Anti-implantation effect of a bone-marrow cytokine-BIM.

Successful implantation of blastocyst is dependent upon a cytokine induced localized immunosuppression at uterus. BIM, a bone marrow secreted bio-immunomodulator (BIM) has been observed to have positive immunomodulatory activity in immunosuppressed cases. As pregnancy is associated with immunosuppression upregulation of the suppressed immune system by injection of BIM (conc. 0.08 microg/g b.wt once in rats b.wt. <150 gm or 0.2 microg/g b.wt thrice in rats weighing > 160 gm) is believed to prevent implantation. The anti-implantation action of BIM is probably mediated via mononuclear cells at site of uterus, the effect is reversible and a single dose did not affect the estrous cycle. Multiple dose of BIM however, produce prolonged diestrous and this is probably an autonomic phenomena.

The use of lenograstim (Granocyte) in chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.

We have conducted an open, controlled study on the febrile neutropenia effects by Lenograstim (Granocyte) therapy following cytotoxic chemotherapy of cisplatinum and cyclophosphamide in patients with primary advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Eligible patients (n = 17) were divided into 2 groups receiving a combined chemotherapy of intravenous cisplatinum (70 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (700 mg/m2) with or without the addition of Lenograstim. Subcutaneous administration of Lenograstim (100 micrograms/day) for 7 consecutive days was given from day 8 to day 14 of the 3rd to the 5th cycle of chemotherapy in Lenograstim treated patients. After 3 cycles of treatment, Lenograstim treated patients (group 1, n = 10) showed a significant improvement in white blood cell (WBC) count as compared with group 2 (control) of 7 patients (p = 0.00002). Group 1 patients also showed an increased C-reactive protein, though of no significance. There were no significant differences among the 2 groups regarding ESR, hematocrit, platelet counts and blood chemistry profiles. This preliminary data encourages more study of the benefits of Lenograstim in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Efectos de la dehidroepiandrosterona sobre las células sanguineas de la rata / Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on blood cells of the rat

Se estudió el efecto de la dehidroepiandrosterona (DHEA) sobre los niveles de hemoglobina, hematocrito y leucocitos en ratas machos y hembras; en ratas castradas y en hembras preñadas. La administración subcutánea de 80 mg/kg/d de DHEA durante 5 días consecutivos no modificó en ninguno de los grupos los valores de hemoglobina y hematocrito. En las ratas no cadastradas el número de leucocitos circulantes disminuyó en un 40 por ciento con una franca reducción en el número de linfocitos. La castración aumentó en un 14 por ciento el número de leucocitos y la adiministración de la DHEA los redujo al valor inicial. La administración del benzoato de estradiol, a ratas castradas, produjo un efecto similar al inducido por la DHEA. Se concluye que, en ratas, la administración de la DHEA no afecta el número de eritrocitos pero sí modifica el número de leucocitos presentes en sangre periférica.

Radioprotective effects of Rasayanas.

Oral administration of Rasayanas (indigenous preparations made up of herbal drugs) significantly increased total WBC count, bone marrow cellularity, natural killer cell and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity in gamma radiation (4 Gy) exposed mice. Also, Rasayanas reduced radiation induced lipid peroxidation in liver. The possible mechanisms of action of Rasayanas could be increased stem cell proliferation and its effect on free radical induced injury produced by radiation.

Peripheral immune response in albino rats following cerebroventricular and intraperitoneal antigen challenge.

Success in neural tissue transplants at central nervous system suggest that the site may be immunologically privileged. However, this experimental study in which an antigen (Sheep Red Blood Cells) was administered into the third ventricle does not support the above concept. The antibody titre and soluble immune complex levels seen in these animals are similar to the levels seen in animals immunized with the same amount of antigen through the intraperitoneal route. Intraventricular immunization is rather a more potent modulator in decreasing the total WBC count (P < 0.05) and neutrophils (P < 0.001). Further a marked increase in lymphocytes (P < 0.01) in peripheral blood was observed in these animals. Intraventricular immunization also increased the killing power (NBT reduction) of the neutrophils (P < 0.05).

Adrenal function & the pattern of glucocorticoid induced eosinopenia in tropical pulmonary eosinophilia.

