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Biomedical subjects

T Goto

Publications and source records attributed to T Goto.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

Analysis of factors related to jugular venous oxygen saturation during cardiopulmonary bypass.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate preoperative clinical conditions and/or intraoperative physiologic variables related to jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjO2) during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: General hospital, single institution. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty patients (52 women, 88 men) who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The authors measured SjO2 at five times during surgery. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed a significant correlation of SjO2 with (1) arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2) before CPB (standard regression coefficient [(SC)] = 0.435), (2) cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) during initiation of CPB (SC = 0.259), (3) PaCO2, tympanic temperature (TT), bubble oxygenator, and cerebral small infarctions (CSIs) during hypothermic CPB (SC = 0.507, -0.237, -0.192, and -0.189, respectively), (4) CPP, PaCO2, CSIs, and bubble oxygenator during rewarming (SC = 0.476, 0.294, -0.220, and -0.189, respectively), and (5) PaCO2 after CPB (SC = 0.480; p < 0.01). Correlation coefficients between SjO2 and CPP during rewarming were 0.40 (0.46 without CSI and 0.37 with CSI; p < 0.01). These results indicate that the relationship between CPP and SjO2 was significant in patients with CPP less than 40 mmHg during rewarming. CONCLUSION: During rewarming, when cerebral perfusion and oxygen demand change abruptly, but not during stable hypothermic CPB, CPP was a significant factor related to sjO2.

Aged↗

Design of potent phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides directed to human interleukin 10 gene product and their evaluation of antisense activity in U937 cells.

PURPOSE: The two objectives of this study were to design potent phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides (AS-S-oligos) directed against the human interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene product and to reveal the DNA sequence which best activates antisense effects. METHODS: The design of potent AS-S-oligo was performed by using melting temperature (Tm) value of a DNA/RNA hybrid calculated by the nearest neighbor method and a secondary structure of human IL-10 mRNA suggested by RNA folding algorithms. U937 cells were used to estimate the antisense effect of the AS-S-oligos. RESULTS: Of the eight candidates selected as potent AS-S-oligos on the basis of having higher Tm values and favorable secondary structures of the IL-10 mRNA, AS-S-oligos directed against the translated (AS367-S-oligo) and 3'-untranslated (AS637-S-oligo) region of IL-10 mRNA showed the strongest inhibitory effects on IL-10 production and this inhibition was dose- and time-dependent. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that the antisense effects of AS-S-oligos originated from a specific reduction of target IL-10 mRNA by hybridization with AS367- and AS637-S-oligos. In addition, these AS-S-oligos did not affect human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production in the cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Strong positive correlations between the inhibitory effect of AS-S-oligos on the IL-10 production and not only Tm values calculated by nearest neighbor method but also Tm values determined by absorbance versus temperature profiles were demonstrated except for AS25-S-oligo and AS1249-S-oligo. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest AS367- and AS637-S-oligos powerfully inhibit IL-10 production in U937 cells via an antisense mechanism. In addition, it is suggested efficiency of AS-S-oligo directed against the sequence of the target gene product can be explained by these Tm values and the proposed secondary structures of the target gene product.

Drug Design↗

The effect of papaverine on morphologic differentiation, proliferation and invasive potential of human prostatic cancer LNCaP cells.

BACKGROUND: Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) level changes are thought to play an important role in inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing differentiation in several types of cells. It has been reported that cyclic AMP analogs induce terminal differentiation in human prostate cancer cells. Consequently, phosphodiesterase inhibitors may be useful in delineating the role of cyclic AMP in the differentiation of these cells. Therefore, the effect of phosphodiesterase inhibitors on morphologic differentiation, proliferation and invasive potential of human prostate cancer cells was investigated. METHODS: Three human prostate cancer cell lines PC-3, DU145 and LNCaP were treated with one of the phosphodiesterase inhibitors, papaverine, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) or theophylline, for 6 days. Morphologic changes of these cells induced by phosphodiesterase inhibitors were observed by microscopy. Intracellular cyclic AMP levels in LNCaP cells were measured by radioimmunoassay using a cyclic AMP assay kit. The effect of papaverine on the proliferation and invasive potential of LNCaP cells were measured by cell counting and the Matrigel invasion chamber assay. RESULTS: Of the three agents, examined papaverine (10(-5) mol/L) is the most effective inducer of morphologic change and also raised intracellular cyclic AMP levels in LNCaP cells. However, unlike LNCaP cells, PC-3 and DU145 cells treated with phosphodiesterase inhibitors, including papaverine, showed little change in morphology. Additionally, proliferation and invasive potential of LNCaP cells were significantly inhibited by papaverine. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that papaverine induces terminal differentiation in LNCaP cells, which is correlated with an intracellular cyclic AMP-mediated pathway.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗

