Efeito de diferentes proporções de resíduo úmido de cervejaria sobre as características da carcaça de cordeiros terminados em confinamento / Effect of different proportions of wet brewery residue on the carcass characteristics of feedlot finished lambs

Avaliou-se o efeito do uso de diferentes proporções de resíduo úmido de cervejaria sobre as características da carcaça de cordeiros terminados em sistema de confinamento. Foram utilizados 25 cordeiros, machos, não-castrados, da raça Texel, distribuídos aleatoriamente em cinco tratamentos compostos por proporções de 0 por cento, 25 por cento, 50 por cento, 75 por cento e 100 por cento de substituição do alimento concentrado por resíduo úmido de cervejaria. Utilizou-se uma dieta composta de feno de Tifton-85 e mistura concentrada em uma relação volumoso:concentrado de 40:60, com base na matéria seca (MS). O alimento concentrado foi constituído por milho desintegrado, farelo de soja, mistura mineral e resíduo úmido de cervejaria, sendo que suas proporções variaram de acordo com os tratamentos. Peso da carcaça quente, peso da carcaça fria, rendimento da carcaça quente, rendimento da carcaça fria, espessura da gordura subcutânea, pesos de quarto, paleta, costilhar e pescoço, bem como o comprimento de carcaça, a largura da perna e a profundidade da perna, diminuíram linearmente com o aumento da proporção de substituição do alimento concentrado por resíduo úmido de cervejaria.

The effect of the use of different proportions of wet brewery residue on the carcass characteristics of feedlot finished lambs was evaluated. Twenty-five non-castrated Texel male lambs were randomly allotted into five groups, consisting in the replacement of the concentrate by wet brewery residue at proportions of 0 percent, 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent. Diet was composed by Tifton-85 hay and concentrate mixture, in a relation roughage:concentrate of 40:60, based on dry matter (DM). The concentrate was composed of ground corn, soybean meal, mineral mix, and wet brewery residue, and its proportions varied in accordance with the treatments. Weights and yields of hot and cold carcasses; subcutaneous fat thickness; weights of leg, shoulder, ribs and neck; as well as carcass length, leg width and leg depth showed a linear decrease of increase of wet brewery residue replacing the concentrate.

Consumo, ganho de peso e análise econômica da terminação de cordeiros em confinamento com dietas contendo diferentes proporções de resíduo úmido de cervejaria / Feed intake, weight gain and economical analysis of feedlot finished lambs fed diets with different proportions of wet brewery residue

Avaliou-se o efeito de dietas contendo diferentes proporções de resíduo úmido de cervejaria sobre o consumo de nutrientes e o ganho de peso de cordeiros terminados em confinamento, e realizou-se uma análise econômica da alimentação oferecida aos animais. Foram utilizados 25 cordeiros, machos, não-castrados, da raça Texel, distribuídos aleatoriamente em cinco tratamentos compostos por proporções de 0 por cento, 25 por cento, 50 por cento, 75 por cento e 100 por cento de substituição do alimento concentrado por resíduo úmido de cervejaria. Verificou-se efeito quadrático sobre os consumos de matéria seca, matéria orgânica, proteína bruta, extrato etéreo (EE) e de fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), e linear decrescente sobre os consumos de carboidratos totais (CHT) e de carboidratos não estruturais (CNE), quando expressos em kg/dia. Os consumos de EE e de FDN aumentaram linearmente, e os de CNE diminuíram linearmente, quando expressos em porcentagem do peso vivo e em g/kg PV0,75. O consumo de energia líquida, o ganho de peso diário e o custo da alimentação diminuíram linearmente com o aumento da proporção de resíduo úmido de cervejaria. Não foi verificado efeito sobre o lucro relacionado à venda dos animais vivos ou à venda das carcaças.

The effect of diets with different proportions of wet brewery residue on the nutrient intake and the weight gain of feedlot lambs in phase of termination were determined. An economic analysis of the food given to the animals was also performed. Twenty-five non-castrated Texel male lambs were randomly allotted into five groups, consisting in the replacement of the concentrate by wet brewery residue; at proportions of 0 percent, 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent. The results of the test revealed a quadratic effect on the intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF); and a linear decreasing effect on intake of total carbohydrate (TCH), and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC), expressed in kg/day. The intakes of EE and NDF showed a linear increase and NSC intake showed a linear decrease, expressed in percentage of live weight ( percent LW) and g/kg LW.0.75 The consume of net energy (NE), daily weight gain, and feed cost showed a linear decrease with the increase in the proportion of wet brewery residue. It was not verified effect on profits related to the sales of the live animals or the sale of the carcasses.

