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Relationship of basal plasma noradrenaline to blood pressure, age, sex, plasma renin activity and plasma volume in essential hypertension.

1. The relationship of basal plasma noradrenaline to blood pressure, age, sex, urinary sodium excretion, and plasma volume has been examined in 117 untreated ambulatory patients with essential hypertension. 2. No significant correlations between basal plasma noradrenaline and either age or sex were apparent in the total group of essential hypertensive patients. In addition, no significant correlations were observed between plasma noradrenaline and 24 h urinary sodium excretion. 3. Basal plasma noradrenaline concentration was significantly higher in high renin essential hypertensive subjects compared with those with normal or low plasma renin activity. 4. Plasma noradrenaline was reduced significantly in relatively young patients with low renin essential hypertension, but appeared to be normal in other low renin subjects. 5. Basal plasma noradrenaline correlated significantly with blood pressure in patients with normal or low renin essential hypertension but the relationships were only significant in male patients. 6. No significant relationship between basal plasma noradrenaline and either blood pressure or plasma volume could be demonstrated in this population of essential hypertensive patients.

Age Factors

Diurnal variations of plasma aldosterone in supine man: relationship to plasma renin activity and plasma cortisol.

In order to investigate the role of renin secretion and of ACTH on the circadian rhythm of plasma aldosterone (PA), plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma cortisol (PC) and PA were determined at short-time intervals in 10 normal supine men. Six subjects were studied under a normal sodium intake and 4 under sodium restriction. In 4 subjects the secretion of ACTH was suppressed by dexamethasone. Under normal sodium intake changes in PA seemed to be more in parallel with changes in PC than by those in PRA as indicated by a higher significant correlation between PA and PC than between PA and PRA in 3 of the 4 subjects. In 1 subject no correlation was observed between PA and PC despite visual synchronism between the plasma concentrations of both hormones. Under dexamethasone medication fluctuations in PA were followed by those in PRA while PC was less than 2 mug/100 ml. In the sodium restricted state, changes in PA were closely paralleled and significantly correlated to PRA while no correlation was seen between PA and PC. Under dexamethasone medication the significant correlation between PA and PRA persisted. Our results indicate that in normal supine man the influence of ACTH and renin on PA may vary with different sodium intakes. Under normal sodium intake ACTH seems to be the dominant factor controlling PA, whereas under sodium restriction changes in PA are mediated through the renin angiotensin system. When the secretion of ACTH is suppressed by dexamethasone, renin controls PA both under normal and low sodium intake.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

The plasma and tissue turnover and distribution of two radio-iodine-labelled pig plasma low density lipoproteins.

