Hyperbaric nitrogen and pentobarbital on synaptosomal membrane lipids and free fatty acids.

Nitrogen at high pressures and anesthetics increase lipid monolayer surface pressure and in turn modulates monolayer associated lipolytic enzyme activity that could alter membrane lipids. We tested the hypothesis that nitrogen at pressures of 5 and 10 megapascals (MPa) and pentobarbital induce alterations in synaptosomal membrane phospholipid and free fatty acid (FFA). Rat cortical synaptosomes in Krebs-Henseleit buffer were placed in steel chambers and incubated for four hours at 37 degrees C: at 5 or 10 MPa of O2/balance N2; at one 0.1 MPa on room air, and with 10 mg pentobarbital. Free fatty acids (FFA) were quantified by thin-layer and gas chromatography, and neutral and acidic lipids by high-pressure thin layer chromatography and protein by Biorad colorimetric assay. Statistical analyses were by ANOVA and posthoc analysis by Neuman-Keuls and Kruskal-Wallis tests at p < 0.05. Sphyngomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, cerebroside and cholesterol were unchanged by 5 and 10 MPa nitrogen and pentobarbital. Free fatty acids (16:00, 18:00, 18:01, 20:00, 22:0, 22:01 and 24:01) at 10 MPa were reduced compared to 5 MPa (p < 0.05) but unaffected by pentobarbital. The decrease in synaptosomal membrane FFA at 10 MPa suggests attenuated hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids without detectable alterations in membrane phospholipid composition.

Modification of a lysine residue of adrenodoxin reductase, essential for complex formation with adrenodoxin.

The NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity of NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase from NADPH to cytochrome c via adrenodoxin was inhibited by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and other reagents that modified the lysine residues. However, the NADPH-ferricyanide reductase activity was not affected. Loss of the cytochrome c reductase activity could be prevented by adrenodoxin, but not by NADP+. One lysine residue of the adrenodoxin reductase could be protected from the modification with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate by complex formation with adrenodoxin. Loss of the NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity was not due to the conformational change of the modified adrenodoxin reductase, judging from circular dichroism spectrometric studies.

Adrenoferredoxin-binding peptide of NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase.

The amino-acid sequence at the adrenoferredoxin-binding site of NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.18.1.2) from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria was investigated chemically. NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase has an essential lysine residue at the adrenoferredoxin-binding site. A polypeptide at the adrenoferredoxin-binding site was isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography from NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase modified with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and cleaved with cyanogen bromide. The amino-acid sequence of the adrenoferredoxin-binding peptide was identified. The peptide accounted for 95% of the sugar content of the NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase.

Lazaroid U74500A as an additive to University of Wisconsin solution for pulmonary grafts in the rat transplant model.

Lazaroids are a class of novel 21 aminosteroids. They have been reported to be potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation, which is a major contributing factor to ischemia-reperfusion injury in the lung. A Lewis rat orthotopic left lung isotransplant model was used to investigate the effects of the lazaroid U74500A on pulmonary preservation. The heart-lung blocks of donor rats were flushed with and then stored in either standard University of Wisconsin solution or University of Wisconsin solution with 30 mumol/L of U74500A substituted for the dexamethasone. After 6 or 12 hours of cold storage at 0 degrees C, the left lungs were transplanted into recipient rats and reperfused for 1 hour. Pulmonary function was assessed by measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions in arterial blood after removal of the right lung. Lipid peroxide concentrations were measured as a thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance. Although arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide pressures and water content after 6 hours of preservation followed by reperfusion were similar in both the lazaroid and dexamethasone groups, lipid peroxide concentration was significantly higher in the dexamethasone group (0.88 +/- 0.07 mumol/gm) than in the lazaroid group (0.54 +/- 0.07 mumol/gm) (p < 0.01). After 12 hours of preservation, there were significant differences between the lazaroid and dexamethasone groups in arterial oxygen pressure (339 +/- 70 vs 27 +/- 3 mm Hg, p < 0.01), arterial carbon dioxide pressure (24.3 +/- 2.7 vs 47.7 +/- 7.0 mm Hg, p < 0.001), and lipid peroxide concentrations (0.69 +/- 0.07 vs 1.30 +/- 0.09 mumol/gm, p < 0.001). We conclude that addition of U74500A to the flush and storage solution enhances the preservation of the pulmonary graft in this transplant model.

Zonal distribution of cytochromes P-450 and related enzymes of bovine adrenal cortex--quantitative assay of concentrations and total contents.

The zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata, zona reticularis, and medulla were separated from bovine adrenal glands and cytochromes P-450 and related enzymes in each zone were investigated immunochemically by Western blotting using antisera from chickens or rabbits against cytochromes P-450scc, P-450(11)beta, P-450s21, and b5, NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase, and adrenodoxin. Concentrations of cytochrome P-450(11)beta, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, and cytochrome b5 per milligram of protein of homogenate were higher in the zona glomerulosa than in the other zones; the levels of the other components were higher in the zona fasciculata. The total enzyme content of all components was the highest in the zona fasciculata. The amount of adrenodoxin was about 10 times that of NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase in each zone.

Purification and kinetic properties of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from bovine adrenocortical microsomes.

