A Newly Developed Sublingual Tonometric Method for the Evaluation of Tissue Perfusion and Its Validation In Vitro and in Healthy Persons In Vivo and the Results of the Measurements in COPD Patients.

Introduction. Since its first publication in the medical literature, an extremely large number of references have demonstrated that the tonometric measurement of tissue perfusion is a reliable indicator of the actual condition of critically ill patients. Later a new method was developed by the introduction of sublingual tonometry for the determination of tissue perfusion. In comparison with gastric tonometry, the new method was simpler and could even be used in awake patients. Unfortunately, at present, because of severe failures of manufacturing, the device is withdrawn from commerce. Materials and Methods. In this study, we present a new method using a newly developed tool for the PslCO2 measurement in sublingual tonometry as well as the data for its validation in vitro and in vivo and the results of 25 volunteers and 54 COPD patients belonging to different GOLD groups at their hospitalization due to the acute exacerbation of the disease but already in a stable condition at the time of the examination. Results and Conclusion. The results of the performed examinations showed that the method is suitable for monitoring the actual condition of the patients by mucosal perfusion tonometry in the sublingual region.

Synthesis of the C-terminal domain of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1).

According to recent investigations, the C-terminal domain of the tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is responsible for some biological effects that are independent of the enzyme-inhibiting effect of the N-terminal domain of the molecule. The C-terminal domain has been prepared for structure-biological activity investigations. After the chemical synthesis and the folding of the linear peptide. LC-MS and MALDI-MS analysis revealed that two isomers with different disulphide bond arrangements were formed. Since more than 30 folding experiments resulted in products with a very similar HPLC-profile, it was concluded that in the absence of the TIMP-1 N-terminal domain no entirely correct folding of the C-terminal domain occurred. Furthermore, it was observed that, in spite of several purification steps, mercury(II) ions were bound to the 6SH-linear peptide; it was demonstrated--using disulphide bonded TIMP-1(Cys145-Cys166) as a model--that mercury(II) ions can cause peptide degradation at pH 7.8 as well as in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid.