Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Paul

Publications and source records attributed to M Paul.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Detection of angiotensin converting enzyme mRNA in the rat heart by use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Previous work has shown that angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity and mRNA are present in cardiac tissue. Since ACE appears to be a key enzyme in the regulation of the activity of the cardiac renin angiotensin system, the aim of the present study was to examine the expression and regulation of ACE mRNA in the heart. ACE is a membrane bound enzyme with low synthetic turnover. We therefore investigated whether the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can serve as a tool for detection and quantification of ACE mRNA in small tissue samples of the heart. Enzymatic reverse transcription was performed using 1 mg total RNA of atrial as well as of right and left ventricular origin. The resulting DNA was amplified in 25 cycles of PCR using Taq polymerase and specific primers. The amplification products were separated by agarose gel electrophoresis and detected by Southern blot analyses. Employing these methods, ACE mRNA was found in the atrium as well as right and left ventricles of rat hearts. Furthermore, PCR was useful to study the induction of ACE mRNA levels in left ventricles of hearts with experimental pressure overload hypertrophy as well right ventricles with compensatory hypertrophy after left ventricular infarction.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Mechanisms of cardiac growth. The role of the renin-angiotensin system.

Hypertension is associated with cardiac hypertrophy, which is a structural adaptation of the heart in order to attenuate the systolic stress on the left ventricle. As cardiac myocytes cannot divide, they increase in mass and volume, probably by activating second messengers and proto-oncogenes involved in cellular differentiation and proliferation. Various mechanisms, such as pressure overload and angiotensin II (Ang II), have been proposed to trigger cardiocyte growth and left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). In both cases, activation of second messenger routes which increase the intracellular calcium concentration, protooncogene expression, and protein synthesis have been demonstrated. Ang II also facilitates the action of another trophic agent for cardiocytes, which is noradrenaline (NA). In addition, the prevention and reversal of LVH by inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) suggests a key role for Ang II. However, no conclusive evidence has demonstrated the role of a single pathophysiologic factor in LVH. Therefore, it is more attractive to suggest a link between high blood pressure, renin-angiotensin and other vasoactive systems, such as the adrenergic system, which might together lead in a synergistic way to cardiac hypertrophy.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1992

Entero-adherent Escherichia coli is an important diarrhoeagenic agent in infants aged below 6 months in Calcutta, India.

Escherichia coli adherent to HEp-2 and HeLa cells were isolated from the faeces of 43 (19.7%) of 218 hospitalised infants aged below 6 months with acute diarrhoea. No conventional virulence factors, including enterotoxin production--heat-labile (LT) or heat-stable (ST), the verotoxin (VT) or shiga-like toxin (SLT)--or the invasive phenotype (determined by the Sereny test) could be detected among these isolates. Out of the 43 isolates, 16 (37.2%) were of the known enteropathogenic O:K serogroups--enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). The remaining 27 (62.8%) isolates showed different types of adherence to HEp-2 and HeLa cells which was diffuse (40.7%), localised (37.0%), or both (22.3%); they were identified as entero-adherent E. coli (EAEC). The EAEC isolates adhered to HEp-2 and HeLa cells in the presence of mannose, lactose, fucose, galactose, and fetuin, indicating that adhesion was not specific for these sugars or glycoprotein. Haemagglutination and the salt aggregation test (SAT) did not correlate with patterns of adherence. The results of this study indicate that LA-EAEC is an important aetiological agent of acute diarrhoea in infants aged below 6 months in Calcutta.

Bacterial Adhesion↗
PubMed1992

Evaluation of the bead enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of cholera toxin directly from stool specimens.

