Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T H Nguyen

Publications and source records attributed to T H Nguyen.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Blackwater fever in southern Vietnam: a prospective descriptive study of 50 cases.

We prospectively studied 50 Vietnamese patients with blackwater fever (BWF). All patients had fever and hemoglobinuria, 40 (80%) were jaundiced, 25 (50%) had hepatomegaly, 15 (34%) had splenomegaly, and 9 (18%) had hepatosplenomegaly. Twenty-one patients (42%) had impaired renal function, with creatinine clearances of < 50 mL/min/m2; however, only four (8%) developed oliguric renal failure, three (6%) of whom required dialysis. Forty-four patients (88%) developed anemia, which was severe (hematocrit, < 20% in 32 (64%). One patient died, representing a death rate for this once-feared disease that is considerably lower than that reported by earlier investigators. BWF was associated with quinine ingestion in 28 patients (56%), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in 27 (54%), and concurrent malaria infection in 16 (32%). There was no statistically significant difference in the severity of BWF associated with each of these three factors, as assessed by creatinine clearance and the hematocrit value on admission and by the number of units of blood transfused. There was considerable overlap in the occurrence of G6PD deficiency, quinine ingestion, and malaria, suggesting that these factors may interact and that it may not be justifiable to regard hemoglobinuria caused by G6PD deficiency as a separate syndrome.

Blackwater Fever↗
PubMed1995

Aggregation and precipitation of human relaxin induced by metal-catalyzed oxidation.

The interactions of proteins with reactive oxygen species may result in covalent modifications of amino acid residues in proteins and possible alterations of protein conformation. In an attempt to elucidate the mechanisms of the metal-catalyzed oxidation of human relaxin, we employed ascorbic acid/transition metal ion [Cu(II) or Fe(III)]/O2 as a model oxidizing system. Experimental results indicated selective oxidation of His and Met residues and rapid formation of aggregates (noncovalent, pH dependent) following the oxidation reaction. Amino acid analysis and LC/MS data following tryptic digestion demonstrated the oxidation of the His A(12) residue, which resulted in 2-oxohistidine and some other unidentified degradation products. The oxidation of both Met residues to Met-sulfoxides was also identified, and it was found that Met B(4) was more easily oxidized than Met B(25). The comparative kinetic studies of two Met-containing fragments of relaxin suggested that the preferred oxidation of Met B(4) is due to its close proximity to some metal-binding neighboring amino acid residues. These covalent alterations may lead to the modification of secondary and tertiary structure and increase the exposure of the hydrophobic surface of the protein which eventually induces aggregation of precipitation. The modification of relaxin by ascorbic acid/CuCl2 solution could be totally inhibited by the presence of EDTA. In contrast, catalase and superoxide dismutase showed no effects on the oxidation process.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

The expression pattern of the murine Hoxa-10 gene and the sequence recognition of its homeodomain reveal specific properties of Abdominal B-like genes.

Homeobox genes of the Abdominal B (AbdB) family constitute a distinct subset of vertebrate Hox genes. Analysis of the murine Hoxa-10 gene, one member of this family, revealed several properties specific to this class. Two transcripts of Hoxa-10, a10-1 and a10-2, encode homeodomain proteins of 55 kDa (399 amino acids) and 16 kDa (96 amino acids), respectively. These proteins have identical homeodomains and C-terminal regions encoded by a common 3' exon but differ significantly in the sizes of their N-terminal regions because of the usage of alternative 5' exons. The 5' exon of the a10-2 form is also present in transcripts of Hoxa-9, the next 3' gene, indicating that splicing can occur between adjacent AbdB Hox genes within a cluster. Both Hoxa-10 transcripts demonstrated identical patterns of expression in the posterior body and proximal limb bud, differentiating them from AbdB morphogenetic and regulatory transcripts and suggesting a role with other AbdB Hox genes in the patterning of these structures. Finally, a binding site selection identified the sequence AA(A/T)TTTTATTAC as the Hoxa-10 homeodomain consensus binding site, with a TTAT core sequence. Preferential recognition of a TTAT core therefore differentiates the AbdB class from Antennapedia (Antp) class gene products which bind a TAAT core. Thus, in vertebrates, structural similarities, coordinate transcriptional regulation, sites of expression, and binding site preferences all serve to distinguish AbdB from Antp Hox genes.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1993

Intravenous Pluronic F-127 in early burn wound treatment in rats.

