Biomedical subjects

S Zahler

Publications and source records attributed to S Zahler.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Nitric oxide mitigates leukocyte adhesion and vascular leak after myocardial ischemia.

Tissue edema is a facet of ischemia/reperfusion injury in many organs, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) presumably playing a contributory role. We studied the intracoronary adhesion of PMN and its effect on vascular permeability during reperfusion in isolated guinea-pig hearts. After a global ischemia of 15 min duration. PMN (10(7)) were infused into the coronary system during the first minute of reperfusion. PMN adhesion was measured as difference of applied PMN and those recovered in the effluent perfusate. Coronary permeability was assessed by measuring the rate of transudate formation (TF) on the epicardial surface, before as well as 5, 15 and 30 min after ischemia. Experiments were also performed in the presence of the NO-synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine (10 microM) and the ACE-inhibitor ramiprilat (2 microM), the latter known to enhance endogenous nitric oxide formation. Furthermore, the radical scavenger uric acid (0.5 mM) was applied either before and during ischemia or starting after PMN application. Ischemia/reperfusion increased coronary PMN adherence from 23 +/- 1% (basal) to 33 +/- 2%. Whereas ischemia alone did not influence TF (about 100 microliters/min during reperfusion), postischemic PMN infusion led to progressive TF. With nitro-L-arginine, PMN adhesion rose to 45 +/- 3%; TF increased to 212 +/- 30 microliters/min. In contrast, ramiprilat caused post-ischemic adhesion and TF to decline to basal values. In the presence of uric acid (UA) PMN adhesion declined to 26 +/- 2%, however, the subsequent increase in TF after withdrawal of UA was not markedly attenuated. On the other hand, infusion of UA after application of PMN caused a significant decrease of TF. The extracellular antioxidants SOD/catalase were without effect. As shown using luminol enhanced chemiluminescence. No was able to scavenge oxygen free radicals released by activated PMN. These findings indicate that enhanced PMN adhesion in reperfusion leads to an increase in coronary permeability. Scavenging of oxygen free radicals with NO or UA appears to mitigate both, postischemic PMN adhesion and PMN-induced vascular injury, even after adhesion.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMed1996

[Interaction of adenosine with leukocytes and thrombocytes].

Platelets and polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) contribute to post-ischemic myocardial reperfusion damage. However, to elicit any deleterious actions, they first need to become adherent to the vascular endothelium. Numerous studies have documented an A2-receptor mediated platelet-stabilizing action of adenosine and an A2-dependent antiinflammatory effect on PMN themselves. Intriguingly, an A1-receptor mediated chemotactic action of adenosine on isolated PMN has also been reported. A1-receptors are more sensitive towards adenosine than A2-receptors, and interactions between platelets and leukocytes could alter the net-adhesive potential. Furthermore, the endothelial cells also express adenosine A1- and A2-receptors. In the situation of ischemia and reperfusion both, the intracoronary concentration of adenosine and the shear forces, vary with time. We have, therefore, investigated the influence of adenosine on intracoronary adhesion of PMN and platelets, applied to isolated heart preparations (guinea pig), both separately and in combination, and determined the resultant effect on postischemic myocardial pump function. At submicromolar adenosine concentrations, as found after brief ischemia (15 min stopped-flow or 30 min low-flow), adenosine enhanced intracoronary PMN retention by preferentially stimulating endothelial A1-receptors. The effect required the intermediate formation of platelet activating factor (PAF) and occurred via CD11/CD18 adhesion molecules on the PMN. Higher, i.e., micromolar levels of adenosine, in contrast, inhibited PMN adhesion via an A2-receptor dependent mechanism. Thrombin-induced platelet adhesion was inhibited by adenosine at high shear rates by both A1- and A2-receptor dependent mechanisms. However, adenosine was not protective at low shear rates, or at high flow in the presence of PMN. Pertinently, adhesion of either PMN or platelets, alone or in combination, regularly caused deterioration of post-ischemic myocardial function. Thus, depending on its concentration and on the phase of ischemia/reperfusion, adenosine may elicit cardioprotective or detrimental effects in the reperfused myocardium, which makes general prognosis of its role in such situations difficult. However, in the course of every reperfusion, the adenosine levels will inevitably fall into the proadhesive range. Thus, prophylactic inhibition of A1-receptor effects may be beneficial.

