Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036421 (PSS)
 10,989 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The microcirculatory bed (MCB) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) of the main arteries were examined in subjects who had died from rheumatic disease (33 cases), systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 28), and systemic sclerosis (n = 8) at the age of 12 to 69 years. Adventitial film preparations impregnated with silver nitrate by the method of Kupriyanov and other techniques were applied to comparatively characterize pathological and adaptive changes in MCB of vasa vasorum. In each disease, there were impaired smooth cells along with formed SMC deficit that was mostly pronounced in lupus. The medial SMC were shown to contribute to the degradation of the basic substance and reparative and synthetic processes. It was found that the immune complexes might be accepted both by the vasa vasorum system and the luminal surface of large arteries.
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PMID:[The microcirculatory system and smooth muscle cells of major arteries in various rheumatic diseases]. 274 36

Cl- efflux into various incubation media (PSS) was studied in pieces of rabbit aortae loaded with 36Cl. Replacement of HCO3-/CO2 by HEPES/O2 in the PSS increased the rate of Cl- efflux by a factor of 2.4. This effect was suppressed in Cl(-)-free PSS containing isethionate, propionate, or benzenesulfonate, but not in NO3(-)-PSS, or Br(-)-PSS. The stimulant effect of HCO3- withdrawal on Cl-efflux was reduced by 140 microM DIDS, but not by 1 mM furosemide. The Cl- efflux was temperature-dependent (Q10 = 2.3-2.5), and it was not affected on depolarisation by high [K+]o. The [Cl-]i of rabbit aorta determined by uptake studies with 36Cl, decreased slightly (by 15%) below controls in PSS containing 140 microM DIDS, but drastically (from 32.6 to 13.5 mM, i.e. by 59%) in PSS containing 1 mM furosemide. Withdrawal of HCO3-/CO2 depolarized rabbit pulmonary artery in standard PSS and in Br(-)-PSS or NO3(-)-PSS, but not in benzenesulfonate-PSS. The pHi of rabbit aorta determined by the distribution of (14C)-DMO, increased in Cl(-)-free PSS containing isethionate or glucuronate. It is concluded that transport mechanisms play a major role in the distribution of Cl- in vascular smooth muscle, and that a membrane anion carrier operates in this tissue which can transport Cl- and HCO3- across the cell membrane. This mechanism seems to be involved in the regulation of pHi. However, the known high [Cl-]i of vascular smooth muscle is rather mediated by the furosemide-sensitive Na-K-Cl cotransport than by this anion carrier.
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PMID:A chloride-bicarbonate exchanging anion carrier in vascular smooth muscle of the rabbit. 361 72

Female SJL (H-2s) mice developed serum IgG anti-nucleolar antibodies (ANoA) after 5 weeks treatment with 0.05% or 0.01% silver nitrate (AgNO3) in drinking water. Five more weeks of treatment increased the ANoA titre to 3410 +/- 853 and 640 +/- 175 (reciprocal mean +/- s.e.m.), respectively. Controls receiving ordinary tap water and mice given 0.002% AgNO3 showed no antinucleolar antibodies. The high-titre ANoA targeted a 34-kD nucleolar protein identified as fibrillarin, the major autoantigen in murine mercury-induced autoimmunity and in a fraction of patients with systemic scleroderma. Serum autoantibodies to chromatin or histones, kidney, spleen, stomach, thyroid, or skin antigens (except the nucleolus) were not found in any of the mice. There was no consistent significant increase of serum IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, or IgG3 concentrations after AgNO3 treatment compared with controls. Mice treated with 0.05% AgNO3 for 10 weeks showed a slight decrease in serum IgG1, IgG2b and IgG3 concentrations. These mice also showed a small but statistically significant increase in renal, mesangial IgM deposits, which was not accompanied by any increase in C3c deposits, whereas mice given lower doses of silver nitrate showed no significant increase in mesangial immunoglobulin immune deposits. Systemic vessel wall immune deposits were not found in any of the mice. In mice given 0.05% silver nitrate, the kidney showed the highest concentration of silver (12.2 +/- 0.09 micrograms Ag/g wet weight; mean +/- s.e.m.), followed by the spleen (8.7 +/- 1.3), and the liver (3.9 +/- 0.4). Treatment with 0.01% silver nitrate caused a different distribution of silver, with the highest concentration in the spleen (2.1 +/- 0.16 micrograms Ag/g), followed by the kidney (0.63 +/- 0.037), and the liver (< 0.29 micrograms Ag/g; mean). Silver seems to be a more specific inducer of antinucleolar/anti-fibrillarin autoantibodies than mercury and gold, lacks the general immune stimulating potential of mercury, and has only a weak tendency to induce renal immune deposits. These observations suggest that the autoimmune sequelae induced in mice by metals is dependent, not only upon the genetic haplotype of the murine strain, but also on the metal under investigation.
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PMID:Selective induction of anti-fibrillarin autoantibodies by silver nitrate in mice. 818 36

