Inhibition of tumor promotion in benzo[a]pyrene-initiated CD-1 mouse skin by crocetin

The effects of topical application of crocetin on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate(TPA)-induced promotion of skin tumors, hyperplasia, hydrogenperoxide, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and inflammation wereevaluated in female CD-1 mice. Topical application of crocetin(0.2 or 1.0 µmol) with TPA (15 nmol) twice weekly for20 weeks to mice previously initiated with benzo[     

Quantitative whole-body autoradiographic analysis of the tissue distribution of orally-administered [14C]cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic rats

The cholesterol-fed rat model has been used to examine the distribution of radiolabeled cholesterol by whole-body autoradiographic and quantitative videodensitometric methods. Animals were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet for 7 days, and were subsequently killed at 3, 6, 12, 24, or 72 h following a single oral dose of [14C]cholesterol. Maximum blood and tissue levels were observed at 12 h, while liver and adrenals were the most intensely labeled tissues. Liver maintained consistently high levels over the course of the study, while activity in other tissues declined moderately by 72 h, indicating the long half-life of cholesterol radioequivalents in tissue. The results of these experiments suggest that autoradiographic examination of cholesterol distribution in animals treated with pharmaceutical agents designed to modify cholesterol absorption or clearance will be useful in providing supplemental or confirmatory information on the drugs' mode of action.     

中药混乱品种鉴别研究——7. 蕲蛇及其混淆品鉴别之二

作者前已报道蕲蛇及其伪品滑鼠蛇的鉴别,又据报道有些省发现蕲蛇商品药材中混有烙铁头、山烙铁头两种蛇的干燥体。作者对这两种混淆品与蕲蛇在体表花纹、鳞片以及骨骼的形态与组织特征等方面进行了鉴别研究。     

Role of polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes and their integrin CD11a (LFA-1) in the pathogenesis of severe murine malaria.

Infection of CBA mice with Plasmodium berghei ANKA results in severe malaria, which is characterized by mortality 6 to 10 days after infection and is associated with alterations of the brain microcirculation. These alterations consist of (i) intravascular sequestration of monocytes, (ii) an increase in vascular permeability as documented by Evans blue diffusion, and (iii) microhemorrhages. This syndrome may be due to an increase of production of tumor necrosis factor alpha which upregulates the endothelial expression of ICAM-1 and thus leads to adhesion of CD11a/CD18 (LFA-1)-bearing cells. During severe malaria, we found an important sequestration of the CD11a-bearing polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes (PMN) in the lung but not in the brain. Treatment with a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against PMN, which induces profound neutropenia, prevented mortality and Evans blue diffusion in the brain and the lung, while it unexpectedly increased the occurrence of microhemorrhages. The anti-PMN MAb abolished PMN sequestration in the lung and also partially decreased monocyte sequestration in the brain and the lung. Treatment with an anti-CD11a MAb also prevented mortality, Evans blue diffusion, and PMN and monocyte sequestration. This study shows that PMN contribute to the mortality and the microvascular lesions resulting from severe malaria. This may be due to their CD11a-dependent sequestration in the lung and also to their indirect influence on vascular permeability and the sequestration of monocytes.     

Quantification of flow through an interatrial communication. Application to the partial Fontan procedure.

The partial Fontan procedure has become an accepted alternative for the high-risk candidate. Creation of a small right-to-left shunt will lower the systemic venous pressure and improve systemic cardiac output while maintaining an acceptable systemic arterial saturation. However, because of variations in patient size and postoperative transpulmonary gradient, proper sizing of the residual defect is difficult. We have therefore conducted a series of experiments on a model that simulates the blood flow across interatrial defects of varying sizes at several pressure gradients. We used porcine blood to develop guidelines for the sizing of the residual defect. Our results demonstrate a linear relationship between flow and pressure gradient across all hole sizes tested. In addition, there was a linear relationship between atrial septal defect size and flow at each pressure gradient. Our data show that the Gorlin formula predictions overestimated flow by 10% to 40%. It is evident from these data that relatively small changes in the size of the atrial septal defect or in the pressure gradient result in significant changes in flow. Therefore we advocate the use of an adjustable interatrial communication such as the snare-controlled adjustable atrial septal defect for patients undergoing partial Fontan procedures.     

Malignant melanoma metastatic to the stomach: upper G-I endoscopic finding--report of a case

a 54-year-old male was presented with huge, black, ulcerative and painless tumor of the sole of left foot. Malignant melanoma was proved by biopsy, but patient refused any treatment. He visited our hospital again when bloody vomitus was noted two months later. Chest P-A revealed multiple lung metastases, and marked liver metastasis was also found by abdominal echo. Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) panendoscopy revealed multiple melanotic nodules with ulcerations at the tip, scattering diffusely on the fundus and upper body of the stomach. Metastatic malignant melanoma was proved by endoscopic biopsy. Metastatic tumor of the stomach was rare, and the endoscopic finding of the malignant melanoma with gastric metastasis was more rarer in the literature in Taiwan. So we would like to present the very rare finding of the endoscopy.