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Biomedical subjects

A Benigni

Publications and source records attributed to A Benigni.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Differential inhibition by aspirin of platelet thromboxane and renal prostaglandins in the rat.

Aspirin (ASA) beside inhibiting platelet thromboxane A2 (TxA2) can suppress the formation of renal prostacyclin (PGI2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) which play a crucial role in the control of renal hemodynamics. Previous studies based on urinary PG measurements have suggested that p.o. ASA can spare renal cyclooxygenase. We wanted to establish by direct measurement whether p.o. ASA has a renal sparing effect and to establish to which extent changes in renal cyclooxygenase activity can be predicted measuring urinary excretion of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and PGE2. Our results showed that in normal rats 10 mg/kg of ASA given p.o. partially inhibits platelet TxA2 formation (measured as serum TxB2) and does not inhibit glomerular and medullary PGI2 and PGE2 synthesis. Higher doses of ASA (30-200 mg/kg) effectively and completely inhibit platelet TxA2 independently if given p.o. or i.v., and also inhibit glomerular and medullary PG synthesis. The kinetics of the effect of ASA on platelet vs. renal cyclooxygenase is different: the inhibition being irreversible in platelets, but rapidly reversible in glomeruli and medulla. Six hours after the administration of 10 and 30 mg/kg i.v. and 30 mg/kg p.o., kidney cyclooxygenase activity recovers completely. This transient inhibition of renal cyclooxygenase is not reflected by urinary excretion of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and PGE2 (6- and 24-hr collection periods). In conclusion our present results indicate that doses of ASA enough to inhibit platelet TxA2, transiently inhibit glomerular and medullary PGI2 and PGE2. Although the inhibitory effect on platelets is long lasting, the effect on renal cyclooxygenase is transient and rapidly reversible.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

Selective inhibition of platelet thromboxane generation with low-dose aspirin does not protect rats with reduced renal mass from the development of progressive disease.

Rats with extensive renal mass reduction develop hypertension, proteinuria and progressive glomerulosclerosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that these changes are associated with an increased urinary excretion of thromboxane compared with normal rats and that the administration of a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor prevents glomerulosclerosis and progressive renal function deterioration. On this basis it has been speculated that the thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, by inhibiting platelet thromboxane, reduces platelet aggregation and prevents the generation of substances that can influence glomerular functional properties. Because the thromboxane synthetase inhibitor also inhibits thromboxane synthesis by resident glomerular cells and lowers blood pressure in these animals, the question of whether platelet thromboxane is indeed the factor implicated in the development of renal disease after renal ablation remains unanswered. To address this issue the authors administered at different time intervals from the surgical procedure a low-dose of oral aspirin (ASA) to rats with remnant kidney. This approach resulted in selective inhibition of platelet cyclooxygenase leading to an almost complete prevention of platelet thromboxane generation. Low-dose ASA spared renal cyclooxygenase as documented by a lack of significant inhibition of glomerular and urinary 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and did not lower blood pressure. Renal function studies showed that low-dose ASA, despite inhibiting platelet aggregation, had no effect on proteinuria and progressive renal insufficiency irrespectively if administered late (ie, 80 days after surgery) and given daily for all the observation period (ie, 20 days) or earlier in the course of the disease (ie, 40 and 10 days after surgery). Histologic data showed that the degree of glomerulosclerosis and tubulo-interstitial damage was not significantly different in rats with reduction of renal mass alone compared with rats with remnant kidney given low-dose ASA. In conclusion, the present findings indicate that inhibition of platelet aggregation and thromboxane formation does not prevent the progressive glomerulosclerosis that develops in rats with surgical reduction of renal mass. It is suggested that the beneficial results obtained previously in the same model by the use of a thromboxane synthesis inhibitor must be attributed either to an effect on resident glomerular cell thromboxane synthesis or to lowering systemic blood pressure.

Animals↗

Enhanced glomerular thromboxane A2 mediates some pathophysiologic effect of platelet-activating factor in rabbit nephrotoxic nephritis: evidence from biochemical measurements and inhibitor trials.

