Nuria Fernández

Regional differences in the arterial response to vasopressin : role of endothelial nitric oxide

1 . The isometric response to arginine‐vasopressin (10−10‐10−7 m) was studied in 2 mm long rabbit arterial segments isolated from several vascular beds (cutaneous, pial, renal, coronary, muscular, mesenteric and pulmonary). 2 . Vasopressin induced contraction in central ear (cutaneous), basilar (pial), renal, coronary and saphenous (muscular) arteries, but had no effect in mesenteric and pulmonary arteries; the order of potency for the contraction was: ear > basilar > renal > coronary > saphenous arteries. 3 . Treatment with the blocker of nitric oxide synthesis NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME; 10−6‐10−4 m) increased significantly (P < 0.05) the contraction to vasopressin in ear (148% of control), basilar (150% of control), renal (304% of control), coronary (437% of control) and saphenous (235% of control) arteries. Removal of the endothelium increased significantly (P < 0.05) the contraction to vasopressin in basilar (138% of control), renal (253% of control), coronary (637% of control) and saphenous (662% of control) arteries, but not in ear artery. Mesenteric and pulmonary arteries in the presence of L‐NAME or after endothelium removal did not respond to vasopressin, as occurred in control conditions. 4 . The specific antagonist for V1 vasopressin receptors d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (3 × 10−9‐10−7 m) was more potent (pA2 = 9.3–10.1) than the antagonist for both V1 and V2 vasopressin receptors desGly‐d(CH2)5‐D‐Tyr(Et)ValAVP (10−7‐10−6 m) (pA2 = 7.4–8.4) to block the contraction to vasopressin of ear, basilar, renal and coronary arteries. 5 . The specific V2 vasopressin agonist [deamino‐Cys1, D‐Arg8]‐ vasopressin (desmopressin) (10−10‐10−7 m) did not produce any effect in any of the arteries studied, with or without endothelium. 6 . In arteries precontracted with endothelin‐1, vasopressin or desmopressin did not produce relaxation. 7 . These results suggest: (a) most arterial beds studied (5 of 7) exhibit contraction to vasopressin with different intensity; (b) the vasoconstriction to this peptide is mediated mainly by stimulation of V1 vasopressin receptors, and (c) endothelial nitric oxide may inhibit the vasoconstriction to this peptide, especially in coronary and renal vasculatures.

Cystatin C and beta2-microglobulin: markers of glomerular filtration in critically ill children

IntroductionParameters allowing regular evaluation of renal function in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are not optimal. The aim of the present study was to analyse the utility of serum cystatin C and beta2-microglobulin (B2M) in detecting decreased glomerular filtration rate in critically ill children.MethodsThis was a prospective, observational study set in an eight-bed PICU. Twenty-five children were included. The inverses of serum creatinine, cystatin C, and B2M were correlated with creatinine clearance (CrC) using a 24-hour urine sample and CrC estimation by Schwartz formula (Schwartz). The diagnostic value of serum creatinine, cystatin C, and B2M to identify a glomerular filtration rate under 80 ml/minute per 1.73 m2 was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.ResultsMean age was 2.9 years (range, 0.1 to 13.9 years). CrC was less than 80 ml/minute per 1.73 m2 in 14 children, and Schwartz was less than 80 ml/minute per 1.73 m2 in 9 children. Correlations between inverse of B2M and CrC (r = 0.477) and between inverse of B2M and Schwartz (r = 0.697) were better than correlations between inverse of cystatin C and CrC (r = 0.390) or Schwartz (r = 0.586) and better than correlations between inverse of creatinine and CrC (r = 0.104) or Schwartz (r = 0.442). The ability of serum cystatin C and B2M to identify a CrC rate and a Schwartz CrC rate under 80 ml/minute per 1.73 m2 was better than that of creatinine (areas under the ROC curve: 0.851 and 0.792 for cystatin C, 0.802 and 0.799 for B2M, and 0.633 and 0.625 for creatinine).ConclusionSerum cystatin C and B2M were confirmed as easy and useful markers, better than serum creatinine, to detect acute kidney injury in critically ill children.

