Biomedical subjects

R Ghai

Publications and source records attributed to R Ghai.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Polyhydroxyalkanoates: an overview.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates have gained major importance due to their structural diversity and close analogy to plastics. These are gaining more and more importance world over. Different sources (natural isolates, recombinant bacteria, plants) and other methods are being investigated to exert more control over the quality, quantity and economics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) production. Their biodegradability makes them extremely desirable substitutes for synthetic plastics. The PHB biosynthetic genes phbA, phbB and phbC are clustered and organized in one phbCAB operon. The PHB pathway is highly divergent in the bacterial genera with regard to orientation and clustering of genes involved. Inspite of this the enzymes display a high degree of sequence conservation. But how similar are the mechanisms of regulation of these divergent operons is as yet unknown. Structural studies will further improve our understanding of the mechanism of action of these enzymes and aid us in improving and selecting better candidates for increased production. Metabolic engineering thereafter promises to bring a feasible solution for the production of "green plastic".

Bacteria↗

PubMed1999

Sodium-potassium pump inhibitor in the mechanism of one-kidney, one wrap hypertension in dogs.

Using ouabain sensitive 86Rb uptake by the vessel wall, we previously showed that sodium-potassium pump activity is decreased in the arteries and veins, and that the sodium-potassium pump inhibitor (SPI) is increased in the plasma of dogs with one-kidney, one wrap (1-K, 1W) hypertension, a low renin model of hypertension. We also showed in rats with a similar type of hypertension that the membrane potential of vascular smooth muscle cells in arteries is decreased, and that this decrease can be reproduced in arterial cells in arteries from normal rats by applying plasma from the hypertensive animals. One endogenous SPI in human plasma has been reported to be ouabain or its isomer. In this study, we used a newly available Dupont ouabain enzyme immunoassay kit to examine plasma and kidneys for SPI in dogs with 1-K, 1W hypertension. We also examined 1) the inhibiting activity of plasma of Na+, K(+)-ATPase obtained from normal kidneys, and 2) the Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity of the kidneys from these hypertensive animals. 1-K, 1W hypertension was produced in dogs by wrapping the left kidney in a silk bag and removing the right kidney. The removed kidney was kept at -70 degrees C till assayed. After 4 weeks of hypertension, the remaining kidney was removed and stored at -70 degrees C till assayed. Blood samples were drawn before and at weeks 3 and 4 of hypertension. Plasma levels of "ouabain" and Na+, K(+)-ATPase inhibitory activity were increased at weeks 3 and 4 of hypertension, compared to pre-hypertension levels. Renal tissue "ouabain" levels were also increased at week 4 of hypertension. However, renal Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity was unchanged. These findings, using two different assays, confirm our 1980 conclusion that SPI is elevated in the plasma of dogs with 1-K, 1W hypertension. The absence of renal Na+, K(+)-ATPase inhibition, despite increased plasma and renal SPI in these animals, may have important implications for the development of this type of hypertension.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Microalbuminuria in non insulin dependent diabetes and essential hypertension: a marker of severe disease.

Sixty five (65) hypertensive, 91 non-insulin dependent diabetes and 50 matched, healthy controls were examined for the presence of microalbuminuria, using the Micral strip test. Microalbuminuria was observed in 25 per cent of diabetics and 21.54 per cent of hypertensive subjects. None of the controls demonstrated microalbuminuria. Diabetics with microalbuminuria were poorly controlled and demonstrated significantly higher systolic pressure. In hypertensive subjects, microalbuminuria was seen more in patients with severe disease. In both diabetics and hypertensives, presence of microalbuminuria was significantly influenced by the disease duration.

Albuminuria↗

PubMed1991

Characterisation of neutral endopeptidase 3.4.24.11 (NEP) in the kidney: comparison between normotensive, genetically hypertensive and experimentally hypertensive rats.

Neutral endopeptidase 3.4.24.11 (NEP) has been identified as the major atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) degrading enzyme in rat kidney, therefore, suggesting a possible role for this enzyme in blood volume and pressure regulation. Various experimentally induced and genetically hypertensive rat models have been used to test NEP inhibitors. The presence of different isoforms of NEP in the various hypertensive rat models would have relevance when searching for novel NEP inhibitors. Therefore, we compared the properties of NEP in kidney cortex homogenates in order to test for possible differences in the following hypertensive rat models and their appropriate controls: spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), Wistar Kyoto strain (WKY), DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, and Sprague Dawley control rats (SD). No relevant differences were found when comparing the following parameters: (1) specific activity (mean: 204 U/mg protein), (2) Michaelis constant (mean: 280 microM), (3) IC50 of thiorphan (mean: 6.5 nM) and phosphoramidon (mean: 54 nM), (4) pH profiles (optimum at pH 8.0), (5) heat inactivation profiles (half-life 20 min at 65 degrees C), (6) immunotitration of kidney cortex homogenates, (7) molecular weight as determined by gel filtration (92,000 Dalton) and (8) affinity chromatography with concanavalin A. Without evidence for the presence of different NEP isoforms, it is unlikely that divergent findings in DOCA-salt rats and SHR using a given NEP inhibitor are due to isoforms of NEP.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Dazoxiben, UK 38,485 and aspirin: duration of effect for preventing thrombotic sudden death in rabbits.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of dazoxiben (DAZ), UK 38,485 (UK) and aspirin (ASA) in the prevention of thrombotic sudden death in rabbits. In anesthetized male rabbits, sudden death was produced by intravenous administration of 0.75 mg/kg arachidonic acid (AA). AA increased plasma TxB2 levels from 0.20 +/- 0.10 ng/ml to 8.75 +/- 1.79 ng/ml and produced a 42% reduction in the number of circulating platelets. Death occurred in all animals within 5 minutes. Administration of DAZ (8.6 mumole/kg) 15 min before AA prevented the increase in plasma TxB2, the thrombocytopenia and sudden death while pretreatment with DAZ 2 hr before AA did not. The administration of UK (8.6 mumole/kg) 15 min. 4 hrs or 8 hrs before AA resulted in 100%, 67% and 33% survival, respectively. ASA (110 mumole/kg) administered 2 or 24 hrs before AA inhibited the increase in plasma TxB2 and prevented the fall in platelet counts. All animals pretreated with ASA survived. These data demonstrate that DAZ and UK have only a short to moderate duration of action in preventing AA-induced increases in plasma Tx levels and thrombocytopenia.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