Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.6.1.1 (aspartate aminotransferase)
21,665 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Fluvastatin, a new synthetic inhibitor of HMGCoA (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A) reductase, has been studied in several models to examine its effects when used in combination with other lipid-modifying agents such as derivatives of fibric acid (bezafibrate), resins (cholestyramine), and niacin. The combination of fluvastatin with bezafibrate has been studied in a double-blind trial involving patients with well-documented familial hypercholesterolaemia. Fluvastatin 40 mg/day, combined with either bezafibrate 400 mg/day or cholestyramine 8 g/day, resulted in reductions in levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), these being indistinguishable between the groups; however, significantly greater increases in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (21.3%) and reductions in levels of triglycerides (25.1%) were seen with the fluvastatin-bezafibrate combination. No notable increases were seen in levels of serum creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, or alanine aminotransferase, and no cases of myopathy were observed. In a study model that examined low-dose combinations of fluvastatin with cholestyramine, reductions in levels of LDL-C of 15.8% and 19.3% were seen with fluvastatin 10 mg and 20 mg, respectively. After an 8-week interval in which a daily dosage of cholestyramine 8 g was added, from baseline, reductions of 26.3% in the 10 mg fluvastatin-cholestyramine group and 31.2% in the 20 mg fluvastatin-cholestyramine group were observed, whereas the placebo-cholestyramine group displayed a reduction of 14.9%. Doubling the resin dosage to 16 g/day for the final 8 weeks of the study provided little additional benefit. Myotoxicity has been observed when lovastatin is coadministered with niacin, and so the combination of niacin with fluvastatin has also been studied to examine the possibility of this effect occurring. Patients were randomised to either fluvastatin 20 mg or placebo for 6 weeks, after which time open-label niacin was administered to all patients and titrated to a final dosage of 3 g/day. After 6 weeks, fluvastatin produced a 20.8% reduction in LDL-C levels from baseline. When combined with niacin, a 43.7% reduction was noted at the week 15 endpoint, against the 26.5% reduction seen with niacin monotherapy. The combination was well tolerated, with no reports of myopathy or of significant elevations in creatine kinase or liver transaminase levels. Combinations of fluvastatin with a variety of other agents have been shown to have significant effects on lipid profiles, with no evidence to date of clinically remarkable safety findings. Thus, the use of combination therapies may result in optimal management of patients with moderately severe hypercholesterolaemia and mixed dyslipidaemic profiles.
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PMID:Fluvastatin in combination with other lipid-lowering agents. 1949 70

The ultrasonographic appearance of the equine triceps muscle of clinically normal horses, before and after general anaesthesia, was investigated and compared with 5 cases of post anaesthetic myopathy. The triceps muscle areas were examined bilaterally using a 7.5 MHz linear array probe in 2 different planes, with each limb both weightbearing and nonweightbearing. The triceps muscles of 4 unanaesthetised horses were scanned twice, 24 h apart. Six horses underwent general anaesthesia and were scanned pre-anaesthesia and at 1 and 24 h intervals after recovery. Blood samples were obtained in the unanaesthetised group at each scan time and, in the anaesthetised group, pre-anaesthesia and at 10 min, 5 and 24 h after recovery. Creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentrations were measured. Anaesthetic details and recovery were related to the ultrasonographic and muscle enzyme findings. Five horses with post anaesthetic myopathy were scanned at intervals after the onset of clinical signs. In normal horses, the triceps muscle appeared ultrasonographically as echoic striations separated by anechoic areas. The fascia dividing muscle bellies was visible as an echoic line. Ultrasonographs obtained with the limb nonweightbearing had no change or a slight overall increase in echogenicity. The scans of control unanaesthetised horses were unchanged on successive days. All anaesthetised horses had uncomplicated anaesthesia and recoveries and did not exhibit any clinical signs of post anaesthetic myopathy. Elevated CK and AST values were found up to 342 and 195%, respectively, of the pre-anaesthetic values but no significant alterations in the ultrasonographic appearance of the muscles were detected. Clinical cases of post anaesthetic myopathy had disruption of the normal ultrasonographic pattern. There was an overall increase in echogenicity with a loss of the normal striated pattern. In 3 cases, there was localised increased echogenicity within the muscle. One of these horses was humanely destroyed for other reasons and histological examination of the affected muscle revealed a necrotic area correlating with the hyperechoic region. Two horses had bilateral involvement of the triceps musculature. Four horses recovered clinically from the myopathy and the ultrasonographic appearance returned to normal except in 1 horse where focal hyperechoic regions remained 10 weeks after the onset of the clinical signs.
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PMID:Ultrasonography of the equine triceps muscle before and after general anaesthesia and in post anaesthetic myopathy. 881 97

