Determination of Alteration in Micromeritic Properties of a Solid Dispersion: Brunauer-Emmett-Teller Based Adsorption and Other Structured Approaches.

The present study is focused on the use of solid dispersion technology to triumph over the solubility-related problems of bexarotene which is currently used for treating various types of cancer and has shown potential inhibitory action on COVID-19 main protease and human ACE2 receptors. It is based on comparison of green locust bean gum and synthetic poloxamer as polymers using extensive mechanistic methods to explore the mechanism behind solubility enhancement and to find suitable concentration of drug to polymer ratio to prepare porous 3rd generation solid dispersion. The prepared solid dispersions were characterized using different studies like X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and particle size analysis in order to determine the exact changes occurred in the product which are responsible for enhancing solubility profiles of an insoluble drug. The results showed different profiles for particle size, solubility, dissolution rate, porosity, BET, and Langmuir specific surface area of prepared solid dispersions by using different polymers. In addition to the comparison of polymers, the BET analysis deeply explored the changes occurred in all dispersions when the concentration of polymer was increased. The optimized solid dispersion prepared with MLBG using lyophilization technique showed reduced particle size of 745.7±4.4 nm, utmost solubility of 63.97%, pore size of 211.597 Å, BET and Langmuir specific surface area of 5.6413 m2/g and 8.2757 m2/g, respectively.

Nanotechnology-based Herbal Formulations: A Survey of Recent Patents, Advancements, and Transformative Headways.

Nanotechnology in association with herbal medicine can lead to enhanced therapeutic and diminished adverse effects of medication. In turn, it can lead to synergistic effects of administered compound overcoming its demerits. Nowadays, the trend of herbal compounds to treat even a small illness is gaining momentum. Gone are the days when the ineffectiveness of a compound was impossible to be dealt with. Nevertheless, in this competitive era of science and innovative technology, it has become possible to maximize the usefulness of ineffective yet potent herbal compounds. The demand for herbal compounds is getting amplified because of their ability to treat a myriad of diseases, including COVID-19, showing fewer side effects. The merger of nanotechnology with traditional medicine augments the potential of herbal drugs for devastating dangerous and chronic diseases like cancer. In this review article, we have tried to assimilate the complete information regarding the use of different nanocarriers to overcome the drawbacks of herbal compounds. In addition, all the recent advancements in the herbal field, as well as the future exploration to be emphasized, have been discussed.

Exploring the role of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-mediated reduction in tissue asymmetrical dimethylarginine levels in cardio-protective mechanism of ischaemic postconditioning in rats.

OBJECTIVES: Reperfusion of ischaemic myocardium results in reduced nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) leading to endothelial dysfunction and subsequent tissue damage. Impaired NO biosynthesis may be partly due to increased levels of asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of eNOS. As dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) is a key enzyme responsible for degradation of ADMA, the present study was designed to explore the role of DDAH/ADMA/NO pathway in cardio-protective mechanism of ischaemic postconditioning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Isolated rat hearts were subjected to myocardial ischaemia for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 2 hours in control group. Myocardial injury was assessed by measurement of infarct size, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) enzymes in coronary effluents. The reperfused hearts were homogenised and tissue concentration of nitrite, ADMA level and DDAH enzyme activity was determined. RESULTS: A significant increase in infarct size, LDH, CK release in coronary effluents and ADMA level in myocardial tissue was observed in control group. The increase in tissue ADMA coincided with reductions of NO tissue concentrations and DDAH activity. Ischaemic postconditioning significantly attenuated ischaemia-reperfusion induced myocardial injury manifested in the terms of decreased infarct size, LDH, CK, tissue ADMA along with increase in NO levels and DDAH enzyme activity. Pretreatment with L-Homocysteine (300 µM), a competitive inhibitor of DDAH, and L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 100 µM), an inhibitor of eNOS, completely abolished ischaemic postconditioning-induced myocardial protection. CONCLUSION: Enhancing DDAH activity by postconditioning may be a novel target to reduce ADMA level and increase NO bioavailability to prevent myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury.

Bone SPECT-CT: An additional diagnostic tool for undiagnosed wrist pain.

