Ocular attacks after phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation in patients with Behçet disease

PURPOSE: To elucidate factors related to ocular inflammatory attacks after cataract surgery, limited to a single procedure of phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation, in patients with Beh?et disease. METHODS: This retrospective study included 12 consecutive patients (16 eyes) with Beh?et disease, who underwent phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation during 4 years from January 1995 to December 1998 at three institutions. Their medical records were reviewed, and factors related to the ocular attacks were analyzed. RESULTS: Four eyes of 3 patients experienced ocular attacks during 1 year before cataract surgery, while 4 eyes of 4 patients developed ocular attacks during 1 year after the surgery. The development of ocular attacks after cataract surgery was significantly related with the presence of ocular attacks during 1 year before the surgery (p = 0.0286, chi(2) test). The patients' age or gender, the duration of Beh?et disease or oral medications for Beh?et disease did not show any relationship with the presence or absence of ocular attacks after cataract surgery. The visual acuity improved in all patients after the surgery, including those who developed ocular attacks. CONCLUSIONS: The experience of ocular attacks during 1 year before cataract surgery is related to postoperative ocular attacks. Despite postoperative ocular attacks, phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation is a safe procedure to expect a good visual outcome in patients with Beh?et disease.     

The effect of casein phosphopeptides on calcium absorption from calcium-fortified milk in growing rats

The effect of casein phosphopeptides (CPP) prepared from bovine casein by enzymatic hydrolysis (extrinsic CPP) on Ca absorption from Ca-fortified milk was studied in young male rats, in comparison with that produced from casein in the small intestine (intrinsic CPP). The gastrointestinal Ca disappearance (Ca ingested - (gastric Ca + intestinal Ca )) was calculated as an indirect measurement of Ca absorption. After being fasted overnight, the animals were given 2.0 ml Ca-fortified milk (30 g fat, 35 g protein, 2.7 g Ca/kg) without or with 1.0 mg extrinsic CPP/ml, by gastric intubation. The intestinal soluble Ca level after 15 min and the gastrointestinal Ca disappearance after 15 and 30 min in the rats given Ca-fortified milk with 1.0 mg extrinsic CPP/ml were significantly higher than these figures in the rats given Ca-fortified milk without CPP (P < 0.05). When the rats were given unfortified milk (1.35 g Ca/kg) in another reference experiment, no significant effect on intestinal soluble Ca and gastrointestinal Ca disappearance was apparent from the addition of CPP to milk. Ca availability was estimated by measuring 45Ca-deposits in the bones of rats 48 h after being given 2.0 ml Ca-fortified milk labelled with 45Ca (180 kBq/2 ml) with or without 0.25 mg CPP/ml. The levels of 45Ca radioactivity of the femur and tibia from the rats given Ca-fortified milk with extrinsic CPP were significantly higher than those from the control group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the addition of CPP to Ca-fortified milk could increase Ca absorption by growing rats mainly from CaCO3 added to the milk. The mechanism of CPP related to the interaction of CPP and Ca in the gastrointestinal tract is discussed.     

Dose relationship of limbic-cortical D2-dopamine receptor occupancy with risperidone

RATIONALE: It has been suggested that the antipsychotic effect of antipsychotics is mediated by the antagonism of the dopamine D2 receptor in the limbic-cortical regions. Risperidone has an atypical property, but its effect on limbic-cortical regions has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we examined the relationship among doses of risperidone and limbic-cortical dopamine D2 receptor occupancy using positron emission tomography. METHODS: Seven patients with schizophrenia were scanned during the steady state with risperidone. Their occupancies in limbic-cortical regions were determined using positron emission tomography with [11C]FLB 457. RESULTS: The average occupancy ranged from 38% to 80% on doses of 1-6 mg/day. The saturation curve plotted against the drug level fit the data well. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that the D2 receptor occupancy with risperidone in the limbic-cortical regions seems to be similar to that of previous reports regarding the striatum, and it would be comparable to that of typical antipsychotics.     

In vitro interactions of a new derivative of spicamycin, KRN5500, and other anticancer drugs using a three-dimensional model

Purpose: KRN5500 is a new derivative of spicamycin produced by Streptomyces alanosinicus and is known to have a wide range of antitumor activities against human cancer cell lines. Because of its unique structure, this compound seems to have a different mode of action from other antitumor drugs and nonoverlapping toxicities. Therefore, KRN5500 is expected to be a suitable candidate for combination chemotherapy. Methods: We investigated the effects of combinations of KRN5500 and other anticancer drugs on the growth of a human non-small-cell lung cancer cell line, PC14, using a revised three-dimensional model. Results: Synergism was observed when KRN5500 and cisplatin were combined at concentrations in the ranges 0.005 to 0.25 μg/ml and 0.025 to 0.25 μg/ml, respectively. In combination with carboplatin, an analog of cisplatin, and etoposide, a marked synergistic interaction was also found. Conclusion: These results suggest the usefulness of combinations of KRN5500 with cisplatin, carboplatin or etoposide for chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer. Received: 27 April 1998 / Accepted: 15 September 1998     

