Dose effect for Japanese due to 232Th and 238U in imported drinking water

The consumption rate of bottled mineral water in Japan has increased due to changes in eating habits and contamination of water sources. Radioactivity levels of 238U and 232Th in imported mineral water were checked from the viewpoint of internal radiation for Japanese subjects. Concentration ranges of 238U and 232Th in imported bottled mineral water, domestic bottled mineral water, domestic tap water, and domestic soft drinks were as follows: for U, N.D to 7.48 x 10(3), 1.07 to 344, 0.66 to 104, and 3.04 to 46.2 ng dm (ppt); for Th, 0.60 to 5.12, 0.65 to 22.4, 0.64 to 22.1, and 11.0 to 48.5 ng dm, respectively. In some brands of imported bottled mineral water, U concentration was sometimes much higher than domestic bottled mineral water and domestic tap water. The annual effective dose (1.5 x 10(-3) mSv y(-1) estimated from intake of 238U was approximately 7 times higher than that through dietary intake in Japanese. However, the internal dose added by drinking the imported portable water is negligible compared with total annual internal dose. Concentrations of non-radioactive elements were also compared between imported and domestic bottled water. Geometric means of cobalt, arsenic, strontium, cesium, phosphorous, and calcium in imported bottled water were higher compared with those of domestic bottled mineral water and domestic tap water. Maximum values of 11 elements (arsenic, rubidium, strontium, cesium, barium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and manganese) were also found in imported bottled water.     

Efficacy of transferrin-conjugated paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles in a murine model of prostate cancer

Chemotherapy remains the preferred choice of treatment for prostate cancer but modest drug response and significant toxicity by conventional methods of administration limit their efficacy. In our study, we determined the efficacy of paclitaxel (Tx)-loaded biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) on tumor inhibition. We hypothesized that NPs following conjugation to transferrin (Tf) ligand (NPs-Tf) would enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the encapsulated drug. The antiproliferative activity of NPs was determined in human prostate cancer cell line (PC3) and their effect on tumor inhibition in a murine model of prostate cancer. NPs (approximately 220 nm in diameter, 5.4% w/w drug loading) under in vitro conditions exhibited sustained release of the encapsulated drug (60% release in 60 days). The IC50 (concentration of drug for 50% inhibition of cell growth) of the drug with Tf-conjugated NPs (Tx-NPs-Tf) was about 5-fold lower than that with unconjugated NPs (Tx-NPs) or drug in solution. Animals that received a single-dose intratumoral injection of Tx-NPs-Tf (Tx dose= 4 mg/kg) demonstrated complete tumor regression and greater survival rate than those that received either Tx-NPs or Tx-Cremophor EL formulation. In conclusion, sustained release NPs demonstrated greater antitumor activity following their conjugation to Tf ligand.     

Protective immunity in human lymphatic filariasis: problems and prospects

Human filariasis caused by lymphatic dwelling nematodes, affecting 120 million persons worldwide, is a major public health problem. Efforts towards development of vaccines for such large tissue-dwelling nematodes depends significantly on identification and demonstration of protective immunity in the exposed population. Immunological studies conducted in human filariasis so far are essentially attempts to establish a correlation of the immune response phenotypes with presence or absence of filarial infections/disease in the host, and the cause-effect relationship between the observed immune responses in the host and protective immunity continues to be conjectural. This short review attempts to clarify the functional definition of protective immunity, problems associated with identification of putatively immune subjects in endemic areas, role of antibodies reactive to surface of microfilariae and larvae stages of filarial parasites and importance of undertaking immunological investigations on a longitudinal basis in different cohorts of subjects presenting with one or the features of infection and/or disease for more accurate delineation of protective immunity in human filariasis.     

