Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “ALB”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

The role of proteolytic enzymes in the deposition of amyloid proteins.

Serum albumin from normal individuals and short-term hemodialysis patients was separated by isoelectric focusing into two bands with pIs of 4.7 (Alb-I) and 4.2 (Alb-II). However, serum albumin from long-term hemodialysis patients with CTS migrated as a single band with a pI of 4.2 (Alb-II). The major constituent of the 100,000 x g supernatant proteins from amyloid tissues that were collected from hemodialysis patients with CTS was Alb-II. Incubation of serum albumin by lysosomal enzymes in vitro caused the modification of Alb-I to Alb-II. The ratio of Alb-I/Alb-II was changed in vivo during the hemodialysis and in in-vitro experiments designed to circulate the sera. Lysosomal enzyme levels such as acid phosphatase, glucosidase, glucuronidase and dipeptidyl aminopeptidase in the serum of hemodialysis patients were higher than those of normal individuals. Plasma levels of acid phosphatase and cathepsin L were elevated during hemodialysis. These results suggest that the conformational change of serum albumin by proteolytic modification during hemodialysis may be involved in the hemodialysis-associated amyloidosis.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1987

Complexes of albumin and alpha 1-antitrypsin with Fc-fragment of IgA monomer are disulfide-bound to penultimate C-terminal cysteine in the C alpha 3-domain.

Six IgA myeloma sera, containing albumin (ALB)-IgA and alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT)-IgA complexes (CXs), were gel-filtered on Ultrogel AcA22. The CXs were eluted between monomeric and dimeric IgA. The CX-containing fractions were digested with three IgA-proteases: ALB and alpha 1-AT remained bound to Fc alpha-, but not to Fab alpha-fragments. Short (less than 2 h) peptic digestion entirely released free ALB and alpha 1-AT from the CXs, indicating that these proteins are linked to the third constant domain of the alpha-chain. Identical results were obtained with anti-ALB immunosorbent-purified ALB-IgA CXs. Reduction-alkylation of ALB or alpha 1-AT bound to IgA or Fc alpha confirmed disulfide binding. The data support the binding of ALB and alpha 1-AT to the same penultimate C-terminal cysteine of the alpha-chain as that which binds the J-chain.

Alkylation↗
PubMed2006

Impact of single dose of diethylcarbamazine and other antifilarial drug combinations on bancroftian filarial infection variables: assessment after 2 years.

The impact of single dose mass drug administration of diethylcarbamazine (DEC), DEC with albendazole (ALB), and ivermectin (IVR) with albendazole, was examined on the human bancroftian filarial infections in village scale trials in south India, from a follow-up study after 2 years. The treatment arms administered with DEC alone and DEC+ALB demonstrated long-term benefits in reducing microfilaraemia significantly (P<0.05), while antigenaemia reduction was negligible. The arm with ALB+IVR did not show such reductions. Among the antigenaemic and microfilaraemic individuals, 87% became amicrofilaraemic in DEC+ALB arm, which were higher than that observed in the other 2 treatment arms. Among amicrofilaraemics (but Ag+), nearly 35% cleared of infection in DEC+ALB, while 26% and 6% in DEC alone and IVR+ALB arms, respectively. The drug combination DEC+ALB was observed to demonstrate a significant impact in reducing filarial infection even after 2 years post treatment.

Albendazole↗
PubMed1996

Low molecular weight proteinuria in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

