Supplementation of direct-fed microbials as an alternative to antibiotic on growth performance, immune response, cecal microbial population, and ileal morphology of broiler chickens.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the supplementation of direct-fed microbials (DFM) as an alternative to antibiotics on growth performance, immune response, cecal microbial population, and ileal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 800 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross × Ross) were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments with 4 replicate pens per treatment (50 birds/replicate pen). The 4 dietary treatments fed for 35 d were a corn-soybean meal basal diet (control); control plus 0.1% virginiamycin, as an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP); control plus 0.1% direct-fed microbials that contained Lactobacillus reuteri (DFM 1); and control plus 0.1% direct-fed microbials that contained a mixture of L. reuteri, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (DFM 2). Results showed that dietary AGP and DFM supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.05) the BW gain of broilers during 0 to 21 d. The feed intake was reduced, whereas the feed conversion was improved significantly when birds were fed DFM 2 at 0 to 7 d of age. The white blood cell and monocyte levels were significantly higher in the DFM 2 group compared with the control. In addition, feeding DFM significantly (P < 0.05) increased the plasma immunoglobulin levels where a higher level was observed in DFM 2 compared with those of the other treatments. Neither DFM nor AGP treatments affected the cecal Lactobacillus and Salmonella content; however, cecal Escherichia coli content significantly decreased in broiler chickens fed DFM and AGP. The ileal villus height, and width and total thickness of muscularis externa were significantly increased when birds were fed DFM compared with AGP and control. These results indicate that the dietary supplementation of DFM increases the growth performance of birds at an early age, stimulates the immune response, decreases the number of E. coli, and improves the ileal morphology of broiler chickens. Thus, DFM that contained a mixture of several beneficial microorganisms could be a viable alternative to antibiotics in the broiler diets.

Effect of heating system using a geothermal heat pump on the production performance and housing environment of broiler chickens.

A geothermal heat pump (GHP) is a potential heat source for the economic heating of broiler houses with optimum production performance. An investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of a heating system using a GHP on production performance and housing environment of broiler chickens. A comparative analysis was also performed between the GHP system and a conventional heating system that used diesel for fuel. In total, 34,000 one-day-old straight run broiler chicks were assigned to 2 broiler houses with 5 replicates in each (3,400 birds/replicate pen) for 35 d. Oxygen(,) CO(2), and NH(3) concentrations in the broiler house, energy consumption and cost of heating, and production performance of broilers were evaluated. Results showed that the final BW gain significantly (P < 0.05) increased when chicks were reared in the GHP broiler house compared with that of chicks reared in the conventional broiler house (1.73 vs. 1.62 kg/bird). The heating system did not affect the mortality of chicks during the first 4 wk of the experimental period, but the mortality markedly increased in the conventional broiler house during the last wk of the experiment. Oxygen content in the broiler house during the experimental period was not affected by the heating system, but the CO(2) and NH(3) contents significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the conventional broiler house compared with those in the GHP house. Fuel consumption was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) and electricity consumption significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the GHP house compared with the consumption in the conventional house during the experiment. The total energy cost of heating the GHP house was significantly lower (P < 0.05) compared with that of the conventional house. It is concluded that a GHP system could increase the production performance of broiler chicks due to increased inside air quality of the broiler house. The GHP system had lower CO(2) and NH(3) emissions with lower energy cost than the conventional heating system for broiler chickens.

Antibiotic use for presumed neonatally acquired infections far exceeds that for central line-associated blood stream infections: an exploratory critique.

