Drugs online research references








In Vivo. 1996 May-Jun;10(3):313-8.
Potential in vitro activity of Kutapressin against Epstein-Barr virus.

Rosenfeld E, Salimi B, O'Gorman MR, Lawyer C, Katz BZ.

Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical School, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.

BACKGROUND: Kutapressin (KU), a porcine liver extract with bradykinin-potentiating effects but no vitamin B 12 activity, has been used in the treatment of Herpes zoster. We examined a phenol-free preparation of this drug for in vitro activity against Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immortalization-inhibition assays were used to assess EBV infectivity. Mitogen stimulation and cell viability assays were used to assess kutapression toxicity. Lytic replication assays and flow cytometry were used to assess the mechanism of drug activity. RESULTS: Seventy-five hundred mcg/ml of KU blocked the infection of 2 x 10(5) human umbilical cord mononuclear cells when added together with two strains of EBV (B95-8 and FF41). Doses as low as 250 mcg/ml were occasionally effective as well. Unlike acyclovir, KU does not inhibit viral DNA polymerase nor does it appear to compete with EBV as it binds to its receptor on the B-cell surface. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism whereby KU may inhibit EBV immortalization remains to be determined. KU, a drug which is safe in humans, deserves further study as an agent with potential to block EBV-induced immortalization of B-lymphocytes.

online pharmacy ref source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8797033&dopt=Abstract




Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1998 Oct 1;42(3):551-6.
A pilot study of the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients during X-radiation therapy: a preliminary report.

Nicolatou O, Sotiropoulou-Lontou A, Skarlatos J, Kyprianou K, Kolitsi G, Dardoufas K.

Department of Oral Pathology and Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Athens, Greece.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in reduction of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Seventeen patients who were going to be irradiated with a total dose of 50-70 Gy for head and neck malignancies were included in the study. After the second week of radiotherapy, with the experience of oral pain, GM-CSF 400 microg was administered locally, once a day, until completion of radiotherapy. Patients were evaluated weekly for mucosal reaction and functional impairment. RESULTS: Three patients with gross and functional mucositis grade I after the second week, completed the planned radiotherapy showing mucositis grade I. Eleven patients who experienced, after 2 weeks of radiotherapy, mucositis grade II and III, presented after the third week with gross mucositis grade I and II and functional impairment grade I. One of these 11 patients was then lost to follow-up and the remaining 10 completed their planned radiotherapy having an almost asymptomatic mucositis grade I. The 15th patient with gross mucositis grade III after the 2 weeks of radiotherapy, had a 2-day interruption because of painful mucositis and then continued and completed radiotherapy with gross and functional mucositis grade I. The 16th patient with mucositis grade III after the second week, did not show any improvement, and completed her planned radiotherapy with mucositis grade III which finally healed after the administration of acyclovir. The last, 17th patient discontinued radiotherapy at the third week because of mucositis grade IV and severe ulceration in apposition to an extensive gold prosthesis. CONCLUSION: The local administration of GM-CSF significantly reduced and almost healed radiation-induced oral mucositis in 14 of 17 patients during the radiotherapy, which was completed within the preplanned time and without any significant patient weight loss or functional impairment.

online pharmacy ref source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9806514&dopt=Abstract




Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1999 Feb;40(2):265-72.
An experimental application of gene therapy for human retinoblastoma.

Hayashi N, Ido E, Ohtsuki Y, Ueno H.

Department of Pathology II, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku, Japan.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to determine the potential of gene therapy for retinoblastoma using transfer of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene into retinoblastoma cells (Y79 cell line). METHODS: A retrovirus-packaging cell line PA317 was electroporated with a retroviral vector plasmid bearing HSV-TK and neomycin-resistance genes to produce a PA317-TK cell line releasing a replication-defective vector bearing both genes. Y79 was transduced by exposure to transmissible virus-containing medium from PA317-TK, and new clones of Y79 containing the HSV-TK gene (Y79-TK) were established. Sensitivity to ganciclovir (GCV) and acyclovir (ACV) was investigated in Y79 and Y79-TK and the effect of HSV-TK-positive cells on negative cells ("bystander effect") was determined in vitro. The effect of antitumorigenesis in a nude mouse system was also investigated. RESULTS: There were no differences in the growth pattern or the morphology between Y79 and Y79-TK. Y79-TK was more sensitive to GCV and ACV than was Y79. The cytotoxicity of Y79-TK was dose dependent. An obvious "bystander effect" was present with the addition of GCV. In vivo studies confirmed the ability of GCV to kill Y79-TK. CONCLUSIONS: In this study a model is proposed for the introduction of a drug-sensitivity gene into Y79 and the possibility is raised of treating retinoblastoma with gene therapy. The results suggest that the transfer of the HSV-TK gene into Y79 followed by the administration of GCV could serve as a model for gene therapy for retinoblastoma.

online pharmacy ref source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9950583&dopt=Abstract












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