New phenylpropanoid esters of sucrose from Polygonum lapathifolium.

Four new phenylpropanoid esters of sucrose, lapathosides A (1), B (2), C (3), and D (4), were isolated from the aerial parts of Polygonum lapathifolium together with known esters, vanicoside B (5) and hydropiperoside (6). The structures of 1-4 were determined by spectral (1D and 2D NMR and MS) analysis. Lapathoside A (1) and vanicoside B (2) showed significant inhibitory effects on the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation by tumor-promoters.

[Colonic varices; a case report].

Colonic varices is a rare entity that is caused by portal hypertension in most instances. In the case reported here, barium enema and colonoscopy showed multiple tortuous polypoid lesions with intact mucosal surface. Inferior mesenteric angiography showed arteriovenous malformation in the sigmoid colon, complete obstruction of the inferior mesenteric vein, and tortuous dilated marginal veins. We assume that the colonic varices of this case was secondary to complete obstruction of the inferior mesenteric vein following AVM of the sigmoid colon. Close follow-up should is warranted in cases of colonic varices because of the risk of bleeding.

Cloning and expression of the Ca2+ channel alpha1C and beta2a subunits from guinea pig heart.

Complimentary DNA clones encoding the alpha1C and beta2a subunits of guinea-pig cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels were isolated using the PCR method. The open reading frame encoded 2,169 amino acids for the alpha1C and 597 amino acids for the beta2a subunit. The proteins showed 94.2 and 94.8%, respectively, identity to the respective subunit of the rabbit protein. The message size of the guinea pig alpha1C and beta2a subunits was 8.0 and 3.5/4.0 kb, respectively. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the alpha1C subunit is expressed exclusively in the heart, while the beta2a subunit is expressed in the heart, cerebellum, whole brain, and stomach. The alpha1C and beta2a subunits are transiently expressed in BHK (baby hamster kidney) cells, and the channel currents were studied using the whole-cell patch clamp technique in medium containing 30 mM Ba2+. In cells expressing alpha1C alone, the Ba2+ current was activated at -30 mV and more positive potentials and peaked at about 10 mV. The co-expression of beta2a with alpha1C did not affect the voltage-dependence of the current, but increased the peak current and accelerated current decay. In cells transfected with guinea pig alpha1C and rabbit beta1+alpha2/delta, a Ba2+ current comparable to those in native myocytes was observed. The Ba2+ current can be blocked completely by nifedipine and is enhanced 3-fold by Bay K 8644. On the other hand, neither forskolin nor okadaic acid affects the Ba2+ current, suggesting that cAMP-mediated modulation is not easily reproduced in transfected cells, unlike that seen in native cardiac myocytes.

A comparison of blood pressure changes in phacoemulsification cataract surgery with topical and retrobulbar block local anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Changes are observed in blood pressure (BP) levels during cataract surgery, although BPs are considered to remain stable under local anesthesia. We evaluated the daily, pre- and postoperative BPs of 2270 patients after cataract surgery performed under either topical anesthesia or retrobulbar block. METHODS: All operations were performed by the same surgeon using the same method of phacoemulsification and aspiration with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation under local anesthesia. RESULTS: The mean daily BP was 99.3 +/- 14.2 mm Hg; the mean preoperative BPs increased and then the postoperative BPs decreased. The postoperative BPs of the retrobulbar injection group decreased significantly more than those of the topical application group. In 833 cases, the systolic BP changed by more than 20 mm Hg. Even when the patients were hypertensive, the preoperative and postoperative BPs decreased in the same manner. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that, following surgery with retrobulbar block anesthesia, BP decreases to a greater extent than with topical anesthesia. Physicians should be aware of the high proportion of cases in which the systolic BP changes by more than 20 mm Hg.

The effects of phacoemulsification cataract surgery via local anesthesia on preoperative and postoperative blood pressure levels.

