bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Trial Comparison of a Sustained Release Form of Amitriptyline with Dothiepin
Authors: Dorman T
Published: January 2017

A double-blind between-group trial was undertaken in fifty depressed patients to compare the efficacy of a sustained release form of amitriptyline (Lentizol®) with dothiepin (Prothiaden®) over a 5-week period. Patients fulfilling defined admission criteria were randomly allocated to treatment with evening dosage of either 50 mg of the sustained release preparation or 75 mg of dothiepin for the first week of the trial. Subject to review as necessary, these dosages were doubled at the end of the first week. Both drugs effected significant and appreciable improvement over the 5-week period, with the mean responses at the end of the trial retaining the same relative positions as at the beginning.
A Clinical Trial of Cotrimazine (Sulfadiazine + Trimethoprim) in Flare-Ups of Chronic Bronchitis
Authors: Leone G , Lanza R , Paoletti V , Parlapiano C , Vincentelli G M
Published: January 2017

The authors treated acute flare-ups of chronic bronchitis with a combination of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) (cotrimazine). They treated thirty patients for a week, with daily dosages of 900 mg SDZ and 300 mg TMP, in an open trial in comparison with ampicillin 2 g daily.

The result of treatment (course and duration of the acute episode, fever, cough, dyspnoea, sputum amount and description, chest sounds, ESR, and WBC count), tested by suitable statistical methods, showed that cotrimazine had excellent therapeutic activity and was readily tolerated; over-all results compared closely with those obtained with ampicillin.

In their concluding remarks the authors state that in addition to being effective in the morbid condition selected for trial, cotrimazine offers some advantages over similar combinations of TMP and other sulfonamides, both because of the intrinsic physicochemical and pharmacological properties of SDZ and because of its lower dosage in this combination.
Therapeutic Efficacy of Flupenthixol Decanoate in Schizoaffective Disorder: A Clinical Evaluation
Authors: Singh Amarendra Narayan
Published: January 2017

The present open study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and side-effects of flupenthixol, a thioxanthene derivative in the treatment of schizoaffective psychosis. A total of twenty in-patients, selected according to specific research criteria were treated with flupenthixol (20 mg to 60 mg i.m. q.2.weeks) for a period of 6 months. During the course of the study, a detailed battery of psychiatric rating scales was completed prior to the commencement of the treatment and at regular intervals thereafter. Additionally, detailed physical examinations and laboratory tests were also carried out at regular intervals. Results show that fifteen patients improved significantly, two patients remained unchanged while three patients deteriorated and were discontinued. Adverse effects were minimal and limited to tremor and akathisia. The present study highlights the usefulness of flupenthixol as a monotherapy in the management of schizoaffective psychosis.
A Preliminary Study on the Use of Calcitonin in Clinical Psychopathology
Authors: Mussini M , Agricola R , Moia G Coletti , Fiore P , Rivolta A
Published: January 2017

After having reviewed the properties of calcitonin (Ci), a hormone involved in calcium-phosphate metabolism and bone turnover, mention is made of the effects of Ct at the level of the CNS and its role as a neuromediator interfering with endorphins, prolactin, dopamine and the Ca concentration of the CSF. Overall's rating scale was used to evaluate the effects of synthetic salmon Ct in nine subjects with severe depression syndromes refractory to normal therapy. The study demonstrated statistically significant improvements of the major symptoms (behavioural excitation, depression, agitation, anxiety and affectivity). The favourable results justify broader and more detailed studies involving the relationship between Ct and psycho-pathology.
Arginine Thiazolidinecarboxylate in the Treatment of Chronic Active Hepatitis: Double-Blind Comparison with Placebo
Authors: Miracco Antonio , Iodice Giuseppe , Peluso Ciro , Quarentelli Augusto , Selce Pasquale , Tedesco Adolfo , Pastore Pietro
Published: January 2017

Forty-four patients with chronic active hepatitis were given arginine thiazolidinecarboxylate (800 mg/day per os for 40 days) or placebo in a randomized, double-blind trial.

The most important liver function parameters were measured in each patient at the beginning of the trial, after 20 days, and at the end of the trial. The active drug lessened the parameters of necrosis and cholestasis while protein synthesis improved in liver cells. The differences between ATCA and placebo groups were highly significant.

No treatment-related side-effects were reported.
A Multicentre Comparison of Piroxicam and Indomethacin in Acute Soft Tissue Sports Injuries
Authors: Edwards Vernon , Wilson A A , Harwood H F , Manning S I , Brabbin W , Walker J W , Jones D G , Thomas D V P , Rimmer R , Berry W H C , Crane J L
Published: January 2017

One hundred and five patients suffering from sport-associated soft tissue injuries were included in a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy and side-effects of Piroxicam and indomethacin. Patients were treated for 7 days. Both groups showed a similar degree of improvement in joint tenderness, swelling and pain. Eighty-eight per cent of patients on Piroxicam showed a marked or moderate improvement in their injury at the end of the trial and 79% of indomethacin-trealed patients. Approximately 50% of patients in both groups resumed full activity within 7 days. One patient, in the indomethacin group, was withdrawn from treatment due to a side-effect.
Acidrine® in the Management of Gastritis and Duodenitis. A Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Galeone M , Cacioli D , Toti G L , Moise G , Megevand J , Benazzi E , Michetti F
Published: January 2017

Thirty-nine adult out-patients with dyspepsia and endoscopically proven gastritis and/or duodenitis without ulcer, completed a double-blind, placebo controlled, 8-week clinical trial of either Acidrine® (twenty-one patients) or placebo (eighteen patients), at a daily dosage of 2 tablets t.i.d.

