Alaternin, cassiaside and rubrofusarin gentiobioside, radical scavenging principles from the seeds of Cassia tora on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical

Radical scavenging principles on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical were isolated from the seeds of Cassia tora L. Assignments of the 1H- and 13C-NMR data showed the active components to be an anthraquinone, alaternin and two naphthopyrone glycosides, nor-rubrofusarin-6-beta-D-glucoside(cassiaside) and rubrofusarin-6- -D-gentiobioside. Alaternin showed more potent radical scavenging effect than the others.

Transrectal ultrasonography in preoperative staging of rectal cancer

A precise knowledge of the depth of invasion of tumor is essential for the planning of treatment of rectal cancer. Transrectal ultrasonography is a new diagnostic modality that has become useful in determining the depth of invasion preoperatively and the presence or absence of metastatic lymph nodes. Transrectal ultrasonography was used in preoperative staging of 36 patients with rectal cancer. Thirty three patients had a radical resection (17 low anterior resection, 15 abdominoperineal resection and 1 pelvic exenteration), one patient had a local excision. Two among these thirty four patients had preoperative radiotherapy. Preoperative transrectal ultrasonographic staging was compared with pathologic findings. In staging depth of invasion, the overall accuracy was 88.8 percent, overstaged in 5.8 percent, understaged in 5.8 percent. Transrectal ultrasonography is the more accurate method than CT in staging of depth of tumor invasion (61.8% vs 88.8%). In staging of lymph nodes, the overall accuracy of transrectal ultrasonography was 85.3 percent, sensitivity was 71.7 percent and specificity was 88.8 percent. Transrectal ultrasonography is a safe, inexpensive and accurate staging method in the assessment of both depth of invasion and nodal status.

Stability of piperacillin sodium-tazobactam sodium and ranitidine hydrochloride in 0.9% sodium chloride injection during simulated Y-site administration

The stability of piperacillin sodium plus tazobactam sodium and ranitidine hydrochloride in 0.9% sodium chloride injection during simulated Y-site administration was studied. Triplicate test solutions of piperacillin 40 mg/mL plus tazobactam 5 mg/mL (as the sodium salts) or piperacillin 80 mg/mL plus tazobactam 10 mg/mL (as the sodium salts) were mixed 1:1 with ranitidine 0.5 and 2.0 mg/mL (as the hydrochloride salt). The solutions were stored at 23 degrees C, and samples were removed at zero, one, two, and four hours for measurement of drug concentration by stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography. At the time of sampling and before any dilution, each sample was visually inspected for color and precipitation, and pH was determined. At all sampling times, the concentrations of piperacillin, tazobactam, and ranitidine were > 90% of initial concentrations. There were no substantial changes in pH or color. Tazobactam 5 mg/mL (as the sodium salt) and ranitidine 0.5 and 2 mg/mL (as the hydrochloride salt) in 0.9% sodium chloride injection were stable for up to four hours during simulated Y-site administration. Piperacillin 80 mg/mL plus tazobactam 10 mg/mL (as the sodium salts) and ranitidine 0.5 and 2 mg/mL (as the hydrochloride salt) were stable for up to four hours during simulated Y-site administration.

Antimutagenic effect of plant flavonoids in the Salmonella assay system

The antimutagenic effects of 27 kinds of plant flavonoids on the mutagenicity of aflatoxin B1(AFB1) and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG) in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 were investigated. In the mixed applications of AFB1 (1 microgram/plate) with the flavonoids (300 micrograms/plate) in the presence of a mammalian metabolic activation system (S9 mix), chrysin, apigenin, luteolin and its glucoside, kaempferol, fisetin, morin, naringenin, hesperetin, persicogenin, (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin showed the antimutagenic effect against AFB1 with more than 70% inhibition rate. A little or no antimutagenicities except flavone against MNNG (0.5 microgram/plate) were observed. For the antimutagenicity of the flavonoids on AFB1, the flavonoid structure that contains the free 5-, 7-hydroxyl group seemed to be essential. However, saturation of the 2,3-double bond or elimination of the 4-keto group did not affect the activity.

A case of agenesis of the right lobe of the liver

Agenesis of the right lobe of the liver is a rare congenital anomaly and only 29 cases have been reported in the literature. We encountered a patient with this anomaly diagnosed by ultrasonography, Computed tomography (CT), hepatobiliary scintigraphy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and celiac angiography. The radiological findings, differential diagnosis, and clinical significance of this anomaly are reviewed.

Hypolipemic and hypoglycemic activities of Prunus davidiana in high fat-fed rats

Blood lipid levels in rats with high fat-fed hyperlipemia were determined after intraperitoneal administration of a methanolic extract of Prunus davidiana Fr. stems. Administration of the methanolic extract for 6 days produced a significant decrease of blood triglyceride and total cholesterol, and the atherogenic index was also improved. In addition to the hypolipemic effect, the methanolic extract was also shown to be effective in reducing an elevated level of glucose in rats with hyperlipemia resulting from high-fat feeding. On the other hand, blood triglyceride and total cholesterol in rats fed with stock diet were not affected by administration of the methanolic extract even if there was a tendency to decrease. No significant change was also found in the level of glucose. Thus, it is suggested that this methanolic extract probably may increase the metabolic utilization only when fed with excess fat.

Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopic, immunoaffinity chromatographic and 32P-postlabeling analysis of human placental DNA known to contain benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adducts

Human placenta readily catalyzes the biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other carcinogens to reactive metabolites that can damage DNA through formation of covalent adducts. Placenta is widely available for epidemiologic studies and may be a useful dosimeter for carcinogen exposures in humans. However, previous studies of human placental DNA have yielded discrepant results with respect to PAH-DNA adducts. In order to resolve some of the issues surrounding these discrepancies, placental DNA samples known to contain benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adducts were also analyzed by 32P-postlabeling and immunoaffinity chromatography. Results indicate that previous discrepancies can be accounted for by methodologic factors affecting the specificities of adduct assays in biological samples and suggest that human placental DNA contains adducts derived from multiple PAHs.

Derivative fluorescence spectral analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in human placenta

Metabolic activation in humans of chemical carcinogens found in the environment results in the formation of carcinogen-DNA adducts in vivo. Some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in human DNA can be hydrolyzed under mildly acidic conditions to yield tetrahydrotetrol derivatives which may then be detected by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. In an analysis of human placental DNA, second derivative spectroscopy alone was unable to resolve the synchronous fluorescent signature for r-7,t-8,t-9,c-10-tetrahydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyrene from a crude extract, because a complex array of other fluorescent materials was also present. Purification of the sample by a combination of chromatographic procedures including immunoaffinity chromatography and HPLC has now been shown to yield r-7,t-8,t-9,c-10-tetrahydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyrene residues from human DNA that are spectroscopically pure at the second derivative level. Immunoaffinity columns were prepared with rabbit antiserum raised against DNA that had been modified with (+/-)-r-7,t-8-dihydroxy-t-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyre ne. This antiserum has now been shown to recognize DNA samples that have been modified with six different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon diol epoxides and is probably only specific for a broad spectrum of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts. Adducts were eluted from the immunoaffinity columns, hydrolyzed with acid, and extracted into isoamyl alcohol, before being subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography. These experiments reveal important limitations of second derivative fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool in the analysis of complex environmental mixtures. Furthermore, they extensively define the ability of anti-benzo[alpha]pyrenediol epoxide-DNA antibodies to recognize different types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts.

Detection of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adducts in human placenta

Human placenta is a readily available organ that responds to maternal environmental insult and has been previously used to investigate metabolism and bioactivation of procarcinogens, for example, benzo[a]pyrene. HPLC in combination with synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy was used to examine 28 placentas for the presence of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adducts, and 10 of these were found to be positive. DNA samples from these placentas were subsequently pooled and subjected to partial enzymatic digestion to oligonucleotide fragments. Concentration of those DNA fragments containing benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adducts was achieved by immunoaffinity chromatography with polyclonal antibodies raised against these adducts. Column eluates were hydrolyzed under mild acid conditions and extracted with an organic solvent. The presence of benzo[a]pyrene-7,10/8,9-tetrahydrotetrol residues in the extracts was determined by HPLC and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and was confirmed by GC/MS. The results unequivocally confirm bioactivation and formation of DNA adducts from benzo[a]pyrene in human placenta in vivo and establish a methodological approach to direct measurement of carcinogen-DNA adducts that are formed as a result of human environmental exposure.

Triterpenoid Glycosides from the Roots of Patrinia scabiosaefolia

Four saponins were isolated from the roots of PATRINIA SCABIOSAEFOLIA (Valerianaceae) and identified as 3- O-alpha- L-arabinopyranosylhederagenin 28- O-beta- D-glucopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta- D-glucopyranoside ( 2) and its 2'-acetate ( 1) and 3- O-beta- D-glucopyranosyl(1-->3)-alpha- L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-alpha- L-arabinopyranosyloleanolic acid ( 3) and its 28- O-beta D-glucopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta- D-glucopyranoside ( 4).

Advanced gastric carcinoma chemotherapy with cisplatin, mitomycin C, BCNU, and 5-fluorouracil in combination

Forty patients with advanced gastric carcinoma were treated with mitomycin C, BCNU, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil in combination. Mitomycin C 6 mg per sq m was given by i.v. on day 1, BCNU 60 mg per sq m was given by i.v. on day 2, cisplatin 60 mg per sq m was given by 3 hour i.v. infusion with mannitol diuresis on day 3, and 5-fluorouracil 300 mg per sq m was given by i.v. infusion on days 4, 5, and 6. Each course of the polychemotherapy was repeated every 35 days. Two patients failed to return for follow-up, thus 38 patients were available for response evaluation of this regimen. Of the 38 patients, 25 (66%) achieved partial remission. The median duration of response was 20 weeks. Survival time was not measured. Significant bone marrow toxicities were not encountered. The major toxic side effects were gastrointestinal: anorexia, nausea and/or vomitings. Clinically significant ototoxicity or nephrotoxicity was not experienced. One patient developed a mild peripheral neuropathy. This four-drug polychemotherapy regimen appears to have substantial activity agaist advanced gastric carcinoma.

Acute transverse myelitis complicated in Korean hermorrhagic fever: a case report and review of the literature

Involvement of the central nervous system in Korean hemorrhagic fever is expected. When such involvement does occur, it is usually in the form of cerebral hemorrhage or pituitary necrosis.

Paralytic disease due to Korean hemorrhagic fever is exceptional. A case of transverse myelitis in an adult female, in which a serologic test of immunofluorescent antibodies to Hantaan virus was positive with clinical pictures of Korean hemorrhagic fever, is reported here.