Misoprostol heals gastroduodenal injury in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving aspirin.

High-dose aspirin therapy for rheumatoid arthritis is frequently associated with severe gastrointestinal injury. To explore the possibility of reversing such damage, we conducted a double-blind, multicenter study with misoprostol, a prostaglandin E1 analog, which has demonstrated mucosal protective, gastric antisecretory, and ulcer healing properties. We also studied possible interference of misoprostol with continuing aspirin treatment in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Correlation of aromatic hydroxylation of 11 beta-substituted estrogens with morphological transformation in vitro but not with in vivo tumor induction by these hormones.

In estrogen-induced cancer, catechol formation from administered steroids has been postulated to be a necessary event for estrogen activation and subsequent damage to cellular macromolecules. In the present study, this hypothesis has been tested using two homologous series of structurally related estrogens: estradiol, 11 beta-methylestradiol, 11 beta-ethylestradiol, 11 beta-methyl-17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, 11 beta-ethyl-17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, 11 beta-methoxy-17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, and 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol. In the Syrian hamster renal carcinoma model, only 11 beta-methylestradiol and 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol were weak carcinogens (2 of 20 and 2 of 24 hamsters with tumors, respectively).

Relationship between progesterone suppression and pregnancy in rats.

Four luteolytic agents were administered to groups of pregnant rats to examine the quantitative relationship between serum progesterone levels and the maintenance of pregnancy. Each agent inhibited progesterone in a dose-dependent manner, however only three, azastene, thiosemicarbazone and dihydrotestosterone, adversely affected pregnancy. A statistical analysis of the data suggests that, regardless of the mechanism of action of a particular luteolytic agent, a treatment-induced depression of serum progesterone to concentrations less than 45% of that of the controls on day 11 of pregnancy is incompatible with pregnancy maintenance.

The biological properties of aspartame. III. Examination for endocrine-like activities.

A series of studies with aspartame were run in mice, rats and rabbits using standard procedures to characterize possible estrogenic, androgenic, progestational and glucocorticoid activities. Aspartame was administered orally at levels (ca 300 mg/kg/day) substantially in excess of expected maximal human intake when used as a sweetening agent. No significant hormone-mimetic response was observed in the endocrine target organs evaluated.

Biological properties of aspartame. I. Evaluation of central nervous system effects.

Aspartame was administered intragastrically to rodents at doses between 10 and 550 times the expected daily human intake to evaluate the effects on central nervous system function. No biologically meaningful effects were observed in either rats or mice following acute administration by the intragastric route. Aspartame administered as 9% of the diet (about 11 g/kg/day) for thirteen weeks to weanling rats altered the learning behavior of male rats.