Effect of the cathepsin K inhibitor odanacatib on bone resorption biomarkers in healthy postmenopausal women: two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase I studies

Inhibition of cathepsin K (CatK) is a potential new treatment for osteoporosis. In two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase I studies, postmenopausal female subjects received odanacatib (ODN), an orally active, potent, and selective CatK inhibitor, once weekly for 3 weeks or once daily for 21 days. Bone turnover biomarkers, safety monitoring, and plasma ODN concentrations were assessed. These studies showed ODN to be well tolerated. Pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis revealed a long half-life (t(1/2); 66-93 h) consistent with once-weekly dosing. Pronounced reductions in C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (approximately 62%) and N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen normalized to creatinine (NTx/Cr) (approximately 62%) at trough (C(168 h)) were seen following weekly administration. Robust reductions in CTx (up to 81%) and NTx/Cr (up to 81%) were seen following daily administration. ODN exhibits robust and sustained suppression of bone resorption biomarkers (CTx and NTx/Cr) at weekly doses > or = 25 mg and daily doses > or = 2.5 mg.

Rapamycin at Six Years Can Exhibit Normal Renal Function Without Proteinuria or Neoplasia After Renal Transplantation. A Single-Center Experience

Currently, long-term experience with Rapamune (RAPA) after renal transplantation is scarce. We present our experience with RAPA in patients who were included in clinical trials. Between 1996 and 1999, 27 renal transplant patients received RAPA alone or in combination with cyclosporine (CyA). We study 15 of them (9 males, 6 females; mean age 36 years) who are currently functioning with a mean follow-up of 6 years (range, 5.2-8 years). The presence of delayed graft function was 40% and acute rejection 26.6%, all of them controlled with steroids. Notably, no patients experienced an acute rejection episode after the first year. Among 15 patients, 12 received steroids, RAPA and CyA; and 3 received steroids, RAPA, azathioprine (AZA) or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for immunosuppression. At the end of follow-up, the situation was the opposite: 12 patients received steroids (2.5-5 mg/d) and RAPA associated with or without AZA/MMF, and 3 were maintained with steroids, RAPA and CyA. Renal function was excellent in the entire group: mean SCr 1.1 mg/dL (range, 0.7-1.8) with mean RAPA blood levels (HPLC) of 11 ng/dL (range 8-16). Hyperlipidemia was universal with all patients (100%) receiving statins maintaining acceptable levels of cholesterol (mean 209 +/- 28 mg/dL) and tryglycerides (mean 154 +/- 76 mg/dL). Arterial hypertension present in 12 of 15 (80%) patients was controlled with a mean of 1.5 drugs. Notably, no patient presented with proteinuria, neoplasia, posttransplant diabetes, or cardiovascular events. In conclusion, these single-center results suggest that Rapamune may be useful in the long-run after renal transplantation. The presence of normal renal function and the absence of proteinuria and neoplasia in these renal transplant patients may have important clinical implications.

In-vitro activity of voriconazole (UK-109,496), LY303366 and other antifungal agents against oral Candida spp. isolates from HIV-infected patients

In this report we compare the activity of two new antifungal agents, voriconazole (UK-109,496) and LY303366 with the activities of other antifungals including fluconazole, itraconazole, 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) and amphotericin B against 219 oral Candida spp. isolates from HIV-infected patients. We used the broth microdilution method following the guidelines of the NCCLS. The in-vitro activity of voriconazole (UK-109,496) (MIC(90) 0.12 mg/L) and LY303366 (CMI(90) 0.25 mg/L) against clinical isolates of Candida spp. was excellent and comparable with that of amphotericin B (MIC(90) 0.5 mg/L), and better than those of fluconazole (MIC(90) > or = 64 mg/L), itraconazole (MIC(90) 4 mg/L) and 5FC (MIC(90) 1 mg/L).

