Cytotoxic activity of bis-[di-n-butyl(4-aminosalicylato)tin] oxide, NSC: 628561, bis-[diphenyl(4-aminosalicylato)tin] oxide, NSC: 628562, and some related compounds, against a series of human tumour cell lines.

Bis[di-n-butyl (4-aminosalicylato)tin] oxide [NSC: 628561] (compound 1), bis [diphenyl(4-aminosalicylato)tin] oxide [NSC: 628562] (compound 2), and six other analogous compounds of the type [n-Bu2 (XYZ-C6H2COO)Sn]2O (compounds 3 to 8), were tested in vitro at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, for cytotoxic activity against a series of human cell lines. Compounds 1, 6 and 8 score globally satisfactorily since four of the five relevant sensitivity or selectivity parameters, DGI50, DTGI or DLC50, DH and MGDH, are statistically significant. Compounds 3 and 7 are less satisfactory because only three such parameters are statistically significant. For compound 2, only two of the parameters are significant.     

What Can Precipitating Factors Teach us About the Pathogenesis of Migraine?

SYNOPSIS
Relationships between precipitating factors in the pathogenesis of migraine were studied in a sample of 217 migraineurs. The most frequently cited triggers were the menstrual cycle (51.5% of the women), alcoholic beverages (51.6%) and emotional or psychic stress (48.8%). Analysis of 4 subgroups of patients, i.e. those with only one of these 3 triggers or with none of these (controls), showed that alcohol-susceptible patients reported significantly (p<0.001) more alimentary triggers than the controls. A similar phenomenon was found in patients with menstrual-cycle related migraine, but in this group the difference with the controls fell short of reaching statistical significance. A further analysis showed that menstrual migraine attacks are more frequently preceded by depressive symptoms than other migraine attacks.
It is suggested that the gut of certain migraineurs may be unduly permeable, either intrinsically or extrinsically (e.g. under the influence of alcohol). In addition, in some patients with menstrual migraine, a depressive episode, associated with the menstrual period, may facilitate the development of a migraine attack.     

Antimicrobial antibodies in Danish slaughterhouse workers and greenhouse workers

Summary As a consequence of contact with animals and animal products slaughterhouse workers might be at risk of infection with pathogenic microorganisms. This hypothesis has been supported by some earlier studies. In this study 217 slaughtermen and a control group of 113 greenhouse workers were investigated for the prevalence of serum antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Campylobacter jejuni (IgA and IgG), Yersinia enterocolitica types 3 and 9, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis types I, II, III, IV, and V, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium, and Borrelia burgdorferi. No significant differences were found concerning either frequency of positive tests or magnitude of titers. The prevalence of toxoplasma antibodies was remarkably high in both groups.     

Software compensation improves the analysis of heterogeneous tumor samples stained for multiparameter DNA flow cytometry

Background: High concentrations of propidium iodide (PI), in combination with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and R-phycoerythrin (RPE) used for multiparameter DNA flow cytometry (FCM), cause spectral cross-talk into the green fluorescence channel (FL1). We have evaluated the use of post-acquisition software compensation (N-Color Compensation) in order to correct this spectral cross-talk caused by PI. Method: Cell mixtures were prepared consisting of keratin 8/18 FITC labeled, keratin 8/18 RPE labeled, and unlabeled MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. DNA was stained with PI (100 μM). Post-acquisition software compensation was applied to correct the spectral cross-talk of PI fluorescence. Secondly, the distribution of the Ki-67 (FITC) protein during the cell cycle (PI) of SiHa cervical carcinoma cells (no software compensation) was compared to the Ki-67 expression pattern of SiHa cells, simultaneously stained for keratin 8 (RPE), after applying software compensation. Finally, software compensation was used to compare the relative levels of PCNA and p53 expression in two clinical ovarian cancer ascites specimens, stained for PCNA or p53 (FITC), keratin 8/18 (RPE), and DNA (PI), with a known p53 status (positive and negative, respectively). Results: The Ki-67 cell cycle-dependent pattern of a triply stained sample (Ki-67 (FITC), keratin 8 (RPE), and DNA (PI)) is restored after software compensation and the results are comparable to the Ki-67 distribution of a sample stained solely for Ki-67 and DNA. P53 expression could only be resolved after using software compensation in the p53 positive ovarian ascites (OA) sample. Conclusions: We conclude that software compensation is a robust and reliable post-acquisition method for the correction of RPE/PI spectral cross-talk, permitting better identification of weakly expressed proteins in heterogeneous clinical tumor samples stained for multiple cellular antigens and DNA using PI.     

Evaluation of CHIP (iproplatin) in recurrent pediatric malignant solid tumors

CHIP (325 mg/M²), a second generation cisplatin derivative, was administered intravenously every 3 weeks to 85 pediatric patients with recurrent sarcomas (19), osteosarcomas (20), neuroblastoma (23), germ cell tumors (10), and other malignant tumors (7). Thirty-eight of them had been previously exposed to cisplatin. Partial remissions were only observed in 3 of 23 (13% SE=7%) patients having neuroblastoma. Severe thrombocytopenia (65%) and neutropenia (35%) were the dose limiting factors.     

Effects of preparation techniques on the porosity of acrylic cements

We investigated four acrylic cement preparation techniques for their effects on cement porosity: hand mixing, pressurization in a pneumatic pistol, centrifugation, and vacuum mixing. All the techniques were tested on three types of cement with different viscosity characteristics. The best results were obtained with vacuum mixing using a newly designed experimental system, yielding porosity reductions of 60-80 percent relative to hand mixing. Vacuum mixing with a commercial system was also effective, but to a somewhat lesser extent.

Pressurization and centrifugation had no substantial effect on the overall porosity. Centrifugation led to considerable nonuniformity in the distribution of pores and additives.     

The future of cardiovascular imaging and non-invasive diagnosis

Advances in medical imaging now make it possible to investigate any patient with cardiovascular disease using multiple methods which vary widely in their technical requirements, benefits, limitations and costs. The appropriate use of alternative tests requires their integration into joint clinical diagnostic services where experts in all methods collaborate. This statement summarises the principles that should guide developments in cardiovascular diagnostic services.This paper is published simultaneously in the European Heart Journal (2006;27:1750–1753) and in the European Journal of Echocardiography (2006;7:268–273).     

The Sigma-trial protocol: a prospective double-blind multi-centre comparison of laparoscopic versus open elective sigmoid resection in patients with symptomatic diverticulitis

Backround  

Diverticulosis is a common disease in the western society with an incidence of 33–66%. 10–25% of these patients will develop diverticulitis. In order to prevent a high-risk acute operation it is advised to perform elective sigmoid resection after two episodes of diverticulitis in the elderly patient or after one episode in the younger (< 50 years) patient. Open sigmoid resection is still the gold standard, but laparoscopic colon resections seem to have certain advantages over open procedures. On the other hand, a double blind investigation has never been performed. The Sigma-trial is designed to evaluate the presumed advantages of laparoscopic over open sigmoid resections in patients with symptomatic diverticulitis.