Diagnosis of wrist pain can be difficult to determine with clinical examination and conventional imaging techniques alone. Bone SPECT-CT (single-photon emission tomography with computerized tomography) is a hybrid imaging technique that overlays functional bone scintigraphy in tomographic/3D mode with conventional CT. Data from the two modalities are complementary; areas of abnormal bone metabolism can be localized with anatomical precision, hitherto lacking in conventional bone scans, while structural information from the CT scan further embellishes the diagnostic information. Over the last 6 years, one surgeon (David Evans) has used bone SPECT and later bone SPECT-CT as an additional line of investigation. This is a series of 21 consecutive patients with wrist pain that could not be diagnostically resolved with the usual combination of history, examination, and conventional imaging, and therefore underwent bone SPECT-CT. Clinical and imaging findings, management, and outcomes of these cases are discussed to explore the potential role of this hybrid functional modality in hand and wrist surgical practice.

A phase I study of intermittent continuous infusion high dose cytosine arabinoside for acute leukemia.

We previously administered ara-C at a dose rate of 250 mg/m2/hr for 36-72 hr to patients with leukemia. Gastrointestinal toxicity was dose-limiting. This regimen was modified to an every other day schedule, administering 24-hr periods of high dose continuous infusion ara-C, each followed by a 24-hr rest period. Sixteen patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (N = 4), secondary AML (N = 2), relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (N = 7), or CML in blast crisis (N = 3) received this regimen of three 24-hr infusions with two intercurrent 24-hr rest periods. Grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity was encountered in 57% of the courses, and hypoplasia was achieved in all patients. Three of the patients died while hypoplastic, two with septicemia and another with intracranial hemorrhage. There were five responding patients (2 CRs, 3 PRs). Median steady-state plasma ara-C levels were 24 microM, 22 microM, and 20 microM during the first, second, and third 24-hr infusions, respectively. Ara-C levels ranged from 4-118 microM during the infusions and were always below 4.5 microM during the rest periods. A significant level of ara-C incorporation into DNA was detected in each of the five patients studied, thus demonstrating that (ara-C)DNA formation is detectable in blasts from patients receiving high dose continuous infusion ara-C therapy. These findings suggest that alternate day continuous infusion ara-C may be useful in the treatment of acute leukemia and CML in blast crisis.

Compliance with zidovudine therapy in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, type 1: a cross-sectional study in a municipal hospital clinic.

PURPOSE: To determine the extent of and clinical variables associated with zidovudine compliance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A survey of 83 patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) followed in a municipal hospital clinic was performed. Compliance histories were validated by serum and urine zidovudine levels. Patient characteristics included 46% white, 63% with a history of intravenous drug use, and 59% reporting a diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC). The main outcome measure was greater than 80% compliance with prescribed doses of zidovudine over the previous week. RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent of the study patients reported greater than 80% compliance with prescribed doses of zidovudine over the previous week. The most common explanations given for missing a dose were "forgot to take zidovudine" and "did not have the medication with me." Five variables were independently associated with greater than 80% compliance as determined by stepwise multiple logistic regression: patient belief that zidovudine prolongs life (odds ratio [OR] 9.3, [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4, 36.7]), a diagnosis of AIDS or ARC (OR 5.5, [CI 1.5, 20.4]), use of a medication timer (OR 4.4, [CI 1.0, 19.1]), no history of intravenous drug use (OR 3.7, [CI 1.0, 14.2]), and taking one to three other medications with zidovudine. CONCLUSIONS: High compliance with zidovudine was achieved by HIV-infected patients in a municipal hospital clinic, many of whom had a history of intravenous drug use. Compliance with zidovudine may be enhanced by a patient's belief that it prolongs life and the use of a medication timer for proper dosing.

Folate analogues. 30. Synthesis and biological evaluation of N10-propargyl-5,8-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid and related compounds.