Treatment with Acidrine resulted in a significant improvement in symptoms and in the endoscopic appearance of the gastritis and duodenitis when compared with placebo.
Comparison of a Long-Acting Form of Propranolol and Conventional Propranolol in the Treatment of Hypertension in Elderly Patients
Authors: Khan A. U.
Published: January 2017

Nineteen elderly hypertensive patients already being treated with a diuretic and, where necessary, another anti-hypertensive agent, were studied in a double-blind, randomized, crossover comparison of conventional propranolol, 40 mg three times daily, with a long-acting propranolol formulation, 160 mg once daily, as a second line agent. Patients were assessed before taking the morning's allocated medication. This was done as near as possible to 24 h after the last dose of once daily propranolol and as near as possible to 15 h after the last dose of three times daily conventional propranolol. Assessment was carried out at the time of randomization and after 4 weeks' treatment with both propranolol formulations. Heart rate and blood pressures were measured in the supine and standing positions and after exercise. Both propranolol formulations were effective as second line agents in these elderly patients and both were well tolerated. Patient compliance on both propranolol formulations was very good although the long-acting formulation may be of value in improving this still further.
Activity of Epomediol in the Treatment of Hepatopathies: A Double-Blind Multi-Centre Study
Authors: Capurso L. , Kock M. , Ferrario F. , Del Sette F. , Gramolini C. , Castiglioni C. L.
Published: January 2017

A multi-centre study with epomediol discoids (200 mg three times daily for 30 days) versus placebo was carried out in 519 patients either with symptoms attributable to hepatopathy and/or alterations in the hepatic function. Epomediol was given to 257 patients chosen at random and the remaining 262 were given placebo. In cases of hepatopathy in which there was no severe damage to the hepatic parenchyma the symptoms of the disease were reduced and the laboratory parameters were improved on treatment with epomediol, whereas the activity of the drug was low in patients with chronic hepatopathy. This confirms that the clinical use of epomediol is most useful in cases of hepatopathy in which the change in hepatic function is still reversible.
A Double-Blind Comparison of 0.25% and 0.05% Desoxymethasone, 0.1% Betamethasone Valerate and 1% Hydrocortisone Creams in the Treatment of Eczema
Authors: Ashton R. E. , Catterall M. , Morley N. , Fairris G. , Joseph D. N.
Published: January 2017

The efficacy and acceptability of 0.25% and 0.05% desoxymethasone, 0.1% betamethasone valerate and 1% hydrocortisone creams were compared in patients with eczema. A double-blind parallel group multi-centre design was employed in which 96 patients were recruited by four centres. Patients used one cream for a 3-week period and follow-up assessment visits were made at weekly intervals. Efficacy variables were: erythema/redness, scaling, itching and extent of area affected. These variables were assessed by both the investigator and the patient. The 0.25% desoxymethasone was the most effective treatment, producing the greatest degree of improvement in all clinical parameters, hydrocortisone was the least effective and 0.05% desoxymethasone was of intermediate effectiveness. The 0.1% betamethasone produced similar results to 0.25% desoxymethasone for half the assessments; for the other half the results were similar to 0.05% desoxymethasone. No adverse effects were reported during the study. The results are discussed in terms of physical properties of the vehicles and corticosteroid potency.
Effect of Atropine on Insulin Secretion in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Harju E. , Nordback I.
Published: January 2017

The effect of an anti-cholinergic drug (atropine) on insulin secretion was studied in a double-blind manner by the glucagon C-peptide secretion test in five healthy subjects and controlled with saline only (placebo) in four subjects. Blood C-peptide increased only by 157% in the group given atropine and by 252% in the group given placebo. The blood glucose concentration increased by 25% and 32%, respectively. Thus, it is concluded that the cholinergic system, probably through the vagus nerve, has an insulin secretion stimulating effect. The results also suggest that denervation of the vagus nerve, e.g. in gastric surgery, may partly explain post-prandial hyperglycaemia particularly found in dumping.
Treatment of Hypertensive Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias: Comparison and Combination of β-Blocker and Anti-Arrhythmic Therapy
Authors: Somma S. Di , Savonitto S. , Petitto M. , Liguori V. , Magnotta C. , de Divitiis O.
Published: January 2017

The effect of therapy with atenolol and tocainide, separately or in combination, was studied in 20 patients with hypertension and concomitant ventricular arrhythmias. Patients were given 400 mg tocainide, three times daily, 100 mg atenolol, once daily (plus 25 mg hydrochlorothiazide and 2.5 mg amiloride diuretics if required) and a combination of these treatments. Tocainide alone significantly reduced the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias without affecting atrial arrhythmias. It also controlled exercise-induced arrhythmias in 7/13 (54%) patients. Atenolol significantly reduced atrial arrhythmias and had a good effect on exercise-induced arrhythmias (reduced in 75% of patients), but it did not have a significant effect on ventricular arrhythmias. In 13 patients, despite normalization of blood pressure by atenolol, it was necessary to combine antihypertensive therapy (atenolol) with anti-arrhythmic therapy (tocainide) in order to reduce ventricular arrhythmias. All drugs were well tolerated. It is concluded that, in certain patients, specific anti-arrhythmic treatment may be necessary to control ventricular arrhythmias in hypertensive patients despite normalization of blood pressure by β-blockers.
Effects of Chronic Atenolol Therapy on Cardiovascular Response to Isometric Exercise in Essential Hypertension
Authors: Kobayashi Y. , Kuniyoshi K. , Miyata H. , Kawata S. , Kajiwara N.
Published: January 2017

