Ursolic acid as a trypanocidal constituent in rosemary

The MeOH extract of the leaves of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) completely inhibited the motility of cultured epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi at the concentration of 2 mg/ml after 2 h of incubation. Activity-guided fractionation of the MeOH extract has resulted in the isolation of three triterpene acids, betulinic, oleanolic and ursolic acids. Ursolic acid stopped the movement of all T. cruzi epimastigotes at the minimum concentration (MC(100)) of 40 micro g/ml (88 micro M) after 48 h of incubation. Oleanolic acid was less active (MC(100): 250 micro g/ml, 550 micro M) and betulinic acid was practically inactive.     

Phthirus pubis infestation of the eyelashes and scalp hairs in a girl

A 4-year-old girl was seen because of foreign bodies on the eyelashes. Parasites and their nits were seen on the patient's eyelashes and scalp. Her parents denied having Phthirus pubis infection of the axillary, pubic, or body hair, despite confirmation of the infestation in their child. The parasites were removed and the lashes with nits were cut off at the base. The parasite was identified as P. pubis. The scalp was washed with phenothrin shampoo. One month later no P. pubis infestation was found. Removal of the parasites, cutting the lashes at the base, and using phenothrin shampoo on the scalp were effective in resolving phthiriasis.     

Effects of selective beta2 and beta3-adrenoceptor agonists on detrusor hyperreflexia in conscious cerebral infarcted rats

PURPOSE: We evaluated the effects of beta-adrenoceptor agonists on detrusor hyperreflexia in cerebral infarcted rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To produce cerebral infarction in Sprague-Dawley rats the left middle cerebral artery was occluded by introducing a monofilament nylon thread into the artery. In sham operated rats the same artery was exposed but not occluded. After these operations cystometric and cardiovascular experiments were performed with no anesthesia or restraint. RESULTS: After the operation bladder capacity was significantly decreased and voiding pressure was significantly increased in cerebral infarcted but not in sham operated animals. The difference in cerebral infarcted and sham operated rats was significant for each parameter (p <0.01). Post-void residual urine volume was not affected in either group. In the cerebral infarction group intravenous administration of CL316243 ([R,R]-5-2-[[2-(3-chlorophenyl-2-hydroxyethyl]-amino]propyl] -1,3-benzodioxole-2,2-dicarboxylate) (Kissei Central Laboratories, Hotaka, Japan) a selective beta3-adrenoceptor agonist, significantly increased bladder capacity at 10 and 100 microgram./kg. without affecting voiding pressure or post-void residual urine volume. Procaterol, a selective beta2-adrenoceptor agonist, significantly increased bladder capacity and post-void residual urine volume at 10 microgram/kg. intravenously without affecting voiding pressure. In separate experiments procaterol (1 to 100 microgram./kg. intravenously) decreased mean blood pressure and increased heart rate in a dose dependent manner. In contrast, the effects of CL316243 (0.1 to 100 microgram./kg. intravenously) on mean blood pressure and heart rate were minimal. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that in cerebral infarcted rats detrusor hyperreflexia can be suppressed by the selective beta3-adrenoceptor agonist CL316243 without increasing post-void residual volume and without significant cardiovascular side effects. If the current results hold true in humans, selective beta3-adrenoceptor agonists may prove useful for treating detrusor hyperreflexia associated with cerebral infarction.     

Membranous glomerulonephritis associated with renal cell carcinoma: failure to detect a nephritogenic tumor antigen

A 57-year-old man with renal cell carcinoma associated with membranous glomerulonephropathy (MGN) developed a transient amelioration of the nephrotic syndrome after excision of the tumor. We tried to identify a nephritogenic tumor antigen using the immunoblotting technique in this patient with MGN, since previous studies examined the interaction between tumor antigens and IgG eluted from the kidney tissue using immunofluorescence or immunodiffusion techniques, and no studies have identified the specific tumor antigen with the immunoblotting method. In the present study, no significant immunoreactivity was noted between the IgG eluted from renal cortical tissues of the patient and renal cell carcinoma proteins. Further studies are necessary to establish the pathogenic mechanism of MGN associated with malignancy.     

Mortality of pulmonary artery banding in the current era: recent mortality of PA banding

BACKGROUND: The mortality of pulmonary artery banding improved significantly in the 1980s. However, we lack information on this procedure in the current era. METHODS: The results of pulmonary artery banding in 365 patients who had operations between 1966 and 2001 were reviewed. The patients were divided into three groups: (1) group 1 patients who had operations between 1966 and 1979, (2) group 2 patients who had operations between 1980 and 1989, and (3) group 3 patients who had operations between 1990 and 2001. RESULTS: Significantly younger and smaller patients have been operated on recently (mean age: group 1, 169.0 +/- 40 days; group 2, 101.8 +/- 11 days; and group 3, 69.7 +/- 8.9 days; and mean weight: 4.6 +/- 0.1, 4.1 +/- 0.1, and 3.2 +/- 0.1 kg, respectively). A decrease was found in the number of simple cardiac anomalies, such as isolated ventricular septal defects. The early mortality in the three groups was 38.3% for group 1 (65 of 187), 13.5% for group 2 (15 of 111), and 13.8% for group 3 (12 of 87). Although the mortality did not vary significantly between groups 2 and 3, it improved over time in patients weighing less than 3 kg. Multivariate analysis of group 3 demonstrated that no isolated variable, including sex, weight, and diagnosis was a significant risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the advances in perioperative management, we found no improvement in the early mortality of pulmonary artery banding during the last decade. These results will support the preference for primary repair of intracardiac anomalies in small infants. However, this operation can now be performed with the same risk even in smaller patients. We believe that pulmonary artery banding has a role in the treatment of congenital cardiac anomalies.     

