Renovascular Hypertension: Pathophysiology,Diagnosis, and Treatment

Renovascular hypertension can result from renal artery lesions involving the main renal artery, or its branches. It is generally felt that the elevation of blood pressure results from excessive systemic vasoconstriction secondary to enhanced renin secretion by one or part of one kidney. Renin secretion is enhanced because of constriction of the renal artery and resultant intrarenal ischemia. Clinically patients cannot be distinguished from those with essential hypertension and diagnosis must be made with arteriography although urography and isotope renography may suggest the diagnosis. Surgical cure can be predicted if differential renal vein renin ratios lateralize but a non-lateralizing study does not necessarily mean that surgery will fail. In properly selected patients, surgical results are excellent.     

Argyrophil endocrine cells with ACTH and HCG immunoreactivity in a carcinoma of the breast

A middle-aged woman without any symptoms of ectopic hormone production underwent a right-sided mastectomy for infiltrating ductal carcinoma. She later developed axillary lymph node metastases which were somewhat carcinoid-like. This prompted further investigation, when scattered argyrophilic endocrine cells were found in both the primary tumour and its metastases. The endocrine cells reacted immunocytochemically with antisera against ACTH and HCG. Despite the endocrine activity of the tumour, it was still regarded as a ductal carcinoma since the endocrine cells constituted the minority cell population. The present study indicates strongly that ectopic hormone production in association with carcinoma of the breast is a result of hormone synthesis and release by the tumour cells.     

Growth and morphology of neuronal cell lines cultured in perfusion

Summary To optimize culture conditions and gain a more reliable culturing system for studies of metabolic properties of neuronal cells, a simplified perfusion chamber was developed. It consists of two parts: a perfusion block and a standard plastic culture dish. To confirm the suitability of this chamber for continuous culturing of anchorage-dependent cells, the growth and morphology of the four neuronal cell lines glioma C6 and glioma 138MG, neuroblastoma C1300, clones N1E115 and N18 were followed for 4 d using both traditional and perfusion techniques. A marked increase in growth and a decrease in the degree of morphological differentiation were obtained with the latter technique compared to the former. This work was supported by grants from the National Swedish Board for Technical Development (Grant 81-5009), the Swedish Work Environmental Foundation (Grant 76-53), and Ollie and Elof Ericssons Foundation for Scientific Research.     

Age-specific survivorship analysis ofHeliothis spp. Populations on cotton

Population dynamics of Heliothis virescens (F.) and Heliothis zea (Boddie ) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) eggs and larvae were studied for two years in a small plot of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.). Due to morphological and ecological similarities, the pooled Heliothis population was considered for most of the analyses. Two generations of Heliothis eggs and larvae were completed during each year. Stage recruitment was estimated for the eggs and larval instars 2–6, and recruitment variances were estimated by a Monte Carlo method. A modified form of the Weibull distribution was developed and used as a model to characterize survivorship curves for each of the four Heliothis generations. A Type I survivorship curve (mortality rate increasing with age) was inferred for both Generation 1 (early season) data sets, whereas a Type II survivorship curve (mortality rate constant and thus independent of age) was inferred for both Generation 2 (late season) data sets. The shapes of the survivorship curves for the individual H. virescens and H. zea populations were inferred to be the same as those for the pooled populations. Analysis of the contributions of various factors to Heliothis stage-specific mortality indicated that natural enemies (predators and parasites) and the availability of food for larvae were responsible for between-generation differences in survivorship patterns.     

Wild Animal Mycobacterial Isolates

Thirteen strains of mycobacteria isolated from deer and various species of wild birds were analysed by gas chromatography (GG) for cellular fatty acids and by thin-layer chromatography (TLG) for polar lipids. These strains were compared to reference strains of Mycobacterium avium, M. para tuberculosis and M. mal-moense. All the examined strains exhibited a generally similar fatty acid pattern characterized by relatively large amounts of hexadenca-noate (16:0), octadecenoate (18:1), octadecanoate (18:0) and 10-me-thyl-octadecanoate (tuberculostearic acid, 10-Me-18:0). Several additional acids were also generally present but in smaller amounts. By means of small but distinct differences in fatty acid composition, the wild animal isolates could be distinguished from both M. paratuber-culosis and M. malmoense but not from M. avium. The TLG polar lipid patterns on the other hand separated the wild animal isolates into 2 distinct groups of complex and simple polar lipid composition which corresponded to the morphologically smooth and rough types, respectively. The complex patterns of the smooth strains were comparable to those of the M. avium serovars whereas both the rough wild animal isolates and all the M. paratuber-culosis strains showed a simple pattern of polar lipids. Both fatty acid profiles and TLG polar lipid patterns support allocation of the wild animal isolates to the MAIS complex. Moreover, the 2 chemical techniques, particularly the GC procedure, are very useful for a more rapid and precise identification of the slow-growing wild animal mycobacterial isolates which have hitherto been characterized on basis of vague criteria.     