Cardiovascular response to 2 min of isometric handgrip exercise at 50% of maximum voluntary contraction was studied echocardiographically in 10 essential hypertensives, before and during treatment with atenolol for a mean of 2 months. The patients responded with increases in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, cardiac output and calculated triple product, no changes in stroke volume and total peripheral resistance, and decreases in ejection fraction, mean velocity of circumferential shortening and mean diastolic posterior wall velocity of the left ventricle before treatment. Chronic atenolol therapy attenuated the increases in heart rate, blood pressure and triple product, and the decreases in ejection fraction, mean velocity of circumferential shortening and mean diastolic posterior wall velocity of the left ventricle but resulted in a marked increase in total peripheral resistance. The pressure response and triple product rise in response to isometric handgrip exercise were also decreased. This suggests an obvious advantage to hypertensive patients who may, therefore, be protected from the risk of cardiovascular complications following isometric exercise.
Mechanism of Action of the Antitumour Effect of K18
Authors: Fujii T. , Niimura K. , Furusho T. , Sugita N. , Oikawa M. , Takahashi N. , Yoshimura M. , Oguchi Y. , Iijima H. , Matsunaga K. , Saito K. , Kobayashi Y. , Fujii M. , Yoshikumi C. , Taguchi T.
Published: January 2017

K18 is an anticancer drug for oral administration comprising about five molecules of melphalan, an alkylating drug, covalently bonded to human immunoglobulin G. This study measured the in vitro antitumour activity of K18, melphalan and immunoglobulin G on human myeloma cells (RPMI-8226) and the in vivo antitumour effects of K18 and melphalan in BALB/c nude mice bearing human lung cancer cells (LC-10). The relative tumour-inhibitory effect, in vitro, was found to be: immunoglobulin G <K18 <melphalan. This activity of K18 was about half the theoretical value indicating that melphalan molecules are not released easily from the conjugate. K18 showed strong antitumour activity in vivo which continued after stopping administration. On the other hand, the effects of melphalan did not continue after administration was stopped. The distribution of [125I]K18 and [14C]melphalan was examined in BALB/c nude mice 14 days after implantation of LC-10 cells. Radioactivity levels in the major organs showed a transient rapid increase followed by a gradual decline. In tumours, [14C]melphalan levels increased transiently and then decreased, whereas [125I]K18 levels persisted following intravenous administration.
Comparative Efficacy of Once Daily Loratadine versus Terfenadine in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Banov C. H.
Published: January 2017

This 1 week study compared the efficacy of once daily administration of 10 mg loratadine with 120 mg terfenadine in out-patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. It focussed on the efficacy of treatment at the end of the 24 h period following a daily dose. The study was designed as a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group trial, and 41 patients were enrolled and evaluated for efficacy. Patients took an initial dose at the study site and returned on days 2 and 8. At day 2 (24 h after the initial dose), according to the physician's evaluation 57% of loratadine-treated patients had a good or excellent response, compared to 50% of those given terfenadine. At day 8, 24 h after the final dose, 71% of the loratadine-treated patients and 35% of the terfenadine-treated patients had a good or excellent response ( P = 0.03). At days 2 and 8, reductions in mean symptom scores measured 22, 23 and 24 h after the initial and final doses showed an indication of being greater with loratadine than with terfenadine (non-significant due to small sample size). The incidence of sedation was similar in both groups. It is concluded that 10 mg loratadine, administered once daily, controls the symptoms of rhinitis more effectively than 120 mg terfenadine given once daily in the last few hours of the 24 h dosing period.
A Multicentre Open Comparison of Isosorbide-5-Mononitrate and Nifedipine Given Prophylactically to General Practice Patients with Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris
Authors: Ankier S. I. , Fay L. , Warrington S. J. , Woodings D. F.
Published: January 2017

A total of 126 patients from general practice with chronic stable angina pectoris entered the treatment phase of this open, randomized, crossover comparison of 20 mg isosorbide-5-mononitrate, and 20 mg nifedipine. Both treatments were given orally, three times daily, for 4 weeks and sublingual administration of glyceryl trinitrate was allowed throughout. Over the whole treatment period, there was no statistically significant difference between treatments for anginal attacks. However, significantly fewer glyceryl trinitrate tablets were required by patients receiving prophylaxis with nifedipine, although this difference was too small to be of clinical significance. No statistical difference existed between treatments in respect of scores for ‘overall intensity of pain’, ‘physical exercise ability’ and ‘general well-being’. Of those patients who expressed a preference, the majority preferred the second treatment with no statistically significant difference between isosorbide-5-mononitrate and nifedipine. Both treatments showed similar levels of adverse events, the major difference (not significant) being for flushing of the skin which occurred in five patients given nifedipine compared with one patient given isosorbide-5-mononitrate. It is concluded that, in clinical terms, the two treatments were similar. Headache and dizziness/giddiness were the most frequently recorded adverse events.
Altering the Course of Proliferative Nephritides: The Challenge of the 1990s
Authors: Wardle E N
Published: January 2017