The 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro derivative (1) of the powerful thymidylate synthase inhibitor N10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid (PDDF) has been synthesized and evaluated for its antifolate activity. A convenient method for the preparation of the key intermediate 2-amino-6-(bromomethyl)-4-hydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinazoline (18) is described. Two closely related analogues of 1 were also synthesized and evaluated for their antifolate activity and thymidylate synthase inhibition. N10-Propargyl-5,8-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate (1) and N10-methyl and N10-hydrogen analogues 2 and 3 were weaker inhibitors of Lactobacillus casei thymidylate synthase compared to PDDF. N10-Methyl-5,8-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate (2) exhibited the most potent antifolate activity against L. casei (IC50 = 2.8 nM) and Streptococcus faecium (IC50 = 0.57 nM). In intact and permeabilized murine leukemia L1210 cells, the replacement of the quinazoline moiety with its tetrahydro derivative resulted in a marked decrease in potency and a loss of the contribution of the propargyl substituent to enzyme inhibition, indicating an altered binding mode to thymidylate synthase.

Contrast nephrotoxicity and the role of radionuclide renal scan.

Radiographic contrast media-induced nephrotoxicity is an important cause of acute renal failure. The indications of using contrast are usually unavoidable, compelling and continue to expand, especially in the vascular field. When acute renal failure follows such a procedure, it becomes important to establish the presence of contrast nephrotoxicity or an acute occlusive event which may have precipitated the failure. We present two cases of contrast nephrotoxicity in patients with impaired renal function. Radionuclide renal studies with 99mTc-DTPA (Patient 1) and 99mTc-MAG3 (Patient 2), confirmed the presence of acute tubular necrosis and excluded major occlusive vascular events. Renal scintigraphy remains an important but underused test which can rule out obvious renal vascular occlusion and/or support the diagnosis of contrast-related acute tubular necrosis, as the cause of renal failure in these patients.

Differential localization of collagen type IX isoform messenger RNAs during early ocular development.

PURPOSE: To determine the temporal and spatial localization of the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for the two collagen alpha 1(IX) isoforms during early development of the embryonic chicken eye. METHODS: The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method was used to amplify mRNAs for the two collagen alpha 1(IX) isoforms. mRNA was extracted from optic vesicles of chicken embryos at stages 14 to 19 and from microdissected ocular tissues of older embryonic eyes. After synthesis of complementary DNA, the polymerase chain reaction was performed for 20, 25, or 30 cycles. This ensured a reliable estimate of the relative abundance of the two mRNAs at different stages and in different ocular tissues. Data from the polymerase chain reaction were confirmed by Northern blot analysis. RESULTS: mRNA for the shorter alpha 1(IX) chain was present in the optic vesicle as early as stage 14, whereas mRNA for the longer alpha 1(IX) chain was not detectable until after the optic vesicle and lens started to invaginate (stage 15; day 2.5). In later stages of development, mRNAs for both alpha 1(IX) chains were present predominantly in the presumptive ciliary epithelium. They were just detectable in the neural retina at stages 20 and 23 (days 3 to 3.5). By E6 no mRNA for the shorter alpha 1(IX) isoform was detected in the retina, although a trace of the longer alpha 1(IX) isoform was still present. In the lens, mRNA for neither isoform was detectable at any stage. CONCLUSIONS: The two isoforms of alpha 1(IX) collagen mRNA are expressed differentially in space and time during early development of the embryonic chicken eye. These molecules may serve as markers for the early specialization of ciliary epithelium as a distinct region of the optic cup.

Differential temporal and spatial expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 in developing chick ocular tissues.

PURPOSE: To determine the developmental expression and localization of mRNA for insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2), a major binding protein of IGF-I and IGF-II, in ocular tissues of the embryonic and early posthatched chick. METHODS: In situ hybridization and northern blot analysis were used to analyze the cellular origin and relative expression of IGFBP-2 mRNA in ocular tissues. RESULTS: Wholemount in situ hybridization reveals that, as early as 3.5 days of embryonic development (E3.5), IGFBP-2 mRNA is already expressed in many areas of the embryo, including surface ectoderm, certain regions of the brain, pharyngeal clefts, somites, and limb buds. In the eye, IGFBP-2 mRNA is expressed only in the presumptive corneal epithelium at this time. By E6, IGFBP-2 mRNA expression is present in both the corneal epithelium and endothelium. By E12, IGFBP-2 mRNA is detected clearly in the corneal stroma as well as in several other ocular structures, such as the sclera, eyelid, and ciliary body. In the neural retina, a low, diffuse expression of IGFBP-2 mRNA is found at E6, which becomes more localized to the nuclear layers by E12. Northern blot analysis confirms that a high level of IGFBP-2 expression is present in the cornea and sclera by E8 to E12. A high level of IGFBP-2 mRNA expression, however, is not observed in the retina until E18. At posthatch day 2 (P2), northern blot analyses of ocular tissues reveal that the cornea contains the highest ocular level of IGFBP-2 mRNA expression, a value equal to that of brain and liver. CONCLUSIONS: The early appearance, along with differential temporal and spatial expression of IGFBP-2 mRNA in developing ocular tissues, suggests a role for IGFBP-2 in the regulation of growth and differentiation of several ocular tissues, including the cornea, sclera, and retina.

