Roxatidine versus ranitidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcers: A randomized double-blind controlled multicentre study in Singapore

Roxatidine acetate, a new H₂ receptor antagonist, was compared with ranitidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcers in a double-blind multicentre study. Eighty-four patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer were randomized to receive 150 mg roxatidine acetate or 300 mg ranitidine at bedtime. Repeat endoscopy was performed after 4 weeks (25–33 days) and if the ulcer had not healed, another endoscopy was performed after a further 4 weeks of treatment. Using per protocol analysis 73.6% of ulcers treated with roxatidine healed at 4 weeks compared to 72.2% of ulcers treated with ranitidine (P=NS). The healing rates at 8 weeks were 92% with roxatidine and 83.3% with ranitidine (P=NS). Using equivalence tests, the healing rate of roxatidine was found to be equivalent to that of ranitidine within a 20% region. Roxatidine users took significantly less antacids than ranitidine users (P < 0.05). There were no significant adverse effects due to roxatidine or ranitidine. Roxatidine is a safe effective drug in the treatment of duodenal ulcers with a healing rate comparable to that of ranitidine.     

计算机程序化的初均速法测定双黄连注射液的稳定性

用计算机程序化的初均速法,测定了双黄连溶液中3种主要成分——绿原酸、黄苓甙、连翘甙的活化能及室温贮存期。该方法简便、快速、结果准确。对临床应用有一定价值。     

The self-administration of WIN 35,428 and cocaine: comparisons of satiety threshold and elimination half-life in rats

Rats that self-administered cocaine at unit doses between 0.75 and 12 micromol/kg with mean inter-injection intervals between approximately 2 and 18 min also reliably self-administered the cocaine analogue WIN 35,428 (beta-CFT; (-)-3 beta-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane-2 beta-carboxylic acid methyl ester) at unit doses between 0.1 and 1.6 micromol/kg with mean intervals between 10 and 116 min. The long inter-injection intervals of WIN 35,428 necessitated sessions of more than 12 h. The inter-injection intervals were regular and proportional to the unit dose, consistent with the satiety threshold model. Analysis of the mean intervals as a function of unit doses generated values for the mean satiety threshold of cocaine and WIN 35,428 of 6.10 and 0.87 micromol/kg, respectively. The mean t(1/2) for cocaine and WIN 35,428 were 11.1 and 69.4 min, respectively. The approximately 43-fold lower rate of consumption of WIN 35,428 relative to cocaine was a product of the seven-fold greater pharmacodynamic potency and the six-fold greater pharmacokinetic potency.     

Cytogenetic analysis of trophoblasts by comparative genomic hybridization in embryo-fetal development anomalies

Cytogenetic studies of spontaneous abortions or intrauterine fetal death depend on conventional tissue culturing and karyotyping. This technique has limitations such as culture failure and selective growth of maternal cells. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using specific probes permits diagnosis of aneuploidies but is limited to one or a few chromosomal regions. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) provides an overview of chromosomal gains and losses in a single hybridization directly from DNA samples. In a prospective study, we analyzed by CGH trophoblast cells from 21 fetuses in cases of spontaneous abortions, intrauterine fetal death or polymalformed syndrome. Six numerical chromosomal abnormalities including one trisomy 7, one trisomy 10, three trisomies 18, one trisomy 21 and one monosomy X have been correctly identified by CGH. One structural abnormality of the long arm of chromosome 1 has been characterized by CGH. One triploidy and two balanced pericentromeric inversions of chromosome 9 have not been identified by CGH. Sexual chromosomal constitutions were concordant by both classical cytogenetic technique and CGH. Contribution of trophoblast analysis by CGH in embryo-fetal development anomalies is discussed.     

Study of the arterial vascularisation of the medial tibial condyle in the fetus

Summary Varus deformity of the knee is common in young children who have suffered from fulminating purpura. This study was directed at the anatomic features of the vascularisation of the upper end of the tibia that might account for such deformation. It was based on the dissection of 28 anatomic specimens prepared by injection of Indian ink into the vascular trunk. 16 specimens were diaphanised for better analysis of the intracartilaginous distribution of the vessels. The study showed that the vascularisation of the medial condyle of the tibia is poor and of terminal nature, which may explain the occurrence of ischemic growth disorders following fulminating purpura.

