The effect of two different doses of oral clodronate on pain in patients with bone metastases

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of low dose oral clodronate in palliation of pain arising from bone metastases (BM) and to determine the optimal oral clodronate dose which inhibits osteolysis caused by tumor. Fifty patients with bone pain caused by BM were included in this study. All were receiving antitumor chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. The patients were randomized into three groups according to the dose of clodronate. Groups A and B were given 800 mg/d and 1600 mg/d of oral clodronate respectively for 3 months. Group C was the control group. The effect of clodronate in pain palliation was evaluated with pain score, performance status, and changes in analgesic use. The effect on osteolysis was examined with urinary calcium, hydroxyproline (OHP) and serum cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide region of type I collagen (ICTP) levels. Group A contained 16 patients, and groups B and C contained 17 patients each. After 3 months use of oral clodronate, significant decrease in the pain score of groups A and B was noted when, compared to group C (P=0.024 andP=0.007, respectively) The analgesic use of 11 patients in group A (69%) and 8 patients in group B (47%) was decreased, but only the decrease in group A was statistically significant (P=0.038). Pain score increased in 5 patients in group C (29%), and 3 patients in groups A (19%) and B (18%) each. Urinary calcium, OHP and serum ICTP levels increased in group C and decreased in groups A and B, but only the decrease of urinary calcium levels of group B was significant (P=0.003). In conclusion, low dose (800 mg/d) oral clodronate seems to be as effective as standard dose (1600 mg/d) in palliation of bone pain secondary to BM.     

Relationship among levels of leptin and zinc,copper, and zinc/copper ratio in plasma of patients with essential hypertension and healthy normotensive subjects

Obesity is among the main contributing factors in the etiology of essential hypertension (EHT). Leptin, the product of the ob gene, is expressed mainly in adipose tissue. We examined the relationship between two trace elements, zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), and leptin in patients with EHT (n=35) and normotensive (NT) controls (n=50) because leptin as well as Zn and Cu were reported to be associated with the pathophysiology of EHT. Plasma leptin levels were determined with a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was utilized to determine plasma Zn and Cu levels. There was a negative correlation between leptin and Zn, and the Zn/Cu ratio (r=−0.359, p<0.05; r=0.361, p<0.05, respectively) in pooled subjects. When subjects were divided based on the presence or absence of hypertension, there was a negative correlation between leptin and Zn (r=−0.375, p<0.05) as well as leptin and Zn/Cu ratio (r=−0.398, p<0.05) in NT subjects. Similar trends were observed when leptin/BMI (body mass index) levels were utilized. There was no significant correlations between levels of Cu and leptin or leptin/BMI. In conclusion, in addition to high leptin levels, Zn and the Zn/Cu ratio were lower in patients with EHT compared to NT controls.     

Changes in serum cytokine levels in active tuberculosis with treatment

It has been reported that IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-12 stimulate, and that IL-10, TGF-beta, and IL-4 suppress the protective immune response against tuberculosis. We aim to evaluate changes in the serum levels of pro and antiinflammatory cytokines in active pulmonary tuberculosis (APTB) and the possible effects of treatment on these changes. Serum IL-12p40, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and TGF-beta1 levels were determined in 20 APTB cases (group 1) before and 2, 4, and 6 months after therapy. The same parameters were also determined in 9 inactive pulmonary tuberculosis (IPTB) cases (group 2) and 9 healthy controls (HC, group 3). Before treatment, the mean serum IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 levels in group 1 were statistically higher than those in group 2 (P=.001, P=.024, P=.016, resp) or group 3 (P=.003, P=.002, P=.011, resp). The levels in group 1 decreased significantly after treatment (P=.001 for IFN-gamma, P=.004 for TNF-alpha, P=.000 for IL-10). The serum levels of IL-12p40 were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 3 (P=.012) and decreased insignificantly after treatment. There was no difference in serum IL-4 and TGF-beta1 levels among the groups (P>.05). Because the serum IL-12p40, IL-10, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma levels were high in APTB, we believe that these cytokines have important roles in the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M tuberculosis). These parameters could be used in follow-up as indicators of the success of APTB therapy.     

Effect of a honey and arginine-glutamine-hydroxymethylbutyrate mixture on the healing of colon anastomosis in rats immunosuppressed with tacrolimus

ABSTRACT

We compared the effect of honey and a mixture of arginine-glutamine-hydroxymethylbutyrate (AGHMB) on healing of a descending colon anastomosis in rats that were immunosuppressed with tacrolimus (Tac). Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: untreated control, Tac, Tac + honey and Tac + AGHMB. Colon resection and anastomosis were performed on day 14 and re-laparotomy was performed on the day 21 of the study. Anastomotic bursting pressure, macroscopic adhesion score, weekly body weight changes, histopathological features and immunohistochemical staining of TGF-β1 were determined for all groups. We found no significant difference in anastomotic bursting pressure among the experimental groups. We found significant weekly increases in body weight for the Tac + honey group. We found no significant difference in the weekly body weight measurements for the Tac + AGHMB group. We found significant increases in TGF-β1 expression in the Tac + honey group compared to the control and Tac groups. No significant differences in inflammatory cell infiltration, fibroblast proliferation or collagen deposition were found between the Tac + honey and Tac + AGHMB groups; however, a significant difference in neovascularization between these groups was found. Neovascularization in the Tac + honey group was significantly greater than for the Tac + AGHMB group. We found that both honey and the AGHMB mixture were beneficial for anastomotic wound healing in rats that were immunosuppressed using Tac.     

