Radiation therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in East Africa

Results of irradiation, 1 to 3 years after treatment, are presented in 64 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in East Africans. Two types of anatomic point indices are presented. Both correlate well with the results. Prophylactic irradiation of the mediastinum and both axillae was not followed by any evident improvement of the results.     

Continuous quality improvement in the ICU and the role of a data management system

Quality improvement may be defined as the effort to improve the level of performance of key processes in the ICU. Based on knowledge of the current level of performance and on systematic analysis of organizational aspects of the ICU, quality improvement will include the implementation of standards, the formulation and analysis of quality indicators (e.g. scores, rate of complications such as nosocomial infections) and the possible introduction of data management systems.     

Antihyperglycemic activities of cryptolepine analogues: an ethnobotanical lead structure isolated from Cryptolepis sanguinolenta

Cryptolepine (1) is a rare example of a natural product whose synthesis was reported prior to its isolation from nature. In the previous paper we reported the discovery of cryptolepine's antihyperglycemic properties. As part of a medicinal chemistry program designed to optimize natural product lead structures originating from our ethnobotanical and ethnomedical field research, a series of substituted and heterosubstituted cryptolepine analogues was synthesized. Antihyperglycemic activity was measured in vitro and in an NIDDM mouse model to generate the first structure-bioactivity study about the cryptolepine nucleus.     

Physician awareness of prescription drug costs: a missing element of drug advertising and promotion

The effects of high-dose ketamine on the c-fos protein (c-Fos) expression were investigated in rat by an immunohistochemical technique. The administration of 100 mg/kg ketamine i.p. induced seizure-like activity (limbic seizure). No c-Fos immunoreactivity was observed in hippocampus, piriform cortex and amygdala, while it was observed in neocortex and thalamus. These findings disagree with the reports that ketamine depresses the neuronal function of the neocortex and thalamus, while it stimulates the limbic system.     

Atrial natriuretic peptide and bradykinin interaction on norepinephrine uptake in rat adrenal medulla

Interactions between atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and bradykinin (BDK) on norepinephrine (NE) uptake were demonstrated in the adrenal medulla of the rat. One hundred nM ANP and 10 nM BDK increased total NE uptake. Subthreshold concentration of ANP (1nM) or BDK (1nM) reverted the effects of thre shold concentrations of both peptides (10 nM BDK and 100 nM ANP respectively). Effective concentrations of ANP and BDK acting simultaneously did not induce additive effects on total NE uptake. Threshold concentrations of both peptides increased neuronal NE uptake only. These results suggest interactions between ANP and BDK at the neuronal uptake level. They confirm that ANP and BDK take part in the regulation of the sympathetic activity in the adrenal medulla of the rat.     

Interleukin-12 inhibits hepatitis B virus replication in transgenic mice

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine produced by antigen-presenting cells that has the ability to induce gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) secretion by T and natural killer cells and to generate normal Th1 responses. These properties suggest that IL-12 may play an important role in the immune response to many viruses, including hepatitis B virus (HBV). Recently, we have shown that HBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes inhibit HBV replication in the livers of transgenic mice by a noncytolytic process that is mediated in part by IFN-gamma. In the current study, we demonstrated that the same antiviral response can be initiated by recombinant murine IL-12 and we showed that the antiviral effect of IL-12 extends to extrahepatic sites such as the kidney. Southern blot analyses revealed the complete disappearance of HBV replicative intermediates from liver and kidney tissues at IL-12 doses that induce little or no inflammation in these tissues. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the disappearance of cytoplasmic hepatitis B core antigen from both tissues after IL-12 treatment, suggesting that IL-12 either prevents the assembly or triggers the degradation of the nucleocapsid particles within which HBV replication occurs. Importantly, we demonstrated that although IFN-gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and IFN-alpha/beta mRNA are induced in the liver and kidney after IL-12 administration, the antiviral effect of IL-12 is mediated principally by its ability to induce IFN-gamma production in this model. These results suggest that IL-12, through its ability to induce IFN-gamma, probably plays an important role in the antiviral immune response to HBV during natural infection. Further, since relatively nontoxic doses of recombinant IL-12 profoundly inhibit HBV replication in the liver and extrahepatic sites in this model, IL-12 may have therapeutic value as an antiviral agent for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.