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Aim of the Study: This study aimed at evaluating (I) the impact of different intra-arrest hypothermia levels on the expression of selected cytokines and (II) their prognostic value for 9-day survival., Methods: Female Large White pigs (n=21, 31-38 kg) were subjected to 15 min of ventricular fibrillation, followed by intra-arrest cardiopulmonary bypass cooling for 1, 3, or 5 min achieving brain temperatures (Tbr) of 30.4+/-1.6, 24.2+/-4.6 and 18.8+/-4.0 degrees C. After 40 min of controlled rewarming, pigs were defibrillated and kept at Tbr of 34.5 degrees C for 20 h, survival was for 9 days. Plasma samples were analysed for interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and IL-10 levels by ELISA. Total RNA out of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was analysed by real-time PCR for IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-alpha, interferon-gamma, inducible NO synthase, and heme oxygenase-1 gene expressions., Results: Plasma IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels significantly (p=0.0001 and 0.0003) increased in all animals within 1h after resuscitation with no significant differences between groups. Pigs surviving exhibited a decrease in IL-10 expression between baseline and intra-arrest values as compared to non-surviving animals, which showed a slight increase (p=0.0078). ROC curve analysis revealed that changes in IL-10 expression had a good prognostic power for survival to day 9 (area under the curve=0.882)., Conclusion: The systemic inflammatory response syndrome after cardiac arrest was reflected by a remarkable increase of plasma IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels. Intra-arrest hypothermia levels did not influence the expression of selected cytokines. As prognostic marker for survival IL-10 was identified with decreasing mRNA levels during cardiac arrest in survivors., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Parameters of humoral and cellular immunity were investigated in pigs experimentally infected with a modified-live European porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV, strain DV). PRRSV was detected by real-time RT-PCR and PRRSV-specific antibodies by a commercial ELISA test-kit, respectively. Interleukins IL-1alpha, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) as well as IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) were quantified at mRNA level using RT-PCR. Subpopulations of blood lymphocytes were assayed using flow cytometry. No significant changes neither in cytokine expression nor in shifts of CD4 and CD8 markers could be found, but similar curve diagrams concerning CD8 single positive T cells could be observed in all vaccinated animals with an initial decrease and an increase between post-infection days (PIDs) 7 and 14. In the vaccination group, TNF-alpha and IL-6 tended to be increased at PIDs 22 and 40, whereas no increase could be seen in IFN-gamma. When comparing the in vivo immune response to that being seen in in vitro experiments, similar shifts of CD4/CD8 lymphocyte subpopulations may be seen. Cytokine curve diagrams, however, do not reflect the in vitro findings to that extent.

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion may lead to local and distant organ damage involving nitric oxide (NO). NO rapidly reacts with heme/non-heme-iron-yielding nitrosyl complexes, which can be determined directly by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The aim of the present study was to characterize nitrosylation reactions induced by transient intestinal ischemia in blood and tissues. We used electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses to estimate nitrosyl complex levels and inducible NO synthase mRNA expression in rats subjected to superior mesenteric artery occlusion for 60 min followed by the reperfusion. Nitrosyl hemoglobin concentrations in circulating blood were significantly increased during ischemia and reperfusion. Nitrosyl hemoglobin complexes were detected in ischemic intestine, but not in normoxic lung and liver or reperfused intestine. Administration of N-G-monomethyl-L-arginine, a non-specific NO synthase inhibitor, did not affect the formation of circulating nitrosyl complexes. Moreover, inducible NO synthase mRNA was not found in intestinal tissues at 30 min of reperfusion. Our data suggest an organ-specific NO formation indicated by the increased nitrosylation reaction in ischemic intestinal tissue, but not in the distant normoxic organs, in spite of high circulating nitrosyl hemoglobin levels. NO involved in nitrosylation under intestinal ischemia/reperfusion is probably formed by NO synthase-independent mechanism(s).

Close linkage without recombination (Zmax = 7.383 at Theta = 0.00) was found between the locus for autosomal dominant exudative vitreoretinopathy (Criswick-Schepens) and the locus D11S388 in 11q14.3-q21. We report on the application of data from linkage studies in the diagnostic management of this disease. To determine the disease risk for two newborn children of two affected mothers more precisely, indirect genotype analysis was performed by typing their DNA for three DNA polymorphisms, the loci of which have been shown to be closely linked to the locus of autosomal dominant exudative vitreoretinopathy.

Autosomal dominant exudative vitreoretinopathy is a disorder affecting primarily the development of the human retinal vascular system. The disease locus has recently been assigned to 11q13-q23 by linkage studies in two families. Two-point analysis on a total of four families has now revealed close linkage (Zmax = 8.34 at theta = 0.00) between the disease locus and D11S873. Multipoint linkage analysis mapped the disease locus between D11S527/D11S533 and D11S35 with a maximum lod score of over 11 directly at D11S873. No evidence appeared for genetic/linkage heterogeneity among the four families examined.

We studied a large multigeneration Danish family with autosomal dominant congenital stationary night blindness. Both electrophysiological and psychophysical findings in affected family members were identical to those reported in patients from the 'Nougaret family'. The disease locus in the Danish family has now been mapped by demonstrating close linkage without recombination (Q = 0.00 at Zmax = 14.4) to the locus for alpha-L-iduronidase assigned to chromosome 4p16.3. Interestingly the gene for the beta-subunit of the rod photoreceptor cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase maps to the very same chromosomal region.

Cloned cell strains with adverse patterns of differentiation obtained from 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary tumor tissue were used to study the effects of glucocorticoid hormones on morphology and proliferation. HH-16 clone 2/1 cells apparently reflecting mesenchymal cells of the stromal part of the mammary gland grow as elongated, mostly bipolar fibroblasts in criss-cross patterns. When cultured in the presence of glucocorticoids, the cells flattened, lost bipolarity, extended in size, and showed arrest of growth at confluence, possibly due to contact inhibition. Immunocytochemical examination of dexamethasone-treated cells revealed actin cables which were absent in untreated cells. The hormone-treated cells expressed Mr 50,000-67,000 cytokeratins, and the extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin and laminin were increased. The in vitro effects on morphology and growth were reversible 3-4 days after withdrawal of the glucocorticoids. In dexamethasone-treated animals the growth of fibrosarcomas produced by inoculation of newborn rats with HH-16 clone 2/1 cells was reduced, and the survival time of the tumor-bearing animals was extended. Apparently, morphology and growth of HH-16 clone 2/1 fibrosarcoma cells can be controlled by glucocorticoids. In comparison, epithelioid HH-16 clone 4 cells established simultaneously from 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary tumor were unresponsive to glucocorticoids.