Because of the very low concentrations of selenium in the dry matter of grass, grass silage, hay and maize silage Slovenian dairy herds need to be supplemented with selenium. Selenium in the form of mineral and feed mixtures maintained adequate mean (sd) blood serum selenium concentrations of 43.9 (27.6) to 65.3 (18.5) micrograms/litre in lactating cows, but in late lactation and in the dry period when only mineral mixtures were used, about 60 per cent of the cows had marginal serum selenium concentrations, mainly because of the low intake of the mineral supplement. In 18 herds which were either unsupplemented or irregularly supplemented with selenium, the mean (sd) concentrations in blood serum were 13.7 (5.5) micrograms/litre and 17.4 (9.2) micrograms/litre, respectively, for selenium and 2.98 (2.72) mg/litre and 1.62 (1.73) mg/litre for vitamin E, indicating that under extensive farming conditions in Slovenia the lack of both micronutrients may be responsible for nutritional muscular dystrophy in calves. Among 37 clinical cases, cardiorespiratory signs predominated in 25 of the calves and skeletal myopathy was dominant in 12. A very low mean serum selenium concentration [9.7 (7.2) micrograms/litre] and typically high activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) [1125 (373) U/litre] and creatine kinase (CK) [9169 (3681) U/litre) were observed for the myocardial form of the disease, and 2797 (550) U/litre and 22,650 (13,500) U/litre were observed for the skeletal form of the disease. A highly significant (P < 0.0001) difference in the selenium concentration of liver dry matter between the regularly supplemented [402 (207) micrograms/kg] and irregularly supplemented [173 (69) micrograms/kg] herds was observed. If a minimum value of 300 micrograms/kg of liver dry matter is accepted as the criterion for the determination of adequate selenium status, 93 per cent of the samples from the irregularly supplemented herds were selenium deficient. A similar proportion was estimated to be selenium deficient when the criterion was taken to be 30 micrograms selenium/litre of blood serum.
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PMID:Assessment of selenium and vitamin E deficiencies in dairy herds and clinical disease in calves. 891 12

A total of 42 birds from a flock of 104 farmed ostriches showed signs of toxicity after the accidental inclusion of monensin in their concentrate ration. The initial clinical signs were muscle weakness and ataxia which progressed to recumbency, dyspnoea and death, despite intensive supportive therapy. The serum activity of the enzymes creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase was high in the affected birds, indicating significant muscle pathology. Few gross lesions were identifiable postmortem, but widespread lesions of degenerative myopathy were present at the histopathological level. However, these degenerative changes were restricted to the skeletal muscle and there was no evidence of cardiomyopathy in any of the birds examined. The birds were fed a ration which contained 215 to 224 ppm monensin for 13 days. New clinical cases ceased to occur shortly after the withdrawal of the source of monensin, but all the individuals which showed clinical signs of toxicity died or were euthanased on humane grounds.
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PMID:Monensin toxicity in a flock of ostriches. 922 93

The selenium status of sheep was evaluated during the reproductive stage in a region of low selenium level. Serum selenium concentration, whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px), which is a good indicator of protection against oxidative damage, as well as the activities of creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the plasma indicators of muscle damage, were evaluated in a group of ewes during gestation and lactation and in their lambs. The selenium requirements of ewes were found to increase during lactation. There were no differences in GSH-Px activity between the experimental and the control groups throughout the reproductive stage. In the second half of pregnancy GSH-Px activity was subnormal. In spite of this, no evidence of existing pathologic conditions associated with selenium deficiency was found, since the muscle markers CK and AST were within the normal range. In the same way, no distinct symptoms of nutritional myopathy were observed in the lambs, suggesting that the low selenium level found in the ewes did not cause alterations in their development.
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PMID:The influence of reproductive stage on the selenium status of sheep in a low-selenium region. 970 15

Zidovudine is known to be responsible for a mitochondrial myopathy with ragged-red fibres and mitochondrial DNA depletion in muscle. Lactic acidosis alone or associated with hepatic abnormalities has also been reported. A single report mentioned the concomitant occurrence of muscular and hepatic disturbances and lactic acidosis in a patient receiving zidovudine, but muscle and liver tissues were not studied. A 57-year-old man with AIDS, who had been treated with zidovudine for 3 years, developed fatigue and weight loss. Serum creatine kinase and hepatic enzyme levels were high. Lactic acidosis was present. Liver biopsy showed diffuse macrovacuolar and microvacuolar steatosis. After withdrawal of zidovudine, creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels normalised within 5 days, and lactacidaemia decreased. Acidosis persisted. The patient became confused and febrile and died 8 days after detection of high blood lactic acid. A muscle sample obtained at autopsy showed mitochondrial abnormalities with ragged-red fibres and lipid droplet accumulation. Southern blot analysis showed depletion of mitochondrial DNA, affecting skeletal muscle and liver tissue. No depletion was found in myocardium and kidney. This case emphasises that zidovudine treatment can induce mitochondrial multisystem disease, as revealed in our case by myopathy, liver steatosis and lactic acidosis.
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PMID:Zidovudine-induced mitochondrial disorder with massive liver steatosis, myopathy, lactic acidosis, and mitochondrial DNA depletion. 1070 83

