Renoprotective effects of telmisartan on renal injury in obese Zucker rats

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the renoprotective effect of telmisartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on the early stages of diabetic nephropathy in obese Zucker rats, which is a type 2-related diabetes mellitus model. Telmisartan 1, 3 or 10 mg/kg/day was orally administered to 7-week-old rats that demonstrated glucose tolerance without albuminuria or proteinuria, for 24 consecutive weeks (Experiment A). In another experiment (Experiment B), oral administration of telmisartan 10 mg/kg/day was initiated at the age of 16 weeks after the rats demonstrated marked proteinuria, and continued for 24 weeks. Telmisartan inhibited the increase in proteinuria and albuminuria in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibition for all telmisartan groups was statistically significant by the completion of administration (Experiment A). Telmisartan also displayed similar inhibitory effects on proteinuria and albuminuria in Experiment B. Histologically, telmisartan [3 and 10 mg/kg/day] was associated with a significant decrease in the progression of glomerulosclerosis, and significantly improved interstitial cell infiltration, interstitial fibrosis and dilation and atrophy of renal tubules. Furthermore, telmisartan treatment was associated with a tendency towards normalized plasma lipids (total cholesterol and triglyceride). Our results suggest that telmisartan has a definite renoprotective effect against renal injury in type II diabetic nephropathy.

Effects of BIIB513 on ischemia-induced arrhythmias and myocardial infarction in anesthetized rats

Na+/H+ exchange (NHE) plays an important role in the regulation of the intracellular pH (pHi) and in cardiac cell injury induced by ischemia and reperfusion. In the present study, we investigated the effects of BIIB513, a selective NHE-1 inhibitor on myocardial ischemia induced arrhythmias and myocardial infarction, provoked by 30 minutes of left main coronary artery occlusion followed by 2 hours of reperfusion in an anesthetized rat model. Intravenous administration of BIIB513 (0.01-3.0 mg/kg) did not induce changes in blood pressure or heart rate. BIIB513 (0.01, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg) given prior to the coronary artery occlusion dose-dependently reduced ventricular premature beats, ventricular tachycardia, and a complete suppression of ventricular fibrillation down to the dose of 0.1 mg/kg. BIIB513 (0.01, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg) given prior to the coronary artery occlusion dose-dependently reduced the infarct size with an ED50 value of 0.16 mg/kg. BIIB513 (1.0 mg/kg) given prior to reperfusion also reduced infarct size by 47.3 +/- 13.1%. The reduction in infarct size was accompanied by a decrease in circulating levels of creatine phosphokinase (CPK). In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the cardioprotective ability of NHE-1 inhibition during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion by reducing serious ventricular arrhythmias and myocardial infarct size in anesthetized rats.

Efficacy of burning, tillage, and biocides in controlling bacteria released at field sites and effects on indigenous bacteria and fungi

Decontamination treatments of burning and biocide application, alone and in combination with tillage, were evaluated for their ability to reduce populations of bacteria applied to the leaves of plants in field plots. In addition, the effects of these control methods on indigenous leaf and soil bacteria and fungi were assessed. Field plots of bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), sprayed with the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae, Pseudomonas fluorescens, or Erwinia herbicola, received the following treatments: (i) control, (ii) tillage, (iii) burning, (iv) burning plus tillage (burn-tillage), (v) Kocide (cupric hydroxide), (vi) Kocide plus tillage, (vii) Agri-Strep (streptomycin sulfate), and (viii) Agri-Strep plus tillage. Leaves and soil from the plots were sampled at 1 day before and at 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 30 days after application of the decontamination treatments. The burn and burn-tillage treatments produced the most significant reductions in bacterial populations. The Agri-Strep treatment was more effective than the Kocide treatment in eliminating applied bacteria, but neither biocide produced consistent or persistent control. In contrast, the tillage treatment, alone or in combination with the Agri-Strep or Kocide treatments, had a short-term stimulatory effect and increased populations of applied bacteria and also levels of indigenous fungi and bacteria. Agri-Strep and Kocide treatments caused significant reductions in indigenous bacterial populations up to 14 days after application and in indigenous fungal populations on day 7 after application. Our results suggest that conventional plant disease control methods may not provide satisfactory control of genetically engineered microorganisms and indicate a need for further development of effective and selective methods to control release microorganisms at field sites.

