Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release is not a dominating factor in sinoatrial node pacemaker activity.

Recent work on isolated sinoatrial node cells from rabbit has suggested that sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release plays a dominant role in the pacemaker potential, and ryanodine at a high concentration (30 micromol/L blocks sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release) abolishes pacemaking and at a lower concentration abolishes the chronotropic effect of beta-adrenergic stimulation. The aim of the present study was to test this hypothesis in the intact sinoatrial node of the rabbit. Spontaneous activity and the pattern of activation were recorded using a grid of 120 pairs of extracellular electrodes. Ryanodine 30 micromol/L did not abolish spontaneous activity or shift the position of the leading pacemaker site, although it slowed the spontaneous rate by 18.9+/-2.5% (n=6). After ryanodine treatment, beta-adrenergic stimulation still resulted in a substantial chronotropic effect (0.3 micromol/L isoproterenol increased spontaneous rate by 52.6+/-10.5%, n=5). In isolated sinoatrial node cells from rabbit, 30 micromol/L ryanodine slowed spontaneous rate by 21.5+/-2.6% (n=13). It is concluded that sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release does not play a dominating role in pacemaking in the sinoatrial node. The full text of this article is available at http://www.circresaha.org.

Influence of alcohol consumption on the association between serum lipids and colorectal adenomas.

BACKGROUND: There have been no reports that low serum cholesterol levels increase the risk of colorectal adenoma, although many studies have shown that they do increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Alcohol intake, which is associated with a risk of colorectal adenomas, and serum cholesterol levels are closely related. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of alcohol consumption on the association between serum cholesterol levels and colorectal adenoma. METHODS: The subjects were 1,349 male patients who underwent both barium enema examination and total colonoscopy. They answered a questionnaire regarding their alcohol consumption history, and their blood samples were analysed. The subjects were divided into three groups: those with no tumour (with neither adenoma nor adenocarcinoma), those with adenoma and those with adenocarcinoma. Among the groups, the serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were compared in all the patients, in the patients who did not drink daily and in the patients who did. RESULTS: In all the patients, the serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels did not differ between the patients with and those without adenoma. In the daily drinkers, the serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly lower in patients with adenoma than in those without. CONCLUSIONS: Significantly lower levels of serum cholesterol and triglycerides were found in daily drinkers with adenoma than in those without.

[A case of choroidal hemangioma with bullous exudative retinal detachment treated successfully by transpupillary thermotherapy].

BACKGROUND: Choroidal hemangioma associated with bullous retinal detachment may be difficult to treat, due to varying results with conventional laser photocoagulation, radiotherapy, or surgical drainage. Here we report on a case of extensive bullous retinal detachment secondary to circumscribed choroidal hemangioma that was resolved after combined treatment with vitrectomy, silicone oil tamponade, and transpupillary thermotherapy. CASE: A 29-year-old woman presented with a large choroidal hemangioma in her right eye associated with serous retinal detachment. The tumor measured 8 disc diameters in size and was located in the inferotemporal macula, abutting the fovea. RESULTS: Laser photocoagulation of the tumor was unsuccessful in inducing absorption of subretinal fluid. Because of progressive bullous retinal detachment, surgery was performed consisting of external drainage of subretinal fluid, vitrectomy, endolaser photocoagulation of the tumor, and silicone oil tamponade. The silicone oil was removed four weeks postoperatively at which time almost complete resolution of the retinal detachment was observed. However, retinal detachment recurred eight weeks later, and transpupillary thermotherapy was then applied to the tumor. By four weeks after transpupillary thermotherapy, total reabsorption of subretinal fluid, visual acuity improvement, and decreased height of the choroidal hemangioma were noted. CONCLUSION: Transpupillary thermotherapy is an effective treatment for serous retinal detachment associated with choroidal hemangioma.

Cloning and characterization of a novel p21(Cip1/Waf1)-interacting zinc finger protein, ciz1.

p21(Cip1/Waf1) inhibits cell-cycle progression by binding to G1 cyclin/CDK complexes and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) through its N- and C-terminal domains, respectively. Here, we report a novel p21(Cip1/Waf1)-interacting protein, Ciz1 (for Cip1 interacting zinc finger protein), which contains polyglutamine repeats and glutamine-rich region in the N-terminus as well as three zinc-finger motifs and one MH3 (matrin 3-homologous domain 3) in the C-terminal region. Ciz1 bound to the N-terminal, the CDK2-interacting part of p21(Cip1/Waf1), and the interaction was disrupted by the overexpression of CDK2. A region of about 150 amino acids containing the first zinc-finger motif in Ciz1 was the binding site for p21(Cip1/Waf1). When Ciz1 and p21(Cip1/Waf1) were individually overexpressed in U2-OS cells, they mostly localized in the nucleus. However, coexpression of Ciz1 induced cytoplasmic distribution of p21(Cip1/Waf1). These data indicate that Ciz1 is a unique nuclear protein that regulates the cellular localization of p21(Cip1/Waf1).