Peso e rendimento dos componentes do peso vivo de cordeiros terminados em confinamento com dietas contendo proporções crescentes de resíduo úmido de cervejaria / Weight and yield of liveweight components of feedlot finish lambs fed diets with increasing proportions of wet brewery residue

Avaliou-se o efeito de dietas contendo proporções crescentes de resíduo úmido de cervejaria sobre o peso e proporção dos componentes do peso vivo de cordeiros terminados em confinamento. Foram utilizados 25 cordeiros, machos, não-castrados, da raça Texel, distribuídos aleatoriamente em cinco tratamentos compostos por proporções de 0 por cento, 25 por cento, 50 por cento, 75 por cento e 100 por cento de substituição do alimento concentrado por resíduo úmido de cervejaria. Utilizou-se dieta composta de feno de Tifton-85 e mistura concentrada em uma relação volumoso:concentrado de 40:60, na matéria seca. O alimento concentrado foi constituído por milho desintegrado, farelo de soja, mistura mineral e resíduo úmido de cervejaria, sendo que suas proporções variaram de acordo com os tratamentos. Houve redução linear dos pesos de sangue, patas, cabeça, fígado, pulmão e baço, e da proporção de fígado, à medida que se elevou a proporção do resíduo úmido de cervejaria nas dietas. A proporção, em relação ao peso vivo, de rúmen/retículo e do trato gastrintestinal, com conteúdo, e do conteúdo gastrintestinal aumentou linearmente, enquanto os pesos de rúmen/retículo, abomaso, intestino delgado e do trato gastrintestinal, sem conteúdo, diminuíram linearmente com o aumento da proporção do resíduo nas dietas. A proporção de rúmen/retículo, sem conteúdo, foi influenciada de forma quadrática.

The effect of diets with increasing proportions of wet brewery residue on the weight and proportion of live weight components of feedlot finished lambs was evaluated. Twenty-five non-castrated Texel male lambs were randomly allotted into five groups, consisting in the replacement of the concentrate by wet brewery residue; at the proportions of 0 percent, 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent. Diet composition was Tifton-85 hay and concentrate mixture, in a relation roughage:concentrate of 40:60, based on dry matter (DM). The concentrate was composed of ground corn, soybean meal, mineral mix and wet brewery residue, and its proportions varied in accordance with the treatments. There was a linear decrease in weights of blood, legs, head, liver, lungs, and spleen, and liver proportion, with the increase of the proportion of wet brewery residue on the diets. The proportion, in relation to live weight, of rumen/reticulum and of gastrointestinal tract with content, and the gastrointestinal tract content showed a linear increase; while the weights of rumen/reticulum, abomasum, small intestine, and gastrointestinal tract without content showed a linear decrease with the increase of wet brewery residue in the diets. A quadratic effect was observed in the proportion of rumen/reticulum without content.

Microalbuminuria and markers of the atherosclerotic process: the D.E. S.I.R. study.

The relationship between microalbuminuria and tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen (tPA-ag) and fibrinogen was evaluated in non-diabetic subjects. Subjects were participants of the D.E.S.I. R. (Data from an Epidemiological Study on the Insulin Resistance syndrome) Study. Analyses were carried out on 2248 women and 2402 men for fibrinogen and on 272 women and 284 men for tPA-ag. Microalbuminuria was defined as urinary albumin concentration greater than 20 mg/l. Men with microalbuminuria had a 6% higher fibrinogen concentration than those without (3.07 g/l (95% confidence interval: 2.99,3.15) vs. 2.89 g/l (2.87,2.91), adjusted for age and smoking). This relationship existed in hypertensive as well as non-hypertensive subjects. The association between microalbuminuria and tPA-ag existed only in hypertensive men, those with microalbuminuria having a 21% higher tPA-ag than those without (4.39 ng/ml (3.70,5.08) vs. 3.63 ng/ml (3.32,3.94), adjusted for age and smoking). Adjustment for other risk markers for cardiovascular disease did not change the results. There was no relationship between microalbuminuria and these haemostatic factors in women. The results of this study suggest that in non-diabetic men, microalbuminuria is associated with fibrinogen, but with tPA-ag only when concomitant with hypertension.