Effects of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine uptake, phosphorylation and nucleotide retention in human U-937 cells.

Previous studies have demonstrated that granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) both increases and decreases levels of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) nucleotides in certain human myeloid cells. The present studies have examined the effects of GM-CSF on AZT metabolism in U-937 cells. The results demonstrate that GM-CSF stimulated AZT nucleotide formation in these cells. This stimulation was detectable during concurrent exposure to GM-CSF and AZT or as a result of pretreatment with GM-CSF. The GM-CSF-induced enhancement in AZT nucleotide formation was associated with a 4-fold increase in AZT uptake. The finding that uptake of AZT into U-937 cells was only partially sensitive to 6-[(4-nitrobenzyl)thio]-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurine (NBMPR) suggested a process primarily involving nonfacilitated diffusion. The results also demonstrate that treatment of U-937 cells with GM-CSF was associated with nearly a 2-fold increase in thymidine kinase activity. Moreover, the findings indicate that retention of AZT-MP and AZP-TP was prolonged significantly (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01 respectively) in association with GM-CSF treatment. Taken together, these results suggest that GM-CSF enhances the formation of AZT nucleotides by increasing AZT uptake and phosphorylation, as well as increasing retention of phosphorylated derivatives.

Isolation and expression of homeobox genes from the embryonic chicken eye.

PURPOSE: To identify homeobox-containing genes that may play a role in the differentiation of ocular tissues. METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from microdissected chicken embryo eye tissues at 3.5 days of development (embryonic day 3.5; E3.5). An "anchor-oligo-dT primer" was used for the synthesis of cDNA. Degenerate oligonucleotides designed from highly-conserved sequences in the third helix of the homeobox and the "anchor-primer" were used to amplify cDNAs by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR products were cloned and sequenced. The spatial and temporal expression of selected transcripts was mapped by whole-mount in situ hybridization and northern blot analysis. RESULTS: After sequencing eighteen clones we identified a member of the distal-less family (dlx-3) in cDNA from presumptive neural retina and three chicken homologs of the Xenopus "anterior neural fold" (Xanf-1) in cDNA from anterior eye tissue. Dlx transcripts were mapped by in situ hybridization. Expression began at Hamburger and Hamilton stage 14 (E2.5) and was widely distributed in embryonic mesenchyme on E3 and E4. Expression increased in the retina during early development and persisted until after hatching. The one anf clone selected for further study was not detected by in situ or northern blot analysis. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to isolate homeobox cDNAs directly from microdissected embryonic tissues. Chicken dlx-3 mRNA has a wider distribution in the embryo than expected, based on the expression of the mouse homolog. Dlx-3 may play a role in establishing or maintaining the differentiation of the retina.

Plasma cortisol following injection of 1-39 or 1-18 ACTH.

Forty units of 1-39 ACTH of animal origin or 0.4 mg of synthetic 1-18 ACTH administered at 8 A.M. via either the intramuscular route to 10 subjects with intact adrenocortical function produced comparable increases in plasma cortisol at 1, 2, and 6 hours. The increase in plasma cortisol lasted at least 6 hours but less than 12 hours after intravenous crystalline 1-39 ACTH and at least 16 hours but less than 24 hours after the same dose of 1-39 ACTH administered as a depot gel via the intramuscular route. However, neither intravenous nor the intramuscular injection of 1-39 ACTH produced increases that were still evident at 24 hours. Following either the intramuscular or intravenous injection of 0.4 mg of the synthetic 1-18 ACTH, the plasma cortisol increase was still evident at the 24th hour. Our findings indicate that the plasma cortisol responses to either 40 units of exogenous 1-39 ACTH of animal origin or to 0.4 mg of a synthetic 1-18 ACTH are most consistent in the first 6 hours following either intravenous or intramuscular injection.

