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Medical Sciences	80%

Selected Abstracts

Inhibition of accelerated tumor growth by blocking the recruitment of mobilized endothelial progenitor cells after chemotherapy

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 7 2009
Junichi Murakami
Abstract It has been suggested that immature progenitor cells mobilize from bone marrow into the peripheral blood in response to the chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression. We investigated how the mobilization of immature progenitor cells affects tumor growth after chemotherapy. We found significantly increased numbers of CD34+/Flk-1+ endothelial progenitor cells in the peripheral blood of mice 1 week after the administration of 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide vs. a saline injection (0.39 ± 0.09% vs. 0.20 ± 0.10%, respectively; p < 0.05). Tumor growth in the mice given chemotherapy was almost 1.3-fold faster than that in the mice given saline (268 ± 66 mg vs. 210 ± 3 5 mg, respectively; p < 0.05). Histological examination of tumor tissue revealed significantly higher microvessel density and more Ki67-positive cells, but significantly fewer apoptotic cells, in the mice given chemotherapy than in those given saline (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we detected significantly more bone marrow-derived cells, some of which stained positively for CD34 and were localized in the vessels, in tumor tissue from the mice given chemotherapy than in that from the mice given saline. However, the transient disruption of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis by the antibody neutralization of CXCR4, which occurred over 1 week, blocked the recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells into the tumor tissue, and resulted in complete inhibition of accelerated tumor growth after chemotherapy. Our results show that chemotherapy induced the mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells and accelerated tumor growth, but that transient disruption of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis could prevent accelerated tumor growth by blocking the recruitment of mobilized endothelial progenitor cells after chemotherapy. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Mycelium cultivation, chemical composition and antitumour activity of a Tolypocladium sp. fungus isolated from wild Cordyceps sinensis

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
P.H. Leung
Abstract Aims:, To examine and illustrate the morphological characteristics and growth kinetics of Cs-HK1, a Tolypocladium fungus, isolated from wild Cordyceps sinensis in solid and liquid cultures, and the major chemical constituents and antitumour effects of Cs-HK1 mycelium. Methods and Results:, The Cs-HK1 fungus was isolated from the fruiting body of a wild C. sinensis and identified as a Tolypocladium sp. fungus. It grew rapidly at 22,25°C on a liquid medium containing glucose, yeast extract, peptone and major inorganic salts, with a specific growth rate of 1·1 day,1, reaching a cell density of 23·0 g dw l,1 in 7,9 days. Exopolysaccharides accumulated in the liquid culture to about 0·3 g l,1 glucose equivalent. In comparison with natural C. sinensis, the fungal mycelium had similar contents of protein (11·7,,g) and carbohydrate (654·6,,g) but much higher contents of polysaccharide (244·2 mg vs 129·5 mg), adenosine (1116·8,,g vs 264·6 ,g) and cordycepin (65·7 ,g vs 20·8 ,g) (per gram dry weight). Cyclosporin A, an antibiotic commonly produced by Tolypocladium sp., was also detected from the mycelium extract. The hot water extract of mycelium showed low cytotoxic effect on B16 melanoma cells in culture (about 25% inhibition) but significant antitumour effect in animal tests, causing 50% inhibition of B16 cell-induced tumour growth in mice. Conclusions:, The Tolypocladium sp. fungus, Cs-HK1, can be easily cultivated by liquid fermentation. The mycelium biomass contained the major bioactive compounds of C. sinensis, and the mycelium extract had significant antitumour activity. Significance and Impact of the Study:, The Cs-HK1 fungus may be a new and promising medicinal fungus and an effective and economical substitute of the wild C. sinensis for health care. [source]

