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Biomedical subjects

B Schiermeyer

Publications and source records attributed to B Schiermeyer.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

The fibrinolytic system in chronic renal failure.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) face a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Impaired fibrinolysis has recently been acknowledged to function as a risk factor for cardiovascular ischemic complications. Whether changes in fibrinolytic function contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk in CRF, however, remains unclear. METHODS: In the present study, tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its main antagonist plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI- 1) were determined in 12 subjects with normal renal function (group A) [serum creatinine (Cr) <1.3 mg/dl], 24 patients with impaired renal function (Cr 1.3-6.5 mg/dl) (group B) and 22 patients with endstage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (Cr>6.5 mg/dl) (group C). RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of PAI-1 and t-PA antigen as well as the PAI-1:t-PA molar ratio were unchanged in group B as compared to group A. However, in ESRD patients (group C), t-PA concentrations markedly decreased [13.7 +/- 2.9 ng/ml vs. 32.8 +/- 4.7 ng/ml (group B, p <0.01) and 35.4 +/- 8.4 ng/ml (group A, p <0.01)] while PAI-1 antigen concentrations remained in the control range. Thus, the PAI-1:t-PA molar ratio significantly increased in group C patients [12.4 +/- 4. 0 vs. 6.0 +/- 2.5 (group B; p<0.01) and 4.5 +/- 1.7 (group A; p<0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: From our data it may be suggested that fibrinolysis is markedly disturbed in ESRD due to a decreased availability of t-PA. Thus, it may be speculated that the development of atherothrombotic events in hemodialysis patients is, at least in part, due to an impaired fibrinolysis.

Adult↗

Effects of the mineralocorticoid fludrocortisone on fibrinolytic function in healthy subjects.

Recent evidence suggests that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) may participate in the regulation of fibrinolytic function. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is the primary candidate to mediate this inter-relationship, since this peptide is capable of stimulating plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in vitro and in vivo. It has been suggested that aldosterone may also modulate fibrinolysis, possibly by interacting with Ang II. The present study therefore investigates the effect of short-term treatment with the synthetic mineralocorticoid fludrocortisone (F) on fibrinolytic function. Ten healthy male volunteers, aged 25 to 30 years, on a constant intake of 160-180 mmol Na(+) and 60-80 mmol K(+), were studied on a control day (C1), after two days of oral administration of F (0.1 mg b.d.), and again three days after cessation of F (C2). F was associated with a marked decrease in plasma renin activity (PRA) from 0.91 +/- 0.45 ng ml(-1) h(-1) to 0.34 +/- 0.29 ng ml(-1) h(-1) (p=0.005), which returned to the baseline range at C2 (0.65 +/- 0.45 ng ml(-1) h(-1); p=0.032). The experimental protocol was not associated with significant changes in the activity or antigen concentration of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). PAI-1 exhibited a circadian rhythm with highest values at 0800 hours (41.8 +/- 9.1 ng/ml), decreasing by 1230 hours (22.6 +/- 5.9 ng/ml), with a further decrease at 1630 hours (12.3 +/- 3.1 ng/ml). At all three time points, PAI-1 remained unchanged by the mineralocorticoid. Our results therefore do not support a major mineralocorticoid effect on PAI-1. However, our study does not exclude a modulatory role of F, since unchanged PAI-1 could be observed in spite of a marked suppression of the RAAS.

Adult↗

Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR): a sensitive method to examine basic fibroblast growth factor-induced expression of the early growth response gene-1 (egr-1) in human umbilical arterial endothelial cells.

Immediate-early genes are expressed upon growth and differentiation in a large variety of cells and species. In the present study we investigated the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on early growth response gene-1 (egr-1)-mRNA expression in human umbilical arterial endothelial cells (HUAEC). The detection of this gene in HUAEC was performed by Northern blotting and by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For RT-PCR specific primers for egr-1 and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were constructed and PCR conditions were optimized. bFGF induced a time- and concentration-dependent increase of egr-1 expression. Maximal expression occurred within 30 min of stimulation with bFGF at a concentration of 50-100 ng ml-1. RT-PCR gave highly reproducible and specific results. The comparison of both methods showed comparable results but a higher sensitivity for RT-PCR in detecting the egr-1 mRNA. RT-PCR is an excellent method for detecting the expression of egr-1 mRNA in HUAEC.

Base Sequence↗

Native low-density lipoprotein (LDL) induces the expression of the early growth response gene-1 in human umbilical arterial endothelial cells.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is thought to be involved in the growth of various cell types including human endothelial cells. Nevertheless, little is known about the signal transduction mechanisms underlying the growth-promoting effects of LDL in endothelial cells. Furthermore, the question whether native LDL participates in the described effects remains unanswered. Here, we show that native LDL induces a dose-dependent elevation in free intracellular Ca(2+)-concentration ([Ca2+]i) as well as a rapid and prolonged increase in intracellular pH (pHi) in human umbilical arterial endothelial cells (HUAEC). Native LDL induces a dose-dependent increase of early growth response gene-1 (egr-1) mRNA expression. The effect is maximal 30 min after addition of LDL to the culture medium. Moreover, native LDL causes an increase in DNA-synthesis and cell proliferation. In addition, the effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) on HUAEC proliferation was enhanced by native LDL.

Calcium↗

Oxymetazoline enhances epidermal- and platelet-derived growth factor-induced DNA synthesis.

In the present study, the effect of 10(-9) to 10(-6) M epinephrine (alpha- and beta-agonist), norepinephrine (alpha- and beta 1-antagonist) isoproterenol (beta-agonist) salbutamol (beta 2-agonist), phenylephrine (alpha 1-agonist) and oxymetazoline (mainly alpha 2-agonist) on DNA synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from rat aorta has been investigated. Our results show that only oxymetazoline induced a moderate dose-dependent elevation of [3H]thymidine incorporation into cell DNA (10(-6) M, 100-300%). Epidermal growth factor (EGF) (50 ng/ml) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB induced an elevation of the [3H]thymidine incorporation into cell DNA from 154 +/- 7 (basal value) to 1270 +/- 95 and 1552 +/- 178 cpm/microgram protein (mean +/- S.D., n = 3). Oxymetazoline (10(-6) M) and phenylephrine induced an increase of [3H]thymidine incorporation to 368 +/- 53 and 205 +/- 27 cpm/microgram protein, respectively. In contrast to phenylephrine, oxymetazoline caused an elevation of the PDGF-BB- and EGF-induced [3H]thymidine incorporation to 1561 +/- 143 and 2086 +/- 235 (means S.D., n = 3), respectively. In addition, EGF (1 to 50 ng/ml) induced a dose-dependent increase of [3H]thymidine incorporation from 154 +/- 7 (basal value) to 486 +/- 35 (1 ng/ml), 912 +/- 74 (5 ng/ml), 1019 +/- 40 (25 ng/ml) and 1270 +/- 95 (50 ng/ml) cpm/microgram protein (mean +/- S.D.). In the presence of 10(-6) M oxymetazoline, 1, 5, 25 and 50 ng/ml EGF caused an increase of [3H]thymidine incorporation to 633 +/- 101, 1124 +/- 87, 1231 +/- 101, and 1561 +/- 89 cpm/microgram protein (mean +/- S.D.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenergic Agonists↗