Two classes of pig plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL1 and LDL2) with different densities and molecular sizes were isolated by zonal ultracentrifugation and were further purified by flotation. The peptide component was iodinated with 125I, and the labelled lipoprotein was injected intravenously. 125I-LDL1 turnover studies were performed on 22 3-4 month old female Large White pigs, and 125I-LDL2 turnover studies on 4 similar pigs. A biological screening experiment confirmed that the shape of the plasma activity curve was not a function of protein denaturation. The pattern of radioactivity decline in plasma was not affected by the degree of LDL iodination. 125I-LDL1 turnover: The curve of plasma radioactivity plotted against time over the first 5 days after injection could be resolved into two exponentials. The plasma biological half-life (T 1/2) was calculated from the slower exponential predominant from the second day. The mean T 1/2 over 2-5 days was 22.9 hr (range 17.2-28.5 hr). Multicompartmental analysis of the plasma decay curve using an open mammillary model gave a mean fractional catabolic rate per day for LDL1 of 1.4 (range 0.9-1.9). The mean T 1/2 was 0.26-0.31 times and the fractional catabolic rate 3.0-3.9 times those values found in two studies on adult humans. The tissue distribution of 125I was analysed in a series of 20 animals killed from 1.0 to 33.8 days after 125I-LDL1 injection. Most tissue 125I (86-89%) was protein bound. An appropriate correction was made to the 125I counts for retained plasma in liver and spleen (using 131I-albumin); retained plasma in other tissues was negligible. Highest 125I tissue levels were found in the liver, supporting other evidence that the liver may be the major site of LDL1 catabolism. After 2.06 and 4.06 days the livers in two animals contained 1.6% and 0.7% respectively of the total injected 125I, equal to 33% and 54% of the total plasma 125I at those times. The skin contained about one-third to one-ninth the 125I in the liver at various times. Distribution in other organs was quantitatively minimal. Higher levels of radioactivity were found in the intima and inner media of the aorta than in the outer media. These results suggest that plasma LDL in the pig diffuses through the endothelial surface into the arterial wall. These findings are confirmed by autoradiography. 125I-LDL2 turnover: Parallel studies of plasma 125I-LDL2 turnover and tissue distribution were performed. The plasma biological decay curve was multi-exponential, suggesting that LDL2 metabolism is complex, and possibly more rapid than that of LDL1 (LDL2 is smaller and denser than LDL1). The tissue distribution of 125I-LDL2 in these pigs was very similar to that of 125I-LDL1. As LDL1 and LDL2 differ in the amount of lipid they contain, they may have different roles to play in lipid transport, and there may be interconversion of one into the other at different sites. This hypothesis remains conjectural.

Animals

Developmental changes in testicular gonadotropin receptors: plasma gonadotropins and plasma testosterone in the rat.

The relationships between plasma gonadotropins, testicular gonadotropin receptors, and plasma testosterone were examined during neonatal life and throughout sexual maturation in the rat. The binding affinity of testicular LH receptors (2.4 X 10(10) M-1) was significantly higher than that of FSH receptors (2.1 X 10(9) M-1) at all stages of development. The concentration of FSH receptors in the testis reached a peak between 10-15 days of age, then fell to a constant level from 25-90 days. However, the testis content of FSH receptors increased continually with age and reached a plateau at day 60. Plasma FSH declined after birth to a nadir at 15 days, then rose rapidly to a peak at day 38, and fell to a plateau from day 50 through adult life. In contrast to the rapidly changing profile of plasma FSH during early maturation, alterations in plasma LH were less marked throughout development. Although a progressive rise in plasma LH concentration was observed between days 36-51, the simultaneous changes in testicular LH receptors and plasma testosterone were much more prominent. Testicular LH receptors showed a continuous increase in concentration and total number with advancing age and testis growth. The major rise in LH receptor concentration occurred between 15-38 days age, at the same time as the rise in plasma FSH concentration and the phase of rapid testicular growth. Plasma testosterone fell during the 8th-24th days after birth, then rose rapidly between days 35-55. The pubertal rise in plasma testosterone occurred about 15 days after testicular LH receptors began to increase and was coincident with the continuing rise in LH receptor content from day 35 until day 55 and with the progressive increase in plasma LH during this period. These observations have demonstrated that the early development of testicular FSH receptors in followed by a prominent rise in plasma FSH, with concomitant increases in testicular growth and LH receptor concentration. The resulting increase in gonadal sensitivity to LH could be responsible for the marked increase in secretion of testosterone which occurs during puberty in the presence of a relatively small change in the circulating LH concentration. The sequence of changes observed in gonadotropins and their testicular receptors is consistent with the view that FSH-induced testicular sensitivity to LH is an important factor in sexual maturation in the male rat.

Aging

Initiation of plasma prorenin activation by Hageman factor-dependent conversion of plasma prekallikrein to kallikrein.

