ABSTRACT
Although there have been many successful, controlled demonstrations of the clinical efficacy of multicomponent treatments for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in the present study we sought to evaluate a single component of many of these regimens, relaxation training. Eight IBS patients received a 10-session (over 8 weeks) regimen of abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation with regular home practice while 8 comparable patients merely monitored GI symptoms. Based on daily GI symptom diaries collected for 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after treatment (or continued symptom monitoring), the Relaxation condition showed significantly (p = .05) more improvement on a composite measure of primary GI symptom reduction than the Symptom Monitoring condition. Fifty percent of the Relaxation group were clinically improved at the end of treatment.
Subject(s)
Colonic Diseases, Functional/therapy , Relaxation Therapy , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Severity of Illness Index , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Cellular and bacterial toxicities of four commonly used topical antimicrobials (1% povidone-iodine, 3% hydrogen peroxide, 0.25% acetic acid, and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite) were assayed in vitro using cultures of human fibroblasts and Staphylococcus aureus. All agents tested at full strength killed 100 percent of exposed fibroblasts. Fibroblast toxicity exceeded bacterial toxicity with serial dilutions of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid. Dilutions of povidone-iodine (1:1000) and sodium hypochlorite (1:100) were identified where no fibroblast toxicity occurred while full bactericidal activity persisted.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents, Local/pharmacology , Bacteria/drug effects , Fibroblasts/drug effects , Acetates/adverse effects , Acetates/pharmacology , Acetic Acid , Cells, Cultured , Humans , Hydrogen Peroxide/adverse effects , Hydrogen Peroxide/pharmacology , Povidone-Iodine/pharmacology , Sodium Hypochlorite/pharmacology , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Wound Healing/drug effectsABSTRACT
Three topical antibiotics and four antiseptics (1% povidone-iodine, 0.25% acetic acid, 3% hydrogen peroxide, and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite) were directly applied to cultured human fibroblasts to quantitatively assess their cytotoxicity. The four antiseptics were found to be cytotoxic; all of the cytotoxic agents except hydrogen peroxide were subsequently found to adversely affect wound healing in an animal model. Comparison of bactericidal and cytotoxic effects of serial dilutions of these four topical agents indicated the cellular toxicity of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid exceeded their bactericidal potency. Bactericidal noncytotoxic dilutions of povidone-iodine and sodium hypochlorite were identified. These experiments provide evidence that 1% povidone-iodine, 3% hydrogen peroxide, 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, and 0.25% acetic acid are unsuitable for use in wound care. This sequence of experiments could be used to identify bactericidal, noncytotoxic agents prior to their clinical use.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/toxicity , Anti-Infective Agents, Local/toxicity , Acetates/toxicity , Acetic Acid , Administration, Topical , Animals , Bacitracin/toxicity , Cells, Cultured , Female , Humans , Hydrogen Peroxide/toxicity , Kanamycin/toxicity , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Neomycin/toxicity , Povidone-Iodine/toxicity , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , Sodium Hypochlorite/toxicity , Tensile Strength/drug effects , Wound Healing/drug effectsABSTRACT
After CMV infection, significant reduction in directed neutrophil migration persisted through 21 days; reduction of random migration persisted through 14 days. The duration of these defects coincide with other immune derangements and increased susceptibility to lethal bacterial infections.
Subject(s)
Chemotaxis, Leukocyte , Cytomegalovirus Infections/immunology , Animals , Female , Mice , Neutrophils/physiology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
A technique of measuring directed and random migration of mouse neutrophils was developed to study these neutrophil functions in a standardized small animal population into which specific variables could be introduced. Values in healthy animals were highly reproducible; variations in random and directed migration did not exceed 9%. Mouse neutrophils had significant impairment of directed and random migration at 3, 5, and 8 days after infection with cytomegalovirus. Technical reproducibility and the ability to reflect a disease process make this model a promising one for the laboratory study of neutrophil migration.
Subject(s)
Chemotaxis, Leukocyte , Cytomegalovirus Infections/immunology , Animals , Cell Count , Culture Media , Female , Mice , Neutrophils/immunology , Neutrophils/pathology , SepharoseABSTRACT
A case of pure carcinoid of the testis is reported. The patient presented with metastatic carcinoid and the carcinoid syndrome 17 years after removal of the primary tumor. He died 2 years later. The long interval from initial orchiectomy to presentation with metastases strongly suggests that the original lesion was primary rather than metastatic. Only 2 cases have been reported to date in which an apparently pure primary testicular carcinoid developed metastases. In both of these cases the possibility that the testicular lesion itself was metastatic was not excluded.
