Prostaglandin release from macrophages: an assay system for anti-inflammatory drugs in vitro

It is the intention of this communication to present a simple and reliable in vitro system for the evaluation of anti-inflammatory drugs. The system described appears to combine the advantages of two established procedures, i.e. measurement of the inhibition of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in vitro using microsomal enzyme preparations and the measurement of the inhibitory effects of drugs on PG synthesis in vivo avoiding major limitations. We propose to measure the effect of drugs on the PG release from mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The influence of culture conditions, phagocytosis and drugs on the PG release from these cells is described. We found that antibody-coated erythrocytes are especially suitable triggers of PG release, and that the release can be inhibited by steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in concentrations resembling their effective doses in vivo.

[Biokinetic behavior and metabolic effect of fructose in high dose continuous infusion in the rat]

The steady-state blood level of fructose during 24 hours intravenous infusion in response to different doses follows saturation kinetics. Even after toxic doses of 1.5 g/kg/h no depletion of liver adenine nucleotides can be observed after 24 hours. In the kidneys, however, ATP, ADP and total adenine nucleotides were decreased after a dose of 1.5 g/kg/h of fructose. The blood glucose increased continuously at infusion rates of 1.5 g/kg/h. Inorganic phosphate in the blood increased at doses of 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg/h. The weight of the kidneys increased, presumably through water uptake. Urinary secretion was drastically reduced at doses above 1.0 g/kg/h. An appreciable activity of ketohexokinase can be demonstrated in the kidneys.

[Cervical perforation due to a copper-T device placed following abortion (author's transl)]

Report on a patient who had a Copper-T intrauterine device placed following abortion. The vertical arm of the device perforated the cervix and resulted in cervicitis and endometritis.

[Questioning of diabetic patients on their knowledge of nutrition and dietetics as well as on their smoking habits]

100 diabetics were asked questions referring to the knowledge of nutrition to smoking habits. Most of the diabetics controlled their body weight regularly and were convinced that overweight may be dangerous to health. Despite this knowledge, more than half of the patients were overweight and did not know their individual ideal weight. Between the quality of dietary consultation and dietary behaviour of the patients a similar discrepancy existed: More than half of the questioned persons - especially males - had to be regarded as dietary failures. Patients with relatively low educational level came off worse. Fortunately, most of the patients were non-smokers. However, the dietary consultation practised at the moment seemed to have had no influence on the number of smokers. Consequently, for the training of the patients the following results: More than ever, the patients must be incited to normalize their body weight and they must be positively motivated in this regard as well as with regard to nicotine abuse. Behaviour therapy would certainly be desirable. Moreover, the patients should have a dietary consultation at least every second year. A dietary filled in for the patient personally must serve as the basis for the observance of the diet. Persons in whom diabetes mellitus was diagnosticated should receive consultation more quickly than up to now. Moreover, it would be useful to free the diet from the odium of an annoying and unimportant supplementation to medicamentous diabetes therapy. The study showed that continuous self-control of the own educational work is indispensable to guarantee a high standard of therapeutic efforts.

[Immunosuppressive long-term treatment of chronic aggressive hepatitis]

47 patients with chronic aggressive hepatitis were immunosuppressively treated on the average 33.8 months (daily dose 100 mg azathioprine and 10 mg prednisolone). The serochemical parameters thymol, ZnSO4, GOT and GPT statistically significantly improved themselves. In 36 patients bioptic controls in 61.1% resulted in an improvement, and in 27.8% of the cases they resulted in a constancy of the histological findings. 10.6% of the patients died of a liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension. Nearly half the patients is capable to work. No severe side-effects appeared. The present results correspond to the results mentioned in literature. The chronic aggressive hepatitis, furthermore, should be added to a prednisone monotherapy or to a combination therapy of azathioprine and prednisone.

[Report of case of opalescent dentin. A polariation optic and microradiographic study on a pulpless tooth]

Ground sections prepared from a molar (-7) with opalescent dentine were investigated by the means of polarizing microscopy and microradiography. Histological and clinical findings are discussed. Unfortunately, heredity could not be surely determined. But in all experience we are shure, that a hereditary mutation, recently or earlier in a generation occured, was the cause also in this case.

[Knowledge of the damages of wrong nutrition and of the effect of stimulants. (Results of questioning 100 employees of a large industry]

In an unselected collective of 100 employees of a big concern the knowledge with regard to body weight, nutrition and nicotine abuse was studied and the eating habits as well as the principles of education connected with them were ascertained. Nearly all questioned persons knew their body weight. Half of them were able to indicate their ideal weight with a precision of +/- 10%. The rate of the considerably overweight persons in the collective showed a dependence on higher age and female sex. Among the questionees with secondary education more normalweight persons were found. The test persons were well informed about the disadvantages of overweight and controlled their body weight in two thirds of the cases at least once a week. They stated to have met the term "diet" above all in the mass media. About half of them were able to define the term "calorie" approximately precisely. The questionees, however, often underestimated the required caloric quantity, apparently without drawing conclusions. The caloric content of alcoholic drinks was underestimated. Beer ranked first among the consumed alcoholic drinks. Only one fifth of the test persons "reward" their children with sweets and wish that they eat up their dinner. About half of the questionees were smokers. One fourth had never smoked, while another fourth had given up smoking. Mostly cigarettes were consumed, although nearly all test persons regarded inhaling smoking as harmful. The sole knowledge of factors that have a detrimental effect on the state of health (e.g. overweight, smoking) seems to be not sufficient to lead a healthy life. Since the test persons are, however, willing to do something for their health it would be useful to concentrate adipose persons and smokers into groups that should be treated by behaviour therapy and be positively motivated.

