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D W Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to D W Johnson.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

In vitro effects of simvastatin on tubulointerstitial cells in a human model of cyclosporin nephrotoxicity.

To investigate the possibility that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMGCoA) reductase inhibitors ameliorate renal disease via direct effects on the tubulointerstitium, primary cultures of human proximal tubule cells (PTC) and renal cortical fibroblasts (CF) were exposed for 24 h to simvastatin (0.1-10 micromol/l) under basal conditions and in the presence of 1,000 ng/ml of cyclosporin (CsA), which we have previously shown to promote in vitro interstitial matrix accumulation at least partially via activation of local cytokine networks. Simvastatin, in micromolar concentrations, engendered cholesterol-independent inhibition of CF and PTC thymidine incorporation and cholesterol-dependent suppression of PTC apical Na+/H+ exchange (NHE) (ethylisopropylamiloride-sensitive apical 22Na+ uptake). Similarly, CF secretion of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF binding protein-3 were depressed, whereas CF collagen synthesis ([3H]proline incorporation) and PTC secretion of the fibrogenic cytokines, transforming growth factor-beta1, and platelet-derived growth factor were unaffected. A lower concentration (0.1 micromol/l) of simvastatin did not affect any of the above parameters under basal conditions but completely prevented CsA-stimulated CF collagen synthesis (control, 6.6 +/- 0.6; CsA, 8.3 +/- 0.6; CsA+simvastatin, 6.2 +/- 0.5%; P < 0.05) and IGF-I secretion (89.5 +/- 16.6, 204.7 +/- 57.0, and 94.6 +/- 22.3 ng. mg protein-1. day-1, respectively; P < 0.05). The results suggest that simvastatin exerts direct cholesterol-dependent and -independent effects on the human kidney tubulointerstitium. HMGCoA reductase inhibitors may ameliorate interstitial fibrosis complicating CsA therapy via direct actions on human renal cortical fibroblasts.

Aged↗

Human diabetic neovascular membranes contain high levels of urokinase and metalloproteinase enzymes.

PURPOSE: Retinal neovascularization is one of the leading causes of blindness. A crucial event in this process is the remodeling and penetration of the capillary basement membrane by migrating endothelial cells. This process requires proteolysis of basement membrane components by a variety of proteinases. The objective of the present study was to determine the expression of proteinases in human retinal tissues showing active neovascularization. METHODS: Epiretinal neovascular membranes surgically removed from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy were analyzed by zymography, and the types and amounts of proteinases present in the tissues were determined. Retinas from nondiabetic donor eyes served as control specimens. RESULTS: Both the high- (54 kDa) and low- (33 kDa) molecular-weight forms of urokinase were present at significantly higher levels in neovascular membranes than in normal retinas. The pro forms of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly elevated in the neovascular membranes in comparison with levels in normal retinas. In addition, the active forms of these enzymes were present in the membranes, whereas there was no detectable level of the active forms in normal retinas. CONCLUSIONS: Human diabetic neovascular membranes contain high levels of urokinase and MMP. The increased activity of proteinases in the final common pathway of retinal neovascularization indicates that inhibition of these enzymes may be a useful therapeutic target as an alternative approach in the management of proliferative retinopathies.

Aged↗

Cyclosporin exerts a direct fibrogenic effect on human tubulointerstitial cells: roles of insulin-like growth factor I, transforming growth factor beta1, and platelet-derived growth factor.