In all 11 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS; Barnett type I, 2; type II, 5; type III, 4 cases; male 1; female 10 cases; 45.2 +/- 10.2 years-old), 6 cases of scleroderma spectrum disorders (SSD, male 1; female 5 cases; 51.2 +/- 13.2 years-old) and 7 healthy controls (HC, male 1; female 6 cases; 43.1 +/- 8.4 years-old) were entered to be examined. The plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels of PSS, SSD and HC were 1.98 +/- 0.69, 1.76 +/- 0.39 and 1.15 +/- 0.38 pg/ml, respectively. After the stimulation with the low frequency electrical current, electrical acupuncture, for unilateral side of hand/arm (30 min), the plasma ET-1 levels decreased in 10 cases of PSS treated (1.61 +/- 0.45 pg/ml), but no change of plasma serotonin levels. In 4 of 6 cases of SSD, plasma ET-1 levels increased (2.06 +/- 0.39 pg/ml), however, nitrate levels increased and serotonin decreased in 3 of 5 cases of SSD. In 6 cases of HC treated with the electrical acupuncture, the plasma ET-1 levels increased (1.72 +/- 0.58 pg/ml). Thermographically, 9 of 11 cases of PSS and 5 of 6 cases of SSD showed temporally temperature-elevation of hand/fingers not only in treated sides, but also in non treated sides, although none of 7 HC showed temperature-elevation of hands/fingers. The decrease in plasma ET-1 levels due to the electrical acupuncture was thought to induce the vasodilatation and elevate the surface temperature in patients with PSS. These results will provide an excellent basis to study the efficacy of electrical acupunctural stimulation.
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PMID:The effect of electrical acupuncture-stimulation therapy using thermography and plasma endothelin (ET-1) levels in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). 967 97

Low molecular weight complexing molecules may be indirectly analyzed by ultrafiltration with the aid of a water-soluble polymer. The theory concerned is developed and the analysis of iminodiacetic acid (IDAA) is performed by ultrafiltration of aqueous solutions containing poly(sodium-4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), Cu(NO3)2, and IDAA in variable concentrations. The technique allows measuring IDAA in a range of concentrations between 10(-4) M and 10(-5) M when a 1.6 x 10(-4) M Cu2+ solution is ultrafiltered in the presence of PSS and IDAA.
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PMID:Use of ultrafiltration on the analysis of low molecular weight complexing molecules. Analysis of iminodiacetic acid at constant ionic strength. 1181 75

