Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis of the cytotoxicities of aminohydroxyguanidine derivatives and their antiviral activities in vitro

Substituted Schiff bases of 1-amino-3-hydroxyguanidine (SB-HAG) were tested for the first time against noninfected T4 lymphocytes (CEM-6 cells) and the same cell line infected by HIV-1 in vitro. Twenty-one of 23 compounds at micromolar levels did not inhibit the growth of the noninfected T4 cells, suggesting minimal cytotoxicity. The antiviral effects of these compounds in a micromolar concentration range have been shown to be nonsignificant (less than 30%) against HIV-1. Three-dimensional parameter focusing of the physicochemical properties (i.e., log P and VW) and the marginal antiviral activities shows that the marginally active compounds lie in a region different from the inactive compounds. QSAR analysis of the two subsets shows that the cytotoxicity correlates well with the electronic and lipophilic parameters. The results of the QSAR analysis can serve as guidelines for further structural modification of this series of compounds to minimize the cytotoxicity against host cells.

[A study using FRTL-5 cell for detecting thyroid stimulating antibody activity in serum in patients with Graves disease]

Using a strain of functioning rat thyroid cells (Fischer rat thyroid line-5, FRTL-5) as target cells and immunoglobin G sedimented from serum by polyethylene glycol (PEG), we studied thyroid stimulating antibody (TsAb) activity in serum of patients with Graves' disease. In a total of 92 cases, TsAb activity was detected in 92.59% (25/27) of the patients with untreated Graves' disease, 75.00% (9/12) of the patients with relapsing Graves' disease and 39.13% (18/46) of the patients with Graves' disease who were euthyroid while taking antithyroid drugs. TsAb activity was also detected in 42.86% (3/7) of the patients with ophthalmic Graves' disease and 12.50% (2/16) of the patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The results showed that TsAb activity can be used as an immunologic index and is valuable in the diagnosis of Graves' disease. Remission and relapse of Graves' disease can be indicated or monitored with the measurement of TsAb activity.

Application of a new nuclear scintigraphy camera to evaluate flow and mechanical pumping of artificial hearts

To assist in the development of an artificial blood pump, The Milwaukee Heart (MH-1), a new nuclear scintigraphy camera was used to study the wash-in and wash-out patterns of the MH-1. These studies indicate the MH-1 has an ejection fraction of 59.3%, with a stroke volume of 72 +/- 3 ml, and an afterload of 130 mmHg. Flow through the device is highly uniform, with no areas of stagnation. Regional ejection fraction images demonstrate homogeneous ejection from apex to base. The ability to scan through the first pass images allows study of wash-in, mixing, and wash-out of the tracer. In conclusion, this technique may provide a new approach to evaluating artificial heart pumps.

Physical factors contributing to the partition coefficient and retention time of 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside analogues

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an immunosuppressive disease characterized by an immune impairment and a high susceptibility to unusual forms of certain neoplasms. Since the brain is an important site of the infection, it is necessary to explore new classes of drugs that have the ability to penetrate across the blood-brain barrier, and the potency to suppress viral replication within the central nervous system (CNS). Therefore, the ability to predicate the lipophilicity of the potent anti-AIDS drugs may provide useful information about the potential of the drugs to enter CNS. In this paper, the correlations of log P (octanol-buffer partition coefficient) and log tR (retention time in HPLC; Rt was used by Balzarini et al.) with some physical constants like log MW (molecular weight), hydrogen bond forming ability (HB) of the substituents, and the substituent group dipole moments (mu) are analyzed. Good correlations of log P and log tR with log MW, HB, and mu have been obtained.

Quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis of combretastatins: a class of novel antimitotic agents

Combretastatins and their synthetic analogues, having structural features resembling that of colchicine, also have similar modes of action. In this report we have correlated the cytotoxicity of combretastatins against the murine leukemic cell line L1210 with physicochemical parameters such as the summation of the Hansch-Fujita pi constant, which was used as an index of lipophilicity of the substituent groups on ring A (sigma pi a) and ring B (sigma pi b), the vector summation of the group dipole moments of ring A (sigma mu a) and ring B (sigma mu b), the nature of the linker chain between ring A and ring B (Bt-L), indicator parameters (NOH)a and (NOH)b, which represent the number of hydroxyl groups on ring A and ring B, respectively, and the summation of pi values of the substituents on the linker (sigma pi L). Cytotoxicity correlated well with (sigma pi b), (NOH)a, (Bt-L), and (sigma mu b), and the dependency on (sigma pi b) was found to be parabolic.

