[Pilgrims to Mecca, germs and the international community].

With steam navigation, men, but also seeds of diseases, move faster. In 1865, the pilgrimage to Mecca induced a terrible cholera pandemic. This caused deep trauma in Europe and prompted the international community, recently born, to focus on the pilgrims who were regarded as the main "risk group" in the spread of epidemics.

Vancomycin encapsulation in biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) microparticles for bone implantation. Influence of the formulation process on size, drug loading, in vitro release and cytocompatibility.

Vancomycin encapsulation in biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) microparticles (200 microm mean diameter) was most efficient with a simple emulsion technique that dispersed 122.5 mg/g of polymer. Scanning electron micrographs showed smooth or pitted particles.

[Medical treatment of hypertrophic myocardiopathy. Comparison of propranolol and verapamil].

It remains difficult to make a reasoned choice between betablockers and calcium antagonists in the medical treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In order to help in making this choice, we compared the effects of 320 mg of propranolol and 480 mg of verapamil, prescribed in a random order for an average period of 2.5 months in 24 patients.

[Experimental study of the subacute toxicity of mitoxantrone and doxorubicin in rats (subcutaneous and/or intraperitoneal route)].

The aims of this study were to compare experimentally the subacute cardiotoxicity of a new anthracycline, mitoxantrone (MIT) with doxorubicin (ADM), the reference anthracycline drug. Seventy nine male rats were divided into 5 groups receiving one of the drugs or a placebo by subcutaneous (SC) or intraperitoneal (IP) injection, each week for 13 weeks. The surviving rats were sacrificed at the 21st week.