Biochemical aspects of nitric oxide synthase feedback regulation by nitric oxide

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small gas molecule derived from at least three isoforms of the enzyme termed nitric oxide synthase (NOS). More than 15 years ago, the question of feedback regulation of NOS activity and expression by its own product was raised. Since then, a number of trials have verified the existence of negative feedback loop both in vitro and in vivo. NO, whether released from exogenous donors or applied in authentic NO solution, is able to inhibit NOS activity and also intervenes in NOS expression processes by its effect on transcriptional nuclear factor NF-κB. The existence of negative feedback regulation of NOS may provide a powerful tool for experimental and clinical use, especially in inflammation, when massive NOS expression may be detrimental

Effects of Conventional Mechanical Ventilation Performed by Two Neonatal Ventilators on the Lung Functions of Rabbits with Meconium-Induced Acute Lung Injury

Severe meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) in the neonates often requires a ventilatory support. As a method of choice, a conventional mechanical ventilation with small tidal volumes (VT<6 ml/kg) and appropriate ventilatory pressures is used. The purpose of this study was to assess the short-term effects of the small-volume CMV performed by two neonatal ventilators: Aura V (Chirana Stara Tura a.s., Slovakia) and SLE5000 (SLE Ltd., UK) on the lung functions of rabbits with experimentally-induced MAS and to estimate whether the newly developed neonatal version of the ventilator Aura V is suitable for ventilation of the animals with MAS

New hydrides REScSiH and REScGeH (RE = La, Ce) : structure, magnetism, and chemical bonding

The La2Sb type silicides and germanides REScSi and REScGe (RE = La, Ce) were synthesized from the elements by arc-melting and subsequent annealing at 1170 K. The structures of LaScSi and LaScGe were refined on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The structures consist of a stacking of two-dimensional [ScSi] networks with ScSi4/4 rectangles, which are separated by rare earth atoms, which leave RE4/4 tetrahedral voids. The latter can be completely filled by hydrogenation leading to the quaternary hydrides REScSiH and REScGeH (RE = La, Ce). Hydrogenation is accompanied by an anisotropic unit cell expansion, i.e., a decrease in the a lattice parameter and a strong increase in c. The H-insertion into the compounds based on cerium induces for both a quasi-2D structure, a strong decrease of their antiferromagnetic ordering; for instance TN decreases from 26 to 3.0 K in the sequence CeScSi → CeScSiH and the occurrence of the influence of the Kondo effect evidenced by electrical resistivity and specific heat measurements. The electronic structure calculation applied to CeScSi and its hydride reveals strong Ce−H bonding influencing the magnetic properties of CeScSiH