Opposing effects of quinacrine and chloroquine on the development of TA3 transplanted tumors in mice.

Both quinacrine and chloroquine had been used as antimalarial agents. Furthermore, antineoplastic and antiviral effects have been described for quinacrine, while chloroquine has been described to induce viral replication and promote tumor growth. To search for differences in the growing rate of transplanted tumors, chloroquine or quinacrine were administered orally to AJ mice from 30 days previous to the inoculation of TA3 transplantable tumor cells, treatment being continued up to the end of the experiment. A control group, transplanted with tumor cells received tap drinking water. Marked differences between the three groups were found. Quinacrine had antitumoral effect, while chloroquine promoted a faster tumoral growth than controls. (p < 0.01). Results suggest caution in the use of chloroquine, because it might have a similar promoting effect on human neoplasia.

Opposing effects of quinacrine and chloroquine on the development of TA3 transplanted tumors in mice

Both quinacrine and chloroquine had been used as antimalarial agents. Furthermore, antineoplastic and antiviral effects have been described for quinacrine, while chloroquine has been described to induce viral replication and promote tumor growth. To search for differences in the growing rate of transplanted tumors, chloroquine or quinacrine were administered orally to AJ mice from 30 days previous to the inoculation of TA3 transplantable tumor cells, treatment being continued up to the end of the experiment. A control group, transplanted with tumor cells received tap drinking water. Marked differences between the three groups were found. Quinacrine had antitumoral effect, while chloroquine promoted a faster tumoral growth than controls. (p < 0.01). Results suggest caution in the use of chloroquine, because it might have a similar promoting effect on human neoplasia

Clavicular division technique. A new approach for lengthening the pectoralis flap.

Complications associated with using the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap increase significantly when a portion of the paddle is randomized and/or the flap is closed under tension. The clavicular division technique was devised to increase the length of the flap to help alleviate this problem. Thirty pectoralis major muscle flaps were dissected in fresh cadavers, using the clavicular division technique. The length of the flap after transposition was measured and recorded before and after clavicular division. The distance from the sternal notch to the clavicular division point was also recorded. The average gain in length was found to be 2.9 cm, with a range of 0.5 cm to 6.5 cm. The clavicular division technique has been used since in five patients. The increase in length has allowed us to discard some or all of the random portion of the flap. We advocate the use of this procedure on any patient where the surgeon is concerned about the viability of the random portion of the flap and/or when it is felt that the tension on the suture line is excessive.

Evaluation of Copper I IUD's.

The development of the Copper 1 IUD (Cu 1) was an attempt to decrease the incidence of unpleasant side effects (primarily pain and bleeding) associated with IUD use, by reducing the size of the vector carrying the copper. The Cu 1 consists of a straight stem with crossarms in an "X" configuration, designed to anchor the IUD in place. The device was tested in 98 interval women in the Hospital Barros Luco in Santiago, Chile who were asked to return at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-insertion for follow-up examinations. There was only 1 removal for bleeding and pain; however, both pregnancy and expulsion rates were high at 9.0 and 16.0 respectively after 12 months. The crossarms did not keep the device in place as expected. The high pregnancy rate may have been due to the reduced size of the IUD and to increased displacement/expulsion. Future efforts to decrease IUD size will be dependent on designing an IUD which will be less easily expelled or displaced.

Metallic copper as an intrauterine contraceptice adjunct to the "T" device.

PIP: 605 women were inserted with plain T-IUDs, 508 patients were inserted with TCu-A devices, and 279 women were inserted with TCu-B devices. In the TCu-A, a 2 cm length of copper wire of .5 mm diameter was wound around the upper aspect of the vertical arm of the T-IUD. In the TCu-B, a 6 cm length of wire of .15 mm diameter was coiled downward over a 1 cm distance. The surface area of copper was 30 mm in both prototypes. The data derived from the 3 series of patients were tabulated and analyzed utilizing the Life Table method of Tietze. Endometrial biopsies were obtained from randomly selected patients. Results showed that after 2 years of use, the plain T device had a significantly lower rate of metrorrhagia than had been reported for any other contraceptive device. The rate was approximately 6 times less than that observed with the Lippes loop D. Pain was a negligible cause for closure during the 2 year period. The T device had a rate of pregnancy of 24.3 which is 6 times the pregnancy rate of the Lippes loop D. The first expulsion rate was 4.5, but the rate for later expulsions was .4. When a small qlantity of copper was added to the T there was a dramatic and highly significant reduction in the rate of pregnancy. At the end of 2 years of use the rate was 9.8 for the TCu-A. Other clinical parameters also were apparently modified by the metallic copper. The expulsion rate was reduced, the rate of metrorrhagia was slightly increased, and the rate of pain may have been increased. During the same lenght of time the rate of removal for loop D because of bleeding and/or pain is approximately 3 times greater than for the T with copper. Reductions in both expulsion and removal rates of TCu because of medical reasons constituted the principal factors accounting for the continuation rate of 77.6 as compared with 65.6 for loop D at the end of 2 years of use.^ieng