-Efficacy and safety of using amlodipine in treatment of mild and moderate essential hypertension-. / Skutecznosc i bezpieczenstwo stosowania amlodypiny w leczeniu lagodnego i umiarkowanego nadcisnienia tetniczego samoistnego.

UNLABELLED: The present study aimed to assess the efficacy and tolerance of amlodipine (Norvasc-Pfizer) in the treatment of 152 patients with mild and moderate essential hypertension. This study was a multicenter and open trial and lasted 24 weeks. During 7 visits arterial blood pressure, heart rate, body weight and side effects of amlodipine were registered. The dosage of amlodipine was 5 to 10 mg/day. 59 patients received also other antihypertensive drugs in doses used before starting amlodipine treatment. 57 patients needed changes in amlodipine dosing from 5 to 10 mg/day. During the study no significant changes in body weight or heart rate were noticed. Mean arterial blood pressure dropped significantly from 123.9 +/- 0.6 at the beginning of the study to 102.3 +/- 0.8 mm Hg at the end of this study. During this study a total of 26 dropouts were noticed. The reasons of these dropouts were the following: side effects--6 patients, noncompliance--7 patients, insufficient hypotensive effect--7 patients, unknown reason--5 patients, hypertensive crisis--1 patient. The following side effects were observed ocdemata of the legs in 10.5%, headaches in 2% of patients. One patient complained of increased susceptibility to weather changes, 1 patient had nausea and dizziness and 1 had headaches, pains in the legs and chest and nausea. All these side effects were mild and transient. CONCLUSION: Results obtained in this trial suggest, that amlodipine is an efficient and well tolerated antihypertensive drug in patients with mild and moderate essential

The effect of cyclophosphamide derivatives on cellular cytotoxicity (NK, ADCC) in vitro.

We have studied the effect of alkylating agents (AA): cyclophosphamide (Cy), 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4HCy), mafosfamide (MF), and nitrogranulogen (NTG) on cytotoxicity evaluated in ADCC and NK assays. While NK cells were sensitive to AA, higher concentrations of 4HCy and MF were necessary to affect killer cells active in ADCC assay. NTG which was without any effect on ADCC was found to be the most efficacious inhibitor on NK activity.

Influence of promethazine on immune reactions. I. Characterization of promethazine effects on natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Promethazine has been shown to possess definite immunosuppressive activity in clinical and experimental organ transplantation. However, there are few data concerning the mechanism of its influence on immune reactions. In the present studies promethazine was shown to inhibit natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro. Combined analysis of 51Cr-release and single-cell assays revealed that this agent affects some processes involved in delivering the 'lethal hit' but not the binding of target cells nor the recycling capacity of effector cells. The possible mechanism of promethazine action at the cellular level is discussed.

Mast cells in regional lymph nodes responding to syngeneic and xenogeneic tumour MSVC and HeLa cell lines in BALB/c mice.

In response to primary and secondary stimulation by xenogeneic HeLa carcinoma cells or by syngeneic sarcoma MSVC cells the regional lymph nodes of BALB/c mice are enlarged, however, their absolute mast cells content does not increase and in relative terms a decrease of mast cells concentration is observed. These results are in accordance with our earlier observations that during antigeneic and T-cell mitogen stimulation the lymphatic mast cells population does not increase but is rather reduced. This may indicate the engagement of these cells in delayed-type hypersensitivity.

Lymphatic mast cells in response to in vitro stimulation by non-specific T-cell mitogens.

Activation of lymph nodes by the T-cell mitogens PHA and Con A is correlated with a depletion of lymphatic mast cells. This result, and our earlier reports on the depletion of mast cells in lymph nodes stimulated by allogeneic and tumour cells, as well as on the elevation of mast cell number in thymus-less 'nude' mice, lead us to the conclusion that antigen- or mitogen-stimulated T lymphocytes produce lymphokine(s) which degranulates mast cells and/or is responsible for their negative chemotaxis.

Decrease of lymphatic mast cells in response to syngeneic WAMIB tumor cells.

In response to the syngeneic carcinoma cells the regional lymph nodes are enlarged, but their lymphatic Mast Cell content was reduced in both, relative and absolute terms. This result confirms our earlier data on the depletion of lymphatic Mast Cells in the lymph nodes stimulated by various antigens.