Biochemical markers of strophanthin arrhythmia

The increase of the concentration of fatty acids, the reduction in the concentration of serotonin, the lowering of the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and transketolase, and the development of compensated metabolic acidosis were discovered in the stage that preceded strophanthine arrhythmia. These characteristics may be recommended for a wider use on the clinical basis for predicting arrhythmias in the treatment of cardiac glycosides.     

Significance of adrenal hormones in brain energy metabolism

Intensity of glycolysis was studied under conditions of immobilization stress and adrenalectomy as well as with administration of adrenaline and hydrocortisone. The processes of aerobic glycolysis, activity of enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and mitochondria respiratory chain, content of total, free and protein-bound glycogen, glucose-I-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, pyruvate, alpha-ketoglutarate, cytrate and macroergs in the brain are shown to depend on the level of adrenal hormones producing a multilateral effect on a series of energy metabolism links.     

Infertility update: use of assisted reproductive technology

OBJECTIVE: To describe assisted reproductive technology (ART) and use of medications during these procedures. DATA SOURCES: Recent clinical literature. STUDY SELECTION: Not applicable. DATA EXTRACTION: Not applicable. DATA SYNTHESIS: ARTs are procedures used in treatment of infertility that involve removal of oocytes and their manipulation outside the woman's uterus. The simplest form of ART, in vitro fertilization, involves aspirating eggs from the ovaries, fertilizing them outside the body, and transferring the embryos into the uterus at the four- to eight-cell stage. Experimental regimens for in vitro fertilization include use of various medications (gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, human menotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone, growth hormone) at varying points in the menstrual cycle and after introduction of the embryo into the uterus. Human chorionic gonadotropin has been used to increase implantation of embryos during the woman's luteal phase. Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) involves transfer of oocytes and sperm into the fallopian tubes, where fertilization takes place. This technique has the advantage of causing the zygote to enter the uterus at the time it would during natural conception. Zygote intrafallopian transfer is similar to GIFT, except that fertilization occurs in vitro, with embryos placed in the fallopian tubes at the two-cell stage. Various micromanipulation techniques and innovative sperm aspiration procedures are currently under development. CONCLUSION: Many advancements have been made in ART, and pharmacists who understand these procedures can serve patients by providing medication information in an empathetic and supportive manner.     

IFN-alpha 2B enhances Th1 cytokine responses in bladder cancer patients receiving Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy

Combination therapy with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) plus IFN-alpha for superficial bladder cancer has been demonstrated to be more effective than either single agent alone in animal studies and of suggested greater efficacy in clinical studies. However, the mechanism by which IFN-alpha enhances BCG-mediated antitumor activity is poorly understood. Using PBMCs from bladder cancer patients, IFN-alpha was found to substantially enhance the efficacy of BCG to induce IFN-gamma production. Among 34 patients tested, 80% showed >4-fold increase. This effect of IFN-alpha was observed in both initial and memory responses to BCG. In addition, IFN-alpha up-regulated BCG-induced IL-12 and TNF-alpha and down-regulated BCG-induced IL-10. Neutralizing endogenous IL-10 or adding exogenous IL-12 provided further synergy for IFN-gamma production. In clinical practice, intravesical IFN-alpha 2B (50 million units (MU)/dose) was observed to accelerate urinary IFN-gamma production to low-dose BCG (one-tenth or one-third of a full dose) in patients treated with combination therapy compared with BCG alone. These results suggest that IFN-alpha is a potent BCG enhancer that polarizes the BCG-induced immune response toward the cellular immune pathway by promoting Th1 cytokine expression and reducing Th2 cytokine expression. This study provides an immunological basis for future rational use of IFN-alpha in conjunction with intravesical BCG for bladder cancer immunotherapy.     

Measurement of distributions of small-scale energy depositions from low-linear energy transfer particles using the superheated drop detector

We have developed a new detection method for measuring distributions of energy depositions from particles characterized by low linear energy transfers (LETs). In particular, we have developed a detection system to measure energy depositions produced by electrons and photons on nanometer scales. The detector is based upon the operational principles of the superheated drop detector (SDD). SDDs consist of tiny droplets of superheated liquid suspended within a gel-like emulsion. The SDDs in this study are fabricated using Freon-115 and a glycerol-based gel as the superheated liquid and host medium. This SDD configuration is operated as a threshold temperature-dependent detector for measuring nanoscopic distributions of energy depositions from low-LET particles. Measured results are compared to the calculated distributions of energy depositions along an electron track. A new electron track code, ESLOW3.1, is used to perform the computational study. Measurements show good agreement with computational results in the energy deposition range of 40-200 eV.     

Expression of the Evi-1 gene in haemopoietic cells of children with juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia and normal donors

Activation of the Evi-1 gene was first described to be associated with the transformation of murine myeloid leukaemias and has previously been detected in cases of human acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in blast crises and in myelodysplastic syndromes. In this study we determined the frequency and the level of Evi-1 expression in juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) and in normal haemopoiesis. Using RT-PCR and Southern blot hybridization mRNA of Evi-1 could be detected in bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells (MNC) of normal donors. In JMML 12/20 patients examined expressed elevated levels of Evi-1 compared to normal controls. In these samples over-expression of the gene was correlated with a higher percentage of blasts (P = 0.02). Expression levels in BFU-E and CFU-GM derived colonies from BM of JMML patients were lower than those in the corresponding MNC samples. Analysis of CD34+ and CD34- cells demonstrated that Evi-1 is primarily expressed in the CD34+ cell population of both JMML and normal donors. These findings suggest that Evi-1 expression is linked to the early stages of haemopoiesis. Studies on the regulation of Evi-1 expression in CD34+ cells will elucidate its function in progenitor cells and clarify its possible role in the pathogenesis of JMML.