Visible light is a better co-inducer of apoptosis for curcumin-treated human melanoma cells than UVA.

Curcumin attracts worldwide scientific interest due to its anti-proliferative and apoptosis inducing effects on different tumor cells at concentrations ranging from 10 to 150 µM (3.7-55 µg/ml). Unfortunately, because of a low oral bioavailability, only low and pharmacologically ineffective serum levels are achievable.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in hepatic lymphoma: retrospective evaluation in 38 cases.

Purpose: Description of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) patterns of hepatic lymphoma.

Materials And Methods: Over a period of 6 years and 1 month from January 2006 to January 2012, n = 38 patients with histological or clinically apparent hepatic lymphoma were studied by means of CEUS prior to B-mode imaging.

Results: Using B-mode imaging, lesions were hypoechoic in n = 37 (97.

Randomized trial of low-volume PEG solution versus standard PEG + electrolytes for bowel cleansing before colonoscopy.

Objectives: Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based gut lavage solutions are safe and effective, but require consumption of large volumes of fluid. We compared a new 2 L solution of PEG plus ascorbic acid (PEG + Asc) with standard 4 L PEG with electrolytes (PEG + E) for bowel cleansing before colonoscopy to determine efficacy, safety, and patient acceptability.

Methods: Consenting adult inpatients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy were randomized to receive either 2 L PEG + Asc or 4 L PEG + E.

Differential therapy of constipation--a review.

Constipation is a common condition occurring with increasing frequency in advanced age. As a symptom, it is not always dealt with directly by the physician, but is often left to the care of nurses. Many patients rely on self-medication.

Effect of peppermint oil and caraway oil on gastrointestinal motility in healthy volunteers: a pharmacodynamic study using simultaneous determination of gastric and gall-bladder emptying and orocaecal transit time.

Background: Although peppermint oil and caraway oil are frequently used in herbal drugs for abdominal discomfort and pain, the pharmacological insights into their effects on the gastrointestinal tract are poor.

Methods: The pharmacodynamic effects of 90 mg peppermint oil (WS 1340) and 50 mg caraway oil (WS 1520) on the motility of the stomach and gall-bladder, and on the orocaecal transit time, in comparison with placebo, 10 mg cisapride and 10 mg n-butylscopolamine, were studied in 12 healthy volunteers. The study involved simultaneous ultrasonic determination of gastric and gall-bladder emptying, together with assessment of the orocaecal transit time using the lactulose H2 breath test.

[Probiotic therapy of pseudomembranous colitis. Combination of intestinal lavage and oral administration of Escherichia coli].

History And Findings: An 82-year-old woman was admitted because of acute left heart failure with pulmonary oedema. There was a right basal pneumonia with congestion which was treated with amoxycillin and clavulanic acid. Severe watery diarrhoea with more than 10 stools daily occurred.

[Snow white small intestinal villi in hypobetalipoproteinemia].

In contrast to the severe clinical picture of abetalipoproteinemia patients with hypobetalipoproteinemia are often asymptomatic. We demonstrate a 52-years-old female patient with a white mucosa of the small intestine casually observed by endoscopy. The white appearance of the mucosa was limited to the villi.

[Retroperitoneal, mediastinal and subcutaneous emphysema with pneumothorax after colonoscopy].

History: Severe ulcerative colitis had been diagnosed in a 25-year-old man six years ago. That same year he underwent laparoscopy for mechanical ileus. Since then he has been on a maintenance dose of sulphasalazine without any further symptoms.

[Malignant lymphomatous polyposis--a rare disease entity of malignant centrocytic lymphoma with characteristic endoscopic appearance].

It is considered as special gastrointestinal manifestation on the nodal centrocytic lymphoma of intermediate malignancy. We demonstrate a 77 years old male patient, who underwent colonoscopy because of rectal bleeding. We found the colonic mucosa dotted with small, flat, lentiform polyps.

Inhibition of neuronally mediated secretion in rat colonic mucosa by prostaglandin D2.

The effect of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) on ion transport across the mucosa of the descending colon was studied in rats. PGD2 dose-dependently decreased baseline short-circuit current of mucosa-submucosal preparations mounted either in the Ussing chamber or mounted as an everted sac. However, with the everted sac technique, the tissue was about 1000 times more sensitive to PGD2.

Carboplatin and simultaneous radiation in the treatment of stage IIIA/B non-small cell lung cancer.

The radiosensitizing properties of carboplatin were investigated in preclinical and clinical studies. In human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (EPLC 65 H and LCLC 97 TM1) combined carboplatin and radiation therapy was superior to chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone, indicating the existence of additive effects for both treatment modalities. In a subsequent clinical phase II trial, escalating doses of carboplatin were given concurrently with radiation to patients with stage IIIA/B NSCLC.

Splenic lesions: sonographic patterns, follow-up, differential diagnosis.

