YOU ARE NOW CONNECTED TO THE TOXLINE (1981 FORWARD, NON-ROYALTY) FILE. ==GLIOMA, DARVOCET, VALPROIC ACID== 11 AUTHOR Regan CM TITLE Therapeutic levels of sodium valproate inhibit mitotic indices in cells of neural origin. SOURCE Brain Res; VOL 347, ISS 2, 1985, P394-8 ABSTRACT Sodium valproate (VPA) inhibited the mitotic index of neuroblastoma (Neuro-2A) and glioma (C6) cells with an IC50 of 0.5 and 1.0 mM, respectively. Continued exposure of these cell lines to 1 mM VPA induced differentiation and increased adhesiveness. These observations are characteristic of putative teratogens and this implication for VPA is discussed. 13 AUTHOR Rao SK AUTHOR Sharma SK TITLE Efficacy and safety of Dolobid and Distalgesic in post-traumatic pain and immobility SOURCE Br. J. Clin. Pract.; VOL 36 ISS Jul-Aug 1982, P266-269, 285, (REF 6) ABSTRACT IPA COPYRIGHT: ASHP Forty patients over the age of 65 complaining of moderate to severe pain within 24 h of injury were given either 500 mg twice daily of Dolobid (diflunisal) or 650 mg 4 times daily of Distalgesic (dextropropoxyphene HCl (propoxyphene HCl) and paracetamol (acetaminophen)). Patients were assessed over 5 days and the parameters included spontaneous pain, pain during the previous night, limitation of passive movement, and tenderness. Dolobid appeared to provide the best relief of symptoms. Both drugs were well tolerated with only one patient in each group experiencing nausea during therapy. 18 AUTHOR Alexander AM AUTHOR Barnett JW AUTHOR Veitch GBA TITLE Use of distalgesic: Hereford Hospital Prescribing Study: trends observed over six years SOURCE Br. J. Pharm. Pract.; VOL 3 ISS Sep 1981, P4, 6, 8-9, (REF 15) ABSTRACT IPA COPYRIGHT: ASHP The trends in the use and prescribing of analgesics, particularly of Distalgesic (acetaminophen, combination, propoxyphene hydrochloride; I), were analyzed using the computer data on 15,939 general medical inpatients collected from 1975-1980 for the Hereford Hospital Prescribing Study. Results showed that 15% of the patients were taking analgesics during the week before admission, 38% were prescribed oral analgesics in the hospital and 11% were prescribed the drugs to take home following discharge. The overall usage of analgesics did not fluctuate greatly over the 6 yr study, but by contrast, the usage of the individual analgesics varied. Results also showed that I was the most frequently taken analgesic during the week prior to admission, and its usage increased from 1975 to 1978 but fell in 1979. The prescribing of oral analgesics to take home after discharge showed similar changes. The purchases of I rose in 1977 but fell in 1978 and 1979, staying constant for 1980. There were 525 admissions for analgesic overdosage during the study period. The declining trends in the use and prescribing of I are discussed in relation to published reports about the overusage and dangers in the overdosage of I. 1 AUTHOR Bergenheim AT AUTHOR Henriksson R AUTHOR Piepmeier JM AUTHOR Yoshida D TITLE Estramustine in malignant glioma. SOURCE J Neurooncol; VOL 30, ISS 1, 1996, P81-9 (REF: 79) ABSTRACT Estramustine, a carbamate ester combining 17 beta-estradiol and nornitrogen mustard, has primarily been employed in the treatment of advanced prostatic carcinoma. However, a significant amount of preclinical investigation has been directed toward estramustine's activity against human malignant glioma. These studies have demonstrated that estramustine has potent antiproliferative effects against malignant glioma both in vitro and in vivo. Similar antimitotic effects also have been demonstrated for other carbamate esters. Estramustine does not impair proliferation of nonneoplastic astrocytes at concentrations that inhibit glioma cells. Although the reasons for this selective activity remain to be determined, it has been shown that malignant gliomas expresses an estramustine-specific binding site, estramustine-binding protein, more than brain tissue. In the clinical situation, an uptake and accumulation of estramustine in human glioma tissue have been demonstrated. Estramustine has been shown to enhance the cytotoxic effects of irradiation in relatively radioresistant glioma cells both in cell culture and in a rat glioma model. Estramustine has been regarded as mainly an anti-mitotic drug but recently other effects such as inhibition of DNA synthesis, induction of apoptosis, and membrane alterations have been shown. This report summarizes the preclinical observations concerning the effects of estramustine and related compounds on human malignant gliomas. These findings form the basis for proposing further laboratory and clinical investigation regarding estramustine and human malignant gliomas.