There is considerable evidence based on experimental pathology that heparin/heparinoids will benefit the course of the various forms of human proliferative nephritis. An alternative to heparin may be pentosan polysulphate. Another possibility is the infusion of prostaglandin E1 because of its anti-inflammatory and potentially antiproliferative actions. Both these approaches mimic natural pathophysiological control mechanisms.
The Effect of Vivida® Cream as Compared with Placebo Cream in the Treatment of Sun-Damaged or Age-Damaged Facial Skin
Authors: Lassus A , Eskelinen A , Santalahti J
Published: January 2017

Vivida® when used orally has been previously shown to be effective in treating degenerated skin of women. In the present study, 30 women with moderate to severe sund-amaged facial skin applied Vivida® cream twice daily for 120 days on one side of the face and placebo to the other. Vivida® was significantly ( P < 0.001) more effective than placebo in improving wrinkles. The effects of Vivida® cream on mottles and telangiectasis were also significantly ( P < 0.01) greater than those of placebo. Scanner measurement showed that epidermal thickness increased from 0.13 mm to 0.29 mm and dermal thickness from 0.91 mm to 1.29 mm on the Vivida®-treated side; only minimal changes were observed on the placbeo-treated side. The elasticity index increased from about 50% to 69% on the Vivida®-treated side and from 49% to 50% on the placebo-treated side.

Oral verabreichte Vivida® zeigte sich früher wirksam in der Behandlung der degenerierten Haut von Frauen. In der vorliegenden Studie trugen 30 Frauen mit mittelschweren bis schweren Sonnenschäden der Gesichtshaut zweimal täglich über 120 Tage Vivida® Creme bzw. Plazebo auf beide Gesichtshälften auf. Vivida® verbesserte Hautfalten signifikant wirksamer als Plazebo ( P < 0.001). Die Wirkung von Vivida® auf Flecke und Telangiektasen war auch im Vergleich mit Plazebo signifikant stärker ( P < 0.01). Ultraschallmessung ergab eine Zunahme der epidermischen Dicke von 0.13 mm auf 0.29 mm und der dermischen Dicke von 0.91 auf 1.29 mm auf der mit Vivida®-behandelten Gesichtshälfte; nur minimale Veränderungen wurden auf der plazebo-behandelten Hälfte beobachtet. Der Elastizitäts-index stieg von ca. 50% auf 69% auf der Vivida®-behandelten Hälfte und von 49% auf 50% auf der plazebo-behandelten Hälfte auf.
Pregnancy by Means of Tubal Insemination and Subsequent Spontaneous Pregnancy in Rabbits
Authors: Kanayama K , Sankai T , Nariai K , Endo T , Sakuma Y
Published: January 2017

The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not physical stimulation by tubal insemination had any unfavourable influences upon the tubal fimbria. Tubal insemination was carried out on 14 rabbits and subsequent pregnancy results were monitored. After a period of 69 − 123 days following tubal insemination, 10 of the rabbits were mated spontaneously and these rabbits were then monitored for pregnancy. Newborn were obtained, with normal gestation periods in six out of the 14 rabbits, following tubal insemination and all 10 of the rabbits that were mated spontaneously with males following tubal insemination subsequently delivered. It is concluded that physical stimulation by tubal insemination does not produce adhesive changes on the tubal fimbria.
A Parallel-Group Comparison of Budesonide and Beclomethasone Dipropionate for the Treatment of Perennial Allergic Rhinitis in Adults
Authors: Al-Mohaimeid H
Published: January 2017

The efficacy and safety of the two intranasal glucocorticosteroids, budesonide and beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP), were compared in a single-blind study of 120 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. Patients were randomized to receive either budesonide 200 μg twice daily or BDP 200 μg twice daily from pressurized nasal inhalers for 3 weeks. No other anti-rhinitis medication was allowed during the study. Patients recorded symptoms (blocked nose, runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing, runny eyes and sore eyes) daily on a diary card and were asked to make a global assessment of their treatment at the end of the study. Mean daily symptom scores were lower in patients receiving budesonide than in those receiving BDP for all symptoms, although treatment differences only reached statistical significance for runny nose and sneezing. After 3 weeks, 38% of patients on budesonide and 27% on BDP were totally symptom-free, and 72% of patients on budesonide described the treatment as noticeably, very or totally effective compared with 58% on BDP. In conclusion, the present study showed budesonide to be more effective in controlling symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis than BDP.
A Double-Blind Crossover Study of Two Cyclobenzaprine Regimens in Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Authors: Santandrea S , Montrone F , Sarzi-Puttini P , Boccassini L , Caruso I
Published: January 2017

