Effects of benfluorex metabolites on membrane fluidity and insulin-related processes

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent mitogen for the maturation of hepatocytes in vitro which plays a role in liver regeneration in vivo. In addition, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is also a potent regulator of liver regeneration. In attempting to clarify the mechanisms related to liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy, we investigated the expression of HGF and TGF-beta 1 in rats with liver cirrhosis (LC). A rat model of LC was prepared using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The expression of HGF mRNA in both the LC and control groups showed a similar time-course with the highest expression seen at 18h after a 70% hepatectomy. The expression of TGF-beta 1 mRNA peaked at 18h after partial hepatectomy in the LC group and at 48h in the control group. The 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index for the LC group at 24, 48, and 72 h after partial hepatectomy was 9.2%, 5.9%, and 1.8%, while for the control group it was 7.0%, 11.7%, and 6.8%, respectively. The BrdU labeling index in the LC group was thus suppressed earlier than that in the control group. We therefore postulate that regeneration of the remnant liver in the presence of LC accelerates immediately after partial hepatectomy, but the extent of regeneration is insufficient because of an early cessation due to an early expression of TGF-beta 1.     

A monitoring, feedback, and triggering system for reproducible breath-hold MR imaging

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of high-resolution transvaginal duplex Doppler ultrasound in postpartum and post-abortion patients with excessive hemorrhage who are suspected of having residual trophoblast. METHODS: Forty-eight women with excessive hemorrhage referred for possible residual trophoblastic tissue were evaluated by transvaginal duplex Doppler ultrasonography. Based on two-dimensional imaging, the patients were divided prospectively into groups: women who had an empty uterus with a normal uterine cavity, those with a pure endometrial fluid collection and no echogenic foci, those who had a mixed endometrial fluid collection with foci of echogenicity, and those with intracavitary heterogeneous material with mixed echo patterns of fluid and solid components. In each group, Doppler studies were performed and the resistance index (RI) was calculated. The two-dimensional patterns and Doppler results were correlated with clinical and pathologic follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-eight subjects had a normal uterine cavity and seven had a pure endometrial fluid collection; all were treated conservatively and none showed later clinical evidence of residual trophoblastic tissue. In 13 women, residual trophoblast was strongly suggested from the images of two-dimensional ultrasonography: Five showed an endometrial fluid collection with some echogenic foci, and eight exhibited intracavitary mixed echogenic material. All underwent curettage, and residual trophoblastic tissue was found in ten of the 13. The mean (+/- standard deviation) RI to flow in the myometrial arteries was 0.54 +/- 0.15 in women without residual trophoblast and 0.35 +/- 0.1 in those with residual trophoblastic tissue (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Our experience suggests that transvaginal duplex Doppler ultrasonography is an effective noninvasive method for evaluating patients with excessive postpartum and post-abortion hemorrhage who are suspected of having residual trophoblastic tissue. Its use enhances the positive preoperative diagnosis of residual trophoblastic tissue and may reduce unnecessary curettage procedures.     

Bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus: clinical characteristics in a case-control study

Clinical characteristics associated with bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis (BAP) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were evaluated in a case-control study; 42 case-patients and 84 controls were matched by clinical care institution. Case-patients presented with fever (temperature, > 37.8 degrees C; 93%), a median CD4 lymphocyte count of 21/mm3, cutaneous or subcutaneous vascular lesions (55%), lymphadenopathy (21%), and/or abdominal symptoms (24%). Many case-patients experienced long delays between medical evaluation and diagnosis of BAP (median, 4 weeks; range, 1 day to 24 months). Case-patients were more likely than controls to have fever, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, a low CD4 lymphocyte count, anemia, or an elevated serum level of alkaline phosphatase (AP) (P < .001). In multivariate analysis, a CD4 lymphocyte count of < 200/mm3 (matched odds ratio [OR], 9.9; P < .09), anemia reflected by a hematocrit value of < 0.36 (OR, 19.7; P < .04), and an elevated AP level of > or = 2.6 mukat/L (OR, 23.9; P < .05) remained associated with disease after therapy with zidovudine was controlled for. BAP should be considered an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection and should be included in the differential diagnosis for febrile, HIV-infected patients with cutaneous or osteolytic lesions, lymphadenopathy, abdominal symptoms, anemia, or an elevated serum level of AP.     

Ornithine-delta-aminotransferase expression and ornithine metabolism in cultured epidermal keratinocytes: toward metabolic sink therapy for gyrate atrophy

There is now strong evidence that the chorioretinal degeneration associated with ornithine-delta-aminotransferase (OAT) deficiency is a consequence of hyperornithinemia. Therefore development of a metabolic system for clearing ornithine from the circulation is being pursued as a potential treatment. The skin is considered an attractive location for such a metabolic system because autologous cells can be safely and easily utilized. This study was undertaken to determine the ornithine metabolizing capacity of epidermal keratinocytes expressing normal and superphysiologic amounts of OAT. The data show that overexpression of OAT in keratinocytes cultured from a gyrate atrophy patient restores ornithine metabolism and results in a rate of ornithine disappearance from the medium that is significantly higher than the rate of disappearance from the medium bathing normal keratinocytes. In addition, OAT activity determined in soluble protein prepared from sonicates suggests that the capacity to maintain plasma ornithine within the normal range is contained within an accomplishable graft of keratinocytes overexpressing OAT. However, the actual rate of ornithine disappearance from the media was significantly less than predicted from enzyme activity assays. Following ornithine metabolite production by intact cells suggests that ornithine metabolism is limited primarily by clearance of downstream metabolites, as opposed to substrate delivery.     

Rapid relief of anxiety in cancer patients with both alprazolam and placebo

This study evaluated 36 cancer patients who were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted over a 4-week period to evaluate the efficacy of alprazolam in the treatment of anxiety associated with cancer. Hamilton Anxiety Scale scores declined significantly between baseline and the end of the first week of the study in both treatment groups. There was no significant difference in response between the patients receiving alprazolam and placebo. Similar results were obtained from other instruments. These results suggest that nondrug factors or spontaneous improvement may play a more important role than pharmacotherapy in the treatment of anxiety associated with cancer.