A different perspective on sofosbuvir-ledipasvir treatment of patients with HCV genotype 1b cirrhosis: The ital-c network study.

The effectiveness of a 12-week course of sofosbuvir-ledipasvir in treatment-experienced HCV genotype 1b-infected patients with cirrhosis is still under debate. Our primary endpoint was to compare the sustained virological response at post-treatment week 12 (SVR12) of sofosbuvir-ledipasvir in combination with ribavirin for 12 weeks, and sofosbuvir-ledipasvir alone for 24 weeks. This was a prospective observational study that enrolled 424 (195 naive, 229 experienced; 164 treated for 12 weeks with Ribavirin and 260 with sofosbuvir-ledipasvir alone for 24 weeks) consecutive HCV genotype 1b-infected patients with cirrhosis. The SVR12 rates were 93.9% and 99.2% in patients treated for 12 and 24 weeks, respectively (P = .002). The baseline characteristics of patients treated for 12 weeks were significantly different from those treated for 24 weeks as regards their younger age (P = .002), prevalence of Child-Pugh class A (P = .002), lower MELD scores (P = .001) and smaller number of nonresponders (P = .04). The shorter treatment was significantly associated with a lower SVR12 in univariate and multivariate analyses (P = .007 and P = .008, respectively). The SVR rate was unaffected by age, gender, BMI, Child-Pugh class, MELD score or previous antiviral treatment. Patients receiving ribavirin experienced more episodes of ascites and headache but less recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and were prescribed more diuretics and cardiopulmonary drugs. No patient discontinued treatment. The therapeutic regimen of sofosbuvir-ledipasvir plus ribavirin administered for 12 weeks was less effective than sofosbuvir-ledipasvir alone given for 24 weeks. At odds with European guidelines, the recommended 12-week treatment with sofosbuvir-ledipasvir alone might be suboptimal for this setting of patients.

Selective melanocortin MC4 receptor agonists reverse haemorrhagic shock and prevent multiple organ damage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In circulatory shock, melanocortins have life-saving effects likely to be mediated by MC4 receptors. To gain direct insight into the role of melanocortin MC4 receptors in haemorrhagic shock, we investigated the effects of two novel selective MC4 receptor agonists. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Severe haemorrhagic shock was produced in rats under general anaesthesia. Rats were then treated with either the non-selective agonist [Nle4, D-Phe7]-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (NDP--MSH) or with the selective MC4 agonists RO27-3225 and PG-931. Cardiovascular and respiratory functions were continuously monitored for 2 h; survival rate was recorded up to 24 h. Free radicals in blood were measured using electron spin resonance spectrometry; tissue damage was evaluated histologically 25 min or 24 h after treatment. KEY RESULTS: All shocked rats treated with saline died within 30-35 min. Treatment with NDP--MSH, RO27-3225 and PG-931 produced a dose-dependent (13-108 nmol kg-1 i.v.) restoration of cardiovascular and respiratory functions, and improved survival. The three melanocortin agonists also markedly reduced circulating free radicals relative to saline-treated shocked rats. All these effects were prevented by i.p. pretreatment with the selective MC4 receptor antagonist HS024. Moreover, treatment with RO27-3225 prevented morphological and immunocytochemical changes in heart, lung, liver, and kidney, at both early (25 min) and late (24 h) intervals. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Stimulation of MC4 receptors reversed haemorrhagic shock, reduced multiple organ damage and improved survival. Our findings suggest that selective MC4 receptor agonists could have a protective role against multiple organ failure following circulatory shock.

