Plasma neuropeptide Y and atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations in man

1. In order to examine the concentration of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the circulation in man, blood was sampled from the iliac vein, the inferior vena cava, the superior vena cava, the pulmonary artery and the femoral artery in 13 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. 2. Plasma NPY-LI levels were similar at all points sampled and no arteriovenous differences were found. Plasma ANP concentration in the pulmonary artery was greater than in peripheral venous blood but there was a strong correlation between the two. 3. The concentration of NPY-LI and ANP in peripheral venous blood reflects central venous and arterial concentrations.

Automated non-invasive measurement of cardiac output: comparison of electrical bioimpedance and carbon dioxide rebreathing techniques

Two commercial automated, non-invasive systems for estimation of cardiac output were evaluated. Values of cardiac output obtained by electrical bioimpedance cardiography (BoMed NCCOM3 machine) were compared with values derived from an indirect Fick technique that uses carbon dioxide rebreathing (Gould 9000 IV system) during 103 simultaneous measurements made at rest in 19 randomly selected subjects and on exercise in 11 subjects. Cardiac output values obtained with impedance cardiography were significantly correlated with those measured by the indirect Fick method, although there was a wide scatter with over 73% of the readings lying outside the limits defined by the line of identity +/- 20%. This correlation was greatly reduced when stroke volume index was used instead of cardiac output. Indirect Fick results were linearly related to oxygen uptake both at rest and on exercise, while impedance cardiography results did not correlate with oxygen uptake. Impedance cardiography gave consistently lower results for cardiac output than indirect Fick at all levels of exercise. Both machines were easy to use and produced acceptable mean (SE) coefficients of variation (BoMed NCCOM3 7.7 (1.0)%, Gould 9000 IV 10.6 (1.4)%). Further validation is required before either of these machines can be recommended as an alternative to invasive monitoring in clinical practice.

Enalapril and atenolol in essential hypertension: attenuation of hypotensive effects in combination

In 16 patients with essential hypertension the effects of enalapril 20 mg once daily were compared with those of atenolol 50 mg once daily, with the two drugs in combination and with placebo using a double-blind cross-over design with allocation of treatment order by randomised Latin squares. For each patient there were four treatment phases, each of four weeks duration, which together comprised a 2 x 2 factorial experiment. All blood pressure parameters were reduced in the three active treatment phases compared to placebo (p less than 0.001). Supine blood pressures (group means) were 171/97 (placebo), 147/85 (enalapril), 154/84 (atenolol) and 144/78 (enalapril plus atenolol) (S.E.M. +/- 2/+/- 1-ANOVA), and standing blood pressures were 170/105 (placebo), 146/92 (enalapril), 154/92 (atenolol) and 147/86 (enalapril plus atenolol) (S.E.M. +/- 3/+/- 1). In the combination phase there was an additional hypotensive response but the potential fully additive effects of the two agents were attenuated by 30-50%. The mechanism of the attenuated hypotensive effect of the combined agents has not been determined. Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentration was doubled in the presence of atenolol (P less than 0.01) suggesting that ANP may contribute to the hypotensive effect of the beta-blocker.

Treatment of hypertension with enalapril and hydrochlorothiazide or enalapril and atenolol: contrasts in hypotensive interactions

To determine the nature of the resultant effect on blood pressure when angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are combined with other hypotensive agents in the treatment of uncomplicated essential hypertension, two randomized, double-blind, crossover trials were conducted. In each trial there were four treatment phases, each 4 weeks in duration, comprising a 2 X 2 factorial experiment. Twenty-one patients completed the first study in which the effects of enalapril (10 mg twice daily) were compared with hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg twice daily), with the two drugs in combination and with placebo. All blood pressure parameters were reduced in the three active treatment phases compared with placebo (P less than 0.001). Enalapril and hydrochlorothiazide were equally effective and in combination their hypotensive effects were fully additive. Sixteen patients completed the second study which compared the effects of enalapril (20 mg daily), atenolol (50 mg daily), the two drugs in combination and placebo. All blood pressure parameters were again reduced in all phases compared with placebo (P less than 0.001). Enalapril and atenolol were also equally effective, but in combination their hypotensive effects were less than fully additive, with attenuation of the potential additive response by 30-50%. These results indicate that a diuretic-ACE inhibitor combination can be expected to have a greater hypotensive effect than a beta-blocker-ACE inhibitor combination. Both hydrochlorothiazide and atenolol increased plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations (P less than 0.01), suggesting that ANP could contribute to the hypotensive effects of these two drug classes.

Increases in plasma neuropeptide Y concentrations during sympathetic activation in man

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) coexists with noradrenaline in postganglionic sympathetic neurons. In order to test the hypothesis that NPY may be released along with catecholamines by activation of the sympathoadrenal system we measured plasma NPY-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) concentrations during cold pressor test, head up tilt and bicycle exercise in healthy volunteers. All 3 manoeuvres resulted in elevation of blood pressure, heart rate and plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations. These were accompanied by increases in plasma NPY-LI concentrations on cold pressor test and exercise, but not with head up tilt. The increases in both NPY-LI and catecholamines were greatest with exercise. These findings suggest that NPY is released at the same time as noradrenaline when sympathetic noradrenergic nerves are activated.

Binding isotherms by continuous-flow dynamic dialysis

The classical dynamic dialysis technique for the determination of a protein-ligand binding isotherm has been modified by the introduction of a flow cell in which the dialysate on the sink side of the membrane is continuously eluted with a constant flow of eluting buffer and its ligand concentration measured. This new experimental method is termed continuous-flow dynamic dialysis (CFDD). A transfer function procedure for extracting the binding isotherm from the dialysis data is described. This is a more general technique (requiring only a verifiable assumption of linearity) than that previously used, in which the system was modelled using Fick's first law and which relied on the establishment of quasi-steady state conditions across the membrane. The present analysis uses the Laplace transform to effect deconvolution of the impulse response function of the cell from the dialysis data and, using a Fourier series approach, directly yields numerical data representing the free ligand concentration in equilibrium with the protein-ligand complex. The protein-ligand binding isotherm is obtained in parametric form, with time as the parameter.

