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Neutral endopeptidase degrades atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and bradykinin and may generate endothelin-1 from big-endothelin. In advanced cirrhosis, sodium retention is accompanied by elevated plasma ANP levels, and infusion of ANP causes hypotension, but in normal humans increasing the concentration of ANP through the inhibition of neutral endopeptidase, localized in renal proximal tubule cells, causes natriuresis without any arterial pressure drop. The purpose of this study was the assessment of kidney neutral endopeptidase expression and responses to candoxatrilat (a specific inhibitor of this enzyme) in rats with CCl4-induced cirrhosis. Two groups of control rats (n = 5) were injected with vehicle or 3 mg/kg candoxatrilat. Three groups of cirrhotic rats with ascites (n = 10) received vehicle alone or 3 or 10 mg/kg candoxatrilat. In cirrhotic rats, Western blot analysis revealed a 170% increase in renal neutral endopeptidase protein content (P < 0.03), mainly in the proximal nephron and macula densa, and both candoxatrilat dosages increased plasma ANP levels, urinary volume, and urinary excretion of sodium, ANP, and cGMP compared with vehicle alone (all P < 0.03). Candoxatrilat (10 mg/kg) also reduced tubular solute-free water reabsorption (P < 0.03) in cirrhotic rats, but renal blood flow, arterial pressure, and plasma renin activity were unaffected. Neutral endopeptidase inhibition has natriuretic and aquaretic actions in cirrhosis without any effect on blood pressure and kidney perfusion due to a significant overexpression of this enzyme in renal cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: DF 2156A is a new dual inhibitor of IL-8 receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2 with an optimal pharmacokinetic profile. We characterized its binding mode, molecular mechanism of action and selectivity, and evaluated its therapeutic potential., Experimental Approach: The binding mode, molecular mechanism of action and selectivity were investigated using chemotaxis of L1.2 transfectants and human leucocytes, in addition to radioligand and [(35) S]-GTPγS binding approaches. The therapeutic potential of DF 2156A was evaluated in acute (liver ischaemia and reperfusion) and chronic (sponge-induced angiogenesis) experimental models of inflammation., Key Results: A network of polar interactions stabilized by a direct ionic bond between DF 2156A and Lys(99) on CXCR1 and the non-conserved residue Asp(293) on CXCR2 are the key determinants of DF 2156A binding. DF 2156A acted as a non-competitive allosteric inhibitor blocking the signal transduction leading to chemotaxis without altering the binding affinity of natural ligands. DF 2156A effectively and selectively inhibited CXCR1/CXCR2-mediated chemotaxis of L1.2 transfectants and leucocytes. In a murine model of sponge-induced angiogenesis, DF 2156A reduced leucocyte influx, TNF-α production and neovessel formation. In vitro, DF 2156A prevented proliferation, migration and capillary-like organization of HUVECs in response to human IL-8. In a rat model of liver ischaemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury, DF 2156A decreased PMN and monocyte-macrophage infiltration and associated hepatocellular injury., Conclusion and Implications: DF 2156A is a non-competitive allosteric inhibitor of both IL-8 receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2. It prevented experimental angiogenesis and hepatic I/R injury in vivo and, therefore, has therapeutic potential for acute and chronic inflammatory diseases., (© 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.)

