Effects of imatinib mesylate on renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity during the clinical course of chronic myeloid leukaemia.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is involved in cell growth, proliferation and differentiation in bone marrow in an autocrine-paracrine manner, and it modulates normal and neoplastic haematopoietic cell proliferation. This study aimed to assess expressions of the RAS components, renin, angiotensinogen and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), during imatinib mesylate treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Expressions of RAS components were studied in patients with CML at the time of diagnosis (n = 83) and at 3, 6 and 12 months after diagnosis (n = 35) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. De novo CML patients had increased ACE, angiotensinogen and renin mRNA levels and these expression levels decreased following administration of imatinib. The RAS activities were significantly different among Sokal risk groups of CML, highlighting the altered biological activity of RAS in neoplastic disorders. The results of this study confirm that haematopoietic RAS affects neoplastic cell production, which may be altered via administration of tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib mesylate.

Predicting chronic leukaemias from assessment of complete peripheral blood counts.

The chronic leukaemias include two distinct chronic neoplastic disease states, namely chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The aim of this study was to assess the utility of leucocyte count, neutrophil percentage and absolute lymphocyte count from differential complete blood count analyses as indicators of the possible presence of CML and CLL. Blood counts from 102 patients with histopathologically confirmed CML and CLL were compared with counts for 858 cancer-free control subjects. Optimal cut-off values were identified by selecting values with the highest sensitivity-specificity combination for each blood count parameter for the two diseases. The results indicated that any individual with mature-appearing lymphocytes at a level > 6.65 x 10(9)/l in the peripheral blood should be examined further for CLL, and that any individual with a leucocyte count > 18.0 x 10(9)/l or a neutrophil proportion > 72.6% should be investigated for CML.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some new 1-[4-(4-fluorobenzoylamino)-benzoyl]-4-substituted thiosemicarbazides.

1-Aroyl-4-substituted thiosemicarbazides were obtained by the addition of 4-(4-fluorobenzoylamino)benzoylhydrazine to methyl, ethyl, propyl, allyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl and phenethyl isothiocyanates. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed using UV, IR, 1H-NMR (for compounds 4c, 4g) and mass (for compounds 4b, 4c, 4g) spectral methods together with elemental analyses. None of the synthesized compounds has been reported previously.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some 1,4-disubstituted thiosemicarbazide and 2,5-disubstituted 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives.

Various new 1,4-disubstituted thiosemicarbazide and 2,5-disubstituted-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity. The structure of compounds was confirmed by elemental analyses and spectroscopic techniques. Some of the synthesized compounds were found to be active against C. Albicans.

Studies on azopyrazole derivatives. Part 9: Synthesis and antibacterial evaluation of novel phenylhydrazones and their substituted 4-arylazopyrazole derivatives.

6-Methyl-2,4-heptandione (1) was coupled with diazonium salts of sulfanilamide (2) and 4-aminobenzoic acid (3). Resulting new hydrazones, namely 4-methyl-2-oxovaleraldehyde p-substituted phenylhydrazones 4 and 5, were refluxed with various hydrazines to synthesize the title compounds 6-15. Their structure elucidation was made on the basis of their analytical and spectroscopic data. The antibacterial activity was evaluated. Some of the compounds tested exerted moderate to potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus pyogenes.

Clinical and electron microscope comparison of silk sutures and n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate in human mucosa.

The use of tissue adhesives as an alternative to or replacement for sutures in wound closure has long been an area of interest. One of these tissue adhesives is a cyanoacrylate. In 15 patients, who underwent root resections of the upper incisors on both sides, the incision lines were closed with silk sutures on one side and by n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate on the other side of the frenum. Clinical comparison was made on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st postoperative days. On the seventh postoperative day following the removal of sutures and the coating, small punch biopsies were obtained from n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate treated and sutured sides. The tissue specimens were examined under transmission electron microscope. Clinical observations revealed that on the third and seventh postoperative days epithelialization was better on the sides treated with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. On the twenty-first postoperative day it was observed that the scar formation was significantly more marked and there was more local inflammation during the healing period on the sutured side. Electron microscopic observations of both tissue specimens revealed normal ultrastructural morphology.

