Hepato-biliary Scintigraphy in diagnosis of Biliary Atresia.

BACKGROUND: Biliary Atresia and Neonatal Hepatitis are the two major causes of Persistent Neonatal Jaundice. Differentiation is done by biochemical and radiological tests. Radiological investigations use intra-or extra-hepatic biliary dilation for diagnosing biliary atresia but this is not always reliable. METHODS: 14 neonates with persistent conjugated hyperbilirubinemia who had undergone hepato-biliary scintigraphy were retrospectively evaluated and those having Extrahepatic Biliary Atresia were analyzed with reference to operative findings. RESULTS: 11 out of 14 had Extrahepatic Biliary Atresia during operation whereas 3 proved to be false positive. CONCLUSION: Mebrofenin hepato - biliary scintigraphy is a simple, safe, accurate and cost effective investigation for diagnosis of biliary atresia.

Autoradiographic analysis and regulation of angiotensin receptor subtypes AT(4), AT(1), and AT((1-7)) in the kidney.

Receptor autoradiography revealed that angiotensin AT(4) receptors were abundantly expressed in normal mammalian (mouse, rat, gerbil, guinea pig, rabbit) and avian (sparrow, chicken, turkey) kidneys and were more extensively distributed than previously reported (including proximal and distal segments of the nephron, interstitium, renal artery, vein, and ureter). Angiotensin AT(4) receptors were generally found to be more abundant than angiotensin AT(1) receptors in mammalian kidneys, whereas angiotensin AT((1-7)) receptors were not detected in either mammalian or avian kidneys. Rats subjected to various chronic treatments were found to preferentially decrease kidney AT(4) receptor density (furosemide, puromycin aminonucleoside, nitro-L-arginine methyl ester), decrease kidney AT(1) receptor density (bilateral ureteral obstruction), or increase kidney AT(1) receptor distribution in the inner medulla (water diuresis). These results indicate that the AT(4) receptor can be expressed in numerous cell types within the normal kidney of several species. Furthermore, several models of renal dysfunction and injury have been identified that selectively alter kidney AT(4) density and may potentially aid in elucidating the role of this novel angiotensin receptor system in renal function.

A role for the angiotensin IV/AT4 system in mediating natriuresis in the rat.

Angiotensin II (AngII) or Angiotensin IV (AngIV) was infused into the renal artery of anesthetized rats while renal cortical blood flow was measured via laser Doppler flowmetry. The infusion of AngII produced a significant elevation in mean arterial pressure (MAP) with an accompanying decrease in cortical blood flow, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine volume, and urine sodium excretion. The infusion of AngIV induced significant increases in renal cortical blood flow and urine sodium excretion, without altering MAP, GFR, and urine volume. Pretreatment infusion with a specific AT1 receptor antagonist, DuP 753, blocked or attenuated the subsequent AngII effects, while pretreatment infusion with the specific AT4 receptor antagonist, Divalinal-AngIV, blocked the AngIV effects. These results support distinct and opposite roles for AngII and AngIV, i.e. AngII acts as an anti-natriuretic agent, while AngIV acts as a natriuretic agent.

Binding and signaling of angiotensin-(1-7) in bovine kidney epithelial cells involves the AT(4) receptor.

Angiotensin-(1-7) decreased mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (Erks) activation in cultured Mardin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) epithelial cells. Also, saturable, high-affinity (125)I-angiotensin-(1-7) binding was detected in MDBK cell membranes. Together, the data suggested the possible presence of an angiotensin-(1-7) receptor. However, ligand structure-binding studies revealed that angiotensin-(3-7) and AT(4) receptor ligands competed with high-affinity for (125)I-angiotensin-(1-7) binding. Furthermore, angiotensin-(3-7) and AT(4) receptor ligands decreased MAP kinase activation in MDBK cells. These results demonstrate that NH(2)-terminal-deleted metabolites of angiotensin-(1-7) can bind with high affinity to the AT(4) receptor and regulate the MAP kinase/Erk signaling pathway in renal epithelial cells.

Glucose transporters and glucose utilization in rat brain after acute ethanol administration.