Erythropoietin supplement increases plasma lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase levels in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: We reported in previous studies that plasma triglyceride levels, as well as remnant-like particles-cholesterol (RLP-C) and -triglyceride (RLP-TG) levels, were significantly lower in maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients treated with erythropoietin (EPO) than in HD patients treated without EPO. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the improvements in abnormal RLP metabolism in HD patients. This study investigates whether EPO supplement therapy in cases of uremic anemia increases the plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL) levels in HD patients. METHODS: Twenty HD patients who had not previously received EPO were divided into two groups according to the stage of HD: 12 at the initial stage, defined as a mean HD duration of 0.35 +/- 0.68 months (range of 0 to 2.47 months), and 8 at the maintenance stage, defined as a mean HD duration of 114.1 +/- 91.9 months (range of 13.0 to 253.9 months). Fasting plasma was collected from the HD patients prior to the start of the EPO supplement therapy and at one month after the therapy. RLP-C levels were determined using a RLP-C JIMRO II kit. Fasting plasma was also collected from the HD patients 10 minutes after an intravenous injection of heparin (30 U/kg body wt). Plasma LPL levels were determined using an enzyme immunoassay, and HTGL levels were determined using a modified version of the Hernell et al method. RESULTS: Plasma RLP-C levels showed a tendency to decrease after the start of the EPO supplement therapy in HD patients at the maintenance stage. Plasma LPL levels were significantly higher in the two groups of HD patients one month after the start of the EPO supplement therapy than in the same patients prior to the start of the EPO supplement therapy. Plasma HTGL levels were significantly higher in HD patients at the maintenance stage one month after the start of the EPO supplement therapy than in HD patients at the maintenance stage prior to the start of the EPO supplement therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the EPO supplement therapy may reduce plasma RLP-C levels by increasing the plasma LPL and HTGL levels in maintenance-stage HD patients.

Adult↗

Serum lipids status in patients with diabetic uremia on 10 years of maintenance hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia in patients with diabetic uremic patients remains unclear. We previously reported that lipid abnormalities in diabetic uremia on short-term (3 to 28 months) hemodialysis therapy were more severe than those in nondiabetic uremic patients. The object of this study is to investigate the serum lipid profiles in diabetic uremic patients on 10 years of maintenance hemodialysis treatment. METHODS: Thirty diabetic uremic subjects and 40 age-matched nondiabetic subjects on long-term hemodialysis therapy were selected, and their clinical characteristics and serum concentrations of lipids, apolipoproteins, lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity, and apolipoprotein (apo) E phenotype were evaluated. RESULTS: Patients with diabetic uremia had a higher prevalence of macrovascular complications, including ischemic heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. The mean levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol remained normal. Nondiabetic uremic patients exhibited a reduction in serum apo A-1 serum apo A-2, serum apo C-2, and LCAT activity and an increase in serum Apo C-3. Diabetic uremic patients showed a further reduction in serum apo A-1, serum apo A-2, serum apo E, and LCAT activity. Frequencies of apo E isoforms were not significantly different between two groups of uremic patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results clearly indicate that lipid abnormalities in diabetic uremic patients on long-term hemodialysis therapy are more enhanced than those in nondiabetic uremic patients, suggesting that diabetic hemodialyzed patients are more prone to increase the individual risk for accelerated atherosclerosis to cause a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

Aged↗

The effects of growth hormone on corpus luteum of superovulated rats.

In general, growth hormone acts as a factor promoting cell proliferation in the positive direction and suppresses apoptosis. No report has described growth hormone (GH)-induced structural luteolysis. The present studies showed that GH induced structural luteolysis in rats after the induction of functional luteolysis by treatment with bromocriptine, and that apoptotic cells were present among luteal cells during structural luteolysis as shown by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling. Zymography showed that the activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 increased during GH-induced structural luteolysis. The expression of c-myc protein of luteal cells was significantly decreased, but proliferating cell nuclear antigens (PCNA) were conversely increased during structural luteolysis, as shown by Western blot analysis. We propose that an excessive increase in PCNA and a marked decrease in c-myc protein of luteal cells lead to a disorder in the signals concerned with DNA synthesis, causing mitotic catastrophe and inducing apoptosis in luteal cells, and that structural luteolysis may be triggered. GH-induced apoptosis in structural luteolysis therefore highly depends on the cell cycle. There are thought to be two mechanisms of GH-induced structural luteolysis. One is apoptosis, and the other is destruction of extracellular matrix by MMP.

