OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) using macromolecular contrast agent (P792) for assessment of vascular disrupting drug effect in rabbit VX2 liver tumor models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. DCE-MRI was performed with 3-T scanner in 13 VX2 liver tumor-bearing rabbits, before, 4 hours after, and 24 hours after administration of vascular disrupting agent (VDA), using gadomelitol (P792, n = 7) or low molecular weight contrast agent (gadoterate meglumine [Gd-DOTA], n = 6). P792 was injected at a of dose 0.05 mmol/kg, while that of Gd-DOTA was 0.2 mmol/kg. DCE-MRI parameters including volume transfer coefficient (K(trans)) and initial area under the gadolinium concentration-time curve until 60 seconds (iAUC) of tumors were compared between the 2 groups at each time point. DCE-MRI parameters were correlated with tumor histopathology. Reproducibility in measurement of DCE-MRI parameters and image quality of source MR were compared between groups. RESULTS: P792 group showed a more prominent decrease in K(trans) and iAUC at 4 hours and 24 hours, as compared to the Gd-DOTA group. Changes in DCE-MRI parameters showed a weak correlation with histologic parameters (necrotic fraction and microvessel density) in both groups. Reproducibility of DCE-MRI parameters and overall image quality was not significantly better in the P792 group, as compared to the Gd-DOTA group. CONCLUSION: Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging using a macromolecular contrast agent shows changes of hepatic perfusion more clearly after administration of the VDA. Gadolinium was required at smaller doses than a low molecular contrast agent.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Benzophenones/therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Heterocyclic Compounds/administration & dosage/*chemistry ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy/pathology/*radiography ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Organometallic Compounds/administration & dosage/*chemistry ; Rabbits ; Reproducibility of Results ; Valine/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use

No abstract available.
Amoxicillin/*therapeutic use ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Anti-Ulcer Agents/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Fluoroquinolones/*therapeutic use ; Helicobacter Infections/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Metronidazole/*therapeutic use ; Organometallic Compounds/*therapeutic use ; Rabeprazole/*therapeutic use ; Tetracycline/*therapeutic use

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Retreatment after initial treatment failure for Helicobacter pylori is very challenging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacies of moxifloxacin-containing triple and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy. METHODS: A total of 151 patients, who failed initial H. pylori treatment, were included in this retrospective cohort study. The initial regimens were standard triple, sequential, or concomitant therapy, and the efficacies of the two following second-line treatments were evaluated: 7-day moxifloxacin-containing triple therapy (rabeprazole 20 mg twice a day, amoxicillin 1,000 mg twice a day, and moxifloxacin 400 mg once daily) and 7-day bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (rabeprazole 20 mg twice a day, tetracycline 500 mg 4 times a day, metronidazole 500 mg 3 times a day, and tripotassium dicitrate bismuthate 300 mg 4 times a day). RESULTS: The overall eradication rates after moxifloxacin-containing triple therapy and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy were 69/110 (62.7%) and 32/41 (78%), respectively. Comparison of the two regimens was performed in the patients who failed standard triple therapy, and the results revealed eradication rates of 14/28 (50%) and 32/41 (78%), respectively (p=0.015). The frequency of noncompliance was not different between the two groups, and there were fewer adverse effects in the moxifloxacin-containing triple therapy group (2.8% vs 7.3%, p=0.204 and 25.7% vs 43.9%, p=0.031, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Moxifloxacin-containing triple therapy, a recommended second-line treatment for initial concomitant or sequential therapy failure, had insufficient efficacy.
Aged ; Amoxicillin/*therapeutic use ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Anti-Ulcer Agents/*therapeutic use ; Breath Tests ; Cohort Studies ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Fluoroquinolones/*therapeutic use ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/complications ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/*drug therapy/pathology ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Male ; Metronidazole/*therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Organometallic Compounds/*therapeutic use ; Peptic Ulcer/complications ; Rabeprazole/*therapeutic use ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Salvage Therapy ; Stomach/pathology ; Tetracycline/*therapeutic use ; Treatment Failure ; Treatment Outcome ; Urea/analysis

Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is an endemic parasitic disease in some parts of the world which is characterized by fever, splenomegaly, and pancytopenia in most of the cases. Herein we report an 11 month-old male infant with diagnosis of kala-azar who presented with pallor, hepatosplenomegaly, failure to gain weight, and no history of fever. Surprisingly, fever started after beginning of meglumine antimoniate treatment in this patient. As far as we are aware of, this is a rare presentation of visceral leishmaniasis. Therefore, clinicians especially in endemic areas are highly recommended to include kala-azar among differential diagnosis of unexplained anemia without fever to prevent misdiagnosis of this potentially fatal, but treatable condition.
Amphotericin B/therapeutic use ; Anemia/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Antiprotozoal Agents/*therapeutic use ; Deoxycholic Acid/therapeutic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Combinations ; Endemic Diseases ; *Fever ; Humans ; Infant ; Iran ; Leishmania infantum/pathogenicity ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral/*diagnosis/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Male ; Meglumine/therapeutic use ; Organometallic Compounds/therapeutic use ; Splenomegaly/parasitology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of 153Sm-EDTMP in the treatment of bone metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa) by comparison with zoledronic acid.

