Clomipramine and Sexual Function in Men with Premature Ejaculation and Controls

Purpose

We determined whether clomipramine taken as needed increases ejaculation latency in men with premature ejaculation and controls.

Materials and Methods

The study included 8 patients with primary premature ejaculation, 6 with premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction, and 8 controls. A prospective, double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover design was used that included 2, 3-week periods with clomipramine and placebo. During treatment phases subjects took either 25 mg. clomipramine or placebo as needed, that is 12 to 24 hours before anticipated sexual activity (coitus or masturbation). Subjects also visited the laboratory during these phases for evaluation of sexual response using visual erotic stimulation with and without vibration to the penis. Daily logs of sexual activities were maintained during treatment phases.

Results

Clomipramine significantly increased the latency to ejaculation during sexual activity (coitus or masturbation) from approximately 2 to 8 minutes in men with primary premature ejaculation. There were no significant effects in controls and men with premature ejaculation plus erectile dysfunction. Laboratory assessment indicated that men with primary premature ejaculation were better able to control ejaculatory response with clomipramine therapy. In these men clomipramine also resulted in increased satisfaction with sex life and relationship. Clomipramine inhibited nocturnal penile tumescence in all subjects.

Conclusions

Clomipramine (25 mg. as needed) effectively increases ejaculatory latency in men with primary premature ejaculation, while treatment is not effective in those with premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.     

Alcalinisation des anesthésiques locaux: théoriquement justifiée mais inutile cliniquement

Objectif

Plusieurs travaux expérimentaux sur des nerfs isolés ont montré que l’inhibition sélective des canaux sodés évoquée par les anesthésiques locaux était potentialisée par l’alcalinisation du bain de conservation. Ce changement de pH augmentait la proportion de la forme non ionisée et modifiait favorablement les caractéristiques du bloc nerveux dont la latence et la puissance. L’alcalinisation in vitro des anesthésiques locaux a été étudiée in vivo depuis les années 1970, les principaux bénéfices cliniques attendus étant une diminution de la latence du bloc anesthésique et une augmentation de leur puissance. Cette étude avait pour objectif de vérifier si les études cliniques confirmaient cette action in vivo.

Source

Les auteurs de ce travail de revue de la littérature ont relevé les articles pertinents à l’alcalinisation publiés dans les principaux journaux nords-américains et européens d’anesthésiologie et de pharmacologie publiés depuis 1965.

Constatations principales

Les bénéfices attendus soit la diminution de la latence et l’augmentation de la puissance du bloc ne se vérifient pas de façon convaincante in vivo. L’ajout de NaHCO₃ peut en outre produire une précipitation.

Conclusions

Les résultats des cliniques sont trop discordants à ce jour pour que cette technique soit recommandée en pratique quotidienne.     

Alkaloid, lignan and flavonoid constituents of Haplophyllum tuberculatum from Sudan

The aerial parts of Haplophyllum tuberculatum collected in Sudan have yielded the furoquinoline alkaloid skimmianine, the lignan justicidin-A, and 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6-methoxy-3-O-glucosyl flavone. Skimmianine was identified by direct comparison with authentic material; justicidin-A by analysis of spectral data and by examination of lanthanide induced shifts in the PMR spectrum; and 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6-methoxy-3-O-glucosyl flavone by spectral analysis of the original isolate and of its hydrolysis product.     

The HOPA Gene Dodecamer Duplication Is Not a Significant Etiological Factor in Autism

A recent study has suggested that a dodecamer duplication in the HOPA gene in Xq13 may occur in a significant portion of male patients with autism. We have determined the incidence of this duplication in 202 patients from the South Carolina Autism Study. The incidence of the duplication was not significantly different between patients and controls. Three of the female patients inherited the duplication from nonautistic fathers. In addition, there was no systematic skewing of X inactivation in the female patients with the duplication, or in nonautistic mothers and sisters with the duplication. These findings suggest that the dodecamer duplication in the HOPA gene does not play a significant role in the etiology of autism.     

Erythropoietin and erythropoietin receptor expression in head and neck cancer: relationship to tumor hypoxia.

PURPOSE: Erythropoietin, an oxygen-regulated glycoprotein hormone, is a hematopoietic cytokine that stimulates erythropoiesis by binding to its cellular receptor [erythropoietin receptor (EPOR)]. The recombinant form of human erythropoietin is used to prevent or treat anemia in cancer patients. However, in a recent randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving patients receiving curative radiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, erythropoietin treatment was associated with poorer locoregional progression-free survival. The purpose of our study was to determine whether EPOR and its ligand erythropoietin are expressed in primary head and neck cancer. We also investigated the hypothesis that erythropoietin expression in malignant cells may be associated with the presence of tumor hypoxia, an important factor involved in resistance to radiation treatment, tumor aggressiveness, and poor prognosis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Twenty-one patients received an i.v. infusion of the hypoxia marker pimonidazole hydrochloride before multiple tumor biopsies. Contiguous sections from 74 biopsies were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for EPOR and erythropoietin expression and pimonidazole binding. RESULTS: EPOR expression was present in tumor cells in 97% of the biopsies. Coexpression of erythropoietin was observed in 90% of biopsies. Erythropoietin and pimonidazole adduct staining did not always colocalize within tumors, but there was a significant positive correlation between levels of microregional erythropoietin expression and pimonidazole binding. CONCLUSIONS: The coexpression of erythropoietin and EPOR in tumor cells suggests that erythropoietin may potentially function as an autocrine or paracrine factor in head and neck cancer. The expression of the hypoxia-inducible protein erythropoietin in tumor cells correlates with levels of tumor hypoxia.     

ROLE OF INTERMEDIARY BIOMARKERS IN DETERMINING THE ANTICANCER EFFICACY OF MARINE COMPOUNDS

In the present study, two of the probable an umor marine compounds, manzamine A and sarcophine, were screened using benzo[a]pyrene (BP)-derived DNA adduct formation in MCF-7 cells as intermediary biomarker. Briefly, MCF-7 cells were treated with the compounds for 24 h followed by treatment with BP (0.5 μM). After 24h incubation, cellular DNA was isolated and analyzed for BP-derived DNA adducts by ³²P-postlabeling technique. Manzamine A and sarcophine increased the BP-DNA adducts by 2 to 4-folds. Further, manzamine A (50 μM) substantially down regulated the expression of p53 while sarcophine (50 μM) slightly induced the level of p21. The residual DNA repair ability was almost completely abolished by manzamine A while sarcophine was ineffective. Based on our preliminary results, these compounds may be classified as potential genotoxic.     

Localized conjunctival extra-nodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma with presumed paraproteinic crystalline keratopathy

Crystalline corneal deposits have been well reported in individual cases of lymphoproliferative disorders associated with hyper-gammaglobulinemia, hence called ‘Crystalline Paraproteinemic Keratopathy’. This is the first report of corneal deposits in a case of localised conjunctival B-cell Lymphoma without paraproteinaemia/hyper-gammaglobulinemia, hence called ‘Presumed Paraproteinic Crystalline Keratopathy’.