Clinical observations on acupuncture treatment of peripheral facial paralysis aided by infra-red thermography--a preliminary report

We have carried out clinical observations on 34 patients with peripheral facial paralysis treated by acupuncture therapy prescribed according to selection of treatment regimen on the basis of facial thermogram and temperature. A comparison was made with a control group of 97 patients who received conventional acupuncture therapy only. It was found that 1) The cure rate in the group of selecting acupoints by thermogram (hereinafter referred to as the thermography--aided treatment group) was 67.65%, with a marked improvement rate of 26.40%; while the cure rate of the conventional acupuncture treatment group (hereinafter called the conventional treatment group) was 46.39%, the marked improvement rate being 29.90%, indicating a significant difference in therapeutic efficacy between the two groups (P less than 0.02). 2) The average duration of acupuncture therapy for the thermography aided treatment group was 6.02 weeks, whereas that for the conventional treatment group, 24 weeks. There was also a significant difference between the two groups (P less than 0.01). And 3) During the entire therapeutic course, 25.2 sessions of treatment were given on the average in the thermography--aided treatment group, and 78.8 sessions in the conventional treatment group, showing a very significant difference (P less than 0.001). The present thermography--aided method exhibits advantages over the conventional one in enhancing the cure rate and shortening the duration of treatment, which is worthy to be popularized in clinical practice. And it is also of certain significance in standardization and scientification of acupuncture therapy.

The clinical and biological significance of the transitional mucosa adjacent to colorectal cancer

The underlying nature of the transitional mucosa adjacent to colorectal cancer is defined and the evidence for and against the statement that this transitional mucosa involves primary premalignant change presented in this article. An association between mucin histochemical changes at the margins of resection and a poorer clinical outcome of patients has been recognized in patients with colorectal cancer after surgery. The retained transitional mucosa at the margins of resection appears to correlate with tumor recurrence and a poorer survival in patients who have undergone radical resection. It is considered that the transitional mucosa adjacent to colorectal cancer and its presence at the margins of resection may be an important prognostic marker for patients with large bowel cancer following radical resection.

[Quantitative determination of strychnine and brucine in semen Strychni and its preparations by gas chromatography]

Contents of strychnine and brucine in dry seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica and its preparations were determined by gas chromatography. The determination conditions were:support Gas Chrom Q; liquid phase 3% OV-101; stainless steel column 0.5 m x 3 mm; column temperature 265 degrees C; FID detector.

[Determination of lymphocyte subsets in pulmonary tuberculosis by Mc-Ab- rosette reagent method]

The lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood were determined in 73 cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis and 40 healthy subjects using rosette reagent of monoclonal antibody (McAb) to anti-T lymphocyte. The results showed that the percentages of T3, T4, T8, and T4/T8 ratio were 54.3 +/- 6.7%, 34.3 +/- 7.9%, 35.5 +/- 10.0%, 1.0 +/- 0.4 of patients group 66.3 +/- 7.9%, 45.3 +/- 6.3%, 29.9 +/- 5.8% and 1.6 +/- 0.3 of healthy control group respectively. There was statistically significant difference between these two groups (P less than 0.01).

Vascular architecture of the human optic chiasm and bitemporal field defects

The system of blood supply of the optic chiasma was studied on 85 human fresh bodies by several methods. The optic chiasma is supplied by the Willis' circle, arterioles from which, after forming anastomosis at two levels, enter the chiasma and break into capillaries. The authors found that the median portion of chiasma is a weak point of microcirculation, as demonstrated by rarefied and transverse capillaries. When the blood supply of chiasma is compromised by lesions near the sella turcica, this weak point of microcirculation is apt to be disturbed first and becomes ischemic, causing disorders of the crossing optic nerve fibers in the median portion of chiasma, and the characteristic bitemporal visual field defects appear.

Effects of the heat-tonification method on the surface temperature of the body observed by infra-red thermography

With the infra-red thermography, 73 tests of the effect of Heat-Tonification maneuvers on body surface temperature were made. The experiments showed that application of Heat-Tonification produced marked elevation of temperature at the site of puncture, over the face and the front of the neck. The differences between pre- and post-needling temperatures were statistically significant (P less than 0.02 and P less than 0.01). Furthermore, 44.8% of the tests showed elevation of temperature over the trunk and extremities, and the distribution of temperature elevation followed the course of the meridians mostly. The findings demonstrated that the Heat-Tonification method mobilized Qi and activated Blood through influence over the vegetative nervous system that led to readjustment of blood circulation.

