Peripheral blood stem cell mobilization in multiple myeloma comparison of two consecutive regimens in a limited resources country.

This study compared retrospectively the effectiveness, toxicity and hematopoietic recovery after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (ASCT) of two consecutive peripheral blood stem cell mobilization regimens in newly diagnosed MM patients. Patients in group 1 (n=178) were treated with 4 g/m2 of cyclophosphamide (CY) plus G-CSF (5 µg/kg/day). Patients in group 2 (n=117) with 750 mg/m2 of VP16 plus G-CSF (10 µg/kg/day). Optimal mobilization, defined by a target number of 8 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg collected, was achieved in 62.4% and 89.7% of patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P<10-4). The median number of aphaeresis sessions was reduced from two in group 1 to one in group 2 (P<10-4). Grade4 neutropenia, febrile neutropenia and IV antibiotic use were significantly more frequent in group 1 than in group 2 (P<10-4). Red blood cell transfusion requirements were significantly greater in group 1 (P=0.007). The switch to VP16-G-CSF10 resulted in a significant reduction of the number of hospitalization days (P<10-4). Neutrophil and platelet recovery after ASCT occurred on days 11 and 12, respectively, in the two groups with no significant differences. VP16+G-CSF10 allowed liberation of resources in the clinical and aphaeresis departments and demonstrated a better effectiveness-safety profile than CY+G-CSF5.

Taxonomical and geographical occurrence of Libyans scorpions.

Nine different species of scorpions can be recognized from more than 5000 samples collected from different areas in Libya: Leiurus quinquestriatus, Androctonus bicolor, Androctonus australis, Androctonus amoreuxi, Buthacus leptochelys, Buthus occitanus, Buthacus arenicola, Orthochirus innesi and Scorpio maurus. The geographical occurrence showed that Leiurus quinquestriatus seems to be restricted to the Southern areas. On the contrary, Buthus occitanus was found in the costal regions. Other species such as Androctonus were widely spread in all regions. Buthacus Leptochelys, Orthochirus innesi and Scorpio maurus were found, in the East (Aujlah, Jalu), the South (Wadi-Atbah) and the Western cost of Libya respectively.

Permeation and gating of alpha1 glycine-gated channels expressed at low and high density in Xenopus oocyte.

When a high density of alpha1-subunit glycine receptor (GlyR) is expressed in Xenopus oocytes, two populations of channels can be distinguished according to their apparent affinity for glycine which differs 5- to 6-fold. To compare the open pore diameter of these channels, the relative permeability of formate with respect to chloride (P(formate)/P(Cl)) was determined in bionic conditions. For the low-affinity GlyR P(formate)/P(Cl) was comparable to that reported for glycine-gated channels in cultured spinal cord and hippocampal neurons. In contrast, the high-affinity GlyR had a 56% larger P(formate)/P(Cl). In addition, the open probability of the channels was differentially sensitive to voltage. These results show that the high expression of alpha1 GlyR resulted in two populations of GlyR which differed not only in the affinity to agonists but also in permeation and gating mechanisms.