Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0432222 (SEM)
 47,337 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

To evaluate the efficacy of carvedilol for left ventricular dysfunction in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), we enrolled 8 patients with DMD who had elevated plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) or brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and a low ejection fraction (EF < 40%) in echocardiography. Written informed consent was obtained from all of them. Four agreed to be treated with oral carvedilol 0.3125-1.25 mg/day (10.1-40.3 micrograms/kg/day) for 6 months (treated group). The others served as the controls (untreated group). In both groups, we evaluated clinical symptoms, plasma ANP, BNP and EF before, 3 and 6 months after the trial, and iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) imaging at 6 month interval. Parameters in the treated and untreated groups before respectively were ANP, 83.8 +/- 17.5 and 89.5 +/- 44.4 pg/ml (mean +/- SEM); BNP, 169.0 +/- 46.2 and 186.3 +/- 61.8 pg/ml; EF, 24.0 +/- 2.2 and 16.5 +/- 1.9%; Heart/Mediastrinum ratio of the 123I-MIBG delayed image, 1.65 +/- 0.08 and 1.6 +/- 0.10; and Washout rate, 46.5 +/- 8.6 and 41.4 +/- 7.8. These values did not change significantly before and 6 months after for either group. Clinical symptoms also did not change in either group. Carvedilol therapy did not change the left ventricular dysfunction in DMD.
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PMID:[Carvedilol effectiveness for left ventricular-insufficient patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy]. 1199 90

The expression of muscle membrane-associated neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1) is significantly impaired in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Mean (+/- SEM) exhaled NO in 13 male patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy was significantly lower than in 11 healthy age-matched male control subjects (7.5 +/- 1.4 vs 16.6 +/- 3.2 parts per billion, P <.02) or 17 adult male control subjects (18.5 +/- 1.8 parts per billion, P <.001). These findings provide indirect evidence that NOS1 contributes significantly to fractional exhaled nitric oxide in healthy children.
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PMID:Airway nitric oxide in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 1209 65

Interactions between inducible co-stimulatory molecule (ICOS) and ICOS-ligand (ICOS-L) are crucial for T-cell co-stimulation, effector cell differentiation and memory CD8+ T-cell activation. Because in the muscle of patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) clonally expanded CD8+ T cells invade major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-expressing muscle fibres, we investigated ICOS.ICOS-L interactions and correlated their expression with perforin, a marker for cytotoxic effector function by autoinvasive CD8+ T cells. The mRNA from 20 muscle biopsies of sIBM, 20 non-inflammatory or dystrophic controls, two dermatomyositis (DM) and two polymyositis (PM) patients was reverse transcribed and reamplified by semi-quantitative and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), using primers for ICOS, ICOS-L and perforin. The glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)-normalized ratio of ICOS, ICOS-L and perforin expression was compared with the degree of endomysial inflammation. Protein expression of ICOS, ICOS-L and perforin was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. We demonstrate that ICOS-L mRNA was upregulated in sIBM (arbitrary units, median +/- SEM: 48.6 +/- 14.9) compared with controls (6.2 +/- 17.8, P < 0.05) and significantly correlated with the expression of ICOS (53.9 +/- 16.6 versus 6.7 +/- 8.9 in controls, P < 0.001). By triple labelling immunohistochemistry, the CD8+ T cells in sIBM and PM were found to invade ICOS-L- and MHC class I-co-expressing muscle fibres. Among the autoinvasive CD8+ T cells, however, only a subset of approximately 5-10% were ICOS positive, and thereby perceptive for ICOS.ICOS-L signalling at the immunological synapse. In contrast, in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and DM, although ICOS and ICOS-L mRNA expression was also increased, the majority of ICOS-L- and ICOS-positive cells were in the perimysial regions and connective tissue. The mRNA for perforin was increased in sIBM (28.1 +/- 8.7) compared with controls (4.3 +/- 11.2, P = 0.18), and significantly correlated with mRNA of ICOS, ICOS-L and the degree of endomysial inflammation as assessed in coded haematoxylin/eosin tissue sections. By triple immunohistochemical staining and cell counting, perforin granules were found in 71% of the autoinvasive CD8+ T cells that were also ICOS positive. Our data indicate that in sIBM there is upregulation of ICOS.ICOS-L co-stimulatory signalling in association with enhanced perforin expression by the autoinvasive CD8+ T cells. The findings support previous suggestions that in IBM, the muscle fibres have the capacity for antigen presentation, thereby activating a specific subset among the autoinvasive CD8+ T cells to exert a cytotoxic effect. The observations strengthen the immunopathogenesis of sIBM, and offer the basis for future therapeutic interventions targeting ICOS.ICOS-L co-stimulatory interactions.
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PMID:Upregulated inducible co-stimulator (ICOS) and ICOS-ligand in inclusion body myositis muscle: significance for CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity. 1504 91

Some neuromuscular disorders, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hereditary inclusion body myopathy, malignant hyperthermia, alcoholic myopathy and mitochondrial myopathies are characterized by oxidative stress and loss of muscle fibres due to apoptosis. In this study we have analyzed muscle cell death in vitro utilizing C2C12 myoblasts and myotubes, inducing apoptosis by means of UVB irradiation. C2C12 cells were analysed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) as well as by TUNEL reaction. DNA analysis was performed by gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry. MitoTracker red CMXRos and JC-1 fluorescent probes were also used to study mitochondrial behavior. Finally, caspase activity was investigated by means of Western blot, while caspase-9 and -3 inhibitor effects by means of SEM. SEM showed the typical membrane blebbing while TEM revealed the characteristic chromatin condensation. The TUNEL reaction presented a certain positivity too. Apoptotic and non-apoptotic nuclei in the same myotube were identified both by TUNEL and TEM. Gel electrophoresis never showed oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation, in agreement with the cell cycle analysis performed by flow cytometry which did not reveal a sharp subdiploid peak. Mitochondrial response to UVB was later investigated and a decrease in mitochondrial functionality appeared. Caspase-9 and -3 cleavage, and, consequently, the activation of the caspase cascade, was also demonstrated by Western blot. Moreover a decrease in apoptotic cell number was noted after caspase-9 and-3 inhibitor treatment. All these results indicated that UVB irradiation induces apoptosis, both in myoblasts and in myotubes, the second being more resistant. DNA fragmentation, at least the nucleosomic type, does not occur. A certain double-strand cleavage appears in TUNEL analysis, as well as characteristic ultrastructural changes in chromatin.
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PMID:Morphological and biochemical patterns in skeletal muscle apoptosis. 1992 38


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