CDP840. A prototype of a novel class of orally active anti-inflammatory phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors.

The discovery, synthesis and biological activity of a series of triarylethane phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors is described. Structure-activity relationship studies are presented for CDP840 (29), a potent, chiral, selective inhibitor of PDE 4 (IC(50) 4nM). CDP840 is non-emetic in the ferret at 30mgkg(-1) (po), active in models of inflammation and reverses ozone-induced bronchial hyperreactivity in the guinea pig.

Potential neuroprotective effects of acamprosate.

This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2001 RSA Meeting in Montreal, Canada. The organizers were Barbara J. Mason and George F.

Effects of calcium supplementation on serum lipid concentrations in normal older women: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To determine the effect of supplementation with calcium citrate on circulating lipid concentrations in normal older women.

Subjects And Methods: As part of a study of the effects of calcium supplementation on fractures, we randomly assigned 223 postmenopausal women (mean [+/- SD] age, 72 +/- 4 years), who were not receiving therapy for hyperlipidemia or osteoporosis, to receive calcium (1 g/d, n = 111) or placebo (n = 112) for 1 year. Fasting serum lipid concentrations, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, were obtained at baseline, and at 2, 6, and 12 months.

Fractures between the ages of 20 and 50 years increase women's risk of subsequent fractures.

Background: Perimenopausal and postmenopausal fractures are well-recognized, strong, independent predictors of subsequent fractures. However, it is unknown whether premenopausal fractures are predictive of postmenopausal fractures.

Objective: To determine whether self-reported fractures sustained before the age of 50 years are associated with fractures after this age.

Treatment of alcohol-dependent outpatients with acamprosate: a clinical review.

Acamprosate (calcium acetyl-homotaurine) is a synthetic compound whose chemical structure resembles that of homotaurine, a naturally occurring amino acid. Acamprosate acts centrally and appears to restore the normal activity of glutaminergic neurons, which become hyperexcited as a result of chronic alcohol exposure. Although not yet approved for use in the United States, acamprosate has been available by prescription in France since 1989 and is now available in many other countries throughout the world.

Reduced quality of life in veterans at risk for drug-related problems.

The relationships between drug therapy and health-related quality of life in 1054 patients who received care from Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMCs) were assessed. Patients at high risk for drug-related problems were enrolled into a pharmaceutical care study at nine VAMCs. On enrollment, the short form (SF)-36 was completed and medical records were examined for evidence of coexisting illness.

Interpreting the findings of the IMPROVE study.

Various findings of the Impact of Managed Pharmaceutical Care on Resource Utilization and Outcomes in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (IMPROVE) study are reviewed. Suggestions for future methodologies that will enhance this study are discussed. The IMPROVE study is one of the largest pharmaceutical care studies conducted.

Pharmacological relapse prevention in alcohol dependence: from animal models to clinical trials.

This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2000 ISBRA Meeting in Yokohama, Japan. The chairs were Jobst August-Ludwig Boening and Otto Michel Lesch. The presentations were (1) Pharmacological validation of a new animal model of alcoholism, by Rainer Spanagel; (2) Persisting loss of control as main criterion for alcohol addiction in rats and mice, by Jochen Wolffgramm; (3) Role of NMDA receptor subunits associated with protein kinase C in the prevention of alcohol dependence, by Minoru Narita; (4) Long-term follow up of continued naltrexone treatment, by David Sinclair; (5) Pharmacological treatment trials with dopaminergic and serotonergic substances: Myths or facts? by Gerhard A.

Gastrointestinal permeability during exercise: effects of aspirin and energy-containing beverages.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether aspirin (A) ingestion combined with prolonged exercise increases gastrointestinal permeability and whether consumption of a carbohydrate-containing (CHO) or a CHO + glutamine-containing (CHO+G) beverage would reduce this effect. Seventeen subjects completed six experiments. They ingested A (1,300 mg) or placebo (P) pills the evening before and before running 60 min at 70% maximal oxygen uptake.

Effect of breast surgery on serum levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGF binding protein-3) in women with benign and malignant breast lesions.

Background: There is evidence that insulin-like growth factors play a role in the development of breast cancer. Antiestrogens reduce circulating levels of IGF-I, but the influence of other breast cancer treatments, including surgery, is unknown and is investigated in this study.

Methods: Circulating serum concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) were measured before and after breast surgery in 31 patients with breast cancer and 12 controls with benign breast lesions.

Can clinical pharmacists affect SF-36 scores in veterans at high risk for medication-related problems?

