Granulomatous prostatitis – an infrequent diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Granulomatous prostatitis is an unusual benign inflammatory process of the prostate. Clinically, it mimics prostatic carcinoma, thus requiring pathological examination for diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histopathological records of 1353 prostate specimens received in the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Chandigarh, India, over a period of 8 years (1995-2002) were reviewed and 20 cases of granulomatous prostatitis were retrieved. RESULTS: Out of 20 cases of granulomatous prostatitis, we encountered 12 cases of non-specific granulomatous prostatitis, two cases of xanthogranulomatous prostatitis, two cases of tuberculous prostatitis, two cases of malakoplakia prostate and one case each of granulomatous prostatitis associated with adenocarcinoma prostate and post-surgical palisading granuloma. The diagnosis was made by histopathological examination of Trucut biopsy, transuretheral resection of prostate chips or retropubic prostatectomy specimen. In all the cases, granulomatous prostatitis was an incidental finding. CONCLUSIONS: Non-specific granulomatous prostatitis is the most common type of granulomatous prostatitis. Despite tuberculosis being very common in India, granulomatous prostatitis associated with tuberculosis is not common. Distinction between non-specific and infectious granulomatous prostatitis is important for therapeutic reasons.     

Proliferation and cytogenetic studies in human blood lymphocytes exposed in vitro to 2450 MHz radiofrequency radiation

Abstract. Aliquots of human peripheral blood collected from two healthy human volunteers were exposed in vitro to continuous wave 2450 MHz radiofrequency radiation (RFR), either continuously for a period of 90 min or intermittently for a total exposure period of 90 min (30 min on and 30 min off, repeated three times). Blood aliquots which were sham-exposed or exposed in vitro to 150 cGy gamma radiation served as controls. The continuous wave 2450 MHz RFR was generated with a net forward power of 34.5 W and transmitted from a standard gain rectangular antenna horn in a vertically downward direction. The mean power density at the position of the cells was 5.0 mW/cm 2. The mean specific absorption rate calculated by Finite Difference Time Domain analysis was 12.46 W/kg. Immediately after exposure, lymphocytes were cultured for 48 and 72 h to determine the incidence of chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei, respectively. Proliferation indices were also recorded. There were no significant differences between RFR-exposed and shamexposed lymphocytes with respect to; (a) mitotic indices; (b) incidence of cells showing chromosome damage; (c) exchange aberrations; (d) acentric fragments; (e) binucleate lymphocytes, and (f) micronuclei, for either the continuous or intermittent RFR exposures. In contrast, the response of positive control cells exposed to 150 cGy gamma radiation was significantly different from RFR-exposed and sham-exposed lymphocytes. Thus, there is no evidence for an effect on mitogen-stimulated proliferation kinetics or for excess genotoxicity within 72 h in human blood lymphocytes exposed in vitro to 2450 MHz RFR.     

传统苦味药用植物苦郎树

苦郎树是一种广泛使用于印度阿育吠陀医学和悉达医学中的药用植物,常被用来治疗多种不同的疾病,如炎症性疾病、糖尿病、神经精神疾病、哮喘、风湿病、消化系统疾病、泌尿系统疾病等。此外,它也是一种常用的苦味补药。目前已报道从该种植物中提取出多种化合物,这些水溶性或醇溶性化合物具有止痛、止泻、抗疟、降血糖、镇静、平喘、抗真菌、抗寄生虫及抗关节炎等多种作用和疗效。这些经研究证实的药理作用与苦郎树的传统药用用途相吻合,然而针对苦郎树中所提取的生物活性成分及提纯化合物的生物学研究较少。本文将有关苦郎树的各类文献进行详尽的整理与综述,系统分析和评价了这种药用植物的功效及应用前景。     

SOME PHARMACOLOGICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ABSORPTION OF DIAZEPAM FOLLOWING ORAL ADMINISTRATION

Plasma diazepam concentrations were measured by gas-liquid chromatographyin samples of blood from adult female patients following diazepam10 mg orally, alone or in combination with metoclopramide, morphine,pethidine or atropine. Patients receiving metoclopramide hadhigher plasma diazepam concentrations than those in the controlgroup, while the addition of morphine, pethidine or atropineresulted in lower plasma diazepam concentrations throughoutthe 90-min period of the study. In the control group peak plasmaconcentrations were reached by 60 min. The addition of metoclopramideincreased the rate of diazepam absorption and peak concentrationswere reached by 30 min, while morphine, pethidine and atropinereduced the rate of absorption with no apparent peak being reachedby 90 min     

CLINICAL EVALUATION OF DESOXIMETASONE IN TREATMENT OF DERMATOSES AND PSORIASIS

ABSTRACT: A comparative clinical evaluation of desoximetasone, a corticosterone derivative by a double blind study showed that desoximetasone has potent topical activity as effective as betamethasone valerate and Probably more effective than triamcinolone acetonide.     

Pupillary constriction and ptosis following caudal epidural analgesia

This study reports pupillary changes occurring in seventeen of twenty pregnant women at term who received caudal analgesia for the relief of pain in the first and second stages of labour. It is suggested that 10 ml or more of analgesic solution, injected into the sacral epidural space, reaches high enough (probably to T1) to cause meiosis and/or ptosis.