Secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor from human luteinized granulosa cells is human chorionic gonadotrophin dependent

Vascularization is a prominent event during corpus luteum formation, providing low density lipoproteins for steroid biosynthesis and enabling transport of secreted steroids. The process of vascularization is controlled by specific regulators. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), otherwise named vascular permeability factor (VPF), induces endothelial cell proliferation as well as angiogenesis in vivo and increases capillary permeability. Here we report the expression of VEGF/VPF mRNA by cultured human luteinized granulosa cells (GC) for at least 10 days. Without HCG VEGF/VPF expression declined after day 4 and by day 10 was reduced to approximately 30% of the value at day 4. However, after culture in the presence of 1 U/ml human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), expression of VEGF/VPF mRNA by GC was four times greater than control experiments by day 10, and increased 100% from day 4 to day 10. Simultaneously, HCG supplementation increased VEGF/VPF secretion by GC. Medium VEGF/VPF on day 3 was 13 pM without and 11 pM with HCG. Medium VEGF/VPF on day 10 was 6 pM without HCG and 29 pM with HCG. These results suggest that vascularization of the corpus luteum is induced by HCG-mediated effects of VEGF/VPF.      

Properties of hepatitis B virus genome recovered from Vietnamese patients with fulminant hepatitis in comparison with those of acute hepatitis

Among the many mutations found in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome, some have been associated with fulminant hepatitis, as exemplified by precore-defective mutations. The aim of this study was to determine whether such mutations also are found in Vietnamese cases of fulminant hepatitis B. The full-genome nucleotide sequence of HBV in three patients with fulminant hepatitis (F-2, F-3, and F-6) and one with acute hepatitis (A-3), who were admitted to Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam was ascertained. Additionally, two patients with fulminant hepatitis (F-1 and F-7) and three with acute hepatitis (A-1, A-2, and A-5) were examined only for the precore/core region of HBV. Remarkably, the nonsense mutation at precore codon 28 (Trp82Stop) was found in four of the five patients with fulminant hepatitis, while all the acute hepatitis patients harbored wild type (one had a mixture of wild and mutant types). The missense mutations within the core region, Ile97Leu and Pro130Ile/Thr/Ser, were also remarkable in fulminant hepatitis. Only F-2 was free from these precore/core mutations, but F-2 was unique in that it possessed a chimeric genotype: it could be classified into genotype C as a whole, but its X region was of genotype B, like the other four fulminant hepatitis isolates (F-1, F-3, F-6, and F-7). The codon 41 of the X protein was Pro in all three fulminant hepatitis cases examined for this region, while it was Ser in the wild-type isolates of genotype B. Of note as negative data, the mutations C1653T and T1753M of the enhancer II (Enh II) and A1762T and G1764A of the precore/core promoter regions, once reported to be relevant to severe or fulminant hepatitis, were not found in the present cases. The results with the Vietnamese cases of fulminant hepatitis corroborated results of previous studies with respect to the mutations Trp28Stop of precore and Ile97Leu and Pro130Ile/Thr/Ser of core, but not for the mutations within Enh II and precore/core promoter region. Whether the Ser41Pro mutation in the X region of genotype B HBV is Vietnam-specific or disease-specific deserves further investigation.     

In vitro andin vivo effects of piroxicam on rat polymorphonuclear responsiveness after induction of two acute non-specific inflammatory reactions

The effect of piroxicam on rat polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) has been studiedin vitro andin vivo after the induction of two acute, non specific inflammatory reactions (pleurisies induced by calcium pyrophosphate crystals (CaPP) or isologous serum).An inhibition of chemotaxis by piroxicam has been demonstrated by two techniques, the filter and agarose assaysin vivo andin vitro. An inhibition of random cell migration has been observed only at the higher drug concentration using agarose assay with CaPP-elicited cells.Piroxicam also inhibited superoxide anion generation and O₂ consumption of CaPP- and serum-elicited cells.These findings suggest that piroxicam may have a direct effect on PMN responses and that this activity could, at least in part, contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties.     

Biological resurfacing of the knee: a review of surgical management

Lesions of the articular surfaces of the knee have been managed by various techniques over the last 50 years. Surgical management has involved: excising the damaged area, refashioning the underlying bone to produce a fibrous response, and introducing allograft, autograft and synthetic materials to encourage a repair matrix. The techniques and their pitfalls are reviewed and discussed, and suggestions made as to the direction of future studies for the repair of osteochondral lesions in the painful knee.     

RENAL TRANSPLANTATION – AN EARLY EXPERIENCE

Renal transplant (RT) is now a therapy of choice for end stage renal disease (ESRD). The Nephrology Unit, Asvini started functioning in Dec 90 and to date 1298 sittings of hemodialysis have been given to 45 patients. Of these, 35 were in ESRD and 11 patients underwent renal transplantation at this hospital during the period Jan 91 – Dec 93. One patient expired after 18 months of transplantation due to infection. Early experience in screening patients for RT, use of immunosuppression, management of rejection episodes and protocol are presented with special emphasis on its relevance to the Armed Forces.KEY WORDS: Transplantation, Renal Failure, Immunosuppression, Rejection     

Pretreatment of coir lignocellulose for preparation of a porous coir–polyurethane composite with high oil adsorption capacity

In this present work, different treatment methods of coir biomass were investigated to improve the oil sorption capacity. The treated coir material was then used to fabricate an efficient porous coir–polyurethane composite sorbent by incorporating coir into a polyurethane matrix. The new composite possessed an open cell structure with high porosity and high oil sorption efficiency. The suitable technical parameters of the coir treatment process were selected as: hot water treatment at 170 °C for 120 minutes. After treatment under this suitable condition, treated coconut fiber exhibited an oil adsorption capacity of 4.1 g g⁻¹, with an increase of 78.3% compared to that of the original coconut fiber. Furthermore, the application of the as-fabricated porous composite sorbent for oil treatment was examined under various conditions. It was observed that the oil uptake capacity of the new composite sorbent was high, up to 15.2 g g⁻¹ when 20% treated coir material with a particle size of 1 mm was added into the polyurethane matrix. Several advantages of the new porous composite sorbent obtained from coir biomass and polyurethane such as low cost, being eco-friendly, ready availability and high buoyancy make it an efficient sorbent material for oil spill treatment.

An efficient porous coir–polyurethane composite with high porosity and high oil sorption efficiency has been successfully prepared by incorporating coir into a polyurethane matrix.