Effects of Intraventricular Methotrexate on Neuronal Injury and Gene Expression in a Rat Model: Findings From an Exploratory Study.

Central nervous system (CNS)-directed treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, used to prevent disease recurrence in the brain, is essential for survival. Systemic and intrathecal methotrexate, commonly used for CNS-directed treatment, have been associated with cognitive problems during and after treatment. The cortex, hippocampus, and caudate putamen, important brain regions for learning and memory, may be involved in methotrexate-induced brain injury.

Antibody to granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor reduces the number of activated tissue macrophages and improves left ventricular function after myocardial infarction in a rat coronary artery ligation model.

Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) promotes infarct expansion and inappropriate collagen synthesis in a myocardial infarction (MI). This study was designed to determine if treatment with anti-GM-CSF will inhibit macrophage migration, preserve function, and limit left ventricular (LV) remodeling in the rat coronary artery ligation model. Treatment with a monoclonal antibody to GM-CSF (5 mg/kg) was initiated 24 hours before coronary artery ligation and continued every 3 days for 3 weeks.