Unveiling in Vivo Subcutaneous Thermal Dynamics by Infrared Luminescent Nanothermometers

The recent development of core/shell engineering of rare earth doped luminescent nanoparticles has ushered a new era in fluorescence thermal biosensing, allowing for the performance of minimally invasive experiments, not only in living cells but also in more challenging small animal models. Here, the potential use of active-core/active-shell Nd(3+)- and Yb(3+)-doped nanoparticles as subcutaneous thermal probes has been evaluated. These temperature nanoprobes operate in the infrared transparency window of biological tissues, enabling deep temperature sensing into animal bodies thanks to the temperature dependence of their emission spectra that leads to a ratiometric temperature readout. The ability of active-core/active-shell Nd(3+)- and Yb(3+)-doped nanoparticles for unveiling fundamental tissue properties in in vivo conditions was demonstrated by subcutaneous thermal relaxation monitoring through the injected core/shell nanoparticles. The reported results evidence the potential of infrared luminescence nanothermometry as a diagnosis tool at the small animal level.

Apelin effects in human splanchnic arteries. Role of nitric oxide and prostanoids.

Apelin effects were examined in human splanchnic arteries from liver donors (normal arteries) and from liver recipients. Segments 3 mm long were obtained from mesenteric arteries taken from liver donors (normal arteries), and from hepatic arteries taken from cirrhotic patients undergoing liver transplantation (liver recipients), and the segments were mounted in organ baths for isometric tension recording. In arteries under resting conditions, apelin (10(-10)-10(-6) M) caused no effect in any of the arteries tested. In arteries precontracted with the thromboxane A(2) analogue U46619 (10(-7)-10(-6) M), apelin (10(-10)-10(-6) M) produced concentration-dependent relaxation that was lower in hepatic than in mesenteric arteries, whereas sodium nitroprusside (10(-8)-10(-4) M) produced a similar relaxation in both types of arteries. The inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis N(w)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10(-4) M) diminished the relaxation to apelin in mesenteric but not in hepatic arteries. The inhibitor of cyclooxygenase meclofenamate (10(-5) M) did not affect the relaxation provoked by apelin in both types of arteries. Therefore, apelin may produce relaxation in normal human splanchnic arteries, and this relaxation may be mediated in part by nitric oxide without involvement of prostanoids. This relaxation as well as the role of nitric oxide may be decreased in splanchnic arteries from cirrhotic patients.

Relaxation by urocortin of human saphenous veins

Urocortin, an endogenous peptide structurally related to corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF), has potent cardiovascular effects, suggesting that it may be of significance in cardiovascular regulation. The objective of this study was to analyse the effects of urocortin and its action mechanisms on human blood vessels. To this, 3 mm long segments from human saphenous veins were prepared for isometric tension recording in an organ bath. In the segments at basal resting tone, urocortin did not produce any effect, but in the segments precontracted with endothelin‐1 (1 – 10 nM), urocortin (1 pM – 10 nM) produced concentration‐dependent relaxation. This relaxation was not modified by the inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME, 100 μM), but it was potentiated by the cyclo‐oxygenase inhibitor meclofenamate (10 μM) and it was reduced by the inhibitors of high‐conductance Ca2+‐dependent potassium channels tetraethylammonium (TEA, 10 mM) and charybdotoxin (100 nM). These results indicate that human saphenous veins are very sensitive to urocortin, which produces vascular relaxation by a mechanism independent of nitric oxide and dependent of high‐conductance Ca2+‐dependent potassium channels, and that it may be opposed by the release of vasoconstrictor prostanoids. Therefore, urocortin may be of significance for regulation of the venous circulation in humans.