In the normal adult brain, glucose provides 90% of the energy requirements as well as substrate for nucleic acid and lipid synthesis. In the present study, effects of ethanol on glucose transporters (GLUT) and glucose utilization were examined in rat brain. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250-300 gms were given either ethanol 3 gm/kg BW or saline i.p. 4 hrs prior to the animal sacrifice and removal of the cerebral cortical tissue. The cortical plasma membranes analyzed by cytochalasin B binding assay showed a decrease in GLUT number but not in GLUT affinity in the ethanol treated rats as compared to the control rats. The estimated Ro values were 70 +/- 8.9 Vs 91 +/- 8.9 pmoles/mg protein (p < 0.05 N=4) and the estimated Kd values were 0.37 +/- 0.03 and 0.28 +/- 0.05 microM (p: NS) in ethanol and control experiments respectively. Immunoblots of purified cerebral plasma membranes and low density microsomal fraction showed 17% and 71% decrease for GLUTI and 54% and 21% (p<0.05 or less; n=6) for GLUT3 respectively in ethanol treated rats than in control animals. Immunofluoresence studies also showed reduction of GLUT1 immunoreactively in choroid plexus and cortical microvessels of ethanol treated rats as compared to control rats. The effect of ethanol on regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (CMR(Glc)) was studied using [6-(14)C] glucose and showed statistically insignificant decrease in brain glucose utilization. These data suggest that ethanol in-vivo decrease GLUT number and protein content in rat cerebral cortex.

Characterization and function of the bovine kidney epithelial angiotensin receptor subtype 4 using angiotensin IV and divalinal angiotensin IV as receptor ligands.

125I-Angiotensin (Ang) IV and (125)I-divalinal Ang IV [AT receptor subtype 4 (AT(4))] receptor agonist and putative antagonist, respectively] were used to characterize the AT(4) receptor in Mardin-Darby bovine kidney epithelial cells (MDBK cell line). Both (125)I-Ang IV and (125)I-divalinal Ang IV bound to a single high-affinity site (K(D) = 1.37 and 1.01 nM, respectively) and to a comparable density of binding sites (B(max) = 1335 and 1407 fmol/mg protein, respectively). Competition of either radiolabeled ligand with several Ang related peptides demonstrated similar displacement affinities in the following affinity order: Ang IV = divalinal Ang IV > Ang III > Ang II > losartan = PD 123177. Guanosine-5'-O-(3-thio)triphosphate or sulfhydryl reducing agents did not affect the binding of either radiolabeled ligand. Brief exposure of MDBK cells to Ang IV or divalinal Ang IV (0.1 nM to 1 microM) caused a concentration-dependent rise in intracellular calcium concentration levels with a reduced calcium response observed with Ang IV at micromolar concentrations. These results indicate that Ang IV and divalinal Ang IV bind with high affinity to the same receptor and that the MDBK AT(4) receptor is not coupled to a classic G protein, nor are sulfhydryl bonds important in regulation of receptor affinity. The MDBK AT(4) receptor appears to be pharmacologically similar to that described in nonrenal tissues. Functional studies suggest that AT(4) receptor activation can increase intracellular calcium concentration levels in MDBK cells and that divalinal Ang IV possesses agonist activity with respect to this particular intracellular signaling system.

Angiotensin-(1-7) can interact with the rat proximal tubule AT(4) receptor system.

This study was undertaken to identify the non-AT(1), non-AT(2) angiotensin receptor that mediates the ANG-(1-7) inhibitory action on rat proximal tubule transport processes. ANG-(1-7) inhibited nystatin-stimulated, ouabain-suppressible O(2) consumption (QO(2)) rates in freshly isolated rat proximal tubules (reflecting reduced basolateral Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity). Selective angiotensin-receptor subtype antagonists revealed that AT(1) and AT(4) receptors mediated the response of ANG-(1-7). Receptor autoradiography of the rat kidney demonstrated a high density of AT(1) and AT(4) receptors and no specific (125)I-ANG(1-7) binding sites. Competition assays in rat kidney sections indicated that ANG-(1-7) competed predominantly for the AT(1) receptor site, whereas its NH(2)-terminal-deleted metabolite, ANG-(3-7), competed primarily for the AT(4)-receptor site. Metabolism of (125)I-ANG-(1-7) in rat proximal tubules generated peptide fragments that included ANG-(3-7), with the pentapeptide producing a concentration-dependent inhibition of nystatin-stimulated proximal tubule QO(2) that was abolished by AT(4)-receptor blockade. These results suggest that the generation of ANG-(3-7) from the NH(2)-terminal metabolism of ANG-(1-7) caused the interaction of the parent peptide with the proximal tubule AT(4) receptor, which elicited a decrease in energy-dependent solute transport.