To assess the direct fibrogenic effects of cyclosporin A (CyA) on the human tubulointerstitium, primary cultures of human renal proximal tubule cells (PTC) and renal cortical fibroblasts (CF) were incubated for 24 h with various concentrations of CyA. Cytotoxicity was confirmed in both cell populations by dose-dependent inhibition of thymidine incorporation, viability, and PTC apical sodium-hydrogen exchange activity (ethylisopropylamiloride-sensitive apical 22Na+ uptake). Compared with controls, both 500 and 1000 ng/ml CyA significantly stimulated CF collagen synthesis (proline incorporation 4.6 +/- 0.4, 6.5 +/- 0.8, and 7.1 +/- 1.0%, respectively; p <.05) and inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-2 (100%, 85.7 +/- 10.0%, and 38.8 +/- 9.2%) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity (100%, 110.6 +/- 19.0%, and 49.9 +/- 12.8%). CyA did not affect CF secretion of transforming growth factor beta1, but markedly stimulated insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) secretion and inhibited secretion of both IGF-I binding protein-(IGFBP)-3 and IGFBP-2. CyA-induced CF collagen synthesis was abrogated by 5 microgram/ml anti-IGF-I receptor antibody, but not by 5 microgram/ml murine nonimmune globulin. Increasing concentrations of CyA progressively augmented PTC secretion of the fibrogenic cytokines transforming growth factor-beta1 and platelet-derived growth factor. These results indicate that clinically relevant concentrations of CyA are directly toxic to PTC and CF, irrespective of hemodynamic effects, and promote interstitial fibrosis by inhibiting matrix degradation and stimulating cortical fibroblast collagen synthesis via induction of autocrine IGF-I action. The latter effect may be further accentuated by the ability of CyA to augment secretion of transforming growth factor beta1 and platelet-derived growth factor by PTCs.

Cell Survival↗

Fungal spinal osteomyelitis in the immunocompromised patient: MR findings in three cases.

The MR imaging findings of fungal spinal osteomyelitis in three recipients of organ transplants showed hypointensity of the vertebral bodies on T1-weighted sequences in all cases. Signal changes and enhancement extended into the posterior elements in two cases. Multiple-level disease was present in two cases (with a total of five intervertebral disks involved in three cases). All cases lacked hyperintensity within the disks on T2-weighted images. In addition, the intranuclear cleft was preserved in four of five affected disks at initial MR imaging. MR features in Candida and Aspergillus spondylitis that are distinct from pyogenic osteomyelitis include absence of disk hyperintensity and preservation of the intranuclear cleft on T2-weighted images. Prompt recognition of these findings may avoid delay in establishing a diagnosis and instituting treatment of opportunistic osteomyelitis in the immunocompromised patient.

Aspergillosis↗

A comparison of nebulized budesonide, intramuscular dexamethasone, and placebo for moderately severe croup.

BACKGROUND: In children with croup, treatment with nebulized budesonide decreases symptoms, but it is uncertain how budesonide compares with dexamethasone, the conventional therapy for croup, and whether either reduces the rate of hospitalization. METHODS: We performed a double-blind, randomized trial involving 144 children with moderately severe croup. The children were treated with racepinephrine and a single dose of 4 mg of nebulized budesonide (48 children), 0.6 mg of intramuscular dexamethasone per kilogram of body weight (47 children), or placebo (49 children). The children were assessed before treatment and then hourly for five hours after treatment. Physicians who were unaware of the treatment assignments determined the children's need for further treatment and hospitalization. RESULTS: The characteristics of the groups were similar at base line, including the types of viruses identified, the types of croup, and the clinical severity of the illness. The overall rates of hospitalization were 71 percent in the placebo group (35 of 49 children), 38 percent in the budesonide group (18 of 48 children), and 23 percent in the dexamethasone group (11 of 47 children) (unadjusted P=0.001 for the comparison of budesonide with placebo, P<0.001 for the comparison of dexamethasone with placebo, and P=0.18 for the comparison of budesonide with dexamethasone). Children treated with budesonide or dexamethasone had a greater improvement in croup scores than those given placebo (P=0.03 and P<0.001, respectively), and those treated with dexamethasone had a greater improvement than those treated with budesonide (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In children with moderately severe croup, treatment with intramuscular dexamethasone or nebulized budesonide resulted in more rapid clinical improvement than did the administration of placebo, with dexamethasone offering the greatest improvement. Treatment with either glucocorticoid resulted in fewer hospitalizations.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Role of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in human post-nephrectomy proximal tubule cells.

