Effect of dipyridamole with or without aspirin on urine protein excretion in patients with membranous glomerulonephritis

Summary The antiproteinuric effect of the antiplatelet agent dipyridamole has been assessed after inhibiton of thromboxane B₂ (TxB₂) synthesis in 8 patients with confirmed membranous glomerulonephritis. There were three study periods, each of 30 days, and 45 days apart, namely a washout period, treatment with dipyridamole 300 mg/d, and dipyridamole 225 mg/d plus aspirin 150 mg/d. On Days 1 and 30 of each study period serum and urine creatinine, 24-h excretion of protein, creatinine clearance, platelet aggregometry on whole blood and serum TxB₂ were measured. Treatment with dipyridamole alone or with aspirin produced significant inhibition of platelet aggregation and a fall in 24-h protein excretion; the latter amounted to 54% with dipyridamole alone and 56 % with dipyridamole plus aspirin (NS). Dipyridamole plus aspirin caused an 82 % reduction in serum TxB₂.     

Percutaneous selective thermorhizotomy in the treatment of "essential" trigeminal neuralgia. The importance of lesion selectivity

Results following percutaneous thermorhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia are described in 111 patients. Recurrences and side effects are more frequent whenever selectivity of the surgical lesion has been imperfect (exceeding the original pain area and causing marked hypoesthesia), and less frequent in the cases with strictly selective lesion.     

Effects of retinol on proliferation, cell adherence and extracellular matrix synthesis in a liver myofibroblast or lipocyte cell line (GRX).

We have studied the effect of retinol on an established murine cell line (GRX), representative of liver connective tissue cells. This cell line has myofibroblast characteristics; under retinol treatment it is induced into the lipocyte (Ito-cell) phenotype. Retinol decreased the proliferation rate in the entire cell population. It increased cell adherence to the substrate, which was correlated with the increased secretion of fibronectin. Collagen secretion was specifically decreased, whilst the total protein secretion remained stable. Heparan sulphate was decreased in the pericellular compartment, but other glycosaminoglycans were not affected by retinol treatment. Modulations of pericellular components induced by retinol may alter the relations among liver mesenchymal cells, and may be related to vitamin-A-induced modifications of the homoeostasis of hepatic connective tissue and hepatic fibrosis.