20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone↗

Maternal transcripts of mitotic checkpoint gene, Xbub3, are accumulated in the animal blastomeres of Xenopus early embryo.

Maternally transcribed mRNAs play the important role during early embryogenesis. Especially in patterning, distribution of the maternal transcripts has a causal relation to axis formation in the early embryo. We compared the quantity of mRNAs among four blastomeres of Xenopus 8-cell-stage embryos by the differential display method. A novel gene, Xbub3, was cloned by screening the oocyte cDNA library with an animal blastomere-enriched PCR product. Xbub3 is a homolog of the human mitotic checkpoint gene hBub3. A transcript of Xbub3 was 2940 bp and encoded a predicted protein of 330 amino acids with six WD repeats. Expression of Xbub3 was observed from oocyte to tadpole. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that Xbub3 mRNAs were uniformly distributed in the early stages of oogenesis but gradually localized to the animal hemisphere, especially in the perinuclear cytoplasm of full-grown oocytes. In the cleavage-stage embryos, the maternal transcripts of Xbub3 were recruited into each blastomere, associating closely with chromosomes. Zygotic expression of Xbub3 was widely detected in gastrula ectoderm and was gradually restricted to the central nervous systems, eyes, and branchial arches by the tadpole stage. This evidence contributes to understanding of the regulatory mechanism of the cell cycle and cell differentiation in the early embryo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of genes expressed in human primordial germ cells at the time of entry of the female germ line into meiosis.

In mammals, primordial germ cells (PGCs) are first observed in the extraembryonic mesoderm from where they migrate through the hindgut and its mesentery to the genital ridge to colonize the developing gonads. Soon after reaching the gonads, the female PGCs enter meiosis, while the male PGCs are arrested in mitosis and enter meiosis postnatally. To gain an insight into the molecular events controlling human germ cell development, we determined specific profiles of gene expression using cDNA prepared from PGCs isolated from male and female fetal gonads at 10 weeks gestation, when female PGCs start to enter meiosis. The identity of the isolated PGCs, and the cDNA molecules prepared from them, was confirmed respectively, by alkaline phosphatase staining and by the presence of transcripts of OCT4, a marker gene for PGCs and pluripotent stem cells in mice. Using differential display to compare the profiles of gene expression of male and female germ cells with each other and with that of a whole 10 week old fetus, we have identified eight transcripts differentially expressed in male and/or female germ cells. Among these transcripts, we have identified a member of the olfactory receptor gene family, which contains genes known to be germline-specific in the dog and possibly associated with chemotactic function. Another transcript is common to a previously isolated sequence from the human testis and we have extended this sequence towards the 5' end for partial characterization. The germline-specific sequences also include two novel sequences not represented in the databases. These findings are highly encouraging for the elucidation of the genetic programming of male and female germ line development.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Platelet hyporeactivity in young infants during cardiopulmonary bypass.

UNLABELLED: Platelet dysfunction is one of the most important factors contributing to a postoperative hemorrhagic diathesis in children with congenital heart disease undergoing operations requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However, very little is known about the influence of CPB on platelets in neonates and young infants. We studied 16 patients--8 young infants (<2 mo old) and 8 children (>12 mo old)--with congenital heart disease undergoing CPB. Surface density of an important platelet adhesive receptor, glycoprotein Ib, and degree of platelet activation, indicated by p-selectin positivity, were measured by whole blood flow cytometry in samples obtained at seven time points during the operations. We found that the percentage of p-selectin-positive platelets increased significantly in children, but not in young infants, during CPB. The young infant group exhibited a significantly smaller reduction of glycoprotein Ib than the child group during CPB (21.0% +/- 12.0% vs 32.7% +/- 18.1%; P < 0.05). Lack of CPB-induced increase of p-selectin and a smaller decrease of glycoprotein Ib in young infants in the current study suggest reduced platelet reactivity in young infants and neonates during CPB. The clinical significance of the reduced platelet reactivity in young infants and neonates remains to be determined. IMPLICATIONS: Platelets of young infants are less reactive than those of children during cardiopulmonary bypass, as determined by the cardiopulmonary bypass-induced alterations in platelet membrane adhesive receptors.

