Regional gene expression analysis of multiple tissues in an experimental animal model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize local disease progression of the medial meniscus transection (MMT) model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA) at the molecular level, in order to establish a baseline for therapeutic testing at the preclinical stage. DESIGN: Weight-matched male Lewis rats underwent MMT or sham surgery on the left limb with the right leg as contralateral control. At 1 and 3 weeks post-surgery, tissues were harvested from different areas of the articular cartilage (medial and lateral tibial plateaus, and medial osteophyte region) and synovium (medial and lateral), and analyzed separately. RNA was extracted and used for microarray (RT-PCR) analysis. RESULTS: Gene expression changes due to surgery were isolated to the medial side of the joint. Gene changes in chondrocyte phenotype of the medial tibial plateau cartilage preceded changes in tissue composition genes. Differences in inflammatory markers were only observed at the osteophyte region at 3 weeks post-surgery. There was surgical noise in the synovium at week 1, which dissipated at week 3. At this later timepoint, meniscal instability resulted in elevated expression of matrix degradation proteins and osteogenic markers in the synovium and cartilage. CONCLUSION: These results suggest feedback interactions between joint tissues during disease progression. Regional tissue expression differences found in MMT joints indicated similar pathophysiology to human OA, and provided novel insights about this degeneration model. The examination of gene expression at a localized level in multiple tissues provides a well-characterized baseline to evaluate mechanistic effects of potential therapeutic agents on OA disease progression in the MMT model.

Is the recovery profile of mivacurium independent of the rate of decay of its plasma concentration in patients with normal plasma cholinesterase activity?

BACKGROUND: The duration of action of muscle relaxants is poorly correlated to the rate of decay of their plasma concentration. The plasma concentration of mivacurium may rapidly decrease below its active concentration because of the extensive hydrolysis of mivacurium. By inflating a tourniquet on one upper limb for 3 min after the administration of atracurium, mivacurium or vecuronium, we studied the influence of the initial decline of their plasma concentration on their effect. METHODS: In 50 patients anaesthetised with thiopental, isoflurane and fentanyl, the effect of bolus doses of 0.15 or 0.25 mg.kg-1 mivacurium (MIV 15, MIV 25), 0.3 or 0.5 mg.kg-1 atracurium (ATR 30, ATR 50) and 0.06 or 0.1 mg.kg-1 vecuronium (VEC 06, VEC 10) were measured on both arms (evoked response of the adductor pollicis to train-of-four stimulation every 12 s), a tourniquet being applied on one arm just before and during 3 min after the muscle relaxant bolus. RESULTS: Tourniquet inflation of 3 min almost abolished the neuromuscular effect of mivacurium. In the vecuronium groups and in the ATR 50 group, tourniquet inflation did not modify the maximum degree of depression of the twitch response. Also, the duration of action of vecuronium was unaffected by the tourniquet. In the ATR 30 group, times to return of the twitch response to 25% (duration 25%) and 75% (duration 75%) of control response were significantly shorter in the cuffed arm, 23 min vs 27 min, and 41 min vs 45 min, respectively. In the ATR 50 group, only duration 25% was significantly shorter in the cuffed arm (41 min vs 45 min). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the rate of decline of the plasma concentration of mivacurium is so rapid, that a very low and almost clinically ineffective concentration is present as soon as 3 min after its administration. The results also indicate that the recovery from a mivacurium-induced neuromuscular blockade is not influenced by the rate of decay of its plasma concentration in patients with genotypically normal plasma cholinesterase.

Ethanol increases and vitamin D metabolites decrease the production of cyclic AMP by canine renal cortical membranes.

Ethanol 0.16% increased cyclic AMP production by canine renal cortical membranes in the basal state and when challenged with different parathyroid hormone or fluoride concentrations. 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3) 40 pM completely inhibited this effect of ethanol and reversed cyclic AMP production to the level observed in buffer alone. The same inhibitory effect was observed with 25OHD3 and with 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (24,25(OH)2D3). The inhibitory effect was related to the vitamin D metabolites' concentration and was maximal for 160 pM; it was independent of their biological activity. This suggests that the effect is mediated through an interaction with the membrane lipids. The effect of vitamin D metabolites on cyclic AMP production was also observed in the presence of serum proteins and should be taken into account if unextracted plasma is assayed in the renal cortical membrane system for PTH bioactivity.

Metabolism of human PTH by the kidney and the liver.

Immunoreactive PTH was measured by amino terminal and carboxyl terminal specific assays in the femoral artery, the right renal vein and the suprahepatic vein of ten hyperparathyroid patients. A marked arterio venous difference for amino terminal immunoreactivity was observed in the kidney and the liver. In contrast, the arterio venous difference for carboxyl terminal immunoreactivity was small in the kidney and not significantly in the liver. It is concluded that intact PTH and possibly amino terminal fragments of the hormone are metabolized by the kidney and the liver. Considering the fact that a carboxyl terminal specific antiserum is also capable of recognizing intact hormone, the finding of a small positive arterio venous difference for carboxyl terminal immunoreactivity does not permit us to exclude the possibility that the kidney and/or the liver are capable of generating carboxyl terminal fragments.