Deep 16S rRNA metagenomics and quantitative PCR analyses of the premature infant fecal microbiota

Metagenomic studies on the gut microbiota of preterm infants are scarce. We characterized the microbiota of 10 days-old neonates by deep 16S rRNA gene metagenomic analysis and compare the results with those obtained by qPCR. Both techniques lead to similar conclusions, allowing differentiating between preterm and full-term infants.

Cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity after inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis in conscious goats.

1 The role of nitric oxide in the cerebral circulation under basal conditions and after vasodilator stimulation was studied in instrumented, conscious goats, by examining the action of inhibiting endogenous nitric oxide production with NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME). 2 In 6 unanaesthetized goats, blood flow to one brain hemisphere (electromagnetically measured), systemic arterial blood pressure and heart rate were continuously recorded. l‐NAME (35 mg kg−1 by i.v. bolus) decreased resting cerebral blood flow by 43 ± 3%, increased mean arterial pressure by 21 ± 2%, and decreased heart rate by 41 ± 2%; cerebrovascular resistance increased by 114 ± 13% (P < 0.01); the immediate addition of i.v. infusion of l‐NAME (0.15–0.20 mg kg−1 during 60–80 min) did not significantly modify these effects. Cerebral blood flow recovered at 72 h, arterial pressure and cerebrovascular resistance at 48 h, and heart rate at 6 days after l‐NAME treatment. 3 A second treatment with l‐NAME scheduled as above reproduced the immediate haemodynamic effects of the first treatment, which (except bradycardia) reversed with l‐arginine (200–300 mg kg−1 by i.v. bolus). 4 Acetylcholine (0.01–0.3 μg), sodium nitroprusside (3–100 μg) and diazoxide (0.3–9 mg), injected into the cerebral circulation of 5 conscious goats, produced dose‐dependent increases in cerebral blood flow, and decreases in cerebrovascular resistance; sodium nitroprusside (30 and 100 μg) also caused hypotension and tachycardia. 5 The reduction in cerebrovascular resistance from resting levels (in absolute values) to lower doses, but not to the highest dose, of acetylcholine was diminished, to sodium nitroprusside was increased, and to diazoxide was unaffected after l‐NAME, compared to control conditions. The effects on cerebrovascular resistance to acetycholine normalized within 24 h and to sodium nitroprusside within 48 h after l‐NAME treatment. 6 This study provides information about the evolution of the changes in cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity after inhibition of endogenous nitric oxide in conscious animals. The results suggest: (a) endogenous nitric oxide is involved in regulation of the cerebral circulation by producing a resting vasodilator tone, (b) the cerebral vasodilatation to acetylcholine is mediated, at least in part, by nitric oxide release, and (c) inhibition of nitric oxide production induces supersensitivity of cerebral vasculature to nitrovasodilators.

Molecular characterization and in situ quantification of anoxic arsenite-oxidizing denitrifying enrichment cultures.

To explore the bacteria involved in the oxidation of arsenite (As(III)) under denitrifying conditions, three enrichment cultures (ECs) and one mixed culture (MC) were characterized that originated from anaerobic environmental samples. The oxidation of As(III) (0.5 mM) was dependent on NO(3) (-) addition and N(2) formation was dependent on As(III) addition. The ratio of N(2)-N formed to As(III) fed approximated the expected stoichiometry of 2.5. A 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis revealed three predominant phylotypes. The first, related to the genus Azoarcus from the division Betaproteobacteria, was found in the three ECs. The other two predominant phylotypes were closely related to the genera Acidovorax and Diaphorobacter within the Comamonadaceae family of Betaproteobacteria, and one of these was present in all of the cultures examined. FISH confirmed that Azoarcus accounted for a large fraction of bacteria present in the ECs. The Azoarcus clones had 96% sequence homology with Azoarcus sp. strain DAO1, an isolate previously reported to oxidize As(III) with nitrate. FISH analysis also confirmed that Comamonadaceae were present in all cultures. Pure cultures of Azoarcus and Diaphorobacter were isolated and shown to be responsible for nitrate-dependent As(III) oxidation. These results, taken as a whole, suggest that bacteria within the genus Azoarcus and the family Comamonadaceae are involved in the observed anoxic oxidation of As(III).

