PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of Bimix solution (27.3 mg/ml papaverine and 0.9 mg/ml phentolamine) versus Trimix solution (18.8 mg/ml papaverine, 0.6 mg/ml phentolamine and 6.3ug/ml prostaglandin El) in terms of erectile response and complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We comparatively analyzed the erectile response and the incidence of pain, prolonged erection (>4 hours), and corporal fibrosis of either medication in the 155 impotent patients who used Bimix solution for intracavernous pharmacotherapy (mean duration: 15 months) and thereafter used Trimix solution (mean 12 months). RESULTS: Erectile response to Trimix solution was significantly better than Bimix solution (p<0.01). The mean dose of Bimix solution was higher than Trimix solution (0.43 ml. vs. 0.34 ml, p<0.05). The severe pain enough for impediment to ntercourse occurred in 6.5% of the Trimix group, while no patient of the Bimix group experienced (p<0.01). The corporal fibrosis was noted in 8.4% of the Trimix group and 16.1% of the Bimix group. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.08). The incidence of prolonged erection was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the Trimix group (2.6%) than in the Bimix group (12.3%). A total of 139 patients (89.7%) finally selected Trimix solution. CONCLUSIONS: The Trimix solution was more effective and safer than Bimix solution for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Drug Therapy ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Papaverine ; Phentolamine

Because available therapy cannot always distinguish between malignant and nonmalignant cells, the toxicity ofchemotherapeutic agents to normal tissue remains a troublesome issue. Various chemotherapeutic agents such asbleomycin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and L-asparaginase, which cause pulmonary fibrosis, cardiomyopathy,pancreatitis, and hemorrhagic cystitis, respectively, are familiar to radiologists. The purpose of this report isto describe the radiologic findings of various organ abnormalities related to chemotherapy.
Child* ; Cyclophosphamide ; Cystitis ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Pulmonary Fibrosis

The aim of this article was to investigate the mechanisms of emodin in antagonizing against organ fibrosis, and to illustrate that emodin can be an effective Chinese herbal preparation for treatment of organ fibrosis.
Animals ; Emodin ; therapeutic use ; Fibrosis ; drug therapy ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Humans ; Kidney ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; drug therapy

The combination of oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin (FOLFOX) has recently been shown to be beneficial in advanced colorectal and gastric cancers. The side effects of this regimen include neutropenia, diarrhea and neurosensory toxicity. However, case reports on the pulmonary toxicities of this regimen are very limited. Especially, the development of pulmonary fibrosis has never been cited in the literature. Herein is reported the case of a patient treated with oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin combination chemotherapy in whom pulmonary fibrosis developed, but which improved after steroid pulse therapy.
Diarrhea ; Drug Therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Fluorouracil* ; Humans ; Leucovorin* ; Neutropenia ; Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Stomach Neoplasms

In the background of the high incidence and high mortality of cardiovascular diseases,atherosclerosis is the main pathological feature of cardiovascular diseases and the core pathological basis for disease progression. In the evolution of atherosclerotic plaques,the rupture of unstable plaques,plaque shedding and formation of thrombosis are the most dangerous parts. In this process,the formation of plaque fibrosis is the core mechanism regulating plaque stability. Additionally,fibrosis reflects dynamic changes in the inflammatory processes and pathological changes. In view of the inflammation regulation and fibrosis regulation,this paper clarified the process of atherosclerotic plaque,explained the roles of relevant inflammatory cells and cytokines in plaque stability,and summed up drug researches related with stable plaque in recent years. In the future,improving the fibrosis will be a new idea for stabilizing plaque in atherosclerosis drug development.
Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Cytokines ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Thrombosis ; drug therapy ; pathology

Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; complications ; drug therapy ; surgery ; therapy ; Fibrosis ; complications ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; drug therapy ; etiology ; surgery ; therapy ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; drug therapy ; etiology ; surgery ; therapy