Angiotensin IV AT4-receptor system in the rat kidney.

Angiotensin IV, [[des-Asp1,Arg2]ANG II or ANG-(3-8)], has been shown to preferentially bind to a novel angiotensin binding site (AT4 receptor). The cellular location and function of this receptor in the rat kidney is unknown. Autoradiography localized AT4 receptors to the cell body and apical membrane of convoluted and straight proximal tubules in the cortex and outer stripe of the outer medulla. ANG IV (0.1 pM-1 microM) elicited a concentration-dependent decrease in transcellular Na+ transport (as measured by proximal tubule O2 consumption rates) in fresh suspensions of control or nystatin-stimulated (bypasses rate-limiting step of apical Na+ entry) rat proximal tubules. The inhibitory effect of 1 pM ANG IV was unaltered by either 1 microM losartan (AT1-receptor antagonist) or 1 microM PD-123319 (AT2-receptor antagonist) and yet was abolished by 1 microM divalinal-ANG IV (AT4-receptor antagonist) or ouabain pretreatment. These results demonstrate that the kidney AT4-receptor system is localized to the proximal tubule and suggests that one potential biological role of this system is in the regulation of Na+ transport by inhibiting a ouabain-sensitive component of Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase activity in the rat.

Vasopressin induces dopamine release and cyclic AMP efflux from the brain of water-deprived rats: inhibitory effect of vasopressin V2 receptor-mediated phosphorylation.

The neurohypophyseal hormone vasopressin (AVP) is widely distributed throughout the central nervous system. It acts as an excitatory transmitter in the CNS and plays an important physiological role in water and electrolyte homeostasis. However, water deprivation has been shown to induce changes in the levels of monoamines, but there is little knowledge about the influence of AVP on monoamine levels after water deprivation. In this study, we investigated the effect of AVP and its receptor antagonists on alterations in dopamine (DA) release and cyclic adenosine 3',5' monophosphate (cAMP) efflux from rat brain slices following water deprivation. Striatal brain slices (500 microm thick) were incubated in a medium with or without AVP (0. 1-1.0 microM) for 30 min. After 2 h of washout in normal medium, high KCl (40 mM)-evoked DA release and cAMP efflux from the rat brain slices were examined. In the brain slices of euhydrated animals, treatment with AVP slightly altered DA release and cAMP efflux from the brain. This increase in DA release and cAMP efflux was not significantly affected by the addition of a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, calcineurin (20 microM), to the incubation medium or either by a V1 or V2 AVP receptor antagonist. In contrast, AVP significantly increased the DA release and enhanced the cAMP efflux from the brain slices of water-deprived animals. The AVP-induced increase of brain response in the water-deprived animals was significantly attenuated by a V2 receptor antagonist, partially by calcineurin, but not by a V1 receptor antagonist. The present results suggest that AVP may play a role in water-deprivation-induced DA release and cAMP efflux, which is possibly mediated through the activation of the V2 receptor. The V2 receptor action is attenuated by calcium/calmodulin-dependent dephosphorlyation of some cellular proteins critical for signal transduction.

Reduced sarcolemmal dystrophin distribution and upregulation of utrophin in the cardiac and skeletal muscles of CHF-146 dystrophic hamsters.

Abnormalities in the dystrophic gene product, dystrophin, have been implicated in initiating the primary membrane defect and excessive intracellular calcium accumulation (EICA), which play fundamental pathogenic roles in hereditary muscular dystrophy (HMD). Two other cytoskeletal proteins, spectrin and utrophin, bear remarkable structural and functional homologies to dystrophin. CHF-146 strain dystrophic hamsters (DH), like patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), die prematurely from cardiopulmonary insufficiency, focal myonecrosis, and progressive degeneration of the cardiac and skeletal muscles with EICA. Although DH present a suitable model for HMD, there are controversies concerning their dystrophin and utrophin status. Using immunocytochemistry and Western blotting, we studied dystrophin, spectrin and utrophin anomalies in the cardiac and skeletal muscles of 6-mo-old male DH. Age- and sex-matched CHF-148 strain albino normal hamsters (NH) served as controls. Sarcolemmal dystrophin staining was much weaker and interruptive in the DH. The densitometric analysis of the immunoblots revealed that dystrophin is reduced in DH by 83% in cardiac muscle (p < 0.0001), and by 50% in skeletal muscle (p < 0.0001). We conclude that sarcolemmal dystrophin distribution is markedly reduced and discontinuous in the cardiac and skeletal muscles of DH, with simultaneous upregulation of utrophin and a varied degree of spectrin labelling. This observation suggests that reduced sarcolemmal dystrophin is associated with membrane hyperpermeability, which leads to progressive muscle degeneration via EICA and segmental necrosis in DH. As in DMD, utrophin appears to play an important compensatory role in hamster dystrophinopathy.