Helicobacter pylori infection and autoimmune thyroid disease in young patients: the disadvantage of carrying the human leukocyte antigen-DRB1*0301 allele.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) is multifactorial. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection has been proposed to be involved in nongastrointestinal conditions and reported more frequently in ATD adult patients. We evaluated the prevalence of Hp antibodies in young ATD patients and investigated the possibility that a susceptible immunogenetic profile could influence the development of ATD in subjects with Hp infection. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 90 children with ATD (median age 11.2 yr), 70 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects as controls, and 65 patients with Turner syndrome (median age 18.8 yr). Antibodies to Hp were determined at diagnosis in ATD patients and, in Turner patients, at the last control in cases without ATD and before the appearance of thyroid autoantibodies in the others. Serological and molecular human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing for classes I and II polymorphisms was performed. RESULTS: Prevalence of positive Hp serology resulted significantly higher in ATD patients than controls (P = 0.032). No association was found between individual HLA alleles and Hp serology. HLA-A1, B8, and DRB1*0301 were found significantly associated with ATD. A significant interaction between HLA-DRB1*0301 and Hp infection was present in ATD patients and not controls (P = 0.007), suggesting that the copresence of these two factors might favor ATD development. A similar phenomenon was observed in Turner syndrome patients (P = 0.02; cumulative Mantel test, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Another target of Hp-elicited immune inflammatory response might be the thyroid gland in subjects with a peculiar immunogenetic profile so that ATD may be a consequence. Our findings suggest the opportunity of eradicating Hp infection in children with ATD and/or susceptible HLA alleles.

Distribution of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors genes in the Italian Caucasian population.

BACKGROUND: Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are a family of inhibitory and activatory receptors that are expressed by most natural killer (NK) cells. The KIR gene family is polymorphic: genomic diversity is achieved through differences in gene content and allelic polymorphism. The number of KIR loci has been reported to vary among individuals, resulting in different KIR haplotypes. In this study we report the genotypic structure of KIRs in 217 unrelated healthy Italian individuals from 22 immunogenetics laboratories, located in the northern, central and southern regions of Italy. METHODS: Two hundred and seventeen DNA samples were studied by a low resolution PCR-SSP kit designed to identify all KIR genes. RESULTS: All 17 KIR genes were observed in the population with different frequencies than other Caucasian and non-Caucasian populations; framework genes KIR3DL3, KIR3DP1, KIR2DL4 and KIR3DL2 were present in all individuals. Sixty-five different profiles were found in this Italian population study. Haplotype A remains the most prevalent and genotype 1, with a frequency of 28.5%, is the most commonly observed in the Italian population. CONCLUSION: The Italian Caucasian population shows polymorphism of the KIR gene family like other Caucasian and non-Caucasian populations. Although 64 genotypes have been observed, genotype 1 remains the most frequent as already observed in other populations. Such knowledge of the KIR gene distribution in populations is very useful in the study of associations with diseases and in selection of donors for haploidentical bone marrow transplantation.

Hierarchy of baby-linked immunogenetic risk factors in the vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus.

Mother-to-infant transmission of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) represents the major cause of pediatric HCV infection today. Immunogenetic influence has been poorly investigated and mainly confined to HLA-class II serological polymorphisms. Among 290 parities, 135 from Pavia and 155 from Bergamo, of HCV-RNA-infected Italian women, 21 babies (7.24%) were HCV-RNA positive at birth and steadily positive over 20 months of life. All the 21 infected babies and 44 randomly selected uninfected ones, born to HCV-RNA+ mothers but steadily negative for HCV-RNA during a follow-up of 2 years, and their mothers were investigated for HLA-G, -C, -DRB1, -DQA1 and -DQB1 genomic polymorphisms. Among the different covariates, HLA-Cw*07, -G*010401, -DRB1*0701, -DRB1*1401 and homozygosity for HLA-G 14bp deletion can be considered as risk factors for HCV vertical transmission. On the contrary, protection was conferred by the HLA-DQB1*06, -G*0105N, -Cw*0602, DRB1*1104 and -DRB1*1302 alleles. Our initial question was: has the immunogenetic profile any role in the protection of the fetus growing in an infected milieu and, if so, is it independent from the other non-immunogenetic parameters? The answer to both questions should be yes.

Effect of diets supplemented with different conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers on protein expression in C57/BL6 mice.