Plasma cortisol levels were estimated in 16 patients with tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE; group A) by radioimmunoassay using 125I labelled cortisol. The cortisol levels showed diurnal variation, the mean levels were 10.22 +/- 4.5 micrograms/dl for the morning samples and 4.91 +/- 2 micrograms/dl for the night samples respectively and were within normal limits. Another six patients with TPE included in the study (group B) had an initial mean plasma cortisol level of 5.83 +/- 1.33 micrograms/dl. Half an hour after intramuscular administration of 250 micrograms of Synacthen (a synthetic glucocorticoid with corticotrophic activity), the mean cortisol level showed a significant rise up to 14.7 +/- 3.54 micrograms/dl (P < 0.01) thus indicating normal adrenocorticohypophysial functions in TPE. There was no significant alteration of total blood eosinophil counts before and after intramuscular Synacthen. An additional 6 patients with TPE (group C) who were given oral prednisolone 30 mg a day for 5 days which was subsequently tapered off in the next 5 days showed a spectacular mid-treatment fall in blood eosinophil levels with a post-treatment rise. In another 3 patients with TPE (group D) total blood eosinophil counts were estimated 4 h after intramuscular hydrocortisone and a prompt eosinopenic response was observed. This indicated that a dose related response to steroids in TPE is unlikely. The absence of eosinopenic response after Synacthen could have been due to the short (half an hour) interval when the eosinophil counts were repeated.

Efecto del factor de transferencia en becerros lactantes / Transfer factor immunotherapy in chlinically sick lactating calves

Para conocer el efecto del Factor de Transferencia (FT) en la respuesta leucocitaria de bovino lactantes, se estudiaron 30 becerras lactantes, divididos en dos grupos. Un grupo se trató con FT, posteriormente a su nacimiento por vía subcutánea, y otro se dejó como testigo. Se observaron durante 30 días de lactación, obteniéndose los siguientes resultados: Hubo en los animales tratados un incremento en la respuesta leucocitaria entre los días 8 y 15 de la investigación; este evento no sucedió en el grupo testigo. La incidencia de diarreas y neumonías fue menor entre los 10 y 34 días en becerras con FT respectivamente. Asimismo en el grupo experimental los porcentajes de morbilidad y mortalidad fueron de 80 porciento y 6.7 porciento respectivamente, a diferencias de los del grupo testigo, de 100 y 13.4 porciento.

Antifertility investigations on the crude chloroform extract of Carica papaya Linn. seeds in male albino rats.

Crude chloroform extract of C. papaya seeds (5 mg/animal/day, po, for 20, 40 and 60 days) was investigated for contraceptive efficacy and related side effects in male albino rats. The crude extract reduced fertility to zero per cent by 40 to 60 days of treatment. Suppression of cauda epididymal sperm motility was the most pronounced effect of the drug administration. Scanning electron microscopic observations revealed treatment induced abnormalities in sperms. Cauda epididymal and testicular sperm counts decreased following treatment. Clinical parameters did not show any alterations. Results suggest that the contraceptive effects of chloroform extract of papaya seeds are mainly post-testicular in nature without influencing toxicological profile and libido of the animals.

Haematological and erythrocyte membrane changes induced by amiodarone, in rats.

The effect of Amiodarone (AD), a cationic amphiphilic drug, on erythrocytes and leucocytes was studied. Treatment of rats with AD showed a significant decrease in the red cell count and the level of Hemoglobin. Amiodarone altered the fluidity of the erythrocyte membrane followed by a decrease in the activities of membrane bound enzymes like (Na+, K+)-ATPase, Acetylcholine esterase and NADH dehydrogenase. A slight increase in the leucocyte count was also observed in the treated animals.

Cardioprotective effect of cromakalim (potassium channel opener) in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats.

Animals pretreated with cromakalim (1 mg/kg,po) along with isoproterenol (85 mg/kg,sc) showed less myocardial degenerative changes on histopathological examinations when compared with those treated with isoproterenol alone. Cromakalim's beneficial effects on myocardium were in dose-dependent manner. Administration of cromakalim (po) lowered significantly the serum LDH and SGOT and depleted intracytoplasmic glycogen as demonstrated by periodic schiff staining procedure. Increase in blood clotting time was highly significant (P less than 0.001). The results suggest cardioprotective effect of cromakalim in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction.

Efectos de la terapéutica corticoidea sobre los leucocitos / Effects of corticoids therapeutic overleukocytes

Se estudiaron 60 pacientes de 18 meses a 70 años, en que la administración terapéutica de Corticoides provocó en el 63 por ciento leucocitosis neutrófila, lo cual está totalmente de acuerdo con la literatura internacional revisada

Effect of high dose intravenous pulse dexamethasone on lymphocyte phenotypes.

The lymphocyte phenotypes were enumerated in 10 patients with collagen diseases at 0 h, 4 h, 24 h and 7 days after a megadose (100 mg) iv pulse dexamethasone. A significant decrease in CD3 (from a mean of 2324.3/mm3 to 705.9/mm3) and CD4 (from a mean of 1642.6 to 317.6/mm3) cells was observed at 4 h, which recovered partially by 24 h (186.7 and 1226.3/mm3 respectively) and completely at 7 days (2496.1 and 1838.4/mm3). A transient decrease in CD8 cells at 4 h was also observed. There was no significant effect on B cells.