Zur Acylierung von Hydroxy- und Mercapto-carbonsäureestern nach dem Carbodiimid/Acylierungskatalysator-Verfahren

On the Acylation of Hydroxy- and Mercaptocarboxylic Acid Esters Using the Carbodiimide/Acylation Catalyst Method Acylation of esters of hydroxycarboxylic acids can be carried out easily and in good yields by using the carbodiimide/acylation catalyst method. The reaction has also been applied to dihydroxy- and mercaptocarboxylic acid esters. The compounds formed from certain esters of hydroxycarboxylic acids are unstable to heat and decompose easily to the free carboxylic acid. No racemization is observed when using enantiomeric hydroxycarboxylic acids. Use of racemic carboxylic acids leads to diastereomers, whose ¹H-NMR shifts for characteristic protons are different as expected. Five drugs are among the carboxylic acids investigated in this context.     

Imaging of acute mesenteric ischemia using multidetector CT and CT angiography in a porcine model

Acute mesenteric ischemia, a frequently lethal disease, requires prompt diagnosis and intervention for favorable clinical outcomes. This goal remains elusive due, in part, to lack of a noninvasive and accurate imaging study. Traditional angiography is the diagnostic gold standard but is invasive and costly. Computed tomography (CT) is readily available and noninvasive but has shown variable success in diagnosing this disease. The faster scanning time of multidetector row CT (M.D.CT) greatly facilitates the use of CT angiography (CTA) in the clinical setting. We sought to determine whether M.D.CT-CTA could accurately demonstrate vascular anatomy and capture the earliest stages of mesenteric ischemia in a porcine model. Pigs underwent embolization of branches of the superior mesenteric artery, then imaging by M.D.CT-CTA with three-dimensional reconstruction protocols. After scanning, diseased bowel segments were surgically resected and pathologically examined. Multidetector row CT and CT angiography reliably defined normal and occluded mesenteric vessels in the pig. It detected early changes of ischemia including poor arterial enhancement and venous dilatation, which were seen in all ischemic animals. The radiographic findingsd—compared with pathologic diagnosesd—predicted ischemia, with a positive predictive value of 92%. These results indicate that M.D.CT-CTA holds great promise for the early detection necessary for successful treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia. Presented at the Forty-Sixth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Chicago, Illinois, May 14–18, 2005 (oral presentation). Supported by the Karin Grunebaum Research Fellowship, Harvard Medical School (D.E.R.), the German Research Fellowship, German Research Foundation STR 690/1-1 (O.S.), and the Phillip H. Meyers Grant from the Society of Gastrointestinal Radiologists (S.P.T.).     

New dysmorphic features in Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome.

We report a new case of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome with a hypoplastic right kidney, persistent pulmonary hypertension, and mitral valve regurgitation. Other pertinent features included broad thumbs, broad big toes, syndactyly of the third and fourth fingers bilaterally, beaked nose, broad columella of the nose, patent ductus arteriosus, and motor and mental retardation. The testes were descended. The 3 month old patient had delayed motor and mental development corresponding to a 1 month old infant.     

Rectal prolapse in infants and children

Rectal prolapse that is intractable to the usual medical therapy was successfully managed without significant complications in 10 patients by simple subcutaneous encirclement of the anus with a heavy nonabsorbable suture, which was in place until the suture was removed or broke after 4 to 6 months. Four patients required two sutures and one needed a third insertion. Since this procedure is simple, has no serious complications, and controls rectal prolapse, it is recommended as the preferred initial surgical treatment of this condition.     

Neutralization assay using a modified vaccinia virus Ankara vector expressing the green fluorescent protein is a high-throughput method to monitor the humoral immune response against vaccinia virus

Vaccination against smallpox is again considered in order to face a possible bioterrorist threat, but the nature and the level of the immune response needed to protect a person from smallpox after vaccination are not totally understood. Therefore, simple, rapid, and accurate assays to evaluate the immune response to vaccinia virus need to be developed. Neutralization assays are usually considered good predictors of vaccine efficacy and more informative with regard to protection than binding assays. Currently, the presence of neutralizing antibodies to vaccinia virus is measured using a plaque reduction neutralization test, but this method is time-consuming and labor-intensive and has a subjective readout. Here, we describe an innovative neutralization assay based on a modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vector expressing the green fluorescent protein (MVA-gfp). This MVA-gfp neutralization assay is rapid and sensitive and has a high-throughput potential. Thus, it is suitable to monitor the immune response and eventually the efficacy of a large campaign of vaccination against smallpox and to study the vector-specific immune response in clinical trials that use genetically engineered vaccinia viruses. Most importantly, application of the highly attenuated MVA eliminates the safety concern in using the replication-competent vaccinia virus in the standard clinical laboratory.     

Induced luteolysis in the primate: rapid loss of luteinizing hormone receptors

The molecular mechanisms involved in luteolysis are still unclear in the primate. This study aimed to investigate the effect of induced luteolysis on the ovarian luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor and the steroidogenic enzyme, 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) in the marmoset monkey. Luteolysis was induced in the mid-luteal phase either directly by systemic prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha), or indirectly by LH withdrawal using systemic gonadotrophin releasing hormone antagonist (GnRHant) treatment. The LH receptor was studied by isotopic mRNA in-situ hybridization and in-situ ligand binding and 3beta-HSD expression was studied using isotopic mRNA in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Induced luteolysis was associated with a reduction in the expression of LH receptor (P < 0.0001) and 3beta-HSD mRNA, closely followed by a reduction in the LH receptor (P < 0.05) and 3beta-HSD protein concentrations within 24 h. There were no differences in the findings whether luteolysis was induced with PGF2alpha or GnRHant. This study shows that disparate mechanisms to induce luteolysis in the primate result in an identical rapid loss of the LH receptor and 3beta-HSD. In conclusion, induced luteolysis leads to rapid loss of the steroidogenic pathway in luteal cells.