PURPOSE: The authors prospectively evaluated the preoperative and postoperative blood pressure (BP) levels of 2270 patients with cataracts. METHODS: All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon using the same method of phacoemulsification and aspiration (PEA) with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation with the patients under local anesthesia. RESULTS: The daily systolic BP was 140.7 +/- 22.9 mmHg; the preoperative and postoperative systolic BPs were 149.5 +/- 23.9 and 145.6 +/- 23.8, respectively. The tendency for the preoperative BPs to increase and the postoperative BPs to decrease also was evident in the diastolic and the mean BPs. However, when the authors categorized the cases into normal, intermediate, and hypertension groups, the preoperative BP increased less and the postoperative BP decreased more when the daily BP was higher. CONCLUSION: Overall, the daily, preoperative, and postoperative BPs were relatively stable with the patients under local anesthesia. However, the BP change was characteristic of each group when the patients were categorized as normal, intermediate, and hypertensive. Surgeons should be aware of the greater-than-anticipated BP change during cataract surgery.

A comparison of blood pressure changes in phacoemulsification surgery with topical and retrobulbar block local anesthesia: part II.

Although we recently compared blood pressure (BP) changes during cataract surgery between groups that received topical and retrobulbar block anesthesia, a study has not been conducted in which patients were matched for age and sex. To draw more meaningful conclusions, we conducted an age- and sex-matched study in which the daily, pre- and postoperative blood pressures of 1,398 cataract patients were compared. All surgeries were performed using the same method of phacoemulsification and aspiration with intraocular lens implantation under local anesthesia. The postoperative BPs of the retrobulbar injection group decreased significantly more than the topical application group. Even when the patients were hypertensive, the postoperative BPs decreased. Following retrobulbar block anesthesia, the BP decreased postoperatively to a greater extent than after topical anesthesia.

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy of liver tumors metastasized by sigmoid colon cancer: a case report of CDDP/5-FU intraarterial infusion therapy followed by hepatectomy].

A case of liver tumors metastasized by Sigmoid colon cancer was treated with intrahepatic arterial infusion of CDDP (10 mg) and 5-FU (250 mg) via subcutaneously implanted reservoir. After 20 administrations of CDDP and 5-FU, the tumors in the right lobe of the liver disappeared, but those in the left lobe remained. Therefore left hepatectomy was carried out. Six months after the hepatectomy, a nodule recurrence was disclosed in the right lobe of the liver. With re-elevated serum CEA level, subsequent intrahepatic arterial infusion of CDDP and 5-FU the nodule size reduced with normalization of the serum CEA level.

Gallstone prevention in prairie dogs: comparison of chow vs. semisynthetic diets.

The effects of a standard rodent chow were compared with those of a semisynthetic diet of known composition (with and without added cholesterol) in the prairie dog model of cholesterol cholelithiasis. Gallstone incidence was 40% higher in animals fed a semisynthetic diet plus cholesterol compared to chow plus cholesterol. The semisynthetic diet plus cholesterol caused significant increases in tissue cholesterol levels (serum, liver and bile) and lithogenic index, but significant decreases in the activity of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase compared to chow plus cholesterol. Histologic study of liver sections revealed that the semisynthetic diet plus cholesterol resulted in moderate to marked portal tract changes characterized by bile duct proliferation, inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis, whereas the cholesterol-supplemented chow diet caused only slight bile duct proliferation with minimal inflammation and fibrosis in the portal areas. Dietary hyodeoxycholic acid prevented cholesterol gallstones and biliary cholesterol crystals when added to either chow plus cholesterol or semisynthetic plus cholesterol diets. The hyodeoxycholic acid supplements also prevented the development of severe histopathologic alterations along the portal tracts. Biliary cholesterol levels were elevated in prairie dogs fed cholesterol plus hyodeoxycholic acid; these animals had liquid crystals in the bile, and hyodeoxycholic acid and its 6 beta-isomer became the major biliary bile acids. A semisynthetic diet plus cholesterol is superior to a high cholesterol chow diet for gallstone formation and prevention studies, but in prolonged feeding experiments, the potential hepatotoxicity of this diet in the prairie dog must be appreciated.