A dramatic improvement in full skin thickness burn wounds in rats treated intravenously with the non-ionic surfactant Pluronic F-127 (F-127) has been demonstrated. In this study the F-127 was given 30 min postburn to simulate conditions encountered in a clinical setting. Anaesthetized male rats (300-320 g) received full skin thickness burns by immersion of the anterior chest wall (8 per cent body surface area in a 70 degrees C water-bath for 12 s). Burn wound area was measured immediately and after 48 h. Thirty minutes after the burn, half the animals received equal volumes (8 ml/kg body wt) of either saline or F-127 (12 mM/l concentration) via the tail vein. The animals autopsied at 48 h showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the degree of wound contraction and the wound appeared grossly less damaged in the F-127-treated animals. Histologically, skin biopsies showed less of the microscopic damage usually associated with full skin thickness burns in the F-127-treated animals than in the saline controls. We also used thermography to measure skin temperature of the burn area at 90 min and 48 h postinjury demonstrating alterations in the F-127-treated animals (P < 0.05). In animals followed for 30 days postinjury, there was a significant (P < 0.01) improvement in the wound closure rates in the F-127-treated animals. These observations show a positive therapeutic effect of F-127 on the inflammatory process in the area of a burn that may improve wound healing.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The kinetics of relaxin oxidation by hydrogen peroxide.

In this study, hydrogen peroxide was used to study the oxidation of rhRlx under various conditions. Oxidation of rhRlx occurred at both of the two methionines on the B chain, Met B(4) and Met B(25), as expected from the three-dimensional structure of the molecule, which shows that these two residues are located on the surface of the molecule and exposed to solvent. The reaction produced three different oxidized forms of rhRlx containing either Met B(4) sulfoxide, Met B(25) sulfoxide, or both residues oxidized. The corresponding sulfone was not formed under these conditions. The oxidation at the two methionines proceeded independently from each other but Met B(25) was oxidized at a significantly faster rate than Met B(4). The fact that the rate of oxidation at Met B(25) was identical to the rate of oxidation of free methionine and that of two model peptides mimicking the residues around Met B(4) and Met B(25) suggests that the lower reactivity at Met B(4) was due to steric hindrance, and at least in this case, neighboring groups do not influence the oxidation kinetics of methionine residues. The reaction was independent of pH, ionic strength, and buffer concentration in the range studied. The enthalpy of activation for the reaction was approximately 10-14 kcal mol-1, with an entropy of activation of the order of -30 cal K-1 mol-1. These data are consistent with previously published mechanisms for organic sulfide oxidation by alkyl hydroperoxides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Possible novel action of ouabain: allosteric modulation of vascular serotonergic (5-HT2) and angiotensinergic (AT1) receptors.

Experiments were carried out to determine the effects of ouabain and dihydroouabain, both at 10 microM, on the vasoconstrictor responses of isolated rabbit blood vessel rings to both serotonin and angiotensin II. Ouabain plus dihydroouabain increased the sensitivity of central ear artery to serotonin and markedly reduced the antagonist potency of 0.1 microM prazosin against serotonin in this blood vessel; dihydroouabain alone had no effect. Ouabain, markedly reversed the reduction of maximal contractile response by both 2-brom-d-lysergic acid diethylamide against serotonin in aorta and 2-n-propyl-4-trifluoromethyl-1-[(2'-1H-tetrazol-5yl)biphenyl -4- yl)methyl]imidazole-5-carboxylic acid (EXP 3892) against angiotensin II in femoral artery; dihydroouabain had no effect. Whereas both 10 microM ouabain and dihydroouabain produced nearly maximal inhibition of Na+K+ATPase, dihydroouabain failed to modulate the vasoconstrictor responses to either serotonin or angiotensin II. Thus, it is concluded that the vasoconstrictor modulatory effects of ouabain are mediated by mechanisms unrelated to Na+K+ATPase inhibition. The present results are consistent with the hypothesis that both 5-hydroxytryptamine2 and angiotensinergic receptors can exist in high and low activity states. It is proposed that 5-hydroxytryptamine2 receptors exist in a low activity state in the ear artery, or are converted to the low activity state by 2-brom-d-lysergic acid diethylamide in the aorta. Hypothetically, 2-n-propyl-4-trifluoromethyl-1- [(2'-(1H-tetrazol-5yl)biphenyl-4-yl)methyl]imidazole-5-carbo xylic acid also converted the angiotensinergic receptor to the low activity state in femoral artery. In all three cases, ouabain enhanced vasoconstriction to serotonin and angiotensin II, respectively, possibly by allosterically modulating the respective receptors in these vessels to their high activity states.

