No abstract

548EXCRETION AND LOCALIZATION OF ARSENIC^^ cells, which multiply only in the presence of as a chemotherapeutic agent. streptomycin. The frequency with which Conclusions. The isolation and cultural streptomycin-resistant variants and organisms characteristics of a streptomycin-resistant capable of utilizing streptomycin for growth organism capable of multiplying in aqueous have been described has limited its usefulness s o h tions of streptomycin has been described.

Eighteen children from 3 weeks to 6.9 years of age were given an oral acyclovir suspension for herpes simplex or varicella-zoster virus infections. Thirteen patients who were 6 months to 6.9 years old received 600 mg/M2 per dose, and three infants and two children less than 2 years old were given 300 mg/M2 per dose. The drug was given four times a day, except to one infant who was treated with three doses a day. Among the 13 children who received the 600-mg/M2 dose, the maximum concentration in plasma (Cmax) was 0.99 0.38 p,g/ml (mean + standard deviation), the time to maximum concentration (Tmax) was 3.0 0.86 h, the area under the curve (AUC) was 5.56 2.17 p,g h/ml, and the elimination half-life (tl/2) was 2.59 0.78 h. The three infants less than 2 months of age who received the 300-mg/M2 dose had a Cmax of 1.88 ± 1.11 ,g/ml, a Tmax of 4.10 ± 0.48 h, an AUC of 6.54 ± 4.32 ,ugg h/ml, and a tl/2 of 3.26 ± 0.33 h. The acyclovir suspension was well tolerated by young children. No adverse effects requiring discontinuation of the drug occurred.Acyclovir [9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine] is a nucleoside analog which inhibits the replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Acyclovir administered parenterally is effective for the treatment of neonatal HSV infections, HSV encephalitis, and genital HSV infections (3,25,26). In immunosuppressed patients, intravenous acyclovir is useful for the therapy and suppression of HSV infections and for the therapy of VZV infections (6,9,10,14,(18)(19)(20). The oral administration of acyclovir is of benefit for the therapy and suppression of genital HSV infections in the normal adult host (2,5,9,11,17,23) and for the treatment and suppression of recurrent mucocutaneous HSV infections in immunocompromised patients (14,22).Pharmacokinetic information is available for acyclovir administered intravenously to adults and children and for the capsule formulation given to adults (4,18). The pharmacology of oral acyclovir tablets has been investigated in children (12,13). A liquid suspension formulation of the drug was developed for children and other patients who cannot ingest medications in solid form. The purpose of our study was to determine the pharmacokinetics and tolerance of acyclovir suspension in children.(This work was presented in part at the 26th Interscience

The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic affects people around the world. However, there have been striking differences in the number of infected individuals and deaths in different countries. Particularly, within Central Europe in countries that are similar in ethnicity, age, and medical standards and have performed similar steps of containment, such differences in mortality rates remain inexplicable. We suggest to consider and explore environmental factors to explain these intriguing variations. Countries like Northern Italy, France, Spain, and UK have suffered from 5 times more deaths from the corona virus infection than neighboring countries like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Denmark related to the size of their respective populations. There is a striking correlation between the level of environmental pollutants including pesticides, dioxins, and air pollution such as NO2 known to affect immune function and healthy metabolism with the rate of mortality in COVID-19 pandemic in these European countries. There is also a correlation with the use of chlorination of drinking water in these regions. In addition to the improvement of environmental protective programs, there are possibilities to lower the blood levels of these pollutants by therapeutic apheresis. Furthermore, therapeutic apheresis might be an effective method to improve metabolic inflammation, altered vascular perfusion, and neurodegeneration observed as long-term complications of COVID-19 disease.

The effect of prophylactic digitalization on the development of left ventricular hypertrophy was studied in adult rats. Digitoxin, 0.1 mg/100 g body wt or solvent was given daily for 1 wk prior to either aortic constriction or sham operation and was continued until the animals were killed, either 1 or 4 wk after surgery. A hemodynamic study was done in those animals killed 1 wk after surgery; hearts of all animals were examined for evidence of myocardial hypertrophy. Constriction of the ascending aorta had no significant effect on cardiac output but did reduce peak flow velocity and flow acceleration. An increase in left ventricular mass, RNA, and hydroxyproline was found in the animals with aortic constriction. Digitoxin treatment did not alter peak flow velocity or flow acceleration, but did significantly increase isovolumic (dP/dt)P-1. Digitoxin had no effect on body weight, heart weight, RNA, or hydroxyproline in either the sham-operated animals or in the animals with aortic constriction. Therefore, despite plasma digitoxin levels sufficient to affect myocardial contractility, left ventricular hypertrophy still developed after aortic constriction.