Cough and converting enzyme inhibitors

Persisting cough developed in three children treated with converting enzyme inhibitors. The symptoms disappeared within 3–7 days after withdrawing medication. These observations in children complement previous reports in adults and indicate that cough may be induced by treatment with these agents.     

Hyperglycaemia compensates for the defects in insulin-mediated glucose metabolism and in the activation of glycogen synthase in the skeletal muscle of patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus

Summary Insulin resistance and a defective insulin activation of the enzyme glycogen synthase in skeletal muscle during euglycaemia may have important pathophysiological implications in Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycaemia may serve to compensate for these defects in Type 2 diabetes by increasing glucose disposal through a mass action effect. In the present study, rates of whole-body glucose oxidation and glucose storage were measured during fasting hyperglycaemia and isoglycaemic insulin infusion (40 mU·m^–2min^–1, 3 h) in 12 patients with Type 2 diabetes. Eleven control subjects were studied during euglycaemia. Biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis muscle. Fasting and insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation, glucose storage and muscle glycogen synthase activation were all fully compensated (normalized) during hyperglycaemia in the diabetic patients. The insulin-stimulated increase in muscle glycogen content was the same in the diabetic patients and in the control subjects. Besides hyperglycaemia, the diabetic patients had elevated muscle free glucose and glucose 6-phosphate concentrations. A positive correlation was demonstrated between intracellular free glucose concentration and muscle glycogen synthase fractional velocity insulin activation (0.1 mmol/l glucose 6-phosphate: r=0.65, p<0.02 and 0.0 mmol/l glucose 6-phosphate: r= 0.91, p<0.0001). In conclusion, this study indicates an important role for hyperglycaemia and elevated muscle free glucose and glucose 6-phosphate concentrations in compensating (normalizing) intracellular glucose metabolism and skeletal muscle glycogen synthase activation in Type 2 diabetes.     

甲氟哌酸体外抗菌活性及对耐药感染者的治疗

对天津市新近临床分离的414株细菌进行了甲氟哌酸(Pflx)和氟哌酸(Nflx)体外抗菌活性研究。结果显示Pflx对绝大多数肠杆菌和细菌、不动杆菌有良好抗菌活性,抑菌率>90％。对绿脓杆菌、MSSA及凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌有中度抗菌作用,抑菌率分别为85％、87.5％、87.5％。对MRSA和链球菌抗菌活性稍差,抑菌率在40％～68.42％之间。Nflx体外抗菌活性和Pflx相似。此外,18例药敏试验耐Pflx和Nflx细菌感染患者,经Pflx治疗,肺化脓症1例显效,余17例难治性尿路感染者1例痊愈、9例显效、5例进步、2例无效。     

Olfactory Absorption of Insulin to the Brain

A vast number of potent neuropharmaceuticals, many of which are peptides, are excluded from entry into the brain because of the highly selective blood-brain barrier. The fact that a number of drugs have been shown to be transported directly to the central nervous system following application to the olfactory region of the nose is therefore of major interest. In the present study, the feasibility of delivering peptides to the brain via the olfactory route was assessed using insulin as a model peptide. Systemic hyperinsulinemia induced by subcutaneous injection did not significantly reduce the amount of ¹²⁵I-insulin transported from the nose to the brain in vivo, which suggests that the impact of systemic absorption on drug transport is minimal. A linear relationship was seen between insulin accumulation in the brain and the dose applied, without any relevant saturation. Contrary to what was expected, both systemic and olfactory absorption of insulin was enhanced when the pH of the medium was near the isoelectric point. The amount absorbed to the brain was found to be linearly related to the net charge of the molecule (r = -0.61; n = 20). It was concluded that insulin gains access to the central nervous system from the olfactory region of the nose by a nonspecific pathway. The olfactory route may therefore become an important means to deliver peptides to the brain.     

Preparation and evaluation of temperature sensitive liposomes containing adriamycin and cytarabine

Temperature sensitive liposomes (TSL) containing adriamycin (ADM) and cytarabine (Ara-C) were prepared. ADM and Ara-C were selected as model compounds of amphiphilic and hydrophilic drug, respectively. Encapsulation efficiency of ADM entrapped into TSL was about twice greater than that of Ara-C. It might be due to different polarity of the drugs. Lipid compositions of TSL had no effect on the encapsulation efficiency of drugs. Thermal behavior of TSL using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was also investigated. Phase transition temperature (T_c) of TSL was dependent on the lipid compositions of TSL.ADM broadened thermogram of TSL but Ara-C did not. However, T_c of TSL was not changed by any drug. Release rate of drugs was highly dependent on temperature. The release profile of ADM was similar to that of Ara-C. The maximum release rate of drugs from TSL was occurred at the near T_c and observed at 39–41°C for DPPC (Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine) only, 52–54°C for DSPC (Distearoylphosphatidylcholine) only, 41–43°C for DPPC and DSPC (3∶1), and 43–45°C for DPPC and DSPC (1∶1), respectively. Effect of human serum albumin (HSA) on the release rate of ADM was investigated. HSA had no significant effect on the release of ADM below T_c. However, ADM release from TSL was increased at the near and above T_c. The HSA-induced leakage of drug may result from the interaction of liposomal constituents with HSA structure at the near T_c. From the fact that the release profiles of ADM from freshly prepared TSL and stored TSL for 1 week at 4°C was not changed, the TSL was considered to be stable for at least 1 week at 4°C. Based on these findings, TSL may be useful to deliver drugs to preheated target sites due to its thermal behaviors.     

