Clinical effect of LM-001, prostaglandin synthetic inhibitor, on pain from urinary tract stone and vesical urgency after operation of the bladder or prostate

Clinical effect of LM-001, a prostaglandin synthetic inhibitor developed from a drug delivery system, was evaluated in 54 patients with pain from urinary tract stones (stone pain) and 32 with vesical urgency after an operation on bladder or prostate. LM-001, felbinac ethyl incorporated in lipid microsphere, wes intravenously administered at the onset of stone pain or vesical urgency. Of 54 with stones and 32 with urgency, 53 and 29 were eligible for response, respectively. The symptoms improved or disappeared in some cases just after the administration and in the majority of patients within 15 minutes, in 49 of 53 patients with stone pain. Further, the effectiveness lasted over 24 hours in 26 of the 49 responding to this agent. On one hand, improvement or disappearance of vesical urgency was recognized in 25 of 29 patients, and the effectiveness was observed shortly after injection in 16 and lasted over 24 hours in 13 cases. Toxicities of this drug were investigated in 54 patients with stone pain and 32 with urinary urgency. Side effects consisted of pain at the injection site in 4, a slight fall of blood pressure in 1, slight visual disturbance in 1, body heat sensation in 1, leukocytosis in 3 and elevation of alkaline phosphatase in 1. These symptoms were transient and disappeared without use of any agent. LM-001 is concluded to be a useful drug for controlling stone pain and vesical urgency since an immediate effect, long durability and high response rates were obtained without severe side     

Minocycline attenuates hyperlocomotion and prepulse inhibition deficits in mice after administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine.

The present study was undertaken to examine whether the second generation antibiotic drug minocycline attenuates behavioral changes (eg, acute hyperlocomotion and prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits) in mice after the administration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist (+)-MK-801 (dizocilpine). Dizocilpine (0.1 mg/kg)-induced hyperlocomotion was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with minocycline (40 mg/kg). Furthermore, the PPI deficits after a single administration of dizocilpine (0.1 mg/kg) were attenuated by pretreatment with minocycline (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg), in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, in vivo microdialysis study in the free-moving mice revealed that pretreatment with minocycline (40 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly attenuated the increase of extracellular dopamine (DA) levels in the frontal cortex and striatum after administration of dizocilpine (0.1 mg/kg), suggesting that the inhibition of dizocilpine-induced DA release by minocycline may, at least in part, be implicated in the mechanism of action of minocycline with respect to dizocilpine-induced behavioral changes in mice. These findings suggest that minocycline could attenuate behavioral changes in mice after the administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine. Therefore, it is possible that minocycline would be a potential therapeutic drug for schizophrenia.     

Tissue distribution and excretion of hexabromobenzene and its debrominated metabolites in the rat

Tissue distribution and excretion of hexabromobenzene (HBB) and some metabolites were studied in male Wistar rats administered a single oral dosage of HBB.Most of the HBB dosage was absorbed by the intestinal tract and it was rapidly metabolized and distributed throughout the body as the debrominated metabolites, pentabromobenzene (PeBB), tetrabromobenzene (TeBB) and tribromobenzene (TrBB). The time courses of HBB, PeBB and TeBB concentrations in the tissues were roughly classified into several types, and debromination of HBB was found to take place stepwise.The reductive debromination of HBB occurs by metabolic enzymes in the liver rather than microbes in the intestine.     

Testicular macromolecular synthesis in men with varicocele.

The synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein by varicocele testes with spermatogenic dysfunction was studied by examination of the levels of incorporation of [3H]thymidine, [14C]uridine, and [14C]leucine into the testicular tissue at 31 degrees C in vitro. The results suggest that DNA synthesis by the testis with moderate tubular damage is impaired whereas synthesis of RNA and protein is not. The cell regenerative ability of the testis with moderate tubular damage may be poor in spite of the preservation of testicular cell RNA and protein synthesis.     

Cell surface phenotype of in vitro proliferating lymphocytes in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP)

The in vitro proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) without any mitogenic stimulation is one of the hallmarks of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection. Recent evidence suggests a difference in the degree of the phenomenon between HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers (AC). In this article, we demonstrated several alterations in the features of the in vitro transformed lymphocytes between patients with HAM/TSP (n = 16) and AC (n = 8). The percentages of total CD8+ and CD8+CD28+ cells were significantly increased in the in vitro proliferating T lymphocytes derived from the patients with HAM/TSP when compared to those from AC. HAM/TSP was segregated from AC by the high degree of the proliferation of CD8+CD28+ cells. The expression of HTLV-I-specific antigens on the cultured PBLs was detected only in the subjects which showed low CD8+CD28+/CD4+ ratio of the in vitro proliferating lymphocytes. These findings suggest that this phenomenon distinguishes HAM/TSP from AC, not only in quantity but also in quality.     

Inferior vena cava thrombus after retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for testicular tumor

A rare case of a thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC) after retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for a testicular tumor is reported. A computed tomograph performed after the operation incidentally showed a filling defect in the IVC. However, it was impossible to decide whether the defect was due to an ordinary or a neoplastic thrombus. For this reason, a thrombectomy was performed, and postoperatively it was diagnosed as an ordinary thrombus. The cause of thrombi found only in the IVC is reviewed and the indication for thrombectomy is discussed.