Budd-Chiari syndrome: portacaval shunt and subsequent liver transplantation

The Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is caused by hepatic venous outflow obstruction, which often leads to death as a result of portal hypertension and liver failure. Therapeutic approaches vary widely from conventional medical therapy to liver transplantation. If and when a patient suffering with BCS needs surgery remains a matter of contention. However, it is well accepted that portacaval shunt surgery and orthotopic liver transplantation represent efficient surgical treatments of this condition. We report on a patient with an eventful course after BCS was diagnosed. After portacaval shunt surgery the patient had acute liver failure and had a successful orthotopic liver transplantation.     

Treatment of osteoporosis in men

Osteoporosis in men is recognised worldwide as an important and increasing public health problem. The causes are more heterogeneous than those in women. About 50% are diagnosed as secondary cases. In some secondary forms of osteoporosis the specific diagnosis results in additional therapeutic options (e.g. androgen therapy in proven hypogonadism). The basic therapy for osteoporosis in men is no different to that in postmenopausal women, namely recommendations for counteracting modifiable risk factors, especially with regard to diet, physical exercise, and calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Concerning specific drug medications, however, even today there is still a therapeutic dilemma in male osteoporosis. While older substances (e.g. calcitonin, fluoride, alfacalcidol) are approved for both sexes, all newer medications have primarily been approved for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Health authorities request studies in purely male populations. For new drugs, fracture data are necessary while for new substances within a class (e.g. bisphosphonates), at the very least consistent effects on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers are requested. Due to these regulatory rules, ibandronate, teriparatide and strontium ranelate are not approved in the European Union. Some years ago, alendronate was the first bisphosphonate that was approved for the treatment of men with osteoporosis, based on consistent results from two independent male studies using a daily 10 mg dosage. Very recently risedronate was approved by the FDA and EMEA. A randomised, placebo-controlled multicentre trial of 285 male patients showed, after 2 years, a 5.8% increase in lumbar spine BMD in the risedronate 35 mg once weekly group vs 1.2% in the placebo group. In a prospective controlled study on 316 men with primary or secondary osteoporosis we found, after 12 months, a lumbar spine BMD of +4.7% vs +1.0% in controls. The number of patients with one or more new vertebral fractures was 8 in the risedronate group and 20 in the placebo group (a fracture reduction of 60%). Furthermore, we found a significantly smaller decrease in height and a steeper decrease in back pain in the risedronate group. Risedronate is the first oral bisphosphonate available for men with the more comfortable once weekly dosage.     

Notes on the use of low magnification telescopes in low vision care

Several areas related to the use of telescopes in low vision are reviewed. These include: contrast sensitivity function; eccentric viewing through a telescope; field of view; telescope used in reverse; and IOL-spectacle lens telescopic systems. Experimental data are included to support selected clinical observations routinely made by low vision clinicians.     

Pre- and post-transplant assessment of liver function in paediatric liver transplantation

The pre-operative risk of paediatric liver transplantation candidates (n=41) was assessed in a prospective study by means of clinical symptoms, conventional static and liver blood flow dependent dynamic liver function tests. Nine patients died during the 365-day waiting period. The data were subjected as covariates to a survival analysis in the Cox proportional hazards model. There was a significant relationsship between the results of mono-ethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) formation and ICG test and the 365-day survival rate. In the stepwise analysis, none of the remaining parameters improved the predictive ability when added to the dynamic liver function test results. The assessment of post-transplantation liver function was studied in 27 patients during the first 28 postoperative-day period. In addition, liver function was studied in a cross-sectional study 1–7 years after successful liver transplantation in children with complete or partial rehabilitation. In the early postoperative period severe organ damage was indicated by both static and dynamic liver function tests. In the later course after transplantation no deterioration of liver function measured with MEGX formation was to be observed. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of dynamic liver function tests in the pre- and post-transplant assessment of liver function.     

Immunotherapy and whole-body hyperthermia as combined modality treatment of a subcutaneous murine sarcoma

Interleukin–2 and hyperthermia have been used individually to treat a variety of tumors in both experimental and human trials. Combined adoptive immunotherapy and hyperthermia is an exciting new line of investigation. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that combined local hyperthermia and rIL-2 therapy can significantly decrease the rate of tumor growth. In this study, we investigated the effect of combined whole-body hyperthermia (WBHT) and rIL-2 on the growth of subcutaneous MCA-105 murine tumors in C57BL/6 mice. Treatment of both microscopic (day 3) and macroscopic (day 10) tumors was evaluated. In the treatment of microscopic tumors, animals received either no treatment; rIL-2 (3 × 10⁵ IU ip tid) on days 3–7; plus WBHT(41°C for 30 min) on days 3, 5, and 7; or WBHT only on days 3, 5, and 7. In treating macroscopic tumors, animals received either no treatment; rIL-2 on days 10–14; plus WBHT on days 10, 12, and 14; or WBHT only on days 10, 12, and 14. While combined treatment and WBHT alone had no significant effect on the growth of microscopic tumors, combined IL-2 and WBHT significantly reduced the rate of tumor growth of macroscopic tumors. These results suggest that the tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in combined WBHT and rIL-2 therapy, and may be due to effects of WBHT on the tumor vasculature. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

In vitro studies on the effects of flubendazole against Toxocara canis and Ascaris suum