Antiplatelet effects of R,S-(meso)-alpha, alpha'-bis[3-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl) piperidino]-p-xylene ex vivo in the dog and in vivo in the mouse.

1. The nipecotamide alpha,alpha'-bis[3-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)piperidino]-p-xylene (A-1) is a platelet aggregation inhibitor. The meso diastereomer A-1c is superior in potency and duration to the synthetic diastereomeric mixture consisting of the R,R-, S,S-, and R,S- (meso) isomers in inhibiting collagen-induced platelet aggregation ex vivo in the dog. 2. A-1c also is more potent and longer acting than A-1 in protecting mice from collagen+epinephrine-induced thromboembolic death. 3. The mechanism of antiplatelet action of this compound appears to be related to its ability to prevent agonist-induced inhibition of platelet cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels.

The effect of ethanol on muscarinic receptor-G protein coupling in the rat cortex.

To understand the mechanism of ethanol action on G protein-mediated signal transduction pathway, the effect of ethanol on muscarinic receptor-G protein coupling in the rat cerebral cortex was examined. Acetylcholine (ACh)-stimulated G protein GTPase activity was used as an index of receptor-G protein coupling. ACh stimulation of G protein GTPase activity was time- and concentration-dependent, and atropine-sensitive. Rats injected with ethanol (3 g/kg body weight) were sacrificed after 4 hr, and the cerebral cortices removed. The ability of ACh to stimulate GTPase activity was similar in cortical cell membranes obtained from control and ethanol-treated rats; ACh maximally stimulated the enzymatic activity by 22% in membranes from both groups of rats. Next, in cortical cell membranes obtained from control rats (i.e., not injected with ethanol) the ability of ACh to stimulate GTPase activity in the presence of ethanol was examined. ACh stimulated GTPase activity in a concentration-dependent manner; the activity was 12.3 +/- 0.1, 14.5 +/- 0.64, 15.7 +/- 0.54, and 16.1 +/- 0.33 Pi pmol/min/mg protein, at 0, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mM ACh, respectively (P < 0.05). In the presence of 100 mM ethanol ACh-stimulated GTPase activity was significantly inhibited. The IC50 value of ethanol inhibition of ACh-stimulated GTPase activity was approximately 50 mM. These results suggest that: 1) in vitro, ethanol impairs ACh-stimulated G protein GTPase activity in the rat cortical cell membranes, and 2) in vivo, the acute effects of alcohol on G protein function may be transient and reversible.

Effects of ethanol on GLUT1 protein and gene expression in rat astrocytes.

Effects of ethanol on glucose transporter gene expression were examined in cultured rat astrocytes. Exposure to 50 or 100 mM ethanol for 18 hours significantly inhibited hexose uptake and reduced the number of glucose transporters, as indicated by binding studies with cytochalasin B. Indirect immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase staining showed marked reduction of the GLUT1 glucose transporter by exposure to 100 mM ethanol for 5 or 18 hours, but no obvious change in response to 50 mM ethanol. Western blot analysis showed GLUT1 protein levels to be decreased by 52 +/- 12% (p < 0.05) after exposure to 100 mM ethanol for 18 hours. In situ hybridization histochemistry indicated an increase in steady-state GLUT1 mRNA in astrocytes exposed to 50 or 100 mM ethanol for 5 or 18 hours. Quantitation of GLUT1 mRNA levels by northern blot analysis showed that GLUT1 mRNA levels were increased by 59 and 112% in cells treated for 5 h with 50 and 100 mM ethanol, respectively. A similar effect was observed after treatment for 18 hours, but ethanol did not alter actin gene expression. Experiments using actinomycin D to block RNA synthesis suggest that this increase in steady-state mRNA level results from increased message stability. These results suggest that ethanol acts on GLUT1 gene expression at the post-transcriptional level.