BACKGROUND: The individual genetic variations, as a response to diet, have recently caught the attention of several researchers. In addition, there is also a trend to assume food containing beneficial substances, or to supplement food with specific compounds. Among these, there is the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been demonstrated to reduce fat mass and to increase lean mass, even though its mechanism of action is still not known. We investigated the effect of CLA isomers (CLA c9,t11 and CLA t10,c12) on the proteomic profile of liver, adipose tissue, and muscle of mouse, with the aim of verifying the presence of a modification in fat and lean mass, and to explore the mechanism of action. METHODS: C57/BL6 mice were fed for 2 months with different diets: (1) standard chow, (2) CLA c9,t11 diet, (3) CLA t10,c11 diet, (4) CLA isomers mixture diet, and (5) linoleic acid diet. The proteomic profile of liver, white adipose tissue, and muscle was investigated. Statistical significance of the spots with an intensity higher than twofold in expression compared to the control was tested using student's t test (two-tail). RESULTS: We found that both isomers modulate the proteomic profiles of liver, adipose tissue, and muscle by different mechanisms of action. Liver steatosis is mostly due to the isomer CLA t10,c12, since it alters the expression of lipogenetic proteins; it acts also reducing the adipose tissue and increasing fatty acid oxidation in muscle. Conversely, CLA c9,t11 has no relevant effects on liver and adipose tissue, but acts mostly on muscle, where it enhances muscular cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of CLA in humans has to be carefully personalized, since even considering the presence of a species-specific effect, adverse effects might occur on long-term supplementation. Here we demonstrated that, in mouse, CLA is effective in reducing fat mass, but it also induces liver steatosis. The increase of lean mass is linked to an induction of cell proliferation, which, on long-term supplementation, might also lead to adverse effects.

Metabolism of aqueous soluble nitroxides in hepatocytes: effects of cell integrity, oxygen, and structure of nitroxides.

The optimum use of nitroxides in viable biological systems, including live animals, requires knowledge of the metabolism of nitroxides by major organ systems, especially the liver. We report here details of the metabolism of several prototypic aqueous soluble nitroxides in suspensions of freshly isolated hepatocytes. The general patterns of metabolism were similar to those observed in other types of cells (previous studies have been done principally in cells from tissue culture, such as CHO cells) including the primary initial reaction being reduction to the hydroxylamine, an increased rate of metabolism of some nitroxides in hypoxic cells, faster rates of reduction of nitroxides on six-membered piperidine rings compared to five-membered pyrrolidine rings, and most metabolism being intracellular. Metabolism in hepatocytes differed from other cell lines in having (1) significant reduction in the extracellular medium due to ascorbate that was released from damaged hepatocytes; (2) decreased rates of metabolism in freeze-thawed cells due to damage to subcellular organelles. These results provide much of the data needed to understand the role of the liver in the metabolism of nitroxides by intact animals and explain some previously puzzling results which indicated an apparent unusually high rate of metabolism of a charged nitroxide (Cat1) by hepatocytes. Our results also indicate that the use of freshly isolated cells or tissue homogenates may introduce experimental artifacts in the study of the metabolism of nitroxides.

Metabolism of nitroxide spin labels in subcellular fractions of rat liver. II. Reduction in the cytosol.

As part of an ongoing study of the role of subcellular fractions on the metabolism of nitroxides, we studied the metabolism of a set of five nitroxides in cytosol derived from rat hepatocytes. The nitroxides were chosen to provide information on the effects of the type of charge and the ring on which the nitroxyl group is located. The rates of reduction were fastest for a six-membered positively charged nitroxide ('CAT-1') and slowest for an anionic five-membered ring nitroxide ('PCA'). Changing levels of glutathione, sulphydryl groups in general, NADPH or NADH had little or no effect on the rates of reduction, while the addition of ascorbate oxidase essentially abolished reduction of the nitroxides. The products of reduction by the cytosol were the corresponding hydroxylamines. The overall rates of reduction of neutral or anionic nitroxides were much slower than those observed with intact cells. We conclude that the primary source of metabolism of nitroxides by cytosol is reduction by ascorbate and that under most conditions reduction of nitroxides in the cytosol is not a major factor in the metabolism of nitroxides by cells.