1. In order to determine the role of the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)/IGF binding protein (IGFBP) axis in the augmentation of tubule growth and function following reductions in nephron mass, primary cultures of human proximal tubule cells (PTCs) were generated from the histologically normal sections of ten surgically removed kidneys. 2. PTC hypertrophy (cellular protein content), DNA synthesis (thymidine incorporation) and apical sodium-hydrogen exchange (NHE) activity (ethylisopropylamiloride-sensitive apical 22Na+ uptake) were measured following 24 h incubation in media supplemented with 10 % pre- or post-nephrectomy sera obtained from these patients. The results were compared with the effects of pre- and post-operative control sera collected from seven patients undergoing retroperitoneal operations not involving removal of renal tissue. 3. Day 1 post-nephrectomy sera promoted a significant 73 % increase in apical NHE activity, which was accompanied by a significant increase in PTC binding of 125I-IGF-I (post- vs. pre-nephrectomy, 163 +/- 6 vs. 142 +/- 4 fmol (mg protein)-1; P < 0.05). Subsequent post-nephrectomy sera significantly stimulated PTC protein content and thymidine incorporation, peaking at day 7 (127.7 +/- 14.0 and 118.4 +/- 9.0 % of pre-nephrectomy values, respectively; P < 0.05). The growth effects were cell specific, as they were not observed with renal cortical fibroblasts. No change was detected in any of these measured variables following exposure to control sera. 4. Serum IGF-I and IGFBP-1 levels did not significantly change over time or between groups. IGFBP-3 levels progressively decreased in both control and nephrectomized sera from pre-operative values of 3580 +/- 305 and 3360 +/- 217 ng ml-1, respectively, to 2670 +/- 341 and 2600 +/- 347 ng ml-1 at 1 week post-operation. Serum IGFBP-2 levels increased to a comparable extent in both controls (day 0 vs. day 7, 2940 +/- 1024 vs. 7010 +/- 2520 ng ml-1; P < 0.01) and nephrectomized patients (day 0 vs. day 7, 3070 +/- 656 vs. 9130 +/- 2010 ng ml-1; P < 0.01). 5. The results indicate that nephrectomy engenders the elaboration of one or more humoral factor(s), which promotes increased binding of IGF-I to PTCs and which may in turn specifically stimulate PTC Na+ transport and growth.

Cell Size↗

C112R, W323S, N317K mutations in the vasopressin V2 receptor gene in patients with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Mutations in brief no. 165. Online.

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) is a rare, mostly X-linked recessive disorder characterized by renal tubular resistance to the antidiuretic effect of arginine vasopressin. The gene responsible for the X-linked NDI, the G-protein-coupled vasopressin V2 receptor, has been localized on the Xq28 region. In this study we present three NDI families from Hungary with three different missense mutations in the vasopressin V2 receptor gene. After the mutations in the affected probands in each family had been characterized, other family members were screened by restriction enzyme analysis. The N317K and W323S mutations have not been detected previously. The C112R is an already known mutation. The N317K was a de novo mutation in the patient. The C112R and the W323S were found in the mothers of the patients as carriers and in all other patients, but not in the unaffected members of the families. Segregation of the mutations was consistent with the clinically observed symptoms as well as their severity. As conclusion, these findings further evidence that X-linked NDI results from defects in the V2 receptor gene.

Diabetes Insipidus, Nephrogenic↗

Serotonin neuronal release from dorsal hippocampus following electrical stimulation of the dorsal and median raphé nuclei in conscious rats.