Previous studies have shown that patients with Raynaud's phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis present abnormal endothelial function; the mechanisms responsible for the endothelial dysfunction are unknown but increased vascular oxidative stress could be a possible cause. The hypothesis that a potent water-soluble antioxidant can reverse endothelial dysfunction in these patients was tested in the present study. We examined 11 female patients with Raynaud's phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis and ten healthy control women by ultrasound imaging of the brachial artery to assess flow-mediated (endothelium-dependent) and nitrate-induced (endothelium-independent) vasodilatation. Flow-mediated dilatation and nitrate-induced dilatation were significantly reduced in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon, indicating abnormal endothelial and smooth muscle cell function. Patients with Raynaud's phenomenon entered a double-blind, randomized, crossover placebo-controlled trial and received orally 2 g of ascorbic acid or placebo; vascular studies were repeated two hours after ascorbic acid or placebo administration. Flow-mediated dilatation did not improve after ascorbic acid (1.6 +/- 2.2% to 2.2 +/- 2.5%, ns) or placebo administration (1.2 +/- 1.9% to 1.7 +/- 1.4%, ns); also nitrate-induced dilatation was similar after ascorbic acid or placebo (16 +/- 7.4% vs 17 +/- 8%, ns), suggesting no effect of ascorbic acid on endothelial and vascular smooth muscle function. In conclusion, ascorbic acid does not reverse endothelial vasomotor dysfunction in the brachial circulation of patients with Raynaud's phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis. The use of different antioxidants or different dosing of ascorbic acid may be required to show a beneficial effect on endothelial vasodilator function.
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PMID:Ascorbic acid does not improve endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis. 1269 Sep 4

This paper describes a systematic study on the synthesis, anion exchange, and delamination of Co-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH), with the aim of achieving fabrication and clarifying the properties of LDH nanosheet/polyanion composite films. Co-Al-CO3 LDH hexagonal platelets of 4 mum in lateral size were synthesized by the urea method under optimized reaction conditions. The as-prepared CO3(2-)-LDH was converted to Cl- -LDH by treating with a NaCl-HCl mixed solution, retaining its high crystallinity and hexagonal platelike morphology. LDHs intercalated with a variety of anions (such as NO3-, ClO4-, acetate, lactate, dodecyl sulfate, and oleate) were further prepared from Cl- -LDH via an anion-exchange process employing corresponding salts. Exchanged products in various anion forms were found to show different delamination behaviors in formamide. Among them, best results were observed for NO3- -LDH in terms of the exfoliating degree and the quality of the exfoliated nanosheets. The delamination gave a pink transparent suspension containing well-defined nanosheets with lateral sizes of up to 2 microm. The resulting nanosheets were assembled layer-by-layer with an anionic polymer, poly(sodium styrene 4-sulfonate) (PSS), onto quartz glass substrates to produce composite films. Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) measurements revealed that the assembled multilayer films exhibited an interesting magneto-optical response.
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PMID:Synthesis, anion exchange, and delamination of Co-Al layered double hydroxide: assembly of the exfoliated nanosheet/polyanion composite films and magneto-optical studies. 1659 24

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease characterized by tissue fibrosis. One of several complications of SSc, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can be refractory to treatment, both novel and established. In the present study we investigated the ratio of circulating nitric oxide to endothelin-1 in patients with both SSc and PAH, and determined whether polymorphisms in NOS2 (the nitric oxide synthase 2 gene) are associated with susceptibility to PAH. Endothelin-1 in plasma and nitric oxide metabolites (nitrate and nitrite) in serum were measured. The nitric oxide/endothelin-1 ratio was significantly lower in patients with both SSc and PAH than in patients with SSc only or in healthy control individuals. We confirmed the presence of two single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions -1,026 and -277 and a pentanucleotide repeat (CCTTT) at -2.5 kilobases. There were significant differences in single nucleotide polymorphisms between patients with SSc who had PAH and those who did not, and between patients with both SSc and PAH and healthy control individuals. The CCTTT repeat was significantly shorter in patients with both SSc and PAH than in patients with SSc only or in healthy control individuals. Transcriptional activity were analyzed using the luciferase reporter assay. The transcriptional activity of NOS2 was much greater in fibroblasts transfected by a vector with a long allele of the CCTTT repeat than in those transfected by a vector with a short allele. Polymorphisms in the NOS2 gene are associated with transcriptional activity of the NOS2 gene and with susceptibility to SSc-related PAH.
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PMID:NOS2 polymorphisms associated with the susceptibility to pulmonary arterial hypertension with systemic sclerosis: contribution to the transcriptional activity. 1681 66

