Clinical efficacy of imipenem/cilastatin sodium for respiratory infections in patients with lung cancer

Imipenem/cilastatin sodium (IPM/CS) was administered to 102 patients with respiratory tract infections and lung cancer. Patients with other serious diseases were excluded and a total of 73 patients were enrolled. They were divided into 12 patients who underwent surgery (operated group) and 61 who did not (non-operated group); the latter group included 28 patients treated with anticancer agents or radiation therapy (treated group) and 33 untreated patients (untreated group). IPM/CS was effective in 75% of the patients, both with and without surgery. The drug was effective in 81% of the treated group, although many of the patients had Stage III or more advanced cancer, as well as bronchial occlusion. IPM/CS was also effective in 69% of the untreated group, although many of the patients have serious infections and a PS (Performance Status) of 3 or greater. Thus, IPM/CS treatment achieved good results. Bacteriological studies showed that 3 out of 4 strains in the operated group and 16 out of 18 in the non-operated group were eliminated. Safety was evaluated in all patients. Two patients (2%) experienced side effects and two others (2%) showed abnormal clinical findings, but the symptoms were mild and resolved after discontinuation or completion of therapy. In conclusion, IPM/CS was very effective for treating respiratory infections in patients with lung cancer.     

Multiple schwannomas in the radial nerve

We present a case of multiple schwannomas in the radial nerve. The occurrence of multiple schwannomas in a single major nerve is very rare. Magnetic resonance imaging was useful in detecting the tumours. As schwannomas may be multiple without clinical symptoms, we recommend MR imaging of the entire limb when schwannomas occur in a major nerve in the upper extremity.     

A study of sialylated carbohydrate antigen in patients with benign bronchopulmonary disease

We studied the levels of carbohydrate antigen (CA 19-9, SLX, CA 50, Span-1, and Dupan-2) in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and tissue from patients with benign bronchopulmonary disease. Patients had bronchiectasis, healed pulmonary tuberculosis, pulmonary fibrosis, or other diseases. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid levels and immunohistochemical findings for lung tissue samples, in the absence of digestive and other diseases, suggested that elevated serum sialylated Lewis(A) (CA 19-9, CA 50, and Span-1) and Lewis(X) (SLX) antigen in patients with benign broncho-pulmonary disease are due to marked production of sialylated carbohydrate antigen in respiratory bronchioles. Common features of patients with benign bronchopulmonary disease include elevated serum carbohydrate antigen levels and bronchiectasis.     

Cholecystokinin antagonistic activities of loxiglumide

Cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonistic activities of loxiglumide ((+/-)-4-(3,4-dichlorobenzamido)-N-(3-methoxypropyl)-N-pentylgl utaramic acid, CR1505, CAS 107097-80-3) were investigated in the gastrointestine and gallbladder in vivo. Intravenous administration of loxiglumide antagonized the CCK-induced reduction of gastric emptying in rats, acceleration of intestinal transport in mice, increase in ileal motility in rabbits, gallbladder contraction in guinea pigs and acceleration of gallbladder emptying in mice. Orally administered loxiglumide also antagonized the CCK-induced gallbladder emptying in mice. Furthermore, egg yolk-stimulated gallbladder emptying in mice was also inhibited by loxiglumide, indicating that this agent antagonizes not only exogenous but also endogenous CCK. These results demonstrate that loxiglumide is an intravenously and orally effective, potent CCK antagonist.     

Assessment of saphenous vein graft wall characteristics with intravascular ultrasound imaging

OBJECTIVES: Single-component anaerobic adhesives are in common use in the electronics and engineering industries. They are generally diacrylate monomers which do not require conventional sources of heat, light or chemicals for activation. Their advantages include activation by the bonding substrate, as well as inhibition of polymerisation until the necessary anaerobic environment is created. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether metal attachments could be successfully bonded to enamel in vitro by such adhesives. METHODS: Metal attachments capable of providing an anaerobic environment were fabricated from one of three alloys: stainless steel, copper or cobalt-chromium. They were bonded to prepared human enamel with one of four adhesives: Orthodontic Concise, as a control, and three anaerobic adhesives, Perma Metal, Permabond A134 and Loctite 326. The specimens were then bond tested in shear to failure after bench curing for one of four time periods. RESULTS: The results were analysed in terms of mean force to debond (N) and 95% confidence intervals. Kaplan-Meier survival probabilities and log-rank tests were performed for the 10 min test times. CONCLUSIONS: Both Orthodontic Concise and the three anaerobic adhesives displayed a specificity towards different attachment alloys. Whereas Orthodontic Concise displayed the highest force to debond with stainless steel attachments, for the anaerobic adhesives this was true of the copper attachments. With stainless steel attachments, however, the force to debond with the anaerobic adhesives was similar to that observed with Orthodontic Concise and steel, at least after the relatively short 10 min bench curing time.     

Mechanism of higher oxygen consumption rate: pressure-loaded vs. volume-loaded heart

The greater cardiac oxygen consumption (VO2) under pressure than under volume load has been accounted for by the greater ventricular wall force under pressure load. We cannot fully agree with this because the wall force has not always been uniquely correlated with VO2. We attempted to account for the greater VO2 under pressure load by the ventricular systolic pressure-volume area (PVA), which we previously showed uniquely correlated with VO2. In isolated supported canine hearts, we produced servo-controlled ejecting contractions the stroke work (SW) of which was doubled from control by doubling ejection pressure (P) with comparable stroke volume (SV) and by doubling Sv with comparable P. Despite comparable increments in SW from 370 to 680 mmHg.ml under two different loads, VO2 and PVA increased significantly more under pressure load (from 0.033 ml O2/beat and 800 mmHg.ml to 0.0560 and 1,800, respectively) than under volume load (increasing to 0.038 and 1,200, respectively; P less than 0.01). These results suggested to us a new mechanism underlying the greater VO2 under pressure load.     

Amplification of epidermal growth factor receptor gene and its relationship to survival in human gastric cancer

The correlation between the clinical features in 103 patients with primary gastric carcinoma and amplification of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene was analyzed retrospectively. EGFR gene amplification was examined by slot-blot hybridization using DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. EGFR expression was also examined immunohistochemically using the same tissues with a monoclonal antibody that is monospecific for EGFR. In 5 of 103 cases (4.9%), a 2- to 11-fold amplification of EGFR gene was detected. Four of these 5 cases were poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. All of them had overexpressions of EGFR. The cumulative survival rate of patients with EGFR gene amplification was significantly lower than that of the patients without amplification (p < 0.05) and all of them died within 3 years. Except for tumor size (p < 0.03), there were no significant clinicopathologic differences between the two groups. On the other hand, 41 of 103 cases (39.8%) exhibited expression of EGFR. However, there was no significant correlation between EGFR expression and clinicopathologic factors or prognosis. These results indicate that EGFR gene amplification may occur in advanced stages during the progression and be an important indicator of poor short-term prognosis in gastric carcinoma.     

Nicer - fast eigenvalue routines

NICER is a package of FORTRAN subroutines to solve standard and generalized eigen-problems for dense real-symmetric matrices, and is superior in speed to either EISPACK or other comparable routines. The advantage is noteworthy in iterative computations. The package is available from the Quantum Chemistry Program Exchange.