Science behind cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in humans: A clinical study

Objective

To investigate the relationship between serum electrolyte changes and cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity.

Methods

We collected data from 18 patients undergoing cisplatin chemotherapy including serum electrolytes, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urine potassium, sodium and pH levels before and after the cisplatin chemotherapy. All the patients had cancer and were treated with 40-50 mg/day cisplatin. Renal injury was assessed by measuring serum electrolytes, creatinine, BUN levels and urine potassium, sodium and pH levels.

Results

The five cycles of cisplatin based chemotherapy resulted in hypomagnesia (P=0.029), hypocalcaemia (P=0.001*), hypophosphatemia (P=0.003*), hypokalemia (P=0.001*) and increased serum creatinine (P=0.001*) and BUN (P=0.292*) levels. In urine analysis, decrease in potassium (P=0.024*) was found, except potassium there was no significant changes in sodium and urine pH.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that, acute nephrotoxicity was observed in patients with different types of cancers undergoing cisplatin based chemotherapy due to electrolyte disturbances, when no corrective measures were initiated.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Proctophantastes nettastomatis</Emphasis> (Digenea: Zoogonidae) from Vanuatu deep-sea fish: new morphological features,allometric growth,and phenotypic plasticity aspects

The present paper deals with Proctophantastes nettastomatis (Digenea: Zoogonidae; Lepidophyllinae) found in the intestine of three species of deep-sea fish, Dicrolene longimana (Ophidiidae, Ophidiiformes), Bathyuroconger sp. (Congridae, Anguilliformes), and Venefica tentaculata (Nettastomatidae, Anguilliformes). The fish were collected near the islands of Espiritu Santo, Erromango, and Epi, respectively, in the archipelago of Vanuatu (Southern Pacific Ocean) at depths ranging from 561 to 990 m. Morphological and histological analyses showed that the Vanuatu specimens differ from Proctophantastes abyssorum, Proctophantastes gillissi, Proctophantastes glandulosum, Proctophantastes infundibulum, and Proctophantastes brayi but are close to P. nettastomatis discovered in Suruga Bay, Japan. P. nettastomatis is redescribed based both on the observations of our specimens and of the Japanese holotype and paratype. The morphological variability of the species is described. Morphometric data allowed the identification of positive allometric growth for the hindbody, negative allometric growth for the ventral sucker, and a growth phenotypic plasticity between Ophidiiformes and Anguilliformes definitive hosts.     

Hepatoprotective activity of Hepax-A polyherbal formulation

Objective

To evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of Hepax, a polyherbal formulation, against three experimentally induced hepatotoxicity models in rats.

Methods

Hepatoprotective activity of Hepax was studied against three experimentally induced hepatotoxicity models, namely, carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄), paracetamol and thiocetamide induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Results

Administration of hepatotoxins (CCl₄, paracetamol and thiocetamide) showed significant morphological, biochemical and histological deteriorations in the liver of experimental animals. Pretreatment with Hepax had significant protection against hepatic damage by maintaining the morphological parameters (liver weight and liver weight to organ weight ratio) within normal range and normalizing the elevated levels of biochemical parameters (SGPT, SGOT, ALP and total bilirubin), which were evidently showed in histopathological study.

Conclusions

The Hepax has highly significant hepatoprotective effect at 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o. on the liver of all the three experimental animal models.     

The Dutch founder mutation SDHD.D92Y shows a reduced penetrance for the development of paragangliomas in a large multigenerational family

Germline mutations in SDHD predispose to the development of head and neck paragangliomas, and phaeochromocytomas. The risk of developing a tumor depends on the sex of the parent who transmits the mutation: paragangliomas only arise upon paternal transmission. In this study, both the risk of paraganglioma and phaeochromocytoma formation, and the risk of developing associated symptoms were investigated in 243 family members with the SDHD.D92Y founder mutation. By using the Kaplan–Meier method, age-specific penetrance was calculated separately for paraganglioma formation as defined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and for paraganglioma-related signs and symptoms. Evaluating clinical signs and symptoms alone, the penetrance reached a maximum of 57% by the age of 47 years. When MRI detection of occult paragangliomas was included, penetrance was estimated to be 54% by the age of 40 years, 68% by the age of 60 years and 87% by the age of 70 years. Multiple tumors were found in 65% and phaeochromocytomas were diagnosed in 8% of paraganglioma patients. Malignant paraganglioma was diagnosed in one patient (3%). Although the majority of carriers of a paternally inherited SDHD mutation will eventually develop head and neck paragangliomas, we find a lower penetrance than previous estimates from studies based on predominantly index cases. The family-based study described here emphasizes the importance of the identification and inclusion of clinically unaffected mutation carriers in all estimates of penetrance. This finding will allow a more accurate genetic counseling and warrants a ‘wait and scan'' policy for asymptomatic paragangliomas, combined with biochemical screening for catecholamine excess in SDHD-linked patients.     

中药材X-射线衍射图谱研究

为探讨中药材道地性的客观规律,以期建立相应的评估指标系统,本文选择常用中药材茜草类、贝母类、山药类三组样品,应用X-射线粉末衍射法进行图谱分析,获得了可用于标识中药材的衍射图形几何拓扑规律与图谱特征标记峰,由此观察到:不同产地茜草样品的相似性及其与欧茜草的差别;同属不同种贝母样品的相似性与差异;不同产地山药样品的相似性及与伪品的区别。本文结果预示着这一方法在揭示中药材道地性客观规律方面的广阔应用前景。     

高效液相色谱法对四种双氯灭痛软膏剂透皮效果的研究

目的：本实验采用高效液相色谱法,以离体小白鼠腹部皮肤为透皮屏障,比较了四种双氯灭痛软膏剂的透皮效果,方法：实验用法国Gilson公司的HPLC仪,以C18为固定相,甲醇－水（含HAc 0.36%)=80:20为流动相,紫外检测波长280nm。平均回收率为99．59％,RSD＜3．28％,检测限为1．0ug/ml。结果：1号样品透皮率最高,3号与1号相比较透皮吸收无显著性差异（P＞0．05）,2号或4号分别与1号相比,其透皮吸收均有显著性差异（P＜0．05）,结论：1号品值得进一步开发。     

依替菲宁的合成

目的：改进肝胆显像剂配基依替菲宁的合成方法。方法：该化合物以2,6－二乙基苯胺为原料,改进文献工艺制备而成。所得产物经红外光谱、核磁共振等分析确证结构。结果:工艺简单、产品易得、收率高于文献报道。结论：此合成路线完全可行。