Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation: New Models of Pulmonary Hypertension Based on VEGF Receptor Blockade-Induced Endothelial Cell Apoptosis.

New models of pulmonary hypertension based on VEGF receptor blockade-induced endothelial cell apoptosis.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Pulm Circ. 2012 10; 2(4): 434-442
Nicolls MR, Mizuno S, Taraseviciene-Stewart L, Farkas L, Drake JI, Al Husseini A, Gomez-Arroyo JG, Voelkel NF, Bogaard HJ

In spite of treatment, severe angioproliferative pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a disease characterized by great morbidity and shortened survival. New treatment strategies for patients with PAH are needed, and after drug development, preclinical studies are best conducted in animal models which present with pulmonary angio-obliterative disease and right heart failure. A rat model of severe pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure, described a decade ago, continues to be investigated and provide insight into the nature of the lung vascular lesions and mechanisms of cardiac adaptation to an altered lung circulation. This rat model is based on the combination of VEGF receptor blockade with Su5416 and chronic hypoxia; use of this pulmonary hypertension induction strategy led to developing the concept of apoptosis-dependent compensatory vascular cell growth. Although, often employed in experimental designs, chronic hypoxia is not necessary for the development of angio-obliterative pulmonary hypertension. Left pneumonectomy combined with Su5416 also results in severe pulmonary hypertension in normoxic conditions. Similarly, the immune insufficiency component of severe PAH can be modeled in athymic rats (lacking T-lymphocytes). In these rats housed under normoxic conditions, treatment with the VEGFR receptor blocker results in angioproliferative pulmonary hypertension; cardiopulmonary disease in these animals can be prevented by immune reconstitution of regulatory T-cells (Tregs). Finally, chronic hypoxia can be replaced with another stimulator of HIF-1?: Ovalbumin (Ova). Immunization of rats with Ova increases lung tissue HIF-1? protein expression, and in Su5416-treated rats causes lethal pulmonary hypertension. Finally, we postulate that these models may also be useful for “reverse translation”; that is, the mechanisms of lung vascular cell death and growth and the modifying influences of immune and bone marrow cells that have been identified in the Su5416 VEGFR inhibitor models can be informative about heretofore undescribed processes in human PAH.
HubMed – drug

 

Plasmodium falciparum sulfadoxine resistance is geographically and genetically clustered within the DR Congo.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Sci Rep. 2013; 3: 1165
Taylor SM, Antonia AL, Parobek CM, Juliano JJ, Janko M, Emch M, Alam MT, Udhayakumar V, Tshefu AK, Meshnick SR

Understanding the spatial clustering of Plasmodium falciparum populations can assist efforts to contain drug-resistant parasites and maintain the efficacy of future drugs. We sequenced single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the dihydropteroate synthase gene (dhps) associated with sulfadoxine resistance and 5 microsatellite loci flanking dhps in order to investigate the genetic backgrounds, genetic relatedness, and geographic clustering of falciparum parasites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Resistant haplotypes were clustered into subpopulations: one in the northeast DRC, and the other in the balance of the DRC. Network and clonal lineage analyses of the flanking microsatellites indicate that geographically-distinct mutant dhps haplotypes derive from separate lineages. The DRC is therefore a watershed for haplotypes associated with sulfadoxine resistance. Given the importance of central Africa as a corridor for the spread of antimalarial resistance, the identification of the mechanisms of this transit can inform future policies to contain drug-resistant parasite strains.
HubMed – drug

 

Systemic therapy in primary angiosarcoma of the spleen.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Rare Tumors. 2012 Oct 10; 4(4): e55
Ferreira BP, Rodler ET, Loggers ET, Pollack SM, Jones RL

Primary splenic angiosarcoma is a very rare neoplasm with a high propensity for metastatic disease and poor prognosis. There is a paucity of literature concerning this specific sarcoma subtype and the role of systemic therapy is not well defined. A retrospective review of the prospectively maintained University of Washington/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Sarcoma Unit database was performed to identify patients with splenic angiosarcoma treated between 2007 and 2012. In total there were 19 patients with angiosarcoma treated at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance from 2007 to 2012. The number of patients with splenic angiosarcoma was 2 (11%). The first patient was a woman aged 57 years who was referred with metastatic splenic angiosarcoma to the liver, post-splenectomy. She was treated with 4 cycles of weekly paclitaxel prior to metastatic resection and 4 cycles of the same drug in an adjuvant scenario, achieving a pathological complete response to treatment. She is alive and on third-line systemic therapy. The second patient was a male patient aged 30 years who presented with metastatic high-grade splenic angiosarcoma and was treated with 3 lines of systemic therapy, including doxorubicin, paclitaxel and gemcitabine+docetaxel, but developed a gastrointestinal metastasis with subsequent gastrointestinal bleeding. Splenic angiosarcoma is a very rare neoplasm. Surgery remains the mainstay of management for localized disease. Paclitaxel administered weekly proved to be well-tolerated and resulted in a good radiological response in one of our patients, enabling resection of metastatic disease. Durable clinical benefit can be achieved in metastatic splenic angiosarcoma with multi modality management.
HubMed – drug

 

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