Risk of leukemic transformation in PV and ET patients

Despite a prolonged survival of around 15 years linked to a prolonged complete remission induced by myelosuppression, myeloproliferative syndromes such as polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombosis (ET) remain at risk of lethal adverse affects such as thrombotic events and acute transformation. The major risk at diagnosis, in the absence of treatment, is essentially thrombosis. Different therapeutic trials have shown the necessity to maintain circulating blood cells (RBC and platelets counts) near normal levels to avoid thrombosis. Phlebotomies alone in PV lead in the long run to metaplasia and increased platelet counts and should only be kept for emergency cell count reduction. Myelosuppression is thus until recently the most widely accepted effective alternative. However, the effects of long term chronic administration of myelosuppresive agents needs to be analyzed and monitored as the biological changes which appear during the course of these diseases linked or not to the intrinsic clonal haematopoietic abnormality may lead to malignant transformation. Thus, alternative therapies need to be evaluated and predisposition factors taken in account.     

High performance liquid chromatographic determination of ambroxol in the presence of different preservatives in pharmaceutical formulations

A high-performance chromatographic method is described for simultaneous determination of ambroxol in the presence of different preservatives in syrups. The method separates ambroxol from methyl- ethyl-, propyl- and butyl paraben and from other multi-component mixtures. The retention behaviour of ambroxol and parabens as a function of both pH and mobile phase composition was investigated. The eluents were monitored with a UV detector at 247 nm. Linear relationships between the amount of pharmaceutical compounds and peak heights were confirmed at the concentrations of 0.74-14.08 microg ml(-1). The high recovery (no extraction of the samples is required) and the low %RSD confirm the suitability of the proposed method for the determination of ambroxol in different pharmaceutical preparations.     

Neonatal Ostomies

Two methods of neonatal ostomy care, nonappliance and appliance, are discussed. Skin problems associated with stoma care, such as excoriation, fungal infections, and allergic reactions, are reviewed and a number of suggestions are made for the proper care of stomas in the newborn.     

A pilot study of the effects of high-intensity aerobic exercise versus passive interventions on pain, disability, psychological strain, and serum cortisol concentrations in people with chronic low back pain

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Given the complex nature of chronic pain, the effects of high-intensity aerobic exercise on pain, disability, psychological strain, and serum cortisol concentrations in people with chronic low back pain were investigated. SUBJECTS: Twenty subjects receiving primary health care were randomly allocated into exercise and control groups. METHODS: Subjects in the exercise group received a 12-week, high-intensity aerobic exercise program. Subjects in the control group received 12 weeks of passive modalities without any form of physical activity. RESULTS: Data analysis identified reductions in pain (41%, t(10)=8.51, P<.001), disability (31%, t(10)=7.32, P<.001), and psychological strain (35%, t(10)=7.09, P<.001) in subjects in the exercise group and no changes in subjects in the control group. High-intensity exercise failed to influence serum cortisol concentrations. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Regular high-intensity aerobic exercise alleviated pain, disability, and psychological strain in subjects with chronic low back pain but did not improve serum cortisol concentrations.     

Sperm nitric oxide and motility: the effects of nitric oxide synthase stimulation and inhibition

Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from L-arginine by a family of enzymes known as the nitric oxide synthases (NOS). We have recently shown a NOS similar to constitutive brain NOS (bNOS) and endothelial NOS (ecNOS) to be present in spermatozoa. The aim of this study is to investigate NO production by human spermatozoa and the effects of stimulation and inhibition of NOS. This was carried out using the Iso-NO, an isolated NO meter and sensor, which provides rapid, accurate and direct measurements of NO. Semen samples with normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic profiles were prepared using a direct swim-up technique. Basal concentrations of NO and stimulated NO production were measured after exposure to the calcium ionophore (A23187; 0.01-10 microM) a potent activator of constitutive NOS. NO production in human spermatozoa was significantly increased by the addition of A23187 30 seconds after stimulation. Furthermore, this response was greatly diminished by pre-incubating the samples with competitive inhibitors of L-arginine, the substrate for NOS, before treatment with calcium ionophore. In the presence of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L- NAME), N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA) or N(G)-methyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; all at 10 microM), NO production was inhibited with a rank order of potency L-NAME > L-NMMA > L-NA which is in accordance with the inhibition of an endothelial type of constitutive NOS.      

Infliximab prevents systemic bone loss and suppresses tendon inflammation in a collagen-induced arthritis rat model

Inflammopharmacology - Reduced Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and tendon abnormalities, such as tenosynovitis and enthesitis, are prevalent comorbidities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The...