Physical and chemical control of released microorganisms at field sites

An important consideration in the environmental release of a genetically engineered microorganism is the capability for reduction or elimination of microorganism populations once their function is completed or if adverse environmental effects are observed. In this study the decontamination treatments of burning and biocide application, alone and in combination with tilling, were evaluated for their ability to reduce populations of bacteria released on the phylloplane. Field plots of bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), sprayed with the bacterium Erwinia herbicola, received the following treatments: control; control + till; burn; burn + till; Kocide (cupric hydroxide); Kocide + till; Agri-Strep (streptomycin sulfate); and Agri-Strep + till. Leaves and soil from the plots were sampled -1, 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, and 27 days after application of the decontamination treatments. Burning produced a significant reduction in the number of E. herbicola, whereas tilling, alone or in combination with the biocide treatments, stimulated a significant increase in E. herbicola populations, which persisted for several weeks. The individual treatments of the biocides, Kocide and Agri-Strep, produced a rate of decline in E. herbicola populations that did not significantly differ from that of the control treatment.

Evaluation of Methods for Sampling, Recovery, and Enumeration of Bacteria Applied to the Phylloplane

Determining the fate and survival of genetically engineered microorganisms released into the environment requires the development and application of accurate and practical methods of detection and enumeration. Several experiments were performed to examine quantitative recovery methods that are commonly used or that have potential applications. In these experiments, Erwinia herbicola and Enterobacter cloacae were applied in greenhouses to Blue Lake bush beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) and Cayuse oats ( Avena sativa ). Sampling indicated that the variance in bacterial counts among leaves increased over time and that this increase caused an overestimation of the mean population size by bulk leaf samples relative to single leaf samples. An increase in the number of leaves in a bulk sample, above a minimum number, did not significantly reduce the variance between samples. Experiments evaluating recovery methods demonstrated that recovery of bacteria from leaves was significantly better with stomacher blending, than with blending, sonication, or washing and that the recovery efficiency was constant over a range of sample inoculum densities. Delayed processing of leaf samples, by storage in a freezer, did not significantly lower survival and recovery of microorganisms when storage was short term and leaves were not stored in buffer. The drop plate technique for enumeration of bacteria did not significantly differ from the spread plate method. Results of these sampling, recovery, and enumeration experiments indicate a need for increased development and standardization of methods used by researchers as there are significant differences among, and also important limitations to, some of the methods used.

Idiopathic myelofibrosis: a retrospective study of 103 patients

The clinical course of 103 patients (50 males, 53 females; median age 59 years) with idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) seen at our hospital between 1967 and 1986 was analyzed retrospectively. Common symptoms and signs at the time of diagnosis were: myelofibrosis (96%), splenomegaly (84%), anemia (81%), osteosclerosis (45%), malaise (41%) and leukocytosis (41%). It was possible to follow the majority of patients without treatment or with transfusion therapy only for prolonged periods of time. The use of cytostatic drugs and radiotherapy was restricted as much as possible. Probably due to this treatment strategy the incidence of acute leukemia was low (5%). Major thromboembolic complications were seen in 19% of the patients. Median survival of the patients was 4.3 years. The prognostic influence of several disease parameters determined at the time of diagnosis was tested: age, sex, leukocytes, platelets, hemoglobin, reticulocytes, LDH, ANP-score, spleen size and percentage of peripheral blood blasts + promyelocytes had no significant influence on the length of survival. Osteosclerosis, a presumed sign of advanced disease, was not correlated with survival either.

Polycythemia vera. A clinical study of 141 patients

The clinical course of 141 unselected patients (64 m, 77 f, median age 59) with polycythemia vera (PV), treated during the period 1967 to 1986 was analyzed to study prognostic factors and the correlation between treatment strategies and complication rates. Therapy was performed according to a prospectively defined treatment protocol. Primary control of the disease was achieved by phlebotomy. Marrow suppression by radioactive phosphorus or low dose busulphan was used only as a second-line therapy or to lower high platelet counts. The clinical course of the patients was characterized by a low rate of acute leukemia (4%) and a high rate of thromboembolic complications (40%). Myelofibrosis developed in 17 patients (12%). Median survival of the patents was 9.4 years. The prognostic influence of several parameters at the time of diagnosis was tested: age, sex, spleen size, percentage of blood blasts + promyelocytes, leucocyte count, platelet count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocyte count and the values of the lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH) and the alkaline neutrophil phosphatase (ANP) all had no significant influence on the length of survival. The prognosis of PV patients with atypical disease presentation at diagnosis was not different from patients with typical disease.