We have studied 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) release in the hippocampal formation following electrical stimulation of the dorsal and median raphé nuclei in the behaving rat. The primary finding in this study is a decrease in neuronal release of serotonin in the dorsal hippocampal formation following electrical stimulation of either the dorsal or median raphé nucleus in conscious rats. At no time did electrical stimulation of either raphé nucleus result in behavioral, including vigilance state, changes. The amount of 5-HT released was found to be frequency dependent with higher frequencies (20 Hz) producing larger decreases in release of 5-HT. However, the pattern of release differs between the two raphé nuclei. Extracellular levels of 5-HT decrease during stimulation of the dorsal raphé, whereas levels decrease only following cessation of stimulation of the median raphé nucleus. This may relate to the patterns of innervation of the dorsal hippocampal formation by these two midbrain raphé nuclei and also may reflect an inhibition of median raphé cell firing during stimulation of the dorsal raphé. Electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphé in anesthetized animals resulted in an enhanced release of 5-HT. The suppression of 5-HT release in the dorsal hippocampal formation in behaving animals was long-lasting (over 2 h), suggesting that the control mechanisms that regulate 5-HT release operate over a long time-course. This difference in release between non-anesthetized and anesthetized animals may relate to anesthesia blocking long- and/or short-loop serotonin recurrent axonal collaterals negatively feeding back onto 5-HT1A and 5-HT1D somatodendritic autoreceptors on raphé neurons. Further, the anesthetized animal has diminished monoaminergic "gating" influences on the hippocampal formation, whereas the behaving animal is more complex with behavioral (vigilance) states associated with different patterns of gating of information flow through the hippocampal formation.

Animals↗

Physiological changes in extracellular sodium directly control human proximal tubule growth and transport.

In order to examine the nature and potential mechanisms of action of extracellular sodium on human proximal tubule growth and transport, quiescent primary cultures of human proximal tubule cells (PTC) were incubated for 24 h in serum-free, growth-factor-free culture media containing low (130 mmol/l), control (140 mmol/l) or high (150 mmol/l) Na+. Compared to control conditions, cells exposed to a high Na+ concentration demonstrated stimulated thymidine incorporation (121.8 +/- 7.6%, P < 0.05) and increased cellular protein content (139.7 +/- 9.9%, P < 0.05); the latter arising from suppressed protein degradation ([3H]valine release 72.3 +/- 2.5%, P < 0.01) and unchanged protein synthesis ([3H]valine incorporation 98.5 +/- 2.6%, P > 0.1). Substitution of choline chloride for NaCl did not replicate these effects. Conversely, cells incubated in low-Na+ media showed reduced thymidine incorporation (77.2 +/- 4.4%, P < 0. 05), reduced protein synthesis (60.6 +/- 4.3%, P < 0.01), reduced protein degradation (79.5 +/- 1.8%, P < 0.01) and an unaltered protein content (102.4 +/- 8.8%). A role for apical Na+/H+ exchange (NHE) activity in mediating Na+-dependent alterations in PTC growth was suggested by the findings of increased apical, ethylisopropylamiloride- (EIPA)-sensitive 22Na+ uptake in the presence of a high Na+ concentration (159 +/- 19% of control, P < 0. 05) and concentration-dependent inhibition of cellular growth by EIPA at levels corresponding to those producing inhibition of apical NHE. Conditioned media from low Na+, control or high Na+ PTC contained comparable amounts of platelet-derived growth factor-AB (1. 19 +/- 0.23, 1.14 +/- 0.22 and 1.28 +/- 0.20 ng/mg protein, P > 0.1) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (1.76 +/- 0.32, 1.73 +/- 0.33 and 1.45 +/- 0.28 ng/mg protein, P > 0.1), and did not exhibit autocrine growth factor activity on separate PTC following adjustment of Na+ concentrations to 140 mmol/l by dialysis. Similarly, low-Na+, control or high-Na+ media did not modify the mitogenic responsiveness of PTC to insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) or alter the affinity or number of PTC IGF-I binding sites. The results confirm that physiological increases in extracellular Na+ concentration directly stimulate human proximal tubule growth and Na+ transport. Such stimulation does not appear to be mediated by altered PTC secretion of, or responsiveness to, cytokines known to affect tubule growth and transport.

