scholarly journals Detection of Membrane Fluidity in Submitochondrial Particles of Platelets and Erythrocyte Membranes from Mexican Patients with Alzheimer Disease by Intramolecular Excimer Formation of 1,3 Dipyrenylpropane

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.G. Ortiz ◽  
F. Pacheco-Moisés ◽  
M. El Hafidi ◽  
A. Jiménez-Delgado ◽  
M. A. Macías-Islas ◽  
...  

It has been suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction and defects in membrane structure could be implied in AD pathogenesis. The aim of the present work was the study of membrane fluidity in submitochondrial platelet particles and erythrocyte membranes from Mexican patients. Blood samples were obtained from 30 patients with Alzheimer disease and 30 aged-matched control subjects. Membrane fluidity determinations were done using a very low concentration of the fluorescent dipyrenylpropane probe incorporated in both types of membranes. This probe is able to give excimer and monomer fluorescence, therefore it can be used to monitor fluidity changes in biological membranes.The data obtained showed that in submitochondrial particles from AD patients, the excimer to monomer fluorescent intensity ratio was lower (0.231 ± 0.008) than aged-matched control subjects (0.363 ± 0.014). Therefore, membrane fluidity was lower in AD samples. On the other hand, we found similar membrane fluidity in erythrocytes from AD patients and aged-matched controls: the fluorescent intensity ratios were 0.312 ± 0.03 and 0.305 ± 0.033, respectively. In addition, lipid peroxidation in submitochondrial particles and erythrocyte membranes was higher in AD samples than in aged-matched controls. These data suggest that submitochondrial platelet particles are more sensitive to oxidative stress than erythrocyte membranes.

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. T726-T726
Author(s):  
Genaro G. Ortiz ◽  
Fermín P. Pacheco ◽  
Mohammed El Hafidi ◽  
Ernesto Macías-Rodríguez ◽  
Miguel A. Macías-Islas ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Y.K. Chan ◽  
Julian A.J.H. Critchley ◽  
Joseph T.F. Lau

1 To determine if the risk of aspiration is increased in 'Dettol' (4.8% chloroxylenol, pine oil and isopropyl alco hol) poisoning and the factors that may be responsible, a study was made of 89 patients and 89 matched control subjects with other forms of poisoning admitted to the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong. 2 Aspiration was more common in patients with Dettol poisoning (8% vs 3%, P = 0.16). There were more control subjects with drowsiness at presentation (54% vs 24%, P < 0.0001), but the use of gastric lavage (88% vs 64%, P < 0.001) and the occurrence of vomiting (62% vs 17%, P < 0.0001) were more common in patients with Dettol poisoning. 3 Our findings suggest that Dettol poisoning may be asso ciated with an increased risk of aspiration. This increase in risk may be related to the use of gastric lavage and the common occurrence of vomiting in patients with Dettol poisoning.


2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 1834-1841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Safa Mujahid ◽  
Katharine F Hunt ◽  
Yee S Cheah ◽  
Elizabeth Forsythe ◽  
Jonathan M Hazlehurst ◽  
...  

Abstract Context Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder in which previous reports have described obesity and a metabolic syndrome. Objective We describe the endocrine and metabolic characteristics of a large BBS population compared with matched control subjects. Design We performed a case-control study. Setting This study was performed at a hospital clinic. Patients Study patients had a clinical or genetic diagnosis of BBS. Main Outcome Measurements Our study determined the prevalence of a metabolic syndrome in our cohort. Results A total of 152 subjects were studied. Eighty-four (55.3%) were male. Mean (± standard deviation) age was 33.2 ± 1.0 years. Compared with age-, sex-, and body mass index–matched control subjects, fasting glucose and insulin levels were significantly higher in subjects with BBS (glucose: BBS, 5.2 ± 1.2 mmol/L vs control, 4.9 ± 0.9 mmol/L, P = 0.04; insulin: BBS, 24.2 ± 17.0 pmol/L vs control, 14.2 ± 14.8 pmol/L, P &lt; 0.001). Serum triglycerides were significantly higher in subjects with BBS (2.0 ± 1.2 mmol/L) compared with control subjects (1.3 ± 0.8 mmol/L; P &lt; 0.001), but total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein were similar in both groups. Systolic blood pressure was higher in the BBS group (BBS, 135 ± 18 mm Hg vs control subjects, 129 ± 16 mm Hg; P = 0.02). Alanine transaminase was raised in 34 (26.8%) subjects with BBS, compared with five (8.9%) control subjects (P = 0.01). The rate of metabolic syndrome, determined using International Diabetes Federation criteria, was significantly higher in the BBS group (54.3%) compared with control subjects (26% P &lt; 0.001). Twenty-six (19.5%) of male subjects with BBS were hypogonadal (serum testosterone, 9.9 ± 5.3 mmol/L), but significant pituitary abnormalities were uncommon. Subclinical hypothyroidism was present in 24 of 125 (19.4%) patients with BBS, compared with 3 of 65 (4.6%) control subjects (P = 0.01). Conclusions Insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome are increased in adult patients with BBS compared with matched control subjects. Increased subclinical hypothyroidism in the BBS cohort needs further investigation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1726-1734 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENS PASSAUER ◽  
ECKHART BÜSSEMAKER ◽  
URSULA RANGE ◽  
MARIA PLUG ◽  
PETER GROSS