To determine whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with incipient tubular or glomerular defects, we determined the urinary excretion of four low molecular weight proteins (LMWP); beta2-microglobulin (U-beta2-m), cystatin C (U-cyst C), Clara cell protein (U-CC16), and retinol-binding protein (U-RBP), the markers of tubular dysfunction, the excretion of albumin (U-Alb), a marker of glomerular defect, and the excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (U-NAG), a marker of structural damage of the proximal tubular epithelium. Their determinants have been assessed by stepwise regression analysis using as possible predictors age, sex, serum-beta2-m (S-beta2-m), CD4 lymphocyte count, or HIV infection stage and therapy. The study involved 76 HIV-infected patients without renal disease, 56 with S-beta2-m < 5 mg/L (Group B1), 20 with S-beta2-m > or = 5 mg/L (Group B2), and 30 HIV-negative controls. Fourteen patients (18.4%) had no abnormal urinary protein loss, and 62 (81.6%) had elevated urinary excretion of at least one protein (Alb, LMWP, or NAG). A single urinary protein was abnormal in 21 patients (U-beta2-m, n = 9; U-RBP, n = 2; U-CC16, n = 4; and U-Alb, n = 6). At least two LMWP were abnormal without increased U-Alb in 23 patients (12 with increased and 11 with normal U-NAG). Ten patients had an increased urinary excretion of at least one LMWP together with U-Alb (5 with increased and 5 with normal U-NAG). An increased urinary excretion of all proteins was observed in the last 8 patients. The average urinary excretion of all proteins (except cyst C) was significantly higher in HIV than in the control group. As expected, U-beta2-m and the prevalence of abnormal U-beta2-m values were higher in the B2 than in the B1 group (P = 0.0001), whereas the average urinary excretion and the prevalence of elevated values of Alb, LMWP (except beta2-m) or NAG were the same in both HIV groups. By stepwise regression analysis, age emerged as a significant determinant of urinary excretion of beta2-m and CC16, whereas male sex was associated with increased U-CC16. S-beta2-m, CD4-lymphocyte count, or HIV infection stage emerged as significant determinants only for U-beta2-m as a consequence of a close correlation between S-beta2-m and either HIV infection stage (r = -0.52, P = 0.0001), or CD4 count (r = -0.45, P = 0.0002). Over 80% of HIV-infected patients without overt renal disease have evidence of glomerular permeability defects or tubular dysfunction, whatever the stage of the disease. U-Alb, RBP, and CC16 appear as the most sensitive and reliable early markers of these abnormalities. Their cause and prognostic value remain to be determined.

AIDS-Associated Nephropathy↗
PubMed1996

Prealbumin in nutrition evaluation.

We compressed 16 test-pattern classes of albumin (ALB), cholesterol (CHOL), and total protein (TPR) in 545 chemistry profiles to 4 classes by converting decision values to a number code to separate malnourished (1 or 2) from nonmalnourished (NM) (0) patients, using as cutoff values for nonmalnourished (0), mild (1), and moderate (2): ALB 35, 27 g/L; TPR 63, 53 g/L; CHOL 3.9, 2.8 mmol/L; and BUN 9.3, 3.6 mmol/L. The BUN was found to have too low an S-value to make a contribution to the compressed classification. The cutoff values for classifying the data were assigned prior to statistical analysis, after examining information in the structured data. The data was obtained by a natural experiment in which the test profiles routinely done by the laboratory were randomly extracted. The analysis identifies the values for the variables used that best classify the data and are not dependent on distributional assumptions. The data were converted to 0, 1, or 2 as outcomes, to create a ternary truth table (each row is nnnn, the n value is 0 to 2). This allows for 3(4) (81) possible patterns, without the inclusion of prealbumin (PAB). The emerging system has much fewer patterns in the information-rich truth table formed (a purposeful, far from random, event). We added PAB, coded, and examined the data for 129 patients. The classes are a compressed truth table of n-coded patients with outcomes of 0, 1, or 2 with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) increasing from an all-0 to all-2 pattern. Pattern class (F = 154), PAB (F = 35), ALB (F = 56), and CHOL (F = 18) were different across PEM class and predicted PEM class (R2 = 0.7864, F = 119, p < E-5). Kruskal-Wallis analysis of class by ranks was significant for pattern class (1E-18), PAB (6.1E-15), ALB (1E-16), CHOL (9E-10), and TPR (5.3E-13). The medians and standard error (SEM) for PAB, ALB, and CHOL of all four PABCLASSES (NM, mild, moderate, severe) are: PAB = 209, 8.7; 159, 9.3; 137, 10.4; 72, 11.1 mg/L, ALB = 36, 0.7; 30.5, 0.8; 25.0, 0.8; 24.5, 0.8 g/L; CHOL = 4.43, 0.17; 4.04, 0.20; 3.11, 0.21; 2.54, 0.22 mmol/L. PAB and CHOL values show the effect of nutrition support on PAB and CHOL in PEM. Moderately malnourished patients receiving nutrition support have PAB values in the normal range at 137 mg/L and at 159 mg/L when the ALB is at 25 g/L or at 30.5 g/L.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1995