Plasma prorenin is an inactive form of renin (EC 3.4.99.19) that can be converted to active renin in acid-treated plasma by an endogenous serine protease that is active at alkaline pH (alkaline phase activation). To identify this enzyme we first tested the ability of Hageman factor fragments, plasma kallikrein (EC 3.4.21.8), and plasmin (EC 3.4.21.7) to activate prorenin in acid-treated plasma. All three enzymes initiated prorenin activation; 50% activation was achieved with Hageman factor fragments at 1 microgram/ml, plasma kallikrein at 2-4 microgram/ml, or plasmin at 5-10 microgram/ml. We then showed that the alkaline phase of acid activation occurred normally in plasminogen-free plasma but was almost completely absent in plasmas deficient in either Hageman factor or prekallikrein; alkaline phase activation was restored to these latter plasmas when equal parts were mixed together. Therefore, both Hageman factor and prekallikrein were required for alkaline phase activation to occur. We then found that, although plasma kallikrein could activate prorenin in plasma deficient in either Hageman factor or prekallikrein, Hageman factor fragments were unable to activate prorenin in prekallikrein-deficient plasma. These studies demonstrate that alkaline phase prorenin activation is initiated by Hageman factor-dependent conversion of prekallikrein to kallikrein which, in turn, leads to activation of prorenin. In this fashion, we have revealed a possible link between the coagulation-kinin pathway and the renin-angiotensin system.

Angiotensin I

Biologically active luteinizing hormone (LH) in plasma. III. Validation of the in vitro bioassay when applied to male plasma and the possible role of steroidal precursors.

An in vitro bioassay method for measuring LH activity was applied to male plasma. This method is based on the specific testosterone response to LH activity by interstitial cells from mouse testes. In contrast to assays conducted on female plasma, non-parallel response lines were obtained between serial dilutions of untreated male plasma and the International Reference Preparation for Human Pituitary Gonadotrophins FSH and LH/ICSH) for bioassay (code no. 69/104). In an attempt to eliminate this source of error, which would invalidate the assays, plasma was subjected to either ether extraction or charcoal adsorption prior to assay. While ether extraction was ineffective, charcoal treatment eliminated the source of non-parallelism. Evidence is presented indicating that the inclusion of a charcoal pre-treatment step provides an assay method for LH which fulfils the recognized criteria of reliability when applied to male plasma. An investigation of the likely causes of non-parallelism was undertaken by incubating mouse interstitial cells with various steroids and steroid sulphates at concentrations likely to be present in plasma. While most of the presumed precursors of testosterone were converted to testosterone, steroid sulphates (dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and pregnenolone sulphate) at high concentrations as present in male plasma were the most active compounds in forming testosterone. However, the amount of testosterone produced from these precursors under controlled conditions was insufficient to account entirely for the deviation from parallelism observed with male plasma. Hence, the non-parallelism observed with untreated plasma samples cannot be entirely explained by the presence of steroidal testosterone precursors in male plasma.

Adsorption

Activation of inactive plasma renin by plasma and tissue kallikreins.

1. Normal human plasma contains a proactivator of inactive renin. The pro-activator is activated at physiological pH in plasma that has been pretreated with acid. This activation in vitro leads to the conversion of inactive renin into the active form with simultaneous generation of kallikrein activity. 2. The endogenous activator of inactive renin has the same pH profile and inhibitor spectrum as plasma kallikrein. 3. Inactive renin can also be activated by exposure of plasma to exogenous trypsin, and in normal plasma the quantities of inactive renin that are activated after acidification and with trypsin are identical. Prekallikrein (Fletcher factor)-deficient plasma, however, has much lower renin activity after acidification than with trypsin. Thus acid activation of inactive renin depends on plasma prekallikrein, whereas the action of trypsin is independent of prekallikrein. 4. Highly purified tissue (pancreatic) kallikrein, in a concentration of less than 2 X 10(-8) mol/l, activates inactive renin that has been isolated from plasma by ion-exchange chromatography. In this respect it is at least 100 times more potent than trypsin. 5. It is therefore possible that plasma and/or tissue (renal) kallikreins are also involved in the activation of inactive renin in vivo.