In a double-blind crossover study, the efficacy and tolerability of oral cyclobenzaprine administered in two different regimens were compared in 40 patients affected by primary fibromyalgia syndrome. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. Each group of 20 patients was treated for 15 days with either a single dose of 10 mg/day cyclobenzaprine at bedtime or 30 mg/day cyclobenzaprine in three equal doses daily. Following treatment there was a 15-day washout period before the groups were crossed over to the other treatment. Both regimens resulted in a significant decline in the number of tender points; significant improvements were also reported in the quality of sleep, anxiety, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome and stiffness. There was no significant difference in efficacy between the two therapeutic regimens at any stage during the trial. The frequency of reported side-effects was significantly greater ( P < 0.001) when patients received 30 mg/day cyclobenzaprine (26 patients, 84%) than when they received 10 mg/day (10 patients, 27%). A dose of 10 mg cyclobenzaprine at bedtime significantly improved the symptomatology of patients affected by primary fibromyalgia syndrome. The higher dose did not further reduce these symptoms but did result in a higher incidence of side-effects.
Comparative Efficacy of Salbutamol and Salmeterol in Exercise-Induced Asthma
Authors: Sichletidis L , Daskalopoulou E , Kyriazis G , Kosmidou I , Koupidou S , Pechlivanidis T , Chloros D
Published: January 2017

This study compared the protection provided by salbutamol and salmeterol against exercise-induced asthma. Asthmatic patients ( n = 12) with exercise-induced asthma were exercised submaximally for 6 min on a treadmill 1, 6 and 12 h after inhalation of 200 μg salbutamol or 50 μg salmeterol. Each patient also took baseline exercise 1 h after two puffs of placebo. Two days later the drugs were administered in a double-blind trial of crossover design with an interval of 48 h between the two treatments. The main parameters measured were: air flow with a Wright flowmeter and mediator concentrations (histamine, leucotriene and prostaglandin D2 measured by radioimmunoassay) in venous blood, which was withdrawn before and 4 min after each exercise period. The maximum percentage bronchoconstriction recorded following placebo was 29 ± 4% and following salbutamol inhalation it was 4 ± 4%, 20 ± 13%, 27 ± 10%, respectively, for the exercise periods performed 1, 6 and 12 h after inhalation of the drug. Following salmeterol, the corresponding figures were 3 ± 4%, 3 ± 3% and 11 ± 9%. The concentrations of mediator in plasma were significantly increased after exercise. Salbutamol and salmeterol intake reduced these concentrations both when the patients were at rest and following the exercise period. This effect of both drugs on the mediators corresponded with the protection they provided against exercise-induced asthma and was maintained for 12 h after salmeterol inhalation and for 6 h after salbutamol inhalation.
Dose-Dependent Effect of Hydroxymethylglutaryl – Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitor on Serum Cholesterol with Limited Dietary Restrictions: A Case Study
Authors: Okada S , Ichiki K , Tanokuchi S , Ota Z
Published: January 2017

Hydroxymethylglutaryl–coenzyme A (HMG–CoA) reductase inhibitor (pravastatin sodium) can selectively inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver and may lower serum cholesterol concentrations even where there are no particular dietary restrictions. A 72-year old housewife with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus complicated by hyperlipaemia type IIb, who did not follow directions for diet therapy or kinesitherapy, was administered HMG–CoA reductase inhibitor. The initial dose of 10 mg/day HMG–CoA reductase inhibitor was increased by 10 mg/day every 4 weeks to 30 mg/day, maintained at 30 mg/day for 8 weeks and then reduced gradually until discontinuation after a further 27 weeks. Test results showed the changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apoprotein B to be dose-dependent. The findings represent the first clinical evidence that hypercholesterolaemia can be adequately managed by the use of HMG–CoA reductase inhibitor, even when no specific dietary restrictions are imposed, and may contribute to improvements in the quality of daily life for many patients suffering from hyperlipaemia type IIb.
The Effect of a Very Low Dose of Tolbutamide Combined with an α-Glucosidase Inhibitor in Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Okada S , Ishii K , Hamada H , Tanokuchi S , Ichiki K , Ota Z
Published: January 2017

The effect of adding a very low dose of a sulphonylurea (tolbutamide) to the treatment of 10 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was investigated. Patients took 0.1 mg tds of an α-glucosidase inhibitor orally for 8 weeks, and 50 mg tds of the sulphonylurea, tolbutamide, for the last 4 weeks of this period. The glycosylated haemoglobin level was significantly reduced during the combined treatment period compared with the level after treatment with α-glucosidase inhibitor alone ( P = 0.035), although not compared with the pretreatment level. There were no significant changes in postprandial blood glucose, serum lipid levels or connective peptide immunoreactivities. These preliminary results indicate that the addition of a very low dose of tolbutamide to a recommended diet and treatment with an α-glucosidase inhibitor, may improve glucose metabolism without raising insulin secretion or influencing lipid metabolism.
The Relationship between Insulin, Glucose and Serum Uric Acid and Their Contribution to the Progression of Renal Damage in Patients with Primary Glomerulonephritis
Authors: Manitius J , Biedunkiewicz B , Kustosz J , Rutkowski B
Published: January 2017

It is known that some metabolic disturbances may modify the progression of renal disease including primary glomerulonephritis, but the role of purines in this process is still unknown. To investigate this, 13 untreated patients with primary glomerulonephritis were followed up for a mean of 17.6 months to analyze the changes in proteinuria and glomerular filtration rate. On entering the study, each patient was given an oral glucose tolerance test and an oral fructose load test. The areas under the glucose (PGA), insulin (PIA) and uric acid (PUAA, post-fructose) curves were calculated. Glomerulonephritic patients were found to have a statistically higher response to fructose than controls (782 ± 219 vs 518 ± 154, P < 0.005). Multiple regression analysis showed that PGA, PIA and PUAA were independently related to changes in proteinuria and glomerular filtration rate during the natural course of the disease. This preliminary study suggests that purine metabolism may modulate the progression of renal disease in proteinuric patients.
Demonstration of Noradrenaline-Immunoreactive Nerve Fibres in the Liver
Authors: Fukuda Y , Imoto M , Koyama Y , Miyazawa Y , Hayakawa T
Published: January 2017