Endocytosis and transcytosis of albumin gold through mice peritoneal mesothelium.

The present transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study was designed to investigate whether mesothelial cells of mice diaphragmatic, parietal and mesenteric peritoneum are actively coupled to the mechanisms involved in the transerosal absorption of albumin gold complexes (Alb-Au). Five albino mice were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 ml of a suspension of Alb-Au. In three animals, in vivo fixation was done 10 minutes after injection of Alb-Au, whereas in the remaining two, fixation was performed 45 minutes after injection of the tracer. At both time intervals, a substantial part of Alb-Au complexes was observed within plasmalemmal and coated vesicles, mainly attached to the luminal aspect of the internal luminal membranes. The amount of Alb-Au contained in plasmalemmal vesicles was significantly higher than that detected in intermesothelial junctions. Plasmalemmal vesicles were observed discharging Alb-Au complexes in the submesothelial interstitium, showing a significantly higher proportion of the tracer associated with non-junctional areas. Evidence presented in this study supports the idea of local degradation of Alb-Au in mesothelial cells after endocytosis, and that of a continuously transcytotic mechanism transporting polymerized albumin across the mesothelial layer. In this sense, transcytotic vesicles could represent the large pore equivalent.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Treatment of Brugia timori and Wuchereria bancrofti infections in Indonesia using DEC or a combination of DEC and albendazole: adverse reactions and short-term effects on microfilariae.

Filariasis caused by Brugia timori and Wuchereria bancrofti is an important public health problem on Alor island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. To implement a control programme, adverse reactions and short-term effects on the microfilaria (mf) density were studied following a divided dose of diethylcarbamazine (DEC, 6 mg/kg body weight - 100 mg on day 1 and the rest on day 3) or a single dose of DEC (6 mg/kg body weight on day 3) and albendazole (Alb, 400 mg). In order to define the most appropriate regimen, 30 persons infected with B. timori were treated in the hospital and results were compared with those obtained from the treatment of 27 persons infected with W. bancrofti. Adverse reactions consisted of systemic reactions such as fever, headache, myalgia, itching and local reactions such as adenolymphangitis. Fever experienced by a number of patients in both treatment groups generally occurred 12-24 h after drug administration and lasted up to 2 days. Adenolymphangitis tended to occur later and was resolved within 4 days. The number of W. bancrofti patients suffering from adverse reactions was lower and the reactions were milder than those of the B. timori patients. There was no difference in adverse reactions between DEC alone and DEC-Alb treatment for either infection. The geometric mean mf count decreased on day 7 in the B. timori infected patients from 234 mf/ml in the DEC group and from 257 mf/ml in the DEC-Alb group to 7 and 8 mf/ml, respectively. The mf densities of the W. bancrofti infected patients decreased on day 7 from 214 mf/ml in the DEC group and from 559 mf/ml in the DEC-Alb group to 15 and 14 mf/ml, respectively. Our data indicate that the microfilaricidal effect of the drugs is achieved more rapidly for B. timori, which is associated with more adverse reactions than W. bancrofti. In addition, 111 B. timori infected persons were treated in the community with DEC-Alb in one selected village. The adverse reactions and the reduction of mf density was similar to the findings of the hospital-based study. In this group, there was a strong correlation of mf density with the frequency and severity of adverse reactions. The addition of Alb resulted in no additional adverse reactions compared with DEC treatment alone and can also be used for the treatment of B. timori infection. In Indonesia, where the prevalence of intestinal helminths is high, the use of a combination of DEC and Alb to control lymphatic filariasis may also have impact on the control of intestinal helminths.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Blood to brain and brain to blood passage of native horseradish peroxidase, wheat germ agglutinin, and albumin: pharmacokinetic and morphological assessments.

