Temporary monocular blindness associated with acute carotid thrombosis: a case report.

We report upon a patient with multiple, progressive episodes of temporary monocular blindness associated with acute thrombosis and a critical internal carotid artery stenosis. Carotid angiography demonstrated an anatomically compelling situation consisting of a critical reduction of flow distal to a preocclusive internal carotid artery stenosis accompanied by intraluminal thrombus. The patient was managed successfully by urgent thrombectomy and carotid endarterectomy. This case report highlights principles in management of patients with the unstable neurologic condition of temporary monocular blindness associated with an anatomically compelling situation demonstrated on angiography.

Adrenomedullin is inactivated in the lungs of neonatal piglets.

Adrenomedullin, a novel 52 amino acid peptide normally present in adult human plasma, has been shown to induce systemic hypotension in the adult rat, pig and cat, and in the new-born piglet. Little is known about the site (s) of adrenomedullin inactivation in adults or neonates. Groups of five 0-2-day old and 2-week old anaesthetized piglets were prepared to enable continuous monitoring of cardiac output, mean systemic arterial pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, mean systemic vascular resistance and mean pulmonary vascular resistance. In both age groups, injections of human adrenomedullin1-52 into the left atrium produced significant (P < 0.05) reductions in mean systemic arterial pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure. Although injections of similar doses of human adrenomedullin1-52 into the right atrium produced significant (P < 0.05) decreases in mean pulmonary artery pressure, there were no appreciable alterations in mean systemic arterial pressure in either age group. These results suggest that the systemic vasodilator properties of human adrenomedullin1-52 are reduced upon first pass through the pulmonary circulation in 2-week old piglets, a phenomenon that is present at birth.

Prodepin: a new product of the adrenomedullin (ADM) gene has systemic vasodilator activity.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of products of the ADM gene other than ADM on systemic hemodynamics in the anesthetized rat, rabbit, piglet, cat and dog. Bolus intravenous (i.v.) injections of rat proADM22-41 (3-30 micrograms) significantly decreased systemic arterial pressure (SAP) and systemic vascular resistance in the anesthetized rat. Unlike ADM, rat proADM22-41 markedly increased cardiac output in the rat. Bolus i.v. injections of human proADM22-41 up to 500 micrograms had not effect in all species studied and rat proADM22-41 had no effect in species other than the rat. The present data suggest that rat proADM22-41 is a novel product of the ADM gene other than ADM and possesses marked systemic vasodilator activity. The present data also suggest that the hemodynamic activity of this peptide is species specific.

Alkyl- and aryl-substituted salicyl phosphates as detection reagents in enzyme-amplified fluorescence DNA hybridization assays on solid support.

Nine salicyl phosphate esters with hydrophobic substituents (5-phenyl, 5-(2,4-difluorophenyl), 5-tert-octyl, 5-cumyl, 5-(4-tert-butylphenyl, 5-(1-adamantyl), 5-(n-dodecyl), 5-(1,1-diphenylethyl, and 5-trityl) were synthesized and found to be good substrates for calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase. The enzymatic hydrolysis produced the corresponding salicylates, which were strongly fluorescent when excited by ultraviolet light around 300 nm with maximum emission at 420-435 nm. The salicylates were less soluble and/or more adhesive than the nonfluorescent salicyl phosphate substrates, resulting in localization of fluorescence signal, which is a requirement for membrane-based assays. The salicyl phosphates bearing 8-14 carbon substitutents were found to be suitable detection reagents for dot-blot DNA hybridization assays on nylon membrane using a biotinylated probe, allowing the detection of 125 pg of target pBR322 plasmid DNA using a simple apparatus consisting of a transilluminator, a camera. and a 455-nm cutoff optical filter.

Time-resolved fluorescence detection of enzyme-amplified lanthanide luminescence for nucleic acid hybridization assays.

A new nonisotopic detection method based on time-resolved fluorescence for nucleic acid hybridization assays with alkaline phosphatase labels has been developed: enzyme-amplified lanthanide luminescence (EALL). EALL combines the amplification of an enzyme label with the sensitivity and background elimination of time-resolved fluorescence detection of lanthanide ion luminescence. The detection system for alkaline phosphatase makes use of a phosphorylated salicylic acid derivative that, upon dephosphorylation, gives a product capable of forming a luminescent terbium chelate. We demonstrate DNA hybridization assays by using two substrates, one for membrane and one for solution-based formats. Using the substrate that produces a more adhesive product allows performance of dot-blot and Southern blot assays on nylon membranes; results can be recorded with a time-resolved photographic camera system, or with an ultraviolet transilluminator-based system. Less than 4 pg of target sequence can be detected in a dot-blot assay after incubation with substrate for 2-4 h. DNA microwell-plate hybridization assays with the more soluble substrate/product pair can be quantified with time-resolved fluorescence plate readers, giving a similar detection sensitivity. EALL is thus a practical time-resolved fluorescence-based alternative to other detection systems for DNA hybridization assays.