Mixed mesodermal tumor of the uterus (RJ-984): case report and in vitro study

This report describes the establishment of a cell line of a human uterine mixed mesodermal tumor. The tumor of origin derived from a hysterectomy specimen, has been maintained for 14 months in vitro and continues to grow as an established cell line. The original tumor as well as the cell line exhibited no estrogen receptors. alpha-Fetoprotein was not detected in the cultured cells or in the spent culture medium. Karyotyping revealed 46 XX chromosome complement with a balanced 11-16 translocation. This is the first documentation of such a chromosome abnormality in a genital tract carcinoma. Steroids inhibited cell growth at high (10.0 micrograms/ml) concentrations. This cell line continues to be studied and further characterized. The cell line is readily available for study of this aggressive human neoplasm.     

Squamous and trophoblastic cells in the maternal pulmonary circulation identified by invasive hemodynamic monitoring during the peripartum period

The antemortem diagnosis of amniotic fluid embolism has traditionally relied on the identification of amniotic fluid debris in the maternal circulation by central venous or pulmonary arterial catheterization. Pulmonary artery blood specimens from 14 term pregnant women with severe pregnancy-induced hypertension suggest that squamous or trophoblastic cells may be normally present in the maternal pulmonary circulation during the peripartum period and that their presence is not pathognomonic of clinically significant amniotic fluid embolism.     

Applications of Oxygen Polarography to Drug Stability Testing and Formulation Development: Solution-Phase Oxidation of Hydroxymethylglutaryl Coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) Reductase Inhibitors

The kinetics of oxidation of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors lovastatin, simvastatin, L-157,012, and L-647,318 were studied in an aqueous surfactant solution. A thermally labile free radical initiator was used to attain measurable reaction rates at 40°C and rate constants were determined by measuring oxygen consumption using an oxygen electrode. The stability of the drugs was found to increase in the order lovastatin = simvastatin < L-157,012 < L-647,318. The addition of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) was found to stabilize the drugs. For the oxidation of lovastatin, the effectiveness of antioxidants increased in the order propyl gallate < BHA < alpha-tocopherol. It is concluded that the stability of oxidizable drugs can be rapidly and conveniently assessed by the techniques described herein.     

Slit-lamp studies of the rhesus monkey eye. I. Survey of the anterior segment

Slit-lamp photographic studies of 144 caged rhesus monkeys, aged 2 months to 35 years, show age-related changes in anterior-chamber depth, lens thickness, anterior and posterior curvatures of the lens, and location of the posterior lens surface relative to the anterior corneal surface. For these parameters, as well as for those measured by other techniques, a difference in slope magnitude and (or) slope sign was found between the growth phase which lasts for 5-6 years, and the adult phase (greater than 5-6 years). Age-related changes in the adult rhesus eye are qualitatively similar in almost all aspects to those observed in the human eye, indicating that the rhesus is a good animal model for the study of human loss of accommodative amplitude.     

Pain relief by continuous intraperitoneal nebulization of ropivacaine during gynecologic laparoscopic surgery--a randomized study and review of the literature

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of intraperitoneal nebulization of ropivacaine on pain relief during and after gynecologic laparoscopic procedures including a review of the literature. DESIGN: Double-blinded, randomized, controlled, clinical trial (Canadian Task Force classification I). SETTING: University hospital ambulatory gynecoendoscopic department. PATIENTS: Forty patients (20 patients in each arm) undergoing elective gynecologic same-day outpatient laparoscopic surgery including unilateral/bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy or unilateral/bilateral ovarian cystectomy. INTERVENTIONS: The study group received 10 mL of 1% ropivacaine and the control group received 10 mL of sterile water by intraperitoneal nebulization. During surgery, vital signs were recorded and summarized. Postoperatively patients were followed up for 24 hours including visual analog scale scores and analgesic use. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: No significant differences existed between the groups during surgery and at the recovery department in terms of arterial blood pressure (p = .42) or heart rate (p = .60). Regarding postoperative analgesia, no difference existed between the groups in terms of morphine consumption (p = .52) or other analgesics (p = .53). No significant difference existed between the groups in postoperative visual analog scale scores including visceral, abdominal wall, and shoulder pain during rest and during cough at the different time frames (30, 60, and 120 minutes and 6 and 24 hours after surgery). CONCLUSION: Our study is the first to examine the effects of intraperitoneal nebulization of ropivacaine throughout laparoscopic gynecologic procedures on patients undergoing general anesthesia. Nebulization of 100 mg of ropivacaine under our specific regimen of anesthesia does not improve patients' outcome in terms of intraoperative and postoperative pain along with consumption of analgesics. Further research with other regimens is required.