Selective uptake of 2-thiouracil into melanin-producing systems depends on chemical binding to enzymically generated dopaquinone.

2-Thiouracil (TU), an antithyroid drug, is receiving growing interest as a specific tumor marker for malignant melanoma, owing to its capability of being selectively accumulated into active melanin-producing tissues. However, up until now, the molecular mechanism of TU uptake by growing melanin has remained largely unknown. In an attempt to fill this gap, we have investigated the effect of TU on the tyrosinase catalyzed oxidation of tyrosine. At a concentration of 0.5 mM, TU was found to totally inhibit melanin formation by tyrosinase catalyzed oxidation of 0.25 mM tyrosine in phosphate buffer at pH 6.8. Polarographical monitoring of oxygen consumption under conditions of complete suppression of melanogenesis revealed a significant tyrosinase activity, with TU acting as a modest non-competitive inhibitor of the enzyme (Ki = 0.6 mM). HPLC and TLC analysis of the tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction in the presence of excess TU showed that the substrate is progressively consumed and a major hitherto unknown product (lambda max = 284 nm), positive to ninhydrin and ferric chloride, is concomitantly formed. This was isolated by repeated gel filtration chromatography of the reaction mixture on Sephadex G-10 and was formulated as the TU-dopa adduct 3,4-dihydroxy-6-(4'-hydroxypyrimidinyl-2'-thio)phenylalanine by spectral analysis. These results suggest that selective TU incorporation in pigmented melanomas and other melanin-producing systems is due to the covalent binding to dopaquinone, produced by tyrosinase catalyzed oxidation of tyrosine.

Metabolism of nitroxide spin labels in subcellular fraction of rat liver. I. Reduction by microsomes.

As part of an ongoing study of the role of subcellular fractions on the metabolism of nitroxides, we studied the metabolism of a set of seven nitroxides in microsomes obtained from rat liver. The nitroxides were chosen to provide information on the effects of the type of charge, lipophilicity and the ring on which the nitroxide group is located. Important variables that were studied included adding NADH, adding NADPH, induction of enzymes by intake of phenobarbital and the effects of oxygen. Reduction to nonparamagnetic derivatives and oxidation back to paramagnetic derivatives were measured by electron-spin resonance spectroscopy. In general, the relative rates of reduction of nitroxides were similar to those observed with intact cells, but the effects of the various variables that were studied often differed from those observed in intact cells. The rates of reduction were very slow in the absence of added NADH or NADPH. The relative effect of these two nucleotides changed when animals were fed phenobarbital, and paralleled the levels of NADPH cytochrome c reductase, cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5 and NADH cytochrome c reductase; results with purified NADPH-cytochrome c reductase were consistent with these results. In microsomes from uninduced animals the rate of reduction was about 10-fold higher in the absence of oxygen. The products of reduction of nitroxides by microsomes were the corresponding hydroxylamines. We conclude that there are significant NADH- and NADPH-dependent paths for reduction of nitroxides by hepatic microsomes, probably involving cytochrome c reductases and not directly involving cytochrome P-450. From this, and from parallel studies now in progress in our laboratory, it seems likely that metabolism by microsomes is an important site of reduction of nitroxides. However, mitochondrial metabolism seems to play an even more important role in intact cells.

Activation of alkylhydrazines to free radical intermediates by ethanol-inducible cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E1).

