An antibody that facilitates hematopoietic engraftment recognizes CD44

Pretreatment of recipients with the monoclonal antibody (MoAb) S5 facilitates engraftment of bone marrow from mismatched, unrelated donors in the canine transplantation model. In the direct comparisons reported here, the S5 glycoprotein (gp) was found to have structural homology to CD44 that in humans has been implicated in adhesive interactions of one type of effector cell, the lymphocyte. The S5 antigen and gp90Hermes-1 exhibited codistribution on canine peripheral blood cells. Both S5 and Hermes-1 (anti-CD44) MoAbs recognized 90-Kd species in radioimmune precipitations of 125I surface-labeled canine peripheral blood lymphocytes and bone marrow cells. Competitive antibody binding experiments showed that the epitope detected by S5 was distinct from that bound by Hermes-1 but overlapped with those defined by two other known anti-CD44 reagents, IM7 and Hutch-1. Sequential immunoprecipitation with S5 and Hermes-1 indicated that the two antibodies recognize the same or overlapping subsets of membrane gps. Tryptic digestion of S5 and anti-CD44 immunoprecipitates generated two major iodinated peptides of 27 and 35 Kd in both cases, a further indication of structural homology. Similarly, after N-glycanase digestion, S5 and CD44 immunoprecipitates were resolved to a single 68- Kd species. These findings suggest that CD44-mediated adhesive events may affect the fate of transplanted hematopoietic cells. The previous implications of this gp in T-lymphocyte activation and lymphocyte adhesion to endothelium thus provide useful paradigms to analyze its function in the bone marrow transplant setting.     

The use of opioids in neonates. A retrospective study of 933 cases

This is a retrospective study on the use of postoperative opioids in neonates admitted to the surgical intensive care unit at Great Ormond Street over a 5-year period (1980-84). A total of 131 (14%) babies received opioids out of 933 neonates admitted to the unit. The use of opioids increased from 9.7% to 27.2% of admitted cases during the survey period. Postoperative ventilation of the lungs was necessary in 240 (25.7%) cases and 88 (36.6%) of these were given opioids. Four babies initially failed to wean from controlled ventilation as a result of opioid induced respiratory depression. A total of 51 (7.35%) spontaneously breathing neonates received opioids and seven (13.7%) of these developed apnoea or respiratory failure thought to be induced by opioids. The administration of opioids by nurses occurred most frequently in the late evening and early hours of the morning, when medical cover is at its lowest level.     

Flumazenil in intensive care The duration of arousal after an assessment dose

The effect of an assessment dose of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil was studied in 20 patients in an intensive care unit. The patients had been sedated with alfentanil and midazolam, and were ready to be weaned from mechanical ventilation. In 10 patients flumazenil was titrated just to produce full arousal whilst the midazolam infusion was continued; flumazenil administration was repeated one hour later after the infusion of midazolam had been stopped. In another 10 patients, flumazenil was administered only once, coinciding with the cessation of sedation. The duration of full arousal in both groups was less than 15 minutes in 75% of patients given a single dose of flumazenil (median dose 0.4 mg) although some effect persisted for up to 60 minutes. The cardiovascular effects of arousal were transient and probably not clinically significant. A brief duration of action is advantageous if the patient is found still to require sedation.     

Anti‐inflammatory and antiproliferative activities of crude extract and its fractions of the defensive secretion from the Mediterranean sponge,Spongia officinalis

The fact that conventional and newly emerging treatment procedures like chemotherapy, catalytic therapy, photodynamic therapy, and radiotherapy have not succeeded in reversing the outcome of many cancers alternative treatment options has been explored. This study documents the identification of component(s) from the Mediterranean sponge, Spongia officinalis that have anti‐inflammatory and antiproliferative activities. In the present study we investigated the efficacy of a crude extract and its semi‐purified fractions (F1–F3) of the defensive secretion from Spongia officinalis for in vivo anti‐inflammatory activity using the carrageenan‐induced paw edema assay in rats and their in vitro antiproliferative effects against three human cancer cell lines (A549, lung cell carcinoma; HCT15, colon cell carcinoma; and MCF7, breast adenocarcinoma). Among the series, the crude extract exhibited interesting anti‐inflammatory activity associated with significant growth and concentration‐related colony inhibitory effects against the three cell lines. The fractions F2 and F3 showed, respectively, interesting anti‐inflammatory and antiproliferative activities in a dose‐dependent manner. The purification and the determination of chemical structures of compounds of these active fractions are under investigation. Drug Dev Res 71: 412–418, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Papaveretum infusions in infants under 6 months of age

