Alkaloids from Crinum macowanii.

Eleven alkaloids have been isolated from fresh bulbs of Crinum macowanii (Amaryllidaceae). Macowine is reported here for the first time. The structure and stereochemistry of this new alkaloid as well as of the known ones were determined by physical and spectroscopic methods.

Bioactive alkaloids from Brunsvigia radulosa.

A phytochemical investigation of the bulbs of Brunsvigia radulosa yielded the new alkaloid 1-O-acetylnorpluviine, together with the known structures 1-epideacetylbowdensine, crinamine, crinine, hamayne, lycorine, anhydrolycorin-6-one and sternbergine. All structures were established by spectroscopic evidence. Some of the 13C assignments which were reported for crinamine and hamayne were corrected by means of 2D NMR techniques. In order to provide a further structure for biological testing, crinamine was converted to apohaemanthamine. The alkaloids were tested for activity against two strains of cultured Plasmodium falciparum and for cytotoxicity with BL6 mouse melanoma cells.

Alkaloids from Cyrtanthus elatus.

The alcoholic extract of the fresh bulbs of Cyrtanthus elatus yielded zephyranthine (1) and 1,2-O-diacetylzephyranthine (2), together with three other known alkaloids. Complete assignment of 1H and 13C NMR spectra of compounds 1 and 2 was done by employment of two-dimensional NMR techniques.

Collecting, archiving, and sharing of digitized medical information.

Telemedicine is the practice of medicine via telephony. Telemedicine has developed into an affordable, indispensable tool for use by frontline veterinary clinicians, hospitals, and clinics. Board certified specialists are available via telemedicine with little more difficulty than making a long distance telephone call. Current technology allows clinicians to refer cases via the Internet, radio waves, satellite, or land lines. Cases may include typed data, audio clips such as cardiac auscultation, high resolution imagery for radiographs, ultrasound, and microscopy. This article is a primer on digitization and transmission of images.

Problem behavior in dogs. Understanding the shy dog.

The term "shy dog" should be qualified by examination of the dog's actual behavior and those things that stimulate the shyness. Dogs that display submissive behavior may suffer from a punishment syndrome created by overly harsh treatment. Others may suffer from kennelosis or other improper socialization during early critical periods. In all cases the dog's level of confidence must be increased vis a vis people. Rehabilitation requires avoidance of physical manipulation, gradual socialization, and demonstrative teaching for command responses.

Identification of crystalline allantoin in the urine of African Cricetidae (Rodentia) and its role in their water economy.

All eleven cricetid species, examined in this investigation, produced an off-white crystalline precipitate in their urine when deprived of water, whereas not one murid examined did so. This crystalline compound was identified as allantoin, a common end product of purine catabolism. The quantity found in the solid precipitate alone accounted for 47% of the total nitrogen excreted and was approximately 14 times greater than the predicted quantity of allantoin from purine degradation. It appears that there is a shift in nitrogen excretion from urea to allantoin in the Cricetidae. Water-deprived cricetids had higher urine osmolalities, urea concentrations and lower daily percentage body water turnovers than the murids. This can be explained by the substantial water savings associated with excreting solid allantoin. The discrepancy in the mode of nitrogen excretion between the two families inhabiting the Namib Desert can be attributed to their different evolutionary histories, the Cricetidae being pre-adapted for survival in deserts.

Growth of chikungunya virus in baby hamster kidney cell (BHK-21-clone 13) suspension cultures.

This report describes the methods used to obtain high titers of chikungunya virus with suspension cultures of BHK-21-clone 13 cells. The cells were grown at 37 C to a cell concentration of 10(6) to 2 x 10(6) per ml. After maximum cell growth, the cells were inoculated with chikungunya virus at a multiplicity of 1 to 2 50% suckling mouse intracerebral lethal doses (SMICLD(50)) per cell in the spent Eagle's minimum essential medium for suspension cultures (MEMS), or the cell cultures were centrifuged at 200 x g and resuspended in either fresh MEMS or medium 199 prior to inoculation. The medium used had no effect on virus titer. The inoculated cultures were incubated at 34 C until the cell viability dropped to 30%, which usually occurred 28 to 30 hr postinoculation. After these procedures, chikungunya virus titers of log(10) 10.3 to 11.8 SMICLD(50) per ml were obtained.

Composition and antimalarial activity in vitro of the essential oil of Tetradenia riparia.

The essential oil from the leaves and stems of Tetradenia riparia was analysed by GC and GC/MS and 35 components were identified. The main constituents were alpha-terpineol (22.6%), fenchone (13.6%), beta-fenchyl alcohol (10.7%), beta-caryophyllene (7.9%), and perillyl alcohol (6.0%). Moderate antimalarial activities were recorded against two strains of Plasmodium falciparum.

