No abstract available.
Heterotaxy Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Evoked Potentials* ; Rats*

To 100 patients who underwent various operations under general anesthesia, Effortil and methoxamine were given in order to assess and to compare their effects on blood pressure and pulse rate. The drugs were administered intravenously in 6 to 10 mg doses when the systolic pressure fell to 80 mmHg. or lower during the operation. The results obtained are as follows: 1. Excellent pressor effect was obtained with Effortil in 84% of 50 patients while in 72% with methoxamine. 2. Both drugs were equally effectve in elevating both systolic and diastolic pressures. 3. The effect of Effortil on pulse rate was much less than that of methoxamine which moderately reduced the pulse rate, especially in the early phase. 4. No untoward effects of either Effortil or methoxamine were observed in this study.
Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure ; Etilefrine* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Methoxamine

This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of defibrotide on the development of the surgically induced reflux esophagitis, on gastric secretion, lipid peroxidation, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) accumulation, polymorphonuclear leukocytes adherence, superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide production in PMNs, scavenge of hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide, cytokine (interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha) production in blood, and intracellular calcium mobilization in PMNs. Defibrotide did not inhibit the gastric secretion and not change the gastric pH. Treatment of esophagitis rats with defibrotide inhibited lipid peroxidation, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the esophagus in comparison with untreated rats. Defibrotide significantly decreased the PMN adherence to superior mesenteric artery endothelium in a dose-dependent manner. Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide production in 1microM formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMLP) - or 0.1microgram/ml N-phorbol 12- myristate 13-acetate (PMA) -activated PMNs was inhibited by defibrotide in a dose-dependent fashion. Defibrotide effectively scavenged the hydrogen peroxide but did not scavenge the hydroxyl radical. Treatment of esophagitis rats with defibrotide inhibited interleukin-1beta production in the blood in comparison with untreated rats, but tumor necrosis factor-alpha production was not affected by defibrotide. The fMLP-induced elevation of intracellular calcium in PMNs was inhibited by defibrotide. The results of this study suggest that defibrotide may have partly beneficial protective effects against reflux esophagitis by the inhibition lipid peroxidation, PMNs accumulation, PMNs adherence to endothelium, reactive oxygen species production in PMNs, inflammatory cytokine production (i.e. interleukin-1beta), and intracellular calcium mobilization in PMNs in rats.
Animals ; Calcium ; Endothelium ; Esophagitis ; Esophagitis, Peptic* ; Esophagus ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hydroxyl Radical ; Interleukin-1beta ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Myristic Acid ; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine ; Necrosis ; Neutrophils ; Peroxidase ; Rats* ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Superoxides ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: A primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare neoplasm with a poor prognosis. The treatment of PCNSL involves a combination of chemotherapy, intrathecal chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This study retrospectively evaluated the treatment outcomes and prognostic factors of Korean patients with PCNSL. METHODS: Between 1995 and 2003, 58 patients diagnosed with PCNSL from the multi-center hospitals were enrolled in this study. Among 56 patients who had received treatment, 16 patients were treated with radiotherapy alone, while 40 patients were treated with combined chemotherapy (CHOP; 9 cases, high-dose methotrexate; 31 cases) and radiotherapy. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 58 years (range, 19-76). A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was diagnosed in 56 cases (96.6%), while a peripheral T-cell lymphoma was diagnosed in 2 cases. Of the 47 patients who could be assessed for their response after treatment, a CR and PR was observed in 32 (68%) and 11 patients (23%), respectively, giving an overall response rate of 91% (95% CI, 82~100%). The estimated 3-year overall survival rate for all the patients was 67+/-7.9% and the 3-year disease free survival rate was 53+/-8.3%. The overall survival of the high-dose methotrexate group was superior to that of the CHOP group (77+/-10% versus 47+/-19%, p=0.05). Leukoencephalopathy was observed as a late complication in 9 patients (21%). No significant prognostic factors affecting survival were found by univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half of the patients could have long-term survival after treatment in this study. High-dose methotrexate containing chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy was found to be an effective treatment.
Central Nervous System* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Leukoencephalopathies ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral ; Methotrexate ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies* ; Survival Rate