The history of Trilucent implants, and a chemical analysis of the triglyceride filler in 51 consecutively removed Trilucent breast prostheses.

This study set out to detect specific classes of potentially genotoxic aldehydes resulting from soybean-oil peroxidation in oil samples from 51 Trilucent implants in 26 patients and two factory-retained prostheses. The chemical analysis was performed independently of AEI inc. All of the implants showed evidence of shell deterioration suggestive of lipid absorption, and of lipid bleed throughout the implant shell. The mean implant weight loss was found to be almost 2% per year. Although none of the implants had actually ruptured in-situ, we identified specific problems with anterior and posterior patch delaminations, making the implant prone to rupture. Our data suggest that the soybean oil in all the explanted Trilucent implants and the two factory-retained prostheses had undergone peroxidation, yielding aldehyde by-products in millimolar concentrations. These concentrations are over 1000 times that thought to be potentially genotoxic. The clinical implications of these findings remain unclear. Capsular tissue was submitted to AEI Inc for histological and chemical analysis, but the data have not been forthcoming, which is disappointing as this may provide further evidence for the risks of long-term complications in these patients.

Changes in cytokine production in healthy subjects practicing Guolin Qigong : a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Guolin Qigong is a combination of meditation, controlled breathing and physical movement designed to control the vital energy (qi) of the body and consequently to improve spiritual, physical and mental health. Practice of Qigong has been reported to alter immunological function, but there have been few studies of its effects on cytokines, the key regulators of immunity. METHODS: Numbers of peripheral blood cytokine-secreting cells were determined by ELISPOT in 19 healthy volunteers aged 27 - 55, before they were taught the practice of Qigong and after 3, 7 and 14 weeks of daily practice. The effect of Qigong on blood cortisol was also examined. RESULTS: Numbers of IL4 and IL12-secreting cells remained stable. IL6 increased at 7 weeks and TNFalpha increased in unstimulated cultures at 3 and 7 weeks but decreased at these times in LPS and SAC-stimulated cultures. Of particular interest, IFNgamma-secreting cells increased and IL10-secreting cells decreased in PHA-stimulated cultures, resulting in significant increases in the IFNgamma:IL10 ratio. Cortisol, a known inhibitor of type 1 cytokine production, was reduced by practicing Qigong. CONCLUSION: These preliminary studies in healthy subjects, although not necessarily representative of a randomized healthy population and not including a separate control group, have indicated that blood levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol may be lowered by short-term practice of Qigong and that there are concomitant changes in numbers of cytokine-secreting cells. Further studies of the effect of Qigong in patients with clinical diseases known to be associated with type 2 cytokine predominance are merited.

Patient satisfaction with Trilucent breast implants.

We report our findings in a retrospective study of patient satisfaction with soybean oil-filled mammary implants. Sixty-two women who had breast augmentation with Trilucent breast implants were sent a questionnaire to assess their satisfaction with implant placement; 19 of the 62 attended for clinical examination. Overall satisfaction with triglyceride implant placement was high: very pleased 45% (18/40), pleased 32.5% (13/40), content 12.5% (5/40). The majority of women felt that it had enhanced their body image and lifestyle (82.5%).

Antimicrobial activity of extracts from the cell cultures of some Turkish medicinal plants.

Twenty-four callus, and eleven cell suspension, cultures were established from Turkish medicinal plants, and crude extracts prepared from them tested against microorganisms to assess their antimicrobial activities in vitro. Of the extracts tested, those belonging to the cell cultures of five of the plant species showed antibacterial activity against mainly three bacteria and a yeast. No activity was observed against herpes simplex viruses, HSV-I and II, but an extract from Hypericum capitatum showed a slight anti-retroviral activity against HIV-I.

The in vitro antibacterial activity of Turkish medicinal plants.

A total of 76 extracts from 35 plants available in the Turkish flora were assayed for their in vitro antibacterial activities against five pathogenic bacteria and a yeast. Sixteen crude extracts from eight plant species were found to possess an activity against at least one or more test microorganisms. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the most active crude extracts was also carried out with the most active extracts. Activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Branhamella catarrhalis, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and Candida albicans (yeast) is discussed.

On the susceptibility of human platelets to aggregation by concanavalin A and the effect of this lectin on their response to ADP.

Concanavalin A aggregated gel-filtered platelets in 0.9% NaCl solution signifying cross-bridging by the lectin. Aggregation of these platelets by concanavalin A was temperature dependent; it did not occur at 0-4 degrees C unless the platelets were previously trypsinized. The level of aggregation of trypsinized platelets by concanavalin A at 0-4 degrees C was similar to that of untreated platelets at 37 degrees C. It is suggested that trypsin facilitates platelet aggregation by concanavalin A at 0-4 degrees C by causing a configurational change in membrane glycoproteins which orientates concanavalin A receptor sites into positions that favour lectin cross-bridging. Concanavalin A failed to aggregate platelets in plasma. Radioisotope studies showed that the amount of [3H]concanavalin A which combined with platelets in plasma was extremely low compared with gel-filtered platelets in saline. The aggregation of Ehrlich ascites cells by concanavalin A was considerably reduced when platelet-free plasma was added to the medium suggesting that it was due to the presence of concanavalin A-reactive components in the plasma. Concanavalin A inhibited the ADP-induced aggregation of platelets suspended in plasma or in a salts solution supplemented with calcium and fibrinogen, although the inhibitory effect was more conspicuous in the latter case. The results suggests that concanavalin A produces its inhibitory effect on ADP-induced platelet aggregation by interacting with membrane glycoproteins, and this further suggests their involvement in aggregation.