[3H]MK-801 Binding to N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptors Solubilized from Rat Brain: Effects of Glycine Site Ligands, Polyamines, Ifenprodil, and Desipramine

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is thought to contain several distinct binding sites that can regulate channel opening. In the present experiments, the effects of ligands for these sites have been examined on [3H]MK-801 binding to a soluble receptor preparation, which had been passed down a gel filtration column to reduce the levels of endogenous small-molecular-weight substances. Glycine site agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists gave effects similar to those observed in membranes [EC50 values (in microM): glycine, 0.31; D-serine, 0.20; D-cycloserine, 1.46; (+)-HA-966, 4.06; and 7-chlorokynurenic acid, 1.81]. Spermine and spermidine enhanced [3H]MK-801 binding to the soluble receptor preparation (EC50, 4.3 and 20.1 microM, respectively), whereas putrescine and cadaverine gave small degrees of inhibitions. When spermine and spermidine were tested under conditions where [3H]MK-801 binding approached equilibrium, their ability to enhance [3H]MK-801 binding was much reduced, a result suggesting that the polyamines increase the rate to equilibrium. Putrescine antagonised the effects of spermine. Ifenprodil reduced [3H]MK-801 binding under both equilibrium and nonequilibrium conditions, although the high-affinity component of inhibition described in membranes was not observed. Ifenprodil antagonised spermine effects in an apparently noncompetitive manner. Desipramine was able to give total inhibition of specific [3H]MK-801 binding under nonequilibrium conditions with an IC50 of 4 microM, and this value was unaltered when [3H]MK-801 binding was allowed to reach equilibrium. These results suggest that the sites mediating the effects of glycine and its analogues, polyamines and desipramine are integral components of the NMDA receptor protein.     

Spectral and enzymatic properties of human recombinant myeloperoxidase: comparison with the mature enzyme.

Human recombinant myeloperoxidase (recMPO), purified from an engineered Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line, has been characterized and compared to the mature enzyme isolated from polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Both molecules appear essentially similar in physicochemical enzymatic terms according to the following observations. 1. The unprocessed recombinant protein displays the characteristic light absorption spectra of ferric mature MPO and exhibits its typical spectral changes in the presence of dithionite or hydrogen peroxide. 2. The addition of 14C-labeled 5-aminolevulinic acid, a heme precursor, to the culture medium of recombinant CHO cells yields labeled recMPO, indicating the presence of a heme-like structure in the molecule. 3. Like mature MPO, recMPO has a peroxidatic activity and catalyzes the oxidation of chloride ions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, producing hypochlorous acid as measured by the monochlorodimedon assay. For both enzymes, the chlorinating activity optimally occurs around pH 5.0 at about 100 microM of hydrogen peroxide and is strongly inhibited by methimazole. 4. Diethylpyrocarbonate significantly reduces the enzymatic activity of both molecules, suggesting that histidine residues may be of prime importance in the active site of the enzymes. 5. According to infrared spectroscopy data, both enzymes present a very similar secondary structure organization. In conclusion, the data suggest that the processing of the precursor enzyme (recMPO) into the mature form occurs without major structural and functional consequences.     

Vegetation types and patterns in Senegal based on multivariate analysis of field and NOAA-AVHRR satellite data

Abstract. Woody vegetation was studied in 44 sites in Senegal. Species composition and density were analysed with TWINSPAN and Canonical Correspondence Analysis; 16 vegetation types were defined. A supervised, multispectral and multitemporal classification of day and night, dry season NOAA-AVHRR imagery was used to identify their distribution with a classification accuracy ranging from 60–100%.     

The phenology ofProcladius crassinervis (Zett),Procladius signatus (Zett) andProcladius choreus (Mg) (Diptera,Chironomidae) at Lake Hald,Denmark

In an investigation of the phenology of the chironomid species of Lake Hald, Denmark, a very late flight activity (September–November) of the univoltine speciesProcladius choreus (Mg.) was observed. Among observations of the phenological patterns of univoltine chironomids inhabiting lakes of the Baltic type in Denmark, the phenological pattern ofProcladius choreus stands alone (JÓNSSON, 1987; LARSEN, 1991). Further two species of the genusProcladius Skuse,viz. Procladius crassinervis (Zett) andProcladius signatus (Zett), were found in the investigation and the phenological pattern of the three congeneric species was clearly allochronic, withProcladius crassinervis flying in spring,Procladius signatus flying in summer andProcladius choreus flying in autumn.     

Immunocytochemical identification of the human α2-macrogiobulin receptor in monocytes and fibroblasts: Monoclonal antibodies define the receptor as a monocyte differentiation antigen

The α₂-macroglobulin receptor was recently purified from rat liver and human placenta. Three different monoclonal antibodies have now been raised against the human receptor and expression of the 440-kDa receptor protein is demonstrated in human placenta, fibroblasts, liver, and monocytes by immunoblot analysis. Flow cytometric studies showed that anti-α₂-macroglobulin receptor monoclonal antibodies bind to 90–100% of the blood monocyte population and not to other blood cells. This defines the α₂-macroglobulin receptor as a monocyte differentiation antigen, different from any of the classified leucocyte cluster determinants. Electron microscopic gold immunocytochemistry revealed the subcellular distribution of the receptor in human cultured monocytes and fibroblasts. In these cells, 18–33% of the gold particles were found on the outside of the plasma membrane, and in fibroblasts, especially, in coated invaginations. The intracellular receptors were mainly distributed in vesicles and tubular structures.