Colony stimulating factor levels in human serum and urine following chemotherapy.

The colony stimulating activity (CSA) of serum and urine specimens from 10 patients with lymphomas before and after treatment with standard multidrug chemotherapeutic regimens has been studied. Prominent rises in the CSA in the urine of eight of these 10 patients correlating temporally with initiation of therapy was demonstrated when compared to pretreatment control values. Hourly serum specimens were collected following the administration of intravenous chemotherapeutic agents in two of these patients. In one of these two patients there was a prominent and early rise in CSA which returned to control values by the 12th hr after intravenous drug administration. In two patients who developed little or no increase in CSA during therapy, urine specimens were studied for the presence of inhibitors to colony stimulating factor. Aliquots of urine from each of these two patients when mixed with a standard control urine of known CSA, produced marked inhibition.     

Effects of trichophytosis on serum zinc levels in calves

The purpose of this study was to determine the zinc levels in calves with trichophytosis and to research the importance of zinc for fungi. The sera of 20 calves with trichophytosis and 10 healthy calves were used in this study. Zinc levels of the sera were measured by the atomic absorption spectrophotometer method. Serum zinc levels of diseased and healthy animals were found to be 42.0±16.6 μg/dL and 75.8±5.9 μg/dL, respectively. Serum zinc levels of diseased calves were lower than healthy ones and this difference were found to be important statistically (p<0.001), whereas there is no statistical difference on the levels of lymphocyte, monocyte, granulocyte, erythrocyte, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular volume between groups. These parameters were not influenced by low zinc levels.     

Bromine levels in human serum,urine, hair

Much is known about the essentiality of the halogens fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), and iodine (I), but very little has been discussed with respect to bromine (Br). As a member of the halogen family its chemical properties are comparable to those of other halogens, but its presence has been masked by the presence of I and Cl in chemical analyses. By virtue of new technology and a special computerized machine called the Kevex Model 0600 Energy Dispersive X-Ray Induced X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDXRF), we can specifically identify bromine in different compartments and verify its concentration accurately. In order to establish standard values of Br concentrations and evaluate the nature of its presence in humans, samples of serum, urine, and hair were collected from ten healthy adult males and analyzed for bromine content. Our samples had normal distributions, with serum bromine levels ranging from 3.2 to 5.6 μg/mL, urine levels between 0.3 to 7.0 μg/mL, and hair levels determined from 1.1 to 49.0 μg/mL. These levels, especially those of serum bromine, have been encountered by other examiners whose samples also had normal distributions. These findings suggest to us that bromine may well be an essential trace element, as are its other halogen family members.     

Oral administration and distribution of melatonin in human serum, saliva and urine

In order to evaluate for future physiological and pharmacological studies the extent to which orally administered melatonin is found in human serum and saliva and excreted into urine we measured serum, saliva and urine concentrations of melatonin by radioimmunoassay after oral administration of 100 mg melatonin. Elevated melatonin concentrations were observed with peak values of 435 nmol/l in serum and 241 nmol/l in saliva at 60 min. Elimination was monophasic following first-order kinetics. The half-lives for serum and saliva melatonin were 41 and 38 min, respectively. The results suggest that melatonin is passively secreted into saliva which reflects closely the changes in serum melatonin. Saliva sampling is thus useful in studies on peripheral melatonin both in physiological and experimental conditions. Urinary excretion of melatonin was 0.01 % of the amount of melatonin ingested. In high-performance liquid chromatography urine extracts were found to contain also a minor unknown immunoreactive component which we suggest to be some unknown metabolite of melatonin.     

Ceftiofur derivates in serum and endometrial tissue after intramuscular administration in healthy mares

Endometritis is one of the major problems in the horse breeding industry. The use of antibiotics for treatment of endometritis in the mare is recommended as best practice. The intrauterine application of antibiotics, however, has been under discussion over the last years because of concerns about its efficacy. The systemic use of antibiotics has been considered more effective because of its better distribution within the uterus. The objective of the present study was to determine the concentration of ceftiofur derivates in serum and endometrial tissue after intramuscular administration. Specifically, the authors tested the hypothesis that ceftiofur concentrations in serum and endometrial tissue remain above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for common uterine pathogens for 24 h. Nine mares in estrus received a single dose of 2.2 mg/kg ceftiofur hydrochloride intramuscular per kg of body weight. Blood samples and endometrial tissue were obtained immediately before treatment (−1 h) and 2 h and 24 h after treatment. Endometrial tissue was collected with a Kevorkian biopsy punch. Additional blood samples were collected 4 h and 10 h after treatment from the jugular veins. For determination of ceftiofur derivates in serum and endometrial tissue a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was used. Results in serum and uterine tissue revealed greatest concentration of ceftiofur at 2 h and lowest concentrations at 24 h after treatment. Concentrations of ceftiofur at 2 and 24 h after treatment were significantly greater in serum than in endometrial tissue, but remained above the reported MIC for Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus and Escherichia coli in both serum and endometrial tissue until 24 h after treatment.     

