Magnetic resonance contrast media (review)

Translated from Khimiko-farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 23, No. 5, pp. 540–549, May, 1989.     

Comparative analysis of the effect of gestagens,antiestrogencytostatics, and androstenes on the viability of tumor and normal cells

The hormonal compound with the highest cytostatic activity against MCF-7 tumor cells (human breast cancer, BC) and the lowest activity against normal cells (rat skin fibroblasts) was sought among gestagens, androstenes, and antiestrogencytostatics. It was found that antiestrogencytostatics and androstenes had the highest cytostatic activity against tumor cells whereas gestagens and antiestrogencytostatics were least active against fibroblasts. Studies of the activity of the hormonal compounds in combination with doxorubicin on the viability of MCF-7 and rat skin fibroblasts found that all investigated compounds with the exception of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) intensify the cytostatic activity of doxorubicin against tumor cells, the greatest effect seen for antiestrogencytostatics. A chemoprotective effect of androstenes on normal cells was noted. __________ Translated from Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 41, No. 7, pp. 3–7, July, 2007.     

Atopic dermatitis. II. The status of complement proteins and the pathogenetic role of anaphylatoxins C4a, C3a and C5a

Eighty-eight patients with atopic dermatitis have been examined for the complementary proteins C3 (C3c), C3act., C4, C1inact. by radial immunodiffusion; in 36 of these patients anaphylatoxins C3a des Arg, C5a des Arg, and C4a des Arg have been radioimmunoassayed. Increased levels of C4a des Arg have been revealed in 50% of the examinees. C3a des Arg levels did not differ significantly from the reference values, and C5a des Arg level has been within the normal range in all the patients. C4a des Arg has been related to the severity of the skin inflammation and did not depend on the serum IgE content. C3 (C3c), C3act., C1inact. have been elevated and C4 reduced. These findings evidence activation of the complementary system in atopic dermatitis and indicate the role of anaphylatoxin C4a des Arg in the maintenance of the inflammatory reactions.     

The effect of naloxone on the preoperative gastric volume and pH

The effect of 4 mg oral naloxone on preoperative gastric volume and pH of gastric aspirate was studied in a double-blind, randomized study. Twenty patients received 10 ml of naloxone (4 mg) mixed with 10 ml of orange juice, and 20 patients received 10 ml of isotonic saline mixed with 10 ml of orange juice, 2 h before surgery. Gastric content was obtained immediately after intubation of the trachea. No significant difference in gastric volume and pH of gastric aspirate was found between the two groups. It is concluded that naloxone does not affect gastric emptying and gastric acid secretion to a degree great enough to protect against aspiration of gastric contents into the lungs.     

Calmodulin in osteogenic sarcoma

The content of calmodulin in homogenates prepared from various morphological variants of primary osteogenic sarcoma varies fromn 408 to 14,255 ng/mg total protein and is lowered by neoadjunctive chemotherapy. The 5-year incidence of metastases is lower when the calmodulin content in the tumor is>6000 ng/mg protein. At calmodulin content<6000 ng/mg protein, the occurrence of metastases is lower in patients receiving neoadjunctive therapy before surgery than in untreated patients. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 6, pp. 690–692, June, 1997