METHODSWe assigned 55 PCa patients with bone metastasis to receive 153Sm-EDTMP (n = 31) and zoledronic acid (n = 24), the former injected intravenously at the dose of 37.0 MBq/kg body weight, and the latter administered by slow intravenous drip at 4 mg in 100 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride. We performed 99mTc-MDP bone scan before and 1 -2 months after the treatment.

RESULTSThe rate of pain relief was 83.9% in the 153Sm-EDTMP group and 58.3% in the zoledronic acid group (P = 0.035), and that of bone metabolism change was 64.5% in the former and 33.3% in the latter (P = 0.022).

CONCLUSION153Sm-EDTMP is an ideal agent for the treatment of prostate cancer with bone metastasis.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; secondary ; Diphosphonates ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; drug therapy ; Organometallic Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Organophosphorus Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a novel Zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPcH(1)) based photodynamic therapy (PDT) on acute monocytic leukemia cell lines SHI-1 and its mechanism, so as to provide theory basis for bone marrow purging in vitro for patients with leukemia. The killing effect of ZnPcH(1)-PDT on SHI-1 cells were assessed by MTT method; the SHI-1 cell death patterns were analyzed by AO/EB fluorescence staining, TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), DNA ploidy analysis, and Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining.Cell mixture was established by integrating SHI-1 cells with normal bone marrow MNC (by 1:100-1:10 000). Purging effect of ZnPcH(1)-PDT against SHI-1 mixed into normal MNC was assessed by analyzing the expression of fusion gene MLL/AF6 mRNA using nested RT-PCR. The results showed that ZnPcH(1)-PDT could effectively inhibit SHI-1 cell proliferation in dose-dependent manner, and ZnPcH(1)-PDT could induce cell apoptosis in time-dependent manner. 0.5 µmol/L ZnPcH(1)-PDT could completely photoinactivated kill SHI-1 cells in the simulated remission bone marrow. It concluded that ZnPcH(1)-PDT may be a effective and convenient promising purging technique for leukemia.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bone Marrow Purging ; methods ; Cell Death ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Indoles ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Organometallic Compounds ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Photochemotherapy ; Photosensitizing Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

INTRODUCTIONThis study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of quadruple therapy containing doxycycline and routine quadruple therapy for Helicobacter (H.) pylori rescue eradication in patients who had failed the one-week triple therapy.

METHODSPatients who failed the first-line eradication therapy were allocated into two groups. Group A patients (n = 43) were administered esomeprazole 20 mg, bismuth potassium citrate 220 mg, amoxicillin 1 g and doxycycline 100 mg, all bid for ten days, while Group B patients (n = 42) were administered esomeprazole 20 mg bid, bismuth potassium citrate 220 mg bid, metronidazole 400 mg bid and tetracycline 750 mg q.6h, for ten days. The results of H. pylori eradication were assessed with 13C urea breath test four weeks after the therapy, and the side effects were recorded.

RESULTSA total of 85 patients (average age 46.9 years) were enrolled in the study. Successful eradication rate for H. pylori was 72.5% in Group A and 64.1% in Group B, with no significant difference between the two groups. 11.6% (5/43) of patients from group A and 31.0% (13/42) from group B reported at least one adverse event. The adverse events of all 18 patients disappeared after the therapy ceased.

CONCLUSIONQuadruple therapy containing doxycycline is as effective as routine quadruple therapy for H. pylori rescue eradication. The regimen is well tolerated by most patients and causes fewer adverse events than routine quadruple therapy. Hence, it may be recommended as a suitable alternative H. pylori rescue regimen in China.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Amoxicillin ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Breath Tests ; Doxycycline ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Esomeprazole ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Helicobacter pylori ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Metronidazole ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Organometallic Compounds ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Tetracycline ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo assess the curative effects of different drugs on liver cell damage of rats induced by acute nickel carbonyl poisoning.