A novel vicinal lesion obtained from the oxidative photosensitization of TpdG: characterization and mechanistic aspects.

A new type of vicinal base lesion was isolated from the photosensitization of TpdG in aerated aqueous solution. One- and two-dimensional NMR measurements were used together with mass spectrometry to accurately characterize the new adduct. Chemical detection of guanidine provided additional structural information on the base moiety at the 3'-OH terminal end. Altogether the experiments results were indicative of the occurrence of a covalent bonding between the pyrimidine ring on the 5'-OH terminal end and the imidazole ring on the 3'-OH terminal end through a methylene bridge. Photosensitization studies of TpdG, thymidine, and 2'-deoxyguanosine in the presence of either benzophenone, menadione, or riboflavin associated with isotopic labeling experiments using enriched oxygen and water provided relevant information on the mechanism of formation of the adduct. The results of these experiments clearly demonstrated that the initial event leading to the formation of the lesion is the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the methyl group of the thymine base moiety of TpdG. This is followed by the addition of the methyl-centered radical to the C-4 atom of the guanine ring which gives rise to the vicinal lesion after reaction with molecular oxygen and subsequent rearrangement.

Coronary heart disease risk factors in women.

Despite the obvious predominance of coronary heart disease in middle-aged men, cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular accidents is currently the major cause of death in women (54% cardiovascular mortality, 46% coronary mortality; 28% of all deaths). Before menopause, coronary heart disease is infrequent which suggests that female hormones and metabolism offer protection. Without hormone replacement therapy after menopause women may develop coronary atherosclerosis. Ageing is among the non-modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease in women, while genetic predisposition and environmental factors remain controversial. The modifiable risk factors are mostly common to both sexes and include heavy cigarette smoking (especially in women under oral contraception) dyslipidaemia, high blood pressure, and diabetes; some factors are peculiar to women. The delayed onset of coronary heart disease in women, roughly 10 years later than in men, and greater feminine longevity (81 years vs 74 in men on average) points to the potential benefit of post-menopause hormone replacement therapy together with reduction of other modifiable risk factors. After menopause, the protective HDL cholesterol decreases whereas high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood pressure are major risk factors for coronary heart disease as well as for cerebrovascular accident. The role of hormone replacement therapy in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women is still controversial despite the results of meta-analyses which suggest a 25% to 44% reduction in coronary heart disease following oestrogen therapy alone or in combination with progestogen, depending on the hormonal regime. In conclusion, menopause, now considered as the marker for the end of natural protection against coronary heart disease, should be followed by early and prolonged combined hormone replacement therapy in order to reduce the low compliance with long-term hormone replacement therapy.

Conformational properties of a cycle oligosaccharide: cyclotrikis-(1-->6)-[alphaD-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosy l].

The title compound is a cyclic oligosaccharide having six glucopyranose residues linked alternatively by alpha-(1-->4) and beta-(1-->6) glycosidic linkages. Like cyclodextrin analogues it is expected to exhibit an internal cavity and to form inclusion complexes with other species. In order to investigate its conformational preferences, an extensive conformational search was carried out using a combination of Metropolis Monte-Carlo (MMC) procedure in the glycosidic torsion angle space and molecular mechanics procedures. To this end a specific program (METROCYCLIX) was developed. To reduce the MMC search, conformational maps of parent disaccharides were considered as starting entries. Fully minimized conformations were gathered into families using a clustering technique based on RMS fitting over the glycosidic torsion angle values. A wide range of local energy minima were identified in spite of ring closure conditions that constrained the structure of the oligosaccharide. Low energy conformers were stabilized by intramolecular interactions between distant residues. From the Bolzmann population of the best structures derived from the clustering results, various average properties were calculated and compared with experimental data obtained by high resolution NMR. Interpretation of these experimental values (heteronuclear coupling constants, rotating frame nuclear Overhauser effects, relaxation times) relies on the use of Karplus like equations (coupling constants) and analysis of the full relaxation rate matrix treatment (ROE). The quality of the molecular modelling strategy used is assessed by the agreement obtained between calculated and measured observables.

Evaluation of flurbiprofen for prevention of reinfarction and reocclusion after successful thrombolysis or angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction. The Flurbiprofen French Trial.