Previous studies have shown that platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor blocking has a protective effect on rabbit nephrotoxic nephritis (NTN). We examined whether arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism is altered in NTN and whether a PAF receptor antagonist has any influence on such changes. Rabbits injected with anti-glomerular basement membrane antiserum in the heterologous phase had a markedly increased glomerular thromboxane B2 (TxB2) production level, whereas no changes have been detected in glomerular 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). During the autologous phase of the disease, the glomerular TxB2 level was even higher than in the heterologous phase. The level of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha was significantly lower than normal, and the level of PGE2 was unchanged in respect to the basal values. The use of L-652,731 (a specific PAF receptor antagonist) reversed the abnormal generation of AA metabolites at glomerular level both in the heterologous and autologous phase of the disease. The effect of L-652,731 on AA metabolism is likely to be an indirect result of the PAF receptor blocking, because L-652,731 given to normal rabbits had no direct effect on glomerular AA metabolism. To assess whether the beneficial effect of L-652,731 in NTN is at least in part mediated by its capability of suppressing the excessive intrarenal synthesis of thromboxane A2 (TxA2), we compared the effect of L-652,731 with that of a selective TxA2-synthase inhibitor (FCE-22178). FCE-22178 ameliorated the morphologic expression of rabbit NTN and reduced function deterioration. The protective effect of L-652,731 on proteinuria in the autologous phase and on glomerular filtration rate in both phases was superior to that of FCE-22178. We conclude that an excessive intraglomerular synthesis of TxA2 occurs in rabbit NTN that can play a role in renal function deterioration. Both a specific PAF receptor antagonist and a TxA2-synthase inhibitor reduced the exaggerated TxA2 synthesis and favorably influenced the evolution of the disease.

Animals↗

[The sign of induced bleeding in the evaluation of individual susceptibility to periodontal disease. Experimental study in diabetic and non-diabetic patients].

The most recent hypotheses on the pathogenesis of periodontal disease have underlined the great importance exerted by individual susceptibility to the disease. The ability of a high ratio between bleeding index and plaque index as a way of identifying subjects at risk has been investigated, the values of this ratio being compared in a group of diabetic patients and in a group of non-diabetics with periodontal lesions of similar extent. The results obtained confirmed those of other Authors, testifying to the good capability of the bleeding/plaque ratio to identify patients with a high risk of developing advanced forms of periodontal disease.

Adult↗

Metabolism of arachidonic acid in isolated glomeruli from pig kidney.

Arachidonic acid metabolism in isolated glomeruli from pig kidney was investigated. Arachidonic acid metabolism via cyclooxygenase was studied by three different methodological approaches: radioimmunoassay (RIA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). By all these techniques, the major prostaglandins (PG) formed by pig glomeruli appeared to be 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and PGF2 alpha, the former being the most abundant. RIA and GC-MS also detected lower amounts of thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and PGE2. This emphasises the similarity with human glomeruli, in which the main cyclooxygenase product has indeed been reported to be 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. The lipoxygenase activity in isolated pig glomeruli, as studied by HPLC, generated 15-HETE, 12-HETE and 5-HETE. These data demonstrate that isolated glomeruli from pig kidney possess cyclooxygenase as well as lipoxygenase activity. Since a marked functional similarity exists between human and pig kidney, the pig can be regarded as a good model for studying the influence of arachidonic acid metabolites on glomerular pathophysiology.

Animals↗

Increased urinary excretion of thromboxane B2 and 2,3-dinor-TxB2 in cyclosporin A nephrotoxicity.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) administration to rats is associated with a selective increase in urinary excretion of immunoreactive thromboxane B2 (i-TxB2), the stable breakdown product of TxA2. The exaggerated synthesis of TxA2 may play a role in the reduction of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) observed both in animals and humans undergoing CsA treatment. The present study was designed to get further insight into the origin of the abnormal i-TxB2 urinary excretion. Rats given orally CsA (50 mg/kg/day) for 30 days had a significant increase in the urinary excretion of both 2,3-dinor-TxB2 and TxB2 measured by technique of capillary column gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (HRGC-NICIMS). Urinary TxB2 is more likely to reflect the renal synthesis of the parent compound, whereas 2,3-dinor-TxB2 is considered to reflect the amount of TxB2 formed in the circulation. Experiments in isolated perfused kidney (IPK) taken from animals given CsA for 30 days showed a lower percentage increase in urinary TxB2 over vehicle treated animals. Moreover in IPK the ratio 2,3-dinor-TxB2/TxB2 was lower than in vivo. The amount of i-TxB2 detectable in serum of animals given CsA was not different from that of control animals. In contrast, isolated glomeruli taken from rats given CsA had an increase in their TxA2 synthesis measured as i-TxB2 in the supernatants. Ultrastructural studies on kidney specimens from animals given CsA showed a focal glomerular endothelial damage together with a marked infiltration of blood borne cells of monocyte-macrophage type in the glomerular tuft. In contrast, kidney specimens taken from IPK preparations were devoid of inflammatory cells. In vitro CsA did not interfere with platelet arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism as shown by a normal i-TxB2 generation in vitro by rat platelet-rich plasma (PRP) exposed to CsA and then challenged with AA or ADP. Similarly isolated glomeruli and isolated proximal tubules from normal rats when challenged with CsA in vitro converted AA into TxA2 normally. It is suggested that the cause of the increased urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-TxB2 is the consequence of intrarenal platelet and macrophage activation, probably triggered by the endothelial damage. The parallel increase in the urinary excretion of unmetabolized TxB2 is likely to reflect a concomitant activation of resident renal cell AA metabolism induced by CsA.