Enzyme Activation

Plasma membrane associated enzymes of mammary tumours as the biochemical indicators of metastasizing capacity. Analyses of enriched plasma membrane preparations.

Plasma membranes from 6 spontaneously metastasizing and 4 non-metastasizing rat mammary carcinomata were isolated by discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation of microsomal pellets. The starting microsomal fraction contained 40-50% plasma membranes as determined by the levels of 5'-nucleotidase activity, with a negligible amount of nuclear (1%), mitochondrial (5%) and lysomal (7%) contamination. Five distinct fractions (F1-F5) were banded at densities 1 X 09, 1 X 13, 1 X 15, 1 X 17 and 1 X 21 at 25 degrees C, in addition to a pellet (F6) obtained by centrifuging at 76,000 g for 17 h. The fractions F1 through F5, all contained various concentrations of membranous structures, while the pellet (F6) contained only amorphous materials as evidenced by electron microscopy. The F3 fraction at the gradient 1 X 15 had the highest specific as well as total activity of the plasma membrane marker enzyme, with aggregates of the least contaminated plasma membranes in vesicular forms. This fraction also had the lowest specific activity for glucose-6-phosphatase (smooth ER marker) and for beta-D-glucuronidase (lysomal marker), and therefore was considered to be the "cleanest" plasma membrane fraction. When the activity of 4 additional plasma membrane marker enzymes, i.e., alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase I, nucleotide pyrophosphatase and alkaline ribonuclease was determined in the same F3 fraction, their levels were significantly lower in every metastasizing tumour than in the non-metastasizing ones, with the enzyme activity decreasing in direct proportion to the metastasizing capacity. On the other hand, the marker enzymes were high in all non-metastasizing tumours, with the activity seemingly increasing with the immunogenicity of tumour cells. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups of mammary tumours in the levels of sialic acid, hexosamine, phospholipid or cholesterol in the plasma membranes. Thus, the level of plasma membrane marker enzymes is considered an accurate indicator for metastasizing capacity in the rat mammary tumour system.

Alkaline Phosphatase

Increased plasma protein binding and lower metabolic clearance rate of aldosterone in plasma of low cortisol concentration.

During ACTH or cortisol infusion in ten recumbent normal men taking dexamethasone, the metabolic clearance rate of aldosterone increased by 50% as plasma cortisol was raised from low (2 mug/dl) to high concentration (50 mug/dl). Since splanchnic blood flow did not change, a greater efficiency of removal of aldosterone must have occurred, by means of displacement of aldosterone from high-affinity sites on plasma protein. At 37 C, equilibrium dialysis of low-cortisol plasma showed one-third of plasma aldosterone bound to albumin, and 24 to 28% bound to higher-affinity sites on other protein. As plasma cortisol increased, a progressively smaller fraction was tightly bound, approaching zero as transcortin was saturated with cortisol. The addition of large amounts of aldosterone to low-cortisol plasma displaced 14C-cortisol from transcortin binding sites. The results support earlier evidence that a significant fraction of plasma aldosterone is bound to transcortin, from which it is readily displaced by cortisol, resulting in an increased metabolic clearance rate of aldosterone by making a larger fraction available for removal from plasma.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

[Plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone during anaesthesia and operative stress and beta-adrenergic blockade (author's transl)].

In 21 patients undergoing ear operations associated with minimal bleeding plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentration were studied before and during surgical procedure, and in the postoperative state. Studies were performed in two groups, one without (n=9) and one with beta-adrenergic blockade by Practolol (n=12). Plasma renin activity increased significantly during halothane anaesthesia alone whereas the surgical manipulations did not further influence mean values significantly. Thus, it seems to be established that anaesthesia per se influences renin secretion. On the other hand Practolol does not show an inhibiting effect. The plasma renin increase following anaesthesia is due to the hemodynamic including renal hemodynamic, changes as well as to activation of the sympatho-adrenal system. Changes in plasma aldosterone are variable. For the greater part of patients with beta-adrenergic blockade an increase during the operative procedure was found. However, in some patients especially in the control group, plasma aldosterone was unchanged or decreased in spite of increasing renin values. Significantly lower plasma potassium concentration in these cases seems to indicate the important contributing role of potassium for the short-term regulation of aldosterone secretion. Plasma sodium concentration remained unchanged for the periods studied.

