Skin prick test results to artesunate in children sensitized to Artemisia vulgaris L.

Artemisia vulgaris L and Artemisia annua L (Chinese: qinghao) are similar plants of the Asterbaceae family. Artesunate, a semi-synthetic derivate of artemisin which is the active principle extract of the plant qinghao, has antimalarial properties. Some cases of severe allergic reactions to artesunate have been described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between positive skin tests to Artemisia vulgaris L allergen and a preparation of injectable artesunate. A total of 531 children were skin prick tested with inhalants (including Artemisia vulgaris L), foods, and artesunate. Among the 59 patients positive to Artemisia vulgaris L only one child was also positive to artesunate. No child was positive to artesunate in those negative to Artemisia vulgaris L. We conclude that Artemisia vulgaris L sensitization is not associated with sensitization to artesunate; consequently, skin test to artesunate should not be carried out before using the drug considering the rare allergic reactions.

Double-stranded RNA induces the synthesis of retinoic acid-inducible gene-I in vascular endothelial cells.

Viral infection induces various responses in vascular endothelial cells. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly IC) is a synthetic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and treatment of cells with poly IC mimics the viral infection to the cells. Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) is a protein belonging to the DExH-box family and designated as a putative RNA helicase. RIG-I is considered to play a role in antiviral responses through the regulation of gene expressions. In the present study, the authors treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with poly IC and found that poly IC induced the expression of RIG-I. The poly IC-induced RIG-I expression was inhibited by the preincubation of the cells with 2-aminopurine, an inhibitor of dsRNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). Immunohistochemical examination revealed high levels of RIG-I immunoreactivity in vascular endothelial cells in the thalamus from rats inoculated with hantavirus. Induction of RIG-I by poly IC may be involved in the antiviral responses in endothelial cells.

Inhibitory effect of losartan, an AT1 angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on increased leucocyte entrapment in retinal microcirculation of diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of losartan for the treatment of leucocyte entrapment in the retinal microcirculation of diabetic rats was evaluated quantitatively. METHODS: After diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin (STZ), the rats were divided into two subgroups. The first subgroup (n = 6), received no medications; the second subgroup (n = 6) was given fresh drinking water supplemented with losartan (5 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Six rats that were not injected with STZ or given medications served as controls. 4 weeks after intervention, leucocyte dynamics in the retina were observed using acridine orange digital fluorography. Leucocyte entrapment in the retina was compared among the three groups. RESULTS: In the untreated diabetic rats, the number of trapped leucocytes (6.1 (SD 1.4) cells/mm(2)) increased significantly compared with control rats (2.8 (1.2) cells/mm(2); p = 0.005) and diabetic rats treated with losartan (3.1 (0.9) cells/mm(2); p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Losartan, an AT1 angiotensin II receptor antagonist, inhibited increased leucocyte entrapment in the diabetic retina. The authors demonstrated that losartan may have therapeutic efficacy in preventing development of diabetic retinopathy. Further clinical studies of the effect of the angiotensin receptor antagonist on preventing development of diabetic retinopathy are needed.

[Hemorrhages of dorsal root ganglia and sensory disturbance in congenitally hydrocephalic HTX rats].

Recently we reported the frequent occurrence of hemorrhages in the dorsal root ganglia of congenitally hydrocephalic HTX rats, an animal model of human congenital hydrocephalus. Therefore, we hypothesized that sensory disturbance might be present in these rats. In order to evaluate the sensory abnormality quantitatively, we injected 50 microliters of 5% formalin into the footpad of the left hind paw of hydrocephalic (n = 5) and non-hydrocephalic HTX rats (n = 5) and Wistar rats (n = 5) on postnatal days 17-23, and then recorded the licking response time for 60 min after injection. The mean licking time in the early (0-10 min) and late (10-60 min) phases was significantly longer in hydrocephalic HTX rats than in non-hydrocephalic HTX and Wistar rats (P < 0.05). Histologically, hemorrhages in the dorsal root ganglia were found in all five hydrocephalic animals, of which two had shown thalamic degeneration. These findings suggest that lesions in the dorsal root ganglia and thalamus may correspond to the sensory disturbance observed in congenitally hydrocephalic HTX rats.

[Bactericidal and anti-toxin activities of catechin on enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli].

We examined the bactericidal activity of catechin, an astringent ingredient of tea, on enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 and the anti-toxin activity of catechin on vero toxin (VT), the main pathogenic factor of EHEC O157:H7. To examine bactericidal activity, we added 1 X 10(4) CFU/ml bacteria to 1.25 to 20 W/V% of green tea extract or the PBS solution containing 25 to 400 micrograms/ml of (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), which is the main catechin ingredient of green tea leaf, and counted the number of live bacteria at various intervals. After 3 to 5 hours, no live bacteria were seen in 1.25 to 2.5 (regular drinking concentration) % green tea extract. In the high concentrations of 100 to 400 micrograms/ml EGCg the number of live bacteria decreased with time and after 24 hours no survivors were seen. In the low concentrations of 25 to 50 micrograms/ml EGCg, however, no change was observed in the number of live bacteria during 5 hours. After 24 hours the bacteria in 50 micrograms/ml were killed and the number of bacteria in 25 micrograms/ml decreased to one tenth of that at the start. To examine the anti-toxin activity, we mixed equal volumes of 2 ng/0.1 ml VT2 and 0.5 to 2 mg/0.1 ml catechin in vitro and incubated them at 37 degrees C for various times. Then we inoculated 0.2 ml of the mixture intraperitonealy to BALB/c mice. One mg of catechin inhibited by 100% the lethal toxicity of 2 ng of VT2 (LD 100) to mice. The inhibition of lethal toxicity of VT2 by catechin depended on the incubation time. The rate of inhibition was 0, 40 and 100% for 9, 12 and 18-24 hours incubation, respectively. These results suggest that catechin has not only bactericidal activity on EHEC O157:H7 but also anti-toxin activity on vero toxin.