Sialomucin at the resection margins and likelihood of local recurrence of carcinoma of the rectum after anterior resection

The histochemical changes in mucin at the postoperative resection margins in carcinoma of the upper and middle third of the rectum after anterior resection were studied retrospectively in 52 patients. The sialomucinous change was most likely to occur at the intestinal margins of those patients who had tumour recurrence (P less than 0.001). The histological types of tumour, degree of differentiation, Dukes' stages and their distance from the anal verge were virtually the same in patients with and without tumour recurrence. By using high iron diamine-alcian blue staining technique we identified patients with higher risk conditions of tumour recurrence after anterior resection. This technique should increase the likelihood of a cure for patients with recurrent carcinoma of the rectum after anterior resection.

Changes of peripheral T-cell subsets in asplenic W256 tumor-bearing rats

In exploring the mechanism of the effect of splenectomy on tumor growth, splenectomized rats and other control rats were implanted subcutaneously with Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells (5 x 10(5] on day 10 after splenic operation; meanwhile, peripheral T-lymphocyte subsets were analysed successively. It was found that splenectomy enhanced the rate of tumor appearance and mean tumor diameter and disturbed the equation of T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood, i.e., a subnormal level of Th/Ts ratio. Interestingly, a significant correlation was noted between decreasing values of Th/Ts ratio and increasing average diameters of implanted tumor in splenectomized rats, but not in sham-splenectomized or nonoperated rats with tumor growth. In spleen cells from tumor-bearing rats, a distinct increase of B-lymphocytes and a decrease of T cells were demonstrated. Data from this investigation provide striking evidence that a relationship exists between enhancement of tumor growth and disproportion of T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood and offer some reasonable explanation for the causes of the promotive role of tumor growth following splenectomy.

Immunoglobulins and complement in splenectomised and autotransplanted subjects

Serum immunoglobulins and complement factors were investigated retrospectively in 35 splenectomised (n = 28) and autoreplanted (n = 7) patients following trauma. The main deficiency of the immune system following splenectomy was a reduction in the concentrations of serum IgM, C3, and Factor B with normal IgG, IgA and C4 values. These changes were not correlated with the time elapsed after splenectomy. However, patients who had splenic tissue autoreplantation had normal values of immunoglobulins and complement factors compared with healthy controls. Splenic replantation may be able to stop a fall in immunoglobulin and complement factor values after splenectomy.

Propagation of hepatitis A virus in human diploid fibroblast cells

Human hepatitis A virus (HAV) was propagated in human diploid fibroblast cultures (2BS cells) in vitro. Replication of the virus was followed by immunofluorescent staining (IF), indirect ELISA, and by immune electron microscopy. When 2BS cells were inoculated with faecal extracts containing HAV, synthesis of hepatitis A antigen (HAAg) could be detected in the cytoplasm by IF. Its concentration reached a maximum at four weeks post-inoculation. Measured by solid-phase indirect ELISA, the positive/negative (P/N) ratio for HAAg reached values of up to 7.7. The identity of newly synthesized virus particles with HAV was established by immune electron microscopy, IF-blocking, and neutralization with human convalescent serum. Infected cells showed no signs of a specific cytopathic effect. Two of the virus strains propagated in 2BS cells may prove useful as a source of antigen for serologic tests; one of them might be a candidate strain for HAV vaccine.

Etiologic and serologic investigations of the 1980 epidemic of dengue fever on Hainan Island, China

Virologic and seroepidemiologic studies were carried out during an epidemic of dengue fever on Hainan Island in 1980. Dengue 3 virus was isolated from 46 of 77 acute phase sera and from 1 of 10 pools of adult Aedes aegypti. Dengue 1 virus virus was isolated from a single acute phase serum. Seroepidemiologic investigations showed that 74% of healthy individuals in the epidemic area had antibody to dengue virus compared to 54% in an area where epidemic dengue had occurred in 1978, and less than or equal to 8% in nonepidemic areas. There were no significant differences in antibody prevalence for different sex and age groups.