A multicenter, double-blind study on triple therapy with lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin for eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Japanese peptic ulcer patients.

BACKGROUND: Two triple therapies with lansoprazole (LPZ)/amoxicillin (AMPC)/clarithromycin (CAM) for eradication of Helicobacter pylori were studied in multicenter, double-blind fashion to evaluate the eradication rate of H. pylori and safety of eradiation treatment in Japanese patients with H. pylori-positive active gastric ulcers or duodenal ulcers. METHODS: Patients were randomly chosen for the control treatment of LPZ 30 mg twice a day (b.i.d.; Group A-LPZ-only) or the test treatments of LPZ 30 mg plus AMPC 750 mg and CAM 200 mg b.i.d. (Group B-LAC200) and LPZ 30 mg, AMPC 750 mg and CAM 400 mg b.i.d. (Group C-LAC400). All eradication treatments lasted for a period of 7 days. Successful eradication was assessed by culture and gastric histology 1 month after completion of the ulcer treatment. RESULTS: The eradication rates of H. pylori in the full analysis set were 0% in Group A-LPZ-only, 87.5% in Group B-LAC200 and 89.2% in Group C-LAC400 for gastric ulcer and, 4.4% in Group A-LPZ-only, 91.1% in Group B-LAC200 and 83.7% in Group C-LAC400 for duodenal ulcer. The eradication rates of Group B-LAC200 and Group C-LAC400 were 89.2% (95% CI: 84.8-93.7%) and 86.4% (95%CI: 81.5-91.3%) in total in the full analysis set, 89% (95% CI: 84.3-93.7%) and 85.3% (95%CI: 80.1-90.5%) in the per protocol set. The eradication rates in Groups B-LAC200 and group C-LAC400 were statistically significantly higher than the rate in Group A-LPZ-only for both gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer patients (p <.0001 for both). CONCLUSION: A satisfactorily high H. pylori eradication rate was obtained in Japanese ulcer patients with the triple therapy regimen consisting of LPZ 30 mg, AMPC 750 mg, and CAM 200 mg b.i.d.

Cloning and characterization of the Caenorhabditis elegans CeCRMP/DHP-1 and -2; common ancestors of CRMP and dihydropyrimidinase?

The vertebrate CRMP (collapsin-response-mediator protein) gene family comprises at least four members. These CRMPs exhibit about 60% amino acid identity with vertebrate dihydropyrimidinase (DHP), an amidohydrolase involved in the pyrimidine degradation pathway. CRMP is also referred to as DRP (DHP-related protein), TOAD-64 (turned on after division, 64 kDa) and Ulip (Unc-33-like phosphoprotein). These vertebrate CRMPs are expressed mainly in early neuronal differentiation, which suggests that they play a role in neuronal development. In this study we isolated two cDNA clones from nematode C. elegans based on their sequence homology to vertebrate CRMPs and DHP. These two molecules, termed CeCRMP/DHP-1 and -2, turned out to be Ulip-B and -A, respectively, which were previously identified in the C. elegans genomic database by Byk et al. (1998). These newly isolated molecules were believed to represent a common ancestral state before the gene duplication between CRMPs and DHP. CeCRMP/DHP-1 and -2 protein retained all putative zinc-binding residues thought to be essential for the amidohydrolase activity of DHP and exhibited a weak amidohydrolase activity when 5-bromo-dihydrouracil was used as a substrate. Whole-mount in situ hybridization and expression analysis using GFP fusions revealed that CeCRMP/DHP-1 was transiently expressed in the hypodermis of C. elegans during the early larva stage. CeCRMP/DHP-1 was also expressed in a single nerve cell between the pharynx and ring neuropil. On the other hand, expression of CeCRMP/DHP-2 was observed in the body wall muscle throughout the lifespan of C. elegans. These results indicate that a major site of CeCRMP/DHP-1 and -2 expression is non-neuronal. Targeted gene disruption of CeCRMP/DHP-2 caused no particular difference in appearance or movement phenotype.

Selenium levels and glutathione peroxidase activities in blood in an andean high-altitude population.

Selenium (Se) levels in blood (whole blood, erythrocytes and serum) and blood glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity were investigated in people living at high altitude in Bolivia (4,000 m above sea level). These parameters were compared to those of people living at low altitude (300 m above sea level). The Se levels in whole blood of the high-altitude subjects did not differ significantly from those of the low-altitude subjects. However, the Se levels in erythrocytes were significantly lower in the high-altitude subjects than in the low-altitude subjects, whereas serum Se levels were higher in the high-altitude subjects than in the low-altitude subjects. GSH-Px activity (Unit/g Hb) was significantly lower in the high-altitude subjects than in the low-altitude subjects. The mean corpuscular Hb concentration (MCHC), an indicator of the age of erythrocytes, in the high-altitude subjects was significantly higher than in the low-altitude subjects. These results show that the GSH-Px activity in the blood of the high-altitude subjects is relatively low. This may be due to their aged erythrocytes and/or to relatively low Se intake in the high-altitude population compared with low-altitude population.

Dehydropipernonaline, an amide possessing coronary vasodilating activity, isolated from Piper longum L.

An amide (dehydropipernonaline) that has coronary vasorelaxant activity was isolated from the fruit of Piper longum L. This substance was characterized on the basis of spectroscopic data.

Isolation of evodiamine, a powerful cardiotonic principle, from Evodia rutaecarpa Bentham (Rutaceae).

The crude acetone extract of the fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa Bentham (Rutaceae) exhibited a positive inotropic effect on the guinea pig isolated left atria. The extract was subject to bioassay-directed fractionation to yield the powerful cardiotonic agent evodiamine.

Endoscopic ultrasonography of lymph nodes surrounding the upper GI tract.

We investigated the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) of lymph nodes surrounding the upper GI tract and tried the enhanced EUS by the method of the oral administration of '10% oil-in-water-type emulsion.' The results were as follows: The ultrasonographic visualization rate of lymph nodes surrounding the esophagus was 33.7% in total; however, it was 43.4% for those greater than 5 mm and 58.7% for those greater than 10 mm. The frequency of lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer was 48.1% for those larger than 10mm with a round shape and 14.3% for the same size with an ellipsoid shape; for those less than 10mm, it was also low. Lymph nodes surrounding the esophagus and the stomach were enhanced by administration of 10% oil-in-water-type emulsion. The visualization rate of lymph nodes can be increased by using this new method. Endoscopic ultrasonography is very useful for the detection of swelling lymph nodes surrounding the upper GI tract before the operation.

Serotonergic receptor antagonist from Nandina domestica Thunberg.

A crude methanolic extract of the fruit of Nandina domestica Thunberg strongly inhibits serotonin-induced contractions of the rabbit aorta. The extract of the fruit has been fractionated to afford nantenine (O- methyldomesticine ) as the active agent.