[Treatment results in unselected small cell bronchial carcinoma patients]

18 of 36 consecutive patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung received a combination of chemotherapy (Adriblastin, Oncovin, Cyclophosphamide) and radiotherapy (primary tumor and CNS). This treatment resulted in a response rte of 78%, and in a median survival of 10.6 months ("limited disease" 13 months, "extensive disease" 9 months). Complete remissions were obtained only in 4 of 18 patients, 4 patients of these were long-term survivors (greater than 18 months). Due to heart diseases, age, or poor general condition 18 patients received a milder combination of chemotherapy ("COM", "VP-O-C") and tumor irradiation. The response rate was 66%. Complete remission was achieved in only 2 of 18 patients. The median survival rate was 8.6 ("limited disease" 10.5 months, "extensive disease" 6.0 months). Survival exceeded 18 months in 4 of these patients. The toxicity was mild, the mean cumulative duration of hospitalization was 78 (30-120) days per patient.

Posteromedial bowing of the tibia. Progression of discrepancy in leg lengths

Thirteen children with posteromedial bowing of the tibia were followed clinically and radiographically for a mean of four years from the time of original diagnosis. At follow-up, the discrepancy in leg lengths as determined by scanograms ranged from 1.9 to 5.6 centimeters, with a mean of 3.1 centimeters; usually there was progression of the discrepancy. Nine of the thirteen children had a discrepancy of more than 2.5 centimeters. There appeared to be a direct relationship between the degree of initial tibial bowing and the severity of the subsequent leg-length discrepancy.

Abscisic acid, abscisic acid-esters and phaseic acid in vegetative terminal buds of Acer pseudoplatanus during emergence from winter dormancy

Levels of free-abscisic acid and "boundabscisic acid" (alkaline hydrolyzable abscisic acidesters) in replicated samples of terminal vegetative buds of sycamore trees were measured during natural emergence from winter dormancy by gas chromatographic methods together with isotope dilution estimation of recovery rates. Not until after the buds had been released from true dormancy in January by winter chilling did any clear change occur in either abscisic acid (ABA) fraction, or in total ABA, on any basis of comparison. The percentage of total ABA present as the free acid declined at the end of true dormancy to approximately two-thirds of its value in the earlier winter months. It is concluded that glucosylation of ABA is unlikely to play a major part in the mechanism of release from dormancy in vegetative sycamore buds. At the end of true dormancy there was a large transient increase in what appeared to be phaseic acid, but this was not accompanied by any marked decrease in either free- or bound-ABA.

Two survivors of severe paraquat intoxication by "continuous hemoperfusion"

"Continuous hemoperfusion" (8 h/day for 2--3 weeks) was performed in two patients suffering from severe paraquat intoxication. On account of paraquat plasma concentrations a fatal outcome due to pulmonary fibrosis would have been expected in both cases. However, both patients survived following "continuous hemoperfusion" therapy. Coated activated charcoal seems to have a higher affinity for paraquat than lung tissue.

Endotoxinaemia, Granulocytic Elastase Release (ELP), Coagulation Disorders and a ANtiprotease Behaviour in Cercopithecus Aethiops and Patients with Septicemia

A.)As Aasen (1978) demonstrated, a rapid increase of granulocytic elastase in plasma occurs in dogs following the slow infusion of endotoxin. Working with green monkeys, we did not find severe thrombopenia, leucopenia, coagulation defects and ELP until after two high doses of E. coli endotoxines. Using two-dimensional-immunelectrophoresis ELP could be detected as a complex with α1AT. The coagulation defects occurring in both type’s of animals may be due to DIC and/or to direct proteolysis caused by released ELP, since i.v. administered ELP also leads to an increased consumption of coagulation factors.

B.)Out of 80 patients with either proven or supposed septicemia, we found 40 with possitive endotoxine test results, half of whom had α1C -AT-ELP-complexes im plasma, as proven in one-dimensional-immunelectrophoresis. As expected, the coagulation defects were most distinctly reduced in these 20 patients, while α1AT arise α2M are found to be reduced.

