In vivo
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During recent years, we have seen an increasing awareness among physicians about the possibilities of helping patients stricken by non-small cell lung cancer using active intervention with chemotherapeutics. This has emerged mainly from the development of new chemotherapeutics and novel drug combinations with an improved therapeutic ratio better tolerated by the patients. ⋯ It is also obvious that improvements using traditional cytotoxics are slow and that there is a need for novel approaches. The present review focuses on novel drugs that have recently been introduced, or soon await to be included, in the management of advanced lung cancer and which have a potential value for use in neoadjuvant treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, i.e. pemetrexed, EGFR-inhibiting agents, anti-angiogenesis inhibitors and other small molecules.
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Hyperactivition of an unwanted cellular cascade by the immune-related protein RNase L has been linked to reduced exercise capacity in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This investigation compares exercise capacities of CFS patients with deregulation of the RNase L pathway and CFS patients with normal regulation, while controlling for potentially confounding gender effects. Thirty-five male and seventy-one female CFS patients performed graded exercise tests to voluntary exhaustion. ⋯ A significant multivariate main effect was found for immune status (p < 0.01), with no gender effect or interaction. Follow-up analyses identified VO2(peak) as contributing most to the difference. These results implicate abnormal immune activity in the pathology of exercise intolerance in CFS and are consistent with a channelopathy involving oxidative stress and nitric oxide-related toxicity.
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The antitumor and antimetastatic activities of the plant cysteine endoproteinase bromelaine were evaluated in a murine model. Syngeneic sarcoma L-1 cells were incubated with bromelaine (after preceeding time and dosage kinetics) and subcutaneously; (s.c.) or intravenously; (i.v.) inoculated into BALB/c-mice (n = 5 per experimental group) to induce local tumor growth or lung colonization. Compared to non-protease incubated L-1 cells, local tumor growth and experimental lung metastasis decreased significantly (p < 0.05). ⋯ Intraperitoneal (i.p.) or s.c. administration of bromelaine (optimal dosage and time schedule tested in preceeding kinetic studies) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced local tumor weight, however, lung colonization was non-significantly reduced. Bromelaine incubation of sarcoma L-1 cells significantly reduced their tumorigenic/metastatic capacities. Bromelaine treatment after tumor cell inoculation significantly reduced local tumor growth, experimental lung metastasis, however, to a lesser, non-significant degree.
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This review presents the clinical pharmacokinetics of imatinib mesylate. Aspects regarding absorption, tissue distribution, elimination and kinetic interactions are also discussed.
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Oxytocin antagonist (OTA), TT-235, was developed by our group and shown to inhibit either spontaneous or oxytocin-induced uterine contractions in primates. The purpose of the present study was to confirm the duration of TT-235 to block oxytocin-induced uterine contractions in estrous rats. In Experiment 1, the time-response of the three OTAs on uterine contractility was examined. ⋯ In Experiment 2, TT-235 induced a significant decrease (p<0.05) in oxytocin receptor number and binding affinity at both 0.5 and 4 hours compared with controls. Antag I and Antag II did not alter oxytocin receptor number or binding affinity significantly at each time point studied compared with controls. In conclusion, TT-235 may inhibit the uterine response to oxytocin by decreasing oxytocin receptor numbers and oxytocin binding affinity, which might explain the prolonged oxytocin antagonist activity of TT-235.