Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy with a transportable mini-lithotripter and subsequent endoscopic treatment improves clinical outcome in obstructive calcific chronic pancreatitis.

Background: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) of pancreatic duct stones followed by ERCP with mechanical clearance of the pancreatic duct and subsequent stenting is an established treatment option for chronic calcific pancreatitis.

Objective: To test the efficacy of a modified transportable mini-lithotripter for ESWL of pancreatic duct stones.

Design: Prospective single-center study.

Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of Boswellia serrata in maintaining remission of Crohn's disease: good safety profile but lack of efficacy.

Background: Complementary therapies are frequently used by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term therapy with a new Boswellia serrata extract (Boswelan, PS0201Bo) in maintaining remission in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: In 22 German centers a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel study was performed.

Dose-response assessment of four genotoxic chemicals in a combined mouse and rat micronucleus (MN) and Comet assay protocol.

The in vivo micronucleus (MN) assay has proven to be an effective measure of genotoxicity potential. However, sampling a single tissue (bone marrow) for a single indicator of genetic damage using the MN assay provides a limited genotoxicity profile. The in vivo alkaline (pH >13) Comet assay, which detects a broad spectrum of DNA damage, can be applied to a variety of rodent tissues following administration of test agents.

No increases in biomarkers of genetic damage or pathological changes in heart and brain tissues in male rats administered methylphenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin) for 28 days.

Following a 2005 report of chromosomal damage in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were treated with the commonly prescribed medication methylphenidate (MPH), numerous studies have been conducted to clarify the risk for MPH-induced genetic damage. Although most of these studies reported no changes in genetic damage endpoints associated with exposure to MPH, one recent study (Andreazza et al. [2007]: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 31:1282-1288) reported an increase in DNA damage detected by the Comet assay in blood and brain cells of Wistar rats treated by intraperitoneal injection with 1, 2, or 10 mg/kg MPH; no increases in micronucleated lymphocyte frequencies were observed in these rats.

Clinical effects of STW 5 (Iberogast) are not based on acceleration of gastric emptying in patients with functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis.

STW 5, a herbal extract, is effective for the treatment of symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). However, its mode of action is still unclear and a modulation of gastric motility is hypothesized. This multicentre, placebo-controlled double-blind study addressed the question of whether STW 5 accelerates gastric emptying in patients with FD and gastroparesis.