Aged↗

Anterior uveitis and hypotony after intravenous cidofovir for the treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the incidence and risk factors for the development of anterior uveitis in patients receiving intravenous cidofovir for the treatment of longstanding cytomegalovirus retinitis. DESIGN: The study design was a retrospective cohort. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen patients (30 eyes) receiving parenteral cidofovir for the treatment of complicated cytomegalovirus retinitis participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The clinical response to parenteral cidofovir; the occurrence of anterior uveitis, and the management and outcome of patients with this complication; and the effect of cidofovir on intraocular pressure measurements were measured. RESULTS: There was no progression or relapse of retinitis in patients receiving intravenous cidofovir. Eight (44%) of the 18 patients developed anterior uveitis, which occurred after a median of 4 doses of intravenous cidofovir. The median CD4+ cell count at the time of development of iritis was 101/mm3. Patients who developed uveitis had a mean increase in serum creatinine over baseline measurements (P = 0.05). The use of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitors was not different between both groups of patients (P = 1.0). The development of anterior uveitis and visually significant hypotony necessitated withdrawal of cidofovir in only one patient. CONCLUSIONS: Anterior uveitis was a common complication after intravenous cidofovir therapy. Despite the frequency of this complication, continued treatment with intravenous cidofovir was possible in the majority of patients. Patients with anterior uveitis after intravenous cidofovir may be treated successfully with topical corticosteroid therapy and cycloplegic agents.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Paracrine stimulation of human renal fibroblasts by proximal tubule cells.

UNLABELLED: Paracrine stimulation of human renal fibroblasts by proximal tubule cells. BACKGROUND: Interstitial fibrosis strongly predicts the degree and progression of renal failure in human renal disorders. Since active fibrosis tends to initially occur in a peritubular distribution, the possibility that human proximal tubule cells (PTC) relay fibrogenic signals to neighboring cortical fibroblasts was examined in vitro. METHODS: Cell proliferation (cell counts and thymidine incorporation), total collagen synthesis (proline incorporation), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity (gelatin zymography), and autocrine secretion of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were measured in primary cultures of human cortical fibroblasts cocultured with PTC or exposed to PTC-conditioned media (PTCCM). RESULTS: Cell numbers and thymidine incorporation rates were increased in cortical fibroblasts cocultured with PTC (136.4+/-7.3% and 119.3+/-8.2% of control values, respectively, P < 0.05) or incubated in PTC-CM (114.0+/-5.9%, P < 0.05 and 146.7+/-13.3%, P < 0.05, respectively). PTC-CM stimulated cortical fibroblast collagen synthesis (13.5+/-1.0% vs. 10.8+/-0.7%, respectively, N = 24, P < 0.05) and MMP-2 and MMP-9 secretion. Cortical fibroblast secretion of IGF-I binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), which in turn modulates the autocrine and paracrine actions of IGF-I, was enhanced in the presence of PTC-CM compared with control (1162.2+/-94.2 vs. 969.1+/-58.9 ng/mg protein/day, P < 0.05), but no change was observed in cortical fibroblast secretion of IGFBP-2 (260.9+/-38.8 vs. 290.9+/-36.6 ng/mg protein/day, P = NS) or IGF-I (56.7+/-6.6 vs. 57.0+/-6.8 ng/mg protein/day, P = NS). Human PTC secreted transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and the AB heterodimer of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AB) in a time-dependent fashion and the augmentation of cortical fibroblasts mitogenesis, collagen synthesis and IGFBP-3 secretion induced by PTC-CM was replicated by exogenous TGF-beta1 and PDGF. Furthermore, the stimulatory effects of PTC on cortical fibroblasts were potentiated in transiently acidified PTC-CM (which activated latent TGF-beta1), and were abrogated by neutralizing antibodies specifically directed against TGF-beta1 and PDGF-AB. Cortical fibroblasts in turn released a soluble factor(s) into cortical fibroblast-conditioned media that reciprocally stimulated PDGF-AB production by PTC (4.79+/-1.55 vs. 0.78+/-.06 ng/mg protein/day, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PTC modulate the biological behavior of neighboring cortical fibroblasts in the human kidney through paracrine mechanisms, which include the production and release of PDGF-AB and TGF-beta1. Renal insults that result in proximal tubule injury may perturb this paracrine interaction, thereby culminating in excessive fibroblast proliferation and interstitial fibrosis.

