[Interleukins and pregnancy: a disputed reality]. / Interleukinas y embarazo: una realidad cuestionada.

We are reviewing information concerning to the role of interleukins (ILs) in labor and pregnancy; these substances produce the ignition of the arachidonic acid/prostaglandins cascade to induce labor, this process could be also activated by bacterial lipopolysaccharides in this case we could have preterm labor. The activity and production of IL-2 normally is inhibited, if it does not happen an abortion could result. IL-3 and stimulatory growth factors (SGFs) are implicated in the growth and development of the pregnancy, the alteration in the production of this IL could produce intrauterine growth retardation, both of this ILs are acting in the maternal fetal interface. We consider very important that the gynecologists and obstetricians should have more information about ILs related to normal and complicated pregnancy.

Uptake of phenytoin by tissues of Mongolian gerbils.

1. Radioactive phenytoin was extracted from brain, cerebellum liver and kidney of i.p. injected Mongolian gerbils that were killed at hourly intervals. 2. The drug was extracted by two procedures. Procedure I involved acidification and chloroform extraction, the other, procedure II, an alkaline extraction, acidification and solubilization in chloroform (II). 3. Procedures I and II yielded 98 and 93% recoveries, respectively, from experiments performed either in vivo or in vitro. 4. Concentrations of labeled phenytoin found in brain, cerebellum, liver and kidney from the first to the fifth hour were 7.7, 7.8, 5.2, 4.0 and 2.2% (I) and 10.6, 8.5, 7.2, 4.0 and 2.8% (II) of the amount injected, correspondingly. 5. Concentrations of phenytoin in cerebellum were greater by a statistically significant margin than were those in other tissue at the third hour following the time of injection of radioactive phenytoin but liver and kidney concentrations were greater than cerebellum uptake at the fourth and fifth hour. 6. Brain showed the lowest incorporation of phenytoin throughout five hours.

Methods for tissue extraction of sodium diphenylhydantoinate.

Procedures (I and II) are described here for tissue extraction of sodium diphenylhydantoin. Both methods imply: a) cell lysis with distilled water and sodium hydroxide respectively, and b) protein precipitation. Procedure I utilizing trichloroacetic acid to a 20 per cent dilution in tissue homogenates and II requiring two protein precipitation stages, one with hot acetone and the second with concentrated hydrochloric acid. Sediment and acidified aqueous phases were extracted several times with chloroform. An experiment implied in vitro application of the radioactive compound to previously weighed portions of the brain, cerebellum, liver and kidney of gerbo mongol. Another experiment consisted in applying the same procedures for tissue drug extraction after injection of the marked compound. In both experiments recoveries ranged from 95 to 98 per cent with variation coefficients under 8 per cent and p less than 0.01. Therefore we recommend both procedures although the second yields more transparent end extracts.

Fluorescent characteristics of carbamazepine.

Previously undescribed carbamazepine fluorescence data were found in ethanolic solutions within a range of 200-550 nm. Concentrated H2S04, bidistilled ethanol and a 1:1 mixture of them showed lambda Exc. at 470 nm. A 10-fold fluorescence increase at 470 nm and 520 nm peaks were observed when 10 micrograms of ethanolic carbamazepine solution was activated with the same acid (1:1). A lambda Exc. of 300 nm and Anal. of 357 nm amounted to 60 per cent of the carbamazepine relative fluorescence values in comparison to 95 per cent when a 470/515 nm monochromators combination were used. A 12 hours fluorescence duration was detected for "activated" carbamazepine. The "filter effect" appeared within the range of 10 and 100 micrograms/ml of carbamazepine. Temperature induced an acute fluorescence decay starting at 23 degrees C. Identical wavelengths and others still unidentified were detected from carbamazepine extracted from human serum. The monochromators combination at 300/357 nm might be useful for serum extracted carbamazepine measurements.

Caracteristicas fluorescentes de la carbamacepina. / Fluorescent characteristics of carbamazepine

Describimos las caracteristicas fluorescentes de la carbamacepina. Esta, en solucion etanoliga, manifiesta lambda exc. a 470 y 520 nm.El etanol no muestra maximos de excitacion entre 200 y 550 nm; en cambio, el H2SO4 concentrado y su mezcla etanolica lo hacen a 479 nm, en proporcion 10 veces menor en ausencia de carbamacepina. Una meseta a lambda exc.de 300 nm y una lambda de anal de 357 brindan valores de 60 por ciento, en comparacion con 95 por ciento de fluorescencia relativa encontrados con la combinacion 470/515 nm para 10 micrograma de carbamacepina. Se detecta una duracion de 12 horas de la fluorescencia correspondiente a la carbamacepina "activada" El efecto de filtro se manifiesta entre los 10 y los 100 micrograma. La temperatura induce la declinacion de la emision despues de los 23oC hasta llegar a valores del reactivo de activacion a los 25oC. La carbamacepina extraida de suero humano revela las mismas lambdas exc. y valores intermedios correspondientes a compuestos sericos no investigados