Thirty-eight coronary care units (CCUs) in France participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study to assess the efficacy of flurbiprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAID) with potent anti-platelet activity (PAA), in the prevention and recurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) and reocclusion of the infarct-related artery (IRA) in patients successfully treated for acute MI by thrombolysis and/or coronary angioplasty within 6 h of onset of symptoms. A coronary angiogram was performed within the first 24 h to confirm successful reperfusion. Two hundred and thirty-three patients (group 1) were randomly allocated to flurbiprofen 50 mg twice daily and 228 patients (group 2) to placebo. All patients complied with the entry criteria, and drug treatment was commenced within 48 h of MI. Patients were assessed at 3 weeks, 3 months and 6 months, data being recorded on major clinical events and survival status. Overall mortality was low (1.1%) and similar for both groups, confirming the benefit of early reperfusion therapy. The reinfarction rate documented during the 6-month follow-up was 3% (7/233) in group 1 and 10.5% (24/228) in group 2 (P < 0.001). The need for coronary angioplasty and/or coronary bypass graft was decreased by 51% (group 1: 39/233 = 17%; group 2: 75/228 = 33%) (P < 0.001). Coronary angiogram at 6 months showed a similar reocclusion rate between treatments. Flurbiprofen appears to be an effective drug for the prevention of reinfarction after coronary reperfusion and in reducing the need for secondary revascularization procedures. It may offer advantages over aspirin, but comparable efficacy remains to be established.

[Efficacy of intravenous milrinone in the treatment of acute congestive cardiac failure. Results of a French multicenter study]. / Efficacité de la milrinone intraveineuse dans le traitement de l'insuffisance cardiaque congestive aiguë. Résultats d'une étude multicentrique française.

The hemodynamic effects and safety of milrinone, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, were studied in 57 patients in the acute phase of cardiac failure. The drug was given intravenously as an initial push dose of 50 micrograms/kg in 10 min followed by a 24 hour infusion at the dose of 0.5 micrograms/kg/min. Maximal response was obtained after 15 min and persisted throughout the infusion. Cardiac index rose by 40%, while pulmonary capillary pressure fell from 25 mmHg to 17 mmHg (-30%) by the fifth minute of treatment. Mean pulmonary artery pressure fell by 20% by the 15th minute. Systemic resistance decreased by 26% and pulmonary vascular resistance by 22%. All these variations were significant. Heart rate and systemic blood pressure remained stable. Study of three sub-groups: digoxin vs non-digoxin, sinus rhythm vs atrial fibrillation, and coronary patients vs non-coronary patients, revealed no significant difference. Safety of the drug was good, no extra-cardiac actions having required interruption of the infusion. Stoppage was made necessary by two instances of ventricular tachycardia. Improved hemodynamic effects and the good safety/acceptability of the drug indicate that milrinone is a treatment of choice in cardiac failure.

[A survey on the management of myocardial infarction in France.The Infarctus Top Chrono Survey]. / Enquête sur la prise en charge des infarctus du myocarde en France. Enquête Infarctus Top Chrono.

An enquiry was carried out between December 1989 and January 1990 involving 749 cardiologists and 8,846 general practioners based throughout France to evaluate the number of myocardial infarctions diagnosed each year, to determine how the patients are transported to hospital and to assess the average delays of transportation. This enquiry showed that cardiologists diagnosed 15 cases of myocardial infarction per year: their first reflex is to visit the patient, sometimes accompanied by the emergency medical service if available at the time of the patient's call, or to advise the patient to call the emergency service straight away if it is not possible for them to visit the patient immediately. The delay of transportation is less than 30 minutes in 45% of cases and over 60 minutes in 10% of cases. Regional differences were observed and are analysed. General practitioners diagnose 4 cases of myocardial infarction per year: the principal attitude is the same as that of the cardiologists, except that the general practitioner is available to visit the patient more often and is called out more easily. The means of transport and the delays of transportation are very similar to those observed with the cardiologists. This analysis of the management of myocardial infarction in France in 1990 may help organise actions to shorten the time between the onset of chest pain and the institution of thrombolytic therapy.

[Angioplasty after failure of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction. Hospital results apropos of 40 consecutive patients]. / Angioplastie après échec de thrombolyse dans l'infarctus du myocarde. Résultats hospitaliers à propos de 40 patients consécutifs.

