Pilocarpine for the treatment of xerostomia associated with salivary gland dysfunction

A double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of orally administered pilocarpine in treating oral dryness caused by salivary gland hypofunction. At low dosages, pilocarpine increased the production of saliva by parotid and submandibular and/or sublingual glands and relieved the sensation of oral dryness. The quantity and composition of pilocarpine-stimulated secretions were similar to saliva produced in response to gustatory stimulation with citrate. In appropriate patients, pilocarpine is a safe, easily administered, effective therapy to relieve xerostomia by increasing natural salivary function.     

Intracellular glutathione in the protection from anoxic injury in renal proximal tubules.

Previous results (Weinberg, J. M., J. A. David, M. Abarzua, and T. Rajan. 1987. J. Clin. Invest. 80:1446-1454) have shown that GSH and glycine (GLY) are cytoprotective during anoxia when added extracellularly. The present studies investigate the role that intracellular GSH plays in this cytoprotection. Proximal renal tubules in suspension prepared with either high (11 +/- 1 nmol/mg protein) or low (6 +/- 1 nmol/mg protein) GSH contents were subjected to 40 min of anoxia and 40 min of reoxygenation. Low GSH tubules were protected from plasma membrane damage during anoxia by exogenous addition of 1 mM GSH or GLY, reducing lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from 42 +/- 7 to 14 +/- 1 and 10 +/- 1%, respectively. High GSH tubules were equally protected from anoxic damage without exogenous additions. Since the high GSH content approximates the in vivo values, it may be concluded that GSH may be cytoprotective during anoxia in vivo. However, it is not the intracellular GSH itself that is cytoprotective; rather, this protection resides in the ability to produce GLY, which appears to be the cytoprotective agent. Alanine was also shown to have similar cytoprotective properties, although higher concentrations were required. Sulfhydryl reducing agents such as cysteine and dithiothreitol offered less, but significant protection from anoxic damage. Protection by GSH, GLY, or alanine was not associated with higher ATP levels during anoxia. Tubules that were protected from membrane damage during anoxia recovered oxygen consumption and K and ATP contents significantly better during reoxygenation than unprotected tubules.     

Continuous physostigmine infusion in rats with excitotoxic lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis: effects on performance in the water maze task and cortical cholinergic markers

Acute peripheral administration of physostigmine inhibits cortical acetylcholinesterase (AChE) for about 1 hr in the rat and improves performance on learning and memory paradigms after excitotoxic lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) in rats. This study examined the effects of continuous systemic infusion of physostigmine using osmotic minipumps. One week of continuous physostigmine infusion in normal animals inhibited cortical AChE activity in a dose-dependent manner. Doses causing near maximal (0.06 mg/kg/hr) and ED50 (0.0075 mg/kg/hr) inhibition of cortical AChE activity were used to determine the effects of continuous physostigmine administration on spatial learning in the water maze in rats with bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the NBM. Physostigmine had no effect on the acquisition of the maze task but prevented the retention deficit measured in untreated NBM-lesioned rats. Physostigmine treatment also improved the search strategy during the spatial probe trial compared to the untreated NBM-lesioned rats. The two doses of physostigmine examined did not produce differential responses on behavioral measures. Although NBM lesions significantly depleted cortical AChE activity, physostigmine treatment reduced the activity further in a dose-dependent manner. Whereas neither the lesion nor the low dose of physostigmine altered cortical receptor binding, the higher dose of physostigmine significantly down-regulated cortical muscarinic receptor binding by 28%. These data demonstrate that enhancement of acetylcholine neurotransmission can improve memory loss and spatial strategy associated with excitotoxic NBM lesions.     

Analysis of rat hemopoietic cells on the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. I. Isolation of pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells and granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells

A scheme is presented whereby pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (PHSC) from rat bone marrow can be enriched 320-fold with the aid of the fluorescence- activated cell sorter. This scheme is based on the observations that PHSC are strongly positive for Thy-1 antigen (upper 10th percentile); have light- scattering properties (size distribution) between those of bone marrow lymphocytes and myeloid progenitor cells; and are relatively resistant to cortisone. It is estimated that PHSC may constitute 80 percent of the cells isolated according to these parameters. Candidate PHSC are described at the light and electron microscopic levels. At least two populations of accessory cells appear to influence the number and/or the nature of the hemopoietic colonies that form in the in vivo spleen colony-forming unit assay. Putative amplifier cells are strongly Thy-1(+) and cortisone sensitive; putative suppressor cells are weakly Thy-1(+) and cortisone resistant. Three subsets of granulocyte (G) -macrophage (M) progenitor cells (in vitro colony-forming cells [CFC]) are identified on the basis of relative fluorescence intensity for Thy-1 antigen: G-CFC are strongly Thy-l(+); M-CFC are weakly Thy-l(+); and cells that produce mixed G and M CFC have intermediate levels of Thy-1. GM-cluster-forming cells and mature G and M are Thy-1(-). The results suggest that G-CFC are bipotential cells that give rise to G and M-CFC; and that the latter produce mature M through a cluster- forming cell intermediate. Thy-1 antigen is also demonstrated on members of the eosinophil, megakaryocyte, erythrocyte, and lymphocyte cell series in rat bone marrow. In each instance, the relative concentration of Thy-1 antigen is inversely related to the state of cellular differentiation.     

The intercorrelations between blood levels of ferritin,sCD163, and IL-18 in COVID-19 patients and their association to prognosis

Immunologic Research - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with immune dysregulation, severe respiratory failure, and multiple organ dysfunction caused by a cytokine storm involving...