The pharmacokinetic behaviour of hypoxoside taken orally by patients with lung cancer in a phase I trial

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A phase I trial of hypoxoside as an oral prodrug for cancer therapy - absence oftoxicity

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Inhaled and oral salbutamol: How effective in the prophylaxis of asthma?

Inhaled and oral salbutamol were compared in 12 asthmatic patients for prophylaxis in antigen induced asthma. The patients were pretreated with 0.2- and 1.0-mg doses of inhaled salbutamol and with the standard oral 4- and 8-mg slow-release (SR) salbutamol preparations. Bronchodilatation was monitored over the ensuing 3 h and protection against antigen challenge at the end of the period. On each study day the degree of baseline airway hyperreactivity was determined by histamine challenge. Precautions were taken during the antigen challenge to ensure a reproducible response. Blood levels of salbutamol were monitored at hourly intervals for the 3 h after treatment and during the asthmatic reaction subsequent to challenge. Both the 0.2- and 1.0-mg inhalations caused immediate bronchodilatation as compared to a placebo (p < 0.05), but only the 1.0 mg dose protected subjects against antigen challenge (p < 0.05). In comparison to the placebo, no bronchodilatation was achieved with the standard 4-mg oral preparation in spite of measurable blood levels, nor were the patients protected against antigen challenge at 3 h after pretreatment. However, the 8-mg SR salbutamol caused significant bronchodilatation within 2 h and suppressed antigen challenge responses as compared to placebo (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that doses of inhaled salbutamol higher than the conventional 0.2- or the standard 4-mg oral preparations are required to protect asthmatics against inadvertent antigen exposure. In patients who are unable to use inhalers effectively, the SR preparation can be considered as an alternative.Articl

An immunoreactive digitalis-like substance in normotensive and hypertensive people

The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaA study confirmed the existence of an immune reactive digitalis-like substance in normotensive and hypertensive people between the ages of 15 years and 64 years. In 13,6% of the population examined, values higher than 0,15 ng/ml of digitalis-like substances were obtained. The possible presence of this substance in a large proportion of patients should be borne in mind when interpreting digitalis measurements.Publisher’s versio

A randomised placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy of beta-sitosterol and its glucoside as adjuvants in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the adjuvant effect of betasitosterol and its glucoside in the treatment of culture proven pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). DESIGN: A blinded randomised placebo-controlled trial in culture proven drug sensitive PTB. Patients were hospitalised for the duration of treatment and evaluated at monthly intervals with regard to sputum culture positivity, chest radiography, weight gain, Mantoux test response, routine haematology and liver functions. STATISTICAL EVALUATION: General linear models for repeated measures (SAS GLM package) compared the interaction effects, group effects and time effects of findings in 19 patients receiving sitosterols with those in 18 patients receiving a placebo (talcum powder). Absolute values and change from baseline values were evaluated, although only the latter are reported. RESULTS: Weight gain was significantly greater in the sitosterol group (mean weight gain 8.9 kg) than the placebo group (mean gain 6.1 kg) (P = 0.0023 group effects; P = 0.0001 for time effects). Speed of achieving culture negativity, radiological improvement and induration on Mantoux testing was similar in the two groups. Change in lymphocyte counts from baseline was significantly higher in the sitosterol group (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0001 for group and time effects) as was the increase in eosinophil counts (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0137 for group and time effects). CONCLUSION: The study has shown significantly improved weight gain and higher lymphocyte and eosinophil counts in PTB patients receiving sitosterols in addition to an efficacious antituberculosis regimen. Sitosterols and their possible mode of action should now be evaluated in larger numbers of tuberculosis patients and in diseases with a similar immunopathogenesis.Articl

Distribution of acetylator genotypes in the coloured population of the Western Cape region of South Africa

Recent advances in molecular biology techniques for polymorphic N-acetyltransferase (NAT2) enzyme characterisation, involving polymerase chain reaction (PCR) multiplication and restriction enzyme cleavage of DNA, were used to determine the distribution of acetylator genotypes and their constituent alleles in the coloured population of the Western Cape region of South Africa. The frequency of slow acetylator individuals in the trial population was q2 = 0.286, indicating a frequency of slow acetylator alleles of q = 0.535. The trial population could be shown to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in accordance with a trimodal pattern of distribution of acetylator genotypes.Articl

The effects of B-sitosterol (BSS) and B-sitosterol glucoside (BSSG) mixture on selected immune parameters of marathon runners: Inhibition of post marathon immune suppression and inflammation

A pilot study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the intake of capsules containing the plant sterols and sterolins (BSS:BSSG mixture) on selected immune parameters of volunteers participating in an ultra-marathon in Cape Town, South Africa. Those runners having received active capsules (n = 9) showed less neutrophilia, lymphopenia and leukocytosis when compared to their counterparts having received placebo capsules (n = 8): the placebo treated individuals showed significant increases in their total white blood cell numbers as well as in their neutrophils (p = 0.03 and 0.03 respectively). Furthermore, statistically significant increases within lymphocyte subsets were observed in the runners having received the active capsules: CD3+ cells increased (p = 0.02) as did CD4+ cells (p = 0.03). In parallel, the BSS:BSSG capsules decreased the plasma level of IL6 in the runners using the active capsules (p = 0.08) and significantly decreased the cortisol: DHEAs ratio (p = 0.03), suggesting that these volunteers had less of an inflammatory response and were less immune suppressed during the post-marathon recovery period. These findings justify further investigations into the use of the phytosterols to prevent the subtle immunosuppression associated with excessive physical stress.Articl