Rat carotid arteries were injured electrically (350 V, 2 mA DC for 5 min) before and after the intravenous administration of heparin (1,000 U/kg), VK 744 (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) ASA (100, 200 mg/kg) and sulfinpyrazone (50, 100, 150, 200 mg/kg). Thrombus growth was quantified by recording arterial temperature change distal to the injury. Heparin completely blocked thrombus formation in most experiments. All other agents exhibited antithrombotic activity with sulfinpyrazone being most potent. None was as effective as heparin. This model may be a useful tool for screening antithrombotic drugs.

New propionic acid derivatives are claimed to induce a lower incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding and hemostatic disturbance than older anti-inflammatory analgesics such as aspirin. One of these (ibuprofen, Motrin) was given (600 mg orally) to normal subjects and hemophiliac subjects on a random, double-blind basis (lactose placebo). Platelet adhesiveness, aggregation, platelet and red cell counts, percent packed cells, percent hemoglobin, serum ibuprofen levels, and modified Ivy bleeding time were measured before and 2 and 24 hr after drug. Predrug and 24-hr postdrug values were normal, but at 2 hr after drug, adenosine diphosphate, epinephrine, and collagen aggregations were inhibited and bleeding times were slightly but significantly prolonged in the ibuprofen-treated normal subjects. The other parameters tested remained unchanged. Similar results were obtained in the ibuprofen-treated hemophiliac patients, although bleeding time was not prolonged. The results suggest that ibuprofen may be given to hemophiliac subjects with greater safety than some of the older anti-inflammatory drugs.

Benthic marine invertebrates, sediment, and water from several locations along the Florida panhandle coast from St. Joseph Bay in the west to the mouth of the Wakulla River in the east, including from several river estuaries, were analyzed by double focusing ICP-MS (Finnigan MAT ELEMENT) for Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, and As. All were detected in all samples. Sponges generally contained higher levels of Cd than other species. Microciona prolifera sponges from St. Joseph Bay had higher As levels (8.1-13.6 microg/g dry weight) than sponges collected from Dickerson Bay or Appalachee Bay (2.20-9.7) and higher Cd levels (0.43-0.73) than that of a single Microciona specimen collected from Dickerson Bay (0.29). Water content of As was about 20-30x higher in St. Joseph Bay than in any other location, and sediment levels of Cd were about 9x higher. Cu and Zn were higher in organic sediment from St. Joseph Bay than they were in other areas. The Pb content of several sponge species and two of tunicates was considerably higher than in other species. The uptake of most metals in this study (except As) appeared to be affected by the metal, genus, species, and location as much as by levels in either water or sediment. In general, sponges and tunicates seemed to accumulate higher levels than most other species, possibly a function of high filtration rates. The ICP-MS method is useful for environmental studies, but the instrument requires considerable maintenance.

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In recent years the use of herbal remedies has increased in western society, bringing withit an increase in the risk and frequency of adverse effects and interactions with conventional prescription and proprietary medications. Problems asociated with herbal remedies include lack of quality control, lack of government regulations regarding safety and efficacy, a paucity of clinical trials and inadequate information on adverse effects and drug-herbal interactions. This article discusses these problems in the context the historical evolution of botanical-source medications and reviews problems associated with specific herbals including those with serious toxicity such as ephedra, borage, coltsfoot and calamus, as well as those with demonstrated interactions with conventional drugs such as St. John's wort. Mechanisms are discussed where known. Some two dozen individual herbs are tabulated with respect to their traditional use, pharmacological activity and potential for interactions. The potential for herbal remedies to serve as a source for new prescription drugs is also discussed.