Adult↗

Renal expression of transforming growth factor-beta inducible gene-h3 (beta ig-h3) in normal and diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of kidney diseases characterized by glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. TGF-beta is secreted in a latent form requiring extracellular modification to become biologically active. TGF-beta inducible gene-h3 (beta ig-h3) is a recently identified TGF-beta-induced gene product. The present study sought to examine beta ig-h3 expression in normal and diabetic rats. METHODS: Beta ig-h3, TGF-beta1 and alpha1 (IV) collagen gene expression were assessed by Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization in 20 Sprague Dawley rats, randomly assigned to receive streptozotocin (diabetic, N = 11) or citrate buffer alone (control, N = 9) and sacrificed eight months later. The effect of exogenous TGF-beta1 on beta ig-h3 expression was also assessed in cultured proximal tubular cells. RESULTS: In situ hybridization localized beta ig-h3 gene expression to the juxtaglomerular apparatus and the pars recta (S3 segment) of proximal tubules in both control and diabetic animals. Kidney TGF-beta 1, beta ig-h3 and alpha1 (IV) collagen mRNA from diabetic rats were increased two- to threefold compared with controls (P < 0.01). There was a significant correlation between TGF-beta1 and beta ig-h3 gene expression in kidneys from diabetic rats (r = 0.73, P = 0.01). In addition, beta ig-h3 mRNA increased in response to exogenous TGF-beta1 in a dose-dependent fashion in cultured proximal tubular cells. CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that biologically active TGF-beta plays a pathogenetic role in diabetic kidney disease and suggest that beta ig-h3 may be a useful index of TGF-beta1 bioactivity in the kidney.

Animals↗

TGF-beta 1 dissociates human proximal tubule cell growth and Na(+)-H+ exchange activity.

Stimulation of proximal tubule cell (PTC) growth in a variety of physiological and pathological renal conditions is preceded by increased renal production of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and by augmented tubular sodium transport via activated sodium hydrogen exchange (NHE). Since TGF-beta 1 has been shown to be an important paracrine and autocrine regulator of PTC growth, the hypothesis that TGF-beta 1 modulates basal and mitogen-stimulated PTC growth via an effect on NHE activity was examined. Confluent, quiescent, human PTC were incubated for 24 hours in serum-free media containing vehicle (control) or 1 ng/ml TGF-beta 1, in the presence or absence of 100 ng/ml insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I). Under basal conditions, TGF-beta 1 inhibited thymidine incorporation (73.5 +/- 7.3% of control, P < 0.05), but exerted no effect on cellular protein content (97.4 +/- 10.7% of control), an index of hypertrophy. There was no significant alteration of NHE activity, measured as ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA)-sensitive H+ efflux (2.72 +/- 0.50 vs. control 3.26 +/- 0.68 mmol/liter/min) or 22Na+ influx (2.20 +/- 0.23 vs. control 2.19 +/- 0.19 nmol/mg protein/min). When co-incubated with IGF-I. TGF-beta 1 induced significant PTC hypertrophy (116.9 +/- 8.2% of control, P < 0.05), which was not seen with either agent alone. TGF-beta 1 counteracted the stimulatory effect of IGF-I on DNA synthesis (TGF-beta 1 + IGF-I 103.0 +/- 7.3% vs. IGF-I alone 181.2 +/- 30.3% of control, P < 0.05), but did not affect IGF-I-stimulated EIPA-sensitive 22Na+ influx (3.63 +/- 0.63 vs. IGF-I alone 3.67 +/- 0.50 nmol/mg protein/min, P = NS, both vs. control 2.19 +/- 0.19 nmol/mg protein/min, P < 0.05). Similar results were obtained when NHE activity was measured as EIPA-sensitive H+ efflux. Moreover, the kinetics of NHE activation by the combination of TGF-beta 1 and IGF-I (involving an increase in Vmax) were identical to that previously found for PTC exposed to IGF-I alone. The study demonstrates that TGF-beta 1 elicits distinct PTC growth responses in the presence and absence of IGF-I, without modification of NHE activity. The combination of predominant PTC hypertrophy and enhanced proximal tubule Na+ reabsorption found in many conditions that are associated with renal growth is likely to require the integrated actions of both TGF-beta 1 and IGF-I.