Feasibility of electromyography (sEMG) in measuring muscular activity during spinal anaesthesia in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2005
L. Niemi-Murola
Background:, Bromage scale (0,3) is used to measure the degree of motor block during spinal anaesthesia. However, an estimation of motor block is difficult during surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of surface EMG describing spontaneous muscular activity in the lower extremities during spinal anaesthesia. Methods:, In part I of the study, 13 patients undergoing day case surgery were studied. They received 10 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine at interspace L3,4. EMG, sensory and muscular block were measured at 5-min intervals during the first 30 min and then every 15 min until the patient was able to flex the knee. In part II of the study, 16 patients undergoing knee arthroplasty received 10 mg bupivacaine through spinal catheter at interspace L3,4 (Group CSA). An additional bolus of 2.5 mg was administered using EMG-guidance, if needed. Another group, 15 patients, received a single bolus of bupivacaine (15,20 mg) at L3,4 (Group Bolus). EMG, muscular and sensory block were monitored as described above. The epidural catheter was used as rescue. Results:, Part I: EMG compared to modified Bromage scale showed a significant correlation (P < 0.01, Spearman rank correlation). Part II: The amount of bupivacaine was significantly reduced with EMG guidance when compared with the single bolus group (14.0 mg vs. 17.0 mg) (P < 0.05 Mann,Whitney U). Motor block started to recover before the sensory block in 7/15 CSA patients vs. 1/15 Bolus patient. Conclusion:, Stable maximal sensory block does not necessarily correlate with adequate motor block in patients receiving spinal anaesthesia induced with small bolus doses. In spite of electrical noise, EMG-guided administration of spinal anaesthesia significantly reduced the amount of bupivacaine compared to the hospital routine. Further studies are needed to develop the method. [source]

Preoperative ropivacaine infiltration in breast surgery

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 9 2000
A. Johansson
Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate whether preoperative infiltration with ropivacaine in conjunction with breast surgery improves postoperative pain management and attenuates postoperative nausea and vomiting. Method: Prospective, randomised, double-blind study, including 60 healthy women (ASA 1,2) allocated to one of two groups. Thirty patients were given 0.3 ml/kg saline in the operating field before surgery. Another 30 patients received a similar volume of ropivacaine 3.75 mg/ml. A visual analogue scale (0,100 mm) was used for evaluation of postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting. If the score was more than 30 mm at rest, the patients were given ketobemidone i.v. as treatment for postoperative pain, and dixyrazine i.v. against nausea and vomiting. The intra- and postoperative analgesic requirements and postoperative nausea and vomiting were registered. Results: The intraoperative fentanyl consumption was similar in the saline group 81±22 ,g vs 76±28 ,g; (ns) in the ropivacaine group. The postoperative 24-h ketobemidone consumption was also similar to those treated with ropivacaine (4.2±2.6 mg vs 4.2±4.3 mg; ns). Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) occurred with similar frequencies in both groups. The 24-h dixyrazine consumption was the same in the two groups (2.1±2.7 mg in the saline group compared to 2.4±2.8 mg in the ropivacaine group; ns). After 6 h recovery, 41% of all patients had experienced nausea and 20% vomiting. Conclusion: We found no differences in postoperative pain management between 3.75 mg/ml ropivacaine and saline wound infiltration before breast surgery. The data show similar postoperative needs of analgesics and antiemetics with a similar frequency of PONV. [source]

Food supplementation with an olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf extract reduces blood pressure in borderline hypertensive monozygotic twins

PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 9 2008
Tania Perrinjaquet-Moccetti
Abstract Hypertension is a harmful disease factor that develops unnoticed over time. The treatment of hypertension is aimed at an early diagnosis followed by adequate lifestyle changes rather than pharmacological treatment. The olive leaf extract EFLA®943, having antihypertensive actions in rats, was tested as a food supplement in an open study including 40 borderline hypertensive monozygotic twins. Twins of each pair were assigned to different groups receiving 500 or 1000 mg/day EFLA®943 for 8 weeks, or advice on a favourable lifestyle. Body weight, heart rate, blood pressure, glucose and lipids were measured fortnightly. Blood pressure changed significantly within pairs, depending on the dose, with mean systolic differences of ,6 mmHg (500 mg vs control) and ,13 mmHg (1000 vs 500 mg), and diastolic differences of ,5 mmHg. After 8 weeks, mean blood pressure remained unchanged from baseline in controls (systolic/diastolic: 133 ± 5/77 ± 6 vs 135 ± 11/80 ± 7 mmHg) and the low-dose group (136 ± 7/77 ± 7 vs 133 ± 10/76 ± 7), but had significantly decreased for the high dose group (137 ± 10/80 ± 10 vs 126 ± 9/76 ± 6). Cholesterol levels decreased for all treatments with significant dose-dependent within-pair differences for LDL-cholesterol. None of the other parameters showed significant changes or consistent trends. Concluding, the study confirmed the antihypertensive and cholesterol-lowering action of EFLA®943 in humans. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]