Native horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and the lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) conjugated to HRP are protein probes represented in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) literature for elucidating morphological routes of passage between blood and brain. We report the application of established pharmacokinetic methods, e.g., multiple-time regression analysis and capillary depletion technique, to measure and compare bidirectional rates of passage between blood and brain for radioactive iodine-labeled HRP (I-HRP), WGA-HRP (I-WGA-HRP), and the serum protein albumin (I-ALB) following administration of the probes intravenously (i.v.) or by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection in mice. The pharmacokinetic data are supplemented with light and electron microscopic analyses of HRP and WGA-HRP delivered i.v. or by i.c.v. injection. The rates of bidirectional movement between blood and brain are the same for coinjected I-HRP and I-ALB. Blood-borne HRP, unlike WGA-HRP, has unimpeded access to the CNS extracellularly through sites deficient in a BBB, such as the circumventricular organs and subarachnoid space/pial surface. Nevertheless, blood-borne I-WGA-HRP enters the brain approximately 10 times more rapidly than I-HRP and I-ALB. Separation of blood vessels from the neocortical parenchyma confirms the entry of blood-borne I-WGA-HRP to the brain and sequestration of I-WGA-HRP by cerebral endothelial cells. Nearly half the I-WGA-HRP radioactivity associated with cortical vessels is judged to be subcellular. Light microscopic results suggest the extracellular pathways into the brain available to blood-borne native HRP do not represent predominant routes of entry for blood-borne WGA-HRP. Ultrastructural analysis further suggests WGA-HRP is likely to undergo adsorptive transcytosis through cerebral endothelia from blood to brain via specific subcellular compartments within the endothelium. Entry of blood-borne I-WGA-HRP, but not of I-ALB, is stimulated with coinjected unlabeled WGA-HRP, suggesting the latter may enhance the adsorptive endocytosis of blood-borne I-WGA-HRP. With i.c.v. coinjection of I-WGA-HRP and I-ALB, I-WGA-HRP exists the brain more slowly than I-ALB. The brain to blood passage of I-WGA-HRP is nil with inclusion of unlabeled WGA-HRP, which does not alter the exist of I-ALB. Adsorptive endocytosis of i.c.v. injected WGA-HRP appears restricted largely to cells lining the ventricular cavities, e.g., ependymal and choroid plexus epithelia. In summary, the data suggest that the bidirectional rates of passage between brain and blood for native HRP are comparable to those for albumin.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Regulation of leukocyte function by nitric oxide donors: the effect of S-nitroso-thiol complexes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel protein-bound S-nitroso-thiol, S-nitroso-albumin (S-NO-alb), in modulating neutrophil-endothelial cell adhesion, activation, and interactions. Due to the highly variable kinetics of NO release from the low-molecular-weight thiol adducts S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO), we expected S-NO-alb to be a more effective modulator of inflammatory interactions through its slow, steady, and prolonged release of NO. Human umbilical-vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) demonstrated upregulated adhesion of neutrophils that was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with S-NO-alb (1.0-100 microM) (p < .05), but not SNAP or GSNO. Pretreatment with S-NO-alb, SNAP, or GSNO attenuated tumor necrosis factor-alpha primed *O2- release from neutrophils and increased neutrophil cGMP accumulation. On a molar basis, S-NO-alb expressed a 10-fold greater potency than SNAP or GSNO at modulating these effects. Kinetics studies confirmed the relative stability of spontaneous NO release from S-NO-alb compared with highly variable kinetic profiles of SNAP and GSNO. Our results demonstrate that S-NO-alb more effectively modulates endothelial-cell and neutrophil immunoinflammatory responses versus its related low-molecular-weight thiol complexes.

