Study of the lens epithelial cell density in cataractous eyes operated on with extracapsular and intercapsular techniques

Epithelial cell counting was performed in 47 fragments from lens anterior capsules obtained during extracapsular and intercapsular surgery. Mean cell count was 3,277 cell/mm2; there was no correlation between cell number and age and no significant difference in cell counts between extracapsular and intercapsular surgery. There were, however, significant differences between advanced cataracts and the other cataract types (2,947 vs. 3,356). This may be important in explaining the differences in regenerative opacification of the posterior capsule in the different types of cataracts.     

Late postpartum eclampsia. Apropos of a case

We report the case of a 32-year-old multipara who presented preeclampsia on the fourth day after childbirth without receiving proper treatment that progressed to eclampsia 4 days later. Pregnancy and delivery had been uneventful. The patient presented proteinuria (30 mg/dl), serum total proteins 5.3 g/dl and serum albumin 3.3 g/dl. Blood pressure was controlled with methyldopa, 500 mg at six-hour intervals by intravenous route. The patient presented hypoxemia secondary to bilateral pleural effusion and aspirative pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation and invasive hemodynamic monitoring. Treatment with cefotaxime, 1 g at six-hour intervals by intravenous route and clindamycin, 600 mg at six-hour intervals by intravenous route was initiated. Sedation was maintained with thiopental sodium, 3 mg/kg/hour in continuous infusion. At dismission, the patient was completely recovered from her clinical picture and needed no antihypertensive therapy. Physiopathologic features and the aforementioned complications are discussed with particular reference to differential diagnosis.     

Temperature-dependent effects of halothane and isoflurane on the isolated left atrium

Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d'anesthésie - The aim of the present study was to examine whether changes in temperature alter the effects of halothane and isoflurane on...     

Definition of An Optimal First-line Chemotherapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Single-agent chemotherapy of metastatic breast cancer is the treatment of choice in patients with slow tumor progression and asymptomatic disease. In this patient group, the choice of drugs is based more on good tolerability than on efficacy. By contrast, symptomatic or rapidly progressing disease requires the use of highly active regimens where more weight is put on reliable antitumor activity. While anthraycline-based combination regimens have set the standard of effective treatment, the addition of docetaxel (and to a lesser extent paclitaxel) has improved tumor response, but failed to induce a consistent prolongation of survival. Based on retrospective analyses, it is hypothesised that the combined use of anthracyclines and taxanes in first-line therapy may be most beneficial in defined subgroups: after adjuvant chemotherapy, in patients with HER-2 gene amplification, possibly also in patients with rapidly progressing visceral disease.     

Local anesthetics: lipophilicity, charge, diffusion and site of action in isolated neuron

Sodium channel blocking activity was measured in a series of newly synthesized tertiary amine compounds and their quaternary derivatives applied externally on internally in the rat sensory neuron. The large difference in effectiveness of the quaternary compounds on external and or internal application became smaller and even disappeared with increasing lipophilicity of the compounds. No such difference was observed in the tertiary analogs. It was concluded that lipophilicity played an important role in determining the channel blocking activity of externally applied quaternary compounds. The results suggest that, in addition to the neutral form, highly lipophilic amine local anesthetics may penetrate into and/or pass across the neuronal membrane probably as electroneutral ion pair complexes consisting of the cationic form and an appropriate anion. The present results support our hypothesis which stresses, in addition to dissociability, the role of lipophilicity of amine local anesthetics in the pH dependence of their effect.     

In vivo evaluation of EPO-secreting cells immobilized in different alginate-PLL microcapsules.

Alginates are the most employed biomaterials for cell encapsulation due to their abundance, easy gelling properties and apparent biocompatibility. However, as natural polymers different impurities including endotoxins, proteins and polyphenols can be found in their composition. Several purification protocols as well as different batteries of assays to prove the biocompatibility of the alginates in vitro have been recently developed. However, little is known about how the use of alginates with different purity grade may affect the host immune response after their implantation in vivo. The present paper investigates the long-term functionality and biocompatibility of murine erythropoietin (EPO) secreting C2C12 cells entrapped in microcapsules elaborated with alginates with different properties (purity, composition and viscosity). Results showed that independently of the alginate type employed, the animals presented elevated hematocrit levels until day 130, remaining at values between 70-87%. However, histological analysis of the explanted devices showed higher overgrowth around non-biomedical grade alginate microcapsules which could be directly related with higher impurity content of this type of alginate. Although EPO delivery may be limited by the formation of a fibrotic layer around non-biomedical grade alginate microcapsules, the high EPO secretion of the encapsulated cells together with the pharmacodynamic behaviour and the angiogenic and immune-modulatory properties of EPO result in no direct correlation between the biocompatibility of the alginate and the therapeutic response obtained.