Molecular mechanisms of the membrane disorder in the crush syndrome patients by the Kobe Earthquake

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

1. Profiles of very long-chain fatty acids were studied in the erythrocyte membrane of healthy controls and four patients with crush syndrome caused by the Great-Hanshin Earthquake. The identities of cis-17-hexacosenoic acid (C26 : 1) and hexacosanoic acid (C26 : 0) were verified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The ratio C26 : 1/C22 : 0, C26 : 0/C22 : 0, C24 : 1/C22 : 0.and C20 : 1/C22 : 0 also were elevated. These findings suggest that active oxygen species and/or free radicals generated by ischemia-reperfusion in the crush syndrome result in beta -oxidation disorders in peroxisomes.2. We investigated the nitric oxide profile in the plasma of 10 healthy controls and 29 patients hurt by the Kobe Earthquake. The levels of nitrite (NO_2^-) and nitrate (NO_3^-) were measured simultaneously by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection using the Griess reaction after the reduction of nitrate to nitrite. Arginine consumed in food or diet-derived nitrite had no effect on the plasma nitrite and nitrate contents of the healthy volunteers.Plasma nitrate was elevated in the crush syndrome patients ; whereas neither nitrite nor nitrate was increased in patients with normal renal function. This finding suggests increased nitric oxide synthesis and/or decreased excretion of nitric oxide in the crush syndrome.