Adenosine↗

PubMed1994

Stimulation of endothelial adenosine A1 receptors enhances adhesion of neutrophils in the intact guinea pig coronary system.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to determine the action of pathophysiologically relevant adenosine concentrations (0.1-1 microM) on adhesion of neutrophils to coronary endothelium. Further aims were to evaluate the nature and localisation of the adenosine receptor involved, and to assess the effect of endogenous adenosine. METHODS: Adhesion was studied in isolated perfused guinea pig hearts by determining the number of cells emerging in the coronary effluent after intracoronary bolus injections of 600,000 neutrophils prepared from guinea pig or human blood. The system was characterised by the use of the proadhesive stimulus thrombin. RESULTS: A 5 min infusion of adenosine (0.1-0.3 microM) or the A1 receptor agonist N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA, 0.01 microM) significantly increased adhesion from about 20% (control) to 30%. This effect was prevented by the A1 receptor antagonist dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX, 0.1 microM). It was not diminished by cessation of adenosine infusion 90 s prior to neutrophil injection. At a higher concentration of adenosine (1 microM), adhesion did not seem to be enhanced. However, coinfusion of the A2 receptor antagonist 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine (DMPX, 0.1 microM) with 1 microM adenosine unmasked the A1 action, adhesion rising to 39%. Adenosine had a quantitatively identical effect on adhesion of human neutrophils. Total ischaemia of 15 min duration raised adhesion of subsequently applied neutrophils to 35%. This effect was completely blocked by DPCPX, as well as by ischaemic preconditioning (3 x 3 min). Preconditioning raised initial postischaemic coronary effluent adenosine from about 0.8 microM to 1.5 microM. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest a bimodal participation of adenosine in the development of postischaemic dysfunction by an endothelium dependent modulation of neutrophil adhesion. Stimulation occurs via endothelial A1 receptors at submicromolar adenosine levels, whereas cardioprotection by adenosine may in part relate to the use of pharmacologically high concentrations of adenosine or enhanced endogenous production after preconditioning.

Adenosine↗

PubMed1993

Histological investigations on the thyroid glands of marine mammals (Phoca vitulina, Phocoena phocoena) and the possible implications of marine pollution.

In 1988 and 1989, thousands of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) died in the North Sea from phocine distemper infection. The morphology of thyroid glands from 40 harbor seals found dead on the North Sea coastlines of Schleswig-Holstein, Federal Republic of Germany, during an epizootic of phocine distemper, was compared with the morphology of thyroid glands from five healthy harbor seals collected in Iceland. Thyroid glands from seven harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) found dead in 1990 on the North Sea coastlines also were evaluated. Colloid depletion and fibrosis were found in the thyroid glands of harbor seals which died during the epizootic, but not in animals from Iceland. Thyroid glands of the porpoises showed similar lesions, but to a lesser degree, than those observed in the North Sea seals.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

[Possible significance of free oxygen radicals for reperfusion injury].