Age Factors↗

Effects of xenon on hemodynamic responses to skin incision in humans.

BACKGROUND: The authors evaluated the hemodynamic suppressive effects of xenon in combination with sevoflurane at skin incision in patients undergoing surgery. METHODS: Forty patients were assigned randomly to receive one of the following four anesthetics: 1.3 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) sevoflurane, 0.7 MAC xenon with 0.6 MAC sevoflurane, 1 MAC xenon with 0.3 MAC sevoflurane, or 0.7 MAC nitrous oxide with 0.6 MAC sevoflurane (n = 10 each group). Systolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured before anesthesia, before incision, and approximately 1 min after incision. RESULTS: The changes in hemodynamic variables in response to incision were less with sevoflurane in combination with xenon and nitrous oxide than with sevoflurane alone. Changes in heart rate (in beats/min) were 19+/-11 (+/- SD) for sevoflurane alone, 11+/-6 for 0.7 MAC xenon-sevoflurane, 4+/-4 for 1 MAC xenon-sevoflurane, and 8+/-7 for nitrous oxide-sevoflurane. Changes in systolic blood pressure were 35+/-18 mmHg for sevoflurane alone, 18+/-8 mmHg for 0.7 MAC xenon-sevoflurane, 16+/-7 mmHg for 1 MAC xenon-sevoflurane, and 14+/-10 mmHg for nitrous oxide-sevoflurane. CONCLUSIONS: Xenon and nitrous oxide in combination with sevoflurane can reduce hemodynamic responses to skin incision compared with sevoflurane alone. One probable explanation may be that xenon has analgesic properties similar to those of nitrous oxide, although the exact mechanism is yet to be determined.

Adult↗

Effects of xenon on the performance of various respiratory flowmeters.

BACKGROUND: The anesthetic gas xenon has distinctly different physical properties compared with air, nitrous oxide, or oxygen. This led us to predict that xenon would affect the performance of commercially available flowmeters. METHODS: Flow was generated by an anesthesia ventilator connected to a lung simulator via a semiclosed breathing circuit. With the system filled with air or with various concentrations of xenon or nitrous oxide in a balance of oxygen, the tidal volume was measured with two rotating vanes, a Pitot tube, a variable-orifice flowmeter, and two constant-temperature hot-wire flowmeters. RESULTS: Although xenon minimally affected both rotating vane flowmeters, it caused the Pitot tube and the variable-orifice flowmeters to overread in proportion to the square root of the density of the gas mixture used (xenon is 4.6 times more dense than air). In contrast, the hot-wire anemometers underread with xenon; for example, their readings in the presence of 45% and 70% xenon were less than 10% of those displayed when air was used. Nitrous oxide minimally affected all the flowmeters except the variable-orifice device. The Pitot flowmeter was also affected, but only when its gas analyzer port was open to the ambient air so that it no longer corrected its readings for changes in gas composition. In these cases, nitrous oxide produced overreadings in the same manner as did xenon. CONCLUSION: Among the four types of flowmeters studied, only the rotating-vane type is sufficiently accurate for use during anesthesia with xenon.

Anesthetics, Inhalation↗

Anesthetic doses of sevoflurane to block cardiovascular responses to incision when administered with xenon or nitrous oxide.

BACKGROUND: The authors' previous study demonstrated that xenon (Xe) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in combination with sevoflurane can attenuate cardiovascular responses to skin incision. To quantitatively evaluate their suppressive effects on cardiovascular responses, the authors compared the MAC-BAR (minimum alveolar concentration that blocks adrenergic or cardiovascular response to incision) values of sevoflurane when administered with Xe or N2O. METHODS: Forty-three patients received sevoflurane with one of three anesthetics; 1 MAC Xe, 0.7 MAC Xe and 0.7 MAC N2O. The MAC-BAR of sevoflurane was determined in each anesthetic using the "up and down" method. The response was considered positive if the heart rate or mean arterial pressure increased 15% or more. The end-tidal sevoflurane concentration given to the next patient was increased or decreased by 0.3 MAC if the response was positive or negative in the previous patient, respectively. The MAC-BAR was calculated as the mean of four independent cross-over responses. RESULTS: The MAC-BAR of sevoflurane, including the contribution of Xe or N2O, was 2.1+/-0.2 MAC and 2.7+/-0.2 MAC when administered with 1 MAC and 0.7 MAC Xe, respectively, and 2.6+/-0.4 MAC when administered with 0.7 MAC N2O (mean +/- SD). CONCLUSIONS: Although 1 MAC Xe has a more potent suppressive effect on cardiovascular responses to incision than 0.7 MAC Xe or N2O, Xe and N2O have a similar suppressive effect at 0.7 MAC.