Animals↗

Prolonged bleeding time and increased vascular prostacyclin in rats with chronic renal failure: effects of conjugated estrogens.

The aim of our study was to assess whether the development of chronic uremia in rats with extensive renal mass ablation was associated with an impairment of primary hemostasis as occurs in humans with terminal uremia. We also wanted to assess whether uremic rats had an increased generation of vascular prostacyclin (PGI2) and whether conjugated estrogens could influence such an abnormality. Our results showed that the development of chronic renal failure in rats was associated with a significant prolongation of bleeding time as reported in humans. Thoracic aorta and inferior vena cava specimens from uremic rats produced significantly more 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (the stable breakdown product of PGI2) than did specimens from the corresponding controls. Conjugated estrogens significantly shortened the bleeding time of uremic rats. The effect on bleeding time was detectable in the majority of animals within 4 hours from conjugated estrogen injection, reached its maximum at 24 hours, and returned to preinjection values within 72 hours from conjugated estrogen injection. Estrogen administration did not influence the generation of vascular PGI2. It is concluded that the model of extensive renal ablation in the rat is a suitable one to study changes in primary hemostasis in chronic renal failure and that the effect of estrogens on primary hemostasis in uremia is not mediated by changes in vascular PGI2.

Animals↗

Antibody-mediated extraction/negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometric measurement of thromboxane B2 and 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2 in human and rat urine.

An antibody-mediated extraction method for gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) urinary metabolites is reported. An antibody (Ab) raised against thromboxane B2 (TXB2) (35% cross-reacting with 2,3-dinor-TXB2) was coupled to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B (Se) and used as stationary phase for simultaneous extraction of both compounds from urine. After addition of deuterium-labeled TXB2 as internal standard, rat or human urine was percolated through a small Ab-Se column. After being washed, the eluate was directly derivatized to the pentafluorobenzyl ester, methyloxime, and trimethylsilyl ether. Quantitation was performed by high-resolution gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry, monitoring the carboxylate anions. This method was applied to evaluate the urinary excretion of TXB2 and 2,3-dinor-TXB2 in humans and rats. We report on the excretion of 2,3-dinor-TXB2 in the rat. This novel approach to the extraction of urinary thromboxanes is more convenient than currently available methods in terms of simplicity, rapidity, and recovery. This method could be extended to any other prostanoid for which an antibody could be obtained.

Animals↗

Indomethacin reduces proteinuria in passive Heymann nephritis in rats.

Indomethacin has been used to lower proteinuria in human glomerular diseases with controversial results. The mechanism of indomethacin beneficial effects has not been established. A possible explanation is that indomethacin reduces proteinuria by inhibiting the synthesis of renal prostaglandins (PGs); however, appropriate studies to address this issue have never been done. The objectives of the present study were: to investigate whether indomethacin influences protein excretion in an experimental model of immunologically-mediated glomerular disease; to establish if the possible favorable effect of indomethacin on proteinuria is related to a reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR); to establish the possible association between the antiproteinuric effect of indomethacin and its inhibitory effect on arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites of renal or extrarenal origin; and to further investigate the relationship between proteinuria and renal thromboxane (Tx) synthesis previously demonstrated in experimental models of nephrotoxic nephritis and adriamycin (ADR) nephrosis. To this purpose we used an experimental immune-complex disease, passive Heymann nephritis (PHN) which was induced in the rat by a single intravenous (i.v.) injection of heterologous serum directed against a brush border component (gp 330 antigen). Indomethacin at a dose of 6 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered for four consecutive days to PHN animals during the period of heavy proteinuria, effectively reduced urinary protein excretion. The reduction in proteinuria does not appear to be a consequence of a reduction in GFR as documented by inulin clearance. Glomerular synthesis and urinary excretion of vasodilatory prostacyclin (PGI2) and PGE2 were decreased or unchanged in PHN animals in respect to control animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Moderate doses of aspirin and risk of bleeding in renal failure.

Uraemic patients have a bleeding tendency thought to be due to platelet functional abnormalities, but haemodialysis paradoxically exposes patients to the thrombotic complications of arteriovenous shunts. Possible treatments of the latter have been debated. The effect of 100 mg/m2 aspirin on haemostatic function was studied in 29 uraemic patients on chronic haemodialysis who had normal or only slightly prolonged bleeding times. Aspirin did not significantly affect bleeding time in healthy controls but prolonged it in uraemic patients. In 12 of the 29 uraemic patients, the bleeding time after aspirin was longer than 15 min. Aspirin completely abolished thromboxane A2 generation by both control and uraemic platelets, indicating that its effect in uraemic patients is not due to differential inhibition of platelet cyclo-oxygenase. Products of lipoxygenase enzyme and factor VIII von Willebrand factor did not seem to have a role. A careful risk-benefit evaluation is necessary before giving aspirin to uraemic patients on haemodialysis to prevent thrombosis of the arteriovenous shunt.

