Cephaloridine: a new broad spectrum antibiotic. Effectiveness in urogenital infections

The effect of alpha-difluromethylornithine and tartaric acid on sperm count, seminal gamma GT, FSH, LH, testosterone and steroid excretion in patients with chronic prostatitis

The inactivation of ornithine decarboxylase, a polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, by alpha-difluoromethylornithine (alpha-DFMO) was studied in patients with chronic non-suppurative prostatitis. Partial clinical response and remission of gross hematospermia were observed after 18 g/day alpha-DFMO, when administered orally for 1 month. The determination of gamma-glutamyltransferase, LH, Testosterone in semen and also of sperm motility and vitality appeared distinctly changed in alpha-DFMO treated patients, indicating a significant effect on the activity of the prostate. -- A 16% decrease of hematocrit and hemoglobin in 2 out of 10 patients was reversible 2 months after stopping the therapy. The placebo, which was identified mainly as tartaric acid after termination of the study showed similar clinical response and change of seminal parameters. The modulation of sperm count, seminal gamma GT, LH and testosterone was correlated to the known inhibition of prostatic acid phosphatase by tartaric acid in vitro.

The concentration of thiamphenicol in severely diseased human kidneys

The concentration of thiamphenicol in serum and renal tissue was determined in 17 patients with severly diseased kidneys after an intravenous injection of 1000 mg of the drug. Two hours after the administration the renal tissue concentrations ranged in patients with hydronephrotic kidneys from 38.0-63.5 microgram/g, in patients with cirrhotic kidneys from 17.9-42.7 microgram/g, in patients with pyonephrosis from 9.8-17.6 microgram/g and in patients with renal carcinoma from 37.7-64.2 microgram/g. The patient with the renal sarcoma had a level of 138.7 microgram/g. At the same time the serum concentration ranged from 4.6-15.2 microgram/ml. The highest renal tissue/serum concentration ratios of thiamphenicol were observed in patients with hydronephrotic kidneys and renal tumours, the lowest in cases of pyonephrosis. The influence of severe renal disease on the renal tissue/serum concentration ratios of thiamphenicol is discussed. The high renal tissue levels of thiamphenicol in patients with severely diseased kidneys fulfill an important condition for the antibacterial chemotherapy of kidney infections.