Isolation from the serum of cancer patients and molecular structure determination of a ketone derivative of D3 vitamin

In a previous article we have reported our finding of an unknown vitamin derivative in the serum of cancer patients and in rats transplanted by a malignant tumor. Analysis of this compound extracted from serum of cancer patients, was carried out by I.R., U.V., mass spectrography and nuclear magnetic resonance (N.M.R.) determination. This analysis led us to the conclusion that the compound was a ketone derivative of D3 vitamin: 1-ceto-24-methyl-25-hydroxycholecalciferol, provisionally designated D3C. Enzymatic pathways involved in the biosynthesis of this substance and its possible role in normal and pathological cell division are discussed.     

Severe hemorrhagic radiation proctitis advancing to gradual cessation with hyperbaric oxygen

Summary We report a case of a male patient suffering from a severe hemorrhagic radiation proctitis which gradually ceased with hyperbaric oxygen. We discuss the mechanisms of chronic radiation injury and the effect of the hyperbaric oxygen. This therapy is proposed as an alternative to surgical intervention for this abnormality.     

INVOLVEMENT OF NON-NMDA AND NMDA RECEPTORS IN GLUTAMATE-INDUCED PRESSOR OR DEPRESSOR RESPONSES OF THE PONS AND MEDULLA

1. Fifty-five intact and six baroreceptor denervated and vagotomized cats of either sex were anaesthetized intraperito-neally with urethane (400 mg/kg) and a-chloralose (40 mg/kg). Responses of the systemic arterial pressure (SAP), mean SAP (MSAP) and sympathetic vertebral nerve (VNA) and renal nerve activities (RNA) were recorded. 2. In intact animals, monosodium L-glutamate (Glu, 0.1 mol/L, 50 nL) was microinjected into pressor areas of the locus coeruleus (LC), gigantocellular tegmental field (GTF), rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and dorsomedial medulla (DM), and the depressor areas of caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM). The induced actions were compared before and after microinjection of either glutamate antagonists, glutamate diethylester (GDEE, 0.5 mol/L, 50–100nL), a competitive AMPA receptor blocker, or 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (D-AP5, 0.025 mol/L, 50–100 nL), a competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker. GDEE completely blocked the increases of SAP and VNA elicited from all pressor areas. D-AP5 only partially blocked the pressor but slightly blocked VNA and RNA responses from LC, GTF and DM, particularly those from RVLM. Neither GDEE nor D-AP5 blocked the depressor responses of SAP and two nerve activities elicited from CVLM. 3. In baroreceptor denervated animals, NMDA (2 mmol/L, 50–100 nL) and AMPA (0.2 mmol/L, 50–100 nL) were micro-injected into the same pressor areas of GTF, RVLM and DM and the depressor area of CVLM responsive to Glu activation (0.1 mol/L, 30 nL). In RVLM, DM and CVLM, the results of either NMDA or AMPA were similar to those induced by Glu. However, in GTF, microinjection of either NMDA or AMPA did not induce similar responses to Glu. This suggests that the nature of GTF may differ from RVLM and DM. 4. The above results suggest that the Glu-induced pressor responses from LC, GTF, DM and especially RVLM, are primarily mediated through AMPA receptors. The Glu-induced depressor responses from CVLM may not be predominantly mediated by either AMPA or NMDA receptors. 5. In both baroreceptor-intact and -denervated cats stimulation of the pressor areas often produced an increase of VNA and a decrease of RNA, while in the depressor CVLM decreased both VNA and RNA. The VNA, but not RNA were positively correlated with the pressor responses, while both VNA and RNA were positively correlated with the depressor responses. This may suggest that neurons of the sympathetic vertebral and renal nerves are topographically organized in the brain.     

人体液中喷布洛尔及其代谢物的GC/MS分析

用气相色谱一质谱联用(GC-MSD)系统分析方法检出了人尿中喷布洛尔的6个羟化代谢物,用Scp-Pak柱提取的方法检出了人血浆中的原型药物。并从分子结构上对此药物的代谢途径进行了研究。尿中提取和血中提取的回收率分别为90.83.%和85.88%,Gc-MSD的检测限为5pg。本方法适用于运动员兴奋剂的系统检查。     

Digital radiography of subtle pulmonary abnormalities: an ROC study of the effect of pixel size on observer performance

Forty conventional radiographs with examples of mild interstitial infiltrates and subtle pneumothoraces and 40 normal studies of the chest were selected and digitized, with pixel sizes of 1.0, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.1 mm. Observer performance tests were carried out using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Conventional radiographs and digitized images were compared. The results indicate that, in such cases, diagnostic accuracy increases significantly as the pixel size is reduced, at least to the 0.1-mm level. We conclude that, for digital systems using screen-film or similar image receptors, use of a pixel size substantially larger than 0.1 mm may result in some loss of diagnostic accuracy.     

A comparative clinical study of the safety and efficacy of three toothbrushes.

This single (examiner) blind, randomized, 4-week study compared the safety and efficacy of a new electric toothbrush (experimental) regarding plaque removal and reducing gingivitis with two other brushes, an electric brush (control electric) and a manual toothbrush (control hand). Ninety-six subjects with 1) a minimum of 15 suitable teeth in acceptable occlusion; 2) a minimum gingivitis score of 0.9; and 3) a minimum plaque score of 1.8 were entered into the study. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: a control hand group (31 subjects), an experimental group (32 subjects), and a control electric group (33 subjects). Device use instructions were given according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Two examiners separately determined either gingival scores or plaque scores at baseline and 4 weeks. In regard to gingivitis, use of all 3 brushes for the study period showed statistically significant improvements in gingivitis scores (P values less than 0.01) within each of the 3 groups. Between group analyses of covariance showed that of the 3 groups, the control hand group improvement was better than both the experimental and the control electric groups (P less than 0.05). When interproximal gingivitis scores were analyzed separately, similar improvements were noted. Regarding effectiveness of plaque removal during a single brushing event at the initial and final visits, each of the 3 brushes was effective in reducing plaque for every tooth surface scored (P values less than 0.01). However, between group analyses of covariances showed that the experimental group was better than the other two (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)