Background: During neoplastic progression, alterations in transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) dependent control of cell growth may be an important mechanism of selective proliferation of transformed cellular clones. Defective regulation of TGF-beta1 receptors has been reported to occur in a number of human malignant tumours while little is known of the actual levels of this growth inhibitory cytokine in cancer. On the basis of the demonstrated ability of major lipid peroxidation products such as 4-hydroxynonenal to modulate TGF-beta1 expression and synthesis, we speculated that decreased lipid oxidation, as frequently observed in neoplastic tissues, would contribute to the selective promotion of tumour growth through decreased expression of the cytokine within the tumour mass., Aims: To seek a possible association between steady state levels of major aldehydic end products of lipid peroxidation and TGF-beta1 content in human colon cancer at different stages of growth., Patients and Methods: Tissue biopsies from 15 adult patients with colon adenocarcinoma of different TNM and G stagings were compared with regard to lipid peroxidation aldehydes and net TGF-beta1 levels. For a more comprehensive analysis, cytokine type I and II receptors were measured in tumour biopsies. In one set of experiments, to support the conclusions, the apoptotic effect of TGF-beta1 was evaluated in a human colon cancer cell line, CaCo-2, retaining receptor changes consistent with those observed in cancer patients., Results: With the exception of two extremely advanced cases (T4/G3) in which tissue levels of lipid peroxidation were within the normal range, 4-hydroxynonenal was significantly decreased in all other cancer specimens. Consistent with lipid peroxidation levels, TGF-beta1 protein was markedly decreased or even negligible compared with the corresponding normal tissue surrounding the tumour in all tested biopsies except for the two T4/G3 colon cancers in which cytokine content was again within the normal range. As regards TGF-beta1 receptors, both in tumour sections and CaCo-2 cells, downregulation was greater for TGF-beta1 receptor I than for receptor II. Of note, in CaCo-2 cells, incubation with appropriate doses of TGF-beta1 led to marked nuclear fragmentation and apoptosis., Conclusions: Evasion of human colon cancer cells from TGF-beta1 mediated growth inhibition appears to be due not only to downregulation of TGF-beta1 receptors, which is inconsistent and unrelated to cancer development, but also to the constant low concentration of this cytokine in the tumour mass. The associated levels of lipid peroxidation aldehydes, much lower than in control tissue, probably represent a lower stimulus for TGF-beta1 production in the neoplastic area and thus a favourable condition for neoplastic progression.

Objective: Although possible implications of nitric oxide in the pathophysiology of liver cirrhosis have been extensively studied, until now few articles have addressed the assessment of nitric oxide production in primary biliary cirrhosis. This study was directed to evaluate circulating nitrosyl-hemoglobin levels as well as neutrophil elastase and soluble adhesion molecule concentrations in this condition, by assuming these parameters as possible markers of either inflammatory response or neutrophil activation., Methods: Laboratory investigations were performed in 30 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, in 13 patients with postviral and/or alcoholic cirrhosis, and in a group of eight subjects with chronic hepatitis., Results: Although no difference was detected with respect to chronic hepatitis subjects, higher levels of nitrosyl-hemoglobin adducts were found in primary biliary cirrhosis patients than in postviral or alcoholic cirrhotics and in normal subjects (3.55+/-1.75 arbitrary units vs 1.95+/-0.57 and 0.84+/-0.34, p = 0.0004 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Similarly, more elevated concentrations of neutrophil elastase (213.7+/-192.0 microg/L vs 51.1+/-34.3 and 38.0+/-11.5, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively) as well as of soluble forms of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule 1 were shown in primary biliary cirrhosis patients than in subjects with cirrhosis of other etiologies and in controls., Conclusions: Highly enhanced nitric oxide production in primary biliary cirrhosis could be related to the development of strong inflammation and at least partially to neutrophil activation, thus suggesting a putative role of these cellular mediators in the development of liver damage owing to their ability to synthesize and release a wide variety of important factors, including elastase and nitric oxide.

Weanling rats fed a methyl-deficient diet develop acute renal failure, the morphological features of which vary from focal tubular necrosis to widespread cortical necrosis. We and others have shown that coconut oil, rich in saturated fatty acids, has a renal protective effect in this experimental model. In the experiment we are reporting now, we studied which fatty acid is involved in the protection afforded by coconut oil by feeding five groups of methyl-deficient rats a mixture of corn oil and hydrogenated vegetable oil, C6-C8-C10 fatty acids, C12 fatty acid, C14 fatty acid and C16-C18 fatty acids. Five groups of rats receiving the same diets supplemented with choline chloride were used as controls. The group of methyl-deficient rats fed C14 fatty acid (myristic acid) showed a greater percentage of surviving animals and lower renal damage than the other groups of methyl-deficient rats, indicating that the protective effect of coconut oil found in previous experiments is due to its high content of myristic acid.