Treatment of lung cancer in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is difficult because the mortality rate after surgery or chemotherapy is high for these patients. Spontaneous regression of cancer is rare, especially in lung cancer. A 62-year-old man, previously diagnosed with IPF, presented with stage IIIC (T2N3M0) non-small cell lung cancer. About 4 months later, spontaneous regression of the primary tumor was observed without treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous regression of lung cancer in a patient with IPF.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Drug Therapy ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Lung Neoplasms ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous

We report the case that a 41-year-old male treated for testicular seminoma with combination chemotherapy that included bleomycin, developed life threatening pulmonary fibrosis. After orchiectomy, he completed four cycles of chemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplan. He developed a dry cough and progressive breathlessness and had bilateral fine inspiratory crackles on auscultation. Chest radiography showed bilateral interstitial infiltration and lung function tests confirmed a restrictive defect. Transbronchial biopsy specimens showed intersititial fibrosis. We thought that bleomycin lung toxicity was the likely diagnosis and he had clinical and radiographic improvement following prednisolone medication. This report suggests that bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis may be reversible if treated aggressively. We report a case of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis with a review of the literature.
Adult ; Auscultation ; Biopsy ; Bleomycin ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Etoposide ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Prednisolone* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Radiography ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Sounds ; Seminoma ; Thorax

Liver fibrosis is a pathological condition characterized by replacement of normal liver tissue with scar tissue, and also the leading cause of liver-related death worldwide. During the treatment of liver fibrosis, in addition to antiviral therapy or removal of inducers, there remains a lack of specific and effective treatment strategies. For thousands of years, Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) have been widely used to treat liver fibrosis in clinical setting. CHMs are effective for liver fibrosis, though its mechanisms of action are unclear. In recent years, many studies have attempted to determine the possible mechanisms of action of CHMs in treating liver fibrosis. There have been substantial improvements in the experimental investigation of CHMs which have greatly promoted the understanding of anti-liver fibrosis mechanisms. In this review, the role of CHMs in the treatment of liver fibrosis is described, based on studies over the past decade, which has addressed the various mechanisms and signaling pathways that mediate therapeutic efficacy. Among them, inhibition of stellate cell activation is identified as the most common mechanism. This article provides insights into the research direction of CHMs, in order to expand its clinical application range and improve its effectiveness.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Fibrosis ; Liver Diseases/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of enhanced MR imaging in monitoring tumor response to preoperativechemotherapy for osteosarcomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fo r t y - s even patients (30 males and 17 females, witha mean age 17 years ; range 8 -44 years) with osteosarcomas were included in this study. We obtained spin echoT1-, T2-, and enhanced T1-weighted images before and after pre-operative chemotherapy and in all patientscorrelated changes in MR parameters with histopathologic response. We also obtained 19 specimen MR images,correlating these with histopathologic results in order to estimate tissue specific signals. Patients with morethan 10% viable tumor in the resected specimen were considered poor respon-ders(n=26), while those with 10% orless viable tumor were considered good respon-ders(n=21). RESULTS: Four distinct patterns of signal intensitycorresponded, respectively to dead bone and dense fibrosis (low on T1- and T2-weighted images), viable tumor cells(in-termediate on T1- and high on T2-weighted images), necrosis (low on T1- and high on T 2 - weighted images),and hemorrhage (high on T1- and T2-weighted images), but a wide range of overlap was noted. In all four groups,viable tumor cells remained. Increased tumor vo l u m e, stable or increased edema and enhancement were goodpre-dictors of poor response (predictive values of 83%, 77%, and 89%, respectively). Decreased enhancement was theonly reliable predictor of good response (predictive value, 73%). Changes in tumor margin, homogeneity, signalintensity, and joint effu-sion did not correlate with histopathologic response. CONCLUSION: Signal intensities donot reflect histologic nature. Enhanced MR imaging is a useful predictor of tumor response to preoperativechemotherapy.
Drug Therapy* ; Edema ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Joints ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Necrosis ; Osteosarcoma*