0000000000304248
AUTHOR
U. Altes
Development of cytochrome P450 2D6-specific LKM-autoantibodies following liver transplantation for Wilson's disease -- possible association with a steroid-resistant transplant rejection episode.
Abstract Background/Aims: Antibodies to cytochrome P450 2D6, also knownas LKM1-autoantibodies, are characteristic for a subgroup of patients with autoimmune hepatitis, but can also occasionally be found in hepatitis C. We observed the occurrence of LKM1-autoantibodies 4 months after liver transplantation for Wilson's disease, in close association with a steroid-resistant rejection episode, in the absence of evidence for autoimmune hepatitis or hepatitis C. Methods: Sera from several time points prior to and following transplantation were tested for LKM-reactivity by immunofluorescence, ELISA and Western blotting. Antigen specificity was confirmed by Western blotting analysis on different cy…
A muscarinic receptor different from the M1, M2, M3 and M4 subtypes mediates the contraction of the rabbit iris sphincter
In order to analyse the subtype of muscarinic receptors involved in the methacholine-induced contraction of the rabbit iris sphincter we have determined equilibrium dissociation constants (KB) of various antagonists in the sphincter muscle. The values were compared with those observed at M1 (rabbit vas deferens), M2 (heteroreceptors in rat iris) and M3 receptors (guinea-pig ileum), or at the muscarinic receptors in the guinea-pig uterus. The methacholine-induced contraction of the uterus from immature guinea-pigs was competitively antagonized by pirenzepine (6.64, -log KB), 4-DAMP (8.39), hexahydrodifenidol (HHD; 7.00 for the (R)- and 5.40 for the (S)-enantiomer), p-fluoro-hexahydrosiladife…
Differential effects of potassium channel blockers on neurohypophysial release of oxytocin and vasopressin. Evidence for frequency-dependent interaction with the endogenous opioid inhibition of oxytocin release.
Isolated rat neurohypophyses were fixed by their stalks to a platinum wire electrode and superfused with Krebs-HEPES solution. Vasopressin and oxytocin released into the medium were determined by specific radioimmunoassays. Hormone secretion was increased by electrical stimulation of the pituitary stalk at different frequencies. The effects of several potassium channel blockers, tetraethylammonium (TEA) ions, 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) were tested. The release of vasopressin and oxytocin evoked by electrical stimulation with 900 pulses at 15 Hz (about 900 and 1,000 μU, respectively) was about 10 times higher than that evoked by 900 pulses at 3 Hz. Both 10 and 3…
Cholinergic–Adrenergic Presynaptic Interactions in the Heart and Characterization of the Receptors Involved
ABSTRACT The rabbit perfused atria preparation with the extrinsic sympathetic and vagus innervation intact has been used to study the mutual interactions between the two branches of the autonomic nervous system by measuring the respective transmitter overflow rates upon electrical stimulation. Using this method the stimuli exciting vagus and sympathetic nerves can be applied at selected time intervals which provides an advantage over the common method of field stimulation where all kinds of neurons are stimulated simultaneously. In the absence of drugs, presynaptic interactions resulting in a decreased noradrenaline overflow occurred when the vagal stimuli preceded the sympathetic ones by 3…
A presynaptic excitatory M1 muscarine receptor at postganglionic cardiac noradrenergic nerve fibres that is activated by endogenous acetylcholine.
Rabbit atria were isolated with the extrinsic right vagus and sympathetic nerves intact and perfused with Tyrode solution. Noradrenaline overflow evoked by sympathetic nerve stimulation (SNS) at 3 Hz for 3 min was determined before, during, and after vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), also at 3 Hz and for 3 min. The VNS pulses preceded the SNS pulses by 3, 100 and 233 ms. Acetylcholine overflow was determined after labelling of the transmitter stores with [14C]choline. Pirenzepine 80 nmol/l failed to alter the muscarinic inhibition of noradrenaline overflow when the vago-sympathetic impulse intervals were 3 and 233 ms. At an interval of 100 ms VNS did not significantly inhibit noradrenaline ove…