Allosteric Regulation↗
PubMed1991

Binding protein BiP is required for translocation of secretory proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The endoplasmic reticulum of mammalian cells contains a heat shock protein of approximately 70 kDa (hsp70) termed binding protein BiP that is thought to promote the folding and subunit assembly of newly synthesized proteins. To study BiP function, we placed the BiP-encoding gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of a regulated promoter and examined the effects of BiP depletion. Reduction of BiP protein to about 15% of normal levels led to a profound reduction in secretion of alpha factor and invertase. At the same time, unglycosylated precursors of these proteins accumulated intracellularly. The predominant form of the invertase precursor had undergone signal sequence cleavage but accumulated as a soluble species in the cytosol. In contrast, the alpha-factor precursor was exclusively in the signal-uncleaved form. It sedimented with microsomal membranes and was exposed at the cytoplasmic face in a protease-resistant form. These findings suggest that, in yeast, BiP function is required for translocation of soluble proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum at a stage beyond the initial nascent chain-membrane association.

Endoplasmic Reticulum↗
PubMed1990

Discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo assays for the susceptibility of Bacillus C.I.P. 5832 to antimicrobial agents.

In vitro, avoparcin, flavomycin, virginiamycin bacitracin, trimethoprim + sulfadimethoxine, colistin, spiramycin, oxolinic acid, lincomycin + spectinomycin and a mixture of organic acids were able to inhibit Bacillus C.I.P. 5832. In vivo, none of these antibacterial agents, at the levels incorporated in feeds, could affect the viable bacillus count in the caecal content of chickens. In another in vitro assay, olaquindox, carbadox and tylosin were also effective in inhibiting Bacillus C.I.P. 5832. But, concomitantly administered with carbadox or tylosin, Bacillus C.I.P. 5832 still promoted growth and feed conversion of fattening pigs. These results, as well as data of the quoted literature, suggest that the current in vitro techniques should not be used to screen the susceptibility of Bacillus C.I.P. 5832 to antimicrobial agents. Only in vivo assays seem to be of value.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Yttrium-90 and iodine-131 radioimmunoglobulin therapy of an experimental human hepatoma.

Therapeutic trials were performed on the HepG2 human hepatoblastoma implanted s.c. in the athymic nude mouse. Animals were treated with polyclonal and monoclonal antiferritin and control antibodies labeled with either iodine-131 (131I) or yttrium-90 (90Y). Administration of 400 muCi of 131I-labeled polyclonal antiferritin or 300 muCi of 90Y-labeled polyclonal antiferritin significantly increased survival (P less than 0.001). There were no tumor cures with radiolabeled polyclonal antibody therapy. Animals treated with 200 or 300 muCi of 131I-labeled monoclonal antiferritin (QCI054) did not show increased survival compared to controls. Although 400 muCi of 131I-labeled QCI significantly prolonged survival, treatment resulted in no long-term survivors. Monoclonal antiferritin labeled with 90Y significantly prolonged survival of animals (P less than 0.001) at doses of 100, 200, or 300 muCi compared with untreated controls. Fifty % of the animals treated with 200 muCi and 75% of the animals treated with 300 muCi showed no evidence of disease at 140 days following treatment. Four hundred muCi of 90Y-labeled QCI proved toxic to the animals. Increased survival was accompanied by a decrease in tumor mitotic rate and increase in cellular polymorphism as determined by pathological examination. The radiation dose absorbed in the tumor correlated directly with tumor response following treatment. The absorbed dose in tumors for complete decay of the isotope ranged from 165 and 330 cGy at the periphery and center of small tumors for an administered activity of 200 muCi of 131I-labeled polyclonal antiferritin, to 7,573 and 12,400 cGy for 300 muCi of 90Y-labeled monoclonal antiferritin QCI.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Lipid peroxidation in Ehrlich ascites cell mitochondria is not determined by the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of the membrane.

Lipid peroxidation intensity is compared in Ehrlich Ascites Cell and in liver mitochondria, prepared from tumor bearing mice. Malondialdehyde formation is negligible in intact ascites tumour mitochondria, but it is significantly increased in permeabilised mitochondria and in isolated mitochondrial membranes. We suggest that the resistance against oxidative stress is a consequence of efficient protective mechanisms operating in the intact tumour mitochondria and the low level of polyunsaturated fatty acids under these circumstances cannot be the rate limiting factor in lipid peroxidation. Succinate, an effective inhibitor of mitochondrial lipid peroxidation in liver, cannot determine malondialdehyde formation in ascites tumour mitochondria.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1989

Brunsting-Perry pemphigoid simulating basal cell carcinoma.

The cases of three patients whose initial clinical presentations suggested superficial multicentric basal cell carcinoma are reported. Although routine histologic examinations were nonspecific, direct immunofluorescence studies showed immunoglobin and/or complement deposition patterns diagnostic of Brunsting-Perry variant pemphigoid. There is a wide spectrum of clinical presentation of Brunsting-Perry pemphigoid. In cases in which there is a minimum of blistering activity, the use of direct immunofluorescence is invaluable for definitive diagnosis.

Aged↗