Faculty Bibliography

This study investigated whether ulcer prevention would be greater with the combined use of an acid-inhibiting agent, ranitidine, given together with a mucosal-protective agent, sucralphate. Duodenal ulcers were induced in rats with the secretagogues pentagastrin and bethanechol. Subtherapeutic doses of ranitidine (5 mg/kg/6 hours) and sucralphate (50 mg/6 hour) yielded an ulcer index of 4.0 and 4.1 respectively, not significantly different from the control (untreated) ulcer index of 4.3. Therapeutic doses of ranitidine (20 mg/kg) and sucralphate (200 mg/animal) gave an ulcer index of 0.4 and 0.5 respectively. Subtherapeutic doses of ranitidine and sucralphate given in combination yielded an ulcer index of 0.7. Thus, subtherapeutic doses of ranitidine and sucralphate given in combination had a synergistic effect equal to therapeutic doses of each of these drugs given alone. The therapeutic implications of combined acid inhibiting drugs with mucosal protective drugs is discussed.

The electrophoretic pattern of isoamylase in the serum, urine, pancreas, salivary gland, liver, and small intestine of the dog, pig, rat, hamster, and prairie dog was compared to man. Great species variation in isoamylase patterns was noted. These variations should be kept in mind when studying pancreatic disease in species other than man. It is of interest that the serum and urine isoamylase of the prairie dog was most similar to that of man.

A patient with a macroamylase in pleural fluid is described. A diagnosis of recurrent pleural effusion due to chronic relapsing pancreatitis had been made on the basis of hyperamylasemia, high pleural fluid amylase, and abdominal pain. The amylase in the pleural fluid as well as the serum was ultimately characterized as a macroamylase on electrophoresis and chromatography. A diagnosis of lymphoma subsequently became obvious. The pathogenesis of the macroamylase in the pleural effusion and the association of macroamylasemia with malignant disease is discussed.