A study of zinc distribution in human serum.

The partition of zinc in human serum between two major zinc-binding proteins, albumin and alpha2-macroglobulin, was studied in 28 control subjects and in 156 hospitalized patients. Albumin-bound zinc was both the major and the more dynamic of the serum zinc components. Over a wide range of values the concentrations of albumin-bound zinc and total serum zinc were highly correlated (r=0.91) with each other, as were concentrations of albumin and albumin-bound zinc (r=0.69). alpha2-Macroglobulin-bound zinc was not strongly correlated either with total serum zinc or with the serum concentration of alpha2-macroglobulin. Twenty-four hour urinary excretion of zinc was not correlated with any of the serum zinc parameters. To a large extent it appears that total serum zinc concentration reflects serum albumin concentration.     

beta-Mannosidase in human serum and urine. A comparative study

All serum and urine beta-mannosidase activities are adsorbed on a DEAE-Trisacryl column at pH 6. Only one form is eluted with a NaCl linear gradient. The two enzymes, isolated from either serum or urine exhibit similar properties. Slight differences are only observed in thermostability and molecular weight.     

Nefopam enantiomers: preclinical pharmacology/toxicology and pharmacokinetic characteristics in healthy subjects after intravenous administration

Nefopam (NEF) is a potent analgesic compound administered as a racemic mixture. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies with nefopam enantiomers have shown that (+)nefopam [(+)NEF] is substantially more potent than (-)nefopam [(-)NEF]. Differences between enantiomers have also been suggested in metabolic studies in vitro. The impact of these differences in vivo is not known because there is little or no information on the relative plasma concentrations of the enantiomers or on their kinetics. In this study, individual enantiomers of nefopam were synthesized and examined for acute toxicity in male and female rats and mice. Pharmacologic properties of enantiomers were examined using in vitro binding assays and antinociceptive tests in rats and mice. Additionally, a pharmacokinetic study was conducted in human volunteers. Subjects were administered 20 mg nefopam as Acupan(R) either as a 5- or 20-min intravenous infusion. In a control phase, subjects were administered only vehicle. Blood samples were collected through the following 24 h. Plasma samples were analyzed for individual enantiomers using a chiral assay developed for this purpose. The pharmacologic differences of previous studies were confirmed in receptor binding assays and in the hot plate and the formalin tests in mice. Neither enantiomer demonstrated substantial activity in the tail flick test in rats. No significant differences were revealed between LD(50) values of nefopam enantiomers after oral or intravenous administration in male and female rats or mice. There were no significant differences in AUC(0-infinity), C(max), or half-life between enantiomers following intravenous administration. Based on these findings, there is currently no compelling rationale to justify administering or monitoring individual enantiomers.     

Effects of intravenous IL-8 administration in nonhuman primates.

IL-8, a cytokine known for its potent and specific neutrophil activation and chemoattractant properties, has been recently detected in the circulation during septic shock, endotoxemia, and after IL-1 alpha administration. Because of its observed in vitro actions, it has been hypothesized that IL-8 may contribute to the dynamics of circulating granulocytes and to the pathologic sequelae seen in sepsis. Here, human rIL-8 is administered to healthy nonhuman primates as a single i.v. injection or as a continuous 8-h i.v. infusion. We demonstrate that both methods of i.v. administration result in a rapid but transient, severe granulocytopenia, followed by a granulocytosis that persists as long as IL-8 levels are detectable in the circulation. There were no hemodynamic changes after IL-8 administration, and animals remained clinically stable during the 24-h observation period. No detectable circulating TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, or IL-6 response was induced by either IL-8 administration regimen. Histopathologic examination revealed mild to moderate neutrophilic margination in lung, liver, and spleen, of greater severity in baboons receiving the 8-h infusion. There was no associated neutrophilic infiltration or tissue injury. Thus, IL-8 modulates circulating granulocyte dynamics and likely directs their actions, but when administered i.v. to healthy animals, either as a bolus dose or as a continuous infusion for up to 8 h, does not induce the hemodynamic and metabolic aberrations or the acute organ damage seen during sepsis.     

Comparison of serum copper,zinc, calcium,and magnesium levels in preeclamptic and healthy pregnant women

Deficient or excessive levels of blood trace elements can be an adverse factor in human and animal pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate possible differences in the levels of serum magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc in preeclamptic and healthy pregnant women. Samples were collected from 30 preeclamptic (PE) and 30 healthy pregnant (HP) women. The serum copper concentration was significantly lower in the PE group by 68% (p<0.0001) when compared to the healthy controls. The serum zinc and calcium were 43% and 10% lower in the PE women, respectively (both with p<0.0001), whereas the magnesium concentration showed nonsignificant differences between the two groups. Measurement of these elements may be useful for the early diagnosis of a preeclamptic condition.