Treatment of senile maculopathy with etaretin

The results of parenteral treatment with Etaretin in 40 patients (79 eyes) suffering from senile maculopathy are reported. In 84% of the cases there was a degeneration of the dry type and in 16% a disciform exudative maculopathy. The cases of dry maculopathy responded well within a floow-up period of 8 to 18 months.     

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a series of dibenzo[a,d]cycloalkenimines as N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists.

A series of 73 dibenzo[a,d]cycloalkenimines were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to displace (+)-10,11-dihydro-5-methyl-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine ([3H]-(+)-10) from its specific binding site on rat cortical membranes. A number of the more active compounds (Ki ranging from 0.006 to 0.21 microM) were evaluated for N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist activity in the rat cortical slice (Kb ranging from 0.08 to 0.9 microM) and anticonvulsant activity in the mouse against NMDA induced convulsions. The ED50 values ranged from 0.22 to 7.76 mg/kg and correlated reasonably well with the Kb determination. In the dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine series, the (+)-5S,10R enantiomer displayed consistently higher levels of biological activity. While substitution at the 3-position of (+)-10 with electronegative atoms generally increased in vitro activity, a loss of potency relative to (+)-10 (MK-801) was observed in vivo for all of the compounds tested.     

Increased Radiosensitivity as an Indicator of Genes Conferring Breast Cancer Susceptibility

PURPOSE: This paper briefly summarizes the research on increased radiosensitivity in breast cancer patients measured by the micronucleus test (MNT) and its association to genetic variants in DNA repair genes. More preliminary data are presented on the distribution of chromosomes and chromosome fragments in micronuclei (MN) in order to gain more information on clastogenic and aneugenic effects and better understand the phenotype of increased radiosensitivity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Reports of relevant studies obtained from a search of PubMed and studies referenced in those reports were reviewed. In four patients with high MN frequency (three cancer patients, one control) and four probands with low MN frequency, the presence of chromosome fragments or whole chromosomes in MN was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for chromosomes 1, 7, and 17. RESULTS: An increased MN frequency in breast cancer patients compared to controls has consistently been reported with high significance. Higher MN frequencies were observed in 20-50% of breast cancer patients. Chromosomal fragments of chromosome 17, but not of chromosomes 1 and 7 were more frequent in the probands with high MN frequency than in those with low frequency (p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: The MNT detects a cellular phenotype common to a portion of sporadic breast cancer patients. This phenotype is very likely to be genetically determined. For the genetic dissection of breast cancer susceptibility this phenotype may turn out to be more efficient than breast cancer itself. Additional parameters which can be measured simultaneously with the MN frequency may be able to further enhance its usefulness.     

Impaired water metabolism and cerebral oedema following experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage in rats1

The acute phase of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is frequently associated with an impaired water metabolism and a disposition to cerebral oedema. For study of the pathogenesis of brain oedema following SAH, an experimental model of SAH was created in the rat The diuretic curves after water loading, the brain water and electrolyte contents and the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid arginine vasopressin (AVP) levels were examined in rats with SAH. Following a water load, a significant water retention and increases in brain water and sodium contents were observed after subarachnoid bleeding. Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid AVP levels were also elevated following SAH. It can be concluded that AVP plays important roles in the development of antidiuresis after water loading and in the disturbance of the brain water and electrolyte balance following experimental SAH.     

Technetium-99m sestamibi scintigraphy for the assessment of lower extremity ischaemia in peripheral arterial disease

Technetium-99m sestamibi was used for functional investigation of the muscle perfusion of lower extremities in 35 patients with peripheral vascular disease. The aim was to test what useful information could be obtained by additional imaging of the legs in patients referred for risk stratification with dipyridamole myocardial scanning. Posterior images were acquired over the thighs and calves after postocclusive reactive hyperaemia and at rest. Inter- and intraextremity ratios and differences between the stress and rest data were used for the assessment of abnormal circulation. Arteriography was performed in every case, and surgical procedures or transluminal angioplasty in 31 patients. To estimate diagnostic accuracy, the results of^99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy were compared with those of angiography and the functional consequences of revascularization procedures. The sensitivity and specificity of^99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy were 55% and 25%, respectively, with an overall accuracy of 50%. Apparently methodological error was not responsible for these poor results. Instead, a paradoxically high uptake of the radiopharmaceutical in muscles supplied by significantly stenosed vessels was identified as the main source of both false-negative and false-positive results. This phenomenon resembles the findings of a previous study involving delayed administration of thallium-201 after exercise. In conclusion,^99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy has not proved sufficiently reliable to help in the management strategy for patients with peripheral vascular disease.     

