Endothelin-1 and nitric oxide in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia

Nitric oxide [NO] is a vasorelaxant agent, while endothelin-1 [Et-1] is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide. In this study, maternal venous plasma nitrite [N02] + nitrate [N03], stable metabolites of NO and ET-1 were measured in 20 non-pregnant cases, 20 normal pregnancy and 20 preeclamptic pregnancy. There was a significant increase in N02 + N03 and a significant decrease in ET-1 in normal pregnancy. In preeclampsia, N02 + N03 was significantly lower, while ET-1 was significantly higher than in normal pregnancy. There was a significant negative correlation between N02 + N03 and ET-1 in preeclamptic cases. Neither NO nor ET-1 correlated with mean arterial pressure. These data indicated that preeclampsia may reflect a state of impaired NO syntheses and increased ET-1 production. The pathophysiologic mechanism is a failure of vasodilatation and decreased vascular reactivity characteristic of normal pregnancy together with enhancement of vasoconstriction. Although the changes in NO and ET-1 are related to hypertension in preeclampsia, other mechanisms are probably activated

Interleukin-2 inducible cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The ability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMNC] from 36 patients with type 2 diabetes and 26 healthy control subjects to acquire cytotoxic properties after in vitro incubation with interleukin-2 [IL-2] was examined. Cytotoxic activity of IL-2 activated PBMNC was measured by 51Cr-release assay from radiolabeled Burkitt lymphoma cells. The percentage of cytotoxicity of PBMNC from diabetic patients was not different from the control group when incubated with medium alone or with IL-2 at a concentration of 0.1 u/ml. Cytotoxic activity of IL-2 activated MNC was similar in all age groups in diabetic as well as controls. The kinetics of MNC activation by IL-2 were similar in the two groups with comparable degrees of activation in response to increasing concentrations of IL-2 and similar time course for activation reaching a maximum after 4-5 days of incubation and gradually decreased

Insulin resistance syndrome in pre-eclampsia

This study is designed to determine if hyperinsulinaemia, hypertension, hypertriglyceridaemia, and low level of high density lipoprotein 2[HDL[2]] cholestrol are present in women with non-proteinuric hypertension or pre-eclampsia. In 40 cases pregnancy - induced hypertension [20 non-proteinuric hypertension and 20 pre-eclampsia] and 20 healthy pregnant women [control group]. Serum concentration of insulin, triglyceride and HDL2 cholesterol were measured It has been found that insulin and triglyceride were significantly increased while HDL2 cholesterol was significantly decreased in both non-proteinuric hypertension and Pre-eclampsia as copmared with the control group. There was no significant difference in serum concentrations of insulin, triglyceride or HDL2 cholesterol between both groups of pregnancy induced hypertension. It has been concluded that the metabolic characteristics of insulin resistance syndrome are present in non-proteinuric hypertension, but they are not aggravated in Pre-eclampsia. Although these metabolic perturbations may be related to the pathogenesis of Pre-eclampsia, it is propable that Pre-eclampsia has characteristic serum factor[s] responsible for the pathopysiological changes in this symlrome

Red cell deformability versus capillary diameter in diabetic foot

21 patients complaining of diabetes mellitus complicated by diabetic foot, mainly gangrene [15 subjects] and diabetic ulcer [six subjects] were selected. 25 patients served as control for RBCs deformability and five control subjects for measuring capillary diameters. A full clinical examination, urine analysis for sugar and fasting blood sugar were estimated to them. A full histopathological examination was done including measurement of capillary diameters using morphometric eye lens and ordinary light microscope. The longitudinal and transverse diameters were measured and the mean capillary diameter was calculated in five high power field in every section. RBCs deformability test was carried out and the RBCs flow time was measured. The mean capillary diameter for diabetics was significantly lower than that for controls and the red blood cell flow time was also significantly longer. There were no significant changes in capillary diameter and red cell flow time in both NIDD and IDD. The capillary diameter and RBCs deformability were inversly proportionate with the duration of the disease. Endothelial swelling as well as endothelial proliferation were noticed in 78.94%, 100% showed thickened basement membrane. So in diabetes more rigid red cells and increased viscosity at low shear rate are likely to promote stasis in the capillaries and postcapillary venules, sites where the very rarly vascular lesions in diabetes characteristically occur