[Glycerin: utilization, turnover capacity and biokinetic data in intravenous administration in the rat]

During continuous infusions of 24--48 hours, glycerol utilization and turnover capacity in rats were estimated in a range from physiological to toxic doses. Total clearance, elimination constant, half life, transfer and pool size were calculated for various rates of infusion as well as for the endogenous turnover. With increasing blood level, the turnover rate rises like an enzyme saturation curve, first rapidly and then ever more slowly to a maximum value. Therefore, the steady state blood levels do not increase linearly with the infusion rate. The renal excretion of glycerol is below 1 per cent of the supply up to rates of infusion of 0.4g with kg-1 with h-1. Even beyond the upper limit of the metabolic turnover a steady state is reached due to the high renal excretion. Beginning with 2 mumol/ml the excretion rises linearly with the blood level. At rates higher than 0.5g with kg-1 with h-1 the individual differences of the steady state levels are high. A significant negative correlation between the steady state levels of glycerol in blood and the activity of glycerol kinase in the liver and kidneys was observed. Necroses of the renal tubuli were found at infusion rates exceeding the turnover capacity in animals with low enzyme activity. The conclusions which may be drawn from these data regarding the parenteral supply of energy-yielding substrates are discussed.

Effects of 6- and 8-substituted analogs of adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and tyrosine aminotransferase in hepatoma cell cultures

A variety of 6- and 8-substituted analogs of cAMP (cyclic adenosine 3:5-monophosphate) have been tested for their ability to increase activity of tyrosine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.5) in cultured Reuber H35 hepatoma cells. Some analogs, particularly the 8-thio-substituted ones, produced effects approximately equivalent to those generated by N-6, O2'-dibutyryl cAMP. In contrast, cAMP and its O-2-monobutyryl derivative were relatively ineffective even at very high concentrations, whereas three other analogs actually depressed the activity of the aminotransferase. Changes in enzyme activity generated by the various analogs were paralleled closely by changes in the relative rate of aminotransferase synthesis. An excellent correlation was found to exist between the ability of any given analog to influence the activity of tyrosine aminotransferase and that of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.32). A similar correlation was found to exist between the ability of various analogs to evelate the activity of these enzymes and to inhibit reversibly the growth of H35 cells. Only one of five inhibitors of cAMP phosphodiesterase activity tested produce any increase in aminotransferase activity when added alone. All of the 6- and 8-substituted analogs tested, including noniducers, stimulated f1 histone phosphorylation in crude rat liver extracts with approximately equal potencies. On the other hand, dibutyryl cAMP was only a weak activator of protein kinase in vitro, even though it is a potent enzyme inducer. A possible resolution of this apparent discrepancy has been provided by preliminary analyses of site-specific f1 histone phosphorylation in whole cells. Only compounds active as aminotransferase inducers are capable of stimulating phosphorylation of the serine-37 residue of endogenous f1 histone (3- to 10-fold).

Glyzerin: Ausnutzung, Umsatzkapazität und biokinetische Daten unter intravenöser Zufuhr bei der Ratte

Bei Dauerinfusion von 24–48 h werden an Ratten Ausnutzung und Umsatzkapazität für Glyzerin in einer Spanne vom physiologischen bis zum toxischen Bereich bestimmt. Biokinetische Parameter wie totale Clearance, Eliminationskonstante, Halbwertszeit, Transfer und Pool werden bei den verschiedenen Infusionsraten und für den endogenen Umsatz ermittelt. Mit steigendem Blutspiegel steigt die Umsatzge-schwindigkeit im Sinne einer Sättigungsfunktion erst rasch und dann immer langsamer auf einen Maximalwert an. Die stationären Blutspiegel nehmen daher nicht linear, sondern überproportional mit der Dosierung zu. Bei Infusionsraten bis zu 0,4 g- kg^-1 · h^-1 liegt die renale Ausscheidung unter 1% der Zufuhr. Auch bei Überschreitung der maximalen Umsatzkapazität stellt sich noch ein Steady state ein, der nur durch die hohe renale Ausscheidung ermöglicht wird. Ab 2 μmol/ ml steigt die Ausscheidung linear mit dem Blutspiegel an. Bei Infusionsraten über 0,5 g kg^–1 •h^–1 werden die individuellenUnterschie-de sehr groβ; dabei findet sich eine signifikante negative Korrelation zwischen Höhe des stationären Glyzerinspiegels im Blut und Gesamtaktivität von Glyzerokinase in Leber und Nieren. Bei den Tieren mit geringer Umsatzkapazität finden sich bei Dosierungen über der Um-satzgrenze nach dem Versuch Nekrosen der Nierentubuli. Es wird diskutiert, wieweit sich aus den Daten generelle Gesichtspunkte für die parenterale Zufuhr energieliefernder Substrate ableiten lassen.