Study of some official pharmaceutical preparations in the Sixth Edition of Formule Normales by thin-layer chromatography

Pharmaceutical preparations--containing aminophenazonum, noraminophenazonum sodium mesylicum, acidum acetylsalicylicum and aethylmorphinium chloratum--official in the VI. Edition of Formulae Normales have been investigated. Simple method for studying decomposition products--which can be carried out in pharmacies and can be followed the quality of products with during their usability--has been developed. The method proving and precluding the presence of decomposition products, respectively by means of preparing dilution sets has been capable of semiquantitative determination of decomposition products. DC Alufolien Kieselgel 60 F254 (Merck) layer was used. Temperature of laboratory was 22-26 degrees C and its relative humidity was 30-40%. Developing solvents were: acetone-ether-water (90:15:12) for aminophenazum; benzene-acetone-90% alcohol-wated (35: 33: 26: 11) for noraminophenazonum sodium mesylicum; methenol-glacial acetic acid-ether-benzene (1: 18: 60: 120) for acidum acetylsalicylicum; dichloromethane-methanol-concentrated ammonia (85: 15: 2) for aethylmorphinium chloratum. Detections were carried out under UV light and by using colour reagents (alcoholic ninhydrine solution for aminophenazonum, dimethylamino-benzaldehyde solution for noraminophenazonum sodium mesylicum). Rf-values of intact and decomposed compounds have been given in figures. Interfering effects of other components of preparations were studied too. These components had different Rf-values or did not react with the colour producing reagents in the applied systems.     

Detection and enumeration of toxin-producing Pasteurella multocida with a colony-blot assay.

Colonies of toxin-producing Pasteurella multocida were detected with peroxidase-labeled monoclonal antibodies by a membrane assay. Examination of the specificity of the assay with 29 P. multocida cultures representing various geographic origins, hosts, and serotypes indicated that the test was specific for toxin-producing strains. No cross-reactions were observed with Bordetella species that can be associated with P. multocida in producing diseases in animals. A single membrane could be used to assay several isolated strains for toxin production or to enumerate toxin-producing colonies in mixed cultures. Toxin-producing P. multocida colonies were detected in primary cultures; hence, the assay appears to have good potential for widespread application with clinical samples.     

Rapid determination of trisomy 18 parental origin using fluorescent PCR and small tandem repeat markers: case reports

Trisomy 18 is the second most common genetic defect after trisomy 21, almost 90% of which are due to additional chromosome from the mother. The parental origin of the additional chromosome can, if required, be determined by two methods: karyotyping, which takes several weeks; or, more recently, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which is often problematic. Fluorescent PCR of small tandem repeats (STRs) can determine the parental origin in the majority of cases within 5 h. Although the incidence of paternal origin is known for both trisomy 21 and trisomy 18, this technique can rapidly determine the parental origin in cases where there is insufficient samples to perform conventional tests. Determining parental origin by these methods may also have clinical significance in the diagnosis of chromosomal translocations or in the diagnosis of genetic disease using linkage analysis.     

Five-year follow-up pulmonary function studies in patients with anti-trypsin deficient pulmonary emphysema]

Five-year follow-up study was carried out in pulmonary emphysematous patients with intermediate antitrypsin deficiency. The examinations showed no deterioration in the clinical state of the patients but in some parts of the controlled functional parameters a statistically significant worsening was found in this period of study.     

Experience with a new "reserve protocol" in advanced and pretreated Hodgkin's disease

Between 1983-1987 16 patients with advanced stage Hodgkin disease, most of whom in an immunsuppressed, immundeficient state, were treated with a new "post-COPP", or "post-ABVD" reserve-protocol. In all cases megavoltage Co radiotherapy and COPP (CVPP) or ABVD polychemotherapy had previously been. Compared with the previously administered polychemotherapy the new 3-component cytostatic agent was well tolerated by the patients. The LEAMP-protocol therapy is therefore recommended in cases of ineffective combined radiochemotherapy (chemoresistance) or intolerance to chemotherapy. In four cases prolonged, complete, in nine cases partial remission was achieved and in more than a half of the patients favourable clinical effects and changes were experienced. In two cases temporary, partial remission was seen. One cases, because of the short period of treatment could not be evaluated. On the basis of the longitudinal observations the results achieved seemed subjectively and objectively favourable. The LEAMP-protocol was found to be well tolerated and satisfactorily effective.     