[Usefulness of 5-FU high-dose continuous therapy at home in patients with recurrent gastric and colon cancer].

Recurrence of gastric cancer or colon cancer was observed in some patients who received 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) high-dose continuous Methotrexate (MTX)-Leucovorin (LV) therapy (FML therapy) previously. 5-FU high-dose 48-hours continuous therapy (5-FU therapy) as maintenance therapy for the patients was performed in the hospital and successively at home. The patients included 3 with recurrent gastric cancer and 2 with recurrent colon cancer: there were 4 males and 1 female, the mean age was 51.8 years (33-59 years). All patients had received FML therapy during the hospital stay before the maintenance chemotherapy at home. 5-FU therapy (30 mg/kg/day x 2 days/w), 30.2 courses on an average (11-40 courses), was performed through a catheter (Port-A-Cath), which was introduced into the right subclavian vein and placed under the skin, with a Baxter infusion pump. The concentration of 5-FU was 197 +/- 172-401 +/- 127 ng/ml between the 2nd and 48th hour. Adverse reaction included anorexia in 5 patients, stomatitis in 4, pigmentation in 4, leukopenia in 3, neuropathy in 2 and alopecia in 1. The therapy was effective for 10.4 months on an average (4-18 months) and the mean survival period was 12.0 months (7-18 months).

[The cardiac changes in thalassemia major: their assessment by Doppler echocardiography]. / Alterazioni cardiache nella talassemia major: valutazione con ecocardiografia Doppler.

Dilated cardiomyopathy with impaired left ventricular function is the most common cause of death in patients (pts) with Thalassemia Major (TM) undergoing multiple transfusions. To assess the cardiac status in a young population with TM, 25 pts (mean age 15.8 +/- 5.7 years) and 25 controls (sex and age matched), underwent clinical, echocardiographic and Doppler evaluation. Thirteen pts who received a correct chelation therapy had serum Ferritin (F) below, and nine pts up to 1300 ng/ml. Three out of 9 pts with F > 1300 ng/ml were symptomatic for heart failure, and echocardiography showed a dilated cardiomyopathy. All pts with F < 1300 ng/ml had a normal systolic function. Mean left ventricular (LV) diastolic dimension and LV mass index were significantly increased in pts with TM versus controls (respectively: 37.2 +/- 7.9 mm vs 30.5 +/- 4.3 mm--p < 0.001; 78.6 +/- 16.7 g vs 65.2 +/- 19.4 g--p < 0.05). Moreover, LV end-diastolic dimension was significantly increased in patients with TM having normal systolic function versus controls (36.1 +/- 7.5 mm vs 30.5 +/- 4.3 mm). No difference was found between patients with TM and controls for wall thickness nor for Doppler diastolic indexes obtained from analysis of transmitral flow. Our study suggests that a correct chelation therapy may protect pts with TM from early development of a dilated cardiomyopathy. The first echocardiographic abnormality in pts still asymptomatic and with normal systolic function seems to be an increased end diastolic LV dimension. In our experience, left ventricular filling is not altered in asymptomatic patients.

Effect of combined dopamine and bunazosin on the ischemic heart after occlusion of the coronary artery.

In order to investigate whether dopamine combined with bunazosin improves cardiac function, the global and regional cardiac function and regional blood flow of 7 anesthetized dogs were analyzed before and after occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), then after 10 micrograms/kg/min dopamine infusion following the LAD occlusion, and again after a bolus infusion of bunazosin 250 micrograms/kg. Dopamine with bunazosin reduced left atrial pressure from 4.9 +/- 0.9 to 3.1 +/- 0.5 mmHg (p less than 0.05) and improved cardiac output from 1.22 +/- 0.15 to 1.50 +/- 0.14 L/min (p less than 0.05), maximum positive left ventricular dp/dt from 1721 +/- 202 to 3600 +/- 663 mmHg/sec (p less than 0.05) and the time constant from 45.2 +/- 5.0 to 27.5 +/- 4.6 msec (p less than 0.01). Bunazosin added to the dopamine reduced the elevated left ventricular peak systolic pressure caused by dopamine from 130 +/- 7 to 113 +/- 8 mmHg (p less than 0.01). With regard to the regional wall motion, the impaired LAD-delta L (the segment systolic shortening) and LAD-Elmax (the slope of peak systolic pressure--endsystolic length relation) following the LAD occlusion improved from 0.5 +/- 2.5 per cent to 5.9 +/- 2.6 per cent (p less than 0.01) and from 50 +/- 9 to 82 +/- 14 mmHg/mm (p less than 0.01) after the infusion of dopamine with bunazosin. Dopamine greatly increased the Rate Pressure Product (RPP) from 12610 +/- 1120 after LAD occlusion to 16950 +/- 1420, whereas dopamine in combination with bunazosin did not increase the RPP due to a drop of LV-PSP with little change in regional myocardial blood flow. It was concluded that combining dopamine with bunazosin was useful for improving both the global and regional cardiac functions of the ischemic heart.