Meloxicam inhibits the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

Cyclooxygenase-2 has been reported to play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis. The effects of meloxicam (a COX-2 inhibitor) on the growth of two colon cancer cell lines that express COX-2 (HCA-7 and Moser-S) and a COX-2 negative cell line (HCT-116) were evaluated. The growth rate of these cells was measured following treatment with meloxicam. HCA-7 and Moser-S colony size were significantly reduced following treatment with meloxicam; however, there was no significant change in HCT-116 colony size with treatment. In vivo studies were performed to evaluate the effect of meloxicam on the growth of HCA-7 cells when xenografted into nude mice. We observed a 51% reduction in tumor size after 4 weeks of treatment. Analysis of COX-1 and COX-2 protein levels in HCA-7 tumor lysates revealed a slight decrease in COX-2 expression levels in tumors taken from mice treated with meloxicam and no detectable COX-1 expression. Here we report that meloxicam significantly inhibited HCA-7 colony and tumor growth but had no effect on the growth of the COX-2 negative HCT-116 cells.

Transferase-deficiency galactosemia: immunochemical studies of the Duarte and Los Angeles variants.

Rabbit antibodies to purified human placental galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.12) were used to establish immunologic cross-reactivity patterns for the enzyme in hemolysates, prepared from red cells of a normal individual, a homozygous Duarte variant, and a heterozygous Los Angeles variant. The antibody immunoprecipitated all three forms of the enzyme. The amount of antibody absorbed by each hemolysate was related to the different levels of activity, and examination of hemolysate/antibody reaction mixtures by starch gel electrophoresis revealed that the antibody quantitatively precipitated all of the isoenzyme forms that characterize these three genetic variants.

Transferase-deficiency galactosemia: evidence for the lack of a transferase protein in galactosemic red cells.

Red blood cell lysates from normal individuals, a homozygous Duarte variant, and a patient with transferase-deficiency galactosemia were challenged with rabbit antibody to pure human placental galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase. Although the antibody quantitatively precipitated the enzymatically active proteins in the normal and Duarte hemolysates, the Duarte sample absorbed only about one-half as much antibody as did the normal. In contrast, the antibody did not react with the galactosemic hemolysate.

Nutrition and the patient requiring mechanical ventilatory support.

Respiratory function in mechanically ventilated patients (VP) is adversely affected by starvation and hypermetabolic stress. These patients are more successfully managed and extubated if proper nutritional support is provided. The features of metabolism and respiratory function in VP require moderation in glucose, fat, and protein administration. In delivering energy to VP, attention must be given to nearby tracheostomy sites complicating the parenteral route and airway-cuff problems that may inhibit effective enteral feeding.

Characterization of peptides in human cerebrospinal fluid.

The report of endorphin-like activity in human CSF [7] has stimulated us to study peptides in various CSF specimens. At first we attempted to fractionate CSF by gel-filtration and paper-mapping procedures. By these techniques, we have isolated a peptide (Gly-Ala3-Val-Leu) contaminated with glutamic acid (or glutamine), which could not be removed by either of these methods. An HPLC method was developed for peptide fractionations on a RP-18 column with a gradient of 18 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile. This system has been evaluated with synthetic peptides of molecular weight up to about 1850, and has the advantages that the buffer salts may be removed by lyophilization and separations are performed at or near neutral pH thus minimizing alterations in the structure of the peptides. The retention characteristics of peptides on a C18 column is a function of the pH of the buffer. This facilitates the characterization of peptides since each may be identified by its unique chromatographic behavior at different pH values on one column.

Adsorption of organic acids from amniotic fluid and urine onto silica gel before analysis by gas chromatography and combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

We describe a method for adsorbing organic acids from amniotic fluid and urine specimens onto a column of silica gel before analysis by gas chromatography and by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Analytical recoveries of individual organic acids by our adsorption method compare favorably with those obtained by a more laborious manual extraction with ethyl acetate. Results for specimens of amniotic fluid and urine show that our method gives better recoveries of most of the organic acids. Furthermore, because citric acid is also extracted in our method without extracting significant amounts of sulfate or phosphate, the method is a suitable alternative to methods involving the use of DEAE-Sephadex for concentrating these acids.