Afferent and efferent projections of the VIIIth cranial nerve in the lamprey Lampetra japonica

Anterograde and retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase was used to examine the afferent and efferent projections of the VIIIth cranial nerve in the lamprey Lampetra japonica. Ganglion cells of the VIIIth nerve are classified into three types on the basis of their morphology. The central processes of these ganglion cells enter the medulla in two groups: the anterior group (mostly thick fibers) and the posterior group (mostly thin fibers). Afferent fibers mainly terminate within the ipsilateral ventral and octavomotor nuclei of the octavolateralis area and within the granular and molecular layer of the cerebellum. Some fibers terminate in the contralateral cerebellum, the medial and dorsal nuclei of the octavolateralis area, the descending nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, some cranial motor nuclei, and the lateral octavus nucleus, which has not been described previously. This small nucleus is located beneath the descending nucleus of the trigeminal nerve near the obex. Within the ventral nucleus, thin fibers occupy the dorsal part and thick fibers occupy the ventral part. The basic projection pattern of the primary afferents of the VIIIth nerve in the lampreys was similar to that of gnathostome fishes that have been studied to date. Cell bodies of the efferent vestibular neurons are located between the ipsilateral trigeminal motor nucleus and the facial motor nucleus. The lateral location of these cell bodies differs from that of all other fish species that have been studied.     

Phase I study of 131I-chimeric(ch) TNT-1/B monoclonal antibody for the treatment of advanced colon cancer

PURPOSE: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the biodistribution and toxicity of 131I-chimeric(ch) TNT-1/B monoclonal antibody (MAB), which binds to intracellular antigens of necrotic regions within tumors, in patients with advanced colon or colorectal cancer. The rationale for targeting areas of tumor necrosis is the observation that necrotic lesions are more abundant in cancer lesions than in surrounding tissues. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cohorts of patients with advanced colon or colorectal cancer were administered a one-time 30-60-minute intravenous (i.v.) infusion of 131I-chTNT-1/B at doses ranging from 12.95 to 66.23 MBq/kg (0.35-1.79 mCi/kg). RESULTS: The dose-limiting toxicity, experienced at 66.23 MBq/kg (1.79 mCi/kg) 131I-chTNT-1/B MAB, was myelosuppression. Two (2) patients at the 66.23-MBq/kg (1.79 mCi/kg) dose level had both grade 3 thrombocytopenia and grade 3 neutropenia that persisted for at least 2 weeks but were reversible. The maximum tolerated dose was 58.09 MBq/kg (1.57 mCi/kg) 131I-chTNT-1/B MAB. Of the 21 patients, one developed a moderate human antichimeric antibody (HACA) response and 6 developed low HACA responses. CONCLUSIONS: The infusion of 131I-chTNT-1/B MAB was well tolerated, without significant nonhematological toxicity. No patient obtained a complete or partial response, based on tumor cross-product response criteria. Tumor localization was seen in patients with dose levels at, and exceeding, 50.23 MBq/kg (1.36 mCi/kg) 131I-chTNT-1/B MAB.     

99Technetium bone scanning in experimental osteomyelitis

A rabbit model of experimental osteomyelitis was used in an attempt to clarify the natural history of bone infection associated with positive scintigraphic and negative radiological findings. In this model a pathogenic strain of Staphylococcus aureus is injected in the proximal metaphysis of the tibia of a rabbit, 15 minutes following the injection of a sclerosing agent. Scintigraphies were performed at 3, 5, 12, and 19 days following this procedure; 99m-Technetium phosphate compounds were used indifferently. On days 5, 12, and 19 a roentgenogram of the lower limbs was taken. Animals were sacrificed at random 6, 14, and 21 days following the procedure. Against expectations, the standard radiological procedure was more sensitive than the scintigraphic technique. The probability of finding a positive bone scintigrapy in the presence of osteomyelitis P(S+/O+) was 15/19 or 0.78. For the roentgenograms P(X+/O+) = 16/17 = 0.94. On pathological review the scintigraphic findings remained unexplained when fibrosis, periosteal reaction, granulocytic infiltration, and new bone formation were considered separately. In half of the cases the early scintigraphies revealed decreased uptake on the affected side, but this finding did not predict whether the final scintigraphy was positive. Finally, positivity was obvious in all cases, and a continuous range from negative to positive could not be documented. Present findings are a characteristic feature of the model. The physiological mechanism remains to be explained by independent measurements of relative bone blood flow made simultaneously with the scintigraphy and other bone tissue specific factors.     

Kinetics of buccal absorption of amphetamines

The buccal absorption of amphetamine, methylamphetamine and dimethylamphetamine in solutions at pH 8·16 and 9·18, was measured in man after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 min. The recovery of the drugs from the buccal membrane after uptake was also measured by washing out the mouth for varying times with buffer solutions. An analogue computer model of the biological system was used and the kinetic parameters for the buccal absorption of the amphetamines were calculated.