Effect of pH on thermal stability of collagen in the dispersed and aggregated states

Thermal stabilities of mature insoluble collagen, salt-precipitated fibrils of acid-soluble collagen and acid-soluble collagen in solution were compared as a function of acid pH. Both insoluble and precipitated collagens showed large parallel destabilization with decrease in pH, whereas the intrinsic stability of individual collagen molecules in dilute solution was comparatively unaffected.

Differential anion effects on thermal stability of collagen in the dispersed and aggregated states

The effects of KCNS and KI on thermal transition temperatures of calf skin collagen molecules in dilute acid solution and precipitated collagen fibrils from the same source were compared as a function of salt concentration and pH. The two salts produced qualitatively similar effects on each collagen form, but the response shown by single collagen molecules in dilute solution differed from that observed for molecular aggregates present in native-type fibrils.

Effect of alcohols and neutral salt on the thermal stability of soluble and precipitated acid-soluble collagen

The effects of mono- and poly-hydric alcohols in the presence of KCl on the intrinsic stability of collagen molecules in dilute acid solution were compared with corresponding solvent and salt effects on the increased stability of the aggregated molecules in salt-precipitated fibrils. Salt addition decreased solubility and increased the thermal stability of fibrils, but progressively decreased the stability of collagen molecules in solution. In contrast, the alcohols enhanced solubility and decreased fibril stability, the effects increasing with solvent hydrocarbon chain length and with decreasing hydroxyl/methylene-group ratio. Molar destabilization of dissolved collagen by alcohols was lower than for fibrils, and at low salt concentration, both ethylene glycol and glycerol were structural stabilizers. Electron-micrograph studies indicated that salt-precipitated fibrils tended to adopt the native aggregation mode, and qualitatively similar solvent effects were observed in insoluble collagens. Implications of the experimental findings are discussed in terms of a model in which electrostatic and apolar interactions mainly govern the excess of stability in collagen fibrils whereas intrinsic stability of single molecules is a function of polar interactions and polypeptide-chain rigidity.

Effect of compounds of the urea-guanidinium class on renaturation and thermal stability of acid-soluble collagen

The effects of guanidinium salts in decreasing the renaturation rate and lowering the thermal stability of acid-soluble calf-skin collagen have been compared with those of formamide and urea. With the exception of guanidinium sulphate at higher concentrations, no qualitative differences were apparent in the effects of these perturbants, which thus differed only in molar activity. Activity variation in the guanidinium salts reflected a net effect resulting from additivity of cation and anion contributions. As observed in other protein systems, lyotropic activity increased in the series formamide<urea<guanidinium ion, and in the guanidinium salts in the anion order fluoride<sulphate<chloride<bromide<nitrate<iodide. Low activities of guanidinium fluoride and sulphate were attributable to counter-effects of the anions, which acted as structural stabilizers. Changes in renaturation kinetics induced by either temperature or added perturbants appeared to conform with the Flory-Weaver model for the collagen transition. Additivity and non-specificity of the observed effects are discussed with particular reference to a common mechanism involving weak, non-saturated binding of perturbants at protein peptide groups.

The effects of glycols on the renaturation of soluble collagen

The effects of a number of related glycols and substituted glycols on the renaturation kinetics of acid-soluble calf-skin collagen have been investigated. Optical rotation recovery was monitored at a fixed temperature in the presence of perturbants and the initial rates of reaction were determined. The effects of perturbants on stability of the native protein are compared with their action in the renaturing systems. The relationship between initial recovery rates and fixed-time [alpha]-values is shown to be dependent upon the renaturation temperature. The influence of perturbant concentration on recovery rates is discussed in terms of present theories of the mechanism of collagen renaturation.

The effects of certain glycols, substituted glycols and related organic solvents on the thermal stability of soluble collagen

The effects of a number of related diols, substituted diols and glycerol on the thermal stability of acid-soluble calf skin collagen were investigated. Thermal transition temperatures were determined by optical rotation measurement. Short-chain diols with terminal hydroxyl groups, i.e. ethylene glycol and propane-1,3-diol, stabilized the protein at all accessible concentrations. Stabilization was also observed with glycerol and diethylene glycol. Higher homologues in the diol series produced various effects, as did hydroxyl-group positional isomerism. Monoalkyl substitution of diols progressively lowered the denaturation temperature of collagen. Results are discussed in relation to possible mechanisms of perturbant action.

The decomposition of soluble collagen by gamma-irradiation

1. The effect of gamma-irradiation in the range 1 krad-10 Mrads on freeze-dried acid-soluble collagen was studied. 2. The specific-rotation and reduced-viscosity recoveries after heating and cooling of the irradiated collagen in solution showed a high degree of dependence on irradiation dose, with reduced viscosity showing significantly less recovery than specific rotation on increasing the irradiation dose. 3. The dependence of reduced viscosity on concentration was greatly decreased with increased doses of gamma-irradiation. 4. The melting temperature measured by optical rotation also decreased as the irradiation dose was increased, and at low doses was distinctly biphasic. 5. Physical properties showed that the action of gamma-irradiation up to 10 Mrads occurred in two distinct phases, with the early changes being extremely sensitive to irradiation dose. 6. The action of the gamma-irradiation is discussed in terms of the structure of tropocollagen.

A "Sexual Skin" in a Marmoset

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The Atypical Growth in Cartilage as the Fundamental Factor in Dwarfism and Achondroplasia

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