Adolescent

Plasma radioiron kinetics in man: explanation for the effect of plasma iron concentration.

The plasma iron turnover was measured in 19 normal subjects. A correlation was found between plasma iron concentration and plasma iron turnover. In addition to the turnover of 55Fe at normal plasma iron concentration (predominantly monoferric transferrin), a second turnover in which the labeled plasma was saturated with iron (to produce predominantly diferric transferrin) was studied with 50Fe. It was demonstrated that diferric transferrin had a greater rate of iron turnover but that the distribution between erythroid and non-erythroid tissues was unchanged. It was concluded that plasma iron turnover is dependent on the monoferric/diferric transferrin ratio in the plasma but that the internal distribution of iron is unaffected.

Adult

Interactions among Hageman factor, plasma prekallikrein, high molecular weight kininogen, and plasma thromboplastin antecedent.

To investigate the earliest steps of the intrinsic clotting pathway, Hageman factor (Factor XII) was exposed to Sephadex gels to which ellagic acid had been adsorbed; Hageman factor was then separated from the gels and studied in the fluid phase. Sephadex-ellagic acid-exposed Hageman factor, whether purified or in plasma, activated plasma thromboplastin antecedent, but only when high molecular weight kininogen was presnet. In the absence of plasma prekallikrein, maximal activation of plasma thromboplastin antecedent was slightly delayed in plasma, a delay not observed with similarly treated purified Hageman factor. Thus, high molecular weight kininogen was needed for expression of Hageman factor's clot-promoting properties and plasma prekallikrein played a minor role in the interaction of ellagic acid-treated Hageman factor and plasma thromboplastin antecedent.

Blood Coagulation

Endocrine and environmental influences upon plasma cortisol concentrations and plasma renin activity of the eel, Anguilla anguilla L.

The plasma concentrations of cortisol, sodium, potassium and calcium and plasma osmolarity were determined in freshwater silver eels, after intravascular injections of eel renin preparations, mammalian ACTH, mammalian angiotensin II and eel muscle extracts. Arterial blood specimens were taken before and after injection of test substances. Partially purified eel and rat renal renins gave prolonged pressor responses in intact and hypophysectomized eels and in the nephrectomized rat anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone. Angiotensin, but not ACTH, produced obvious pressor responses in intact and hypophysectomized eels and in eels without their corpuscles of Stannius. Hypophysectomized eels 4-8 days after operation had reduced plasma cortisol concentrations. No change in cortisol occurred in eels after removal of the corpuscles of Stannius. Eel renin preparations and ACTH gave increased concentrations of plasma cortisol 30 min after injection into hypophysectomized and intact eels. In general, the length of the renin-generated pressor response and the increased cortisol concentration were concomitant occurrences. Angiotensin injected into eels with corpuscles of Stannius removed and into hypophysectomized eels also increased cortisol levels. Control muscle extracts produced no significant changes. There were no acute changes in plasma electrolyte concentrations after the injections. Plasma renin activity measured indirectly by bioassay of angiotensin generated in vitro was more than twice as great in eels adapted to seawater than in eels in fresh water. Plasma renin activity gradually fell when eels were transferred from seawater to fresh water, and increased when the reverse transfer was carried out.

Adaptation, Physiological

Distribution of IgA 1 and IgA 2 plasma cells in various normal human tissues and in the jejunum of plasma IgA-deficient patients.

