Deep sclerectomy ab externo with implant: description of surgery technique

The authors present the modified associated technique of deep sclerectomy ab externo with implant. The indications, advantages and disadvantages are presented.     

Studies on constituents of Korean basidiomycetes (L)

To find antitumor metabolites in Korean basidiomycetes, the shake-cultured mycelia of eight of the higher fungi were extracted with hot water and the extracts, after being partially purified, were subjected toin vivo antitumor test. When administeredi.p. at the dose of 30mg/kg/day for ten consecutive days into the female ICR mice, which had been implanted with 1×10⁵ cells of sarcoma 180 twenty-four hours before the first injection, the extracts ofAgaricus campestris, Lyophyllum decastes, Lyophyllum ulmarium, Armillaria tabescence andCalvatia exipulitormis respectively showed inhibition ratios of 64.1%, 65.4%, 60.0%, 53.0% and 49.3%. These five species were selected for further study, whereas the extracts ofPhallus impudicus, Coprinus comatus andPholiota squarrosa which showed the inhibition ratios of 31.2%, 33.5% and 19.0% were discontinued.     

Natural killer sensitivity of tumor cells isolated from primary and metastatic lesions of four Bomirski melanoma variants

Natural killer (NK) sensitivity of melanoma cells isolated from primary and metastatic lesions of four Bomirski melanoma variants was compared. The hamster melanomas differed in their growth rate and metastatic pattern. We found that during tumor growth of all the variants tested, NK sensitivity of melanoma cells at the metastasis formation stage was significantly lower in both primary and metastatic tumors than in cells isolated from primary tumors at transplantation. In the case of Ma, Ab and Ab-455, NK sensitivity of primary tumor cells was higher than that of the cells isolated from metastatic deposits. These data obtained from a spontaneous metastasis tumor model argue for the role of NK cells in preventing metastatic spread of Bormirski melanomas studied.     

Adrenergic stimulation of isolated rat gastric mucosal cells

Summary Adrenergic stimulation of the adenylate cyclase (AC)-cAMP-system and ¹⁴C-aminopyrine accumulation, an indirect measure of parietal cell H⁺-production, was studied in different preparations of gastric mucosal cells.The ₂-adrenoceptor agonist hexoprenaline activated AC of crude homogenates from the gastric corpus of mouse, rat, guinea-pig, hog, dog and man. In isolated rat gastric cells (20% parietal cells), treated by low power sonication, 10^–8 to 10^–3 mol/l adrenaline and hexoprenaline activated AC equally potently and efficaciously by maximally 170%. Isoprenaline proved to be less effective activating up to 80%. 5·10^–5 mol/l GMP-PNP augmented basal activity 8.5 times and reduced the maximal efficacy. Adrenaline and hexoprenaline activated AC by maximally 120%, isoprenaline by 40%. The potency of adrenaline was 4 times lower, that of hexoprenaline 2 and that of isoprenaline 4 times higher in the presence of GMP-PNP. Adrenergic stimulation was inhibited by the -adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol, the effect of -adrenoceptor-blockade by phenoxybenzamine was less pronounced. In fractions with 7–80% of parietal cells, prepared by isopycnic centrifugation with Percoll, adrenaline and hexoprenaline activated AC or hexoprenaline enhanced the cellular level of cAMP in parietal cell poor and rich fractions. The degree of activation in response to histamine correlated with the number of parietal cells. ¹⁴C-Aminopyrine uptake was increasingly stimulated through 10^–8 to 10^–5 mol/l hexoprenaline, maximally by doubling the basal accumulation. 10^–4 mol/l histamine was 8 times more effective. 3·10^–7 mol/l propranolol inhibited the effect of 10^–5 mol/l hexoprenaline by 80%.The data suggest the localization of -adrenoceptors (likely -adrenoceptor) on parietal and other nonidentified gastric cells. At the parietal cell, adrenaline and hexoprenaline initiate activation of AC and hexoprenaline leads to H⁺-production. The responses are small compared to the effect of histamine. Thus, -adrenoceptor agonists exert intrinsic activity in relation to H⁺-production. Their influence on stimulated secretion of isolated cells remains to be elucidated.     

Effect of therapeutic drug monitoring of amitriptyline and genotyping on efficacy and safety of depression therapy

Modern pharmacotherapy is based on precise adjustment of a dosage schedule to individual requirements of patient. Therapeutic drug monitoring is a method that allows for a more effective treatment approach, especially in the case of a narrow therapeutic index of a drug. Tricyclic antidepressant drugs are characterised by narrow therapeutic index as well as relationship between serum drug concentration and side effects. It was demonstrated that interindividual variability of blood concentrations of tricyclic antidepressant drugs is related to genetic polymorphism of oxidating enzymes participating in metabolism of these drugs. The aim of the study was to estimate the impact of therapeutic drug monitoring of tricyclic antidepressant drugs as well as genotyping on efficacy and safety of endogenous depression therapy. The study included 9 patients with established diagnosis of endogenous depression. Blood serum concentrations of amitryptyline was measured by fluorescence polarisation immune assay (FPIA, Abbott system). Genotype of cytochrome P450 isoenzyme CYP2D6 was determined using PCR-RFLP method. It was demonstrated that monitoring therapy of tricyclic antidepressant drugs in combination with determination of the genotype seems to be more safe and effective. Monitoring therapy and genotyping may be less expensive than the costs of prolonged hospitalisation and risk of side effects.     

Jejuketomycins A and B,polyketide glycosides with cancer cell migration inhibitory activity from Streptomyces sp. KCB15JA151

Two new polyketide glycosides jejuketomycins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from a culture of Streptomyces sp. KCB15JA151. Their chemical structures including the absolute configurations were determined by detailed analyses of the NMR and HRMS data and ECD calculations and spectral data. Compounds 1 and 2 possess an unusual 6/6/8 tricyclic ring system. Biological evaluation with the wound healing assay and time-lapse cell tracking analysis revealed that compounds 1 and 2 have significant inhibitory activities against cancer cell migration with low cytotoxicity.

Two new polyketide glycosides jejuketomycins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from a culture of Streptomyces sp. KCB15JA151.     

Occurrence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Demodex</Emphasis> species in patients with blepharitis and in healthy individuals: a 10-year observational study

Purpose

Two Demodex species (eyelash mites)—D. folliculorum and D brevis—are believed to be associated with human skin and eye diseases. However, the clinical significance of infection with Demodex species remains controversial.

Study design

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of ocular demodicosis in patients with blepharitis as compared with the prevalence in the healthy population in Poland.

Methods

This case-control prospective study was carried out from 2007 to 2016. The enrolled patients (668) were divided into 2 groups: the study group, comprising 553 patients with blepharitis (349 women and 204 men, aged 17–88 years), and the control group, comprising 115 healthy volunteers without a history of ocular pathologies (78 women and 37 men, aged 17–88 years). A sample of 10 eyelashes was taken aseptically from each eye of the examined person and later studied under a light microscope.

Results

Demodex species were found in 62.4% (345/544) of the patients in the study group and in 24.3% (28/100) of the controls (P = .001, OR = 0.006). The overall prevalence was 55.8% (373/668) in all the examined participants. The presence of Demodex infection increased with age in both groups. No association of Demodex infection with gender was found (119/204 vs 226/349; P > .05, OR 1.086). A high mean number of mites was present more frequently in patients aged older than 50 years and in those who complained especially about itching (P < .05).

Conclusion

The prevalence of ocular demodicosis is significantly correlated with blepharitis and increases with age.