3 beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was purified from bovine adrenocortical microsomes and its properties were studied. The purified dehydrogenase gave a single homogeneous protein band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and showed no steroid delta 5-delta-4 isomerase activity. The molecular weight of the dehydrogenase was estimated to be 41,000 for the monomer and the isoelectric point was determined to be at pH 6.3. The Km values of the dehydrogenase were 6.2 microM for NAD+, 4.9 mM for NADP+, 2.0 microM for pregnenolone, and 5.3 microM for 17 alpha-hydroxypregnenolone. The mechanism of inhibition by trilostane of the dehydrogenase was also examined kinetically. The inhibition was found to be competitive, with Ki values of 0.14 microM for 17 alpha-hydroxypregnenolone and 0.38 microM for pregnenolone.

Effects of ionic strength and pH on the dissociation constant between NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase and adrenoferredoxin.

The dissociation constant between NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase and adrenoferredoxin was measured at various ionic strengths (0.05-0.25) and pHs (6.6-8.2) by means of a kinetic method involving pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. For each ionic strength, the maximum dissociation constant was obtained at pH 7.4. It ranged from 8.34 (ionic strength = 0.05) to 169 nM (ionic strength = 0.25) at pH = 7.4. At each pH, the dissociation constant increased along with the increase in ionic strength.

University of Wisconsin solution for pulmonary preservation in a rat transplant model.

University of Wisconsin and modified Euro-Collins solutions for pulmonary preservation were compared in a rat orthotopic left lung isotransplant model. Heart-lung blocks of donor rats were flushed with and preserved in one of the preservation solutions at 0 degrees C. After 6 or 12 hours of cold ischemia, the left lungs were transplanted into recipient rats and reperfused for 1 hour. Pulmonary function was assessed by measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions in arterial blood after removal of the right lung. Lipid peroxide concentrations were measured as thiobarbiturate acid-reactive substances. The ratios of wet to dry weight of grafts after ischemia and after reperfusion were calculated. Histologic changes of ischemia-reperfusion injury of the lung tissue were evaluated using a graded scale. Oxygen tension after 6 hours of preservation followed by reperfusion was significantly higher with University of Wisconsin solution (308.8 +/- 81.1 mm Hg) than with Euro-Collins solution (50.8 +/- 17.8 mm Hg; p less than 0.001). Carbon dioxide tension in the University of Wisconsin solution group was also significantly lower than in the Euro-Collins solution group (28.2 +/- 2.3 versus 46.0 +/- 4.5 mm Hg; p less than 0.05). Lipid peroxide concentration after 6 hours' preservation in University of Wisconsin solution was significantly lower (0.88 +/- 0.07 mumol/g) than that in Euro-Collins solution (1.26 +/- 0.12 mumol/g; p less than 0.05). After 12 hours of preservation only lipid peroxide concentration with University of Wisconsin solution was significantly lower (1.30 +/- 0.09 mumol/g) than with Euro-Collins solution (1.71 +/- 0.15 mumol/g; p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Quantitative analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome P-450-linked monooxygenase system: NADPH-hepatoredoxin reductase, hepatoredoxin, and cytochrome P-450s27 in livers of patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis.

We studied the mitochondrial cytochrome P-450-linked monooxygenase system in livers of two patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX). The three components of this system, which catalyzes steroid 27-hydroxylation, NADPH-hepatoredoxin reductase, hepatoredoxin, and cytochrome P-450s27, were stained on a nitrocellulose sheet with antibodies against NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase, adrenodoxin, and cytochrome P-450scc, respectively, from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria. The concentrations of hepatoredoxin in the patients were not significantly different from a control, but the level of NADPH-hepatoredoxin reductase was three times that of the control. Cytochrome P-450s27 was not detected in the patients, but it was present (22.8 pmol/mg of protein) in the control liver. This implies that a defect of mitochondrial cytochrome P-450s27 prevents steroid 27-hydroxylation of hepatic mitochondria in patients with CTX.

Sodium lactobionate sucrose solution for canine liver and kidney preservation.

With 24-hour preservation of canine liver, SLS solution showed inferior animal survival to UW solution. The lactobionate, raffinose, glutathione, and hydroxyethyl starch in UW solution have been shown to be important for liver preservation. However, our results suggest that sucrose should not be substituted for raffinose for the preservation of livers. In contrast to the liver, SLS solution performed the same or even better than UW solution for kidney preservation. The substitution of sucrose for raffinose, along with the addition of CPZ has either no effect or a slightly positive effect on kidney preservation. In conclusion, SLS solution may be a suitable solution for preserving canine kidneys, but is not suitable for liver preservation. These findings suggest that future development of preservation solutions should be focused on the needs of specific organs and not toward a generic, all encompassing preservation solution.

Iodine-123 BMIPP and Ga-67 scintigraphy in liposarcoma.

A patient with recurrent retroperitoneal liposarcoma had multiple suspected metastases. I-123 BMIPP imaging showed areas of increased uptake due to accumulation in the myxoid components of the liposarcoma. Ga-67 showed accumulation in the undifferentiated components. The well-differentiated components showed little accumulation of either I-123 BMIPP or Ga-67. Differences in the accumulation of these radionuclides may reflect differences in cell densities, fatty acid metabolism, and the degree of malignancy. I-123 BMIPP and Ga-67 scintigraphy may be useful in determining the prognosis of liposarcoma.

Prediction of the early prognosis of the hepatectomized patient with hepatocellular carcinoma with a neural network.

The early prognosis of the hepatectomized patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was determined preoperatively with a perceptron-type neural network. The neural network was trained with the preoperative data of 54 example cases with the early prognosis, successful or died of hepatic dysfunction, as teaching signals. After learning these examples, the neural network came to give a precise prediction to the example data except for one case. With the learned neural network, the outcomes of the hepatectomy of 11 patients (10 successful; 1 died) were predicted prospectively with 100% precision. The usefulness of the neural network for the prediction was determined.