Protective effects of polydatin against CCl4-induced injury to primarily cultured rat hepatocytes

ＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＰｏｌｙｇｏｎｕｍｃｕｓｐｉｄａｔｕｍＳｉｅｂ．ｅｔＺｕｃｃ．（Ｐｏｌｙｇｏｎａｃｅａｅ）ｉｓａｔｒａｄｉｔｉｏｎａｌＣｈｉｎｅｓｅｈｅｒｂａｌｄｒｕｇ,ｗｉｔｈｂｉｔｅｒｔａｓｔｅａｎｄｃｏｌｄｎａｔｕｒｅ．Ｉｔｍａｉｎｌｙ...     

Inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus by gamma radiation and its effect on plasma and coagulation factors

The inactivation of HIV by gamma-radiation was studied in frozen and liquid plasma; a reduction of the virus titer of 5 to 6 logs was achieved at doses of 5 to 10 Mrad at -80 degrees C and 2.5 Mrad at 15 degrees C. The effect of irradiation on the biologic activity of a number of coagulation factors in plasma and in lyophilized concentrates of factor VIII (FVIII) and prothrombin complex was examined. A recovery of 85 percent of the biologic activity of therapeutic components present in frozen plasma and in lyophilized coagulation factor concentrates was reached at radiation doses as low as 1.5 and 0.5 Mrad, respectively. As derived from the first-order radiation inactivation curves, the radiosensitive target size of HIV was estimated to be 1 to 3 MDa; the target size of FVIII was estimated to be 130 to 160 kDa. Gamma radiation must be disregarded as a method for the sterilization of plasma and plasma-derived products, because of the low reduction of virus infectivity at radiation doses that still give acceptable recovery of biologic activity of plasma components.     

SELECTIVE ENDOSCOPY IN MANAGEMENT OF INGESTED FOREIGN BODIES OF THE UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT: IS IT SAFE?

During a four-year period, 308 patients presented following ingestion of foreign bodies. Ingestion was accidental in 272 cases (88.3%) and deliberate in the remainder. Symptoms at presentation included dysphagia, odynophagia, nausea and vomiting, chest pain and pharyngeal discomfort. Sixty-eight patients were asymptomatic. A policy of expectant management and selective endoscopy was employed. Following initial assessment 202 patients (65.6%) were discharged without treatment, 30 (9.7%) of whom were later reviewed as outpatients and did not require admission. Forty-nine patients (16%) were admitted for treatment; 27 had oesophagoscopy, five bronchoscopy and two had foreign body extraction with direct laryngoscopy. In nine patients who were endoscoped, no foreign body was identified. Twenty-seven others were referred to the otorhinolaryngology service in another hospital. There were no deaths in the group and morbidity was 1.2%. We conclude that a policy of selective endoscopy is safe and effective in the management of patients following ingestion of foreign bodies.     

Conversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation or flutter with ibutilide after amiodarone has failed

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether ibutilide can convert atrial fibrillation or flutter in patients in whom amiodarone has failed. DESIGN AND SETTING: Clinical study in a university hospital intensive care unit (ICU). PATIENTS: Twenty-six patients were studied, in whom atrial fibrillation or flutter persisted for a maximum of 6 h at maximum. Patients were monitored continuously during the arrhythmia. Medical conversion was necessary due to symptomatic or hemodynamic causes. INTERVENTIONS: All patients initially received amiodarone (150 mg i.v.) and after 2 h of persistent arrhythmia ibutilide (1 mg or, without success and body weight > 70 kg, 2 mg i.v.). Before the administration of ibutilide 1 g magnesium was administered, and high normal levels of potassium serum levels were achieved (4.5-5.0 mmol/l). RESULTS. After amiodarone atrial flutter persisted in 73% and atrial fibrillation in 27% of patients. After ibutilide the QT interval was prolonged from 327 +/- 61 to 387 +/- 62 ms. The QTc interval increased from 456 +/-32 to 461 +/- 66 ms. Conversion to normal sinus rhythm was achieved in 22 of 27 of cases. Nonsustained torsade de pointes tachycardia was seen in three patients (11%). No patient showed sustained ventricular tachycardia. Patients with proarrhythmic effects were characterized by a decreased left ventricular function. CONCLUSIONS: In ICU patients ibutilide led to conversion to sinus rhythm in 81.5% of patients in whom amiodarone was unsuccessful. Nonsustained tachycardias were seen in 11%; sustained ventricular tachycardia was not seen. Ibutilide seems to be well suitable for conversion of recent onset atrial fibrillation or flutter and had no severe side effects in this study population.