Cell Adhesion↗
PubMed2000

Disease-induced alterations in plasma drug-binding proteins and their influence on drug binding percentages in dogs.

Disease-induced variations of plasma albumin (ALB) and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) levels were investigated in dogs. Lower ALB (sometimes > 50% reduction) and higher AAG (sometimes > 10-fold increase) levels were observed in dogs with various diseases. Drug binding was determined at therapeutic concentrations using normal, low-ALB and high-AAG dog plasma. The binding percentages of the ALB-binding drugs decreased in low-ALB plasma, resulting in a large increase in unbound drug, particularly for naproxen (a 13-fold increase). The binding percentages of all AAG-binding drugs investigated in this study increased in high-AAG plasma, resulting in a large decrease in unbound drug, particularly for quinidine (99% decrease). The fluctuation in the unbound fraction of drugs could affect their efficacy or could cause side-effects. Veterinary clinicians should monitor the ALB and AAG levels in the plasma of patients and correct dosage regimens according to these levels, where field conditions permit this, in order to ensure the proper usage of drugs with high affinity for ALB or AAG.

Albumins↗
PubMed2005

Mineral metabolism and haemoglobin concentration among haemodialysis patients in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS).

BACKGROUND: Bone and mineral metabolism is abnormal in most chronic haemodialysis patients and is associated with a high mortality risk. Because of possible pathogenic links between anaemia and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), the present study evaluated associations of mineral metabolism indicators with haemoglobin (Hb). METHODS: Data were collected from 317 facilities (12 089 haemodialysis patients) in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States by the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS). The major outcome studied was probability of haemodialysis patients having a target Hb, per guidelines, of >/=11 g/dl at baseline. Major predictor variables were patient characteristics and laboratory markers of mineral metabolism: albumin-corrected serum calcium (calcium(Alb)), serum phosphorus (PO(4)) and iPTH. Analyses were adjusted for demographics, 15 comorbidity classes, baseline laboratory values, body mass index, years on dialysis, erythropoietin dose, vitamin D and catheter use, cause of end-stage renal disease and country. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of having Hb >/=11 g/dl was significantly higher (P<0.0001) in patients with higher calcium(Alb) (AOR = 1.32 per 1 mg/dl), higher PO(4) (AOR = 1.08 per 1 mg/dl) and lower iPTH (AOR = 0.96 per 100 pg/ml). Furthermore, 4 month intrapatient changes in Hb concentration were significantly (P<0.0001) related to 4 month changes in calcium(Alb) (0.17 g/dl Hb rise per 1 mg/dl higher calcium(Alb)) and PO(4) (0.11 g/dl Hb rise per 1 mg/dl higher PO(4)). Mean weekly recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) doses were higher for patients with high PO(4) or iPTH levels, but lower for patients with calcium(Alb) >9.5 mg/dl, after patient mix and Hb concentration adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that higher serum calcium(Alb) and PO(4) levels are each independently associated with better anaemia control. This relationship is independent of vitamin D use, PTH levels and prescribed rHuEpo dose. Despite this benefit of better anaemia control at higher serum calcium(Alb) and PO(4) concentrations, lower calcium and PO(4) levels, as recommended by the K/DOQI guidelines, should still serve as the long-term goal for HD patients in order to minimize tissue calcification and mortality risk.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Stability of hemoglobin and albumin adducts of naphthalene oxide, 1,2-naphthoquinone, and 1,4-naphthoquinone.