This report concerns 172 patients with sonographically diagnosed benign and malignant splenic lesions. A variety of echopatterns was observed, but a differential diagnosis was often impossible without contributory clinical data. Thirteen patients underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy for histological confirmation or therapy.

Antisecretory effect of prostaglandin D2 in rat colon in vitro: action sites.

The effect of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) on colonic ion transport was studied in the Ussing chamber. PGD2 (10(-6) M) decreased baseline short-circuit current (Isc) in two preparations of rat colon descendens, a mucosa-submucosa preparation with and a mucosa preparation without the submucosal plexus. In both preparations, PGD2 inhibited the neuronally mediated secretory responses to electric field stimulation, the sea anemone toxin ATX II, and different cholinergic agents.

Sonography of focal lesions of the spleen.

The sonographic appearances of benign and malignant splenic lesions in 154 patients are illustrated. Sixty-six of the 154 patients had malignant splenic lesions; 55 of these had malignant lymphoma and 11 had splenic metastatic lesions. The lesions were hypoechoic in 64 cases (97%), including all cases of malignant lymphoma, and were hyperechoic in two.

Pleural effusion: an "acoustic window" for sonography of pleural metastases.

We report the sonographic findings in 32 patients with malignant disease associated with pleural effusions diagnosed by chest roentgenograms. No tumor lesions were seen in any case on X-ray films. Thoracic sonography, however, detected previously undocumented metastatic disease with diaphragmatic (N = 19), parietal (N = 8), visceral (N = 2) or combined (N = 3) pleural involvement.

Gastrointestinal lymphoma: sonographic findings in 54 patients.

Between 1980 and 1990, 580 patients with known malignant lymphoma were referred for sonography for evaluation of abdominal masses as a part of the initial staging of the disease. In 54 patients, sonography showed different degrees of hypoechoic bowel wall thickening; gastrointestinal lymphoma was confirmed by histologic examination in all of these patients (non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 50, Hodgkin disease in four). Nineteen of the 54 patients had primary gastrointestinal lymphoma; the other 35 had widespread tumor with secondary gastrointestinal involvement.

Sonographic patterns of the affected spleen in malignant lymphoma.

Sonographic examination showed spleen involvement in 43 patients with histological evidence of malignant lymphoma. In 23% of these cases the spleen was of normal size and 77% exhibited variable splenomegaly. Focal lesions could be seen in 27 patients, 16 exhibiting diffuse, small-nodule transformation of the sonographic parenchymal texture.

Prediction of diuretic mobilization of cirrhotic ascites by pretreatment fractional sodium excretion.

In a randomized prospective study the efficacy and side effects of xipamide versus the combination spironolactone/furosemide in the treatment of cirrhotic ascites were studied. Out of 27 patients four responded to a basic treatment consisting of salt and water restriction and one had to be excluded because of deterioration of kidney function. The remaining 22 patients were randomized to additional treatment with either 20 mg xipamide/day (group I) or 200 mg spironolactone/day combined with 40 mg of furosemide every other day (group II).

Neurofibromatosis and acute monocytic leukemia in adults.

A patient with nonfamilial peripheral neurofibromatosis (NF) (von Recklinghausen's disease) is reported who contracted acute monocytic leukemia at 60 years of age. In the course of the illness, myelonecrosis developed and the patient died 4 months later due to a therapy-resistant bone marrow relapse. This association of the two illnesses would appear to confirm reports on an increased incidence of nonlymphatic leukemia and NF.

Effect of the stable prostacyclin analogue iloprost on water and electrolyte transfer of the rat ileum and colon in vivo.

The effect of iloprost on water and ion transfer was measured simultaneously in tied-off loops of the rat ileum and colon in vivo. (1) In the ileal loops iloprost had no effect on water and ion transfer neither by intraluminal, nor intraaortal or intravenous application. (2) In the colonic loops only intraaortal bolus application of the high dose of 500 micrograms iloprost significantly decreased net water, sodium and chloride absorption, but did not induce net secretion.

Secretory effect of azodisalicylate (azodisal sodium) on the short circuited mucosa of the rat ileum in vitro.

Azodisalicylate (ADS) is one of the newly developed substitutes of sulphasalazine consisting of two molecules of 5-amino-salicylic acid. Azodisalicylate caused diarrhoea in some patients, apparently caused by an antiabsorptive secretagogue action of this compound. The mechanism of this was studied in the short circuited isolated mucosa of the rat ileum.

Rhein stimulates active chloride secretion in the short-circuited rat colonic mucosa.

In a short-circuited mucosa-submucosa preparation of the rat descending colon with preserved Meissner's plexus mounted as an everted sac rhein transiently increased the potential difference and short-circuit current (Isc) when administered serosally and mucosally, but serosal application was more effective. Maximal effects were obtained at rhein concentrations of 1.6 X 10(-4) and 3 X 10(-4) mol/l.