Amiodarone-induced reversible and irreversible hepatotoxicity: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Amiodarone is a highly effective treatment for supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmia; however, it could be associated with several serious adverse effects, including liver injury. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the clinical and histological features of two contrasting Japanese patients with amiodarone-induced reversible and irreversible hepatotoxicity. One patient with amiodarone-induced irreversible hepatotoxicity showed liver cirrhosis during treatment with amiodarone and died of hepatic failure; the other patient, who had reversible hepatotoxicity, showed a reversible course of liver function and imaging after discontinuation of amiodarone. CONCLUSIONS: We emphasize the importance of close monitoring of liver enzymes and evaluation of liver computed tomographic imaging as well as liver biopsy during treatment with amiodarone, and discontinuation should be considered when amiodarone-induced hepatotoxicity is suspected.

New 3-O-Alkyl-4a,10a-dihydrofusarubins produced by Fusarium sp. Mj-2.

Five new 3-O-alkyl-4a,10a-dihydrofusarubins (2-6) were isolated from the culture filtrate of a strain of Fusarium sp. (Mj-2), together with the known metabolite, anhydrofusarubin (1). The structures of the new metabolites were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses to be 3-O-butyl, 3-O-3'-methylbutyl, 3-O-2'-methylbutyl and 3-O-2'-phenylethyl-4a,10a-dihydrofusarubin A, and an isomer of 3-O-2'-phenylethyl-4a,10a-dihydrofusarubin A. Their antifungal and antibacterial activities were evaluated together with a 3-O-methyl derivative (7) prepared from 3-O-butyl-4a,10a-dihydrofusarubin A (2), indicating that the size of the O-substituent at C-3 in the 4a,10a-dihydrofusarubins negatively affected the metabolites' antimicrobial activity.

Construction and electro-optic properties of liquid-crystal display doped by rhodium nanoparticles.

We prepared 4'-pentylbiphenyl-4-carbonitrile (5CB)-stabilized rhodium (5CB-Rh) nanoparticles and poly(cyclodextrin) (PCyD)-stabilized rhodium (PCyD-Rh) nanoparticles. The average diameter of Rh nanoparticles stabilized by 5CB, PalphaCyD, PbetaCyD, and PgammaCyD are 1.2, 5.4, 6.8, and 5.2 nm, respectively. The nanoparticles were dispersed in liquid crystal 5CB to construct novel twisted nematic liquid crystal device (TN-LCD). Voltage holding ratio was measured for TN-LCD fabricated by doping PbetaCyD-Rh nanoparticles. The decrement of the voltage was very much reduced for that doped with PbetaCyD-Rh. The response time of this TN-LCD in the presence of PbetaCyD-Rh nanoparticles was faster than that in the absence.

Liquid crystal sol containing oleophilic Pd nanoparticles for liquid crystal device.

We have succeeded in preparation of liquid crystal sol containing oleophilic Pd nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized by multidentate copolymer and fabrication of the twisted nematic liquid crystal devices (TN-LCDs) by using Pd NP-containing liquid crystal sol. Oleophilic Pd NPs were prepared by refluxing Pd acetate solution in toluene/ethanol containing poly(N-vinyl-2-pyroridone-co-styrene). Oleophilic Pd NPs showed better solubility in liquid crystal medium than poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-stabilized NPs. The TN-LCDs were fabricated by using two kinds of practical liquid crystal materials doped with oleophilic Pd NPs. The NP-doped LCD showed 22% faster response than non-doped one at -20 degrees C without a chiral dopant. However, LCDs fabricated by liquid crystal materials with a chiral dopant were not affected by NPs. These results suggest that the effect of NPs on the electro-optic performance of LCD is incompatible with that of a chiral dopant.

Tensilin-like stiffening protein from Holothuria leucospilota does not induce the stiffest state of catch connective tissue.

The dermis of sea cucumbers is a catch connective tissue or mutable connective tissue that exhibits large changes in mechanical properties. A stiffening protein, tensilin, has been isolated from the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa. We purified a similar protein, H-tensilin, from Holothuria leucospilota, which belongs to a different family to C. frondosa. H-tensilin appeared as a single band with an apparent molecular mass of 34 kDa on SDS-PAGE. No sugar chain was detected. Tryptic fragments of the protein had homology to known tensilin. H-tensilin aggregated isolated collagen fibrils in vitro in a buffer containing 0.5 mol l(-1) NaCl with or without 10 mmol l(-1) Ca(2+). The activity of H-tensilin was quantitatively studied by dynamic mechanical tests on the isolated dermis. H-tensilin increased stiffness of the dermis in the soft state, induced by Ca(2+)-free artificial seawater, to a level comparable to that of the standard state, which was the state found in the dermis rested in artificial seawater with normal ionic condition. H-tensilin decreased the energy dissipation ratio of the soft dermis to a level comparable to that of the standard state. When H-tensilin was applied on the dermis in the standard state, it did not alter stiffness nor dissipation ratio. The subsequent application of artificial seawater in which the potassium concentration was raised to 100 mmol l(-1) increased stiffness by one order of magnitude. These findings suggest that H-tensilin is involved in the changes from the soft state to the standard state and that some stiffening factors other than tensilin are necessary for the changes from the standard to the stiff state.