To demonstrate noradrenaline-immunoreactive nerve fibres in liver tissues, we used an antibody to noradrenaline in the immunostaining of liver tissues from rats, guinea-pigs and humans. The tissue specimens were fixed by perfusion or immersion with cacodylate buffer containing sodium metabisulphate and glutaraldehyde, and cryostat sections were prepared. An indirect peroxidase-labelled antibody method was used for staining noradrenaline. Noradrenaline-immunoreactive nerve fibres were localized around blood vessels in the portal area and around the central vein. There were differences between the species in the intralobular distribution of noradrenaline-immunoreactive fibres. Normal guinea-pig and human liver showed intralobular noradrenaline-immunoreactive fibres while rat liver did not. Noradrenaline-immunoreactive fibres were absent from regenerating nodules in a human cirrhotic liver. This method of demonstrating noradrenaline directly using perfusion- or immersion-fixation is appropriate for studying innervation in normal and damaged livers of various species including humans.
Sensitivity of Propionibacterium acnes Isolated from Acne Patients: Comparative Study of Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Nishijima S , Kurokawa I , Kawabata S
Published: January 2017

The antimicrobial susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes isolated before and after treatment of acne patients was measured. The four female and three male acne patients were treated with an oral acne medication, roxithromycin or minocycline, and/or a topical acne medication, nadifloxacin cream or clindamycin hydrochloride lotion for 1 – 8 weeks. The isolated strains were tested for their susceptibility to the antimicrobial action of: nadifloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, clindamycin hydrochloride, tetracycline hydrochloride, minocycline, doxycycline, ampicillin, cephalexin and gentamycin. No resistant strains of P. acnes were observed.
Cerebral Haemorrhage Complicating Adult-Onset Still's Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Kurabayashi H , Kubota K , Tamura K , Shirakura T
Published: January 2017

The case of a 75-year-old Japanese woman with adult-onset Still's disease who presented with cerebral haemorrhage is described. She had been in clinical remission for 2 years, after induction therapy including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, prednisolone, cyclophosphamide and mizoribine followed by auranofin, until her cerebral haemorrhage occurred, although her serum level of ferritin had gradually increased. After the onset of cerebral haemorrhage, the patient's serum level of thrombomodulin was elevated although c-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase were not increased. Anti-cardiolipin antibody and lupus anti-coagulant were not detected. Patients with adult-onset Still's disease are rarely reported to develop cerebral vascular disease, possibly because the disease is most frequent in young adults. The cerebral haemorrhage may have been caused by the vasculitis due to Still's disease.
Changes in Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Formation in Relation to Chemotherapy and Clinical Progress in Acute Myeloblastic Leukaemia Patients
Authors: Miyao S , Tamura J , Sakuraya M , Murakami H , Naruse T
Published: January 2017

To investigate the correlation between granulocyte-macrophage colony formation and the prognosis of acute myelocytic leukaemia, an in vitro colony formation assay using a practical method was performed at diagnosis in 50 patients newly diagnosed with acute myelocytic leukaemia. Granulocyte-macrophage colony counts were significantly lower in acute myelocytic leukaemia patients than in the control group ( n = 5). The diminished colony formation was restored to within the normal range in 15 patients after complete remission was achieved. In eight patients, serial evaluation of granulocyte-macrophage colony formation was performed, and suppression of colony formation was observed at relapse. The comparison of granulocyte-macrophage colony counts at diagnosis between a group of patients with complete remission ( n = 26) and a group of treatment failure cases ( n = 24) revealed a significant difference suggesting that high counts of granulocyte-macrophage colony formation are predictive of a favourable prognosis for acute myelocytic leukaemia.
Censorship Costs Lives
Authors: Cohen Roberta
Published: January 2017

By keeping information about drought and famine from its people, the Ethiopian government caused many to die.
Getting Rid of the General
Authors: Cardenas Juan Pablo
Published: January 2017

An interview with the editor of Chile's leading opposition weekly magazine Analisis.
The Media Under Gadaffi
Authors: Al-Messaoudi Fadel
Published: January 2017

‘Since the cultural revolution of 1973, all Libyan media have been directly controlled by the government.’
A Turkish Tug-of-War
Authors: Dikerdem Mehmet Ali
Published: January 2017

The state of human rights in Turkey today.
Democracy on the Ferry
Authors: Abayhan Muzaffer
Published: January 2017

A short story about the dangers of careless talk.
‘What Sort of Life is this?’
Authors: Ismandar Wadi
Published: January 2017

Extract from a story whose author has spent seven years in detention without trial.
The Girl in the White Strawhat
Authors: Hatmal Jamil
Published: January 2017

A short story by an exiled Syrian writer.
Ortel TV & the President
Authors: Carrion Andres
Published: January 2017