METHODSIn present study 220 SD rats were divided into control group (10 rats), carbonyl nickel group (10 rats), 20 mg/kg methylprednisolone group (40 rats), 100 mg/kg DDC group (40 rats), 10 µmol/kg sodium selenite group (40 rats), 0.25 ml shenfuhuiyangtang group (40 rats) and 20 mg/kg methylprednisolone with 100 mg/kg DDC group (40 rats). All rats except for control group inhaled passively 250 mg/m(3) carbonyl nickel for 30 minutes. At 4h and 30h after exposure, the drugs were given intraperitoneally to the rats. On the 3rd and 7th days after exposure, the liver samples were taken from 10 rats each group. The DNA damage of liver cells was detected using comet assay, the ultrastructure changes in liver cells were examined under an electronmicroscope.

RESULTSCompared to carbonyl nickel group, the tail lengths of liver cells in 5 groups administrated at 4 h or 30 h and tested on the 3rd or 7th day after exposure decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared to the control group, the tail lengths of liver cells in sodium selenite and shenfuhuiyangtang groups administrated at 4h after exposure or sodium selenite, shenfuhuiyangtang and methylprednisolone with DDC groups administrated at 30h after exposure increased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), when tested on the 3rd day after exposure. Except from methylprednisolone sub-group administrated at 4h and tested on the 7th day after exposure, the tail lengths of liver cells in other groups administrated at 4 h or 30 h and tested on the 7th day after exposure increased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared to carbonyl nickel group, the Olive moment of liver cells in 5 groups administrated at 4 h or 30 h tested on the 3rd or 7th day after exposure decreased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared to the control group, the Olive moment of liver cells in following groups (selenite and shenfuhuiyangtang groups administrated at 4 h or 30 h and tested on the 3rd or 7th day after exposure, DDC group administrated at 4 h or 30 h and tested on the 7th day after exposure, DDC group administrated at 30h and tested on the 3rd day after exposure, and methylprednisolone with DDC group administrated at 30 h and tested on the 7th day after exposure) increased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). As compared with carbonyl nickel group, the ultrastructure observation indicated that the nucleus and other organelles of liver cells in methylprednisolone, DDC and methylprednisolone with DDC groups administrated at 4h and tested on the 3rd day were access to normal levels.

CONCLUSIONThe results of present study showed that methylprednisolone, DDC and methylprednisolone with DDC could improve obviously the repair of rat liver cell damage induced by acute carbonyl nickel poisoning, and the curative effects of early treatment were better than those of later treatment.

Animals ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; drug therapy ; pathology ; DNA Damage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Hepatocytes ; pathology ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; therapeutic use ; Organometallic Compounds ; poisoning ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium Selenite ; therapeutic use ; Zalcitabine ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of strontium ranelate on osteoporosis induced by simulated weightlessness in male rats.

METHODSTwenty-seven male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, namely the normal control group (group A) and two groups of weightlessness simulated by tail suspension (groups B and C). The rats in group C were treated with strontium ranelate, and those in the other two groups were given the same dose of normal saline for 28 consecutive days.

RESULTSThe rats in group B showed significantly lower levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) than those in group A (P<0.05), but serum calcium and phosphonium concentrations underwent no significant changes in the 3 groups (P>0.05). In the rats of group B, the trabeculae of the femur became thinner, fragile, and discontinuous with reduced quantity as compared with those in group A. The rats in group C had greater number of the trabeculae than those in group B with decreased resorption surface and more regular arrangement of the collagen fibers.

CONCLUSIONStrontium ranelate may produce beneficial effect on the bone microstructure, reduce bone loss and stimulate bone formation in male rats subjected to simulated weightlessness.

Animals ; Male ; Organometallic Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Osteoporosis ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thiophenes ; therapeutic use ; Weightlessness Simulation ; adverse effects

Lupoid leishmaniasis is a unique form of cutaneous leishmaniasis characterized by unusual clinical features and a chronic relapsing course, mostly caused by infection with Leishmania tropica. In this clinical form, 1-2 yr after healing of the acute lesion, new papules and nodules appear at the margin of the remaining scar. Herein, we describe a case of this clinical form that was resistant to 2 courses of treatments: systemic glucantime and then a combination therapy with allopurinol and systemic glucantime. However, marked improvement was seen after a combination therapy with topical trichloroacetic acid solution (50%) and systemic glucantime, and there were no signs of recurrence after 1 yr of follow-up.
Administration, Topical ; Adult ; Antiprotozoal Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Humans ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous/*drug therapy/pathology ; Male ; Meglumine/*therapeutic use ; Organometallic Compounds/*therapeutic use ; Trichloroacetic Acid/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use