ABSTRACT
We present a case of acute-onset diabetes insipidus in a 60-year-old woman who had been treated for breast cancer. MR images showed a thickened and enhancing pituitary stalk and an asymmetrical hypophysis. The clinical diagnosis of a pituitary metastasis of the breast carcinoma was made.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/secondary , Diabetes Insipidus/etiology , Pituitary Neoplasms/secondary , Bone Neoplasms/secondary , Fatal Outcome , Female , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Lymphatic Metastasis , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Middle Aged , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
A new process allows microencapsulation of purified human hemoglobin and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate to form neohemocytes. The microcapsule membrane is composed of phospholipids and cholesterol. Neohemocytes are substantially smaller than erythrocytes, contain 15.1 grams per decaliter of hemoglobin, and have a P50 value (the partial pressure of oxygen at which the hemoglobin is half-saturated) of 24.0 torr. All rats given 50-percent exchange transfusions survived with only limited evidence of reversible toxicity. Normal serum glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase values at 1, 7, and 30 days after transfusion were consistent with minimal hepatotoxicity. The concentration of blood urea-nitrogen was elevated by 35 percent after 1 day but returned to normal by day 7. However, histopathology revealed normal kidneys on day 1 as well as on days 7 and 30. Neohemocytes cleared from the circulation of transfused rats with an apparent half-life of 5.8 hours.
Subject(s)
Blood Substitutes/metabolism , Alanine Transaminase/blood , Animals , Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood , Bilirubin/blood , Blood Substitutes/adverse effects , Blood Transfusion , Blood Urea Nitrogen , Creatinine/blood , Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation/etiology , Hematocrit , Hemoglobins/metabolism , Humans , Microscopy, Electron , Oxygen/metabolism , RatsABSTRACT
Tumor cells often metastasize through lymphatic channels. It follows that localization of antitumor agents in the lymphatics may be therapeutically beneficial. This study determines the extent to which lipid composition controls lymphatic transport of a model compound ((14)C-sucrose) in liposomes following intraperitoneal administration in rats. All liposomes tested had mean diameters of approximately 0.2 µm. Liposomes were administerd to thoracic duct cannulated rats, and (14)C was quantified in thoracic lymph, several lymph nodes, blood, urine, and peritoneal wash. Changing liposome composition altered the rate of absorption of (14)C from the peritoneal cavity, stability in biological fluids, and the relative ability of liposomes to be retained by lymph nodes. Stability in biological fluids (plasma and lymph) appeared to be a reasonable predictor of observed lymph node recovery. Direct measures of lymph node level alone were poor measures of the ability of liposomes to function as prototypal lymphatic drug carriers. Neutral liposomes were better at reaching the general circulation following absorption from the peritoneal cavity.
