Collagenous colitis: Clinical and histological spectrum in ten patients

Collagenous colitis is characterized by the presence of a thick subepithelial collagen band in the colonic mucosa. The condition was diagnosed on rectal biopsy in 10 patients (one male, nine females) who presented with watery diarrhoea. Although rectal mucosal erythema was present in three and ulceration in two, the mucosa was of normal endoscopic appearance in five of the patients. There was marked variability in the thickness of the submucosal collagen band, both between and within individuals. Empirical drug therapy included sulphasalazine, glucocorticoids and antidiarrhoeals. All patients reported symptomatic improvement.     

Preventing accidental injury to young children in the home using volunteers

Accidental injury in the home is a major cause of death andill-health among young children. Reducing home safety hazardsby the use of safety devices such as stair barriers and safetytaps has the potential to prevent home injuries. Little is knownabout levels of home safety hazards or how to encourage parentsto reduce hazards. The Safe Place Project examined parents'knowledge of home safety and the prevalence of safety hazardsin homes where there were young children. The study also evaluatedthe effectiveness of a low-cost strategy aimed at reducing homesafety hazards. The strategy used trained volunteers to providehome safety checks and tailored safety education in conjunctionwith increasing the availability of home safety devices. Onehundred and six families with young children participated inthe project. Some homes contained many hazards, with 43% ofthe sample having more than 10 home safety hazards. At follow-up,the intervention group showed a significant reduction in homehazards and a trend towards an increase in knowledge of homesafety.     

A community prevention trial to reduce alcohol-involved accidental injury and death: overview

The 5-year “Preventing Alcohol Trauma: A Community Trial” project in the United States was designed to reduce alcohol-involved injuries and death in three experimental communities. The project consisted of five mutually reinforcing components: (1) Community Mobilization Component to develop community organization and support, (2) Responsible Beverage Service Component to establish standards for servers and owner/managers of on-premise alcohol outlets to reduce their risk of having intoxicated and/or underage customers in bars and restaurants, (3) Drinking and Driving Component to increase local DWI enforcement efficiency and to increase the actual and perceived risk that drinking drivers would be detected, (4) Underage Drinking Component to reduce retail availability of alcohol to minors, and (5) Alcohol Access Component to use local zoning powers and other municipal controls of outlet number and density to reduce the availability of alcohol. This paper gives an overview of the rationale and causal model, the research design and outline of each intervention component for the entire prevention trial.     

The influence of pentoxifylline on motility and viability of spermatozoa from normozoospermic semen samples

In order to evaluate the effects of pentoxifylline on sperm motility and longevity, a controlled in-vitro study was conducted on normozoospermic donor semen samples using the Cellsoft automated system for sperm motility analysis. After incubation and selection, pentoxifylline was found to improve the recovery of spermatozoa and to increase their velocity. In the subgroup of progressively motile spermatozoa, curvilinear velocity was also enhanced. It is concluded that pentoxifylline has an effect on the vigour, but not on the pattern, of sperm motion. Pentoxifylline did not improve the motility characteristics of senescent spermatozoa in normozoospermic sperm samples. Sperm survival, as shown by supra-vital staining, and motility longevity both decreased with time after pentoxifylline treatment.     

Synthesis and biological activity of Substance P C-terminal hexapeptide and heptapeptide analogues

The analogues [Glu(OBzl)¹¹]SP_6–11 and [Glu(OBzl)¹¹]SP_5–11 of the C-terminal hexapeptide and heptapeptide of Substance P have been synthesized by conventional solution methods. In each analogue the SCH₃ group of Met¹¹ is replaced by the COOCH₂C₆H₅ group. The in vitro activity of both analogues has been determined on three biological preparations: guinea pig ileum (GPI), rat vas deferens (RVD), and rat portal vein (RPV). The selectivity for the different receptors has been studied by utilizing atropine-treated guinea pig ileum (GPI + At). The results showed that both analogues are mainly active on GPI through the NK-1 receptor and that both analogues are equipotent to Substance P.     

Palliative treatment of malignant ascites by intraperitoneal bleomycin after dialytic ultrafiltration with haemofilter

Dialytic ultrafiltration with haemofilter was performed in 16 patients with malignant ascites refractory to treatment with sodium restriction, diuretic and systemic chemotherapy. A continuous flow of ascitic fluid at a rate of 300–400 ml/min through a haemofilter was maintained by a blood pump. The protein-rich ascitic fluid was re-infused into the peritoneal cavity with sodium and water removed. An average of 5.2 1 of filtrate was removed over a mean interval of 3.5 h. Bleomycin (60 mg) was administered intraperitoneally following the procedure. Complete response was observed in six patients (37.25%) and partial response occurred in four (25%). The remaining patients showed no response. Complications of the dialytic ultrafiltration procedure and toxicity of intraperitoneal administration of bleomycin were minimal. The technique of dialytic ultrafiltration is simple, safe and cost-effective and could be used as an adjuvant therapy for intraperitoneal chemotherapy.     

The effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor and live yeast cell derivative on tympanic membrane regeneration in a rat model

The current treatment of choice for chronic tympanic membrane perforations is surgery. Recent studies using various polypeptide growth factors to accelerate closure of tympanic membrane perforations in model systems have produced mixed results. This study evaluates the effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor (AFGF) and live yeast cell derivative (LYCD) on the rate of healing of acute tympanic membrane perforations in a rat model. Thirty-seven rats had both ears separately randomized in a blinded fashion to receive AFGF in one of three concentrations, LYCD, or a control solution. The rats initially underwent subtotal removal of the tympanic membranes bilaterally. Solutions were applied to the randomized ears daily for 3 days, starting at the time of the surgical perforation. The ears were photographed every 3 to 8 days for 35 days. The photographs were digitally scanned and a computer analysis was used to calculate the percentage of residual perforation. No significant difference in the rate of healing was observed for ears treated with AFGF or LYCD versus the controls. Given the potential advantages of medical treatment of tympanic membrane perforations and the established efficacy of growth factors in other model systems, however, further research is warranted. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1997;117:616-21.)     

HIV risk of transmission behaviour amongst HIV-infected prisoners and its correlates

Thirty-eight from a total of 42 known HIV-positive prisoners in the Irish prison system voluntarily cooperated in a survey of psychological attitudes, knowledge of risk behaviour, intentions with respect to future risk behaviour, and actual past risk behaviour Of this group, 65% reported that they had put others at risk of HIV, since they became aware of their own HIV + status. Only 16% stated that they would definitely not share their drug-taking equipment in the future and 32% that they would always use a condom in sexual intercourse. In general, psychological and biographical variables were not strongly related to whether or not the respondents had put others at risk of HIV. Nor were there any significant differences in knowledge of at risk behaviour between those who had and those who had not put others at risk. However, there was some evidence for considerable independence between risk-taking behaviour in the sexual and in the drug-taking domains, in that risk-taking in one area was not highly predictive of risk-taking in the other.