The purpose of this study was to investigate the solubilization capacity of sodium cholate/lecithin-mixed micelles and to evaluate the potential of mixed micelles as a carrier of cyclosporine A for intravenous infusion. The mixed micelles were prepared by coprecipitation technique. The formulation components and preparation procedures, which may affect the solubilization of cyclosporine A, were studied. The dilution stability of cyclosporine A-containing mixed micelles was investigated. Pharmacokinetic behaviors of mixed micelles in rabbits after intravenous infusion were compared with Sandimmun. Results showed the strategies to increase the solubility of cyclosporine A include lowering the molar ratio of sodium cholate to lecithin, increasing the concentration of lecithin, and reducing the ionic strength of the dispersion medium and temperature. The largest solubility was found to be 5.42 +/- 0.16 mg/ml. The leakage of mixed micelles in 5% glucose (5.84%) was much less than that in saline solution (36.7%). The relative bioavailability of mixed micelles versus Sandimmun was 112 +/- 20%, and statistical analysis demonstrated both preparations were bioequivalent. Sodium cholate/lecithin-mixed micelles are promising carriers in the intravenous delivery of cyclosporine A, considering their capability of large-scale production and low-toxic property.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Leptotrichia buccalis bacteremia in patients with cancer: report of four cases and review.

Leptotrichia buccalis, an anaerobic gram-negative rod, is part of the normal oral flora and has rarely been isolated from clinical material. We describe four patients with neutropenia and progressive malignancy who had symptomatic L. buccalis bacteremia, and we review an additional four cases from the literature. The mean age of the patients was 31 years (range, 7-73 years), with an equal number of males and females. The number of positive blood cultures in each case ranged from one to four (mean, two); these cultures became positive after 48-120 hours (median, 54 hours). All tested isolates were sensitive to the beta-lactam agents, clindamycin, tetracycline, and metronidazole; five of seven were sensitive to chloramphenicol; and not one was sensitive to the aminoglycosides, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, or erythromycin. Seven patients had one or more possible portals of entry for bacteremia, including mucositis (four patients), mucositis plus esophageal lesions (two), and possible mucositis plus diverticulitis (one). L. buccalis should be considered a potential pathogen in neutropenic patients, especially when breaks in the mucosal breaks in the mucosal barriers are present.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Platelet-activating factor stimulates eicosanoid production in cultured feline tracheal explants.

Eicosanoids have been shown to be major mediators of airway inflammation. Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent bronchoconstrictor and stimulator of respiratory mucous secretion, may mediate some of its effects via eicosanoid production. To explore eicosanoid generation by cultured feline tracheal explants, eicosanoids were measured following PAF stimulation. After labeling the explants with [3H]arachidonic acid, supernatant from control and PAF treated explants was fractionated by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The resulting elution pattern suggested the release of arachidonic acid (AA), 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), leukotriene (LT)B4, C4, prostaglandin (PG) D2/E2/F2 alpha, and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) following HPLC resolution confirmed that PAF induced a significantly increased release of peptido-leukotrienes, PGD2, PGE2, PGF2 alpha, LTB4, and 5-HETE, as well as thromboxane (TX) B2. The most remarkable increase was LTC4/D4/E4 (15 x control) and PGD2 (4 x control). The PAF antagonist Ro 19-3704 had an inhibitory effect on the PAF-stimulated release of peptido-leukotrienes. We conclude that PAF stimulates the production of a variety of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathway metabolites in feline airways.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Developing a breast cancer screening program for Chinese-American women.

The Chinese, like other minority groups, often underuse cancer screening services because of language, cultural, and economic barriers. Nonattendance reduces the probability that cancer will be detected in its earliest and often most curable form. To improve use of cancer screening services among Chinese-Americans, a community-based coalition organized a one-day demonstration cancer awareness and screening program--the Breast Cancer Screening Day for Chinese Women. More than 100 women, many of whom did not speak English, attended the program. Six abnormal mammograms required follow-up and one breast cancer was detected. The planning process used to develop this successful project is described as are suggestions to improve future screening programs for ethnic minorities.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

False positive pregnancy tests in systemic lupus erythematosus.

False positive, 'atypical ring' pregnancy tests were identified in 14 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The abnormality was associated with heavy proteinuria in 8 patients, menopause or drug-induced amenorrhea in 4 patients, and actual pregnancy in one patient. Serum levels of human chorionic gonadotropin were normal in 13 patients and elevated in the single patient with a true pregnancy.

False Positive Reactions↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Adenine auxotrophic heterozygosity in Candida krusei.

Candida krusei CK 18 carries heterozygosity for a recessive adenine biosynthesis allele, as it can be induced by UV irradiation to form adenine mutants at high frequency. The resultant mutants were characterized with the phenotype of red colony and residual growth on minimal media. The majority of the descendant prototrophic segregates were capable of continuous segregation to adenine mutants, suggesting gene conversion as one possible mechanism for the occurrence of the adenine auxotroph in the isolate.

Adenine↗