Suppression of the cysteine protease, aleurain, delays floret senescence in Brassica oleracea.

An aleurain-like protein, BoCP5, is up-regulated during harvest-induced senescence in broccoli floret and leaf tissue. BoCP5 is most closely related to an Arabidopsis protein (91%, AAF43041) and has 71% identity to barley aleurain (P05167). The mRNA for this gene accumulates within 6 h after harvest in broccoli florets, and its expression is reduced in tissue that has been held in senescence-delaying treatments (e.g. water, sucrose feeding, controlled atmosphere). The gene is also expressed in leaves during aging-related and harvest-induced senescence. Analysis of protein bands that cross-react with antibodies raised to the bacterial BoCP5 fusion protein, revealed prominent immunoreactive bands at ca. 26, 28, 31, and 38 kD in floret tissue. The 31 kD band was absent in protein extracts from leaf tissue. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was used to produce transgenic broccoli plants with down-regulated BoCP5. A reduction in the postharvest expression of BoCP5 in floret tissue was achieved for four transgenic lines in the current study. In three of these lines postharvest floret senescence (yellowing) was delayed, and florets contained significantly greater chlorophyll levels during postharvest storage at 20 degrees C than wild-type plants. Line 4 showed the greatest down-regulation of BoCP5, and in this line postharvest protease activity remained at pre-harvest levels, and the yield of soluble proteins extracted from florets after harvest was significantly greater than that of wild-type tissue.

Sedating ventilated asthmatics: etomidate reconsidered.

The use of etomidate and fentanyl infusions to sedate four asthmatics who required artificial ventilation and were receiving high dose steroids is described. The non-asthmatic patients who had not received steroids were also given etomidate combined with either fentanyl or alfentanil by infusion. Use of this sedative technique was suspended in June 1983, following reports of excess mortality associated with the long-term administration of etomidate. Retrospective measurements of plasma cortisols were subnormal in 5 of the 10 patients who did not receive steroids and remained low 12 hours after discontinuation of the infusion in two cases. All the asthmatics survived, but two of the non-asthmatic patients died. Despite its adverse effects, we still feel there may be a place for etomidate infusion in selected asthmatic patients, provided that steroid replacement is given.

Unstable cervical fracture. Anaesthetic management for an urgent caesarean section.

The anaesthetic management of a 26-year-old woman who sustained an unstable fracture of C2 when 40 weeks pregnant, is described.

Serum morphine levels. A comparison between continuous subcutaneous infusion and continuous intravenous infusion in postoperative patients.

A study was undertaken to compare continuous subcutaneous infusions of morphine with continuous intravenous infusions in patients whose lungs were mechanically ventilated for 24 hours postoperatively. Serum morphine levels were measured after the end of surgery and at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours in nine patients receiving continuous subcutaneous morphine and in four patients receiving continuous intravenous morphine given at the same rate. At 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours the means of serum morphine levels in the intravenous group were 20 ng/ml, 17.75 ng/ml, 18.5 ng/ml and 18 ng/ml, respectively, the corresponding figures in the subcutaneous group being 23.2 ng/ml, 20 ng/ml, 20.7 ng/ml and 20 ng/ml. For the intravenous route the mean dose of supplementary analgesia was 14 mg of phenoperidine in the first 24 postoperative hours, whereas for the subcutaneous route the mean dose was 11.66 mg. The differences in the serum morphine levels and in the requirements of phenoperidine were not statistically significant. We conclude that a continuous subcutaneous infusion of morphine is a simple and effective means of achieving postoperative analgesia.