The first rib as a fluoroscopic marker for subclavian vein access.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the anatomic relationship between the subclavian vein (SCV) and the first rib is sufficiently constant to allow safe and reproducible fluoroscopically guided SCV puncture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four subclavian venograms were obtained from 42 consecutive adult patients. Position and width of the SCV crossing over the first rib were recorded by using radial coordinates. Based on this anatomic study, 42 SCV access procedures were performed with use of the first rib as a fluoroscopic marker. Technical success, complications, number of 21-gauge needle passes, physician experience, and patients' body habitus were recorded. RESULTS: Mean angular position of SCV/first rib crossover was 94.7 degrees (standard deviation [SD], 7.42 degrees). Mean radial width of the SCV was 14.9 degrees (SD, 3.1 degrees). On 25 of the 44 subclavian venograms (60%), the SCV/first rib crossover lay within the 90 degrees-99 degrees segment, and on 36 of 44 (82%) it lay within the 85 degrees-104 degrees segment. Technical success in accessing the SCV was 100% (42 of 42 procedures). Two minor complications involved subclavian artery puncture with the 21-gauge needle without sequelae. The mean number of needle passes required was 2.86 (median, 1.7). There was no correlation between needle passes and patients' body habitus or physician experience. CONCLUSION: The SCV is reliably constant in its relation to the first rib. The first rib alone provides a reliable fluoroscopic marker for safe SCV access without the need for ultrasound guidance or peripheral contrast material administration.

Application of the single-dose assay technique to psittacosis.

When suspensions of psittacosis organisms were injected intracerebrally into groups of mice, a nearly linear relationship was observed between the concentration of the organisms injected and the mean time to death of the mice. Thirty-four psittacosis preparations were assayed and, by plotting the relationship between the reciprocal time to death for mice given the 10(-3) dilution of agent against the number of mouse intracerebral median lethal doses (MICLD(50)), a reference curve was established. By use of this reference curve, it was possible to estimate directly the LD(50) value of a psittacosis suspension of unknown concentration from the mean reciprocal time to death of a group of mice injected with a single dilution. By this procedure, the number of mice used was reduced by 62.5%, the titrations were completed in 3 to 5 days as compared with the usual 12 days, three to four times as many assays could be done in 1 day, and no assays had to be repeated. In addition, the precision of the single-dilution assay compared favorably with that of the LD(50) titration.

Reversal of hypersplenism following orthotopic liver transplantation.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of orthotopic liver transplantation on hypersplenism. In a 1-year period from July 1, 1986 to June 30, 1987, 196 adult patients underwent 233 orthotopic liver transplantations. Of the 58 patients with hypersplenism who were analyzed in this study, hypersplenism was more commonly associated with postnecrotic cirrhosis than other kinds of liver disease (55.3% (47/85) vs. 14.5% (11/76); p less than 0.001). Postoperative platelet counts were statistically higher than preoperative values (p less than 0.05). The latest platelet counts were more than 100,000/mm3 in 53 patients (91.4%). Of the eight patients whose preoperative and postoperative spleen volumes could be compared, all showed the reduction in the spleen size (p less than 0.02). We conclude that orthotopic liver transplantation, which is a radical surgical procedure for portal hypertension, reverses hypersplenism.

Fast scan magnetic resonance imaging and Doppler ultrasonography of uteroplacental hemodynamics in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).

Fast scan magnetic resonance imaging, color Doppler ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance angiography were used to demonstrate the uteroplacental hemodynamics in rhesus monkeys. "Jets" of maternal blood spurting into the placenta were observed with, or without, the use of a contrast medium from 114 days to the term of pregnancy. Cumulative intravenous doses of cocaine hydrochloride brought about changes in the sequences of imaging of the maternal blood inflow to the placenta. These methods appear suitable for non-invasive monitoring of the effects of drugs on placental function.

Cytotoxic and antimalarial alkaloids from Brunsvigia littoralis.

Four known alkaloids, lycorine (1), 1,2-di-O-acetyllycorine (2), ambelline (3), and crinine (4) were isolated from the bulbs of Brunsvigia littoralis (Amaryllidaceae). 1H- and 13C-NMR spectra of 2 were completely assigned by means of 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques. The alkaloids (1-4) together with the synthesised 11-O-acetylambelline (3a) and 3-O-acetylcrinine (4a) were tested for antimalarial activity with two strains of cultured Plasmodium falciparum and for cytotoxicity with BL6 mouse melanoma cells. Structures 1 and 2 exhibited both antimalarial and cytotoxic activity.