Adolescent↗

Functional significance of exaggerated renal thromboxane A2 synthesis induced by cyclosporin A.

Animals and humans undergoing a chronic treatment with cyclosporin A (CyA) show a reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The cause of this abnormality has not been established. Since CyA interferes with arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism in various cells, we wished to determine whether alterations in renal AA metabolites contribute to deteriorating renal function in rats on CyA. We show that chronic CyA treatment induces a progressive increase in the renal synthesis of thromboxane (TX) A2. This is a selective abnormality in that CyA does not influence the renal synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostacyclin (PGI2). A significant negative correlation has been found between TXB2 urinary excretion rate and inulin clearance. No correlation has been observed between TXB2 excretion and p-aminohippuric acid clearance. The withdrawal of CyA is followed by a normalization of both TXB2 urinary excretion rate and GFR. The administration of a selective TXA2 inhibitor, UK-38,485, resulted in a significant reduction in urinary excretion of TXB2 accompanied by a significant increase in GFR. We conclude that chronic treatment with CyA in rats is associated with a selective increase in renal TXA2 synthesis and suggest that this abnormality may play a role in the reduction of GFR.

Animals↗

Effect of aspirin and sulindac in rabbit nephrotoxic nephritis.

Glomerular damage in nephrotoxic nephritis is mediated by circulating cells (neutrophils, platelets, and macrophages) infiltrating the glomerular tuft and responsible for the inflammatory reactions. It has been suggested that inflammatory cells may participate in glomerular inflammation through the synthesis and release of eicosanoids derived from the metabolism of arachidonic acid. On the other hand, old data and recent evidence indicate that eicosanoids derived from renal arachidonic acid metabolism play an important role in maintaining hemodynamics, especially in disease conditions. We wanted to evaluate the differential role of arachidonic acid metabolites derived from circulating or renal cells on the evolution of nephrotoxic nephritis. We used a nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, aspirin, which blocks eicosanoid synthesis both in circulating cells and in renal tissue, as compared with a selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, sulindac, which inhibits arachidonic acid metabolism in circulating cells, partially sparing renal cyclooxygenase. Aspirin, at a dosage that almost completely inhibits both circulating cell and renal arachidonate metabolites, worsens the morphologic expression of rabbit nephrotoxic nephritis and negatively influences the clinical course of the disease. Sulindac, at a dose that suppresses circulating platelet cyclooxygenase activity by 90%, but only partially affects renal prostaglandin synthesis, prevents extracapillary proliferation and reduces proteinuria without negative influence on glomerular hemodynamics.

Animals↗

Role of renal prostaglandins in normal and nephrotic rats with diet-induced hyperfiltration.

Changes in glomerular hemodynamics have been observed in animals and humans after a high-protein feeding. It has been postulated that these changes can induce progressive deterioration of renal function favoring loss of glomerular permselectivity properties and subsequent glomerulosclerosis, especially when the renal mass is already reduced surgically or by a disease process. We studied the consequence of long-term protein supplementation on renal function parameters in normal animals and in animals affected by adriamycin nephrosis, a model of renal damage that closely mimics human "minimal change". We also wanted to investigate whether vasodilatory prostaglandins (PGs) generated at the renal level are responsible for the adaptive hemodynamic changes that follow dietary manipulation in normal animals and in animals with experimental nephrosis. The model of glomerular damage we used is characterized by heavy and persistent proteinuria induced in the rat by adriamycin (ADR). Two isocaloric diets were selected containing 20% and 35% protein. High-protein feeding induced a significant increase in glomerular filtration rate in both normal and nephrotic animals. In normal animals the high-protein diet did not modify the urinary excretion of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, the stable breakdown product of prostacyclin (PGI2), but significantly reduced urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2. In nephrotic rats, the high-protein diet increased urinary excretion of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, without modifying urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2. Glomerular synthesis of vasodilatory prostaglandins paralleled the urinary excretion pattern. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin effectively inhibited urinary excretion of vasodilatory PGs but did not prevent hyperfiltration in normal animals fed the high-protein diet. At variance, when given to nephrotic animals fed the high-protein diet, indomethacin at a dose that reduced 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and prostaglandin E2 urinary excretion by 84% and 93%, respectively, inhibited hyperfiltration. We conclude that the same hemodynamic changes that occur in normal animals given a high-protein diet also take place when glomeruli are uniformly damaged by a disease process as in ADR nephrosis. However, whereas hyperfiltration in normal animals appears to be independent of renal PGs, in nephrotic animals an enhanced renal synthesis of PGI2 appears to play a crucial role in the adaptive changes responsible for hyperfiltration.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