Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0026827 (hypotonia)
 5,860 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

1. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major pathogen in immunocompromised individuals and may participate in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in the general population. We evaluated whether CMV-infection alters the function of arterial smooth muscle. 2. Blood pressure (BP) and arterial reactivity were recorded in immunosuppressed rats that had been infected with CMV (10(5) plaque forming units i.p.). Furthermore, the reactivity of isolated arteries was compared between CMV-infected rats and rats injected with bacterial endotoxin (LPS). 3. Initially resting BP and heart rate (HR) were not modified in CMV-infected rats, but baroreflex control of HR was impaired. By the eighth day post-CMV, BP dropped precipitously and could no longer be raised by phenylephrine (PHE). 4. In mesenteric resistance arteries, isolated at this stage from CMV-infected rats, contractile responses to nerve stimulation, noradrenaline, PHE and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were virtually absent while those to high potassium and vasopressin (AVP) were not modified. In aortae of CMV-infected rats, responses to 5-HT and AVP were impaired while those to PHE or potassium were hardly affected. Reduced contractile responses could not be restored by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). 5. Continuous treatment of CMV-infected rats with prazosin (0.1 mg kg-1 day-1) prevented blood pressure lowering and resistance artery changes. 6. Observations in arteries of LPS-treated rats (5-10 mg kg-1, i.p.) differed markedly from those in vessels of CMV-infected animals. The contractile reactivity of their mesenteric resistance arteries was not altered while in their aortae, responses to PHE, 5-HT and AVP were reduced. With the exception of the AVP responses, this was more pronounced in the presence of 1-arginine and reversed by L-NAME. 7. These findings indicate that CMV-infection results in a reduction of resistance artery reactivity and hypotonia. This seems not to involve cytokine-mediated induction of NO synthase in the vascular wall but may be due to alterations of excitation-contraction coupling in arterial smooth muscle in response to increased sympathetic nervous input.
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PMID:Impaired arterial reactivity following cytomegalovirus infection in the immunosuppressed rat. 890 36

Down syndrome (DS) is caused by trisomy of all or part of human chromosome 21 (HSA21) and is the most common genetic cause of significant intellectual disability. In addition to intellectual disability, many other health problems, such as congenital heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, leukemia, hypotonia, motor disorders, and various physical anomalies occur at an elevated frequency in people with DS. On the other hand, people with DS seem to be at a decreased risk of certain cancers and perhaps of atherosclerosis. There is wide variability in the phenotypes associated with DS. Although ultimately the phenotypes of DS must be due to trisomy of HSA21, the genetic mechanisms by which the phenotypes arise are not understood. The recent recognition that there are many genetically active elements that do not encode proteins makes the situation more complex. Additional complexity may exist due to possible epigenetic changes that may act differently in DS. Numerous mouse models with features reminiscent of those seen in individuals with DS have been produced and studied in some depth, and these have added considerable insight into possible genetic mechanisms behind some of the phenotypes. These mouse models allow experimental approaches, including attempts at therapy, that are not possible in humans. Progress in understanding the genetic mechanisms by which trisomy of HSA21 leads to DS is the subject of this review.
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PMID:Molecular genetic analysis of Down syndrome. 1952 51

Twelve patients (9 women, 3 men, mean age 26.8 +/- 5.02 years) with spontaneous isolated dissection of posterior cerebral artery (PCA) were studied. Eleven patients (92%) developed ischemic stroke, 1 patient (8%)--transient ischemic attack (TIA). All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA): 9 patients--a follow-up MRA, 3 patients--a single study. Local neurological symptoms (hemianopia, hemianestesia) developed suddenly (75%) during everyday patient's activity (83%) and were combined with headache on the side of dissection in 75% of patients. The main provoked factor was alcohol (67%), 25% had preceding respiratory infection. The initial cerebral angiography carried out in most cases within the first month of stroke demonstrated the occlusion (33%) or stenosis (67%) of PCA. The repeat MRA carried out on 2-3 months or more showed the improvement or normalization of blood flow in PCA (89%). In 1 (11%) patient the occlusive process progressed that correlated with headache increasing. A single MRA carried out in 48 days--6 months (3 patients) found the prolonged irregular stenosis (1), occlusion at P2 segment (1) and normal PCA appearance (1). At the whole, the prolonged irregular stenosis at least in one study, was found in a half of patients. None of patients had atherosclerosis, vasculitis, arterial hypertension or thrombophilia. Clinical manifestations of connective tissue weakness were seen in 67% of patients, hypotonia--in 67%, headache in the past history--in 67% and mitral valve prolapse--in 75%. In conclusion, spontaneous isolated dissection of PCA is one of the causes of ischemic stroke in young adults. The diagnosis is based on characteristic clinical manifestations and follow-up MRA. The development of dissection appears to be connected with arterial wall weakness.
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PMID:[Ischemic stroke due to isolated spontaneous posterior cerebral artery dissection in young adults]. 1989 94

Down's syndrome (DS; also known as trisomy 21; T21) is caused by a triplication of all or part of human chromosome 21 (chr21). DS is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability attributable to a naturally-occurring imbalance in gene dosage. DS incurs huge medical, healthcare, and socioeconomic costs, and there are as yet no effective treatments for this incapacitating human neurogenetic disorder. There is a remarkably wide variability in the 'phenotypic spectrum' associated with DS; the progression of symptoms and the age of DS onset fluctuate, and there is further variability in the biophysical nature of the chr21 duplication. Besides the cognitive disruptions and dementia in DS patients other serious health problems such as atherosclerosis, altered lipogenesis, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), autoimmune disease, various cancers including lymphoma, leukemia, glioma and glioblastoma, status epilepticus, congenital heart disease, hypotonia, manic depression, prostate cancer, Usher syndrome, motor disorders, Hirschsprung disease, and various physical anomalies such as early aging occur at elevated frequencies, and all are part of the DS 'phenotypic spectrum.' This communication will review the genetic link between these fore-mentioned diseases and a small group of just five stress-associated microRNAs (miRNAs)-that include let-7c, miRNA-99a, miRNA-125b, miRNA-155, and miRNA-802-encoded and clustered on the long arm of human chr21 and spanning the chr21q21.1-chr21q21.3 region.
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PMID:Chromosome 21-Encoded microRNAs (mRNAs): Impact on Down's Syndrome and Trisomy-21 Linked Disease. 2868 76