Recently immunotherapy has been considered to be an important method to increase immunopotentiating activity of host in the treatment of neoplastic diseases. In the therapy, polysaccharides have attracted attention because of their activity to enhance host defense mechanisms against neolpastic diseases. Some kinds of polysaccharides have been fouud to provide immunopotentiating activity which brought about regression of tumors and helped protect against infectious diseases.
In this study, screening tests were conducted for several years for the selection of suitable polysaccharides for clinical trials, and several marine algae containing polysaccharides with immunopotentiating activity were found. Immunostimulant substances, which were collected from brown algae, Sargassum fulvellum C. Agardh, Sargassum thunbergii O. Kuntze and Eisenia bicyclis Setchell, markedly potentiated host antitumor activity which was proved by regression and elimination of the tumor.

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A simple method for determination of urokinase (UK) activity of commercial preparations by AGLMe (N-α-acetylglycyl-L-lysine methylester) is described in this report. Of the 6 commercial UK preparations tested, 4 provided activities as potent as they were described in the package inserts, while the remaining 2 had activities 30-40% weaker than those claimed in the inserts. The gel filtration analysis of the commercial UK preparations by Sephadex G-75 showed no contaminated esterase activity. The results obtained by this method are consistent with those by 2-step method in which plasminogen was incubated with UK and the plasmin activity produced is determined by fibrin as substrate. These data suggested that AGLMe is recommendable for the detemination of UK activity of commercial preparations in hospital pharmacy.

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White Lotion became gray suspension when it was prepared from Zinc Sulfate (J. P., Lot No.S3853C) as pharmaceutical aid. It was found that the coloration was caused by 195 ppm of Ni detected as impurities in Zinc Sulfate in the test conducted in compliance with Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (J. P. IX) and Spectrophotometry of Ni with Dimethylglyoxime, though it was not clarified in a test in compliance with J. P. IX. The change in color of White Lotion was caused by black Nickel Sulfide precipitated after the formation of white Colloidal Sulfur and white Zinc Sulfide.

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A study was made to investigate whether the change in color of acrinol aqueous solution by light affects bacterial potency of acrinol. Acrinol was decomposed rapidly by the irradiation with high pressure lamp when its initial concentrations were lower, but the decomposition was slowed down at higher initial concentrations. Four resultant products were observed by thin-layer chromatography and major one of them was isolated by column chromatography. The bactericidal potency was expressed in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Staph. aureus 209-P RIMD. The MIC of the UV-irradiated acrinol solutions remained in the range of 10.0-12.5μg/ml which was on a level with that of control acrinol solution. The range was irrelevant to the initial concentrations. The major compound isolated by column chromatography also showed similar MIC.

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For the purpose of medical treatment or prevention of anemia, the iron injections for intravenous hyperalimentation (IVH) prepared at hospital pharmacy were investigated in Osaka University Hospital. Various stabilizers of iron colloid were comparatively examined and sodium chondroitin sulfate (CSA-Na) was chosen for its high stability in infusion solution. Soluble iron concentration in injections and infusion solutions was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The CSA-iron injection for IVH contains in each ampule 2mg of iron and 10mg of CSA-Na. The preparation methods are as follows: i) add reciprocally iron (FeCl₃·6H₂O) solution and sodium hydroxide solution to CSA-Na solution, ii) adjust pH value to 6.0, iii) filter by 0.45μm membrane filter, iv) sterilize with steam at 121° for 20min. This iron injection was stable for 72 hours in IVH solution.

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Plasma theophylline level was assayed by EMIT-aad (Syva Corp.), which is a newly developed homogeneous enzyme immunoassay method. The results were compared with those obtained by previously reported high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). esults obtained by the above 2 methods were quite compatible with each other. In a total of 93 specimens from 9 asthmatics, the correlation coefficient was 0.980, the slope 1.047μg/ml, and intercept-0.03μg/ml. CV of replicate analyses on a spiked sample by EMIT was below 7%, and the correlation coefficient of theophylline-spiked sample to EMIT was 0.990. EMIT procedure, in view of its clinical application for determination of plasma theophylline levels, has considerable advantages over hitherto available methods: it requires only 50μl of plasma for a single determination, saves deproteinization and extraction, and is operated in a quite simple method in as short time as 2min.

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Pharmacokinetics of theophylline was studied on 22 asthmatic patients. Aminophylline was administered in dose of 3.6-6.6mg/kg by a single intravenous injection and by a constantrate intravenous infusion for 2 hours. Plasma theophylline concentrations were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography. In case of single intravenous injection, plasma concentration reached the highest level of 12.7±3.31μg/ml immediately after the injection and, in case of a continuous intravenous infusion, plasma concentratin reached the highest level of 9.1±1.60μg/ml at the end of the infusion. The serial plasma concentration data were analyzed by assuming the 1-and 2-compartment model. In case of a single intravenous injection, the mean plasma theophylline clearance was 0.0517±0.01861 1/kg/hr with k₁₀ 0.047±0.076hr^-1, α6.689±4.313hr^-1, β0.104±0.036hr^-1, and V 0.389±0.128 1/kg; in case of a continuous intravenous infusion, they were K₀/VK (1-e^-KT) 8.91±1.46μg/ml, K 0.120±0.0624hr^-1, V 0.437±0.062 1/kg. These data should be useful in determining precise dosage requirements for theophlline therapy of asthma.

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Recently, fine granules have widely been used for dispensing, because they are free from defects peculiar to powder and granule. Twenty-four commercial preparations of fine granules stored in the Department of Pharmacy, Osaka University Hospital, were evaluated for their properties in compliance with J. P. IX and the standard of fine granules for dispensing proposed by Aoki. Sense tests were also made in order to determine whether the fine granules are fit to dispensing. The preparations which did not comply with J. P. IX and Aoki's standard were deemed unqualified for dispensing. Some preparations did not pass the sense tests, though they bore the above examinations. Efforts should be made to minimize granules which pass through the 200-mesh filter.

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Changes in weight of drops of purified water with the method of handling of dropping bottles and types of bottles were investigated. Two types of dropping bottles on the market were used: Kreuz Tropfchen (T type) and a bottle made of glass (E type). The volume of purified water in the dropping bottles gave almost no effect on the weight of 20 drops of purified water. When the angle of the inclination of the dropping bottles was increased from 30° to 45° and 60°, the weight of drops of purified water showed a tendency to increase in the measurement with T type and to decrease with E type. Thus the weight changed in parallel with dropping speed. The range of changes in weight depended on the types of dropping bottles and probably on the angle of dropping surface at the tip of dropping bottles.

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Stability of hospital preparations of procaine hydrochloride injection is affected by various factors such as material of container, purity of ingredient, acidity and alkalinity of injection, and sterilizing method. Stability ofprocaine hydrochloride injection prepared at the authors' pharmacy was determined in terms of the decomposition constant which was calculated on the basis of residual procaine hydrochloride just after sterilization and after storage for 12 months at 25°. The date of expiration of the agent was determined on the date after 20 months (ie, the date when the rate of residual procaine hydrochloride decreased to 93%).

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