Enhanced formation of radicals during post-ischemic reperfusion, foremost of superoxide (O2-) and hydroxyl (OH) radicals, has been directly and indirectly demonstrated in a number of tissues. However, the close chemical interrelationship of O2- and OH with other non-radical oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hypochlorous acid (HOCl), makes it prudent to speak of reactive oxygen metabolites in conjunction with cell and organ dysfunction incurred by reperfusion. In the case of the heart, evidence for the causal involvement of such reactive molecular species includes (1) the increased formation of lipid peroxides, (2) the ability to mimic all facets of reperfusion injury (arrhythmias, contractile and vascular dysfunction, infarct extension) by exogenously applying reactive oxygen species, and (3) the propensity of a great variety of antioxidative and radical scavenging measures to afford cardioprotection during reperfusion. Potential sources of reactive oxygen metabolites in the reperfused heart are the mitochondrial redox-chain, endothelial enzymes such as cyclooxygenase, monoaminooxidase, NO-synthase and xanthine oxidase, and formed blood constituents (platelets, monocytes, granulocytes). According to our own results, adenosine, endogenously formed in the heart during ischemia, rapidly enhances adhesion of granulocytes introduced into the coronary system at reperfusion. Furthermore, small numbers of these cells suffice to induce contractile dysfunction in an isolated guinea pig heart model of ischemia-reperfusion injury, the major mediator of damage being HOCl. The striking disparity between the enormous volume of experimental data supporting involvement of reactive oxygen metabolites in reperfusion damage and the virtual lack of clinical-therapeutic regimens employing anti-oxidative measures is largely due to a still rudimentary knowledge of the homeostatic control of formation and removal of radicals and oxidants. In particular, the inability to correctly assess the individual time-course and extent of oxidative stress seems to be a major problem. Also, confounding issues such as compartmentation of radical formation as opposed to radical scavenging and the unwitting down-regulation of endogenous protective systems (e.g., of uric acid in the course of inhibiting xanthine oxidase) need to be resolved. On the other hand, we have been able to demonstrate protection by ACE inhibitors elicited via endothelially produced nitric oxide (a scavenger of O2- and OH) in the isolated heart. Thus, enhancement of endogenous protection may offer a perspective for mitigating against reperfusion damage.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMed1982

Glutamine synthetase subunit mixing and regulation in Bacillus subtilis partial diploids.

A specialized transducing phage, SP beta c2 dglnA2, of Bacillus subtilis was used to construct partial diploids with various glutamine auxotrophs. The overproduction of manganese-stimulated glutamine synthetase no longer occurred in the diploids. The kinetics of heat inactivation of the enzyme extracted from two diploids suggests that there was subunit mixing.

Bacillus subtilis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Postischemic dysfunction of the heart induced by small numbers of neutrophils via formation of hypochlorous acid.

The role of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) in the injury of the heart following ischemia and reperfusion is still controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate whether small numbers of PMN may cause myocardial dysfunction in an isolated system, how the resulting loss of function can be characterized and whether the formation of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) can be responsible for the PMN-mediated effect. Isolated working guinea pig hearts were subjected to a 90% reduction of coronary flow for 30 min, with or without intracoronary infusion of homologous PMN (approximately 1-2 x 10(5) cells/min, i.e. about 5-10% of normal blood count). This ischemia was followed by a 15 min reflow period in a non-working ("Langendorff") mode before work was resumed. In hearts perfused only with buffer, post-hypoxic heart function recovered to 75-80% of the initial value. Inclusion of unstimulated PMN did not further attenuate cardiac function. However, cardiac output was decreased to 42% of the initial value, provided thrombin (0.3 U/ml) and H2O2 (10(-5) M) were also present, and the retained PMN (about 10% of those infused) were additionally stimulated during reflow by application of FMLP (10(-6) M for 1 min). In these instances, coronary flow at any time of the experiment and release of lactate or purines during ischemia and reflow did not differ significantly between hearts perfused with or without PMN. There was no substantial release of myoglobin in controls and in PMN-treated hearts. Inotropic stimulation of the hearts with noradrenaline or exogenous Ca2+ caused a sustained increase in contractile force. However, the response was significantly reduced in PMN-perfused hearts in comparison to control hearts. The myocardial contents of high-energy phosphates with and without inotropic stimulation proved to be identical irrespective of whether experiments had been performed in the absence or presence of PMN. A similar loss of myocardial function as mediated by PMN could be produced by infusing chemically generated hypochlorous acid (HOCl, 5 x 10(-7) M for 10 min). Strikingly, that portion of the infused HOCl which actually reacted with cardiac tissue was comparable to the amount shown to be generated by stimulating 10(6) PMN retained in the coronary system (about 7 nmoles). Supplementing the perfusate with the scavengers L-methionine (10(-4) M) or uric acid (5 x 10(-4) M) prevented the attenuation of heart function provoked by PMN. The results indicate that small numbers of PMN, sufficiently activated, can depress cardiac function after 30 min of ischemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