An unusual insertion of the palmaris longus muscle.

In the course of an anatomical dissection at the School of Medicine, a variant form of the palmaris longus muscle was found on the right side; the fellow muscle of the left side being normal. The palmaris longus concerned was found to arise by fleshy fibers from the common tendon for the flexores antebrachii muscles to be divided into a lateral and a medial tendon. The lateral tendon of the muscle was inserted onto the thenar fascia and the scaphoid bone while the medial tendon was being inserted onto the hypothenar fascia and the triquentral bone.

Bilateral anatomical anomaly of anterior bellies of digastric muscles.

During the gross anatomy dissection of the submandibular region, both anterior bellies of the digastric muscles, especially the left one, were found to be enlarged. They were arranged as two parallel asymmetric bands extending from the hyoid bone to the chin. The posterior bellies of the digastric muscles were normal. The suprahyoid muscles showed no abnormalities. This anomaly represents an anatomical variation in the mylohyoid digastric muscle group in the floor of the mouth.

Ligamentum teres hepatis: an unusual variation.

We report a variation of the ligamentum teres hepatis in 45 year old male cadaver. The ligamentum teres hepatis was found between the layers of the rectus sheath. A review of the literature reveals no additional reports of similar anomaly. There was also a variation in the form of the liver.

Somatotopic organization of the axons innervating the superior rectus muscle in the oculomotor nerve of the rat.

It has long been known that the pupillomotor fibers have a localized course in the dorsomedial periphery through the subarachnoid portion of the oculomotor nerve. However we do not have detailed knowledge about the organization of the fibers innervating individual extraocular muscles. This subject is of clinical importance for locating the site of lesions in patients with partial oculomotor nerve palsies. In this study the peripheral course of the axons innervating the superior rectus muscle were studied in the subarachnoid portion of the oculomotor nerve of the rat by making multiple injections of horseradish peroxidase solution into the muscle and reacting the nerve with tetramethylbenzidine as a chromogen. Coronal sections of the nerve showed that the axons innervating the superior rectus muscle were localized in the dorsal part of the nerve. Within the precavernous portion these axons showed a wider distribution invading dorsomedial and dorsolateral parts of the nerve.

The peripheral course of the axons innervating the medial rectus muscle within the subarachnoid portion of the oculomotor nerve.

There is clinical evidence of topographic localisation of fibres within the oculomotor nerve. It is generally accepted that the pupillomotor fibres have a localised course within the dorsomedial periphery of the subarachnoid portion. However, the precise course of the individual groups of axons innervating each muscle has not been examined in detail. In this study the course of the axons innervating the medial rectus muscle was investigated in the subarachnoid portion of the oculomotor nerve of the rat. The medial rectus muscle was injected with horseradish peroxidase until it was fully infiltrated. The subarachnoid portion of the oculomotor nerve was removed and sectioned longitudinally in the sagittal plane. Sections were reacted with tetramethylbenzidine as a chromogen. Labelled axons were found to be localised in the ventral part of the subarachnoid portion of the nerve.

Unrotated left kidney associated with an accessory renal artery.

During routine dissection, a rare anomaly of the kidneys and their vessels was observed in a 55-y-old male cadaver. The anomaly consisted of an unrotated left kidney with partly extrarenal calyces and pelvis. In addition to its normal artery, the left kidney received a branch originating from the inferior end of the aorta.

Arteria thyroidea ima arising from the brachiocephalic trunk with bilateral absence of inferior thyroid arteries: a case report.

The anomalous first parts of the left and right subclavian aa. had no inferior thyroid aa. in the neck region. The thyroidea ima a. was found to arise from the brachiocephalic trunk, and bifurcated into two branches almost immediately after its origin. These branches ascended in front of the trachea and entered the bases of the right and left lobes of the thyroid gland. The left vertebral a. arose from the aortic arch in the superior mediastinum. The possible existence of this anomaly is important for parathyroid localization studies, in neck surgery and especially in tracheostomy.

Evaluation by angiography of the lateral dominance of the drainage of the dural venous sinuses.