In vivo antitumor activity of pegylated zinc protoporphyrin: targeted inhibition of heme oxygenase in solid tumor

High expression of the inducible isoform of heme oxygenase (HO-1) is now well known in solid tumors in humans and experimental animal models. We reported previously that HO-1 may be involved in tumor growth (Tanaka et al., Br. J. Cancer, 88: 902-909, 2003), in that inhibition of HO activity in tumors by using zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) significantly reduced tumor growth in a rat model. We demonstrate here that poly(ethylene glycol)-conjugated ZnPP (PEG-ZnPP), a water-soluble derivative of ZnPP, exhibited potent HO inhibitory activity and had an antitumor effect in vivo. In vitro studies with cultured SW480 cells, which express HO-1, showed that PEG-ZnPP induced oxidative stress, and consequently apoptotic death, of these cells. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that PEG-ZnPP-administered i.v. had a circulation time in blood that was 40 times longer than that for nonpegylated ZnPP. More important, PEG-ZnPP preferentially accumulated in solid tumor tissue in a murine model. In vivo treatment with PEG-ZnPP (equivalent to 1.5 or 5 mg of ZnPP/kg, i.v., injected daily for 6 days) remarkably suppressed the growth of Sarcoma 180 tumors implanted in the dorsal skin of ddY mice without any apparent side effects. In addition, this PEG-ZnPP treatment produced tumor-selective suppression of HO activity as well as induction of apoptosis. The major reason for tumor-selective targeting of PEG-ZnPP is attributed to the enhanced permeability and retention effect that is observed commonly in solid tumors for biocompatible macromolecular drugs. These findings suggest that tumor-targeted inhibition of HO activity could be achieved by using PEG-ZnPP, which induces apoptosis in solid tumors, probably through increased oxidative stress.     

Insulinoma-a case report

BNM, a 40 years Hindu male presented with history of intermittent fainting attacks and had increase in body weight for last 2 years. He used to take a lot of sweets to recover from the attact. His body wht was 100 kg. His fasting blood sugar was 50 mg/dl and insulin glucose (I/G) ratio was 0.6. CT scan of abdoman showed one solitary tumour in the body of pancreas near its tail. Laparotomy was done. The tumour was found to be a benign insulinoma on microscopic examination. Though the postoperative period was uneventful but he succumbed probably due to pulmonay embolism.     

Disseminated cutaneous rhinosporidiosis in a HIV sero--positive patient

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic disease, classically involving the nose and nasopharynx, clinically presenting as polypii. However,disseminated rhinosporidiosis, involving various other sites including lips, conjunctiva, uvula, vagina, larynx. trachea. scalp and skin is also known to occur. A case of rhinosporidiosis, with nasal, oropharyngeal and multiple cutaneous lesions, in a patient who is sero--positive for HIV is reported.     

Diagnosis of superficial mycoses by direct microscopy - A statistical evaluation

A mycological study was undertaken in 250 cases of superficial mycotic infections, which included 210 cases of dermatophytosis, 18 cases of cutaneous candidiasis and 22 cases of tinea versicolor. The scrapings from all the cases were subjected to direct microscopic examination in 10% KOH solution and culture was done in case of candidiasis and dermatophytosis. Out of 250 cases direct microscopy was positive (KOH +ve) in 88 cases of dermatophytosis, 11 cases of candidiasis and all cases of tinea versicolor. Culture for dermatophytes and candida species in SDA medium were positive in 76 and 9 cases respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and the overall efficiency of the direct microscopy in the diagnosis of superficial mycotic infections were calculated to be 89.41%, 83.90%, 76.76%, 93.02% and 85.96% respectively.     

The burden of behavioral emergencies: need for specialist emergency services

Behavioral emergencies constitute an important component of medical emergencies. Psychiatric emergency services, which handle the bulk of behavioral emergencies, are inadequate to meet the burden. Strategies to deal with them are also hampered by the lack of adequate research and availability of data. Since behavioral emergencies may present differently in different groups, requiring differing management, consensus guidelines need to be arrived at for tackling behavioral emergencies. In addition, training professionals for psychiatric emergency services should form a part and parcel of emergency management services.     

Drill biopsy in the diagnosis of lung lesions.

A high speed pneumatic drill was used to perform 190 percutaneous transthoracic biopsies in 161 patients. The resultant cores of tissue provided a definite diagnosis in 146 patients, giving a success rate of 90.7%. Complications occurred in 58 patients, subcutaneous emphysema being the most common, though only seven patients required active treatment, giving a rate of 3.7% for important complications. One patient died within 24 hours of the biopsy procedure owing to asphyxia resulting from aspiration of the contents of an acutely dilated stomach. Our experience clearly establishes that the drill biopsy as used by us is simple and safe and can be carried out in an outpatient department, yielding better overall results than any other procedure for closed biopsy of the lung currently practised.