Effects of renovascular hypertension on myocardial protein patterns: analysis by computer-assisted two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Hypertensive heart disease caused by renovascular hypertension reflects the response of the heart to an increased afterload and neurohormonal stimulation. We hypothesized that in this condition the composition of the myocardial proteins of rats was altered. To identify yet unknown quantitative and qualitative differences in myocardial proteins in renovascular hypertensive heart disease, we analyzed protein patterns by computer-assisted two-dimensional polyacrylamide large gel electrophoresis. Renovascular hypertension was induced by placing a silver clip on the left renal artery in 9-week-old rat siblings. Sham-operated animals served as controls. Systolic blood pressure (197 +/- 19 mm Hg) and heart/body weight ratios (0.36 +/- 0.04%) were significantly increased in the hypertensive animals. Twenty protein patterns from the left ventricle of five hypertensive and five control rats were compared. The molecular mass and isoelectric point (pI) of proteins spots ranging from 13 to 100 kDa and from 4.5 to 8.5, respectively, were determined using marker proteins. In total, 761 +/- 88 protein spots were resolved in all twenty gels. For the quantitative data analysis a univariate (Mann-Whitney test) as well as a multivariate statistical approach (correspondence analysis) were applied. Only one myocardial protein spot (molecular mass = 41.3 kDa; pI = 6.3) was decreased by more than twofold (p < 0.05) in renovascular hypertension. The vast majority of spots did not indicate a significant alteration of intensity. Left ventricular hypertrophy in early renovascular hypertension induces a form of myocardial hypertrophy that conserves the naturally occurring protein expression pattern.

Unresectable non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung: definitive radiation therapy.

Between 1976 and 1983, 267 patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung were treated with radiation therapy alone. One hundred thirty-four patients had squamous cell carcinoma; 69, large cell carcinoma; and 64, adenocarcinoma. Stage III carcinoma was diagnosed in 87% of the patients. Total radiation dose was less than 45 Gy in 69 patients (low dose group), 45-55 Gy in 161 (middle dose group), and 55-65 Gy in 37 (high dose group); dosage was 180-200 cGy daily, 5 days per week. Minimum follow-up was 3 years (median, 6 years). Tumor control within the radiation fields was achieved in 12%, 43%, and 78% of the low, middle, and high dose groups, respectively. A complete response rate of 13%, 23%, and 35% and an overall response of 43%, 71%, and 86% were seen in the low, middle, and high dose groups, respectively. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate for all patients was 7% and was dependent on radiation dose and tumor response. This study indicates that tumor control and complete response rates are improved with a radiation dose of 55-65 Gy and that complete responders have improved survival.