Background: Increased concentrations of both plasma total homocysteine and copper are separately associated with cardiovascular disease. Correlations between plasma total homocysteine, trace elements, and vitamins in patients with peripheral vascular disease have not been investigated. Methods: The concentrations of trace elements in plasma were determined by the multielement analytical technique of total-reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Plasma total homocysteine was determined by HPLC. Results: In the univariate and multivariate regression analyses, copper was positively correlated with plasma total homocysteine in all subjects (coefficient ± SE, 0.347 ± 0.113; P = 0.0026 and coefficient ± SE, 0.422 ± 0.108; P = 0.0002, respectively), and in patients with peripheral vascular disease (coefficient ± SE, 0.370 ± 0.150; P = 0.016; and coefficient ± SE, 0.490 ± 0.151; P = 0.0025, respectively). Correlation between copper and plasma total homocysteine was not detected in healthy control subjects. The concentration of calcium in plasma (67.5 vs 80.8 μg/g) was significantly lower in the patients than in the control subjects (P = 0.02). When the patients were divided into groups, the patients with suprainguinal lesions had significantly higher copper concentrations (P = 0.04) and significantly lower selenium and calcium concentrations (P = 0.01 and 0.008, respectively) than the healthy subjects. Patients had higher concentrations of autoantibodies against oxidized LDL and concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance than the healthy subjects (P <0.0001 and P = 0.001, respectively). The concentrations of plasma total homocysteine and α-tocopherol were significantly higher, and the concentrations of vitamin B6 and β-carotene were lower in the patients than the healthy subjects. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the atherogenicity of homocysteine may be related to copper-dependent interactions.

Total oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide excretion and their partitioning between gills and aerial exchange organs have been measured in an obligate air breathing fish, the blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus). Measurements were made during normal bimodal breathing and in air-exposed fish. MO2 increased during air exposure, but the aerial exchange organs or ‘labyrinth’ of Trichogaster could assume a highly effective CO2 excretion in the absence of branchial gas exchange. Hence, aerial MCO2 was greatly increased during air exposure, and the labyrinth gas exchange ratio increased to 0.8 from the value of 0.1 evident during bimodal gas exchange. The large aerial CO2 excretion in Trichogaster, unobtainable in many air breathing fish, was unaffected by the injection of carbonic anhydrase, but was seriously disrupted in the presence of this enzyme's potent inhibitor, acetazolamide. In vitro assay for carbonic anhydrase demonstrated the labyrinth epithelium of the gourami to be rich in this enzyme. It is concluded that highly effective CO2 excretion from the labyrinth organs during air exposure in Trichogaster results from dehydration of plasma bicarbonate to molecular CO2 at the catalysed rate; carbonic anhydrase for this purpose being present in the labyrinth epithelium. The distribution of carbonic anyhdrase in the tissues of other air breathing fishes is determined, and its implications to aerial CO2 excretion discussed.

Results from in v i m research hypothesise that nitric oxide (NO)

This paper details the development of a portable ‘Lab on chip’ DNA analyser that was developed to facilitate rapid analysis of DNA samples for ‘at scene of crime’ and in custody suite situations where human identification is required rapidly. This system was proven to work with human DNA for 3 loci, namely VWA, D21 and D18 taken from raw sample through PCR separation to detection within 90miniutes. Once the sample was loaded onto the microfluidic chip which in turn was loaded into the instrument no further human interaction took place. This paper details the approach to the biochemistry, hardware before going on to give results proving the proof of principle and then the authors’ conclusions.