Adult Toxocara canis and Ascaris suum were incubated in vitro in media containing 0.1, 1, 10 or 100 µg/ml flubendazole in order to study drug-derived effects. This incubation was done for 8 h and repeated (in some groups) after 24 h for another 8 h. The onset and intensity of flubendazole-derived effects were dosage-dependent and time-dependent, i.e. the same grade of damage was reached when incubating for a longer period at a low dosage or for a shorter period in medium containing a high amount (10 or 100 µg/ml) of flubendazole. A repeated incubation in drug-containing medium was superior to a single exposure. Flubendazole is apparently able to penetrate into the worm's interior via the cuticle. This became evident in worms with sealed orifices, which showed identical damage to worms which were not sealed. The type of tissue damage due to flubendazole was identical in both worm species when exposed to any of the drug dosages used. The principal mode of action of flubendazole was based on the complete reduction of microtubuli-polymerisation inside the parasite's cells. This apparently led to the complete destruction of the hypodermis, muscle layer and intestine. Flubendazole also stopped the formation of gametes. Summarising, even low concentrations of flubendazole (0.1 µg/ml) led to significant and irreversible damage in all worms studied.     

Cytochromes of the P450 2C subfamily are the major enzymes involved in the O-demethylation of verapamil in humans

The calcium channel blocker verapamil [2,8-bis-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-methyl-2-isopropyl-6-azaoctanitrile] undergoes extensive biotransformation in man. We have previously demonstrated cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 and 1A2 to be the enzymes responsible for verapamil N-dealkylation (formation of D-617 [2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-methylamino-2-isopropylvaleronitrile]), and verapamil N-demethylation (formation of norverapamil [2,8-bis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-isopropyl-6-azaoctanitrile]), while there was no involvement of CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 in the third initial metabolic step of verapamil, which is verapamil O-demethylation. This pathway yields formation of D-703 [2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-8-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-methyl-2-isopropyl-6-azaoctanitrile] and D-702 [2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-8-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)6-methyl-2-isopropyl-6-azaoctanitrile]. The enzymes catalyzing verapamil O-demethylation have not been characterized so far. We have therefore identified and characterized the enzymes involved in verapamil O-demethylation in humans by using the following in vitro approaches: (I) characterization of O-demethylation kinetics in the presence of the microsomal fraction of human liver, (II) inhibition of verapamil O-demethylation by specific antibodies and selective inhibitors and (111) investigation of metabolite formation in microsomes obtained from yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae W(R), that was genetically engineered for stable expression of human CYP2C8, 2C9 and 2C18.In human liver microsomes (n=4), the intrinsic clearance (CL_int), as derived from the ratio of V _max/K_m, was significantly higher for O-demethylation to D-703 compared to formation of D-702 following incubation with racemic verapamil (13.9±1.0 vs 2.4±0.6 ml^*min^{-1 *}g^-1 mean±SD; p<0.05), S-Verapamil (16.8±3.3 vs 2.2±1.2 ml^* mini^*g^-1, p<0.05) and R-verapamil (12.1±2.9 vs 3.6 ±1.3 ml^*min^{-1 *} g^-1; p<0.05), thus indicating regioselectivity of verapamil O-demethylation process. The CL_int of D-703 formation in human liver microsomes showed a modest but significant degree of stereo selectivity (p<0.05) with a S/R-ratio of 1.41±0.17. Anti-LKM2 (anti-liver/kidney microsome) autoantibodies (which inhibit CYP2C9 and 2C19) and sulfaphenazole (a specific CYP2C9 inhibitor) reduced the maximum rate of formation of D-703 by 81.5±4.5% and 45%, that of D-702 by 52.7±7.5% and 72.5%, respectively. Both D-703 and D-702 were formed by stably expressed CYP2C9 and CYP2C18, whereas incubation with CYP2C8 selectively yielded D-703.In conclusion, our results show that enzymes of the CYP2C subfamily are mainly involved in verapamil O-demethylation. Verapamil therefore has the potential to interact with other drugs which inhibit or induce these enzymes.     

Differential increases in brain levels of neuropeptide Y and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide after kainic acid-induced seizures in the rat

Summary Changes in immunoreactivities of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were investigated in the brain of rats after severe kainic acid (KA, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) induced limbic seizures. Decreased levels of both neuropeptides were observed in the frontal cortex, striatum, dorsal hippocampus and amygdala/pyriform cortex subsequently to the period of acute seizures (3 h after injection of the toxin). Then NPY increased consistently in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala/pyriform cortex. Highest levels (290% of controls) were found in the frontal cortex after two months. Anticonvulsant therapy with phenobarbital (20 mg/kg, i.p., twice daily for three weeks) partially suppressed the rise in NPY levels. Immunoreactivity of VIP increased (to 150%) in the frontal cortex only transiently 3 days after injection of kainic acid. At the subsequently examined time intervals (10–60 days after kainic acid) it declined to control values. Levels decreasing subsequently to acute seizures reflect increased release and degradation of the respective peptide. Increased NPY levels suggest upregulation of NPY/ somatostatin/GABA neurons due to the decreased seizure threshold of the animals. The early, reversible rise of VIP in the cortex points to a short-lasting activation of this peptide system contained in local cholinergic neurons. This may be a consequence either of the acute seizures or subsequent neuropathological changes. Send offprint requests to G. Sperk at the above address