A highly sensitive bead enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bead ELISA) for detection of cholera toxin (CT) was evaluated for direct detection of CT from stool specimens of patients with acute secretory diarrhea. Of the 75 stool samples examined, 59 yielded biochemically, and serologically confirmed strains of Vibrio cholerae O1. The bead ELISA was positive for CT in stool supernatants in 50 (84.7%) of the 59 samples from which V. cholerae O1 was isolated. In addition, the bead ELISA was positive for three stool specimens which were negative by culture. The free CT present in 48 of the 50 stool samples positive by culture for V. cholerae O1 and for CT by bead ELISA was completely absorbed by anti-CT immunoglobulin G. All of the 59 strains of V. cholerae O1 biotype eltor isolated in this study produced in vitro CT. The concentration of CT present in the bead ELISA-positive stool samples ranged between 26 pg/ml and greater than 100 ng/ml. This evaluation study demonstrates that the bead ELISA is a sensitive and simple method for direct detection of CT in nonsterile stool samples, and we recommend routine use of this assay for detection of CT in stool samples and culture supernatants in clinical and reference laboratories.

Cholera Toxin↗
PubMed1992

Cell-dependent posttranslational processing and secretion of recombinant mouse renin-2.

In the DBA/2 mouse submandibular gland (SMG), renin is predominantly the expression product of the renin gene Ren-2d. Prorenin is synthesized and rapidly converted to a constitutively secreted single-chain intermediate, which is then processed to and stored as the mature two-chain (2C) form, which is released by regulated secretion. To evaluate whether the mode of renin processing is cell dependent, renin (Ren-2d) complementary DNA was stably integrated in the genome of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and a mouse pituitary cell line (AtT-20) by transfection, and renin processing and secretion were examined. Transfected CHO cells secreted exclusively prorenin, whereas transfected AtT-20 cells secreted both prorenin and active renin. AtT-20 cells processed prorenin to the single-chain polypeptide (1C-renin) that was the main storage form and was not further processed to the 2C form of correct size, whose site of generation or function is uncertain at this time. In addition, the conversion of prorenin to 1C-renin was much slower in AtT-20 cells than in the SMG. Thus the patterns of renin biosynthesis and secretion in AtT-20 cells show major differences when compared with these processes in the native SMG, suggesting that cell-dependent characteristics, e.g., the presence of specific processing enzymes, are important factors influencing mouse renin processing.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1992

Tissue specificity of renin promoter activity and regulation in mice.

Certain mouse strains (e.g., DBA/2) contain two renin genes (termed Ren-1 and Ren-2) and express higher renin levels in nonkidney tissues than strains with a single renin gene. The 5'-flanking regions of the Ren-1 and Ren-2 genes contain several TATA boxes preceding putative transcriptional start sites. These initiators are termed P1a, P1, P2 (from 5' to 3'), and their function (with the exception of P2) is largely unknown. In this study, we mapped the renin transcriptional start sites in renal and extrarenal tissues [adrenal, brain, testis, heart, and submandibular gland (SMG)] and examined the effect of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) on tissue specific promoter usage. Our results showed that, in the unstimulated state, P2 (the predicted initiator) is active in all DBA/2 mouse tissues. Additional transcriptional start sites were detected in the adrenal and testis (originated by P1a and P2) and the SMG (originated by P1a, P1, and P2). The administration of 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate led to selective stimulation of P1a in the adrenal but did not affect the selective usage of initiation sites in other organs. A locus-specific ddNTP primer extension assay was used to verify which renin gene is induced by cAMP. Results indicated that both Ren-1 and Ren-2 responded to cAMP treatment in identical fashion. Taken together, these data indicate that more than one form of renin transcript is present in several mouse tissues. There is tissue specificity in promoter usage in the unstimulated state and in response to cAMP.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Cardiac angiotensin converting enzyme and diastolic function of the heart.

It has been known for a long time that systemic infusion of angiotensin II in patients with coronary artery disease or normal control subjects causes a marked increase in left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and systolic pressure (LVP) (1,2). In this setting angiotensin II produces a marked increase in afterload that makes it difficult to acknowledge possible local myocardial effects of the peptide. The studies (3-8) summarized in the present paper were designed to examine the physiological role of local cardiac angiotensin II generation and local bradykinin degradation on cardiac function in the normal and hypertrophied rat heart. Angiotensin I and angiotensin II, infused in isolated, well oxygenated, buffer perfused normal rat hearts, produced a mild increase in LVEDP with no change in systolic function (3). In contrast, in hypertrophied rat hearts, angiotensin I and angiotensin II caused a marked deterioration of diastolic function, increasing LVEDP from 10 to 25-37 mmHg on average (3,5). Preliminary evidence suggests that angiotensin II effects on diastolic function are mediated via a protein kinase C dependent pathway that might involve Na+/H+ exchange (4,5). When cardiac angiotensin converting enzyme was blocked by infusion of an ACE inhibitor prior and in parallel to angiotensin I infusion no changes in diastolic function were noted (6). Furthermore, ACE inhibition blunted the diastolic dysfunction during low flow ischemia in isolated hypertrophied rat hearts (7). This effect of ACE inhibition was even more remarkeable, since no exogenous angiotensin was infused in this experiment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angiotensin I↗
PubMed1992

The molecular basis of cardiovascular hypertrophy: the role of the renin-angiotensin system.

Factors that can influence cardiovascular growth are becoming increasingly important for our understanding of such complex diseases as cardiac hypertrophy, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Several proto-oncogenes were found to be involved in the regulation of abnormal cell growth in cardiovascular disease. It is also evident that some peptide hormones, which are well known to be involved in blood pressure control, may play a role as growth modulators. Angiotensin II is one such peptide. It elevates blood pressure through its direct vasoconstrictor, sympathomimetic, and (through release of aldosterone) sodium-retaining activity but also appears to have mitogenic actions. Interestingly, all components of the renin-angiotensin system were found locally in cardiovascular tissues. The question remains whether angiotensin can act directly as a growth factor or whether it does so indirectly by influencing or modulating cell growth factors. A better understanding of the renin-angiotensin system as a direct or indirect mediator for cardiovascular hypertrophy would offer new and interesting insights into the pathophysiology of hypertension and possibly novel options for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1992

Efficacy of norfloxacin for shigellosis: a double-blind randomised clinical trial.

In a double-blind, randomised, clinical trial on 122 adults with acute Shigella dysentery, 60 patients were treated with norfloxacin and 62 with nalidixic acid. Of these, 32 patients in the norfloxacin group and 28 patients in the nalidixic acid group had Shigella in their stool. Patients of the two treatment groups were clinically comparable on admission. No significant differences in clinical responses were observed in the two groups among the Shigella-positive cases, Shigella-negative cases and among the total cases. All isolates of Shigella were susceptible to norfloxacin, whereas 13.8% of the strains were resistant to nalidixic acid.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Cerebrospinal fluid beta 2-microglobulin in patients with AIDS dementia complex: an expanded series including response to zidovudine treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) and severity of AIDS dementia complex (ADC), and between CSF beta 2M and response of ADC to zidovudine. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-eight patients with varying stages of ADC were selected from a subgroup of a cohort of HIV-seropositive patients who are being studied prospectively for the neurological complications of HIV-1 infection. To enter our study, patients had to have an ADC stage of at least 0.5 (equivocal symptoms or abnormal neurological signs in the absence of functional impairment). A control group of 11 HIV-1-seropositive, neurologically normal patients was chosen randomly from the patients followed in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were assessed neurologically and neuropsychologically and computed tomography of the brain and CSF studies were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients were staged according to severity of ADC on clinical criteria. Neuropsychological test scores were converted to an impairment score. CSF beta 2M was quantified in both serum and CSF of all patients and in 10 patients with pre- and post-zidovudine assessments. RESULTS: There was a high correlation between CSF beta 2M concentration and severity of ADC (P less than 0.0001); treatment with zidovudine significantly reduced these concentrations (P = 0.013). CSF beta 2M concentration was independent of CSF white-cell count and blood-brain barrier impairment. Other CSF changes in the same patients (including blood-brain barrier permeability to albumin, intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulin G and HIV-1-p24-antigen levels) were less useful as objective correlates of ADC severity and response to zidovudine therapy. CONCLUSIONS: CSF beta 2M may be a valuable marker of ADC severity and response to antiviral therapy.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1991

Identification of p53 gene mutations in bladder cancers and urine samples.