Persistency and treatment failure in newly diagnosed open angle glaucoma patients in the United Kingdom.

AIM: To determine utilisation patterns and calculate treatment failure and discontinuation rates in patients with open angle glaucoma treated in the United Kingdom with any of six groups of intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering agents. METHODS: The UK General Practice Research Database was used to identify newly diagnosed (after 1 January 1997) open angle glaucoma patients who were naive to therapy with any of six index drug groups: carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, latanoprost, miotics, sympathomimetics, timolol, and other (non-timolol) beta blockers. Analyses included drug treatment data for 1 year following diagnosis. Outcomes were (1) time to therapy failure, defined as either change in index drug (replacement or addition of therapy) or patient referral for surgery, and (2) time to therapy discontinuation, defined as either therapy failure or no refill of the index drug in a period twice that covered by the first prescription fill. Cox proportional hazard regression and Kaplan-Meier and life table methods were used to compare groups. RESULTS: Among the 2001 eligible patients, a beta blocker other than timolol was the most widely prescribed (42%), followed by timolol (32%), carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (10%), and latanoprost (7%). Compared to latanoprost, those treated with any alternative agent were significantly more likely to fail (p < or = 0.005 for each comparison) and to discontinue (p < or = 0.05 for each comparison) therapy. Failure rates ranged from 13% (latanoprost) to 45% (sympathomimetics), and discontinuation rates ranged from 30% (latanoprost) to 63% (miotics). CONCLUSION: Latanoprost treated patients demonstrated lower rates of therapy failure and therapy discontinuation compared with patients treated with other widely used IOP lowering medications, including beta blockers.

Assessing health utilities in schizophrenia. A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Utility, a concept derived from economics, is the desirability or preference that individuals exhibit for a certain health state. Utility measurement could be viewed as an alternative means of appraising the quality of life of individuals affected by a chronic illness such as schizophrenia. Traditional techniques of utility measurement involve 2 steps: (i) identifying the different health states experienced by individuals during the course of an illness; and (ii) assigning them numerical values known as utilities. AIM: The study examined the feasibility issues and psychometric aspects of obtaining accurate health state descriptions and their utilities from symptomatically stable patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional, case-controlled design, with a study group consisting of 120 clinically stabilised patients with schizophrenia and a control group of 32 treated and recovered patients with major depression. Patients were asked to provide detailed descriptions of 3 distinct health states associated with their illness: current state, worst state experienced since the onset of illness and a perfect state desired in the future. Further, patients were asked to assign utilities to these health states with the aid of a purpose-built evaluation protocol comprising Magnitude Estimation (ME), Rating Scale (RS), Standard Gamble (SG), Time Trade-Off (TTO) and Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) techniques. The battery was repeated after a 1-week interval. Independent raters assessed symptom severity, insight and quality of life, and nurse-clinicians involved in their care were asked to provide the utility ratings of their clients' mental health state. Patients' opinions about the acceptability of utility measurement techniques, and the respondent burden were also ascertained. RESULTS: Compared with control patients with treated depression, patients with schizophrenia were able to distinguish and describe the specified health states with an equal degree of ease and accuracy. RS, TTO and WTP techniques emerged as the favoured methods of utility evaluation. The test-retest reliability of utility ratings (r = 0.87 to 0.97; p < 0.001) was high, and concurrent validity with the quality of life measures was acceptable. Reliability and validity of patients' appraisals were unaffected by symptoms severity and insight. The accuracy of nurse-clinicians' appraisals were dependent on their close familiarity with the patients and their illness. CONCLUSION: Clinically stabilised patients with schizophrenia can provide accurate health state descriptions and assign them utilities with a fair degree of reliability and validity. Utility evaluations based on patients' self-appraisals can be seen as potential tools in outcome studies and clinical trials involving patients with schizophrenia, but the methodology requires further refinement to accommodate the limitations imposed by the patients' disturbed mental status.

