ANG II induces vasoconstriction, at least in part, by stimulating NADPH oxidase and generating reactive oxygen species. ANG II also induces heme oxygenase activity, and bilirubin, a product of such activity, possesses antioxidant properties. We hypothesized that bilirubin, because of its antioxidant properties, may reduce the pressor and prooxidant effects of ANG II. Our in vivo studies used th...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the behavioral changes induced by moderate hyperbilirubinemia in the otherwise healthy, untreated newborn infant. METHODS Fifty term neonates (23 boys) with untreated moderate hyperbilirubinemia (median: 14.3 mg/dL; range: 13.2-20 mg/dL) and 50 matched control subjects with lower bilirubin concentrations (median: 9.1 mg/dL; range: 5.3-12 mg/dL) were administered the B...

To evaluate the changes of ABR values in hyperbilirubinemic newborns, 85 cases with severe jaundice (total bilirubin levels over 16 mg/dL and direct bilirubin less than 2 mg/dL) were selected from those admitted to Children's Medical Center by simple sampling method. These infants had no other problem except jaundice. ABR was taken before treatment in all cases and in some (10 cases) after...

The biliary excretion mechanism of three derivatives of BQ-123, an anionic cyclopentapeptide, was examined using isolated canalicular membrane vesicles (CMVs) from Sprague-Dawley rats. The uptake by CMV of BQ-485, a linear peptide, BQ-518, a cyclic peptide, and compound A, a cyclic peptide with a cationic moiety, was stimulated by ATP. An "overshoot" phenomenon and saturation were observed for ...