This study focuses on the relationship between some aspects of intra-erythrocytic sodium metabolism (intra-erythrocytic Na content, Na,Li-countertransport), blood pressure, and family history of ...hypertension, in a group of 84 randomly selected school children (45 males, 39 females). Na,Li-countertransport was significantly related to both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) only in boys at the univariate level, but both of these associations lost statistical significance after the possible confounding role of weight and height were taken into consideration. In both sexes, participants with a family history of hypertension had similar values of both intra-erythrocytic Na content and Na,Li-countertransport to participants with no family history. We conclude that family history of hypertension does not seem to play an important role in the determination of either intra-erythrocytic Na content or Na,Li-countertransport at this age. Although the positive association between Na,Li-countertransport and blood pressure observed in adult males is already present in childhood, this probably is still, at least in part, dependent upon body size.
Thirteen patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension and whose average supine blood pressure with no treatment was 165/104 mmHg were studied as inpatients for 3 consecutive one-week periods ...on different sodium intakes. On the last day of each dietary period, they received a single, 20-mg nitrendipine tablet and blood pressure was monitored every 10 minutes for 2 hours after drug administration. Nitrendipine significantly lowered blood pressure independently of the level of sodium intake, and the maximum blood-pressure lowering effect was achieved approximately 1 hour after the dose. The blood-pressure lowering effect of nitrendipine was greater on high sodium intake as compared to low sodium intake (p less than 0.02), and it was also greater with higher initial blood pressures. However, the sodium-related effect on blood pressure was, at least in part, independent of the pretreatment blood pressure. These results suggest that calcium antagonists, such as nitrendipine, are effective in reducing blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension and could be drugs of choice in those who are unable to restrict their salt intake.
The distribution of the plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and their statistical correlates were studied in a random sample of 306 untreated male workers in southern Italy. Plasma ANP ...was not normally distributed in the population sample, with values skewed to the right and significantly shifted from the normal Gaussian curve (p = 0.003). In a multivariate analysis, plasma ANP was independently and positively related to age (p less than 0.001), urinary sodium excretion (p less than 0.01), and inversely related to creatinine clearance (p less than 0.02).These variables explained more than 12% of the variability of plasma levels of ANP. These findings confirm, in a random sample of untreated male workers, the importance of age and renal function in predicting ANP levels in the plasma and emphasize the potential importance of ANP in the control of sodium excretion in humans under free living conditions.
Results from two studies focusing on the pathophysiological interrelations of obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, and arterial hypertension are presented. A case-control study of obese normotensive ...and obese hypertensive patients revealed similar average blood glucose in the two groups, but significantly higher fasting serum insulin levels and reduced glucose tolerance in the obese hypertensive group. A second case-control study examined the prevalence of obesity and hypertension in a group of individuals with impaired glucose tolerance and a control group matched for age, sex, and body mass index. The study showed significantly higher blood pressures in the individuals with impaired glucose tolerance, independent of the confounding influences of age and body weight. The studies' results strongly suggest that the association between hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance is independent of overweight. The role of hyperinsulinemia in the association of overweight, impaired glucose tolerance, and hypertension remains to be fully clarified, though the studies support the hypothesis that hyperinsulinemia may contribute to the development of hypertension in obese patients.(aje)
The relationship between segmental renal tubular sodium handling (using the renal clearance of ingested lithium as a marker of proximal tubular sodium handling) and circulating plasma levels of ...atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) was studied in a sample of 295 untreated men drawn from a male population at work under their usual living conditions. Plasma ANF was positively and significantly related to sodium excretion at the distal nephron, indicating that this hormone interacts with a distal renal tubular site to influence the control of sodium excretion in man.
DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic mechanism influencing gene expression in all organisms. In metazoans, the pattern of DNA methylation changes during embryogenesis and adult life. ...Consequently, differentiated cells develop a stable and unique DNA methylation pattern that finely regulates mRNA transcription during development and determines tissue-specific gene expression. Currently, DNA methylation remains poorly investigated in mollusks and completely unexplored in
Mytilus galloprovincialis
. To shed light on this process in this ecologically and economically important bivalve, we screened its genome, detecting sequences homologous to DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins and Ten-eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase (TET) previously described in other organisms. We characterized the gene architecture and protein domains of the mussel sequences and studied their phylogenetic relationships with the ortholog sequences from other bivalve species. We then comparatively investigated their expression levels across different adult tissues in mussel and other bivalves, using previously published transcriptome datasets. This study provides the first insights on DNA methylation regulators in
M. galloprovincialis
, which may provide fundamental information to better understand the complex role played by this mechanism in regulating genome activity in bivalves.
Many pseudogenes possess biological activities and play important roles in the pathogenesis of various types of cancer including bladder cancer (BlCa), which still lacks suitable molecular ...biomarkers. Recently, pseudogenes were found to be significantly enriched in a pan-cancer classification based on the Cancer Genome Atlas gene expression data. Among them, the top-ranking pseudogene was the proliferation-associated 2G4 pseudogene 4
).
Genomic and transcript features of
were determined by GeneBank database analysis followed by 5' RACE experiments. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective molecular study on a cohort of 45 patients of BlCa.
expression was measured by RT-qPCR, whereas
transcript distribution was analyzed by in situ hybridization on both normal and cancerous histological sections and compared to the immunolocalization of its parental
protein. Finally, we tested the effects of
depletion on proliferation, migration, and death of BlCa cells.
We showed for the first time
overexpression in BlCa tissues and in cell lines.
distribution strictly overlaps PA2G4/EBP1 protein localization. Moreover, we showed that
knockdown affects both proliferation and migration of BlCa cells, highlighting its potential oncogenic role.
may play a functional role as an oncogene in BlCa development, suggesting it as a good candidate for future investigation and new clinical applications.
HLA gene expression has an important role in the autoimmune disease predisposition. We investigated the mRNA expression profile of the risk alleles HLA‐DRB1*15 and HLA‐DRB1*13 in a cohort of subjects ...both multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy controls. Moreover, we explored the expression of the allele HLA‐DRB1*11 that is very frequent in our cohort from southern Italy. We found that the expression of MS‐associated alleles in heterozygous MS patients was always higher than the nonassociated alleles. The differential risk allele expression occurred also in nonaffected subjects, though with a lower increment compared to MS patients.
HLA class II genes encode highly polymorphic heterodimeric proteins functioning to present antigens to T cells and stimulate a specific immune response. Many HLA genes are strongly associated with ...autoimmune diseases as they stimulate self-antigen specific CD4
T cells driving pathogenic responses against host tissues or organs. High expression of HLA class II risk genes is associated with autoimmune diseases, influencing the strength of the CD4
T-mediated autoimmune response. The expression of HLA class II genes is regulated at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Protein components of the RNP complex binding the 3'UTR and affecting mRNA processing have previously been identified. Following on from this, the regulation of HLA-DQ2.5 risk genes, the main susceptibility genetic factor for celiac disease (CD), was investigated. The DQ2.5 molecule, encoded by HLA-DQA1*05 and HLA-DQB1*02 alleles, presents the antigenic gluten peptides to CD4
T lymphocytes, activating the autoimmune response. The zinc-finger protein Tristetraprolin (TTP) or ZFP36 was identified to be a component of the RNP complex and has been described as a factor modulating mRNA stability. The 3'UTR of CD-associated HLA-DQA1*05 and HLA-DQB1*02 mRNAs do not contain canonical TTP binding consensus sequences, therefore an in silico approach focusing on mRNA secondary structure accessibility and stability was undertaken. Key structural differences specific to the CD-associated mRNAs were uncovered, allowing them to strongly interact with TTP through their 3'UTR, conferring a rapid turnover, in contrast to lower affinity binding to HLA non-CD associated mRNA.
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