pravastatin 40 mg/day for 1 week in the patient group caused a significant reduction in total cholesterol (C) and LDL-C from 8.11 +/- 1.20 mmol/l and 5.88 +/- 1.15 mmol/l to 6.91 +/- 1.01 mmol/l and 4.72 +/- 1.05 mmol/l, respectively (p = 0.005 and p = 0.003). Triglycerides and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations did not change significantly. Mean values for Cmax of pravastatin were 384.2 ng/ml, 392.0 ng/ml and 115.1 ng/ml in patients on Days 1, 8 and 29, respectively. After normalization for a dose of 10 mg, the corresponding values of C(max-DN10mg) and Cmax were 96.0 ng/ml, 98.0 ng/ml and 115.1 ng/ml on study Days 1, 8 and 29. These values were 7-8 times higher than the normalized value of C(max-DN10mg) for the control group (13.7 ng/ml). The corresponding values of AUC(0-24h) were 1228.2 ng/ml x h, 1214.1 ng/ml x h and 345.9 ng/ml x h in the patient group on study Days 1, 8 and 29 as well as 157.5 ng/ml x h in the control group prior to normalization. After normalization for a dose of 10 mg, the values of AUC(0-24h-DN10mg) in the patient group were approximately 12 times higher than those of the control group. However, no significant differences between the 2 groups were observed in tmax and tcl. Within the patient group, no significant increase in Cmax or AUC was found on Day 1 to Day 8. The results of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) showed also no significant increase during the observation period. CONCLUSION: Heart-transplant recipients treated with the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor pravastatin generally show higher plasma concentrations of this drug than control subjects. However, our data suggest that the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor pravastatin can be used effectively in these patients receiving the immunosuppressive cyclosporin A. The pharmacokinetic data obtained indicate that there is no significant cumulation of the drug following multiple dosages in spite of increased drug concentrations after a single oral dosage.

Anticholesteremic Agents↗
PubMed2001

The SMRT corepressor is a target of phosphorylation by protein kinase CK2 (casein kinase II).

The Silencing-Mediator for Retinoid/Thyroid hormone receptors (SMRT) interacts with, and mediates transcriptional repression by, a variety of eukaryotic transcription factors, including the nuclear hormone receptors. The ability of SMRT to function as a transcriptional 'corepressor' is regulated by a variety of signal transduction pathways. We report here that SMRT is a phosphoprotein in vivo, and is also phosphorylated in vitro by unfractionated cell extracts. A major site of phosphorylation of SMRT is a protein kinase CK2 motif centered on serine 1492, and located within a C-terminal SMRT domain that mediates interaction of the corepressor with the nuclear hormone receptors. Phosphorylation of SMRT by CK2 stabilizes the ability of the SMRT protein to interact with nuclear hormone receptors. Our results indicate that SMRT is a member of an expanding family of transcriptional regulators that are modified, and potentially regulated, in response to protein kinase CK2.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Grading of internal carotid artery stenosis: validation of Doppler/duplex ultrasound criteria and angiography against endarterectomy specimen.

OBJECTIVES: duplex ultrasound has replaced angiography prior to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in many institutions. However, the indications for CEA are based on angiographically controlled studies and widely accepted ultrasound criteria do not exist. Consequently, the reliability of Doppler and/or duplex ultrasound to predict a high-grade ICA stenosis has to be proven. DESIGN: prospective validation study. MATERIALS: one hundred and fifty carotid bifurcations assessed by ultrasound and selective angiography and 68 acrylat outcasts of carotid specimen after eversion CEA. METHODS: ICA stenosis was measured angiographically according to the ECST criteria. Combined Doppler acoustic standard criteria (CDASC), peak systolic frequency (PSF), peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) served as criteria for the ultrasound assessment. These criteria and the results of angiography were compared to the degree of ICA stenosis determined by specimen measurements. RESULTS: the median degree of ICA stenosis as assessed by angiography (82%, range 56-97%) and CDASC (83%, range 50-99%) corresponded well to the specimen measurements (80%, range 50-95%). The sensitivity of angiography and CDASC to predict a 70-90% ICA stenosis (ECST criteria) compared to the specimen measurements was 88% and 95%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) reached 92% and 96%, respectively. CDASC were equivalent to angiography and were superior to the best single frequency or velocity parameters. If CDASC do not indicate a >/=70% ICA stenosis in spite of a PSV >/=180 cm/s and/or an EDV >/=50 cm/s, angiography may detect patients with a >70% ICA stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: CDASC are valid in the quantification of high-grade ICA stenosis. They are more reliable than single velocity and/or frequency measurements. However, if velocity criteria and CDASC do not agree, angiography should be performed.

