No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Aircraft* ; Mass Media*

BACKGROUND: Leptin secreted from adipose tissue activates not only its receptors expressed abundantly in the brain, including arcuate nucleus but the POMC neurons resulting in secretion of a-MSH. Activation of MC4R by a-MSH increases the energy expenditure and decreases the food intake, and promotes the sympathetic activity. METHODS: To analyze the biologic activity of a-MSH analogues, the rat MC3R DNA and human MC4R DNA were stably and independently expressed in CHO cell lines, and we performed the competitive receptor binding assay with [125I]NDP-MSH as a radioligand and cyclic AMP accumulation assay following treatment with different ligands. a-MSH (Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser- Met-Glue-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Val-NH2) and its analogue a-MSH-ND (Ac-Nle-Asp-His-Dphe- Arg-Trp-Lys-NH2) were synthesized by Genosys Biotechnologies, Inc. The HPLC purified samples for NMR experiments were dissolved in 90% HO/10% DO or 99.9% DO solutions at pH 7.0 with concentrations of 2 mM in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer. The NMR spectra were acquired on a Bruker AMX-500 or DMX-600 spectrometer in quadrature detection mode equipped with a triple-resonance probe with an actively shielded pulsed field gradient coil. RESULTS: The preferential order of binding activity for MC3R was NDP-MSH > a-MSH-ND > [Nle4]-MSH with IC50 values (nM) being 0.367 +/- 0.074, 47.20 +/- 9.08 and 106.70 +/- 32.25, respectively. For MC4R, the same preferential order, NDP-MSH (0.566 +/- 0.194) > a-MSH-ND (6.70 +/- 1.07) > [Nle4]a-MSH (238.30 +/- 30.47), were obtained. In c-AMP generation assay, the potency order of peptides was NDP-MSH > a-MSH-ND > a-MSH at both MC3R and MCAR. Accumulated food intake of Sprague Dawley rats was low significantly for six hours after injection of a-MSH-ND into peritoneum. a-MSH forms a hair pin loop conformation, whereas a-MSH-ND, a linear form of MTII, prefers a type I B-turn comprising residues Asp5-His6-DPhe7-Arg8 in NMR study. CONCLUSION: we developed in vitro and in vivo bioassay system to evaluate the biologic activity of a-MSH analogues and we also showed that the type I B-turn structure of a-MSH-ND might enhance the binding activity to MC4R.
Adipose Tissue ; Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus ; Biological Assay ; Biotechnology ; Brain ; CHO Cells ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cricetinae ; Cyclic AMP ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; DNA ; Eating ; Energy Metabolism ; Hair ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Leptin* ; Ligands ; Neurons ; Peptides ; Peritoneum ; Pro-Opiomelanocortin ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium

No abstract available.
Hand* ; Wrist*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Oxygen free radicals may play important role in coronary reperfusion resulting in cell death or dysfunction, and they believed that one specific mechanism for producing oxygen free radicals in myocardium is the xanthine oxidase system. Allopurinol, inhibitor of xanthine oxidase system, may limit myocardial dysfunction and injury produced by oxygen free radicals during coronary reperfusion. METHODS: Thirty isolated rabbit hearts undertook the retrograde nonworking perfusion for 15 minutes and followed by 15 minutes of working mode. After measurement of the hemodynamic values as baseline, all heart were arrested with cold cardioplegic solution for 60 minutes. Hearts were then revived with 15 minutes period of nonworking reperfusion, followed by 30 minutes of working reperfusion. The hemodynamic values were measured again at 20 minute of working period and expressed as percent of baseline values. Oxygen content of arterial perfusate and coronary effluent were measured and leakage of creatine kinase was measured from coronary effluent for 15 minutes of nonworking reperfusion. Wet and dry weight of the heart were obtained to determine for tissue water and water content. Animals were randomized as followings ; control(n=10), allopurinol PO(n=10, 100mg/kg before 24hr.), allopurinol IV(n=10, 10mg/kg before 1 hr.) RESULTS: 1) There were no significant differences in recovery of aortic pressure and heart rate between 3 groups. But there were significant differences in percent recovery of aortic flow, coronary flow, cardiac output and stroke volume between control group and allopurinol groups. 2) The leakage of creatine kinase following ischemic arrest was significantly lower in the allopurinol groups than the control group(control : 36.8+/-6.2IU, PO:19.7+/-3.1IU, IV : 22.2+/-4.6IU, p<0.001). 3) The allopurinol groups were significantly increased in oxygen extraction and oxygen consumption compared with the control((p<0.002, p<0.004)). 4) The tissue water and water content were significantly diminished in the allopurinol groups compared with the control group(p<0.003, p<0.001). 5) The electron micrograph showed more considerable structural damages of myocardial cell in the control group than the allopurinol groups. CONCLUSION: It is suggested from the results that allopurinol, inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, plays a inhibiting role in the production of oxygen free radicals, and improves myocardial protection during global ischemia and reperfusion in the isolating working rabbit heart model.
Allopurinol* ; Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Cardioplegic Solutions ; Cell Death ; Creatine Kinase ; Free Radicals ; Heart Rate ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Reperfusion ; Myocardium ; Oxygen ; Oxygen Consumption ; Perfusion ; Reperfusion ; Stroke Volume ; Xanthine Oxidase

No abstract available.
Diagnosis, Differential* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

The safe clinical practice of growth hormone(GH) replacement requires judgement of the overall GH status, however, there is no biological marker for this in adults. In addition, diverse actions of GH in healthy individuals render the assessment of optimal GH replacement difficult. As in other fields of clinical practice, strategies and protocols vary between centers, however, most physicians experienced in pituitary diseases agree that GH replacement should begin at low doses, and increased to the final maintenance dose. The adequacy replacement is best determined by combination of clinical response and serum IGF-I, level avoiding supraphysiological levels of this GH-dependent peptide. Actually, GH can reduce body fat and restore muscles, bones, and quality of life. Appropriate using of GH will elicit antiaging effects.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Biomarkers ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Muscles ; Osteoporosis ; Pituitary Diseases ; Quality of Life

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Headache*