Long-term preservation of whole blood samples for flow cytometry analysis in normal and HIV-infected individuals from Africa.

A whole blood method requiring less than 4 ml of heparinized blood was developed to assess the practicality of preparing whole blood samples that could be easily stored, transported and readily used to determine the lymphocyte phenotypes and proliferation responses of individuals from remote areas who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Minor modifications in standard whole blood procedure for lymphocyte phenotyping have significantly increased the stability of light scatter and fluorescence intensity of the cells for subsequent flow cytometry (FC) analysis. These changes include removal of lysis solution prior to fixation, fixation of monoclonal antibody-stained cells in 1% paraformaldehyde for 30 minutes and storage of fixed samples in medium containing 1% bovine serum albumin. Lymphocyte subsets and their functional subsets could reliably be determined on samples stored for up to 4 weeks. Further, blood samples could be kept at room temperature for up to 96 hours or at ambient temperature during transportation from Africa before staining for FC without affecting their quantitation. While samples could be processed for FC analysis under field-laboratory conditions, proliferation assays could only be performed on samples that were transported within 48 hours of their collection. The whole blood method saves time and expense and decreases the volumes of blood required to perform phenotypic analysis and functional assays on specimens collected in remote areas.

Endosulfan poisoning in Northern India: a report of 18 cases.

Eighteen cases of endosulfan poisoning by accidental overexposure during spray, admitted between October 1995 to September 1997, were observed and analyzed. These accounted for approximately one third of the total number of poisoning cases admitted in our unit during this period. Nausea, vomiting abdominal discomfort, tonic and clonic convulsions, confusion, disorientation, and muscular twitchings were cardinal manifestations. None of the patients succumbed to their illness. Analysis of various incriminating factors revealed that accidental overexposure was due to failure to adhere to the instructions for spray either due to ignorance or due to illiteracy. All the patients avoided preventive measures and developed toxicity both due to inhalation and absorption through skin. Endosulfan (a chlordiene derivative) poisoning is gaining up momentum in this part of world and has become an important matter for public health in India.

Comparison of lethality, reproduction, and behavior as toxicological endpoints in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

This study describes a new approach for assessing behavioral changes following toxicant exposure and compares the method to other common endpoints used in environmental toxicology. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was exposed to a range of ethanol concentrations to determine its effect on survival, reproduction and behavior. Each endpoint was evaluated for its sensitivity by comparing LC50, RC50 (concentration at which there is a 50% reduction in number of offspring as compared to controls), and BC50 (concentration at which there is a 50% reduction in movement as compared to controls) values for ethanol exposure. Worms showed 24-h lethality at concentrations of ethanol in the range of 83 g/L to 99 g/L. Reproduction in C. elegans was estimated by counting the number of off-spring after 3 d of exposure, which decreased with the increase in ethanol concentration from 8 g/L to 71 g/L. Behavior was quantified by using a new computer tracking method, which can simultaneously assess hundreds of nematodes and provides several behavioral parameters in real time. Worms showed some hyperactivity (increased movement) at very low ethanol concentrations (0.8 g/L and 2.4 g/L) and a decrease in movement at higher ethanol concentrations (4 g/L to 40 g/L). A comparison for sensitivity between the three endpoints was performed. Behavior and reproduction responses were found to be similar and, as expected, both are much more sensitive indicators of toxicity than lethality. The advantages and disadvantages of the computer tracking system are discussed.

Acute renal infarction secondary to left ventricular thrombus, masquerading as a renal calculus--a case report and brief review of literature.

Acute embolic renal infarction is an entity that is often misdiagnosed as a renal calculus because of similar presenting symptoms. This leads to delay in the initiation of treatment and to increased morbidity. Few case reports exist relating cardiac emboli to acute renal infarction. The authors present a patient with a renal embolism secondary to left ventricular thrombus. A brief review of the literature highlighting the importance of clinical suspicion in making an accurate diagnosis, the utility of various diagnostic studies, and comparison of various treatment options is presented.