Hormone replacement therapy reduces mean 24-hour blood pressure and its variability in postmenopausal women with treated hypertension

BACKGROUND: The rate and severity of hypertension increase dramatically after menopause. Complications seem to be more frequent and marked in hypertensive patients with greater blood pressure (BP) variability, and antihypertensive treatment does not easily reduce this variability. The effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on BP and its variability is not well understood in moderate to severe hypertension, but estrogen may have calcium channel-blocking properties. Cardiovascular events occur more frequently in the morning, likely in part because of a rise in BP. DESIGN: We prospectively studied 34 postmenopausal women with treated hypertension (mean age = 53 years) and receiving a cyclic combination of estradiol and norgestrel for 19 weeks with 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring. RESULTS: Mean daily BP and its variability decreased significantly with HRT (149.3 +/- 6.1 mm Hg vs. 140.3 +/- 8.5 mm Hg [p < 0.001]; diastolic: 95.4 +/- 4.7 mm Hg vs. 92.4 +/- 7.2 mm Hg [p < 0.05]). There was also a significant decrease in the early morning BP values after HRT (154.0 +/- 6.9 mm Hg vs. 145.6 +/- 11.0 mm Hg [p < 0.001]; diastolic: 98.0 +/- 4.8 mm Hg vs. 95.1 +/- 10.0 mm Hg [p < 0.05]). Subjects who were taking calcium channel blockers (n = 11) had only half the reduction in 24-h systolic BP compared with those who were not taking calcium channel blockers (5.3 mm Hg vs. 10.5 mm Hg), and the reduction in those who were taking calcium channel blockers failed to reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that HRT may have a role in decreasing the severity of hypertension, and the mechanism of its action might be through calcium channels.     

Comparison of the mycobacteria growth indicator tube with MB redox, Löwenstein-Jensen, and Middlebrook 7H11 media for recovery of mycobacteria in clinical specimens

The rate of recovery and the mean time to detection of mycobacteria in clinical specimens were evaluated with two nonradiometric broth-based systems, the Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) and MB Redox systems. The data obtained for each system were compared with each other and with those obtained with the L?wenstein-Jensen (LJ) and Middlebrook 7H11 reference media. A total of 117 mycobacterial isolates (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, n = 112; nontuberculous mycobacteria, n = 5) were detected in 486 clinical specimens. The recovery rates for M. tuberculosis were 91 of 112 (81.3%) isolates with MGIT and 81 of 112 (72.3%) isolates with MB Redox. The combination of MGIT plus MB Redox recovered 104 of the 112 (92.9%) M. tuberculosis isolates. MGIT plus LJ plus Middlebrook 7H11 recovered 106 of the 112 (94.6%) isolates, MB Redox plus LJ plus Middlebrook 7H11 recovered 99 of the 112 (88.4%) isolates, and LJ plus Middlebrook 7H11 recovered 84 of the 112 (75. 0%) isolates. The mean time to detection of M. tuberculosis in smear-positive specimens was 7.2 days with MGIT, 6.9 days with MB Redox, 20.4 days with LJ, and 17.6 days with Middlebrook 7H11. The mean time to detection of M. tuberculosis in smear-negative specimens was 19.1 days with MGIT, 15.5 days with MB Redox, 25.8 days with LJ, and 21.6 days with Middlebrook 7H11. The contamination rates were 4.4, 3.8, 2.1, and 2.7% for MGIT, MB Redox, LJ, and Middlebrook 7H11, respectively. In conclusion, MGIT and MB Redox can be viable tools in the routine mycobacteriology laboratory.     

Muscle spindles in rheumatoid arthritis

Summary Ultrastructural features of muscle spindles were studied in biopsy material from 100 patients suffering from classical rheumatoid arthritis. Thickening of the outer capsule, increased amount of extracellular ground substance within the inner capsule, and marked thickening of the basement membrane of capillary blood vessels supplying the muscle spindles were observed. Chronic inflammatory cells and macrophages were present within the spindles. Changes affecting the intrafusal muscle fibres were also seen. They were manifest as atrophy and degeneration of the intrafusal muscle fibres, absence of the specialised junctional complexes, and of the intercellular bridges, microladders and satellite cells. It is suggested that the changes affecting the intrafusal muscle fibres are probably secondary. Damage to the myelinated nerves was present, while the sensory and motor nerve endings were well preserved.Temporary Research Fellow the Rotterdam Centre for Rheumatic Disease Present address: Division of Pathology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA