[A case of "juvenile" self-healing cutaneous mucinosis in an adult]. / Mucinose cutanée « juvénile ¼ auto-involutive chez l'adulte.

INTRODUCTION: Self-healing juvenile cutaneous mucinosis (SHJCM) is a stereotypical disease in children characterized by the acute onset of subcutaneous papules and nodules on the face, dorsum of the hands and peri-articular regions that disappear spontaneously within a few months or years. A few cases have been reported in adults, but these display more heterogeneous clinical and histopathological features. Herein we report a case with a juvenile clinical presentation in an adult woman. OBSERVATION: A 36-year-old patient with a history of Von Willebrand disease was referred to our dermatology department following the rapid development of subcutaneous nodules on her face, hands and large joints, together with periorbital edema. Three nodules were surgically removed and histology demonstrated mucin deposition in the dermis with dissociation of collagen fibers. Autoimmune disease, neoplasia, infection and dysthyroidism were ruled out. Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was confirmed by electromyogram in this patient carrying out manual work. Treatment with hydroxychloroquine proved unfruitful. After 1.5 years of follow-up, her lesions showed partial regression. CONCLUSION: The form of SHJCM described in pediatric populations may occur in rare cases in adults. Should the name of juvenile mucinosis still be used in this event?

Pulmonary delivery of dry powders to rats: tolerability limits of an intra-tracheal administration model.

The inhaled route is increasingly developed to deliver locally acting or systemic therapies, and rodent models are used to assess tolerance before clinical studies. Endotracheal intubation of rats with a probe which generates powder aerosols enables controlled administration of drug directly into the respiratory tract. However, preliminary observations of intratracheal powder administration procedures have raised concerns with regard to pulmonary safety. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the safety of intra-tracheal administration of dry powder in a rat model. Sixty animals were administered various volumes of air alone, lactose or magnesium stearate through a Microsprayer(®) (Pencentury, USA). The mass of powder actually delivered to each animal was calculated. Rats were sacrificed immediately after administration, and the lungs, trachea and larynx were removed and examined for gross pathology. The mass of powder delivered varied, the full dose being rarely delivered. About one third of the administration procedures resulted in respiratory failure, and macroscopic pulmonary lesions were observed in about 55% of animals. Lung damages were observed with air alone, lactose and magnesium stearate. In conclusion, artifacts observed with this technique may limit the relevance of the model. These observations are particularly important in the context of regulatory toxicity studies.

Appraisal of the knowledge of hypertensive patients and assessment of the role of the pharmacists in the management of hypertension: results of a regional survey.

The objectives of the study were to appraise the knowledge which the patients have about their hypertension, and to assess the knowledge and involvement of pharmacists in the management of the hypertensive patient. All the pharmacies in the Poitou-Charentes area were invited both to participate in a training session about arterial hypertension and asked to fill in a pharmacist's questionnaire. Furthermore, each participant was required to submit a patient's questionnaire to 20 consecutive hypertensives. A total of 104 pharmacies and 1015 hypertensive patients participated in the survey. In all, 88% of the patients (n = 893) were aware of their blood pressure (BP) figures, but 68% (349/515) considered themselves wrongly, to be normalized; 39% (n = 350) only had BP figures <140/90 mmHg. They said they had been poorly informed about recommended lifestyle changes. In all, 18% (n = 185) were equipped with an automatic device. A total of 77% (n = 779) were able to give the names of their drugs without the help of the pharmacist. Treatment-related unwanted effects were reported by 8% of the patients (n = 79). Only 18% (n = 29) of the pharmacists were able to provide a correct definition of hypertension. Most of them thought hypertension was well controlled in the general population and considered that both tolerance of and compliance with antihypertensive treatment were satisfactory. They could most often (80%, n = 135) supply a SBPM device, but 58 (36%) only were able to provide relevant advice regarding the recommended procedures. In conclusion, The BP goals and the lifestyle modifications are poorly known by the hypertensives. Pharmacists' knowledge is frequently wrong and should be improved by appropriate training programmes.

Two sites of action for LCB29 (idrocilamide) in depressing mechanical tension of rat soleus muscle fibers?

The effects of 50 microM LCB29 (idrocilamide) were tested on depolarization-induced and caffeine contractures of rat soleus muscle fibers. When applied intracellularly by free diffusion in cut-end voltage-clamped fibers, LCB29 decreased tension amplitude by about 25%. The same amount of inhibition by LCB29 was observed on contractures induced by 6 mM caffeine. The drug did not affect the repriming of caffeine contractures, indicating that internal recycling of calcium was not affected. The voltage-dependent inactivation of tension was facilitated by external application of LCB29. This effect was calcium dependent, so that the greater the external calcium concentration, the greater the drug effectiveness. The spontaneous relaxation of K+ contractures was also accelerated by LCB29. It is concluded that LCB29 acts intracellularly by decreasing sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release and externally by facilitating the voltage-dependent inactivation of the voltage sensor for excitation-contraction coupling.

An uncoupling agent containing strontium prevents bone loss by depressing bone resorption and maintaining bone formation in estrogen-deficient rats.

Trabecular bone loss in estrogen deficiency is associated with enhanced bone resorption with a smaller increase in bone formation. We previously reported that low doses of strontium can increase trabecular bone volume in rodents by affecting bone resorption and formation. In this study we determined the effect of a new divalent strontium salt (S12911) on bone loss induced by E2 deficiency. Sprague-Dawley female rats (230 g, n = 15-25 per group) were sham operated or ovariectomized (OVX) and treated with 17 beta-estradiol (E2, 10 micrograms/kg/day, sc) or S12911 by gavage at the dose of 77, 154, or 308 mg/kg/day or the vehicle. Treatment for 60 days with S12911 resulted in a dose-dependent increase in plasma, urine, and bone strontium concentrations without any deleterious effect on total or skeletal growth. OVX rats were osteopenic compared to sham rats as shown by decreased femoral dry bone weight and mineral content measured on bone ash and by DXA. Treatment of OVX rats with S12911 prevented bone loss as bone ash and bone mineral content were restored to the values in sham rats. Trabecular bone volume measured by histomorphometry on the tibial metaphysis was decreased by 46% in OVX rats and was corrected by E2. Treatment of OVX rats with S12911 increased the trabecular bone volume by 30-36%. Histomorphometric indices of bone resorption (osteoclast surface and number) were increased in OVX rats and were reduced by S12911 to the levels in sham rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The direct depressant effect of LCB29 (idrocilamide) on mechanical tension of rat soleus muscle fibers.

The effect of LCB29 was tested on twitch characteristics, tetanic tension, and K+ and voltage-clamp contractures of rat soleus muscle fibers. In concentrations ranging from 10(-6) to 5 x 10(-4) M, LCB29 simultaneously inhibited the twitch amplitude, the maximum rate of tension development, and the maximum rate of relaxation. In concentrations ranging from 10(-5) to 10(-4) M, tetanic tension (100 Hz, 1 s) was inhibited by the same amount. The effect of 5 x 10(-5) M LCB29 was studied on K+ contractures and contractures induced, under voltage-clamp conditions, by long-lasting depolarizations. Its effect was significantly stronger than those on twitch and tetanic tension. In addition, LCB29 had a dual effect on strength--duration curves for mechanical threshold. It increased both the rheobasic potential and the steepness of the curve. It is concluded that LCB29 exerts a direct myorelaxant effect on rat soleus muscle; two sites of action are probably involved.

Cicletanine and hypertensive retinopathy.

The aim of the present work was to study the activity of a new antihypertensive drug, a synthetic furopyridine, cicletanine, upon hypertensive morphological lesions of the retina. The stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat strain (SHR-SP), known to develop hypertensive retinopathy, was a particularly suitable material in this view. The experiment was carried out in 39 rats (SHR-SP/A3N Iffa Credo), initially at the age of 11 weeks, divided into 3 groups: one as control group, the other two treated orally with 100 and 150 mg/kg cicletanine, respectively. All rats had free access to tap water containing 1% NaCl. For 46 days, blood pressure, body weight and death rate were recorded, then the rats were sacrificed. The eyes were removed, the posterior pole collected and fixed with Trump's liquid for transmission electron microscopy. In the control group, the capillaries showed marked hypertensive lesions. Multivesicular bodies were found in the different layers, particularly in the innermost layers; photoreceptor impairments could also be observed. In contrast to this group, both cicletanine-treated groups showed only rare and minimal lesions.

[Comparison of the effects of cicletanine and captopril on kidney and heart lesions in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP)]. / Comparaison des effets du ciclétanine et du captopril sur les lésions rénales et cardiaques du rat spontanément hypertendu (SHR-SP).

All studies carried out on stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) have clearly demonstrated that cicletanine protects tissues and vessels. This effect has also been observed with captopril. However, the effectiveness of captopril seemed to be dependent on its blood pressure lowering effect, and this was not found with cicletanine in previous experimental studies on SHR-SP. In view of the difference in effectiveness between captopril and cicletanine as regards blood pressure, it was considered important to compare the two compounds in a similar blood pressure complex. In this study, the effects of cicletanine at two dosage levels (3.33 and 10 mg/kg/day) on the tissue and vascular lesions of SHR-SP were compared with those of captopril in doses of 1 mg/kg/day. Iffa Credo SHR-SP rats aged 7 weeks were divided into four groups of 12 animals each: 2 groups received cicletanine 3.33 and 10 mg/kg/day respectively, 1 group received captopril 1 mg/kg/day and 1 group served as control. Blood pressure was recorded once a week. After 44 days of treatment, all animals were killed and autopsied. A significant antihypertensive effect was observed with both captopril (p less than 0.001) and cicletanine 10 mg/kg (p less than 0.05). In doses of 3.33 mg/kg cicletanine induced only a very slight fall in blood pressure, not significantly different from controls. On the other hand, histological and ultrastructural examinations showed better preservation of tissues and, chiefly, vessels with cicletanine at the two dosage levels than with captopril 1 mg/kg.

[Effects of cicletanine on kidney lesions associated with age. Light and electron microscopy studies]. / Effets du ciclétanine sur les lésions rénales liées à l'âge. Etudes en microscopie optique et électronique.

Aging laboratory animals constantly present with chronic progressive nephrosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of a chronic treatment with cicletanine in aging rats, notably as regards kidneys. Sixteen Wistar rats aged 26 months were divided into two groups: one group served as control, while the other received oral cicletanine 30 mg/kg/day. Blood pressure, weight and death rate were recorded. No rise of arterial pressure was observed in either group. The rats were killed on day 151, i.e. aged 31 months, after 5 months of treatment. All were autopsied and their kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, brain and eyes were removed for examination. Light microscopy of the renal tissue showed the lesions described in the chronic progressive nephrosis of the aging rat. These lesions were diffuse and pronounced in the control group and minimal in treated rats. The difference was confirmed by electron microscopy. The basal membrane of renal tubules was slightly thickened in the treated rats and two or three times thicker in control rats. Mitochondrial alterations were observed in the proximal tubules of controls but not in those of rats treated with cicletanine. Thus, after a 5-months treatment with cicletanine aging Wistar rats well known for their renal pathology were protected against kidney lesions in contrast with untreated rats.

[ Neuro-depressive properties of essential oil of lavender]. / Sur les propriétés neuro-dépressives de l'huile essentielle de Lavande.

Toxicity for albino rats is very low. In mice an anxiolytic effect is exhibited and the pentobarbital evokated sleeping time is increased in animals given essential oil, but this effect disappears if they are administrated during five days.

[Neurodepressive effects of the essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia Mill]. / Effets neurodépresseurs de l'huile essentielle de Lavandula angustifolia Mill.

Mice Swiss are orally given essential oil of lavander diluted at 1/60 in olive oil. Sedative effects are observed with some tests (hole board test, four plates test, plus-maze test, potentiation of barbiturate sleeping time). A significant interaction exists with pentobarbital: the sleeping time is increased and the asleeping time shortened.

Comparative choleretic and hepatoprotective properties of young sprouts and total plant extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis in rats.

Lyophilised ethanol and aqueous extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis young sprouts and total plant have been evaluated for choleretic and hepatoprotective activities in the rat. R. officinalis ethanol extracts prepared from young sprouts show a significant dose-related choleretic activity and are more active than the total plant extract. Aqueous extracts of young sprouts show a significant hepatoprotective effect on plasma GPT levels when given as pretreatment before carbon tetrachloride intoxication while the whole plant extract was inactive. Both sprouts and whole plant aqueous extracts were ineffective when given after carbon tetrachloride administration.

[Circadian variations of the mortality of mice due to cadmium sulfate]. / Etude des variations circadiennes de la mortalité de la souris vis-à-vis du sulfate de cadmium.

If circadian variations in tolerance to drugs have been often demonstrated, such observations about heavy metals are still very scarce. The present study proposes to determine if circadian variations occur in the tolerance of Mice to single lethal dose of cadmium sulphate. 400 female mice, kept in cages on a 8.00-20.00 L/D cycle, received IP a single cadmium sulphate injection at different doses (2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4 mg/kg) at different hours in the day (8.00, 14.00, 20.00 and 2.00 hrs.). Death number was determined each day during 10 consecutive days. The mortality percentage is a function of the time of the cadmium administration, varying between 3.3 and 21.7% for 2.5 mg/kg, between 16.7 and 43.3% for 3 mg/kg, between 33.3 and 71.7% for 3.5 mg/kg and between 73.3 and 96.7% for 4 mg/kg. The metal is the most toxic at 20.00 hr (mean: 58.3%) and the least at 2.00 hr. (mean: 33.7%). A circadian susceptibility to cadmium sulphate in Mice thus clearly appears, as has been recently described with mercury and platinum.