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Donor-specific blood transfusion (DST) was introduced to achieve better graft survival. However, its benefits are controversial considering the immunosuppression of cyclosporine (CYA) or tacrolimus (Tac), and its long-term effects have not been well discussed. Of the 40 patients who received DST with CYA, 3 (7.5%) became cross-match positive. Of the 37 patients with negative cross-match, 34 patients received a one-haplotype-matched kidney and were compared to patients with one-haplotype-matched kidney transplant without preoperative DST (n = 13). Acute rejection within 3 months after transplant was 29.4% in the DST group, and 15.4% in the non-DST group. All rejection episodes were steroid resistant in the non-DST group. If the graft survival rates were calculated excluding non-immunological graft loss, graft survival rate was 91.0 and 72.8% at 5 and 10 years in the DST group, and 83.3% at 5 and 10 years in the non-DST group, respectively. The two graft survival lines converged 7 years and 7 months after transplantation. No beneficial effect of DST was statistically evident under CYA immunosuppression. In terms of the severity of acute rejection or the onset of chronic rejection, DST induced a small benefit, however, which seemed to disappear within 8 years after transplantation.

Abstract-Denopamine is a new

"Hierba santa," a Peruvian herbal medicine, is used to alleviate many symptoms, including headache, hemorrhoids, fever, and rheumatism. Several Cestrum species are said to be the origin of hierba santa. Three lots of hierba santa: Cestrum auriculatum (herb 1 and herb 2) and C. hediundinum (herb 3), which were purchased from Peruvian markets at Cuzco (Andes area) and Equitos (Amazon area), respectively, were examined for their pharmacological activities and active components. Herbs 1-3 showed anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in the in vivo writhing inhibition test in mouse and inhibited prostaglandin E(1)-, E(2)-, or ACh-induced contractions of guinea pig ileum in the Magnus method. Activity-based separation of each extract yielded cestrumines A and B, cestrusides A and B, a mixture of (+)- and (-)-pinoresinol glucosides, nicotiflorin, rutin, sinapoyl glucose, ursolic acid, beta-sitosteryl glucoside, and 2-sec-butyl-4,6-dihydroxyphenyl-beta-D: -glucopyranoside. Among them, cestrumine A and cestrusides A and B are new compounds. All three lots of hierba santa do not contain exactly the same active components.