Pain management in mice using methanol extracts of three plants belongs to family Amaranthaceae

ObjectiveTo investigate the analgesic activity of methanolic extract of Amaranthus viridis (A. viridis), Amaranthus caudatus (A. caudatus) and Amaranthus spinosus (A. spinosus).MethodsIn this study, the analgesic activity of methanol extracts of all three plants at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg were investigated by acetic acid-induced writhings test, hot plate test and tail immersion test for mice.ResultsIt was found that all the three plants showed significant pain management effect (P<0.01) at a dose of 400 mg/kg, but showed a less significant effect at a dose of 20 mg/kg in the entire tests used for evaluation of analgesic activities (P<0.05).ConclusionsMethanol extracts of A. viridis, A. caudatus and A. spinosus show potent analgesic activities, and this study provides the scientific proof for their traditional claims.     

Automated breast sonography using a 7.5-MHz PVDF transducer: preliminary clinical evaluation. Work in progress

Breast ultrasound imaging performed with an automated machine was carried out in 89 patients, and images obtained with a conventional ceramic single-focus 4-MHz transducer and a 7.5-MHz polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) transducer were compared. The 7.5-MHz PVDF transducer improved overall image quality in 77% of patients and had equal penetration in 83%. It yielded greatly increased diagnostic information in 43% of 81 masses and improved visualization of calcification in 57% of 14 lesions in which calcium was visible on mammograms.     

Work in progress: the effect of heat on bleomycin cytotoxicity in vitro and on the accumulation of 57Co-bleomycin in heat-treated rat tumors

The cytotoxic effects of the sequence and timing in combined hyperthermia and bleomycin treatment were tested in vitro using V79 Chinese hamster cells. The order of treatment was important; heat treatment followed by the administration of bleomycin yielded greater cytotoxicity than when the opposite order was used. To determine whether heat-treated tumors have an altered uptake of bleomycin, rat rhabdomyosarcoma (BA 1112) tumors were heated locally with RF current (43 degrees C, 90 min.), injected with 57Co-bleomycin, and imaged on a radioisotope camera. Results of tumor-to-background (T/B) ratio analysis indicate that (a) local hyperthermia (43 degrees C) does not appear to alter tumor uptake patterns of 57Co-bleomycin; and (b) intravenous and intraperitoneal injections produce similar T/B uptake ratios, typically between 2 and 3 at 120 minutes postinjection. In the BA 1112/WAG/Rij tumor system, local hyperthermia treatment does not seem to interfere with the subsequent accumulation of bleomycin in the tumor.     

Surgeons'' knowledge, attitude, and use of preoperative autologous blood donation

Before a comprehensive educational program on preoperative autologous blood donation was begun, 118 surgeons from three different areas of the country were tested to assess their baseline knowledge and attitude about this practice. Test results were correlated with the percentage of eligible patients that the surgeons actually referred for preoperative donation during a period of observation. The purpose of this preliminary effort was to identify areas in the educational program that required emphasis. Overall, the surgeons' attitude toward preoperative donation was quite favorable, but their depth of knowledge varied. Misunderstandings may have led to diminished use of this service (eg, about 50% didn't realize that many patients with medical conditions or low hematocrits are permitted to donate). However, it is not clear that simply bolstering surgeons' knowledge will increase their appropriate use of preoperative donation. When all 118 surgeons were studied, their knowledge and attitude were unrelated to the percentage of eligible patients referred. However, when 44 surgeons who managed the largest number of eligible patients were analyzed separately, their use of preoperative donation was directly correlated with their knowledge and attitude. The local awareness of AIDS also significantly influenced the use of this service. It is proposed that knowledge of preoperative donation may be important for inducing surgeons to begin referring patients for this service. Once a pattern of successful participation is established, referral seems to increase with the acquisition of working knowledge.     

血管加压素受体Ⅰ在实验性糖尿病大鼠肾脏和肝脏的调节

本文利用链脲佐菌素诱导的实验性糖尿病大鼠,在糖尿病形成2周时分别测定血糖、肾小球滤过率(GFR)、血浆精氨酸血管加压素(AVP)、血钠及血浆渗透压,并用选择性AVP受体Ⅰ(V1)的放射配体~(125)I[d(CH_2)_5-Sarcosine~7]AVP对肾髓质膜和肝细胞膜V1受体进行结合分析。实验分三组:糖尿病组(D组)、胰岛素治疗组(T组)和对照组(C组)。结果表明,糖尿病形成2周时,各组血糖值为:D=37±7.5mmol/L;T=19±5.78mmol/L: C=7.63±0.59mmol/L。DT两组的GFR均增加,血浆AVP在D组明显高于对照组。膜受体结合试验显示:肾髓质膜V1受体最大结合容量(Bmax)在各组均无明显差异,解离常数(Kd值)D组大于T、C两组,肝细胞膜Bmax在T组增加,而Kd值在各组均未见改变。