Adult↗

Thermoregulatory thresholds for vasoconstriction in patients anesthetized with various 1-minimum alveolar concentration combinations of xenon, nitrous oxide, and isoflurane.

BACKGROUND: Nitrous oxide limits intraoperative hypothermia because the vasoconstriction threshold with nitrous oxide is higher than with equi-minimum alveolar concentrations of sevoflurane or isoflurane, presumably because of its stimulating actions on the sympathetic nervous system. Xenon, in contrast, does not cause sympathetic activation. Therefore, the authors tested the hypothesis that the vasoconstriction threshold during xenon-isoflurane anesthesia is less than during nitrous oxide-isoflurane anesthesia or isoflurane alone. METHODS: Fifteen patients each were randomly assigned to one of three 1-minimum alveolar concentration anesthetic regimens: (1) xenon, 43% (0.6 minimum alveolar concentration) and isoflurane, 0.5% (0.4 minimum alveolar concentration); (2) nitrous oxide, 63% (0.6 minimum alveolar concentration) and isoflurane 0.5%; or (3) isoflurane, 1.2%. Ambient temperature was maintained near 23 degrees C and the patients were not actively warmed. Thermoregulatory vasoconstriction was evaluated using forearm-minus-fingertip skin temperature gradients. A gradient exceeding 0 degrees C indicated significant vasoconstriction. The core-temperature threshold that would have been observed if skin had been maintained at 33 degrees C was calculated from mean skin and distal esophageal temperatures at the time of vasoconstriction. RESULTS: The patients' demographic variables, preinduction core temperatures, ambient operating room temperatures, and fluid balance were comparable among the three groups. Heart rates were significantly less during xenon anesthesia than with nitrous oxide. The calculated vasoconstriction threshold was lowest with xenon (34.6+/-0.8 degrees C, mean +/- SD), intermediate with isoflurane alone (35.1+/-0.6 degrees C), and highest with nitrous oxide (35.7+/-0.6 degrees C). Each of the thresholds differed significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Xenon inhibits thermoregulatory control more than isoflurane, whereas nitrous oxide is the least effective in this respect.

Adult↗

Pharmacologic characterization of FR172516: a new combined calcium channel-blocking and beta-adrenoceptor-blocking agent.

The pharmacologic characterization of FR172516, a new combined calcium channel-blocking and beta-adrenoceptor-blocking agent, was studied and compared with amlodipine in receptor-binding assay and in vivo studies. In the binding assay, Ki values of FR172516 for calcium channel and beta-receptor were 29.3 nM and 44.1 nM, respectively. In the in vivo studies with pithed rats, FR172516 shifted the dose-response curves of isoproterenol in heart rate to the right, suggesting that this compound has a antiadrenoceptor effect in vivo. The hypotensive effect of FR172516, which could be mainly attributed to its calcium channel-blocking action, was compared with that of amlodipine in normotensive Wistar rats (NTRs), spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), and renal hypertensive dogs (RHDs). FR172516 showed more potent hypotensive action than amlodipine when administered intravenously to NTRs, and apparent bradycardia was seen only with FR172516. In SHRs, FR172516 showed a long-lasting hypotensive action and dose-dependently decreased heart rate, whereas amlodipine scarcely affected heart rate. In RHDs, oral administration of FR172516 once daily for 5 days decreased blood pressure without reflex tachycardia or an increase of plasma renin activity. On the other hand, amlodipine, in the dose at which hypotensive effects equipotent to those of FR172516 were observed, produced apparent reflex tachycardia and concomitant increase of plasma renin. These results indicate that FR172516 has a potent long-lasting antihypertensive effect without activating sympathetic tone by calcium channel-blocking and beta-adrenoceptor-blocking actions.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

A comparison of the binding characteristics of class I antiarrhythmic agents for human muscarinic m1-m3 receptors.