Microvasculature of bone

The three dimensional vascular microarchitecture of mercox resin on the lateral surface of parietal bone in Wistar strain adult male rats (b. w. 260–350 g.) was studied in relation to bone formation by SEM observation of corrosion casts. The microarchitecture was a single layer of network composed of precapillary artery, capillary and postcapillary vein, which were serpigious, sometimes joined with the vein from the vascular foramen of bone. The meshes of this network, which were irregular and varied in size, existed apart from the bone surface. According to the report of Iwaku and Ozawa (1986), it was reported that the vascular microarchitecture of the bone surface was very changable during the process of bone remodeling and this network, which was shown on the flat bone surface in this study, was very similar to one in the resting phase and/or the period in which the bone formation further advanced. From these facts and the morphological features of the bone surface observed here by SEM, it is suggested that this vascular network was closely related with the resting stage and/or the period in which bone formation further advanced in bone remodeling.     

Microheterogeneity of regional myocardial blood flows in low-perfused rat hearts evaluated by double-tracer digital radiography.

Using (3)H- and (125)I-labeled desmethylimipramine (DMI) for regional flow tracers, we established a two-time measurement method for the spatial pattern of myocardial perfusion in cross-circulated rat hearts. Myocardial extractions and retentions of these tracers were confirmed to be satisfactory; however, the latter were less than 90% after 3 min at a perfusion rate of 2.9 ml/min/g, limiting the present application to a short-time perfusion measurement. Distributions of myocardial depositions were separated by subtraction digital radiography with 400-microm pixel resolution. Its feasibility was examined by regression analysis between local deposition densities of (3)H- and (125)I-DMI injected simultaneously. The slope, y-intercept, and correlation coefficient (r) of the regression line were 0.98+/-0.04, 0.02+/-0.04, and 0.95+/-0.03, respectively, indicating the validity of the present image subtraction technique. The spatial pattern of myocardial perfusion in response to flow reduction was evaluated by the injections of (3)H- and (125)I-DMI, respectively, before and after a nearly 70% flow reduction. A significant correlation between normalized density distributions of these tracers was found in both subepicardium (r=0.77+/-0.12) and subendocardium (r=0.73+/-0.20), indicating the stable pattern of myocardial perfusion. However, the coefficient of variation of tracer densities showed a decrease of subendocardial flow heterogeneity from 35+/-15% to 31+/-16%. Thus, flow differences between originally high- and low-flow regions in subendocardium were reduced on a relative basis during low perfusion.     

Optical coherence tomography for observation of the olfactory epithelium in mice

Objective

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging tool that exploits the coherence of infrared light and is clinically utilized in the field of ophthalmology and dermatology. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of using OCT for diagnosing degeneration and regeneration of the olfactory epithelium in mice.

Three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for localized prostate cancer under field adjustment with implanted gold markers: early clinical outcome

Three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for localized prostate cancer under field adjustment with gold marker implantation was performed according to the treatment strategy based on the clinical risk factors to the patients who chose external beam radiotherapy. The treatment strategy contains indications for laparoscopic staging lymphadenectomy and neoadjuvant combined androgen blockade (CAB). This protocol was applied to 19 patients at Kagawa University Hospital from July 2001 to December 2003. The patients were divided into high-risk group (n=14): T3-4N0M0 or PSA > or = 20 ng/ml or Gleason sum > or = 8 or suspicious node, and low-risk group (n=5): T1c-2bN0M0 and PSA < 20 ng/ml and Gleason sum < or = 7 and no suspicious nodes. Basically, high-risk patients underwent laparoscopic staging lymphadenectomy prior to radiotherapy. One of the 14 patients had a positive node and underwent endocrine therapy. The high-risk group received neoadjuvant CAB for 3 to 4 months, followed by gold marker implantation. One patient chose endocrine therapy at this point. Low-risk patients underwent marker implantation without endocrine therapy. Every patient successfully completed planned irradiation. The changes of prostate volume and serum PSA after neoadjuvant CAB were significant [28.7 ml to 15.7 ml (p=0.004) and 53.9 ng/ml to 1.4 ng/ml (p=0.023), respectively]. Only one patient in the high-risk group had biochemical failure. No grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in NCI-CTC grading. The analysis of gravity center migration of the implanted gold markers in the first 8 patients showed that the planned safety margin might not be wide enough to avoid neighboring organ irradiation. These results suggested that 3D-CRT under field adjustment with implanted gold markers contributes to both higher efficacy and lower morbidity.