Historical view on ergot alkaloids

A short survey of the history of ergot, of the original and, for a long time, only source of ergot alkaloids, is given. Once a dreaded poison, ergot has changed its role over the centuries to become a rich treasure house of valuable pharmaceuticals. In the Middle Ages it was the cause of epidemics of ergotism, which cost tens of thousands of people their lives. Ergot was first mentioned by the German physician Lonitzer in 1582 as a remedy used by midwives for quickening childbirth. The isolation of pharmacologically useful alkaloids started in 1906 with the discovery of ergotoxine and its adrenolytic activity by Barger, Carr and Dale. In 1918, Stoll isolated ergotamine, the first chemically pure ergot alkaloid, which found widespread therapeutic use in obstetrics and internal medicine. In 1935 the specific oxytocic principle of ergot, ergonovine, was discovered simultaneously in four separate laboratories. Since then, worldwide investigations on ergot alkaloids resulted in the elucidation of their structures and total syntheses and preparation of valuable therapeutics such as Methergine, Hydergine, Dihydergot, and others.

Pyridone analogues of tetrahydroisoquinolines and protoberberines from mimosine and mimosinamine

Several pyrido[1,2-a]piperazines and their N-methyl derivatives have been prepared. These pyridine analogues of the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines were formed by condensation of carbonyl compounds with mimosine and mimosinamine in the absence of an acid catalyst. A Mannich reaction converted one of these compounds, 1-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-9-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-8H-pyrido[1,2-a]- pyrazin-8-one, into a pyridone analogue of the tetrahydroprotoberberine caseadine.

Efficacy of gut lavage, hemodialysis, and hemoperfusion in the therapy of paraquat or diquat intoxication

Clinical and in vitro investigations were carried out to test the efficacy of gut lavage, hemodialysis, and hemoperfusion in the treatment of poisoning with paraquat or diquat. In a patient suffering from diquat intoxication 130 times more diquat was removed by gut lavage 30 h after ingestion than was removed by complete aspiration of the gastric contents. Determination of in vitro clearances for paraquat and diquat by hemodialysis showed that, at serum concentrations of 1-2 ppm, such as are frequently encountered in poisoning in man, toxicologically relevant quantities of herbicide cannot be removed from the body. At a concentration of 20 ppm, on the other hand, hemodialysis proved to be effective, the clearance being 70 ml/min at a blood flow rate of 100 ml/min. The efficacy of hemoperfusion with coated activated charcoal was on the whole better. Especially at concentrations around 1-2 ppm, the clearance values for hemoperfusion were some 5-7 times higher than those for hemodialysis. In a patient suffering from paraquat poisoning, both hemodialysis as well as hemoperfusion were carried out. The in vitro results could be confirmed: At serum concentrations of paraquats less than 1 ppm no clearance could be obtained by hemodialysis while by hemoperfusion with activated charcoal quite high clearance values were measured and the serum level dropped down to zero.

Toxicological study on pramiverine (author's transl)

4,4-Diphenyl-N-isopropyl-cyclohexylamine-hydrochloride (pramiverine, Sistalgin) was investigated alone and in combination (1 + 1000) with N-methyl-N-(2,3-dimethyl-5-oxo-1-phenyl-3-pyrazolin-4-yl)-aminomethanesulfonate (metamizole) in various species for acute toxicity after oral and intravenous administration, for local tolerance and subacute toxicity. In addition, long-term trials and reproduction toxicity studies were performed with pramiverine. Pramiverine was only slightly toxic and was well tolerated locally as an ampoule solution also in combination with metamizole. The acute trials of the two compounds in mice and rats like the subacute study in rats showed that the toxicity of metamizole was not increased by pramiverine. Rats tolerated in the long-term trial all pramiverine doses examined (0.5; 5.0; 50.0 mg/kg), while cholinolytic concomitant effects were observed in dogs under higher doses (5.0 and 20.0 mg/kg). Pramiverine did not have a foetotoxic and teratogenic effect in mice, rats and rabbits. In the perinatal and postnatal experiment in rats no effect on foetal development, viability and growth of the offspring as well as the course of labour and lactation ability of the dams was observed.