Angiography↗
PubMed2001

von Frey hairs: new materials for a new design.

von Frey filaments are widely used in pain research. Conventionally, they are made of synthetic fibres. This plastic material is susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature, and such filaments do not keep their calibration. Filaments made of optical glass fibres are highly elastic and do not suffer these problems. Their optical properties can be used to make thin fibres more visible.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate levels decrease with time in culture.

During the stationary phase of growth, after 7 to 12 d in culture, the levels of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdInsP(2)) decreased by 75% in plasma membranes of the red alga Galdieria sulphuraria. Concomitant with the decrease in PtdInsP(2) levels in plasma membranes, there was an increase in PtdInsP(2) in microsomes, suggesting that the levels of plasma membrane PtdInsP(2) are regulated differentially. The decline of PtdInsP(2) in plasma membranes was accompanied by a 70% decrease in the specific activity of PtdInsP kinase and by reduced levels of protein cross-reacting with antisera against a conserved PtdInsP kinase domain. Upon osmotic stimulation, the loss of PtdInsP(2)from the plasma membrane increased from 10% in 7-d-old cells to 60% in 12-d-old cells, although the levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP(3)) produced in whole cells were roughly equal at both times. When cells with low plasma membrane PtdInsP(2) levels were osmotically stimulated, a mild osmotic stress (12.5 mM KCl) activated PtdInsP kinase prior to InsP(3) production, whereas in cells with high plasma membrane PtdInsP(2), more severe stress (250 mM KCl) was required to induce an increase in PtdInsP kinase activity. The differential regulation of a plasma membrane signaling pool of PtdInsP(2) is discussed with regard to the implications for understanding the responsive state of cells.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2000

The effects of lifibrol (K12.148) on the cholesterol metabolism of cultured cells: evidence for sterol independent stimulation of the LDL receptor pathway.

Lifibrol (4-(4'-tert. butylphenyl)-1-(4'-carboxyphenoxy)-2-butanol) is a new hypocholesterolemic compound; it effectively lowers low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. We studied the effects of lifibrol on the cholesterol metabolism of cultured cells. In the hepatoma cell line HepG2, Lifibrol decreased the formation of sterols from [14C]-acetic acid by approximately 25%. Similar to lovastatin, lifibrol had no effect on the synthesis of sterols from [14C]-mevalonic acid. Lifibrol did not inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. Instead, cholesterol synthesis inhibition by lifibrol was entirely accounted for by competitive inhibition of HMG-CoA synthase. Lifibrol enhanced the cellular binding, uptake, and degradation of LDL in cultured cells in a dose dependent fashion. The stimulation of LDL receptors was significantly stronger than expected from the effect of lifibrol on sterol synthesis. In parallel, lifibrol increased the amount of immunologically detectable receptor protein. Stimulation of LDL receptor mediated endocytosis was observed both in the presence and in the absence of cholesterol-containing lipoproteins. In the absence of an extracellular source of cholesterol, both lifibrol and lovastatin induced microsomal HMG-CoA reductase. Co-incubation with LDL was sufficient to suppress the lifibrol mediated increase in reductase activity, indicating that lifibrol does not affect the production of the non-sterol derivative(s) which are thought to regulate HMG-CoA reductase activity at the post-transcriptional level. Considered together, the data suggest that the hypolipidemic action of lifibrol may, at least in part, be mediated by sterol-independent stimulation of the LDL receptor pathway. A potential advantage of lifibrol is that therapeutic concentrations do not interfere with the production of mevalonate which is required not only to synthesize sterols but also as a precursor of electron transport moieties, glycoproteins and farnesylated proteins.

Anticholesteremic Agents↗