Effects of hyperoxia on postnatal intestinal development.

Fetuses develop in a marked hypoxic environment in utero. Premature infants often require high concentrations of oxygen to survive and develop in an environment that would be considered an oxygen stress for the fetus. Postnatal hyperoxia alters organ development, but there is minimal research regarding the role of hyperoxia in intestinal development. We attempted to determine whether postnatal hyperoxia exposure alters intestinal growth and function by using a reliable, objective and sensitive set of methods to study region-specific postnatal intestinal maturation. Rat pups born naturally were placed in continual exposure to room air (normoxia) or 85% oxygen (hyperoxia) immediately after birth. Pups were sacrificed at 1 and 2 weeks of age. Intestines were removed and fixed in formalin. Average mucosal, submucosal, and muscularis thicknesses were measured on hematoxylin and eosin stained sections. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against NOS II. The staining intensity was determined and quantified for site-specific regions of intestinal sections. No differences in mucosal thickness, submucosal thickness, or muscularis thickness were measured in the duodenum, jejunum or colon at any age. At two weeks of age, the thickness of the ileal mucosa was significantly greater in the group reared in 85% oxygen, and the group exposed to room air demonstrated significantly greater NOS II protein concentration than the hyperoxia group within the distal villus, proximal villus/crypts, submucosa, and muscularis in the distal small intestine.

Free 3-nitrotyrosine causes striatal neurodegeneration in vivo.

Peroxynitrite formation has been demonstrated in several neurodegenerative disorders; thus far, protein nitration and consequent alterations in protein function are implicated as mechanistic events. Free 3-nitrotyrosine (free-3NT) is also elevated in these settings; a neurotoxic role for this modified amino acid has not been investigated. We tested the hypothesis that free-3NT is neurotoxic in vivo, using a mouse model of striatal degeneration. The neurodegenerative effects of the dopaminergic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) (unilateral intrastriatal injection, 64 nmol) were compared with free-3NT (32 nmol) or free-tyrosine (free-TYR) (32 nmol). 6-OHDA-treated mice exhibited significant ipsilateral turning behavior after d-amphetamine challenge, indicative of unilateral striatal injury (ipsilateral-contralateral turning differential, 21.1 +/- 6.8). Significant turning behavior was also observed in free-3NT-treated mice but not in free-tyrosine-treated mice (free-3NT, 16.0 +/- 3.9; free-TYR, 1 +/- 2.7; p < 0.01). Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate striatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) content. 6-OHDA or free-3NT treatment caused severe reductions in TH immunoreactivity in injected striata compared with the contralateral hemisphere (injected/contralateral immunoreactivity ratio: 6-OHDA, 0.23 +/- 0.07; free-3NT, 0.49 +/- 0.02). Free-tyrosine treatment had no effect (1.03 +/- 0.09). Turning behavior was correlated with striatal TH ratio (p < 0.01). Furthermore, we observed a striking unilateral reduction in TH-positive cell body counts in the substantia nigra pars compacta of 6-OHDA- and free-3NT-treated mice (injected/contralateral cell count ratio: 6-OHDA, 0.40 +/- 0.04; free-3NT, 0.59 +/- 0.02). Free-tyrosine treatment had no effect (1.05 +/- 0.04). No evidence for increased striatal protein incorporation of 3NT was observed in any treatment group. These data represent the first evidence that free-3NT can elicit neurodegenerative effects in vivo; free-3NT may have a causal role in neurodegenerative conditions.