The binding characteristics of the class 1 antiarrhythmic agents, cibenzoline, disopyramide, disopyramide metabolite (the main active metabolite of disopyramide in humans), and pirmenol, for human muscarinic receptors (m1-m3) stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) were investigated by binding assay with [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) as a ligand. All of these agents inhibited the specific [3H]NMS binding to membrane preparations in a concentration-dependent manner. The potencies of affinity of these agents for m1, m2, and m3 receptors (compared by IC50) were disopyramide > pirmenol > disopyramide metabolite > cibenzoline, pirmenol > cibenzoline > disopyramide > disopyramide metabolite, and disopyramide > disopyramide metabolite > pirmenol > cibenzoline, respectively. Some competition curves of cibenzoline, disopyramide, and pirmenol were shallow, and Hill coefficients of these curves differed from unity, suggesting that these agents have allosteric binding characteristics for human muscarinic receptors. The m2-selective ratios to m1 (IC50 m1/IC50 m2) and m3 (IC50 m3/IC50 m2) of cibenzoline were 4.0 and 16, and those of pirmenol were 6.5 and 43, respectively, whereas those of disopyramide and its metabolite ranged from 0.46 to 1.6, suggesting that cibenzoline and pirmenol exerted high selectivity to the m2 receptor. We conclude that (a) all class 1 antiarrhythmic agents in this study have inhibitory effects on human m1, m2, and m3 receptors, and some of those binding may show allosteric characterization; (b) disopyramide and its metabolite have similar affinity to m1 to m3 receptors; and (c) cibenzoline and pirmenol have high m2-selective ratios to m1 and m3.

Animals↗

Preischemic and postischemic treatment with a new Na+/H+-exchange inhibitor, FR183998, shows cardioprotective effects in rats with cardiac ischemia and reperfusion.

This study describes the pharmacologic profile of a new Na+/H(+)-exchange inhibitor, FR183998, in anesthetized rats. FR183998 had a potent inhibitory effect on Na+/H+ exchange of rat lymphocytes with median inhibitory (IC50) value of 0.3 nM. Treatment with FR183998 (0.01-0.32 mg/kg, i.v.) reduced or completely abolished ventricular fibrillation and mortality induced by 5-min ischemia followed by reperfusion, when it was administered not only 5 min before ischemia but also 1 min before reperfusion. Myocardial infarct size induced by 30-min ischemia and 60-min reperfusion was reduced significantly in a dose-dependent manner by FR183998 (0.1-1.0 mg/kg, i.v.) when the drug was administered preischemically or at an early phase of ischemia. The ventricular tachycardia and the ventricular fibrillation observed during the ischemic period also were suppressed significantly. These results indicate that FR183998 has a strong inhibitory effect on Na+/H+ exchange and suggest that treatment with FR183998 either before or immediately after the onset of ischemia can prevent the occurrence of arrhythmias and myocardial cell necrosis in situations of ischemia and reperfusion.

Anesthesia↗

In situ gene transfer and suicide gene therapy of gastric cancer induced by N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in dogs.

Gene therapy could potentially revolutionize the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancer. The aim of this study was to establish a practical method of gene transfer which would be applicable to human gastric cancer. Retrovirus or/and adenovirus vectors carrying the lacZ marker gene were transferred in situ by needle through an endoscopic biopsy channel into primary gastric cancer in six male beagle dogs that had been treated with N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (ENNG). In addition, an adenovirus vector carrying the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (Ad.CAGHSV-TK) gene was introduced in situ into cancer tissues in the stomach of three dogs, and the animals were treated with intravenous ganciclovir (GCV). Retrovirus-producing cells which expressed the lacZ gene were specifically localized to the injection site in the stomach. The lacZ gene was more widely transferred into the tumor by the adenovirus vector than by retrovirus-producing cells. Improvement of the needle used for gene transfer and the use of multiple injections per tumor led to more diffuse transfer of the vector into the tumor. The Ad.CAGlacZ gene was also transferred into regional lymph nodes of the stomach. Moderate to diffuse degeneration of the primary cancer tissues of the stomach was found after Ad.CAGHSV-TK/GCV gene therapy. Moreover, almost complete tissue degeneration was observed in the regional lymph nodes of the stomach. An adverse effect of HSV-TK/GCV gene therapy was acute hepatotoxicity, which was not found after Ad.CAGlacZ gene transfer, but was found after high-titer Ad.CAGHSV-TK gene transfer followed by GCV. These findings suggest that in situ gene transfer of a suicide gene followed by prodrug treatment may be applicable not only to primary tumors, but also to lymph node metastases of gastric cancer, though further study of both beneficial and adverse effects is required before clinical usage.

Adenoviridae↗