In African folk medicine an aqueous extract of Oldenlandia affinis DC, “Kalata‐Kalata”, is used to accelerate childbirth. From the extract, which induced strong contractions in isolated uteri, serotonin and an utero‐active polypeptide have been isolated. The peptide has been examined on oestrogen dominated uteri from rats and rabbits in vivo and in vitro and also on human, uterine strips. The oxytocic activity showed the same threshold value of 20 üg/ml in vitro for all three species. In vivo the same dose caused ventricular fibrillation.

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A new isolation procedure for Kalata polypeptides from the tropical plant Oldenlandia affinis DC is described. Fractions were screened by thin-layer chromatography, and Van Urk positive fractions were tested for oxytocic activity in estrogenized rat uteri. By using this procedure, we were able to isolate and characterize three macrocyclic polypeptides with uterine activity. Their amino acid sequence and biological effects have been analyzed, and their NMR spectra were compared with those of the earlier ones. All three peptides showed hemolytic activity on human blood, and were tested for antibiotic effect against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Hemophilus influenzae.

Summary and conclusionsA total of 4352 patients were admitted to a prospective' randomised multicentre trial comparing the prophylactic efficacy of dextran 70 and low-dose heparin against fatal pulmonary embolism after elective operations for general, orthopaedic, urological, and gynaecological conditions. Out of 3984 patients correctly admitted, 1993 were allocated to receive dextran 70 and 1991 to receive low-dose heparin.Withdrawal of prophylaxis because of bleeding or technical difficulties occurred more often in the heparin group, but allergic reactions were more common in the dextran group. Of the 75 patients who died within 30 days after operation, 38 had been given dextran and 37 lowdose heparin. Necropsy was performed in 33 and 32 of these cases respectively. In six patients in each group pulmonary embolism was the sole or a contributory cause of death. Of these, five patients in the dextran group and two in the heparin group had received a full course of prophylaxis.There was no statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups in the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism after a full course of prophylaxis.