Peroxynitrite induced nitration and inactivation of myofibrillar creatine kinase in experimental heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress is implicated in the initiation and progression of congestive heart failure, but the putative reactive species and cellular targets involved remain undefined. We have previously shown that peroxynitrite (ONOO(-), an aggressive biological oxidant and nitrating agent) potently inhibits myofibrillar creatine kinase (MM-CK), a critical controller of contractility known to be impaired during heart failure. Here we hypothesized that nitration and inhibition of MM-CK participate in cardiac failure in vivo. METHODS: Heart failure was induced in rats by myocardial infarction (left coronary artery ligation) and confirmed by histological analysis at 8 weeks postinfarct (1.3+/-1.4 vs. 37.7+/-3.2% left ventricular circumference; sham control vs. CHF, n=10 each). RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry demonstrated significantly increased protein nitration in failing myocardium compared to control (optical density: 0.58+/-0.06 vs. 0.93+/-0.09, sham vs. CHF, P<0.05). Significant decreases in MM-CK activity and content were observed in failing hearts (MM-CK k(cat): 6.0+/-0.4 vs. 3.0+/-0.3 micromol/nM M-CK/min, P<0.05; 6.8+/-1.3 vs. 4.7+/-1.2% myofibrillar protein, P<0.05), with no change in myosin ATPase activity. In separate experiments, isolated rat cardiac myofibrils were exposed to ONOO(-) (2-250 microM) and enzyme studies were conducted. Identical to in vivo studies, selective reductions in MM-CK were observed at ONOO(-) concentrations as low as 2 microM (IC(50)=92.5+/-6.0 microM); myosin ATPase was unaffected with ONOO(-) concentrations as high as 250 microM. Concentration dependent nitration of MM-CK occurred and extent of nitration was statistically correlated to extent of CK inhibition (P<0.001). Immunoprecipitation of MM-CK from failing left ventricle yielded significant evidence of tyrosine nitration. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that cardiac ONOO(-) formation and perturbation of myofibrillar energetic controllers occur during experimental heart failure; MM-CK may be a critical cellular target in this setting.

Digital imaging analysis for the study of endotoxin-induced mitochondrial ultrastructure injury.

Primary defects in mitochondrial function have been implicated in over 100 diverse diseases. In situ, mitochondria possess unique and well-defined morphology in normal healthy cells, but diseases linked to defective mitochondrial function are characterized by the presence of morphologically abnormal and swollen mitochondria with distorted cristae. In situ study of mitochondrial morphology is established as an indicator of mitochondrial health but thus far assessments have been via subjective evaluations by trained observers using discontinuous scoring systems. Here we investigated the value of digital imaging analysis to provide for unbiased, reproducible, and convenient evaluations of mitochondrial ultrastructure. Electron photomicrographs of ileal mucosal mitochondria were investigated using a scoring system previously described by us, and also analyzed digitally by using six digital parameters which define size, shape, and electron density characteristics of over 700 individual mitochondria. Statistically significant changes in mitochondrial morphology were detected in LPS treated animals relative to vehicle control using both the subjective scoring system and digital imaging parameters (p < 0.05). However, the imaging approach provided convenient and high throughput capabilities and was easily automated to remove investigator influences. These results illustrate significant changes in ileal mucosal mitochondrial ultrastructure during sepsis and demonstrate the value of digital imaging technology for routine assessments in this setting.

Characteristics of psychiatric emergency room patients with alcohol- or drug-induced disorders.

Although emergency room psychiatrists are often faced with evaluating and planning treatment for patients who abuse substances, there is limited information about the characteristics of emergency room patients with alcohol- or drug-induced disorders. The authors describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of 343 consecutive patients referred to a general hospital's emergency psychiatry service. The 114 patients diagnosed as having an alcohol- or drug-induced disorder were younger and were more often male, unemployed, and homeless than patients with disorders not induced by substance abuse. They also demonstrated increased suicidality. Alcohol was the predominant substance that contributed to psychiatric emergencies, but a surprising number of patients were diagnosed as having amphetamine-induced disorders, possibly representing an important trend.

Underdiagnosis of psychoactive-substance-induced organic mental disorders in emergency psychiatry.

The tendency of emergency psychiatrists to make alcohol- and drug-related diagnoses was examined before and after the addition of a standardized psychoactive substance use questionnaire. The addition of the questionnaire resulted in a significant increase in the number of psychoactive-substance-induced organic mental disorder (substance-induced disorder) diagnoses. The questionnaire selectively increased the recognition of nonalcoholic substance-induced disorders while not significantly increasing the diagnoses of alcohol-induced disorders when alcohol was used alone. This suggests that nonalcoholic substance-induced disorders are underdiagnosed in emergency psychiatry. With the increase in the diagnoses of substance-induced disorders, there was a significant decrease in the frequency of psychotic disorder diagnoses and a significant increase in the frequency of adjustment disorder diagnoses. The clinical impact of underdiagnosing and misdiagnosing substance-induced disorders is discussed. Overall, the findings suggest that an increased awareness of substance use history, by the use of a standardized questionnaire, is an effective means of increasing the diagnostic yield of substance-induced disorders in the psychiatric emergency room. Follow-up studies using urine drug screening are recommended.