Effect of desipramine on cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of corticotropin-releasing factor in human subjects.

To assess the effect of desipramine (DMI) on corticotropin-releasing-factor (CRF) activity in the central nervous system, we measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of CRF in healthy volunteers following short-term administration of DMI or placebo. DMI administration for 2 days was associated with a significant dose-related reduction in CRF concentrations. There was a nonsignificant 6% reduction in CRF concentrations among the 10 subjects who received 50 mg DMI (delta CRF: -3 +/- 2 pg/ml) and a significant 14% fall in the CRF concentrations of the eight subjects who received 100 mg DMI (delta CRF: -8 +/- 3 pg/ml).

Reticulin fibre content of bone marrow infiltrates of malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-cell type, low malignancy)--a morphometric evaluation before and after therapy.

A morphometric study was performed on bone marrow infiltrates of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-cell type, low malignancy) to evaluate the content of argyrophilic (reticulin) fibres in the various subtypes before and after therapy. In congruence with the corresponding lymph node lesions, subtypes consisted of lymphocytic lymphoma--chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL, n = 39), centroblastic-centrocytic lymphoma (CB-CC, n = 35), lymphoplasmacytoid immunocytoma (LPI, n = 22) and finally hairy cell leukaemia (HCL, n = 21). In comparison with control specimens, morphometric measurements on trephine biopsies (initial staging procedure) disclosed a borderline or minimal increase in reticulin in CLL and moderate fibrosis in CB-CC and LPI, whereas HCL had the greatest increase in fibres.