Aged↗

Incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy in Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites with type 2 diabetes. San Luis Valley Diabetes Study, Colorado.

OBJECTIVE: To learn if Hispanic people with type 2 diabetes have excess incidence and/or progression of diabetic retinopathy and to explore the association of risk factors with diabetic retinopathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: There were 244 subjects with type 2 diabetes (65.3% Hispanic) with at least one follow-up visit between 1984 and 1992 examined for the development of retinopathy over a median of 4.8 years (range 2.0-6.6 years). Stereo fundus photos were graded by the University of Wisconsin Reading Center. RESULTS: Of the 169 subjects without retinopathy at baseline, 47 developed some retinopathy, an incidence rate of 63.7 per 1,000 person-years (PY), or a 4-year cumulative incidence of 22.5%. The Hispanic incidence rate was 58.3/1,000 PY (95% CI: 39.4-83.3), which was lower than among non-Hispanic whites, 76.1/1,000 PY (44.3-121.9). Progression occurred in 24 of the 75 subjects with retinopathy at baseline, a 4-year cumulative rate of 24.1%. Logistic regression showed that insulin treatment was associated with higher risk of any retinopathy (odds ratio [OR] = 8.45, 2.65-26.97), and both systolic blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 0.99-2.52) and total GHb (OR = 1.46, 0.99-2.17) nearly attained statistical significance. After adjustment for multiple potential risk factors, the Hispanic/non-Hispanic white OR was 0.66 (0.28-1.57). CONCLUSIONS: No excess risk for incident retinopathy was found among Hispanic compared with non-Hispanic white subjects in this population. These results are consistent with our previously reported prevalence data from the same population but differ from reports of excess prevalence among Texas Hispanics. No other Hispanic incidence data are available to assist in reconciling this difference.

Blood Pressure↗

LY320135, a novel cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, unmasks coupling of the CB1 receptor to stimulation of cAMP accumulation.

LY320135 is a selective antagonist for the brain CB1 receptor, having greater than 70-fold higher affinity for the CB1 than the peripheral CB2 receptor. The Ki values for LY320135 at the CB1 and CB2 receptors, transfected and stably expressed in cell lines, were 224 nM and > 10 microM, respectively. Similar Ki values were measured in binding studies performed on cerebellum and spleen membrane preparations endogenously expressing the CB1 (203 nM) and CB2 (> 10 microM) receptors, respectively. LY320135 functionally reversed anandamide-mediated adenylate cyclase inhibition in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably expressing the CB1 receptor. Pertussis toxin treatment of CHO cells expressing the CB1 receptor attenuated the anandamide-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase and unmasked a stimulatory effect of anandamide on adenylate cyclase. The stimulatory component was blocked with LY320135. This compound also blocked WIN 55212-2-mediated inhibition of N-type calcium channels and activation of inwardly rectifying potassium channels in N18 and AtT-20-CB2 cells, respectively. LY320135 is a promising lead compound for the further development of novel, potent and selective cannabinoid antagonists of novel structure.

Animals↗