[A case report of graft replacement of the ascending and transverse aorta without homologous red blood cell transfusion].

A 28-year-old man of DeBakey type I dissecting aneurysm was received graft replacement of the ascending and transverse aorta under the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and continuous retrograde cerebral perfusion for cerebral protection during circulatory arrest. From 3 weeks before operation, autologous blood was collected from the patient with the intravenous administration of a recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) and was subsequently used in the operation. As result, the graft replacement of the ascending and transverse aorta was performed without homologous red blood cell transfusion and postoperative neurological complications. We believe autologous blood transfusion with rHuEPO and circulatory arrest with CRCP contributes operations of aortic aneurysms without homologous blood transfusion.

Amino acid sequence around a cysteine residue in the active center of jack bean urease.

Cysteine residues in the active center of jack bean urease [EC 3.5.1.5] were modified with 14C-labeled diazonium-1H-tetrazole (DHT). The labeled enzyme was carboxymethylated with iodoacetic acid, and then hydrolyzed with trypsin. The tryptic digest was subjected to gel filtration on Sephadex G-50, yielding two radioactive fractions. The [14C]DHT-labeled peptide having a lower molecular weight, which was determined to be approximately 1,000 by the method of gel filtration, was further purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25. [14C]DHT-labeled cysteine was identified as cysteic acid after performic acid oxidation, and the amino acid sequence of the low-molecular-weight [14C]DHT-labeled peptide was determined to be Phe-Glu-Pro-Gly-Asp-Cys-Asn-Ser-Thr-Phe-Lys.

Modification of thiol groups of Jack bean urease with diazonium-1H-tetrazole.

Jack bean urease [EC 3.5.1.5] was modified with diazonium-1H-tetrazole (DHT). Reaction of DHT with the enzyme produced a characteristic absorption peak at 320 nm and led to complete loss of the enzymatic activity at a low concentration of DHT. Amino acid analysis of DHT-modified urease showed that only cysteine residues reacted with the reagent and other amino acid residues such as tyrosine, histidine, and lysine did not. The enzymatic activity was protected against DHT-inactivation by the addition of substrate. On the other hand, when the cysteine residues were modified with DHT, the enzyme was not converted to polymeric forms. Furthermore, the binding ability of urease with hydroxamic acid, a specific urease inhibitor, was virtually unaffected by DHT-inactivation. These results indicate that cysteine residues are specifically modified by DHT with concomitant loss of enzymatic activity and polymerization ability, but are not essential for the binding of hydroxamic acid to the enzyme.

Photo-oxidation of Jack bean urease in the presence of methylene blue.

Photo-oxidation of Jack bean urease was performed in the presence of a low concentration of methylene blue, which led to the complete loss of the enzymatic activity. The inactivation was more remarkable in an alkaline region than in an acidic region and prevented by the addition of histidine or methionine. Amino acid analysis of the oxidized enzyme revealed that the number of histidine residues had decreased to 73% that of the native enzyme, but the numbers of other amino acid residues were not significantly affected. Benzohydroxamic acid, a specific urease inhibitor, protected the active site of the enzyme against photo-oxidation. On the other hand, oxidation of the enzyme decreased its binding ability with caprylo- and benzohydroxamic acid to one-third. These results suggest that histidine residues are modified by photo-oxidation and are essential to both the enzymatic activity and the binding ability with hydroxamic acid.

The structure-hemolysis relationship of oleanolic acid derivatives and inhibition of the saponin-induced hemolysis with sapogenins.

Chikusetsusaponin IV and V, whose genin is oleanolic acid, exhibited weak hemolytic activities. Removal of glucose residue at position 29 of chikusetsusaponin V by partial hydrolysis increased the activity more than 30-fold. Methylation of the carboxyl group at position 28 increased the activity furthermore by about 10-fold, showing HD50 value of 3.77 microM. On the other hand, removal of the sugar chain at position 3 of chickusetsusaponin V by partial hydrolysis completely lost the activity. These facts suggest that the sugar chain at position 3 of oleanolic acid is essential but that at position 29 is pernicious for the activity. The cytolytic agents, whose target has been regarded as membrane cholesterol, were inactivated not only by cholesterol but also by sapogenins such as oleanolic acid, gitogenin and hederagenin. Among saponins tested, akebia saponin B and C were inactivated by cholesterol, but not by the genins, probably because their affinities for the genins are too low to form complexes.