The intravascular administration of the ionic radiocontrast agent sodium iothalamate (2.9 g of iodine/kg body wt) to rats induced an increase in plasma concentration of immunoreactive endothelin from 21.3 +/- 1.2 to 36 +/- 3 fmol/mL, preceded by a transient rise in the plasma level of atrial natriuretic peptide and associated with a fall in RBF. Equi-iodine amounts of the nonionic agents ioxagl...

Efforts to anticipate, prevent, or control deliberate releases of biological agents are critical components of homeland security research. The lack of data on deliberately induced epidemics naturally leads to the use of mathematical models (capable of simulating realistic scenarios) in the evaluation of policies that ensure our security. Modeling single outbreaks of a disease can help give insi...

Selective release of inflammatory materials from leukocyte lysosomes is reduced by compounds which increase cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in suspensions of human leukocytes and is augmented by agents which increase cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels in these cell suspensions. Lysosomal enzymes are released in the absence of phagocytosis when cytochalasin B (...

Implantable contraceptive is likely to be a promising new option for fertility control, as we have entered the twenty-first century and the world’s population grows by one billion people in a single decade. The main objective of this study was to develop a subdermal implant for levonorgestrol (a synthetic progestin from 19-norandrostanes) using a high molecular weight biodegradable polymer , i....

Cisplatin continues to be a first line chemotherapy agent alone or in combination with other cytotoxic agents orradiotherapy. Dose-limiting side effects, intrinsic and acquired resistance are the main reasons for inventing and developing new ways of delivering cisplatin. Biocompatible hollow porous materials offer high void volume, shell porosity, low density and controllable size which make th...

By means of potentiometric titrations, the copper-complcxing properties of organic compounds released by 21 algal species are characterized. Most eucaryotic species relcascd measurablc amounts (lo-” M) of copper-complexing agents that could be modeled as weak organic acids with log{*&.,,,} = 0.5. Of seven blue-green algal species studied, four produced about 5 x lo+ M concentrations of strong c...

Bioterrorism is the use of biological agents outside the arena of war. Its purpose is to disrupt civilian life. This article investigates the role of the emergency department in the event of an act of bioterrorism.

Nanoscale drug delivery platforms can provide an attractive therapeutic strategy for cancer treatments, as they can substantially reduce the adverse side effects associated with toxic small-molecule anticancer agents. For enhanced therapeutic efficacy to be achieved with such platforms, a tumor-specific drug-release trigger is a critical requirement. This article reports the use of a pH-sensiti...

BACKGROUND Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been shown to be effective in inhibiting colorectal cancer. Cyclooxygenase activity is thought to mediate, in part, this cancer preventive effect. From observations made when cells that express cyclooxygenase activity were treated with NSAIDs and known cancer preventive agents, I have postulated that arachidonic acid (AA) release is ...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to analyze whether in chronic lymphocytic leukemia the cytosolic release of histone H1.2, a new apoptogenic mechanism induced by DNA damage, was associated with the presence of genetic abnormalities and with the response to treatment. DESIGN AND METHODS Primary tumoral chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells from 25 patients were investigated for histone H1.2 c...