Intravenous thrombolysis during the acute phase of myocardial infarction is successful in restoring perfusion in 60 to 80% of cases. When it is unsuccessful, there is disagreement about the best approach to adopt. The article reports the results obtained in 40 consecutive patients treated by angioplasty after thrombolysis had been unsuccessful. Reperfusion was achieved in 92.5% of cases, with a hospital mortality rate of 7.5% (2.5% if patients admitted in a stage of cardiogenic shock are excluded). There was no mortality related to the procedure itself and an emergency aorto-coronary by-pass was not required in any case. Since it is accepted that the subsequent prognosis depends on coronary patency, coronary artery assessment after thrombolysis, followed by angioplasty if the occlusion persists seems to be a logical strategy if the myocardial territory is compromised.

Thrombosis and thrombolysis in unstable angina.

Pathophysiology of unstable angina involves spasm, plaque rupture, activation of platelets, and coagulation. The incidence and frequency of intracoronary thrombus formation are presently under active assessment in order to establish the potential benefit of thrombolytic therapy. A preliminary study was conducted in patients admitted in our coronary care unit for unstable angina with typical clinical and electrocardiographic criteria and with early coronary angiogram. After exclusion of 4 patients with left main coronary stenosis or contraindications for thrombolysis, 16 patients received thrombolytic infusion and 14 underwent a second coronary angiogram. Seven patients had an intracoronary thrombus (6 nonocclusive, 1 occlusive) and at the second angiogram only 3 nonocclusive thrombi were modified (1 disappeared, 2 were reduced). Moreover, the quantitative Coronary Angiography Analysis System (CAAS) in the 11 cases suitable for analysis did not show any significant changes, especially in the Ambrose type IIB lesions. In-hospital clinical outcome was not influenced by thrombolytic therapy (5 ischemic recurrences, 1 fatal myocardial infarction, 4 emergency and 4 elective revascularization procedures). This short series is in agreement with the literature data. Only one third of patients with active unstable angina remains refractory to conventional therapy. The transient benefit of thrombolysis is limited to patients with demonstrated intracoronary thrombi. Clinical or angiographic improvement are not always in correlation and until now do not seem able to prevent short-term recurrences or the need for revascularization procedures.

Invasive reperfusion study. II. Multicentre European randomized trial of anistreplase vs streptokinase in acute myocardial infarction.

IRS II (Invasive reperfusion study II) was a multicentre randomized trial comparing the efficacy of a 2-5-min 30 U anistreplase intravenous injection with a 1,500,000 U 60-min streptokinase (SK) intravenous infusion in acute myocardial infarction. 116 patients were randomized within 6 h of onset of symptoms. Early coronary patency was assessable in 107 patients by coronary angiogram performed 102 min after thrombolytic treatment (range: 30-297 min) in the anistreplase group and 93 min (range: 22-330 min) in the SK group. The early coronary patency rate was significantly higher in the anistreplase group than in the SK group: respectively, 70% (38/54) and 51% (27/53), P less than 0.05). Fifty patients had assessable coronary angiograms at 90 min and 24 h. The 24-h patency rate was 92.3% (24/26) in the anistreplase group vs 87.5% (21/24) in the SK group. No early reocclusion occurred in the anistreplase group vs 15.4% (2/13) in the SK group (NS). Fibrinogen fell to 13.2 +/- 19.8% on anistreplase vs 9.4 +/- 10.3% on SK (NS). Bleeding complications occurred in 12% (7/58) of treated patients in the anistreplase group vs 20.7% (13/58) in the SK group (NS). Two cerebrovascular accidents occurred after thrombolytic treatment with anistreplase (3.4%) vs one after SK (1.7%) (NS). Thus, anistreplase is more effective than intravenous SK and easier to administer.

[An often ignored complication of left heart catheterization: embolism of cholesterol crystals. Report of 9 cases]. / Une complication souvent méconnue du cathétérisme gauche: les embolies de cristaux de cholestérol. A propos de 9 observations.

