Nitric oxide exerts multiple effects on renal function. It remains unclear whether endogenous nitric oxide production is increased or decreased in patients with chronic renal failure. To evaluate endogenous nitric oxide production in these patients we studied exhaled nitric oxide output by an ozone chemiluminescence method and plasma NO2(-)/NO3(-) levels by the Griess method in 40 patients with end-stage chronic renal failure who underwent regular continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (n=30) or haemodialysis (n=10), and in 28 healthy subjects. Patients with chronic renal failure had a higher exhaled nitric oxide concentration [39+/-3 versus 19+/-1 parts per billion, (mean+/-S.E.M.), P<0.0001], a greater nitric oxide output (177+/-11 versus 96+/-7 nl.min-1.m-2, P<0.001) and a higher plasma NO2(-)/NO3(-) concentration (96+/-14 versus 33+/-4 micromol, P<0.01) than controls. These values did not differ between patients on haemodialysis and those on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Patients with chronic renal failure had significantly higher plasma concentrations of both interleukin-1beta and interferon-gamma than controls. The exhaled nitric oxide output did not correlate with plasma NO2(-)/NO3(-) or with peritoneal dialysate NO2(-)/NO3(-), but plasma NO2(-)/NO3(-) correlated with dialysate NO2(-)/NO3(-) in patients who underwent continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (r=0.77, P<0.01). Haemodialysis for 4 h acutely decreased plasma NO2(-)/NO3(-) (92+/-17 versus 50+/-8 micromol, P<0.05) and cGMP concentration (16.5+/-4.3 versus 5.1+/-1. 7 pmol/ml, P<0.01), but did not decrease exhaled nitric oxide output. The increase in exhaled nitric oxide with the simultaneous increase in circulating cytokines suggests that nitric oxide synthase seems to be induced significantly in patients with chronic renal failure. Increased endogenous nitric oxide production may have a pathophysiological role in patients with uraemia.
We hope that this special issue will provide the latest scientific and technological information to the community and lead to progress in the field related to the MIPE2012.Finally yet importantly, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the editing and review committees who had made great efforts for publication of this issue, and authors who contributed papers.
New material development by the integration of cast technology and powder metallurgy technology-A high-performance hard material which used intermetallic compound for binder phaseHard materials made of ceramics combined with metals are used for dies and cutting tools that support high precision processing technology in Japan. Hard materials, however, need a large amount of rare metals that are scarce as resources as component and hence developing new materials with less dependence on rare metals has been expected. We developed a new hard material with Fe-Al intermetallic compound as a binder. This material was synthesized by a process combining casting and powder metallurgy and exhibited high hardness and high strength simultaneously. This paper introduces an approach to "Type2 Basic Research" in order to apply the developed material to industrial use, and a method of efficient research and development through the collaboration of researchers of different specialized fields.キーワード:超硬合金、FeAl、メカニカルアロイング、パルス通電焼結、金型、切削工具
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