OBJECTIVE: To assess antibiotic use as a complementary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infection measure to the central line-associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) rate. STUDY DESIGN: Patient days (PDs), line days, antibiotic (AB) use, CLABSI and other proven infections were analyzed in consecutive admissions to two NICUs over 3 and 6 months, respectively, from 1 January 2008 until discharge. An antibiotic course (AC) consisted of one or more uninterrupted antibiotic days (AD), classified as perinatal or neonatal, if started ≤3 d or ≥4 d post birth and as rule-out sepsis or presumed infection (PI) if treated ≤4 d or ≥5d, respectively. Events were expressed per 1000 PD and aggregated by conventional treatment categories and by clinical perception of infection certainty: possible, presumed or proven. RESULT: The cohort included 754 patients, 18,345 PD, 6637 line days, 718 AC and 4553 AD. Of total antibiotic use, neonatal use constituted 39.2% of ACs, and 29.0% of ADs, When analyzed per 1000 PD, antibiotic use to treat PIs vs CLABSIs, was either 14 fold (CI 6.6-30) higher for ACs (5.40 vs 0.38/1000 PD, P<0.0001) or 8.8 fold (CI 7.1-11) higher for ADs (48.3 vs 5.5/1000 PD, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: CLABSI rates, present a lower limit of NICU-acquired infections, whereas antibiotic-use measures, about 10-fold higher, may estimate an upper limit of that burden. Antibiotic-use metrics should be evaluated further for their ability to broaden NICU infection assessment and to guide prevention and antibiotic stewardship efforts.

Effects of washing methods on gel properties of chicken surimi prepared from spent hen breast muscle.

In this study, 2 myofibrillar protein extraction methods were compared for the preparation of chicken surimi using spent hen breast muscle. One method involved 1 washing with 0.1, 0.5, or 1% sodium chloride solution followed by 2 washings with distilled water, with homogenization and centrifugation of the breast muscle after each washing (new method; NM). The other method used only distilled water for the extraction, and washing was repeated 3 times followed by homogenization and centrifugation of the breast muscle after each washing (conventional method; CM). The redness values of the batter as well as the cooked gel were significantly lower (P < or = 0.05) by NM as compared with CM. In addition, the SDS-PAGE of NM sarcoplasmic protein fractions showed phosphorylase bands with increased staining intensity as compared with CM, indicating that brightness was related to the sarcoplasmic protein fractions. Overall, the data implied that sodium chloride solution was more appropriate for the myofibrillar protein extraction of spent hen breast muscle than the commonly used distilled water method.

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis and pharmacokinetics of terazosin in healthy volunteers.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of terazosin in 1 ml of human plasma was developed using prazosin as an internal standard. The plasma sample was extracted with dichloromethane and ethylether and a 100-microl aliquot was injected onto the reversed-phase column. The mobile phase, 0.02 M sodium phosphate buffer:acetonitrile:tetrahydrofuran = 720:220:60 (v/v/v), was run at a flow rate of 0.8 ml/min and the column effluent was monitored using a florescence detector set at 370 and 250 nm for the emission and excitation wave numbers, respectively. The retention times for terazosin and prazosin were approximately 6.4 and 9.8 min, respectively, and the coefficients of variation of terazosin were generally low, below 6.4%. The present HPLC method was successful for the pharmacokinetic study of terazosin in healthy volunteers. Following oral administration of terazosin, 2 mg, to 20 healthy male volunteers, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to time infinity was 421 +/- 71.8 ng h/ml and terminal half-life was 9.83 +/- 1.29 h.

Pharmacokinetics of theophylline and caffeine after intravenous administration of aminophylline to premature neonates in Korea.

Theophylline has been widely used to treat apnea of premature neonates. The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic parameters of theophylline and caffeine after intravenous administration of aminophylline to seven Korean low-birthweight neonates with apnea to those in other countries. The serum concentrations of theophylline and caffeine were measured simultaneously by high-performance liquid-chromatography (HPLC). The mean (+/- S.E.M.) birth weight and gestational period were 1190 +/- 253 g and 31.5 +/- 1.99 weeks, respectively. The mean (+/- S.E.M.) theophylline maintenance dosage was 1.28 +/- 0.15 mg/kg (given as equivalent aminophylline solution) every six hours. The mean (+/- S.E.M.) volume of distribution, 0.937 +/- 0.232 l/kg, elimination rate constant, 0.0249 +/- 0.0095/h, elimination half-life, 32.1 +/- 12.1 h, and total body clearance, 21.7 +/- 6.18 ml/h/kg, of theophylline in Korean premature neonates were comparable to the values of neonates in other countries. For caffeine, the mean (+/- S.E.M.) elimination half-life was 95.1 +/- 25.4 h and the elimination rate constant was 0.0079 +/- 0.0024/h. The mean (+/- S.E.M.) serum concentrations of theophylline and caffeine on the sixth day after aminophylline infusion were 10.4 +/- 2.28 microg/ml (range, 6.38-13.4 microg/ml) and 2.94 +/- 0.98 microg/ml (range, 1.80-4.44 microg/ml), respectively. The mean (+/- S.E.M.) caffeine to theophylline concentration ratio on the day after discontinuation of aminophylline infusion was 0.71 +/- 0.23 (range, 0.39-1.03).