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has the highest case-specific mortality among the rheumatic diseases. Vascular dysfunction and structural wall abnormalities are among the earliest and fundamental alterations in SSc. Statins have a number of immunomodulating effects on vascular wall cells, which may modify the progression of vascular injury. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential efficacy of statin therapy in ameliorating endothelial dysfunction (ED) in SSc by investigating the effect of statins on some markers that reflect endothelial activation in SSc. Forty patients with SSc were randomized into two groups to receive 6 months' treatment with atorvastatin (n = 20; dose, 40 mg/day) or placebo (n = 20) as an adjuvant to existing therapy. Markers of ED including ET-1, plasma nitrate levels, and thrombomodulin (TM) were evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Fibrinogen, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), ESR, lipid peroxide (LP), and malonylaldehyde (MDA) levels were also assessed. Brachial flow-mediated vasodilatation was assessed by ultrasonography. Patients were studied at base line and after 6 months of statin therapy. After 6 months of therapy, ET-1, ICAM-1, sE-selectin, vWF, fibrinogen, ESR, hsCRP as well as LP and MDA levels declined and NO increased significantly in the statin-treated SSc group when compared to the placebo-treated group. Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (EDV) improved significantly in the atorvastatin-treated group. The findings of this study demonstrated statin-mediated improvements in the endothelial function of SSc patients as well as immunomodulating effects. Statins may thus prove to be an invaluable addition to the therapy of the vasculopathy of SSc.
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PMID:Statins as immunomodulators in systemic sclerosis. 1791 82

Quartz crystal microbalance and cyclic voltammetry are used to investigate the influence of the supporting salt of polyelectrolyte solutions on the buildup and the structure of PSS/PAH polyelectrolyte multilayers (PSS: poly(4-styrene sulfonate); PAH: poly(allylamine hydrochloride)). This film constitutes a model polyelectrolyte multilayer system. The supporting electrolytes were sodium salts where the nature of the anion was changed by following the Hofmeister series from cosmotropic to chaotropic anions (F-, Cl-, NO3-, ClO4-). For all the investigated anions, the film thickness increases linearly with the number of deposition steps.Wefind that chaotropic anions lead to larger thickness increments per bilayer during the film buildup than cosmotropic ones, confirming results found on PSS/PDADMA multilayers (PDADMA:poly(diallyldimethylammonium)). Films constituted by more than nine PSS/PAH bilayers are still permeable to hexacyanoferrate(II) ions, Fe(CN)(6)4-, whatever the nature of the supporting salt anion. On the other hand, these films are impermeable to ruthenium(II) hexamine ions, Ru(NH3)(6)2+, after the third PAH layer in the presence of NaF, NaCl, or NaNO3. These results are explained by the presence of an excess of positive charges in the film, which leads to a positive Donnan potential. We find that this potential is more positive when more chaotropic anions are used during the film buildup. We also find that a film constructed in the presence of chaotropic anions swells and becomes more permeable to Fe(CN)(6)4- ions when the film is brought into contact with a solution containing more cosmotropic anions. All our experimental findings can be explained by a strong interaction between chaotropic anions with the NH3+groups of PAH that is equivalent, as far as the multilayer buildup and electrochemical response is concerned, to a deprotonation of PAH as it is observed when the film is constructed at a higher pH. We thus arrive to a coherent explanation of the effect of the nature of the anions of the supporting electrolyte on the polyelectrolyte multilayer. We also find that great care must be taken when investigating polyelectrolyte multilayer films by electrochemical probing because electrochemical reactions involving the probes can appreciably modify the multilayer structure.
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PMID:Effect of the supporting electrolyte anion on the thickness of PSS/PAH multilayer films and on their permeability to an electroactive probe. 1912 5


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