The distribution of IgA 1 and IgA 2 plasma cells was studied in normal human tissues. IgA 2 is a minor constituent in peripheral lymph nodes as well as in serum and in bone marrow plasma cells. An increased proportion of IgA 2 plasma cells was observed in gastric and intestinal mucosa, as well as in bronchial mucosa and salivary and mammary glands. Tonsils and mesenteric lymph nodes exhibit values intermediate between those of central and peripheral lymphoid systems. In patients with plasma IgA-deficiency, IgA 2 is the predominant intestinal IgA plasma cells. This may explain the frequent association of an asymptomatic condition and plasma IgA deficiency.

Adolescent

Determination of prekallikrein in plasma by means of a chromogenic tripeptide substrate for plasma kallikrein.

A method for plasma prekallikrein determination utilizing a chromogenic tripeptic substrate is presented. The method has a good reproducibility and can easily be automized. Several parameters have been optimized. By using mixtures of deficient plasmas and pooled normal plasma or purified factors it was proved that prekallikrein was the factor determined and that more than 10% (of normal plasma concentration) of FXII and HMW kininogen were essential for the activation of prekallikrein in our method. Further experiments showed that the method was fairly selective and was not influenced by inhibitors present in normal plasma. The later finding was attributed to the high dilution of plasma made possible by using a potent activator and a sensitive substrate.

Dextrans

Subfractionation of rat liver plasma membrane. Uneven distribution of plasma membrane-bound enzymes on the liver cell surface.

Plasma membranes were isolated from rat liver mainly under isotonic conditions. As marker enzymes for the plasma membrane, 5'-nucleotidase and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase were used. The yield of plasma membrane was 0.6-0.9 mg protein per g wet weight of liver. The recovery of 5'-nucleotidase and (Na+ +K+)-ATPase activity was 18 and 48% of the total activity of the whole-liver homogenate, respectively. Judged from the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase and succinate dehydrogenase in the plasma membrane, and from the electron microscopic observation of it, the contamination by microsomes and mitochondria was very low. A further homogenization of the plasma membrane yielded two fractions, the light and heavy fractions, in a discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. The light fraction showed higher specific activities of 5'-nucleotidase, alkaline phosphatase, (Na+ +K+)-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase, whereas the heavy one showed a higher specific activity of adenylate cyclase. Ligation of the bile duct for 48 h decreased the specific activities of (Na2+ +K+)-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase in the light fraction, whereas it had no significant influence on the activities of these enzymes in the heavy fraction. The specific activity of alkaline phosphate was elevated in both fractions by the obstruction of the bile flow. Electron microscopy on sections of the plasma membrane subfractions showed that the light fraction consisted of vesicles of various sizes and that the heavy fractions contained membrane sheets and paired membrane strips connected by junctional complexes, as well as vesicles. The origin of these two fractions is discussed and it is suggested that the light fraction was derived from the bile front of the liver cell surface and the heavy one contained the blood front and the lateral surface of it.

Adenosine Triphosphatases

The use of pluronic polyols in the precipitation of plasma proteins and its application in the preparation of plasma derivatives.

Pluronic F-38 was used a precipitant of plasma proteins under varying conditions of pH and polymer concentration. Results indicated that marked differences in the solubility of the plasma proteins in F-38 solutions can be appled to the separation of plasma components. The feasibility of the industrial application of this fractionation method was tested in several experiments. Conditions were established for the preparation of albumin, human plasma protein fraction (HPPF), and immune serum globulin (ISG) with similar yield and purity as those prepared by the Cohn methods. Current procedures for the preparation of antihemophilic A (Facor VIII) concentrate and prothrombin complex (Factors II, VII, IX, and X) were adapted to the F-38 process by removal of the clotting factors from the starting plasma prior to polymer precipitation. In addition, a plasma protein solution free of lipoproteins, isoagglutinins, and clotting factors was developed which has proven useful as a perfusion medium in organ preservation.

Blood Preservation