The effectiveness of a continuous low dose papaveretum infusion for the relief of postoperative pain was assessed in 29 infants aged 1-6 months nursed on the infant surgical ward following major abdominal surgery. Trained nursing staff were able to adjust the dosage within prescribed guidelines and satisfactory analgesia was obtained with a regimen which delivered up to 0.0375 mg/kg/hour, approximately half the dose recommended in children older than 12 months. There was one case of clinically significant respiratory depression.     

Soluble factor in normal tissues that stimulates high-molecular-weight sialoglycoprotein production by human colon carcinoma cells

The stimulation of high molecular weight sialoglycoprotein synthesis by a soluble factor derived from normal colon tissues was studied in vitro with human colon carcinoma cell lines, HT-29 P and a metastatic variant HT-29 LMM. The synthesis of all three high-molecular-weight sialoglycoproteins (approximate Mr 900,000, 740,000, and 450,000) by HT-29 P cells or HT-29 LMM cells growing in vitro was enhanced by supplementing the culture medium with a conditioned medium of fresh human colon organ culture. Changes were detected by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of lysates from [3H]glucosamine-labeled cells on 3% gels followed by fluorography, or by electrophoresis of lysates from unlabeled cells followed by incubation with 125I-labeled wheat germ agglutinin and autoradiography. No changes were detected in the major protein components or in glycoproteins at Mr less than 200,000 as revealed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The treated cells did not change their growth rate or morphology. The connective tissue portions of the colon tissues were apparently responsible for the production of this stimulatory substance. The stimulatory activity was preserved at 56 degrees C but was inactivated by heating at 100 degrees C. The substance was eluted from a Sephacryl S-200 column at a position between the elution positions of ovalbumin and trypsinogen. The colon carcinoma cells treated with the conditioned medium and producing increased amounts of high-molecular-weight sialoglycoproteins were less sensitive to the cytolytic effects of recombinant interleukin 2-activated human peripheral blood lymphocytes than untreated cells were. The treated colon carcinoma cells induced stronger platelet aggregation than their untreated counterparts did. Therefore, this substance may represent one of the normal host tissue factors that can influence and modulate malignant behavior of carcinoma cells growing in vivo.     

The patient''s experience of diabetes and its treatment: construction of an attitude scale by a semantic differential technique

An instrument for measuring attitudes towards diabetes and self-care was constructed by a semantic differential technique. The instrument contained nine adjective pairs. Factor analysis classified these into four factors: self-esteem/autonomy, object evaluation, quality of life supporting factor and self-strength/vulnerability. The reliability coefficient of test-retest by 28 nurses/nurse tutors was 0.93. Fifty diabetic patients completed the attitude scale for testing the validity of the instrument. Male patients had a more positive attitude towards diabetes than females. Those who had had diabetes for less than 10 years were more positive than those with a longer duration of the disease. A higher degree of education, well-performed self-monitoring of blood glucose and achievement of good metabolic control were all associated with a more negative attitude towards diabetes. A group of nurses/nurse tutors who also completed the attitude scale had a more negative attitude towards diabetes than the investigated groups of patients.     

Intrauterine spermatic cord torsion in the newborn: sonographic and pathologic correlation

In five newborn patients with spermatic cord torsion, sonography demonstrated an enlarged and globular testis, hydrocele, and skin thickening. In four of these patients the testicular parenchyma was heterogeneous. Peripheral hypoechoic areas were seen in two of the four patients; the other two had a central hypoechoic region and a peripheral echogenic rim. The testis in the fifth patient was diffusely hyperechoic. Duplex Doppler sonography performed in two patients failed to demonstrate any signal in the spermatic cord in either the abnormal or contralateral hemiscrotum. Scintigraphic findings were positive for testicular torsion in two patients and equivocal in three patients. Surgery was performed 2-12 days after sonography and established the diagnosis of spermatic cord torsion. Pathologic examination demonstrated hemorrhagic infarction of the entire testis as well as scattered calcifications. The authors conclude that a solid globular testicular mass seen during the neonatal period is suggestive of intrauterine spermatic cord torsion.