Experimental acute intoxication by prooxidant haloalkanes produces marked stimulation of hepatic lipid peroxidation and cytolysis, which is followed by tissue regeneration. Our aim was to clarify the role of oxidative imbalance in the activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor, activator protein-1 (AP-1), which is involved in tissue repair. Rats were poisoned with a very low concentration of carbon tetrachloride, given alone or in combination with another hepatotoxin, 1,2-dibromoethane, to provide varying extents of oxidative damage. The level of AP-1-DNA binding was analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay on liver extracts, obtained from rats killed 6 h after poisoning. Stimulation of lipid peroxidation and AP-1 upregulation were already established when the hepatic damage due to carbon tetrachloride +/-1,2-dibromoethane was beginning to appear. Rat supplementation with the antioxidant vitamin E completely inhibited AP-1 upregulation, thus supporting a causative role of membrane lipid oxidation in the observed modulation of the transcription factor. Moreover, activation of Kupffer cells appears to be a crucial step in the increased AP-1 binding to DNA, the latter being largely prevented by gadolinium chloride, a macrophage-specific inhibitor.

We have studied microsomal phospholipid, cholesterol and protein concentration in rat renal papilla, medulla and cortex during postnatal development, and the relationship between these membranes biochemical parameters and morphological changes. We also determined DNA concentration in each kidney zone. No changes were observed either in papillary microsomal phospholipids, proteins and cholesterol or in DNA concentration from 10-to 70-day-old rats. Medullary microsomal proteins and cholesterol did not change but a significant increase was observed in the microsomal phospholipid concentration during development; in this case, medullary DNA was significantly lower at 70 than at 10 days. In contrast, all biochemical parameters in renal cortex were significantly higher during development except for DNA concentration which suffered a great decrease. These biochemical findings demonstrate that the developmental pattern is different in each zone of the kidney and confirm the fact that the papilla, in newborn rats, is almost fully developed whereas the renal cortex and medulla are immature.

In this article the spontaneous chemiluminescence and the steady-state concentration of hydrogen peroxide were determined in rat liver as indicators of oxidative stress in the tissue. Hydroperoxide-initiated chemiluminescence and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) were also measured to evaluate antioxidant defenses and serum activity of lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase. Mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial respiratory control ratio were measured as indicators of cell and mitochondrial damage. Xanthine dehydrogenase and xanthine oxidase activities were determined as a possible source of oxyradicals. No significant changes were observed after 10 or 30 min of vena cava occlusion in any of the measured parameters. In contrast, 10 min of occlusion followed by 10 min of reperfusion increased chemiluminescence (from 18 +/- 3 to 32 +/- 5 cps/cm2), hydrogen peroxide (from 0.10 +/- 0.01 to 0.17 +/- 0.01 mumol/L), lactate dehydrogenase (from 80 +/- 2 to 330 +/- 30 U/L), and aspartate aminotransferase (from 42 +/- 2 to 100 +/- 10 U/L). Liver reperfusion was also associated with mitochondrial swelling and decreased mitochondrial respiratory control (from 5.6 +/- 0.3 to 2.6 +/- 0.1). The activity of the antioxidant enzymes and xanthine oxidase was instead without change. After 30 min of vena cava occlusion and 10 min of reperfusion a more marked increase in chemiluminescence (37 +/- 5 cps/cm2), hydrogen peroxide (0.30 +/- 0.01 mumol/L), lactate dehydrogenase (730 +/- 10 U/L) and aspartate aminotransferase (140 +/- 10 U/L) was observed. No further changes were found in either mitochondrial morphology or respiratory control (2.4 +/- 0.1) in isolated mitochondria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Seventeen patients with coronary disease submitted to myocardial revascularization were studied. Ten patients had a hypertrophied ventricle, and 7 had normal ventricular mass. Myocardial biopsies were obtained before ischemia and at the time of reperfusion and were assessed for: volume fraction of fibrous tissue, myocyte diameter, morphometric mitochondrial studies and ultrastructural changes. The volume fraction of fibrous tissue in patients with hypertrophied ventricle was 1.9 +/- 0.04, and in patients with normal ventricular mass was 0.9 +/- 0.01 (p less than 0.05). The diameter of the myocyte was 23 +/- 0.3 microns and 18 +/- 1.2 microns for patients with hypertrophied and normal ventricular mass, respectively (p less than 0.01). The value of volumetric density for pre-ischemia samples in patients with a hypertrophied ventricle was 23 +/- 2.2 and in patients with normal ventricular mass was 35 +/- 2.7 (p less than 0.02). Grades 3 and 4 of damaged mitochondria were significantly increased in reperfusion samples from patients with a hypertrophied ventricle compared to pre-ischemia samples. Collagen growth was increased in hypertrophied hearts which were also more sensitive to the ischemia/reperfusion mechanism.