The development of digital library system for drug research information.

The sophistication of computer technology and information transmission on internet has made various cyber information repository available to information consumers. In the era of information super-highway, the digital library which can be accessed from remote sites at any time is considered the prototype of information repository. Using object-oriented DBMS, the very first model of digital library for pharmaceutical researchers and related professionals in Korea has been developed. The published research papers and researchers' personal information was included in the database. For database with research papers, 13 domestic journals were abstracted and scanned for full-text image files which can be viewed by Internet web browsers. The database with researchers' personal information was also developed and interlinked to the database with research papers. These database will be continuously updated and will be combined with world-wide information as the unique digital library in the field of pharmacy.

Establishment of a hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer registry.

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant condition characterized by early age of onset colorectal cancer, right-sided predominance, excess of synchronous and metachronous colonic neoplasms, and extracolonic cancers. The purpose of this study is to report clinical characteristics of HNPCC families in our registry. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of medical records of patients with a significant history of colorectal cancer and interviews with their families. RESULTS: Three hundred one people with cancer in 40 HNPCC families were identified. In 284 of 301 (94 percent) people, 363 cancers were identified. Colorectal cancer only was identified in 182 people (64 percent) and, in conjunction with extracolonic tumors, in another 31 people (11 percent). Extracolonic cancer alone was noted in 71 people (25 percent). Median age at diagnosis of colorectal cancer was 48 (range, 17-92) years. In patients with documented pathology, right-sided tumors predominated (55 percent), synchronous and metachronous tumors were noted in 53 percent, and synchronous of metachronous adenomas were documented in 51 percent of people. Generational anticipation was also noted. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates and confirms characteristics that have been described in HNPCC. Namely, early age of onset of colorectal cancer, right-sided predominance, multiple synchronous and metachronous neoplasms, increased extracolonic cancers, and generational anticipation.

Influence of smoking on the development of lung metastases from breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the association between cigarette smoking status and the development of lung metastases in a group of 835 women diagnosed with primary malignant unilateral breast cancer. METHOD: Female patients with breast cancer diagnosed between 1982 and 1991 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in Buffalo, New York, who provided information on their cigarette smoking history at the time of their diagnosis were included. The subsequent disease status of patients was monitored by the RPCI Tumor Registry. The Cox regression model was used to estimate the relationship between smoking status and the development of lung metastases, adjusting for the patient's age, stage of disease at diagnosis, and body weight. RESULTS: Of those patients who developed lung metastases, 8.7% were nonsmokers, 14.1% were former smokers, and 14.3% were current smokers. Tests showed that nonsmokers had significantly fewer lung metastases than either of the two smoking groups (P < 0.01). The estimated relative rates of lung metastases developing adjusting for age, stage, and body weight in women who smoked less than 10,000, between 10,001 and 20,000, and more than 20,000 packs over their lifetimes compared with nonsmokers were 1.06 (95% CI, 0.51-2.20), 3.10 (95% CI, 1.5-6.3), and 3.73 (95% CI, 1.6-8.9) respectively. The Cox regression model showed that every 1000 packs of cigarettes consumed over a lifetime increased a woman's risk of developing lung metastases by about 3% to 7% (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study found a significant association between cigarette smoking history and risk of lung metastases developing in women diagnosed with primary invasive unilateral breast cancer. The risk of lung metastases developing increased as the number of cigarettes smoked in a lifetime increased.