Response to fluconazole and itraconazole of Candida spp. in denture stomatitis

The significance of Candida albicans in the development of denture stomatitis (DS), as well as the clinical and microbiological efficacy of treatment with fluconazole and itraconazole was studied in 115 patients affected with DS and 200 controls (100 healthy patients with dental prosthesis and 100 healthy patients without prosthesis). Specimens were taken from all patients; subsequently all patients with positive culture of the DS group were treated with fluconazole. A second specimen was taken after 15 days of treatment with fluconazole, and if the results were positive again, treatment with itraconazole was instituted and the patients were given appointments for taking a third specimen. The incidence of C. albicans was 92% in the group of patients with DS. After treatment with fluconazole, a clinical cure of 97% and a microbiological cure of 78% was obtained in the patients with DS. In 3.2% of the cases strains resistant to fluconazole were found. The cases of microbiological resistance to fluconazole were treated with itraconazole resulting in a clinical cure of 100% and a microbiological cure of 77%. The results show the poor correlation of the clinico-microbiological response after treatment with these antifungal agents in denture stomatitis.

Improved parameters for the prediction of RNA hairpin stability

Thermodynamic parameters are reported for hairpin formation in 1 M NaCl by RNA sequences of the type GGXANmAYCC, where XY is the set of four Watson-Crick base pairs and the underlined loop sequences are three to nine nucleotides. A nearest neighbor analysis of the data indicates the free energy of loop formation at 37 degrees C is dependent upon loop size and closing base pair. The model previously developed to predict the stability for RNA hairpin loops (n > 3) includes contributions from the size of the loop, the identity of the closing base pair, the free energy increment (deltaGo(37mm)) for the interaction of the closing base pair with the first mismatch and an additional stabilization term for GA and UU first mismatches [Serra, M. J., Axenson, T. J., & Turner, D. H. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 14289]. The results presented here allow improvements in the parameters used to predict RNA hairpin stability. For hairpin loops of n = 4-9, deltaGo(37iL)(n) is 4.9, 5.0, 5.0, 5.0, 4.9, and 5.5 kcal/mol, respectively, and the penalty for hairpin closure by AU or UA is +0.6 kcal/mol. deltaGo(37iL)(n) is the free energy for initiating a loop of n nucleotides. The model for predicting hairpin loop stability for loops larger than three becomes deltaGo(37L)(n) = deltaGo(37iL)(n) + deltaGo(37mm) + 0.6(if closed by AU or UA) - 0.7(if first mismatch is GA or UU). Hairpin loops of three are modeled as independent of loop sequence with deltaGo(37iL)(3) = 4.8 and the penalty for AU closure of +0.6 kcal/mol. Thermodynamic parameters for hairpin formation in 1 M NaCl for 11 naturally occurring RNA hairpin sequences are reported. The model provides good agreement with the measured values for both T(M) (within 10 degrees C of the measured value) and deltaGo(37) (within 0.8 kcal/mol of the measured value) for hairpin formation. In general, the nearest neighbor model allows prediction of RNA hairpin stability to within 5-10% of the experimentally measured values.

The Rab protein family: genetic mapping of six Rab genes in the mouse

Rab proteins constitute a family of GTP-binding proteins that are located in distinct intracellular compartments and play a role in the regulation of vesicular trafficking. Yeast mutations in Rab gene homologs cause defects in vesicular transport similar to those observed in beige (bg) mice. To investigate Rab genes as candidates for mouse mutations characterized by defects in vesicular trafficking, we utilized an inter-subspecific backcross [C57BL/6J-bgJ x (C57BL/6J-bgJ x CAST/Ei)F1] segregating for the bg locus. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were obtained through Southern hybridization of F1 and C57BL/6J chromosomal DNA with the coding sequences of Rab genes. These RFLPs and 12 polymorphic microsatellites were used to determine the segregation of the Rab genes in 93 backcross mice. Rab4a, Rab4b, Rab7, Rab10, Rab22, and Rab24 were localized on mouse chromosomes 8, 7, 9, 12, 2, and 13, respectively. Although the results exclude these loci as candidates for bg, they demonstrate a wide dispersion of Rab genes throughout the mouse genome and reveal that Rab4b and Rab24 are possible candidates for the mouse mutations reduced pigmentation (rp) and purkinje cell degeneration (pcd), respectively.

Verbal conditioning of neurotic and psychopathic delinquents using verbal and nonverbal reinforcers

From a larger group of 425 delinquents, 60 were classified as neurotic or psychopathic by test scores and conditioned in one of three ways for use of the pronoun “they.” Neurotics conditioned significantly better for the verbal reinforcer “good” than for a buzzer which had no meaning assigned to it. In the buzzer-without-meaning group, neuroticism scores correlated positively with conditioning, while psychopathy scores correlated negatively with conditioning ( ps < .01).