Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0729233 (Thoracic)
 6,478 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A 1-year-old neutered male chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) was presented with emaciation and a 1-month history of progressive weight loss. The animal was bright and responsive on clinical examination, but had poor body condition. Serum biochemical analysis revealed elevated alanine amino transferase and alkaline phosphatase. Ultrasound examination was unremarkable. Thoracic radiography showed changes consistent with bullous emphysema and severe pneumonia. Antibiotic therapy was initiated, but the chinchilla died 6 weeks later. Necropsy examination revealed granulomatous lesions in the lungs and liver. Numerous acid-fast bacilli were present in the cytoplasm of macrophages. Sequencing of genetic material isolated from fixed tissue classified the pathogen as Mycobacterium genavense.
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PMID:Disseminated Mycobacterium genavense infection in a chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera). 2481 53

Vasoplegia impedes therapeutic interventions to restore vascular tone, leading to severe hypotension, poor tissue perfusion, and multiple organ failure in septic shock. High levels of circulating nitric oxide (NO) play a crucial role in endotoxin-induced vascular hyporeactivity. Proinflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the induction of inducible NO synthase and overproduction of NO. Anti-inflammatory therapy can diminish NO formation and improve vascular hyporeactivity in septic shock. STE20/SPS1-realted proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) has been reported to activate mitogen-activated protein kinase and contribute to intestinal inflammation. Thus, we evaluated the roles of SPAK in NO production and vascular hyporeactivity in endotoxemic animals. Male wild-type and SPAK deficiency mice were intraperitoneally administered vehicle or Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 50mg/kg). The changes of systolic blood pressure and plasma nitrate and nitrite levels were measured during the experimental period. Thoracic aortas were exercised to assess vascular reactivity and SPAK expression. In the present study, mice in endotoxin model showed severe hypotension and hyporeactivity to serotonin, phenylephrine (PE), and acetylcholine in the aortic rings. Phosphorylated SPAK expression in the aorta and NO levels in the plasma were also increased in animals with endotoxic shock. However, deletion of SPAK not only reduced the elevation of NO levels but also improved vascular hyporeactivity to serotonin and PE in endotoxemic mice. Taken together, SPAK could be involved in the NO overproduction and vascular hyporesponsiveness to vasoconstrictors in endotoxic shock. Thus, inhibition of SPAK could be useful in the prevention of endotoxin-induced vascular hyporeactivity.
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PMID:Effects of SPAK on vascular reactivity and nitric oxide production in endotoxemic mice. 2886 11