血管内皮功能障碍对肥胖伴高血糖患者胰岛分泌功能的影响

目的　探讨血管内皮功能障碍对胰岛 β细胞分泌功能的影响。 　方法　正常体重(NW )组 81例 ,单纯肥胖 (Ob)组 14 0例 ,肥胖伴高血糖 (Ob HG)组 97例。测定体质指数 (BMI)、腰臀围比 (WHR)、血压、血脂、空腹血糖和胰岛素 (FBG和FIns)及餐后血糖和胰岛素 (2hBG和 2hIns)。采用稳态模式法评价胰岛素抵抗 (HOMA IR)和 β细胞功能 (HOMA β)。用高分辨率血管外超声测定肱动脉对血流介导的内皮依赖性血管扩张 (EDD)及硝酸甘油的扩张反应。　结果　与Ob组比较 ,Ob HG组WHR、血压、甘油三酯 (TG)、FIns、2hIns和HOMA IR等显著升高 ,HOMA β明显降低 ,并伴有EDD所标志的血管内皮功能显著下降。相关分析显示 ,β细胞功能与EDD在Ob HG组呈显著正相关 (r=0 2 5 9,P <0 0 5 ) ,在Ob组和NW组无显著相关。在对Ob HG组影响EDD的因素进行控制后 ,EDD仍与 β细胞功能显著相关 (r =0 4 5 8,P <0 0 1)。多元逐步回归分析表明影响 β细胞功能的主要因素在Ob HG组为FBG、FIns和EDD ,在Ob组为FBG和HOMA IR。　结论　内皮依赖性舒张功能障碍可能是导致肥胖者 β细胞功能衰退 ,引发 2型糖尿病 (T2DM )的重要危险因素。     

AmpC酶在主要肠杆菌科和非发酵菌中的携带率及耐药性

目的：调查主要肠杆菌科细菌和非发酵菌产AmpC酶和ESBLs的状况及对常用抗菌药物的耐药性，指导临床合理用药。方法：常规培养分离细菌，应用VTTEK微生物自动分析仪和API鉴定系统鉴定病原菌；药敏试验采用K-B纸片扩散法；AmpC酶检测采用三维试验法；ESBLs检测采用双纸片确认试验。结果：主要肠杆菌科细菌产AmpC酶和ESBLs的阳性率分别为18．9％，52．8％，其中以大肠杆菌、肺炎克雷伯、产酸克雷伯、阴沟肠杆菌为主，同时产2种酶的菌株占15．4％；绿脓杆菌产AmpC酶和ESBLs酶的阳性率分别为18．2%，，42．0％，同时产2种酶的菌株占13．6％；不动杆菌的产酶率均在8．0％以下,产酶菌的耐药率高于非产酶菌，除绿脓杆菌外，产AmpC酶菌株的耐药率高于产ESBLs菌株．主要肠杆菌科细菌对泰能(IMP)的敏感性为99．5%，而对舒普深(CPZ)的耐药率平均为13．8％；非发酵菌对IMP，马斯平(FEP)、CPZ的耐药率平均分别为20．4％，44．3％，18．6％.结论：主要肠杆菌科细菌的产酶率高于非发酵菌，产AmpC酶的菌株已近20．0%，应引起临床的高度重视；绿脓杆菌产ES-BLs的菌株也较高，也应该加强监控．对产酶菌引起感染的治疗应根据细菌药敏试验结果，合理选择有效的抗菌药物联合治疗；对重症感染患的治疗应根据药敏试验结果重点应用泰能或舒普深治疗。     

Potential risk factors for infection with Candida spp. in critically ill patients

The incidence, risk factors and prognostic factors for candidal infection were determined in a prospective study of 280 infected patients. Thirty-one (11%) patients were infected with Candida spp., sub-divided into 18 (58%) with C. albicans, and 13 (42%) with non-albicans spp. (six C. glabrata, three C. parapsilosis, and one each of C. krusei, C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii and C. lusitaniae). Infection with Candida spp. was always associated with concurrent bacterial infection. By univariate logistic regression analysis, the degree of morbidity and the duration of mechanical ventilation were independent predictive factors for death, but infection with Candida spp., was not. Factors associated with Candida spp. infection were the degree of morbidity, intensive care unit length of stay, alterations of immune response, and the number of medical devices involved. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, the only independent risk factor for candidal infection was intensive care unit length of stay.     

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function in T cells: implications for organ transplantation

P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a member of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) family of transporter molecules, is responsible for maintaining low intracellular concentrations of a variety of extracellular compounds and xenobiotics, and for transport of various intracellular molecules. Many drugs are P-gp substrates and intracellular concentrations of these agents may be critical for drug action. Experience in oncology indicates that repeated exposure to P-gp substrate cytotoxic drugs leads to the selection of drug-resistant tumor cells that overexpress P-gp. Since immunosuppressive agents such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus and corticosteroids are substrates for P-gp and since T-cells also express P-gp, it is conceivable that an analogous mechanism exits for therapy-resistant graft rejection. As will be discussed in this article, P-gp may interfere with the response to immunosuppressive therapy through several distinct mechanisms, and as such may represent an attractive therapeutic target.