Influence of temperature on clove oil anaesthesia in flounder (Platichthys flesus Linnaeus, 1758)

The efficacy of clove oil as an anaesthetic in juvenile flounder was evaluated at two temperatures (10–12 and 16–18 °C) and the effective concentration determined. Flounder juveniles with a body length of 9.0–10.2 cm and a weight of 6–14 g were individually exposed to clove oil at concentrations ranging from 200 to 1000 mg L^?1 in a 5‐L bath with three replicates per treatment with 10 fish. The induction and recovery times were recorded in seconds for all doses and temperatures. Temperature had no effect on induction, but higher temperature shortened the recovery time. The effective concentration (EC₅₀) was estimated as 753 (692–820) mg L^?1 for ≤3 min with 95% confidence limits. The study demonstrated that clove oil can be used as an effective anaesthetic in juvenile flounder and that temperature has an effect on recovery time from anaesthesia with clove oil.     

Macrantaline and macrantoridine,new alkaloids from a turkish sample of Papaver pseudo-orientale

The major alkaloids of the aerial parts of a Turkish sample of Papaver pseudo-orientale are salutaridine and a new alkaloid, macrantaline, UV, IR, PMR, MS and CD have been used to establish the structure of macrantaline as 1-(2′-hydroxymethylene-3′,4′-dimethoxybenzyl)-2-methyl-6,7-methylenedioxy-8-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline. The corresponding 2′-methyl substituted analogue prepared from (?)-α-narcotine and also from macrantaline proved to have identical properties, including CD spectra, thus confirming the structure and establishing the absolute configuration of macrantaline. A new minor alkaloid, macrantoridine, yielded macrantaline on lithium aluminium hydride reduction and differs from the latter in that the 2′-substituent is a carboxyl instead of hydroxymethylene. UV, IR, PMR, MS and CD data are reported for macrantoridine.     

Fine needle aspiration cytology of glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma of the breast: review of 37 cases with histologic correlation

OBJECTIVE: To analyze fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) material from 37 cases of breast glycogen-rich clear cell cancer (GRCC) and correlate cytomorphologic features with histologic appearance to determine characteristics of GRCC on FNAC. STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed cytologic features of 37 cases of breast GRCC from the archives of Ege University Hospital diagnosed between 1994 and 2006. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients with available aspirate and confirmed GRCC were identified. The female patients ranged from 32 to 81 years (mean 52 years). The initial cytologic diagnoses were adenocarcinoma for 27 and atypical or suspicious for cancer for 10. The cytologic picture was characterized by hypercellular tumor cells in loosely cohesive syncytial groups and some single cells. Most tumor cells had abundant, finely granular eosinophilic cytoplasm or foamy to clear cytoplasm with well-defined cytoplasmic membranes and moderate to marked nuclear pleomorphism with prominent nucleoli. Histologic examination confirmed all cases to be pure GRCC. ConCLUSION: Breast GRCC is a rare, distinct category with cytologic features that overlap considerably with those of other carcinomas. Awareness of variability in cytomorphologic appearance of GRCC and routine assessment for glycogen facilitate accurate diagnosis of these lesions by FNAC and enable prompt treatment of these poor-prognosis breast cancers.     

Serum procalcitonin and cerebrospinal fluid cytokines level in children with meningitis

AIMS: To determine the level of serum procalcitonin and cerebrospinal fluid cytokines in children with bacterial or viral meningitis and to document the use of these parameters in differential diagnosis. RESULTS: Before the start of antibiotic treatment, serum procalcitonin and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels were found to be higher in acute bacterial meningitis compared with viral meningitis and with the control group. Similarly, cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 levels were found to be significantly higher in children with acute bacterial meningitis compared with viral meningitis. However, no significant difference was determined between groups in respect to the cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-8 level. CONCLUSION: Serum procalcitonin and cerebrospinal fluid tumor necrosis factor alpha levels can be used in the early diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Similarly, they may be useful adjuncts in differential diagnosis of bacterial and viral meningitis.     

The effect of vaginal candidiasis on the levels of the oxidative biomarkers in plasma and tissue samples of diabetic rats

The aim of this study is to determine the relation between diabetes and vaginal candidiasis in terms of oxidative biomarker levels in a vaginal candidiasis model of the diabetic rats by evaluating malondialdehyde (MDA), sulphydrile groups or glutathione (RSH), and ascorbic acid (C vit) levels. All rats were randomly divided into five groups. All of the groups were observed for 21 days. In the treated diabetes groups, MDA (0.90, 0.68 nmol/ml and 3.78, 3.79 nmol/g tissue, plasma and vaginal tissue, respectively) and RSH (227, 171 nmol/100 ml 0.38, 0.37 μmol/g tissue, plasma and vaginal tissue, respectively) levels were found to be decreased while the levels of C vit were found to be increased (0.49, 0.37 μmol/l 2.39, 2.01 nmol/g tissue plasma, and vaginal tissue, respectively) (P < 0.05). In the groups of untreated diabetes, vaginal candidiasis were found to be more serious and oxidative biomarkers were found to be increased (MDA 1.30, 1.26 nmol/ml and 7.82, 2.37 nmol/g tissue and RSH 258, 145 nmol/100 ml and 0.31, 0.46 μmol/g tissue) while the antioxidant C vit levels were found to be decreased (0.24, 0.17 μmol/l 1.33, 2.66 nmol/g tissue) (P < 0.05). RSH, plasma MDA, blood glucose, and tissue MDA levels of vaginal candidiasis embedeled diabetic rats, were found to be higher than those in untreated diabetic and untreated vaginitis enbedeled rats ‹P < 0.05’. Vaginal candidiasis caused oxidative stress in diabetic rats working together. Systemic oxidative stress biomarkers were found to be affected from vaginal candidiasis although it was a local mucosal infection. This study was presented as a poster in the conference of ‹2nd Trends in Medical Mycology, 23–26 October 2005, Berlin, Germany’.