Experience with results of treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma]

Thirty primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated between 1983-1990 were reviewed to reveal the efficacy of various treatment strategies. The average age at the diagnosis 53.6 (18-76) years. The histologic material were evaluated according to the Kiel classification: 22 patients had high grade malignant lymphoma (centroblastoma 8, immunoblastoma 6, lymphoblastoma 2, non classifiable 5, T-cell lymphoma 1) 8 patients low grade malignant lymphoma (lymphocytic 2, immunocytic 2, MALT lymphoma 1, centrocytoma 1, non-classifiable 1, pleomorph small cell lymphoma 1). 21 were primary gastric lymphoma, 5 involved the small intestine, 2 the ileocecal region, and 2 the large intestine. According to the Ann Arbor staging system 7 patients were stage I/E, 16 patients stage II/E, 5 patients stage III/E and 2 patients stage IV/E. Every patients underwent surgical resection. After surgical treatment high grade malignancies were treated with ProMACE-COPP (9) and CHOP-Bleo (10) polychemotherapy; low grade malignancies received VEP (5) and CVP (3) chemotherapy. 23 of 30 patients achived complete remission. The patients with low grade malignancy are in remission. All but one patients with high grade malignant gastric lymphoma achieved complete remission with a median of 37 (3-81) months relapse-free survival. Out of 5 cases in the small intestine only in 1 case was remission achieved. Histological type (Kiel) and surgical resection were the most important prognostic factors.     

Neuroplastic effects of neonatal capsaicin on barrel cortex of adult rat. An electrophysiological and autoradiographic study

Capsaicin (50 mg/kg s.c./25 μl) was administered to rats on the 2nd and 5th days after birth. The animals were raised, and from the age of 3 months the properties of the evoked activity were tested in the contralateral barrelfield. This neonatal capsaicin treatment was found to induce profound changes in the responsiveness of the barrel cortex in the adult rats: (1) the receptive field of the neurons in the Cl barrel was expanded; units within a particular barrel were driven by a significantly larger number of vibrissae than in the controls. (2) The rate of discharge evoked by the related vibrissa deflection was enhanced, while (3) the angular sensitivity of the neurons was decreased. (4) The most prominent change in cortical activity was observed by autoradiography: capsaicin-treated rats exhibited an enhanced labelling of different types of neurons throughout the hemisphere (surpassing the cortical representation of stimulated vibrissae). The present observations indicate that neonatal capsaicin affects the functional activity of the rat somatosensory cortex. It is suggested that unmyelinated sensory afferents play a role in the development of the rat somatosensory system.     

Analgesic nephropathy in Hungary: the HANS study.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of analgesic nephropathy has improved significantly with modern imaging techniques. We reviewed a large portion of the Hungarian dialysis population to obtain additional insight into the problem. METHODS: Twenty-two participating dialysis units enrolled 1400 patients on renal replacement therapy between 1 January 1995 and 1 January 1998. Patients with no known aetiology (n = 284) were interviewed and studied with renal imaging. We assessed the presence of decreased renal mass combined with either bumpy contours, papillary calcification, or both. The subjects studied were interrogated extensively. RESULTS: Our survey suggested analgesic nephropathy in 47 of 1400 patients (3.3%), 3-fold higher than the EDTA database estimate for Hungary. The analgesics most commonly abused were phenacetin-containing mixtures. The driving symptoms were mainly headache and joint pain. Cardiovascular complications were more common than in the rest of the dialysis population, independent of smoking and lipid values (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Phenacetin should be banned. Our study results support the need for longitudinal cohort and case-control studies in Hungary.