Electron spin resonance (EPR) spectroscopy analysis using the spin trapping agent 4-pyridyl-1-oxide-t-butyl nitrone (4-POBN) was used to measure the formation of free radical intermediates during NADPH-dependent oxidation of 1-methyl-, 1-ethyl-, and 1-isopropylhydrazine in rat liver microsomes and in reconstituted enzyme systems. The experiments in microsomes revealed that the specific activation of the hydrazines, as measured by the EPR signal intensities, was about two-fold higher, when expressed per nmol of P-450, in microsomes from rats treated with ethanol (EtOH) as compared to membranes isolated from either phenobarbital (PB)-, beta-naphthoflavone (beta-NF)-treated or control rats. Furthermore, kinetic experiments revealed that EtOH-microsomes had an apparent affinity for 1-ethylhydrazine about one order of magnitude higher than PB-microsomes. In reconstituted vesicular systems composed of phospholipids, NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase and P-450, the intensities of EPR signals produced by the formation of the methyl-, ethyl- and isopropyl-free radicals, were 3- to 5-fold more intense in membrane vesicles containing ethanol-inducible CYP2E1 than phenobarbital-inducible CYP2B1. By contrast, CYP1A2, CYP2B4 and CYP2C4 were inefficient catalysts of radical formation. Desferrioxamine, catalase and superoxide dismutase did not influence the extent of ethyl radicals formed in EtOH-microsomes, indicating that hydroxyl radicals are not involved in the CYP2E1-dependent activation of 1-ethylhydrazine. Addition of cytochrome b5, an efficient donor of the second electron to P-450 and hence an inhibitor of the formation of the oxy-cytochrome P-450 complex, increased to be consistent with the results, did not influence the amount of ethyl radicals trapped. In liver microsomes from untreated rats selective substrates of CYP2E1, such as diethyl-dithiocarbamate and p-nitrophenol, as well as anti-CYP2E1-IgG, inhibited the free radical formation from 1-ethylhydrazine by about 60%. The anti-CYP2E1 IgG used significantly inhibited ethyl radical production also in human liver microsomes incubated with 1-ethylhydrazine and 4-POBN. Taken together, these results indicate that CYP2E1, as compared to other rat liver cytochromes P-450, is an efficient catalyst of transformation of alkylhydrazines to free radical intermediates, a finding that might be of importance in the development of the toxicity of these compounds.

Free radical production during metabolism of organic hydroperoxides by normal human keratinocytes.

Evidence of a relationship between tumor production induced by various organic (hydro)peroxides and free radical formation has been shown in cultured murine keratinocytes and human skin-tumor cell line. In the present study the bioactivation of cumene hydroperoxide, t-butyl-hydroperoxide, and benzoyl peroxide via one-electron oxidation or reduction was compared in freshly isolated and in cultured normal human keratinocytes. The formation of methyl free radicals during the metabolism of cumene and t-butyl-hydroperoxide was shown by the electron spin resonance-spin trapping technique. Radical formation increased under hypoxic conditions. An intracellular activation site was demonstrated by the use of two spin-trapping agents, the hydrophilic, membrane-impermeable, 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzenesulfonic acid and the lipophilic, membrane-permeable alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-t-butylnitrone. At 30 min incubation and 25 mM concentration, hydroperoxides exhibited cytotoxicity, as indicated by trypan blue exclusion and lactate dehydrogenase release assay; free radicals were concurrently trapped. Hydroperoxides at a lower concentration (1 mM) did not significantly affect cell viability. However, free radical production was still detected using a membrane-permeable spin trap. The incubation of keratinocytes with benzoyl peroxide did not show any peroxide-dependent radical adduct. No significant differences in bioactivation capability were demonstrated between freshly isolated and cultured human keratinocytes. The results indicate that cultured human keratinocytes can be used as a model system for the study of the metabolic activation to free radical intermediates of toxic and carcinogenic compounds in the epidermis.

Free radical activation of monomethyl and dimethyl hydrazines in isolated hepatocytes and liver microsomes.

Isolated hepatocytes and liver microsomes incubated with monomethyl-1,1 dimethyl- and 1,2 dimethyl-hydrazines produced free radical intermediates which were detected by ESR spectroscopy by using 4-pyridyl-1-oxide-t-butyl nitrone (4-POBN) as spin trapping agent. The spectral features of the spin adducts derived from all three hydrazine derivatives corresponded to the values reported for the methyl free radical adduct of 4-POBN. In the microsomal preparations inhibitors of the mixed function oxidase system and the destruction of cytochrome P450 by pretreating the rats with CoCl2 all decreased the free radical formation. Methimazole, an inhibitor of FAD-containing monoxygenase system, similarly decreased the activation of 1,1 dimethyl-hydrazine, but not that of monomethyl- and 1,2 dimethyl-hydrazines. The addition to liver microsomes of physiological concentrations of glutathione (GSH) lowered by approx. 80% the intensities of the ESR signals. Consistently, incubation of isolated hepatocytes with methyl-hydrazines decreased the intracellular GSH content, suggesting that GSH can effectively scavenge the methyl free radicals. The results obtained suggest that methyl free radicals could be the alkylating species responsible for the toxic and/or carcinogenic effect of methyl-hydrazines.