It was not enough to win all the legal battles and set up the transmitter: the government still silenced Ortel's Channel 5 only hours after it first broadcast.
1632 Days of Re-education
Authors: Vu Tran Tri
Published: January 2017

In June 1975 the author, living in Ho Chi Minh City, was asked to report for ‘seven days’ of re-education But it lasted for more than four years.
A Muslim's perspective
Authors: Hussain Mushahid
Published: January 2017

Over a year after ‘the Rushdie Affair’ exploded, the issue continues to cause concern and anguish to Muslims as well as to serve as a major source of rancour between Muslims and the West
The seductiveness of moral disgust
Authors: Ignatieff Michael
Published: January 2017

With the partial failure of almost all its post Cold-War interventions, the UN is confronted with the accusation that its efforts have merely delayed the inevitable or prolonged the agony of those it sought to assist
Divided we stand
Authors: Dizdarevic Zlatko
Published: January 2017

If the latest peace proposal is all that it seems, Bosnians could soon be in possession of their independent, though divided state. Peace on the home front is another matter
Negative capability
Authors: de Waal Alex
Published: January 2017

The idea that international aid can deliver progress and prosperity has suffered severe setbacks in Africa
Will to disaster
Authors: Mazowiecki Tadeusz
Published: January 2017

Following your resignation in the wake of the fall of Srebrenica, you have become a symbol of resistance for critics of the UN mission in Bosnia. Are you comfortable in this role?
To be young, alive and making music
Authors: Ceccherini Valérie
Published: January 2017

Continuing our series focusing on the voices of those silenced by poverty, prejudice and exclusion
Peace that hurts
Authors: de Broglio Nathalie
Published: January 2017

El Salvador became a watchword for state-sponsored terror in the 1980s. Now that the UN has left, there are disturbing signs of a return to the past
Who's afraid of the big bad government?
Authors: Walker Martin
Published: January 2017

In 1965 it was 35 per cent. By 1994, it had risen to 67 per cent. Why do most Americans think government is the biggest threat facing their country?
New patriot games
Authors: Passell Josh
Published: January 2017

When I returned to the United States after four years in England, I felt as if the country had shifted under my feet. Remember 1991? George Bush was triumphantly concluding the Gulf War and seemed electorally invincible; Bill Clinton was stumbling in the early primaries; no-one had heard of Clarence Thomas or Anita Hill; Waco was just another town in Texas; OJ was still married. Don't worry about the far right, I would say with the confidence and accuracy of a BBC meteorologist, they've always been there, and periodically they reappear to scare us. I would cite The Order, Posse Comitatus, or Aryan Nation as the Michigan Militia of their time. Then Waco happened, and I was stunned. Then Oklahoma City happened, and I was aghast.

Politicians have been ‘running against Washington’ and voters ‘throwing the bums out’ for as long as I can remember. The rise of cults, militias, and other extremists is something very different with little relation to left or right, Republican or Democrat. With militiamen spouting hate and calling it love, with ‘patriots’ taking up arms against the government, with religious zealots dying in infernos, one might justifiably ask what else is at hand.

Where is America now? Ask another American and you'd get another answer, but here's mine: America is at (or near) a place where I cannot burn the nation's flag and call it legal protest, but the Ku Klux Klan can burn a cross in a public space and call it religion. If I feel a little unsteady on my feet, I guess I haven't regained my land legs yet.
Zoning out the ghetto
Authors: Lamarche Gara
Published: January 2017

‘…we use the words of law and politics to fight the words that wound and exclude. We seek a legal system that recognises and remedies the harm of the structures of have and have-not…’

From Words That Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech and the First Amendment, by Mari Matsuda, Charles Lawrence, Richard Delgado and Kimberle Williams Crenshaw
Media merger mania
Authors: Squires James D.
Published: January 2017

For more than 200 years the US press has been preoccupied with warding off regulation and censorship by government. Now all that is about to change
Who rules Jerusalem?
Authors: Masalha Nur
Published: January 2017

A legal column dedicated to the memory of Bernie Simons (1941-1993), radical lawyer and defender of human rights

Jerusalem is the key to peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Without a solution of its disputed ownership, there can be no durable Arab-Israeli peace
Tibetan succession
Authors: Hilton Isabel
Published: January 2017

China puts up its rural candidate for Panchen Lama and faces Tibet's religious leaders — with a hard choice
Military sidestep
Authors: Alrawi Karim
Published: January 2017

Egypt's elections were a farce, with voters squeezed between government, fundamentalists and the army
The gang of four
Authors: Voinovich Vladimir
Published: January 2017

America? Land of Immigrants? Not any more sir
Big country, no nation
Authors: Jordan June
Published: January 2017

What happens on the East Coast makes ‘national’ news and determines the ‘national’ state of affairs. Viewed from California, says June Jordan, there is a different reality
Virtually free
Authors: Winston Brian , Walton Paul
Published: January 2017

From the printing press on, all new technologies have had their democratic potential firmly suppressed. The Internet proves to be no exception
A liquidator's story
Authors: Byckau Mikhail
Published: January 2017

For the first time in print, a Belarusian scientist gives his personal recollections of the secrecy that, in the crucial period immediately following the Chernobyl accident, left the unsuspecting public exposed to fallout
Taming the beast
Authors: Hearst David
Published: January 2017

