New Types of Germacranolides from Austroliabum candidum1.

The investigation of AUSTROLIABUM CANDIDUM afforded, in addition to several known sesquiterpene lactones, four new ones, including three germacranolides with an ether bridge, as well as an unusual glucoside. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.     

Multipoint Oncology Teleconference, Japan

This teleconference has been held on a weekly basis (on Thursdayevenings) as a good opportunity for the discussion of importantissues in clinical oncology. Nowadays, this plenary meetingamong the major cancer centers is indispensable for maintainingthe high standard of quality of cancer clinics throughout Japan. Review (November, 2004) November 4: Treatment-resistant cervical cancer (moderated byDr Tanaka,     

Adding Bupivacaine to High-potassium Cardioplegia Improves Function and Reduces Cellular Damage of Rat Isolated Hearts after Prolonged, Cold Storage

Background: Bupivacaine retards myocardial acidosis during ischemia. The authors measured function of rat isolated hearts after prolonged storage to determine whether bupivacaine improves cardiac protection compared with standard cardioplegia alone.

Methods: After measuring cardiac function on a Langendorff apparatus, hearts were perfused with cardioplegia alone (controls), cardioplegia containing 500 [mu]m bupivacaine, or cardioplegia containing 2 mm lidocaine; were stored at 4[degrees]C for 12 h; and were then reperfused. Heart rate and left ventricular developed pressures were measured for 60 min. Maximum positive rate of change in ventricular pressure, oxygen consumption, and lactate dehydrogenase release were also measured.

Results: All bupivacaine-treated, four of five lidocaine-treated, and no control hearts beat throughout the 60-min recovery period. Mean values of heart rate, left ventricular developed pressure, maximum positive rate of change in ventricular pressure, rate-pressure product, and efficiency in bupivacaine-treated hearts exceeded those of the control group (P < 0.001 at 60 min for all). Mean values of the lidocaine group were intermediate. Oxygen consumption of the control group exceeded the other groups early in recovery, but not at later times. Lactate dehydrogenase release from the bupivacaine group was less than that from the control group (P < 0.001) but did not differ from baseline.     

Totale mesometriale Resektion

Abdominal radical hysterectomy (Wertheim operation), currently the standard surgical treatment for cervical carcinoma, is based on historical ideas of the female pelvic anatomy and of locoregional tumor spread. Total mesometrial resection (TMMR) uses new insights derived from developmental biology for a new oncological concept of radicality, i.e. resection of a malignant tumor within the borders of the morphogenetic unit of its origin. The morphogenetic uterovaginal unit that relates to the local spread of cervical carcinoma can be deduced from the embryological and fetal development. Anatomical structures that do not belong to this tissue unit can be left in situ despite close proximity to the tumor. When combined with nerve-sparing therapeutic lymph node dissection, TMMR yields a high locoregional control rate without adjuvant radiotherapy and with relatively little treatment-related morbidity.     

Auditory P300 and eye tracking dysfunction in schizophrenic pedigrees

Several psychophysiological abnormalities associated with schizophrenia have been proposed as genetic trait markers of vulnerability to the disorder. Smooth pursuit eye tracking dysfunction and abnormal long latency event-related potentials are the most promising candidates. Both are independent of the effects of psychotropic medication or mental state at the time of testing, and twin studies demonstrate that each has a high level of heritability. Having recorded smooth pursuit eye tracking and event-related potentials in 20 high-density schizophrenic families, we find abnormalities in one or both measures in most of the families studied. The abnormalities, when present, occur in the family members with schizophrenia and other forms of functional psychosis, and they have a bimodal distribution with approximately half the nonschizophrenic relatives also showing eye tracking dysfunction and/or abnormal event-related potentials. Some of these relatives had psychiatric symptoms; others were normal. Our results suggest that psychophysiological examination can help to clarify the boundaries of schizophrenia spectrum disorder. By helping to decide the phenotypic status of nonschizophrenic family members, this should increase the power of DNA linkage studies.     

Invasion of visual cortex by the auditory system in the naturally blind mole rat.

Previously we have shown that the dorsal lateral geniculate body (LGB), which is strictly visual in sighted mammals, receives a strong auditory input in the naturally blind mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi). Here we show with the 2-deoxyglucose technique and with single-unit recordings that in this species the initially non-degenerated visual cortex, as defined by its connection with LGB, is also activated by the auditory modality. These findings suggest that cross-modal compensation may occur as a natural consequence of the degeneration of a sense organ.