[Preoperative autologous blood donation in patients undergoing open heart surgery].

We examined the possibility to avoid the homologous blood transfusion in patients undergoing open heart surgery by predonation of 200 ml or 400 ml on the day before operation. Between March 1999 and December 2001, 117 patients underwent scheduled open heart surgery. In these patients, preoperatively collected autologous blood on the day before operation amounted 200 ml or 400 ml. We divided these patients into 3 groups according to the necessity of homologous blood, no transfusion (group A, n = 77), intraoperative transfusion (group B 1, n-29) and postoperative transfusion (group B 2, n = 11). In 65.8% of patients the homologous blood transfusion could be avoided. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative factors were compared in the 3 groups. Especially, old age, female, body weight and preoperative hemoglobin value were significantly different between 3 groups. Postoperative Svo2 and postoperative hemoglobin value were significantly different between 3 groups. The purpose of this study was to evaluate that the predonation of 200 ml or 400 ml on the day before operation may be to avoid the homologous blood transfusion and that preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative factors in regard to homologous blood transfusion.

U box proteins as a new family of ubiquitin-protein ligases.

The U box is a domain of approximately 70 amino acids that is present in proteins from yeast to humans. The prototype U box protein, yeast Ufd2, was identified as a ubiquitin chain assembly factor that cooperates with a ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2), and a ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3) to catalyze ubiquitin chain formation on artificial substrates. E3 enzymes are thought to determine the substrate specificity of ubiquitination and have been classified into two families, the HECT and RING finger families. Six mammalian U box proteins have now been shown to mediate polyubiquitination in the presence of E1 and E2 and in the absence of E3. These U box proteins exhibited different specificities for E2 enzymes in this reaction. Deletion of the U box or mutation of conserved amino acids within it abolished ubiquitination activity. Some U box proteins catalyzed polyubiquitination by targeting lysine residues of ubiquitin other than lysine 48, which is utilized by HECT and RING finger E3 enzymes for polyubiquitination that serves as a signal for proteolysis by the 26 S proteasome. These data suggest that U box proteins constitute a third family of E3 enzymes and that E4 activity may reflect a specialized type of E3 activity.

Central alpha-adrenergic agonists and need-induced 3% NaCl and water intake.

In the present study, noradrenaline (NOR, alpha-non-specific adrenergic agonist), clonidine (CLO, alpha 2), phenylephrine (PHE, alpha 1) or isoproterenol (ISO, beta-agonist) was injected in the medial septal area (MSA) of water-deprived, sodium-deplete or food-deprived rats. NOR (80, 160 nmol) inhibited the intake of 3% NaCl, water deprivation-induced and meal-associated water intake. Food deprivation-induced food intake and 10% sucrose intake were not altered by NOR. CLO (10, 20, 30, 40 nmol) inhibited (80-100% inhibition compared to control during 60 min) the intake of 3% NaCl, water deprivation-induced and meal-associated water intake. CLO had a weaker inhibition on food and 10% sucrose intake (30-50% less than the control during 60 and 15 min, respectively). PHE (160 nmol) inhibited 3% NaCl intake and 10% sucrose intake (30% less than the control for 15-30 min). ISO (160 nmol) did not alter water or 3% NaCl intake. NOR induced an increase, CLO and ISO induced a decrease, and PHE no alteration in mean arterial pressure. NOR did not alter water or 3% NaCl intake when injected unilaterally into the caudate nucleus. The results suggest that NOR injected in the MSA acts on alpha 2-adrenergic receptors inducing a specific inhibition of 3% NaCl and water intake.