Extensive post-traumatic ossification of the patellar tendon. A report of two cases

Two men, aged 21 and 50 years, were seen with ossification of the patellar tendon after injury to the knee in adolescence. They complained of pain and had patella alta. Large bony masses were excised from below the affected patellae. The patellar tendon was then reconstructed using a Leeds-Keio ligament. The results at six and ten years, respectively, were good, with neither patient having pain or an extension lag.     

17 Beta-estradiol increases VEGF receptor-2 and promotes DNA synthesis in retinal microvascular endothelial cells.

PURPOSE: Estrogen is known to promote angiogenesis in gonads. The presence of estrogen receptors in the vascular endothelium of organs other than gonads has been reported. The goal of this study was to determine whether estrogen promotes the proliferation of retinal microvascular endothelial cells and to explore the mechanism of it. METHODS: DNA was quantitated using primary cultures of bovine retinal endothelial cells that were incubated with different doses of 17 beta-estradiol (E2), VEGF, or both. The changes in expression level of VEGF and VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2) were measured using northern blot analysis after treatment with E2. The presence of estrogen receptors in the endothelial cells was studied by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. RESULTS: 17 Beta-estradiol (E2) increased the DNA level in bovine retinal capillary endothelial cells (BRECs) by 177% at 1 nM (P < 0.05) and 150% at 10 nM (P < 0.05) by comparison with unstimulated BREC. One hundred nanomole tamoxifen completely blocked the E2-induced DNA synthesis in BRECs. Ten nanomole E2 augmented vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced DNA synthesis in BRECs significantly (160%, P < 0.01). Ten nanomole E2 also increased VEGF mRNA expression, which peaked after 24 hours (6.7 times, P < 0.05), and VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2) mRNA expression, which peaked after 9 hours (2.4 times, P < 0.05). The mRNA expression level of VEGFR2 peaked with 10 nM E2 (P < 0.05) and that of VEGF reached maximum with 1 nM E2 (15 times, P < 0.001). VEGFR2 and VEGF proteins increased in parallel with their mRNA levels. Immunocytochemistry showed estrogen receptor expression in BRECs, and western blot analysis indicated the presence of a 67-kDa protein that was compatible with the estrogen receptor. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that E2 may stimulate BREC growth by the receptor-mediated pathway and that E2 may augment the VEGF-dependent angiogenesis partly through the upregulation of VEGFR2.     

Intrathecal substance P depresses the tail-flick response — Antagonism by naloxone

Summary Substance P injected into the lumbar subarachnoid space of rats depressed the tail-flick response to radiant heat in a dose-dependent way. The effective doses ranged from 0.1 g to 100 g per rat (ED 50: 1.5 g/rat). The maximum of the effect was reached 20 min after intrathecal injection and the effect lasted for about 30 min. An antinociceptive effect was also observed after intrathecal injection of substance P 1 g to spinal rats. The depression of the tail-flick response produced by intrathecal administration of substance P was abolished by intrathecal (5 g/rat) or i.p. (0.5 mg/kg) injections of naloxone.Supported by the Sonderforschungsbereich 38 Membranforschung     

Wrapping operation for Stanford type A acute dissecting aneurysms]

Four cases of Stanford type A acute aortic dissection were treated by wrapping operation. After careful dissection between the dilated ascending aorta and right pulmonary artery, 8 mm woven Dacron vascular prosthesis was passed around the aorta and tightened. Further enforcement wrapping was carried out using several prostheses from aortic root to the innominate artery. We call this technique "wrapping operation". Emergent operations were performed on all patients because of cardiac tamponade, 6.8-33 hours after the onset of dissection. Three patients are doing well 17-39 months after the operation, but only 1 patient died early postoperative period because of DIC and multiple organ failure. And 2 patients was showed closure of entry of the ascending aorta by the postoperative aortography. We think that the wrapping operation is a useful technique for the patients of ruptured Stanford type A acute dissecting aneurysms.     

Effect of N-trifluoroacetyl derivatives of amino acids and amino acid analogs on microbial antitumor screen.

Eighteen trifluoroacetyl derivatives of amino acids and of amino acid analogs were prepared and tested for growth-inhibitory activity using a Lactobacillus casei system as a prescreen for antitumor activity. Of the compounds tested, the trifluoroacetyl derivatives of o-, m-, and p-fluorophenylalanine and of beta-3-thienylalanine showed modest activity; trifluoroacetyl derivatives of phenylalanine and of beta-2-thienylalanine showed marginal activity. The activity exhibited by the active trifluoroacetyl compounds was equal to that noted for most active chloroacetyl derivatives reported previously, as judged by comparison of their activity with that of chloroacetyl-m-fluorophenylalanine. No reversal of inhibition was noted when a representative of these inhibitors was challenged with a corresponding natural metabolite, both as a free amino acid and as a noninhibitory acylated compound.     

N-Benzoyl derivatives of amino acids and amino acid analogs as growth inhibitors in microbial antitumor screen.

Twenty-seven N-benzoyl derivatives of amino acids and amino acid analogs were prepared and tested for growth-inhibitory activity in a microbial antitumor screen. Of these, 19 showed some inhibitory capacity, from a modest 13% to a potent 96% at 1 mg/ml. The activities of the "modest" inhibitors were comparable to those of most inhibitory chloracetyl and trifluoroacetyl derivatives reported earlier. The intermediate inhibitors were as active as N-chloroacetyl-beta-hydroxy-D-norleucine isomer B, the most active acyl derivative noted previously. The most active compounds in this study were N-benzoyl-p-chloro-DL-phenylalanine and N-benzoyl-m-fluoro-DL-phenylalanine, which inhibited the test organism almost completely under the assay conditions.