Naphthalene is an important industrial chemical, which has recently been shown to cause tumors of the respiratory tract in rodents. It is thought that one or more reactive metabolites of naphthalene, namely, naphthalene-1,2-oxide (NPO), 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NPQ), and 1,4-naphthoquinone (1,4-NPQ) contribute to the tumorigenicity of this chemical. These electrophiles are all capable of covalent binding to macromolecules including DNA and proteins. The stability of cysteinyl adducts of NPO, 1,2-NPQ, and 1,4-NPQ were investigated in both hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (Alb) of male F344 rats following a single administration of 2 different doses (400 or 800 mg naphthalene per kg body weight). To assess the stability of Alb adducts, we compared the rates of NPO-Alb turnover (half-life of approximately 2 days) and 1,2-NPQ-Alb (half-life of approximately 1 day) to the normal turnover rate of Alb in the rat (half-life = 2.5-3 days). Based on the rapid turnover of these adducts relative to Alb itself, we concluded that they were unstable. However, the stability of Alb adducts was not affected by the dose of naphthalene administered (400 or 800 mg/kg). In contrast, NPO-Hb adducts were relatively stable (rate constant of adduct instability <or= 0.01) following a 400 mg/kg dose of naphthalene, but their stability could not be estimated following an 800 mg/kg dose due to high variability among animals. The rate constants of adduct instability obtained in this study allow application of NPO and NPQ adducts to estimate the exposure to reactive electrophilic metabolites of naphthalene in the rat. In addition, some limitations of current methods for estimating adduct instability were identified.

Albumins↗
PubMed1990

Lactated Ringer's solution versus 3% albumin for resuscitation of a lethal intestinal ischemic shock in rats.

Previously, we determined that a colloid concentration of about 3% was optimal for resuscitation of lethal ischemic intestinal shock model in rats. Maximal volumes of lactated Ringer's solution (RL) alone only expanded plasma volume (PV) to 80% of preshock level, while increasing volumes of 3% albumin (ALB) in RL linearly expanded PV up to twice the preshock level. This study compares the effect of RL and ALB on survival and PV in 175 rats. The solutions were given in volumes to induce suboptimal PV expansion, requiring 10 and 44 ml/100 g body weight (bwt) of ALB and RL, respectively. ALB (20 ml/100 g bwt) was then given to induce a PV above the preshock level. Shock was induced by exteriorizing the small intestine and occluding the superior mesenteric vessels for 75 min. PV was estimated using Hct. Therefore, infusions were given continuously for 6 h in volumes that maintained a stable Hct. Untreated shocked animals developed hemoconcentration (Hct 58%) corresponding to a PV of 56% of preshock level, with 2% (1/53) of the animals surviving 24 h. The maximum effect of RL (44 ml/100 g bwt) was to expand PV to 80% of preshock level, with a 32% 24-h survival rate. Only 23% as much ALB (10 ml/100 g bwt) was needed to induce similar blood volume expansion with 24-h survival rate of 46%. When the larger volume of ALB (20 ml/100 g bwt) was used, PV expanded to 115% of preshock level, and 24-h survival to 76%, greater than that achieved with either the smaller volume of ALB or RL alone (p less than .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Physiologic hypoalbuminemia is well tolerated by severely burned children.