Facultative to strict anaerobes ratio in the preterm infant microbiota: A target for intervention?

During recent years there has been an increasing interest on the development of strategies for modulating the process of microbiota establishment in preterm infants. For successfully developing of such strategies, a detailed knowledge of the microbiota establishment process in these infants is needed. In a previous study we evidenced clear alterations in the process of microbiota establishment in preterm newborns when compared with a control group of full-term breast-fed infants. Here we have analyzed these data more in depth, corroborating a reduced proportion of strict anaerobes with respect to facultatives in the fecal microbiota of preterm infants. The potential benefits, as well as the side effects, of strategies aimed at counterbalancing this alteration in the facultative to strict anaerobes ratio are discussed in this addendum.

Coronary vasoconstriction by endothelin-1 in anesthetized goats: role of endothelin receptors, nitric oxide and prostanoids

The role of endothelin ETA and ETB receptors as well as of nitric oxide (NO) and prostanoids in the effects of endothelin-1 on the coronary circulation was studied in anesthetized goats. Where blood flow in the left circumflex coronary artery (coronary blood flow) (electromagnetically measured), systemic arterial pressure, left ventricle pressure and d P/dt, and heart rate were recorded. Endothelin-1 (0.01-0.3 nmol), intracoronarily injected, produced marked, dose-dependent reductions in basal coronary blood flow, ranging from 5% for 0.01 nmol to 75% for 0.3 nmol; 0.1 and 0.3 nmol endothelin-1 also reduced systolic ventricle pressure and dP/dt. The effects of endothelin-1 on coronary blood flow were diminished during intracoronary infusion of BQ-123 (cyclo-(D-Asp-Pro-D-Val-Leu-D-Trp). specific antagonist for endothelin ETA receptors. 2-16 nmol/min) in a dose-dependent way, but not during the infusion of BQ-788 (N-[N-[N-[(2.6-dimethyl-1-piperidinyl)carbonyl]-4-methyl-1-leucyl]-1- (methoxycarbonyl)-D-tryptophyl]-D-norleucine monosodium, specific antagonist for endothelin ETB receptors. 2-4 nmol/min). IRL 1620 (Suc-[Glu9, Ala11.15]endothelin-1-(8-21), specific agonist for endothelin ETB receptors. 0.01-0.3 nmol), intracoronarily injected. slightly reduced basal coronary blood flow only when 0.1 and 0.3 nmol were applied (maximal reduction about 25%); 0.3 nmol IRL 1620 also reduced systolic ventricle pressure and dP/dt. The effects of IRL 1620 were not modified by BQ-123 or BQ-788. NG-nitro-1-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, inhibitor of NO synthesis, 47 mg/kg by i.v. route) reduced resting coronary blood flow by 10% and increased mean systemic arterial pressure and systolic ventricle pressure by 22 and 20%. respectively, without changing systolic ventricle dP/dt and heart rate. With L-NAME, the reductions of coronary blood flow by endothelin-1 were potentiated (P < 0.05), and those by IRL 1620 were not changed (P > 0.05). Meclofenamate (cyclooxygenase inhibitor, 4-6 mg/kg by i.v. route) modified neither the basal values of hemodynamic variables nor the coronary effects of endothelin-1 and IRL 1620. Therefore, endothelin-1 produces marked coronary vasoconstriction, which may be mediated by endothelin ETA receptors, with no participation of endothelin ETB receptors. NO, but not prostanoids, may produce a basal coronary vasodilator tone and may inhibit endothelin-1-induced coronary vasoconstriction. Also, it is suggested that the coronary vasoconstriction by endothelin-1 may impair cardiac performance due to heart ischemia.