Venous drainage dominance of the dural venous sinuses may be defined as the drainage only or mainly into one of the transverse sinuses, as shown by bilateral carotid angiography. The aim of this study was to evaluate the venous drainage dominance in bilateral carotid angiograms of 189 cases retrospectively. Among these cases 41.3% showed drainage mainly to the right side, 37.6% showed equal drainage to each side, 18.5% showed drainage mainly to the left side, 2.1% showed drainage only to the right side and 0.53% showed drainage only to the left side. Cerebral venous drainage dominance is of great importance and should be considered before operations on patients for radical neck dissection, removal of tumors in the neck that invade the internal jugular vein or tumors of the glomus jugulare which may require ligation of the internal jugular vein.

Ultrastructural changes of epidermal Langerhans cells in pregnant guinea pigs. A preliminary report.

An association between pregnancy and a depression in cellular immunity has long been known, but the reason for this is far from clear. To investigate the possible role of Langerhans cells (LC) in immunosuppression during pregnancy, we examined the epidermal LC morphology of pregnant guinea pigs ultrastructurally. An altered morphology of epidermal LCs was observed in all specimens obtained from pregnant guinea pigs. LCs were found to be activated in pregnancy.

Lipid peroxide level increase in experimental hydrocephalus.

The aetiology of incomplete adrenergic denervation and reduction in the number and caliber of the cerebral vessels in hydrocephalus is still obscure. Stretching of the blood vessels alone is far from explaining these major vascular changes. Previous studies have shown that increased lipid peroxidation produces toxic effects on vessels. This experimental study was designed to investigate the possible aetiology of vascular changes in hydrocephalic rats with special reference to lipid peroxidation. Hydrocephalus was induced by injecting 50 mg/Kg sterilized kaolin suspension into the cisterna magna in 10 rats (Group A). A sham operation was performed for Group B. After three weeks the rats were anaesthetized and perfused transcardially. The brains were dissected, and cut to visualize the degree of hydrocephalus. The arteries of the circle of Willis were removed for light microscopic examination and the brains were kept for the measurement of lipid peroxidation levels. Light microscopic studies of cerebral arteries in hydrocephalic rats revealed spastic vessels with folding and corrugation of the lamina elastica. The level of lipid peroxidation in group A (260 +/- 9.129 nmol TBAR/gr wet tissue) was significantly higher than that of group B (106 +/- 3.59 nmol TBAR/gr wet tissue). It is suggested that vascular changes observed in hydrocephalic rats may be due to the high level of lipid peroxidation, which in turn may be the consequence of ischaemia caused by the hydrocephalus related stretching of cerebral vessels.

Morphological changes in the myenteric plexus of rat ileum after transection and end-to-end anastomosis.

Surgical interruption of the gastrointestinal tract is widely used for investigating the structure of the enteric nervous system and in the treatment of certain pathological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The effects of transection and end-to-end anastomosis and myotomy on nerve cells of the myenteric plexus were studied by light and electron microscopy, 1, 2 and 6 wk postsurgically. During the 1st wk, degeneration of some nerve cells was indicated by the dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum and dispersion of Nissl substance. The degenerative process (an early electron-dense lamellar degeneration and a late floccular degeneration) was accompanied by some regenerative changes during the recovery period. Quantitative light microscopic analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in the number of neurons located 1 and 5 mm from operation sites in the intestine.

Multiple arterial variation of the human upper limb.

A case report of multiple variations involving the arteries of the upper limb in a single cadaver is presented. In addition to the proximal origin of the arteries unusual arterial patterns on both the right and left sides were present. On the right side, the subscapular artery gave rise to a large posterior circumflex humeral artery in addition to the thoracodorsal and circumflex scapular arteries. On the left side, the radial and ulnar arteries arose from the brachial artery at the level of arm, with their origins being opposite to the usual arrangement. There was an arciform anastomosis between the radial and ulnar arteries, with the radial recurrent artery arising from the concavity of the arch. The course of both the radial and ulnar arteries was normal at the wrist and hand, except for the absence of the first palmar metacarpal artery and an early bifurcation of the second palmar metacarpal artery. The French version of this article is available in the form of electronic supplementary material and can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00276-002-0011.