Assessment of the usefulness of magnetic resonance brain imaging in patients presenting with acute seizures.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is increasingly available as a tool for assessment of patients presenting to acute services with seizures. AIMS: We set out to prospectively determine the usefulness of early MRI brain in a cohort of patients presenting with acute seizures. METHODS: We examined the MR imaging studies performed in patients admitted solely because of acute seizures to Cork University Hospital over a 12-month period. The main aim of the study was to determine if the MRI established the proximate cause for the patient's recent seizure. We identified 91 patients who underwent MRI brain within 48 h of admission for seizures. RESULTS: Of the 91 studies, 51 were normal (56 %). The remaining 40 studies were abnormal as follows: microvascular disease (usually moderate/severe) (n = 19), post-traumatic gliosis (n = 7), remote symptomatic lesion (n = 6), primary brain tumour (n = 5), venous sinus thrombosis (n = 3), developmental lesion (n = 3), post-surgical gliosis (n = 3) and single cases of demyelination, unilateral hippocampal sclerosis, lobar haemorrhage and metastatic malignant melanoma. Abnormalities in diffusion-weighted sequences that were attributable to prolonged ictal activity were seen in nine patients, all of who had significant ongoing clinical deficits, most commonly delirium. Of the 40 patients with abnormal MRI studies, seven patients had unremarkable CT brain. MR brain imaging revealed the underlying cause for acute seizures in 44 % of patients. CT brain imaging failed to detect the cause of the acute seizures in 19 % of patients in whom subsequent MRI established the cause. CONCLUSION: This study emphasises the importance of obtaining optimal imaging in people admitted with acute seizures.

The in vitro study of influence of four novel platinum compounds on rodent melanoma cells.

The purpose of this study was to assess cytotoxic effect of four new platinum compounds on B16 and CIS91 melanoma cells in vitro. The following complexes were tested: (2) Tetrachlorobis (5,7-dimethyl-1,2,4-triazol [1,5alpha] pirymidine) platinum (IV), (3) trans-dichloro (dimethylsulfoxide) (5,7-dimetyl-1,2,4-triazol-[1,5alpha] pirymidine) platinum(II), (4) cis-dichloro(dimethylsulfoxide)(1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-carboxamide)platinum(II), (5) chloro(dimethylsulfoxide)(1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-carboxamide)platinum(II). We can conclude, that Pt-dmtp (2) represented the best cytotoxic properties in the group of four tested platinum compounds, Pt-rib-1 (4) has also a good cytotoxic properties although its IC50 value is quite high. We suppose that cytotoxic and soluble properties ot Pt-dmtp and Pt-rib-1 could be modified and improved.

[The significance of cathepsins B and D and their inhibitors in cancer disease]. / Znaczenie katepsyny B i D i ich inhibitorów w procesach nowotworowych. Cz. II.

Cathepsins play an important role in the pathogenesis of the great number of cancer diseases i.e. in breast, head and neck, liver, pancreas, colon and skin cancer. Estimation of cathepsins activity referring to different kinds of cancer diseases has a significance both in diagnostics and in monitoring of their running. An essential role in cancer disease development is also reported for cathepsins B and D inhibitors. Using drugs that are able to inhibit the harmful activity of cathepsins, would give a chance to supplement an anti-cancer therapy with the new agents. In future, it could increase the efficiency of cancer treatment in a significant way.

Effect of altitude training on the peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in sportsmen.

PURPOSE: The aim of this work was an evaluation of the influence of physical exercise in high-altitude conditions (about 2000 m above sea level) on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in 10 kayakers and 10 rowers. METHODS: During their training, the sportsmen performed different kinds of static and dynamic efforts. The blood samples were taken from the cubital vein on the control day at low altitude and at high altitude, and on the 4th, 10th, and 18th days of the training camp before and after exercise. The TBARS and lactic acid concentrations in blood plasma and SOD and CAT activities in erythrocytes were measured. RESULTS: A statistically significant increase of SOD and CAT activities in erythrocytes after exercise on the 4th, 10th, and 18th days of training was found. The TBARS concentration in erythrocytes decreased in a statistically significant way after the end of the 10th day of exercise (P < 0.01), and on 18th day it more than doubled (P < 0.001) when preexercise values were compared with postexercise values of each day. A statistically significant increase of TBARS concentration in blood plasma was observed only after the end of exercise on the 10th day-using the same comparison as above. A statistically significant increased lactic acid concentration in blood plasma was noticed both on 4th or 18th days of training. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained show the increasing generation of oxygen-derived free radicals and the compensatory intensification of SOD and CAT activities after training in altitude (high mountain) conditions.

Effect of novel platinum complexes on survival rate of B16 and Cl S91 melanoma cells and oxidation stress in vitro.

BACKGROUND: The aim of study was the assessment of two novel platinum complexes and their cytotoxic effect on murine melanoma cells. The evaluation of possible oxidation stress in neoplastic cells coexistent with the effect of these cytostatic agents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two lines of murine metastatic melanomas: B16 and Cl S91 were selected for the experiments. Two platinum compounds were tested: cis-dichloro(dimethylsulphoxide)(1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-carboxyamide)platinum (II) called Pt-complex 1 and chloro(dimethylsulphoxide)(1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-carboxyamide)platinum (II) called Pt-complex 2. Melanoma cells were incubated for 24 hours with the platinum complexes mentioned above and culture medium at the concentration of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.5 mg/ml. Survival rate of melanoma cells, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and the content of conjugated dienes were estimated. RESULTS: A number of statistically significant relationships between analysed parameters were observed. Negative correlation ratios were found between increasing levels of analysed platinum complexes and the survival rate of the cells of both melanoma lines as well as between the survival rate of Cl S91 melanoma cells and the level of lipid peroxidation products and SOD activity. On the other hand, there was a positive correlation between increasing platinum complexes and the level of lipid peroxidation products as well as between the survival rate of B16 melanoma cells and SOD activity and the content of CD. CONCLUSIONS: Oxygen free radicals may play an important role in the development of melanoma and cytostatic agents disturb the balance between generation and removal of reactive oxygen forms in melanoma cells.

[Significance of cathepsin B and D in physiologic and pathologic processes]. / Znaczenie katepsyn B i D w procesach fizjologicznych i patologicznych.

The lysosomal proteases play an important role in the cells nourishment, immunogenesis, development of the arteriosclerosis perturbations in blood vessel cells and in the pathogenesis of degeneration diseases, cancer diseases and in the great number of others. For the many cancer disease durations, an increased activity of the lysosomal enzymes both in blood serum and in tumor tissues was revealed. Over the past few years a particular attention have been paid to the fact that the high activity of some lysosomal enzymes i.e. cathepsin B and D is connected with the increased cancer invasiveness. The results of preliminary clinical research point to great diagnostic value of cathepsin B and D in breast cancer detection.

[Primary hyperparathyroidism diagnosed as a multicentric giant cell tumor of bone--case report]. / Pierwotna nadczynnosc przytarczyc zdiagnozowana jako guz olbrzymiokomórkowy wieloogniskowy--opis przypadku.

In this paper the case of hyperparathyroidism with clinical features of multicentric giant cell tumor of bone is reported. The pathological, radiological and clinical differences between these two entities are discussed.