Menadione: spectrum of anticancer activity and effects on nucleotide metabolism in human neoplastic cell lines

The spectrum of cytotoxicity of menadione (MD) was examined in a panel of human cancer cell lines. MD was equipotent against multidrug-resistant and parental leukemia cell lines with IC50 values of 13.5 +/- 3.6 and 18 +/- 2.4 microM respectively. A cervical carcinoma cell line resistant to the antimetabolite, methotrexate (MTX), was as sensitive to MD as its parental cell line. The interactions of fifteen clinically utilized anticancer drugs with MD were examined in vitro and the majority were found to be additive, with four agents exhibiting synergism and one agent exhibiting antagonism. MD inhibited the incorporation of radioactive thymidine, uridine and amino acids into DNA, RNA and protein, respectively, in three human cancer cell lines. Some possible reasons for the inhibition of DNA synthesis including effects of MD on intracellular deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pools were examined and ruled out. Although results from previous studies using rat hepatocytes suggested that mitochondria may be a target of MD, no significant effect of this compound on total intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) pools in human cancer cell lines was observed. Collectively, these in vitro results demonstrate that MD possesses a broad spectrum of anticancer activity and suggest the potential utility of this agent in cancer therapy. Future studies directed at elucidation of the mechanism of MD action in human cancer cells are warranted and are under study.     

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for adults with severe aphasia: where we stand and how we can go further

Purpose: To review literature specific to the use of AAC with adults who have severe aphasia. Method: The authors reviewed studies involving AAC interventions for adults with severe aphasia. Results: Published data support the use of aided and unaided AAC with adults with severe aphasia in controlled treatment contexts. Reported gains in communication typically have not generalized to everyday settings. Conclusions: The application of AAC with persons with severe aphasia must address factors potentially limiting treatment success outside of training environments.     

Sexual fantasy and activity patterns of females with inhibited sexual desire versus normal controls

Until recent years, female sexual fantasy was generally associated with psychopathology or negative qualities. Sexual fantasy is now regarded by the cognitive-behavioral schools as a normal occurrence serving adaptive functions. No investigation has been made comparing the sexual fantasy and activity patterns of women with a specific sexual dysfunction and women with a satisfactory sexual adjustment. This study compared responses to a fantasy questionnaire completed by 30 women reporting a satisfying sex life and 25 women who came to a sexual dysfunction clinic with a complaint of inhibited sexual desire. This study confirms that females with inhibited sexual desire fantasize less during foreplay, coitus, masturbation and general daydreaming than the controls. The content of fantasies in both groups is similar. The females with inhibited sexual desire do not masturbate less often and do not have fewer orgasms through masturbation than the controls. The females with inhibited sexual desire have fewer orgasms through intercourse alone.