Although bladder cancers are very common, little is known about their molecular pathogenesis. In this study, invasive bladder cancers were evaluated for the presence of gene mutations in the p53 suppressor gene. Of 18 tumors evaluated, 11 (61 percent) were found to have genetic alterations of p53. The alterations included ten point mutations resulting in single amino acid substitutions, and one 24-base pair deletion. In all but one case, the mutations were associated with chromosome 17p allelic deletions, leaving the cells with only mutant forms of the p53 gene products. Through the use of the polymerase chain reaction and oligomer-specific hybridization, p53 mutations were identified in 1 to 7 percent of the cells within the urine sediment of each of three patients tested. The p53 mutations are the first genetic alterations demonstrated to occur in a high proportion of primary invasive bladder cancers. Detection of such mutations ex vivo has clinical implications for monitoring individuals whose tumor cells are shed extracorporeally.

Alleles↗
PubMed1991

4-Aminobiphenyl hemoglobin adducts in fetuses exposed to the tobacco smoke carcinogen in utero.

Maternal-fetal exchange of a potent tobacco-related human carcinogen, 4-aminobiphenyl, was studied in smoking (n = 14) and nonsmoking (n = 38) pregnant women. N-Hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl, the active metabolite of 4-aminobiphenyl, forms chemical addition products (adducts) with hemoglobin. Levels of 4-aminobiphenyl hemoglobin adducts were measured in maternal-fetal paired blood samples obtained from smoking and nonsmoking women during labor and delivery. Carcinogen-hemoglobin adducts were detected in all maternal and fetal blood samples. Levels of such adducts were significantly higher (P less than .001) in maternal and fetal blood samples from smokers: the mean 4-aminobiphenyl hemoglobin adduct level was 92 +/- 54 pg/g of hemoglobin in blood samples from fetuses of smokers, and 17 +/- 13 pg/g of hemoglobin in blood samples from fetuses of nonsmokers; the mean maternal 4-aminobiphenyl hemoglobin adduct level was 183 +/- 108 pg/g of hemoglobin in smokers, and 22 +/- 8 pg/g of hemoglobin in nonsmokers. Fetal carcinogen-adduct levels were consistently lower than maternal levels: the mean maternal to fetal ratio was 2.4 +/- 1.1 in smokers and 1.9 +/- .98 in nonsmokers. Fetal 4-aminobiphenyl hemoglobin adduct levels were strongly associated (correlation coefficient [r2] = .51, P = .002) with maternal 4-aminobiphenyl hemoglobin adduct levels when paired samples from smoking mothers were analyzed. A measure of third-trimester tobacco smoke exposure based on number of cigarettes smoked per day, amount of each cigarette smoked, and depth of inhalation was associated (r2 = .59, P = .029) with maternal 4-aminobiphenyl levels but not with fetal 4-aminobiphenyl levels. This study demonstrates that a potent tobacco-related carcinogen, 4-aminobiphenyl, or its active metabolite, N-hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl, crosses the human placenta and binds to fetal hemoglobin in concentrations that are significantly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers.

Aminobiphenyl Compounds↗
PubMed1991

The role of neuropeptides in cardiovascular regulation.

During the past few years more than 30 novel, biologically active peptides have been discovered. Some are produced in endocrine glands and circulate as hormones in the blood; others are contained in the enterochromaffin cells of the gut and may be involved in the regulation of intestinal functions. The vast majority of new peptides, however, have been detected in the central and peripheral nervous systems, where they are synthesized in distinct neurons and stored in neurovesicles. Many of these neuropeptides may be involved in circulatory regulation. There is evidence supporting such a role, especially for centrally located angiotensin, opioid peptides, substance P, neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasopressin, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), kinins, corticotropin releasing factor, bombesin, and somatostatin. In this review we discuss the cardiovascular actions of angiotensin, neuropeptide Y, and calcitonin gene related peptide.

Angiotensin II↗