Nitric oxide mediates the inhibitory action of platelet-activating factor on angiotensin II-induced renal vasoconstriction, in vivo.

The objective of our study was to determine the mechanism(s) involved in the inhibitory effect of platelet-activating factor on renal vascular reactivity, in vivo. Bolus injections of vasoconstrictor agonists were administered into the renal circulation of pentobarbital anesthetized male Wistar rats at a dose to cause a transient 45 to 50% decrease in renal blood flow. Intrarenal infusion of platelet-activating factor (PAF) at 2.5 ng/min/kg attenuated the vasoconstrictor response to angiotensin II by 66%, a significantly smaller reduction of 35% for norepinephrine-mediated vasoconstriction, 22% for vasopressin-mediated vasoconstriction and no alteration of KCl-mediated vasoconstriction. The preferential inhibitory effect of platelet-activating factor on angiotensin II-mediated renal vasoconstriction was mimicked by the intrarenal infusion of either 0.2 to 5 micrograms/min/kg methacholine (endothelium-dependent vasodilator) or 2 micrograms/min/kg sodium nitroprusside (nitric oxide donor). After inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, intrarenal infusion of PAF or methacholine reduced angiotensin II-mediated renal vasoconstriction significantly less than that observed in the absence of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine. Therefore, this study provides evidence that the shared ability of platelet-activating factor and methacholine to selectively reduce angiotensin II-mediated renal vasoconstriction involves endothelium-derived nitric oxide.

Renal actions of angiotensin-(1-7): in vivo and in vitro studies.

In vivo studies were conducted in Na-replete anesthetized male Wistar rats with denervated kidneys. Intrarenal injections of angiotensin-(1-7) [ANG-(1-7) at > 1 nmol/kg produced a shallow dose-dependent decrease in renal blood flow that was mediated by the AT1-type ANG II receptor. A constant intrarenal infusion of ANG-(1-7) at 0.1 and 1 nmol.min-1.kg-1 had minimal effects on renal blood flow and blood pressure and resulted in an elevated urinary excretion of Na and water compared with the time-control saline-infused group. To determine whether ANG-(1-7) may have a direct action on tubular epithelium to inhibit Na reabsorption, we examined the effect of ANG-(1-7) on transport-dependent O2 consumption (Qo2) in fresh suspensions of rat proximal tubules in vitro. ANG-(1-7) inhibited Qo2 in a concentration-dependent fashion with a threshold concentration of approximately 100 pM. Stimulating Na-K-adenosinetriphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase) activity with nystatin caused a leftward shift of the inhibitory concentration-response curve to ANG-(1-7). The 22% inhibition of Qo2 by 1 pM ANG-(1-7) was abolished by pretreatment with 5 mM ouabain (Na-K-ATPase inhibitor), unaltered by pretreatment with 1 microM PD-123319 (AT2 receptor antagonist), partially attenuated by 1 microM losartan (AT1 receptor antagonist), and abolished by 1 microM [Sar1, Thr8]ANG II (nonselective ANG receptor antagonist). Together these findings indicate that ANG-(1-7) has biological activity in the kidney and, at nonvasoconstrictor doses, results in increased Na and water excretion in vivo. One site of action is the proximal tubule, where ANG-(1-7) can inhibit an ouabain-sensitive Na-K-ATPase exit step in cellular Na transport. This novel inhibitory action of ANG-(1-7) appears to be mediated by an AT1 receptor (minor component) and a non-AT1, non-AT2 ANG receptor (major component).

Antithrombotic nipecotamide increases cyclic AMP levels and inhibits protein phosphorylation in human platelets.

alpha,alpha'-bis[3-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)piperidino]-p-xylene dihydrobromide (A-1), a typical antithrombotic nipecotamide, elevated the levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in human platelets in vitro, without inhibiting cAMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE). The compound elevated the basal cAMP levels, enhanced the prostaglandin (PG)E1-stimulated platelet adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity, and prevented the ADP-induced decline of the latter. Collagen-induced phosphorylation of 20 and 47 kDa proteins was inhibited by IC50 and 0.5 x IC50 concentrations. In light of the known actions of A-1, it is suggested that stimulation of AC and inhibition of agonist-induced rise in cytosolic ionized calcium ([Ca2+]i) may constitute an aspect of its mechanism of action.