Co-operation, not competition, is the only way the West can contain the threat of Russia's volatile nuclear industry
Children of Chernobyl
Authors: Kryvanos Kiryla
Published: January 2017

The following excerpts and illustrations from Footprint of the Black Wind (Minsk 1995), were produced by Belarusian school children in response to a competition on the theme ‘Chernobyl in my destiny’. The writing by children from within or near the 30 kilometre exclusion zone expresses their confusion, grief and sense of loss at their evacuation from their homes. Children from further afield, in areas officially declared safe, discovered only three years later the true extent of the disaster and the damage to their lives
1991 and all that
Authors: Rich Vera
Published: January 2017

The challenge of nation-building is more acute in Belarus than in any of the ex-Soviet republics. For want of a sense of identity, a common history and future destiny, the nation's independence could be lost
Native testimony in the Americas
Authors: Brotherston Gordon
Published: January 2017

Native Americans' tenacity and resilience against overwhelming odds is demonstrated by the poetry of a new literary resurgence
Poems
Authors: Ak'abal Humberto
Published: January 2017

The following poems, written in Mayan, were collected by Siobhan Dowd of Pen American Center during a trip to Guatemala in 1994. She says, ‘All were written against great odds, in situations of fear and repression. All seek to give voice to Mayan identity, itself repressed for so many centuries’
Savoy scrapbook
Authors: Petley Julian
Published: January 2017

A legal column dedicated to the memory of Bernie Simons (1941-1993), radical lawyer and defender of human rights

In a liberal society, issues of civil liberties and free expression are generally fought out on the margins of public debate, as Savoy publishers discovered when their Lord Horror ran foul of the law
On the move again
Authors: Maja-Pearce Adewale
Published: January 2017

Journalists jostle for pictures, aid agencies hawk their wares in competition one with another, and the UNHCR fortifies itself against the unexpected
Only one death
Authors: Whitfield Susan
Published: January 2017

The lessons of a long history of dissent are not lost on today's workers, peasants and intellectuals
Market lines
Authors: Lian Yang
Published: January 2017

Money's the name of the game as one-time poets turn out politically acceptable nostalgia and erotica for the popular taste
A voice for the millions
Authors: Dongfang Han
Published: January 2017

Industrial workers are the biggest losers in China's scramble for modernisation. Unemployment is growing, work conditions are appalling, strikes are commonplace. The exiled founder of China's independent labour movement sets the scene for future upheaval
Tea and no sympathy
Authors: Vital-Durand Barbara
Published: January 2017

The renewed repression of journalists in China has raised serious fears for the future of the media in Hong Kong. With the Chinese authorities blowing hot and cold over the new ‘parameters of press freedom’ the colony's return on 1 July 1997 is cause for alarm
Swinging by a thread
Authors: Foley Michael
Published: January 2017

London is the swinging capital of the world once more, say the media. But there is another, darker side to Britain in the 1990s where the dying days of its government are characterised by defensiveness, meanness of spirit and lack of compassion
Mean streets
Authors: Bide Polly
Published: January 2017

Following in the dubious footsteps of New York, London proposes to go even further with its ‘license to film’. Infringement will be a criminal offence
Portents of change
Authors: Santoso
Published: January 2017

In May, Indonesia celebrates its ‘festival of democracy’, as the government calls the elections. The political system is carefully loaded to guarantee that Golkar, the ruling party, cannot lose. But there are signs that a major change is on the way
Confront the might
Authors: Mohamad Goenawan
Published: January 2017

The instinct to censor is a powerful one — it is also an acknowledgement of the unpredictable power of words
Lessons from prison
Authors: Wardoyo Danang Kukuh
Published: January 2017

On 16 March 1995 Danang Kukuh Wardoyo was arrested at the office of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), where he was working as an administrator (see Index 5/1995). He had never been particularly interested in politics or journalism, but a year-and-a-half inside Indonesia's prison system changed that
A triptych for our times
Authors: Allsopp Marian
Published: January 2017

Children, victims as well as villains, are the symbol of an uncertain future. There is a crisis in the family but we have not found a different way of living together, a new definition of family in which all its members can feel safe and cared for
Talking about Kids
Authors: Margaronis Maria
Published: January 2017

The controversial film Kids was made at a time of unprecedented panic about children and sexuality and provoked calls for censorship. Yet this flawed melodrama is preferable to the adult silence that maims and destroys adolescent lives
All the world's children
Authors: Moorehead Caroline
Published: January 2017

It promised a better world but almost every ill the UN Convention on Children set out to remedy has grown worse
McPrisoners of conscience
Authors: Guttenplan D. D.
Published: January 2017

McDonald's took London Greenpeace to court for libel. It's already the longest running trial in British history and by the time the expected judgement in favour of McDonald's is given, will have brought Britain's archaic and draconian libel laws into serious disrepute
Recovered memory
Authors: Phillips Adam
Published: January 2017

Suddenly a small boy dropped to the ground next to me. I realised then that the police were not firing warning shots. They were shooting into the crowd. More children fell… I began taking pictures of the little boy who was dying next to me. Blood poured from his mouth… It was like a dream. A dream I will never forget.
Unfinished business
Authors: de Waal Alex
Published: January 2017

As I progressed further with my project, it became obvious that it was really unimportant where I chose to photograph. The particular place simply provided an excuse to produce work… you can only see what you are ready to see - what mirrors your mind at that particular time.