We present a rare case of an extensive venous thrombosis associated with a multisegmental anomaly of the inferior vena cava (IVC), double IVCs, a hypoplastic right IVC, an aneurysm arising at the distal portion of the right IVC, and a severe stenosis between the prerenal and the hepatic segments of the IVC.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anticonvulsive effect of dapsone (4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone) on amygdala-kindled seizures in rats and cats.

Dapsone (4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone; DDS), an established anti-leprosy drug, showed anticonvulsive effects in the amygdaloid kindling model of epilepsy. Single doses of the drug in rats (6.25-12.5 mg/kg, i.p.) suppressed the kindled seizures in a dose-dependent manner without overt behavioral toxicity. With repeated oral administration in cats, relatively higher initial doses (13-23 mg/kg) were required to obtain seizure suppression, and neurotoxic signs occurred within a few days with serum drug levels of approximately 20 micrograms/ml. Although dapsone showed anticonvulsive effects in both animal species, the effective serum levels overlapped the toxic levels reported in the clinical treatment of leprosy. In the majority of the cats, however, seizure suppression was maintained even after the discontinuation of dapsone with lower serum levels than those observed at the beginning of the seizure suppression. Therefore, dapsone would be useful as an antiepileptic drug only when long-term anticonvulsive efficacy is demonstrated using smaller doses comparable to those used in the treatment of leprosy.

Amygdala↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Subclinical exocrine pancreatic derangement in human diabetic patients evaluated from pure pancreatic juice.

To elucidate the mechanism responsible for histological derangement of pancreas in diabetic patients, pure pancreatic juice (PPJ) aspirated directly from pancreatic duct was analyzed before and after strict glycemic control on poorly controlled diabetic patients without clinical exocrine pancreatic dysfunction. PPJ obtained from 18 diabetics showed a significantly decreased amylase activity compared with ten healthy subjects (109 +/- 4 versus 168 +/- 9 U/mg protein, p < 0.005) in spite of negligible changes in lipase activity, protein concentration, bicarbonate concentration, and its volume. PPJ showed higher concentrations of prostanoids in diabetic patients than in healthy subjects (TXB2, 259 +/- 48 versus 118 +/- 30 pg/mL, p < 0.05; 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, 52.6 +/- 11.5 versus 38.5 +/- 7.5 pg/mL, p > 0.05). Ratio of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB2 of PPJ in diabetic patients was significantly lower than in healthy subjects (0.195 +/- 0.016 versus 0.422 +/- 0.041, p < 0.005). After strict glycemic control for 1-3 months on nine of 18 diabetic patients, amylase activity of PPJ was significantly higher than that before the control (112 +/- 4 versus 128 +/- 7 U/mg protein, p < 0.01), but still significantly lower than that of healthy subjects (p < 0.005). Lipase activity showed no significant difference between before and after the control. TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha concentrations were decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A new method for quantification of metamorphopsia in patients with epiretinal membrane.

PURPOSE: A new method for quantification of metamorphopsia was applied to study distorted vision in patients with epiretinal membrane. METHOD: Sixty-three patients with unilateral epiretinal membrane in the macula were examined. A modified Amsler chart (a grid of black lines on a white background measuring 12 x 12 cm with grid squares of 2 x 2 cm) was prepared. If patients saw any of the grid lines as irregular or curved, they were asked to trace these on the chart. The length of all lines drawn by the patients was measured, except those on the outer border. The length of the grid is 1200 mm, but it should be drawn longer by patients with metamorphopsia. The severity of metamorphopsia was also scored subjectively and the relationship of grid length to the subjective score and the visual acuity was analyzed. RESULTS: The grid length ranged from 1200 to 1259 mm (mean = 1223.3 mm) and was correlated significantly with the subjective score (P <.01, rho =.387). CONCLUSION: This method might be applicable for evaluating the severity of metamorphopsia and the surgical outcome in patients with epiretinal membrane.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Posterior synechia of the iris after combined pars plana vitrectomy, phacoemulsification, and intraocular lens implantation.

PURPOSE: Combined pars plana vitrectomy, phacoemulsification, and intraocular lens implantation has become a widely accepted treatment for cataracts in patients with vitreoretinal diseases. We examined factors influencing the development of posterior synechia after this triple procedure. METHODS: One hundred and three patients (107 eyes) were evaluated. The frequency of postoperative posterior synechia, the preoperative diagnosis, whether gas tamponade was used, and the type of lens implanted were reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty-one eyes (19.6%) developed posterior synechia, and the highest rate (12/39 eyes, 30.8%) was in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Posterior synechia was more frequent after gas tamponade (28.1%) than in eyes without tamponade (10.1%). In proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients, fibrin deposition and the amount of retinal photocoagulation were causative factors for posterior synechia. CONCLUSIONS: Factors promoting postoperative synechia after the triple procedure included (1) the existence of PDR, (2) expanding gas tamponade, (3) fibrin deposition in PDR, and (4) the amount of photocoagulation in PDR.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pentoxifylline potentiates the antitumor effect of cisplatin and etoposide on human lung cancer cell lines.