Ligand-independent anti-oncogenic activity of the alpha subunit of the type I interferon receptor.

Two interferon (IFN) alpha-regulated genes, IRF1/ISGF2 and PKR/p68 kinase, may function as tumor suppressor genes suggesting that the IFN system may function as a tumor suppressor system. We report that the expression of the alpha subunit of the type I IFN receptor in human K-562 cells had anti-oncogenic effects that include a marked decrease in: (i) cell proliferation rate, (ii) the cell density at which growth arrest normally occurs, and (iii) the tumorigenicity in nude mice. Furthermore, expression of the alpha subunit in K-562 cells induced erythroid differentiation. While most cytokine receptors become activated after binding their corresponding ligands, the overexpression of the alpha subunit has a physiological effect in the absence of its natural ligand, type I IFNs, suggesting a novel function for this type I IFN receptor subunit. The anti-oncogenic effect of the alpha subunit is mediated by a pathway that does not involve two tumor suppressor genes induced by type I IFNs, the transcriptional regulator IFN response factor-1 and the RNA-dependent protein kinase, or the p135tyk2 tyrosine kinase that directly associates and phosphorylates the alpha subunit.

Effects of phospholipids on renal function.

The effects of two classes of phospholipids (PL) on renal function have been studied. Bolus injections of 1 ng (10 pmol) of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) caused natriuresis and diuresis in rats. Natriuretic activity was eliminated by substituting unsaturated bonds in the 1-acyl group and by removing the choline group on the sn-3 position. Natriuretic activity was not affected by substitution of 1-alkyl for 1-acyl groups. In the dog, LPC was natriuretic when given as a bolus of 3.0 micrograms/kg or as a constant infusion at 5 ng/kg/min. To explore further the effect of alkyl PLs on renal function, a series of studies with platelet activating factor (PAF) was performed. PAF injected directly into the renal artery (IR) in bolus doses of 0.5-10 ng/kg caused renal vasodilation that was blocked by a specific PAF receptor antagonist. This effect was not due to release of vasodilatory eicosanoids, dopamine, or nitric oxide (NO). PAF given IR as a continuous infusion at 2.5 ng/kg/min attenuated the renal vasoconstrictor effects of angiotensin II and norepinephrine but not vasopressin. This effect to attenuate vasoconstriction was blocked by the NO inhibitor N-monomethyl-L-arginine. These studies using picomolar amounts of PL suggest a physiologic role for these compounds in control of renal function.

Tetrodotoxin protects against acute ischemic renal failure in the rat.

Tetrodotoxin has been reported to cause prolonged systemic hypotension without resultant ischemic damage. We tested its ability to protect the kidney during 60 minutes of warm ischemia in uninephrectomized rats. Protection was observed when tetrodotoxin was given intravenously at two microgram./kg. and four microgram./kg. as assessed by serial plasma blood urea nitrogen and creatinine measurements over two weeks. Tetrodotoxin was protective when given immediately before or immediately after the ischemic period. The renal protection of tetrodotoxin was not due to its effects on renal nerves as renal denervation did not protect the kidney from the ischemic damage. The renal protective effects of four microgram. tetrodotoxin/kg. were similar to those of four mg. captopril/kg. but the combination of the two was paradoxically without effect. We tested whether tetrodotoxin and captopril chemically antagonized each other, but in the presence of tetrodotoxin, captopril was still a potent inhibitor of the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II. These results indicate that tetrodotoxin could be useful in elucidating the sequence of events associated with ischemic-reperfusion renal injury and in identifying ways of preserving renal function during renal surgery.

Effect of lysophosphatidylcholine on renal hemodynamics and excretory function in anesthetized rats.

The effect of myristoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine (myristoyl-LPC) on renal hemodynamics, electrolyte and water excretion was examined over a 90 min period in sodium pentobarbital anesthetized male Sprague Dawley rats. Intravenous infusion of myristoyl-LPC at 13 +/- 3 pmol/min resulted in a small fall in systemic blood pressure, a 13% decrease in renal plasma flow without significantly altering glomerular filtration rate and produced a slightly greater excretion of sodium and water than vehicle controls. These results suggest that short term myristoyl-LPC administration can significantly alter renal function producing a weak natriuresis and diuresis which is not dependent on systemic blood pressure and renal hemodynamic changes.