Adal-1 bioadhesive for sutureless recession muscle surgery: a clinical trial.

AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy and biotolerance of the Adal-1 adhesive for muscle sealing in strabismus surgery. METHODS: 27 eyes were included in the study: 17 in the control group and 10 in the study group. Surgery was performed on the recession of the horizontal rectus muscles. In the control group the muscle was joined to the sclera by a Vicryl 7/0 suture. In the study group, the Adal-1 adhesive was used instead. The efficacy of the sealing of the muscle to the sclera and the biotolerance of the surrounding tissues were evaluated. RESULTS: The muscular recession in the control group was 8.17 (SD 2.38) with displacement of the sealing point of 0.02 (1.7) mm. In the group sealed with adhesive, the muscular recession was 9.09 (3.08) and the displacement was 0.15 (1.56) mm, with no significant differences between the techniques (p<0.05). The inflammation of the surrounding tissues in the immediate postoperative period was greater with the suture technique (p>0.05), but there were no differences in the other postoperative periods (Mann-Whitney U test). CONCLUSION: Adal-1 was an effective and safe alternative to sutures in muscle recession for strabismus surgery in this study.

New selective cytotoxic diterpenylquinones and diterpenylhydroquinones.

A new series of diterpenylquinone/hydroquinones has been prepared by Diels-Alder cycloaddition between three labdanic diterpenoids (myrceocommunic acid, methyl myrceocommunate, and myrceocommunyl acetate) and p-benzoquinone or 1,4-naphthoquinone. Influences of the quinone/hydroquinone fragment and other structural features, such as the different functionalities in the terpenic core, are considered in relation to the cytotoxicity toward neoplastic cells and the selectivity of these diterpenylnaphthoquinones/hydroquinones and anthraquinones. Several compounds showed IC50 values under the micromolar level, and four of these derivatives were evaluated at the NCI screening panel. The results showed an important selectivity toward renal cancer lines, identifying these compounds as a very promising group of antineoplastics.

Synthesis and pharmacological activities of ethyl 5-cyano-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-2-(2,3,4-pyridyl)-3-pyridinecarboxylates and derivatives.

The synthesis of ethyl esters of 5-cyano-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-3-pyridinecarboxylic acids carrying as 2-substituent the 2-,3- or 4-pyridyl group is described. By alkaline hydrolysis followed by acidification, these esters gave the corresponding carboxylic acids, which were decarboxylated to 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-6-(2,3,4-pyridyl)-3-pyridinecarbonitriles. As milrinone analogues, the above compounds were tested on contractile activity and frequency rate of spontaneously beating atria from reserpine-treated guinea-pigs. Ethyl 5-cyano-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-2-(2-pyridyl)-3-pyridinecarboxylate showed an appreciable positive inotropic activity, although inferior to that of milrinone; moreover, some other compounds bearing the above 2-substitution pattern showed interesting antiinflammatory, analgesic and hypotensive activity.

Further antineoplastic terpenylquinones and terpenylhydroquinones.

Influences of the quinone/hydroquinone fragment and other structural features are considered in relation with the antineoplastic activity and selectivity of terpenylquinones/hydroquinones. Several compounds have shown IC50 values under the microM level.