Ten years' experience of treatment with the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor simvastatin in 45 hypercholesterolemic high-risk patients is reported. All patients started with 20 mg simvastatin/day. The simvastatin dose was increased to 40 mg in 22 patients. Fourteen patients needed further addition of cholestyramine. Simvastatin reduced plasma cholesterol by 33% after 1 month and was further reduced after adjustment of the lipid-lowering treatment. The mean reduction in plasma cholesterol varied between 30% and 35% in 2 to 10 years. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol demonstrated mean reductions of 34% to 42%. Mean plasma triglycerides were reduced by 26% after 1 month and by 1% to 19% the following years. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased initially by 8% and remained elevated at 7% to 11% during the first 6 years, but then dropped slightly below baseline. HDL2 cholesterol increased by 9% to 25% the first 6 years and then decreased. HDL3 cholesterol showed a persistent elevation during simvastatin treatment. About half of the subjects had minor transient but clinical insignificant increases in creatine kinase. No cases of myopathy were seen. Mean serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase increased significantly but within the normal ranges during the 10 years. The tolerability and compliance of simvastatin treatment was excellent as judged from patients' reports and from analyses of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. This 10-year study demonstrates that simvastatin is an effective and safe drug with excellent tolerability with only few minor side effects, and causes a pronounced and persistent cholesterol-lowering effect during long-term treatment of hypercholesterolemic patients at risk.
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PMID:Efficacy and safety of simvastatin for high-risk hypercholesterolemia. 1019 May 17

Lesions consistent with exertional myopathy (EM) were documented postmortem in four North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) during translocation for a population restoration project. Clinical signs in these otters included depression, anorexia and shock. Gross lesions in one otter included locally extensive linear, pale areas within the subscapularis, rectus abdominis, quadriceps, and dorsal laryngeal muscles. Microscopic lesions were characterized by acute to subacute myofiber necrosis of varying severity, and occurred in a variety of skeletal muscles as well as cardiac muscle in one otter. Based on these observations, we conducted a retrospective review of records of otters which experienced similar capture, transfer, and holding protocols between 1995 and 1997, but with a successful outcome (n = 69). Significant elevations in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) were observed in 19 (28%) of the otters, but may have been higher due to delayed sample collection from some otters. However, none of the otters with elevated enzymes exhibited clinical signs suggestive of EM. These findings indicate that river otters may develop EM when translocated, but many cases may be mild or clinically inapparent.
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PMID:Exertional myopathy in translocated river otters from New York. 1047 89

A 29-year-old male who had a past history of mild ECG abnormality of arrhythmia at the age of 14 years, was referred to our hospital because of elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) level. He had never been aware of muscular weakness nor cardiac symptoms. Neurological examination revealed normal muscle strength of all extremities except marked back muscle weakness. He had normal intelligence. On laboratory examination, serum AST, ALT, LDH, aldolase, CK and myoglobin levels were elevated. Both lactate and pyruvate levels were normally responded after an ischemic exercises test. Acid maltase activity was normal in white blood cells. A muscle biopsy obtained from rectus femoris muscle revealed vacuolar myopathy with mildly increased PAS positive material. On electron microscopy, there were autophagic vacuoles scavenging glycogen particles and cytoplasmic debris, and sarcolemmal indentation, compatible with the findings of lysosomal glycogen storage disease with normal acid maltase. This patient had unusual clinical features of absent mental retardation and no apparent cardiomyopathy. Accordingly, mental retardation is probably not necessary to see later onset of cardiac muscle involvement.
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PMID:[Lysosomal glycogen storage disease with normal acid maltase (Danon) without apparent cardiomyopathy and mental retardation]. 1088 38

Skeletal muscle samples from 38 draft horse-related animals 1-23 years of age were evaluated for evidence of aggregates of glycogen and complex polysaccharide characteristic of equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSSM). Cardiac muscle from 12 of these horses was also examined. Antemortem serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) from 9 horses with EPSSM and 5 horses without EPSSM were compared. Skeletal muscle from 17 horses contained inclusions of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive, amylase-resistant complex polysaccharide. Similar inclusions were also present in the cardiac muscle of 1 horse. A vacuolar myopathy with aggregates of PAS-positive, amylase-sensitive glycogen was seen in 8 other horses, and these findings are also considered diagnostic for EPSSM. Antemortem serum activities of CK and AST were often higher in EPSSM horses than in horses without EPSSM. Using the presence of amylase-resistant complex polysaccharide as the criterion for diagnosis of EPSSM, the incidence in this population was 45%. Inclusion of horses with aggregates of glycogen but no amylase-resistant complex polysaccharide as representative of the range of pathologic findings in horses with EPSSM resulted in a 66% incidence in this population.
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PMID:Incidence of polysaccharide storage myopathy in draft horse-related breeds: a necropsy study of 37 horses and a mule. 1124 65


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