BACKGROUND: Physiologic hypoalbuminemia, defined as a plasma albumin (pl-ALB) of 1.0 to 2.5 g/dL, is a component of the injury response. A consensus on the need for albumin supplementation in this setting is lacking. METHODS: We examined 27 consecutive children (age, 7 +/- 6 years) with > 40% body surface burns (mean, 59 +/- 18%) during their initial 4 weeks of care. Patients were managed with an albumin-supplementation protocol that tolerated profound physiologic hypoalbuminemia. Intravenous albumin was administered by infusion of 1 to 2 g/kg/d when pl-ALB fell below 1.0 g/dL, or below 1.5 g/dL in the presence of enteral feeding intolerance or pulmonary dysfunction. Supplementation was stopped when pl-ALB reached 2.0 g/dL. RESULTS: Mean pl-ALB was 1.7 g/dL overall. Infusion for pl-ALB < 1.0 g/dL was needed for 70% (n = 19) of the patients. Profound physiologic hypoalbuminemia was constant, that is, mean weekly pl-ALB never exceed 2.5 g/dL in any patient. Mean plasma globulin rose during the 4 week period from 2.3 +/- 0.1 at week 1 to 3.1 +/- 0.1 at week 4. Diarrhea was negligible (19 of 756 patient days), nasogastric feedings were well tolerated, PaO2/FiO2 ratios remained well above 150, wounds healed satisfactorily, and all children survived and have been discharged home. CONCLUSIONS: Profound physiologic hypoalbuminemia (pl-ALB of 1.0-2.5 g/dL) does not have adverse effects on pulmonary or gut function, wound healing, or outcome in severely burned children, perhaps because of a compensatory increase in acute-phase proteins reflected in plasma globulin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of three tracers for detecting lung epithelial injury in anesthetized sheep.

We compared the ability of three aerosolized tracers to discriminate among control, lung inflation with a positive end expired pressure of 10 cmH2O, lung vascular hypertension and edema without lung injury, and lung edema with lung injury due to intravenous oleic acid. The tracers were 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (99mTc-DTPA, mol wt 492), 99mTc-human serum albumin (99mTc-ALB, mol wt 69,000), and 99mTc-aggregated albumin (99mTc-AGG ALB, mol wt 383,000). 99mTc-DTPA clearance measurements were not able to discriminate lung injury from lung inflation. The 99mTc-AGG ALB clearance rate was unchanged by lung inflation and increased slightly with lung injury. The 99mTc-ALB clearance rate (0.06 +/- 0.02%/min) was unchanged by lung inflation (0.09 +/- 0.02%/min, P greater than 0.05) or 4 h of hypertension without injury (0.09 +/- 0.04%/min, P greater than 0.05). Deposition of 99mTc-ALB within 15 min of the administration of the oleic acid increased the clearance rate to 0.19 +/- 0.06%/min, which correlated well with the postmortem lung water volume (r = 0.92, P less than 0.01). This did not occur when there was a 60-min delay in the deposition of 99mTc-ALB. We conclude that 99mTc-ALB is the best indicator for studying the effects of lung epithelial injury on protein and fluid transport into and out of the air spaces of the lungs in a minimally invasive manner.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes differentially affect apoptosis in adult rat ventricular myocytes.

BACKGROUND-Catecholamine-induced apoptosis is mediated by activation of the beta-adrenergic signaling pathway. We tested the hypothesis that beta(1)- and beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (AR) subtypes differentially affect apoptosis in adult rat ventricular myocytes in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS-Myocytes were first exposed to norepinephrine (NE) alone (10 mcmol/L) or NE+atenolol (AT) (10 mcmol/L) for 12 hours. AT, a beta(1)-selective AR antagonist, abolished the NE-induced increase in nick end-labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells compared with control (NE, 33+/-3% versus control, 3+/-1%, P<0.0001; NE+AT, 4+/-2% versus control, 3+/-1%, P=0. 98). Annexin V staining, DNA laddering, and caspase activity determinations corroborated these results. Subsequent experiments under prazosin treatment established the apoptosis dose-response curves for the increasingly beta(2)-selective AR agonists isoproterenol (ISO) (beta(1) approximately beta(2)) and albuterol (ALB) (beta(2)>beta(1)). ISO and ALB induced significantly less apoptosis than NE (beta(1)>beta(2)) at equimolar concentrations as assessed by TUNEL staining [1 mcmol/L: NE (8+/-2%) approximately ISO (7+/-1%)>ALB (2+/-1%); 10 mcmol/L: NE (35+/-2%)>ISO (23+/-1%)>ALB (3+/-1%); 100 mcmol/L: NE (50+/-2%)>ISO (29+/-2%)>ALB (14+/-1%), P<0.0001 except for NE versus ISO at 1 mcmol/L with P=0.62]. ALB-induced apoptosis at 100 mcmol/L was abolished by AT (10 mcmol/L), indicating a beta(1)AR-mediated effect. Importantly, ICI 118551 (0.1 mcmol/L), a highly selective beta(2)AR antagonist, did not decrease the percentage of NE-, ISO-, and ALB-induced apoptosis. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction studies revealed that AT completely reversed the beta-adrenergic signaling-induced changes in the Bcl-2-to-Bax ratio. CONCLUSIONS-These observations provide evidence that beta AR-mediated apoptotic death signaling is largely dissociated from beta(2)ARs and selectively mediated by beta(1)ARs in adult rat ventricular myocytes.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed2005

