Effects of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors on systemic hypotension, cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and lung injury following endotoxin administration in rats.

Endotoxin shock is characterized by systemic hypotension, hyporeactiveness to vasoconstrictors and acute lung edema. A nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) has been shown to be effective in reversing acute lung injury. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of NOS blockade by different mechanisms on the endotoxin-induced changes. In anesthetized rats, lipopolysaccharide (LPS, Klebsiella pneumoniae) was administered intravenously in a dose of 10 mg/kg. LPS caused sustained systemic hypotension accompanied by an eightfold increase of exhaled NO during an observation period of 4 h. After the experiment, the lung weight was obtained and lung tissues were taken for the determination of mRNA expressions of inducible NOS (iNOS), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-(TNF-alpha). Histological examination of the lungs was also performed. In the control group injected with saline solution, mRNA expressions of iNOS, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha were absent. Four hours after LPS, the mRNA expressions of iNOS and IL-1beta were still significantly enhanced, but TNF-alpha was not discernibly expressed. LPS also caused a twofold increase in lung weight. Pathological examination revealed endothelial damage and interstitial edema. Various NOS inhibitors were given 1 h after LPS administration. These agents included Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg), a constitutive NOS and iNOS inhibitor; S, S'-1,4-phenylene-bis-(1,2-ethanedinyl) bis-isothiourea dihydrobromide (1,4-PBIT, 10 mg/kg), a relatively specific iNOS inhibitor, and dexamethasone (3 mg/kg), an inhibitor of iNOS expression. These NOS inhibitors all effectively reversed the systemic hypotension, reduced the exhaled NO concentration and prevented acute lung injury. The LPS-induced mRNA expressions of iNOS and IL-1beta were also significantly depressed by these NOS inhibitors. Our results suggest that NO production through the iNOS pathway is responsible for endotoxin-induced lung injury. Certain cytokines such as IL-1beta are possibly involved. These changes are minimized by NOS inhibitors through different mechanisms.

Stomach and duodenal alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes in Chinese.

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) isozyme phenotypes were determined in surgical and endoscopic biopsies of the stomach and duodenum by agarose isoelectric focusing. gamma-ADH was found to be the predominant form in the mucosal layer whereas beta-ADH was predominant in the muscular layer. Low-Km ALDH1 and ALDH2 were found in the stomach and duodenum. High-Km ALDH3 isozymes occurred only in the stomach but not in the duodenum. The isozyme patterns of gastric mucosal ALDH2 and ALDH3 remained unchanged in the fundus, corpus, and antrum. The stomach ALDH3 isozymes exhibited a Km value for acetaldehyde of 75 mM, and an optimum for acetaldehyde oxidation at pH 8.5. Since the Km value was high, ALDH3 contributed very little, if any, to gastric ethanol metabolism. The activities of ALDH in the gastric mucosa deficient in ALDH2 were 60-70% of that of the ALDH2-active phenotypes. These results indicate that Chinese lacking ALDH2 activity may have a lower acetaldehyde oxidation rate in the stomach during alcohol consumption.

The protective effect of mepacrine on acute lung edema induced by phorbol myristate acetate in rats.

A good model of adult respiratory distress syndrome is lung injury induced by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). In the present study we examined the effect of mepacrine, an inhibitor of phospholipase A2, on lung injury induced by PMA in isolated blood-perfused rat lungs. In the isolated lung, saline (1 ml) or mepacrine (75 microM) alone in the perfusion system did not discernibly change the pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and lung weight (LW). After administration of PMA (0.16 micrograms/ml), severe hypertension and lung edema developed (delta PAP = 40.1 +/- 6.0 mmHg, p less than 0.001; delta LW = 5.5 +/- 0.7 g, p less than 0.001). Whereas, the addition of mepacrine (75 microM) prevented PMA-induced lung edema and pulmonary hypertension (delta PAP = 4.7 +/- 2.2 mmHg, delta LW = 0.2 +/- 0.2 g). To further elucidate the protective mechanism of mepacrine on lung injury, a vasodilator (nitroprusside) was given to decrease PAP levels to +6 mmHg from baseline values in the PMA group, as well as in the mepacrine-pretreated PMA (MPMA) group. During a subsequent venous pressure challenge, severe lung injury developed in the PMA group (delta LW = 9.5 +/- 2.1 g, p less than 0.001). However, with the same venous pressure challenge in the MPMA the lung weight was markedly less than that of the PMA group (delta LW = 1.0 +/- 0.2 g). Histologic findings examined by light microscopy presented intraalveolar hemorrhage and fluid accumulation, disruption of vascular basements and alveolar septa, and aggregation of inflammatory cells within the parenchyma in the lungs of the PMA group. In the MPMA group there was no evidence of intraalveolar hemorrhage and alveolar fluid accumulation, however, the occasional presence of granulocytes in the parenchyma and slight interstitial edema were still observed. In addition, depressed the chemiluminescence release from PMA activated granulocytes which were in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. These observations suggest that mepacrine inhibits PMA-induced lung injury chiefly by protection of vascular permeability. The mechanism of the protection may be due to the inhibition of oxygen radicals released from activated neutrophils and the reduction of neutrophil chemotaxis.

cDNA sequence of the long terminal repeat of a PrB strain of the Rous sarcoma virus.

The cDNA library of the polyA+ RNA from Prague B strain of RSV infected cells was constructed by the use of oligo(dT) primer and the reverse transcription method. The clones containing the LTR sequences were studied. The DNA sequences of several clones were studied and compared with the cDNA sequence of the long terminal repeat (LTR) region of a PrB strain of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) which had previously been determined. By the analyses of several different cDNA clones, mutations were detected in the R region as well as in the U3 region of the LTR in two different cDNA clones. By comparing the DNA sequences of these cDNA clones with the original viral LTR, the error-prone hypothesis of the RSV reverse transcriptase was confirmed.

Liver alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase isoenzymes in Chinese.

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) isoenzyme phenotypes were determined in 71 autopsy liver specimens by agarose isoelectric focusing and starch gel electrophoresis, respectively. Ninety percent of the livers examined exhibited a pH-optimum for ethanol oxidation at pH 8.5, instead of 10.5 which is usual among Caucasians. The homozygous ADH2 2-2 phenotype was found to be 59%, and the heterozygous ADH2 2-1 phenotype, 31%. The remaining 10% of the livers, exhibiting a pH-optimum at 10.5, were homozygous ADH2 1-1 phenotype. Accordingly, the gene frequencies of the alleles ADH2(2) and ADH2(1) were calculated to be 0.75 and 0.25, respectively. Fifty-eight percent of the 71 livers examined possessed both the activities of ALDH I and ALDH II isoenzymes, whereas 42% lacked the ALDH I activity. The implications of these distributions of liver ADH and ALDH isoenzyme patterns among Orientals for ethanol elimination, alcohol sensitivity and alcoholism are discussed.

Comparison of serum sodium and potassium by direct ion-selective electrode analysis between Chinese and American people.

The serum levels of sodium and potassium in healthy Chinese were 144 +/- 1.7 mmol/L and 4.3 +/- 0.4 mmol/L respectively; in Americans, the levels were 138 +/- 2.4 and 4.3 +/- 0.3 mmol/L. I found that the serum sodium of Chinese is higher than that of Americans, the serum potassium level is almost the same. It may be due to differences between eating habits of the two races.