Background: An objective of pharmaceutical care is for pharmacists to improve patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) by optimizing medication therapy.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine whether ambulatory care clinical pharmacists could affect HRQOL in veterans who were likely to experience a drug-related problem.

Research Design: This was a 9-site, randomized, controlled trial involving Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs).

Clinical and economic impact of ambulatory care clinical pharmacists in management of dyslipidemia in older adults: the IMPROVE study. Impact of Managed Pharmaceutical Care on Resource Utilization and Outcomes in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

We examined the impact of ambulatory care clinical pharmacist interventions on clinical and economic outcomes of 208 patients with dyslipidemia and 229 controls treated at nine Veterans Affairs medical centers. This was a randomized, controlled trial involving patients at high risk of drug-related problems. Only those with dyslipidemia are reported here.

An economic analysis of a randomized, controlled, multicenter study of clinical pharmacist interventions for high-risk veterans: the IMPROVE study. Impact of Managed Pharmaceutical Care Resource Utilization and Outcomes in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

Study Objective: To determine if clinical pharmacists could affect economic resource use and humanistic outcomes in an ambulatory, high-risk population.

Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled study.

Setting: Nine Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Natural control of Culex quinquefasciatus larvae in residential ditches by the copepod Macrocyclops albidus.

Natural populations of three larvivorous copepod species live in residential roadside ditches in Louisiana: Macrocyclops albidus, Acanthocyclops vernalis, and Megacyclops latipes. Macrocyclops is most common and killed an average of 27 first-instar Culex quinquefasciatus larvae/copepod/day in the laboratory. Although severe pollution from septic tank effluent in some parts of the ditches creates havens for Cx.

Validation of a malnutrition screening tool for patients receiving radiotherapy.

Nutrition screening identifies individuals who are malnourished or at risk of becoming malnourished and who may benefit from nutrition support. The aim of this study was to validate a new malnutrition screening tool (MST) in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. The MST was compared with the subjective global assessment (SGA) of nutritional status.

Types of interventions made by clinical pharmacists in the IMPROVE study. Impact of Managed Pharmaceutical Care on Resource Utilization and Outcomes in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the activities and interventions provided by ambulatory care clinical pharmacists during the IMPROVE (Impact of Managed Pharmaceutical Care on Resource Utilization and Outcomes in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers) study. A total of 523 patients were randomized into the intervention arm at nine Veterans Affairs medical centers if they were considered to be at high risk for drug-related problems. Patients randomized to the control group had no interventions and they are not reported.

Targeted mailing of information to improve uptake of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: a randomised controlled trial.

Uptake of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in the United Kingdom has declined to levels that will allow outbreaks of these preventable diseases to occur. A leaflet sent with a personalized reminder did not increase vaccine uptake in children who had not been immunised at 21 months of age.

Effect of vitamins A, C and E on normal and HPV-immortalized human oral epithelial cells in culture.

There is experimental and epidemiological evidence that antioxidant vitamins can inhibit carcinogenesis. Since immortalization by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is one possible early step towards carcinogenesis in oral epithelia, we studied the differential effect of vitamins A, C and E on HPV-immortalized oral epithelial cells (IHGK) as compared to the normal counterpart. The dose response was determined by morphology, cell cycle by flow cytometry, and growth curve by cell number.

An analysis of movement and discomfort of the female breast during exercise and the effects of breast support in three cases.

Breast pain is common during exercise, occurring in up to 56% of subjects in some surveys. This pain is mainly associated with the movement of breast tissue. In an attempt to analyse this movement and the resulting pain, the movement of the female breast tissue was quantified in four conditions of breast support ("sports bra", "fashion bra", "crop top" and bare breasted) during four different activities (running, jogging, aerobics march and walking).

Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in benign and malignant breast disease.

Background: The insulin-like growth factors IGF-I and IGF-II and their major binding protein IGFBP-3 influence the growth of breast cancer cells in vitro. Some benign non-breast tumours appear to be associated with increased serum IGFBP-3 levels which would tend to reduce bioactive-free IGF concentrations. The present study investigates whether this pattern also occurs in neoplastic breast disease.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of oral nalmefene for alcohol dependence.

Background: Nalmefene is a newer opioid antagonist that is structurally similar to naltrexone but with a number of potential pharmacological advantages for the treatment of alcohol dependence, including no dose-dependent association with toxic effects to the liver, greater oral bioavailability, longer duration of antagonist action, and more competitive binding with opioid receptor subtypes that are thought to reinforce drinking.

Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 2 doses of oral nalmefene for alcohol dependence. The 105 outpatient volunteers were abstinent for a mean of 2 weeks prior to random assignment to the placebo or 20- or 80-mg/d dose nalmefene groups for 12 weeks.