Aspirin use, cancer, and polyps of the large bowel.

BACKGROUND: The effect of aspirin use on 490 patients with cancer of the colon, 340 with cancer of the rectum as the first primary site, and 212 patients with polyps having no coexisting malignancies was compared with that of two groups of control subjects that consisted of 524 hospital patients having no cancers and no diseases of the digestive organs and 1138 healthy visitors to the screening clinic. All subjects entered Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1982 and 1991. METHODS: After adjustment for adulthood lifetime duration of aspirin use, sex, age, residence, and education, the risk of having cancers and polyps of the colon or the rectum among people who had been using aspirin at least for 1 year before the illness relative to that of nonusers was estimated using multiple logistic regression procedure. RESULTS: The odds ratio estimates showed that the risk of colorectal cancers declined progressively as the frequency of aspirin use increased compared with control groups. Among patients reporting use of aspirin two or more times a day, the odds ratio estimates for colorectal cancers were 0.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.15) and 0.44 (95% CI, 1.10-0.18) compared with those of screening clinic visitors and hospital control subjects, respectively. The odds ratio for patients with polyps who had used aspirin less than once a day relative to that of nonusers was 0.28 (95% CI, 0.62-0.13) and 0.43 (95% CI, 1.09-0.17) compared with screening clinic visitors and hospital control subjects, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There is a risk reduction effect of aspirin use on the incidence of colorectal cancers and polyps, and this effect is dose related.

Interhospital differences in cancer survival.

We examined variations in cancer survival rates among a large number of hospitals in the United States. Survival rates for breast cancer, prostate cancer, and Hodgkin's disease were calculated from patient care studies of the American College of Surgeons and were linked to data on hospital characteristics from the surveys of the American Hospital Association. When patient, disease, treatment, and institutional characteristics were examined in multivariate analyses, medical school affiliation, residency training, and community size were not related to hospitals' cancer survival experience. Patterns of care involving greater use of staging laparotomy with splenectomy for Hodgkin's diseases, lesser use of mastectomy without axillary dissection for breast cancer and, greater use of bone scanning and lesser use of hormone therapy for prostate cancer all were associated with better survival. The differences between hospitals' survival rates were large but we found that the differences were more a function of patient characteristics, disease stage, and tumor histology than of hospital affiliations, location, size, facilities, or treatment patterns. These findings provide some data upon which future public health interventions to affect cancer mortality may be planned and evaluated.

Blood groups and malignant melanoma.

The charts of 168 patients with malignant melanoma were reviewed with regard to the incidence of the major blood groups. Blood group A was encountered in 39.9%, Group B in 7.7%, Group AB in 3%, and Group O in 49.4%. Although blood group O had a higher frequency compared to that of the general white population of various series, the difference was not significant. Patients with blood group A had a median survival of 67.7 months whereas patients with blood group O had a median survival of 46.6 months (p = 0.04). The improved survival for blood group A remained significant only in female patients, when the sexes were considered separately. However, group A had an incidence of 24% in early Clark's lesions while that incidence in group O was 9.8%. Female patients had longer median survival (86 months) than male patients (44 months).

Does more intense palliative treatment improve overall survival in metastatic breast cancer patients?

A retrospective review of 483 women who had metastatic breast cancer and were treated between 1942 and 1975 was carried out to examine the effects of improving and aggressive palliative modalities on patient survival. There was a steady increase in the proportion of patients treated by chemotherapy and/or hormonal ablative therapy. Additive hormonal therapy, irradiation, and surgery for palliation decreased in frequency during the same period. Survival time from the first recurrence did not appear to increase in these patients over the period of this study. In spite of increasingly sophisticated palliative therapies, the survival time of patients with metastasis did not appear to be significantly prolonged.

Radiation associated hyperthyroidism in patients with gynecological malignancies.