Possible role of collagen in transverse myelitis and chymopapain-induced paraplegia.

We studied the effect of nucleus pulposus (NP) on platelet aggregation. Our in vitro experiments showed that NP extract produced platelet aggregation and the addition of collagenase to the NP extract abolished this response. It was further shown that chymopapain did not affect the activity of the extract. We assume that collagen is the active platelet aggregant in the NP extract. Intravascular release of collagen may cause platelet aggregation, vascular obstruction, ischemia, and cord necrosis in a patient with acute transverse myelitis. Intradiskal chymopapain is known to cause transverse myelitis and it is possible that collagen released during the action of the enzyme initiates a similar chain of events.

Antagonist EMG temporal patterns during rapid voluntary movement.

This study of 10 normal college-aged women was designed to clarify possible antagonist control mechanisms during the silent period of the agonist in rapid elbow extension tasks. Antagonist electromyographic temporal patterns were observed after agonist silence under various conditions to determine if antagonist activity in the rapid movement was controlled supraspinally (preprogrammed), spinally (reflexively), or by a combination of the two mechanisms. The subjects followed a velocity-controlled dot displayed on an oscilloscope. The antagonist latencies remained constant during intentionally and unintentionally terminated movements, but were altered by load conditions. This was seen as an automatic deceleration response, elucidating differences between antagonist control during ballistic and rapid movements.

1-Benzopyran-4-one antioxidants as aldose reductase inhibitors.

Starting from the inhibitory activity of the flavonoid Quercetin, a series of 4H-1-benzopyran-4-one derivatives was synthesized and tested for inhibition of aldose reductase, an enzyme involved in the appearance of diabetic complications. Some of the compounds obtained display inhibitory activity similar to that of Sorbinil but are more selective than Quercetin and Sorbinil with respect to the closely related enzyme, aldehyde reductase, and also possess antioxidant activity. Remarkably, these compounds possess higher pKa values than carboxylic acids, a characteristic which could make the pharmacokinetics of these compounds very interesting. Molecular modeling investigations on the structures of inhibitors bound at the active site of aldose reductase were performed in order to suggest how these new inhibitors might bind to the enzyme and also to interpret structure-activity relationships.

Metabolism in rat liver microsomes of the nitroxide spin probe tempol.

Paramagnetic nitroxide spin labels have been extensively used to probe various biophysical and biochemical properties of the cellular environment. Recently nitroxides have been proposed as contrast enhancing agents in proton magnetic resonance imaging and contrast enhancement has been demonstrated in animal studies. Nitroxides, possessing a stable unpaired electron, increases the relaxation rates of protons, providing an enhancement of contrast. Nitroxides are metabolized intracellularly principally via reversible reduction to hydroxylamines. Rates of reduction depend on the physical characteristics of the nitroxides, in general 5-membered pyrrolidine ring are reduced more slowly than those with a 6-membered piperidine ring. Oxidation back to the nitroxide is relevant for lipid soluble hydroxylamines, while is low for water soluble ones. It is known that nitroxides are metabolized by subcellular fractions (cytosol, mitochondria, microsomes), though the enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems involved are poorly characterized. In the present study, the first of the necessary steps toward a systematic study of the metabolism of nitroxides by subcellular organelles, we have chosen to study the metabolism of 4-hydroxy 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl in isolated rat liver microsomes. Microsomes were able to reduce Tempol slowly without any substrate addition; when NADPH was added, the reduction rate substantially increased. In phenobarbitone induced rats the reduction rate was significantly higher than in not-induced microsomes. NADPH-dependent reduction rate was inhibited by thallium chloride (an inhibitor of the flavin-centered cytochrome P-450 reductase), superoxide dismutase, and by N-ethylmaleimide; menadione increased it. The Tempol reduction rate was not significantly affected by various cytochrome P-450 inhibitors with the sole exception of metyrapone. A solution containing purified cytochrome P-450 reductase and NADPH readily reduced Tempol. Microsomes fortified with NADPH were able to reduce Tempol at an appreciable rate. In order to distinguish between reduction of nitroxides to hydroxylamine or destruction of nitroxides following nitroxide reduction, microsomal suspensions were treated with a mild oxidant (ferricyanide 0.5-10 mM). The recovery varied from 40 to 60%, indicating a process of probe destruction leading to as yet unknown metabolites. The present study clearly indicates that, in this model system, cytochrome c (P-450) reductase and not cytochrome P-450 is responsible for the observed Tempol metabolism; along with hydroxylamine formation, other Tempol derived metabolites are formed during the process.