Cholesterol embolism (CE) is caused by the migration of cholesterol crystals from severe atheromatous lesions. Until recently, this was considered to be a classical but rare complication of atheroma. With the upsurge in techniques of left heart catheterization there has been a regain of interest in this subject. Nine cases of cholesterol embolism occurring after left heart catheterisation are reported, 3 after coronary angioplasty, and 3 cases after associated thrombolytic therapy. Three patients developed cutaneous syndromes (livedo reticularis, the "purple toe syndrome") with a favorable outcome in a few weeks. Two patients developed segmental necrosis of the small bowel requiring surgical resection of the affected area. Finally, in 4 cases, the patients died 12 hours to 3 months after catheterization: 2 patients had polyvisceral involvement; one patient developed cardiogenic shock; one patient had intestinal necrosis involving 2/3 of the ileum and the right colon. The cases illustrate the variability of the presentation of CE and its potential gravity. At present, the only effective measures are prophylactic; curative treatment remains particularly disappointing.

[Elaboration of an ethogram for the diagnosis of the A Pattern in coronary pathology]. / Elaboration d'un éthogramme pour le diagnostic du Pattern "A" en pathologie coronaire.

In order to develop a technique which allows the detection of Pattern A (PA) we present in this paper a series of steps for constructing an observation gril (ethogram) which allows for the quantification of behavior in situation of structured interview. The behavioral units making up the final ethogram are derived from inter-item correlations taken from a population of 48 subjects who had suffered heart attacks. The observations on this population permit an inclusion score in the PA. These observations also confirm that the PA present a risk factor which is independent of classical risk factors. A significative positive correlation with work stress has been found showing, in accordance with the view of Friedman and Rosenman that the PA corresponds to a particular behavioral pattern which is dependent on the work environment.

Comparison of circadian blood pressure variations in hypertensive patients with renal artery stenosis and essential hypertension.

Ambulatory blood pressure measurements in 20 hypertensive patients with uni- or bilateral renal artery stenosis were compared with those in 20 essential hypertensive patients. Analysis of the 24 hour blood pressure curve of the renal artery stenosis group shows a tendency to equalization of blood pressure throughout the day. The nocturnal decrease of systolic or diastolic blood pressure was not significantly different between the two groups (9.2 vs. 15.3 mmHg). The blunted curve seems to be related more to the severity of hypertension than to its aetiology, but further studies are required to elucidate this point.

[Elaboration of an ethogram for the diagnosis of Pattern "A"]. / Elaboration d'un éthogramme pour le diagnostic du Pattern "A".

In order to develop a technique which allows the detection of Pattern A (P.A.) we present in this paper a series of steps for constructing an observation grill (ethogram) which allows for the quantification of behavior in situation of structured interview. The behavioral units making up the final ethogram are derived from inter-item correlations taken from a population of 48 subjects who had suffered heart attacks. The observations on this population permit an inclusion score in the P.A. These observations also confirm that the P.A. present a risk factor which is independent of classical risk factors. A significative positive correlation with work stress has been found showing, in accordance with the view of Friedman and Rosenman that the P.A. corresponds to a particular behavioral pattern which is dependent on the work environment.

The human growth hormone receptor. Secretion from Escherichia coli and disulfide bonding pattern of the extracellular binding domain.

A gene fragment encoding the extracellular domain of the human growth hormone (hGH) receptor from liver was cloned into a plasmid under control of the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase promoter and the heat-stable enterotoxin (StII) signal peptide sequence. Strains of E. coli expressing properly folded hGH binding protein were identified by blotting colonies with 125I-hGH. The E. coli strain capable of highest expression (KS330) secreted 10 to 20 mg/liter of culture of properly processed and folded hGH receptor fragment into the periplasmic space. The protein was purified to near homogeneity in 70 to 80% yield (in tens of milligram amounts) using ammonium sulfate precipitation, hGH affinity chromatography, and gel filtration. The unglycosylated extracellular domain of the hGH receptor has virtually identical binding properties compared to its natural glycosylated counterpart isolated from human serum, suggesting glycosylation is not important for binding of hGH. The extracellular binding domain codes for 7 cysteines, and we show that six of them form three disulfide bonds. Peptide mapping studies show these disulfides are paired sequentially to produce short loops (10-15 residues long) as follows: Cys38-Cys48, Cys83-Cys94, and Cys108-Cys122. Cys241 is unpaired, and mutagenic analysis shows that the extreme carboxyl end of the receptor fragment (including Cys241) is not essential for folding or binding of the protein to hGH. High level expression of this receptor binding domain and its homologs in E. coli will greatly facilitate their detailed biophysical and structural analysis.