To determine the effect of abdominal and/or pelvic irradiation for gynecological malignancies on the later development of hyperthyroidism, 1,884 medical records of the patients diagnoses as carcinomas of cervix and corpus uteri, and of ovary were reviewed. Among 1,269 patients with radiation therapy, 5 patients developed hyperthyroidism after irradiation to the abdomen and/or pelvis. This is a statistically significant increase when compared with an epidemiological study. Radiation dose to the thyroid was estimated to be 30 to 200 rads. Two other patients who were irradiated to the nose or supraclavicular region in addition to the abdomen also developed hyperthyroidism. However, none of 581 patients without radiation therapy became hyperthyroid. The results indicate that radiation therapy for treatment of gynecological malignancy gives a significant radiation exposure with an increase in the incidence of subsequent hyperthyroidism.

Uterine endolymphatic stromal myosis: a collaborative study.

Fifty-two cases of the rare entity, uterine endolymphatic stromal myosis, were evaluated in a collaborative study by gynecologic oncologists trained at the M. D. Anderson Tumor Institute. Fifty percent developed recurrent disease subsequent to initial surgical therapy. Of the surgical stage I cases, 47% developed pelvic recurrences, and 9% developed distant recurrences only after initial therapy. The five- and ten-year life-table survival of surgical stages I to IV were 88% for stage I, 66% for stage II, 100% for stage III, and 75% for stage IV. These long-term survival rates were due in part to the hormonal sensitivity of the recurrent tumors. Because of the high recurrence rate after initial therapy, a suggested plan of therapy is presented for patients with uterine endolymphatic stromal myosis.

The role of fibrinolysis in the therapy of peripheral vascular disease.

In vivo thrombolytic studies in stumptailed monkeys indicated that pentoxifylline potentiates thrombolysis induced by urokinase activated human plasmin. Pentoxifylline as well as prostaglandin E1 released plasminogen activators and activated the fibrinolysin system. From this point of view pentoxifylline and prostaglandin E1 synergized with each other. Pentoxifylline potentiated the thrombolytic effect of prostaglandin E1 in vivo.

The development of a technique for the morphometric analysis of invasion in cancer.

We describe tests of the feasibility of a reconstructive technique to discriminate between expansive growth and active cell movement in the invasion of tissues by cancer cells. The densities of cancer cells in 2210 microns2 (grid) squares of standard 6 microns fixed, stained histologic sections of a nodule and an invasive cutaneous melanoma were determined, and density maps of the tumors constructed. An abrupt transition from saturation density to zero cell density was observed at the advancing edge (towards the stratum corneum) of the tumor nodule which was consistent with a model for expansion by growth (vis a tergo). In contrast, at the advancing edge of the invasive tumor, the transition from saturation to zero density (towards the subcutaneous tissues) occurred more gradually, over approximately 400 mum, which was consistent with a model for invasion by active movement of melanoma cells. The occurrence of statistically significant "high density regions" near to the advancing edge of the invasive tumor is consistent with an invasive pattern of active movement followed by focal proliferation of the cancer cells, in a repetitious manner. It therefore appears feasible to make kinetic reconstructions of some of the events in invasion, from static quantitative observations.

Studies on osteoporosis VII. Effect of 17 beta-hydroxy-4-estren-3-one 17-decanoate on experimental osteoporosis.

Total body neutron activation analysis was employed to measure total calcium in C3H/St (Ha) female mice. Ninety-nine percent of total body calcium is in bone and loss of calcium was used as an index of osteoporosis. Heparin (500 U/kg B.I.D.) treatment for three months resulted in significant osteoporosis. 17 beta-Hydroxy-4-estren-3-one 17-decanoate 1.5 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg twice monthly prevented this heparin accelerated osteoporosis. The results suggest that 17 beta-hydroxy-4-estren-3-one 17-decanoate may be capable of preventing bone loss and partially increasing bone mass in patients exposed to osteoporosis inducing regimens.

Studies on platelet aggregation inhibitors in vivo. X. Relationship to thrombolysis.

Human labeled fibrin clots were inserted into femoral veins of stumptailed monkeys (Macaca arctoides). Thrombolysis was slightly increased by treatment with the platelet aggregation inhibitor pentoxifylline. This agent significantly potentiated the thrombolytic effect of urokinase activated human plasminogen. Pentoxifylline was also found to release plasminogen activator activity into the circulation.