[The effects of nitroglycerin administered intravenously in acute myocardial ischemia]. / Efectele nitroglicerinei administrata intravenos în ischemia miocardica acuta.

The effects of i.v. nitroglycerin were studied by ECG and enzymatically in 16 patients (mean age 57.9 +/- 1.4 years) (NTG) in comparison with a control lot (c) of 17 patients (mean age 62.7 +/- 2.1 years) treated with dipyridamole and/or nifedipine (N), admitted in the first 4-10 hours after the onset of the first symptoms. The patients with heart failure and those with Q waves and CPK or LDH values greater than 2 x n were not admitted. NTG was administered in doses of 20 micrograms--60 microgram/hour for 24-96 hours and systolic AT (s) was kept under 10% of the basic values but not under 100 mmHg. Myocardial infarction appeared in 9 N-treated patients (54.86%) and 11 controls (58.25%) (p = 0.07). The size of myocardial necrosis was reduced in the N-treated patients. Peak serum CPK levels had considerably less increases in N (from 72.9 U to 73.4 U) (p greater than 00.5) versus C from 34.2 U to 364.5 U) (p less than 0.001). The sum of segmentary depression failed from 9.13 mm to 3.19 mm (p less than 0.05) in N, whereas in C the decrease was not significant (6.12 mm as against 9.38 mm; p greater than 0.05). The evolution was severe in C, as the angina crises (14 cases versus 2 cases, p less than 0.01) and the extension of the infarction (8 cases versus, 0; p 0.05) less than 0.05) appeared more frequently than in N. Only two patients in C died (p less than 0.05). Therefore, i.v. NTG administration in small doses in acute myocardial infarction leads to immediate disappearance of the anginal pain, lowers the extent of the myocardial necrosis and improves the clinical evolution.

Dexamethasone-isonicotinate aerosol in the long-term treatment of steroid-dependent asthmatic children.

Dexamethasone-isonicotinate aerosol (DIA) was administered to twenty-nine steroid-dependent children with chronic perennial asthma, in an open trial during one year. An attempt was made to withdraw systemic corticosteroid therapy. As judged by clinical results, inhaled dexamethasone-isonicotinate controlled the asthma quite as well as did previous therapy. Oral corticosteroids were withdrawn in 27 patients, and the dosage considerably reduced in another two. Cushingoid features subsided. There was a statistically significant improvement in most pulmonary function parameters (airway obstruction and lung hyperinflation were reduced towards normal). Reduction of systemic steroid dosage resulted in the appearance of previously suppressed manifestations such as hay fever, eczema, and nasal polyps. There was no increased tendency to the occurrence of respiratory tract infection; routine examination showed Candida albicans in about 37% cultures.

Histochemical patterns in human breast tumours.

Histochemical investigations carried out on 104 breast tumours (10 benign proliferations and 94 carcinomas) showed that breast carcinomas were characterized by various enzymological equipments in relation to tumour differentiation degree, histogenesis, functional stage, site of tumour cells in the carcinomatous islands or cords and to hormonal factors. Tumour cells -- stroma interrelationships study pointed out that high glycolysis (high LDH, NADPH2-TR, NADH2-TR activities) and an intense LEPA-activity of tumour cells seem to be favourable for proliferation and local tumour cells migration.

Dexamethasone isonicotinate aerosol therapy in patients with chronic bronchial asthma.

Dexamethasone isonicotinate aerosols were used for the management of 106 patients (33 men, 73 women) with bronchial asthma (mean age 32.7 years); 62 of the patients were steroid-dependent (maintenance dose 1 to 25 mg prednisone/day for 0.5 to 11 years) at the start of the study. A diary of symptoms (including consumption of antiasthmatic drugs) was kept; physical examination and measurement of pulmonary function (peak flow rate, forced expiratory volume in one second) were performed during a one-to-four week control period, as well as at various intervals (up to 14 months) after the start of corticosteroid aerosol therapy. Clinical subjective and objective improvement was accompanied by a significant increase in ventilatory function indices (e.g. the FEV1.0 rose from a control average of 55.5% of predicted to 72% after 4 weeks and 85% after 12 months). The antiasthmatic drug consumption decreased markedly. Administration of systemic steroids could be withdrawn in 49 of the 62 steroid-dependent patients (79%); in the remaining 13 the dose was only lowered. The side-effects were minor (hoarseness of the voice, oropharyngeal candidosis), and limited to a few cases. It is concluded that bronchial asthma can be successfully controlled in four fifths of the patients by very low doses of dexamethasone isonicotinate aerosols, with practically no systemic effects.