Beneficial effects of methylprednisolone in patients on cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) was given to 50% of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft in a 50-patient double-blind clinical study to ascertain the beneficial effects of this glucocorticoid in decreasing ischemic injury to the heart. MPSS (1 gm) was given intravenously at the start of cardiopulmonary bypass and another gram was given during the course of the open-heart procedure. Steroid-treated patients demonstrated a favorable response compared to placebo-treated controls in a variety of physiologic variables: Bypass graft flow rates measured prior to operative closure were 51-62% greater; urine output in the first 24 postoperative hours was 67% higher; fewer abnormalities were found in both chest x-ray and microbiology results.

Urinary cholesterol. VII. The significance of the excretion of nonesterified cholesterol in patients with uterine carcinomas.

The urinary excretion of nonesterified cholesterol (NEC) in 170 women with cervical and endometrial carcinomas has been investigated. Control patients (236) included: 1) women with other types of (benign and/or malignant diseases of the pelvic organs; 2) patients with non-steroid-related neoplasms; 3) patients with benign and/or malignant breast diseases other than carcinoma; and 4) patients with a variety of non-neoplastic diseases. NEC was determined by a gas-liquid chromatographic procedure.