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Etude de la vascularisation artérielle du condyle médial du tibia chez le foetus

Résumé Les déformations en varus du genou chez les jeunes enfants ayant présenté un purpura fulminans sont fréquentes. Ce travail a pour objet de rechercher les caractéristiques anatomiques de la vascularisation de l'extrémité supérieure du tibia qui peuvent expliquer ces déformations. L'étude porte sur la dissection de 28 pièces anatomiques préparées par injection de l'axe vasculaire à l'encre de Chine. Pour mieux analyser la répartition intra-cartilagineuse des vaisseaux, 16 pièces ont été diaphanisées. Cette étude montre que la vascularisation du condyle médial du tibia est pauvre, de type terminal, ce qui peut expliquer la survenue de troubles de croissance ischémiques dans les suites d'un purpura fulminans.

     

Urea rebound and delivered Kt/V determination with a continuous urea sensor

BACKGROUND: The recent introduction of urea sensors for dialysis monitoring has made possible new approaches to urea kinetic modelling. In this study we show how the equilibrated postdialysis urea concentration (Ceq) and Kt/V corrected for double-pool urea kinetics (Kt/Vdp) can be accurately determined using an on-line sensor providing a continuous measure of blood water urea. A modification of the Smye constant volume double-pool theory led to the following equations for Ceq and Kt/Vdp [formula: see text] where Cpre is the blood concentration measured at the start of dialysis, t is the length of the dialysis session (in min) and S(ex) is the constant slope of the blood urea logarithm concentration decline following development of the intercompartmental urea concentration gradient in the first 30-60 min of dialysis. METHODS: These equations were tested in 11 patients undergoing 165-240 min of paired filtration dialysis with continuous monitoring of blood urea concentration. Cpre was determined as the plateau concentration during a preliminary period of 15-20 min of slow isolated ultrafiltration. S(ex) was accurately determined from linear regression applied to the urea sensor data from the 80-min point to the end of dialysis. RESULTS: Ceq and Kt/Vdp determined from the above equations compared closely to values determined from 25-40 min of urea rebound monitoring with the urea sensor: 10.6 +/- 3.0 versus 10.8 +/- 2.7 mmol/l (mean +/- SD) for Ceq and 1.21 +/- 0.24 versus 1.18 +/- 0.20 for Kt/Vdp, compared to single-pool values of Kt/V = 1.34 +/- 0.23. CONCLUSION: This technique may be readily programmed into on-line urea monitors to provide current and extrapolated values of Ceq and Kt/Vdp from about the first hour of dialysis.      

Coinduction of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor release and lymphokine-activated killer cell susceptibility in monocytes by interleukin-2 via interleukin-2 receptor beta

Human monocytes express interleukin-2 receptor beta (IL-2R beta) constitutively; however, the function of these receptors has not been fully delineated. We discovered that IL-2R beta directs two biologic activities in human monocytes, the release of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and increased susceptibility to lysis by lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK) cells. Human monocytes were purified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by plastic adherence and anti-CD2 plus complement lysis. By a 5-hour 51Cr-release assay, monocytes cultured in IL-2 were found to gain increasing susceptibility to LAK cells with time and this effect was dose dependent. Maximal susceptibility was obtained with a 4-day culture in 1,000 U/mL of IL-2. Monocytes were also found to release GM-CSF in response to IL-2 using a CSF-dependent cell line, Mo7e. Because IL-2- induced GM-CSF release coincides with LAK lysis of IL-2-cultured monocytes, we treated monocytes with anti-GM-CSF and anti-IL-2R beta to determine whether GM-CSF release and LAK susceptibility were dependent or independent events. We found that both phenomena were inhibited by either antibody. Therefore, we conclude that IL-2-induced release of GM- CSF is mediated by IL-2R beta, which then acts to modulate the susceptibility of monocytes to lysis by LAK cells.