Transforming growth factor-beta, 20-HETE interaction, and glomerular injury in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

This study examined the role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in altering the glomerular permeability to albumin (P(alb)) during hypertension development in Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats and whether TGF-beta acts by inhibiting the glomerular production of 20-HETE. The results indicate that the renal expression of TGF-beta doubles in Dahl S rats fed a high-salt diet for 7 days, and this is associated with a marked rise in P(alb) from 0.19+/-0.04 to 0.75+/-0.01 and changes in the ultrastructure of the glomerular filtration barrier. Chronic treatment of Dahl S rats with a TGF-beta neutralizing antibody prevented the increase in P(alb) and preserved the structure of glomerular capillaries. It had no effect on the rise in blood pressure produced by the high-salt diet. In other studies, preincubation of glomeruli isolated from Sprague Dawley rats with TGF-beta1 (10 ng/mL) for 15 minutes increased P(alb) from 0.01+/-0.01 to 0.60+/-0.02. This was associated with inhibition of the glomerular production of 20-HETE from 221+/-11 to 3.4+/-0.5 mug per 30 minutes per milligram of protein. Pretreatment of Sprague Dawley glomeruli with a stable analog of 20-HETE, 20-hydroxyeicosa-5(Z), 14(Z)-dienoic acid, reduced baseline P(alb) and opposed the effects of TGF-beta to increase P(alb). These studies indicate that upregulation of the glomerular formation of TGF-beta may contribute to the development of proteinuria and glomerular injury early in hypertension development in Dahl S rats by increasing P(alb) through inhibition of the glomerular production of 20-HETE.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The ALIAS Pilot Trial: a dose-escalation and safety study of albumin therapy for acute ischemic stroke--I: Physiological responses and safety results.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In preclinical stroke models, high-dose human albumin confers robust neuroprotection. We investigated the safety and tolerability of this therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: The ALIAS (Albumin in Acute Stroke) Pilot Clinical Trial used a multiple-tier, open-label, dose-escalation design. Subjects with acute ischemic stroke (NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS] of 6 or above) received a 2-hour infusion of 25% human albumin (ALB) beginning within 16 hours of stroke onset. Six successive ALB dose tiers were assessed ranging from 0.34 to 2.05 g/kg. Neurologic and cardiac function was sequentially monitored. At 3 months, the NIHSS, modified Rankin Scale, and Barthel Index were measured. RESULTS: Eighty-two subjects (mean age, 65 years) received ALB at 7.8+/-3.4 hours after stroke onset (mean+/-standard deviation). Forty-two patients also received standard-of-care intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Vital signs were unaltered by ALB treatment. Dose-related increases in plasma albumin and mild hemodilution were maximal at 4 to 12 hours. Age-related plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels increased at 24 hours after ALB but did not predict cardiac adverse events. The sole ALB-related adverse event was mild or moderate pulmonary edema in 13.4% of subjects, which was readily managed with diuretics. In the tPA-treated subgroup, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurred in only one of 42 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-five percent human albumin in doses ranging up to 2.05 g/kg was tolerated by patients with acute ischemic stroke without major dose-limiting complications. tPA therapy did not affect the safety profile of ALB. The companion article presents neurologic outcome data and efficacy analysis in these subjects.

Aged↗