The effect of pentoxifylline (PENT) on the sensitivity of two human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, PC-9 and PC-14, to cisplatin (CDDP) and etoposide (ET) was studied. PENT at 0.5 and 1 mM enhanced the cytotoxicity of CDDP and ET on PC-14 and PC-9, respectively. Isobologram analyses of IC50 data, as well as combination index calculations, revealed that PENT had an additive or a synergistic effect when applied in combination with CDDP or ET, respectively. PENT potentiated the antitumor effect of ET in a nude-mouse xenograft model using PC-14 cells, when PENT was administered at 150 mg/kg subcutaneously for 6 days. Flow cytometry revealed that PENT decreased the accumulation of cells in the G2+M phase caused by CDDP when using PC-9 cells. However, PENT did not remarkably alter the accumulation of cells in G2+M caused by ET. These results suggest that PENT enhanced the antitumor effects of CDDP additively and those of ET synergistically. The enhancement mechanism probably differs between CDDP and ET. PENT needs more study to elucidate its potency as a new agent for combination chemotherapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression correlates with poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer patients with p53 overexpression.

To determine whether cancer patients with tumor suppressor gene abnormality survive for a shorter time when their growth was stimulated by growth factors, we examined 290 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens for p53 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein expressions using immunohistochemical staining. The distribution of cases by pathological stage of tumor was 155 cases of stage I, 30 cases of stage II, 96 cases of stage III and 9 cases of stage IV. Pathological types were 142 adenocarcinomas, 127 squamous cell carcinomas, 17 large cell carcinomas and 4 other types of malignancy. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on the formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded materials with monoclonal antibodies DO-7 and clone EGFR.133. positive staining for EGFR was seen in 124 (42.8%) cases. More EGFR positive cases were found in squamous cell carcinomas than in non-squamous cell carcinomas (p=0.0121). Staining for p53 protein was observed in 147 (50.7%) specimens. Multivariate proportional hazard model analyses revealed EGFR protein expression as a risk factor in the patients with NSCLC (p=0.0240). Patients negative for both EGFR and p53 survived for a longer period of time (p=0.0427).

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Endotoxin, histamine-sensitizing factor and lymphocytosis-promoting factor contents of pertussis vaccines produced in Japan.

The amounts of endotoxin, histamine-sensitizing factor and lymphocytosis-promoting factor contained in combined diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus and combined diphteria-pertussis vaccines recently produced in Japan were determined and the relationships among them were statistically analyzed. The estimated values in histamine-sensitizing units (HSU) and lymphocytosispromoting units (LPU) per human dose ranged from 0.3 to 6 and from 0.4 to 5, respectively. A fairly wide range of endotoxin contents, which were expressed in body weight-decreasing units (BWDU), was also demonstrated. All the ranges were larger than those expected from experimental error. There was a positive correlation between the HSU and LPU values although the individual HSU-LPU ratios ranged from 0.3 to 3, but the range was markedly larger than the width of the 95% confidence interval of the mean ratio. Negative correlation between BWDU and LPU was also significant, probably because of the relatively large number degrees of freedom, though the coefficient was fairly small; while that between BWDU and HSU was not significant. The frequency distribution of individual values of HSU was divided into two lognormal distributions. With one of the two groups obtained by this subdivision, a distinct positive correlation bewteen HSU and LPU was demonstrated, but with the other group there was little correlation. Some differences between the two groups were also found in the correlations between BWDU and the other two variates. No factors responsible for the separation of the groups have yet been found.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of low protein diet on cardiac function and ultrastructure of spontaneously hypertensive rats loaded with sodium chloride.

The effects of low protein diet on cardiac metabolic and structural changes subsequent to an extremely high pressure load were investigated. Spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) were divided into four groups, and fed the following diets for four weeks: 1) Group A: regular diet (23% protein) and water, 2) Group B: regular diet and 1% saline, 3) Group C: low protein diet (10% protein) and water, and 4) Group D: low protein diet and 1% saline. Two weeks after the start of feeding, there was no significant difference in the left ventricular ultrastructures between the corresponding regular and low protein diet groups. Four weeks after, degenerative findings such as streaming of Z lines, dilatations of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and disarrangements of myofilaments appeared Group D, while in Group B electron microscopic findings indicated hypertrophy. Incorporation of [14C] leucine into the myocardial myosin B in Group D was significantly low, with a resulting fall of the LVdP/dtmax per integrated isometric pressure (IIP) and a rise of the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), as compared to that in Group C at four weeks after the start of feeding. These observations suggest that, in the heart with an extremely high pressure load, low protein diet hinders the development of hypertrophy to the load with resulting heart failure.

Animals↗