Abstract.Cardiovascular mortality is excessive in hemodialyzed patients. Observations in atherosclerosis suggest that endothelial dysfunction and impaired nitric oxide (NO) may be involved. However, the relation of endothelial NO to its vascular effects has not been studied conclusively in uremia. Therefore, to study these questions an invasive technique was used in normotensive patients who were on hemodialysis (HD;n= 11) and in matched control subjects (n= 11). Pharmacologic agents were infused into the brachial artery to test the chain of events from NO generation to smooth muscle cell relaxation, measuring forearm blood flow by venous occlusion plethysmography. Glyceroltrinitrate (GTN 1:2.2 nmol/min; GTN 2:4.4; GTN 3:8.8), infused to establish the reaction of the vessel wall to defined doses of NO, caused a reduced response in HD patients (control subjects: 183 ± 20 [SEM], 246 ± 26, and 338 ± 29%; HD patients: 161 ± 7, 206 ± 12, and 262 ± 24%; baseline = 100% for each group,P= 0.032 by ANOVA). All subsequent data were corrected for this decreased response to defined doses of NO in HD patients. L-arginine (10 mg/min), given to exclude substrate deficiency of NO synthase (NOS), caused no significant changes (control subjects: 108 ± 4%; HD patients: 103 ± 4%;P= NS). Acetylcholine (ACH 1:55 nmol/min; ACH 2:110; ACH 3:220), infused to stimulate endothelial NOS, had a significantly reduced effect in HD patients (control subjects: 246 ± 32, 340 ± 40, and 465 ± 52%; HD patients: 251 ± 55, 244 ± 36, and 318 ± 50%;P= 0.002).N-monomethyl-L-arginine (LMA 1:1 μmol/min; LMA 2:2; LMA 3:4), given to block baseline NO generation, showed an enhanced response in HD patients (control subjects: 90 ± 2, 83 ± 2, and 74 ± 4%; HD patients: 84 ± 3, 73 ± 3, and 64 ± 4%;P= 0.037). Vascular response to three doses of norepinephrine (60, 120, and 240 pmol/min) was comparable in both groups, which indicated similar endothelium-independent vasoconstriction. In summary, in normotensive HD patients, (1) vasodilation to defined doses of exogenous NO was reduced, (2) there was no evidence of substrate deficiency of NOS, and (3) stimulation of NOS was impaired; however, (4) baseline NO generation was increased. It is concluded that in HD patients, the NO system has a reduced capacity to regulate vascular tone and this impairment is most significant under conditions of NOS stimulation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 24-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elan D. Louis ◽  
James H. Meyers ◽  
Ashley D. Cristal ◽  
Ruby Hickman ◽  
Pam Factor-Litvak

1992 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 624-627
Author(s):  
K Kano ◽  
T Ichimura

Abstract For treatment and prognostic evaluation of patients with measles, it is important to determine the source of the increase in serum alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD; EC 1.1.99.6). Here we measured HBD and L-lactate dehydrogenase (LD; 1.1.1.27) activities in the serum of 18 children with measles and in 18 age-matched control patients with bronchopneumonia. HBD and LD activities in the measles patients were significantly higher than those in control subjects (P less than 0.001). The HBD/LD ratio in the measles patients two to three days after the onset of rash was significantly lower than that in control subjects (P less than 0.001). The low HBD/LD ratio was similar to the ratio found in lymphocytes. The number of peripheral lymphocytes decreased markedly after the onset of rash. Our results suggest that increased serum HBD and LD activity is common in measles infection and that the increase originates from the destruction of infected lymphocytes rather than from myocardiac injury.


SLEEP ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 715-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher W.H. Davies ◽  
Joy H. Crosby ◽  
Rebecca L. Mullins ◽  
Zoë C. Traill ◽  
Philip Anslow ◽  
...  

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