Antitumor action of vitamin A in mice inoculated with adenocarcinoma cells.

Vitamin A palmitate was incorporated into a laboratory chow (150,000 IU/kg diet) and fed ad libitum to C3H/HeJ female mice inoculated with 1 times 10-6 C3HBA tumor cells, beginning the day of inoculation. Control female mice of the same strain similarly inoculated were fed the laboratory chow alone. Vitamin A did not affect rate for the first 19 days, after which growth rates were independent of treatment. Vitamin A-treated mice survived for significantly longer times than did control mice.

Spinal cord protection with intravenous nimodipine. A functional and morphologic evaluation.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of ischemia in the spinal cord when a calcium channel blocker, nimodipine, is administered intravenously before, during, and after crossclamping of the thoracic aorta. In this series of experiments, 18 pigs underwent thoracotomies and had 17.5 to 18.0 cm of the thoracic aorta clamped for 30 minutes. By random selection, nine animals received intravenous nimodipine (2 micrograms/kg per minute) and nine control animals received only a carrier solution. Of the nine animals that received nimodipine, eight walked after the operation. In contrast, in the control group only two of nine animals walked. The ninth nimodipine-treated animals walked but had a severe delayed deterioration response. All animals, except one control animal, had a negative central spinal perfusion pressure. Morphologic examination of serial sections of spinal cords from control animals showed diffuse neuronal necrosis. In comparison, cords from the nimodipine group had swollen neurons accompanied by an inflammatory infiltrate and only occasional necrotic neurons. With this data, we conclude that certain calcium channel blockers, when administered in sufficient doses, can lend a protective effect to the spinal cord during ischemic events even when cord perfusion pressure has dropped to dangerously low levels.

Pseudoaneurysm of the vertebral artery.

Pseudoaneurysms of the vertebral artery are rare. Their treatment depends on the location, size, cause, and coexisting injuries. The surgical management of a 22-year-old man who had a large pseudoaneurysm in the 1st portion of the right vertebral artery is described, and an additional 144 cases from the medical literature are briefly reviewed.

Chondroma of the larynx.

Chondroma of the larynx is rare, but should be suspected in elderly patients with persistent voice changes or recurrent colds when carcinoma has been disproved. We report a patient with chondroma of the larynx. The diagnosis was established following complications associated with anesthesia for an unrelated ailment.

Mesenchymoma of the retrorectal space: a case report and review of literature.

Although sarcoma occurring in the true retroperitoneum is not uncommon, sarcoma in the retrorectal space is unique. We report a patient with a malignant mesenchymoma, a rare soft tissue tumor, in the retrorectal space. Complete resection was accomplished through a combined Kraske's posterior and midline anterior approach. The rectum had not been invaded by the mass. Survival of patients with malignant mesenchymoma does not exceed 50% in most reports, and the role of adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation has yet to be defined. Its attendant morbidity must be weighed against an uncertain prognosis.

Microcrystalline collagen hemostat (MCCH) and wound healing.

The effect of MCCH on wound healing was studied in animals and patients. A full thickness dorsal skin defect was made in mice and standard amounts of MCCH applied immediately to the wound in half the mice. There were no significant differences in wound closure rates between control and MCCH treated mice. A standard dorsal skin incision was made in rats. In half the rats, MCCH was put into the incision just before suturing with fine stainless steel sutures. There were no statistically significant differences in breaking strengths between control and MCCH treated rats when tested on the 8th, 20th and 40th days postoperatively. Histologic examination of the wounds showed mild inflammatory reaction surrounding the MCCH-fiber fragments, but no giant cells. Small amounts of MCCH were demonstrable at 40 days. Full thickness skin burns in pigs were excised one day after burning. MCCH was applied immediately in some pigs; excess MCCH was removed by saline irrigation. Split thickness skin autografts were applied. MCCH was applied to donor sites. The "takes" of the grafts were excellent and not affected by the use of MCCH and the donor sites healed uneventfully. MCCH was used in four patients with burns, three of whom underwent early excision of full thickness skin burns and immediate autografting. The fourth underwent skin grafting to the granulating areas 3 months after injury. The MCCH was applied to some donor sites and to some areas of excision. In one patient with severe burns, wound sepsis developed equally in areas with and without MCCH and the grafts were lost. In the other three patients, there were excellent takes of the grafts at all sites. All donor sites, treated and untreated, healed normally in all patients.

Compound 48/80 and the healing of wounds in rats. The effect of timing of drug injections.

Wound breaking strength was measured in Long-Evans rats in two settings: in one experiment animals received Compound 48/80 i.p. for 8 consecutive days, starting 1 day before infliction of wound and in the second experiment 48/80 was given for 6 days before wounding. Wound breaking strength was always measured on the seventh day after wounding. There was a significant increase in wound breaking strength in animals treated before incision was made, as compared to controls, saline-treated animals (p less than 0.01). When 48/80 was given one day before incision was made, the breaking strength was significantly decreased (p less than 0.0002). Possible explanation for these opposite results is discussed.

Growth of pulmonary metastases of B16 melanoma in mast cell-free mice.

The relationship of mast cells to tumor growth has been debated but not elucidated. The existence of a mast cell-free animal, the W/Wv mouse, provides a model in which tumor metastasis can be studied with special reference to host tissues and their mast cell content rather than to the adhesiveness of the tumor cell itself. Both hind footpads of 30 W/Wv mice and 30 control mice (+/+) were injected with 2 X 10(5) cells of B16-F10 melanoma cells. The left paw received 1000 rads orthovoltage radiation 12 hr before tumor inoculation. Growth of tumors in both paws was recorded. Ten animals from each group were killed on Day 31 after tumor inoculation, and the remaining animals were kept until they died. Autopsy was performed in all animals, and patterns of metastasis were recorded. Results showed that (1) preinoculation radiation significantly slowed tumor growth in the left paw (P = 0.0009), and (2) lung metastases were present in 4 of 10 W/Wv mice, but in none of 10 +/+ mice killed after 31 days (P = 0.05). Overall, 17 of 25 W/Wv mice and 8 of 26 +/+ mice had lung metastases (P = 0.008).