Immunocytochemical detection of factor XIII A--subunit in acute leukemia.

Factor XIII (FXIII) is a plasma pro-transglutaminase consisting of A and B subunits in a tetrameric structure. A cellular form of FXIII consisting exclusively of A subunits exists in platelets and monocytes: monocyte FXIII may be involved in connective tissue organization. To evaluate the expression and diagnostic significance of FXIII A subunit (FXIIIA) in acute leukemia, we performed an immunocytochemical study (PAP technique) with rabbit antiserum against FXIIIA on leukemic blasts of 48 cases. FXIIIA was detected only in myelomonocytic (M4), monocytic (M5) and megakaryocytic (M7) cases: in M4 and M5 samples the amount of blast cytoplasmic FXIIIA was closely correlated with the expression of monocyte-specific antigenic and cytochemical markers. Our data show immunocytochemical detection of FXIIIA to be useful for acute leukemia characterization.

Detection and quantitation in rat tissues of the superparamagnetic magnetic resonance contrast agent dextran magnetite as demonstrated by electron spin resonance spectroscopy.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The compound studies in this article is a superparamagnetic macromolecular complex of magnetite cores coated with hydrophilic dextran, which is under active investigation as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in liver and spleen. The biodistribution of paramagnetic compounds is problematic and is usually studied by histochemical reactions or by radiolabeling the compound under study. The purpose of this article is to show how electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy detects dextran magnetite (DM) particles in tissues. METHODS: DM injected intravenously in the experimental animal was detected in some reticulo-endothelial organs by ESR. The spectroscopic study was validated using electron microscopy and electron-probe microanalysis. RESULTS: DM exhibits an ESR spectrum; ESR delineated the distribution of DM distribution in liver, spleen, bone marrow, and blood as a function of time. The blood clearance was biphasic, dependent on the size of particles. CONCLUSIONS: ESR spectroscopy is a highly sensitive and reproducible method of studying DM distribution.

A modified roller tube technique for organotypic cocultures of embryonic rat spinal cord, sensory ganglia and skeletal muscle.

The roller tube technique as initially described in the literature in 1981, was modified in several aspects for the coexplantation of embryonic rat spinal cord with attached dorsal root ganglia and skeletal muscle from newborn rats. The high metabolic activity of this coculture system required a particular culturing protocol to stabilize pH and osmotic pressure. The appropriate adjustment of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide gas in the incubator proved to be essential for the control of the pH within narrow limits (7.3 +/- 0.1). The adjustment of the osmotic pressure of the medium (290-300 mOsm) improved the growth of the cultures considerably. Roller drum speed was set to 120 revolutions per hour for enhanced flattening of the culture. A simple rating system was used to evaluate neuronal and non-neuronal outgrowth under different modifications of the culture system. Furthermore, morphological and electrophysiological criteria were defined for evaluating individual neurons. The technique described insures the growth of long-term organotypic cocultures of spinal cord, sensory ganglia and skeletal muscle.