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The effects of 2 specific calcium channel blockers, verapamil and nimodipine, on the proliferation of human glioma tumour cells were investigated in vitro. Tumour tissues for primary cell cultures were obtained bioptically from 3 patients with the histopathological diagnosis of glioblastoma. The [3H]-thymidine incorporation into glioma tumour cells DNA was used as a sensitive index of the cell proliferation. It was found that verapamil (10(-4)-10(-5) M) and nimodipine (10(-4)-10(-6) M) significantly inhibited the [3H]-thymidine uptake in a dose-related manner. The inhibitory effect of both calcium channel antagonists was reversed by simultaneous addition of calcium chloride (5 x 10(-3) M). These results indicate that verapamil and nimodipine may exert an antiproliferative effect on glioma cells growth acting through a blockade of specific voltage-dependent calcium channels.

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Pituitary tumors diagnosed before surgery as "non-functioning" in fact represent a heterogenous group, the majority of which express glycoprotein hormones or their free subunits. It is known that some of them expresses somatostatin receptors, but the data available until now rarely refer to the receptor subtype. Five different subtypes of somatostatin receptors (sst1-5) have been cloned. We studied 18 pituitary tumors diagnosed before surgery as "non-functioning." After the surgery the tumors were immunostained with antibodies against pituitary hormones and alpha subunit as well as with antibodies against the somatostatin receptor proteins 1-5. Thirteen adenomas expressed immunoreactivity for FSH, LH, and/or alpha subunit and were classified as gonadotroph adenomas. The remaining five adenomas were immunonegative for all the examined pituitary hormones and were diagnosed as null cell adenomas. All the adenomas of both the groups showed immunopositivity for at least three receptor subtypes. The strongest immunopositivity was found in both groups with anti-sst1 and anti-sst5 antibodies. The marked immunopositivity was also revealed in both groups with anti-sst2B antibody. On the other hand, the sst2A immunopositivity was weak or absent in a majority of tumors. The main difference between two groups was in the sst4 receptor subtype which was absent in all but two gonadotroph adenomas but present in all but one null cell adenoma. These findings suggest that "non-functioning" pituitary adenomas are potential candidates for therapy with somatostatin analogs targeted mainly to the receptor subtypes 1 and 5.

✓The authors report on the efficacy of balloon kyphoplasty applied to obliteration of symptomatic cervical hemangioma. This 49-year-old woman suffered from progressive neck pain, numbness of the upper extremities, and frequent headaches. Hemangioma of the C-7 vertebral body was diagnosed. Kyphoplasty was performed successfully through a right anterolateral approach. The patient became asymptomatic, and follow-up examinations confirmed complete recovery. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of cervical hemangioma treated by balloon kyphoplasty.