19F-magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemical shift imaging for schizophrenic patients using haloperidol decanoate

Haloperidol decanoate is widely used in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, but knowledge concerning its pharmacokinetics at the injected region is very limited. Because the chemical structure of haloperidol contains fluorine, in vivo 19F-magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy (repetition time (TR) = 1 s) and chemical shift imaging (CSI; TR = 1 s, pixel size = 15 x 15 mm) were performed in schizophrenic patients who were treated with haloperidol decanoate (three men and one woman) to measure its diachronic change at the injection point and visualize its local distribution after intramuscular injection. 19F signals (T1 time = 365 ms) were obtained at the haloperidol decanoate-injected region. The decrease rate of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by 19F-MR spectroscopy seemed large in comparison with that of the plasma haloperidol concentration. The distribution was clearly visualized by 19F-CSI for a few days after the injection, but after 1 week could no longer be seen. Although the slow-release characteristics of depot neuroleptics have been explained by the slow diffusion of esterified neuroleptics from the oil vehicle, this result may suggest that there are other mechanisms involved in maintaining the plasma haloperidol concentration. In vivo 19F-MR spectroscopy and CSI are potentially applicable for the pharmacokinetic analysis of haloperidol and other drugs containing fluorine in their structure.     

A mixture of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer and ethanol yielding a nonadhesive liquid embolic agent to treat cerebral arteriovenous malformations: initial clinical experience

OBJECT: The authors report their clinical experience with their new nonadhesive liquid embolic agent, an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVAL)/ethanol mixture, to treat arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). METHODS: Between June 1995 and April 2001, 57 patients with confirmed AVMs underwent embolization of their lesions with the EVAL/ethanol mixture. In 87 procedures consisting of one to three stages, the authors embolized 185 feeding arteries to occlude as much of the AVM as possible. Repeated injections under fluoroscopic control could be performed smoothly without encountering cementing of the catheter to the vessel wall. Among the 87 embolizations undertaken in 57 patients, seven procedures (8%) in six patients produced new postembolization symptoms. Resolution of these symptoms occurred within hours or days after four of the seven procedures; permanent neurological deficits remained after the other three procedures (3.4%). Of the 57 patients, three underwent postembolization radiosurgery, and 54 underwent radical treatment with microsurgical extirpation. Histopathological examination of the 54 specimens disclosed mild inflammation within the embolized lumen without inflammatory reactions in the media or adventitia. Follow-up angiograms obtained 3 years after radiosurgery was administered showed that in all three patients treated in this fashion the nidus had completely disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: The EVAL/ethanol mixture is handled easily and appears to be an effective and safe agent for preoperative embolization of AVMs.     

Cell-free Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Binds to, and Efficiently Enters Mouse Cells

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV–1) is an etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and other HTLV-1–associated diseases. However, the interaction between HTLV–1 and T cells in the pathogenesis of these diseases is poorly understood. Mouse cells have been reported to be resistant to cell-free HTLV–1 infection. However, we recently reported that HTLV–1 DNA could be observed 24 h after cell-free HTLV–1 infection of mouse cell lines. To understand HTLV–1 replication in these cells in detail, we concentrated the virus produced from c77 feline kidney cell line and established an efficient infection system. The amounts of adsorption of HTLV–1 are larger in mouse T cell lines, EL4 and RLml, than those in human T cell lines, Molt4 and HUT78, and are similar to that in human kidney cell line, 293T. Unexpectedly, however, the amounts of entry of HTLV–1 are about 10–fold larger in the two mouse cell lines than those in the three human cell lines employed. Moreover, viral DNA was detectable from 1 h in EL4 and RLml cells, but only from 2–3 h in 293T, Molt4 and HUT78 cells. However, the amount of viral DNA in EL4 cells became smaller than that in Molt4 cells. HTLV–1 expression could be detected until day 1–2 in RLml and EL4 cells, and until day 4 in Molt4 cells. Our results suggest that mouse cell experiments would give useful information to dissect the early steps of cell-free HTLV–1 infection.     

The effect of nifedipine on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats

Effective drug therapy for pulmonary hypertension has not yet been developed. This study was designed to estimate the long-term hemodynamic and histopathological effects of nifedipine on severe pulmonary hypertension using animal models. Injection of one dose of monocrotaline produced subacute pulmonary hypertension in 7 week old Sprague-Dawley rats. Nifedipine (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally every day. For 5 weeks, bodyweight and hemodynamic parameters were measured, and right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle with septum (LV + S) were weighed separately. Medial thickness of the small pulmonary arterial wall was calculated by Suwa's method. Compared with the control group, the increase in right ventricular systolic pressure, total pulmonary resistance index, weight ratio of RV/(LV + S) and medial hypertrophy in the nifedipine-treated rats were significantly limited without causing systemic hypotension. These results suggest that treatment with nifedipine may also be effective in attenuation of pulmonary hypertension when applied to humans.