Summary The mini-BEAM regimen (BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan) and its modification 'Dexa-BEAM' are effective salvage protocols for relapsed Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Since many patients with relapsed lymphoma are eligible for high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue, we were interested in the suitability of these second line regimens for mobilising peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC). The kinetics of PBPC were studied in 15 patients treated with Dexa-BEAM and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Leukocytes started to rise from <0.5 nL 'on day 18 (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22) after Dexa-BEAM, and exceeded 10 nL-' on day 20 (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). Peripheral blood CFU-GM peaked on day 21 (19 -28) and declined slowly thereafter; the median leukocyte count was 18.7 nL-' (12.2 -60) on the day of CFU-GM-peak. The maximum number of CFU-GM circulating in peripheral blood was inversely correlated to the duration of leukopenia after Dexa-BEAM. Measurement of CD34 + cells with the monoclonal antibody 8G12-PE (HPCA-2) predicted the number of CFU-GM precisely in both peripheral blood and leukapheresis products (r = 0.90-0.95). Two to six leukapheresis procedures yielded 6.39 x 108 mononuclear cells kg-' (1.82-13.49) containing 44.4 x 104 CFU-GM kg-' (2.2-213.8). Immunophenotypical analysis revealed that the percentage of CD19 + B cells was ver, low in all collection products (less than 1%). Nine patients were autografted with PBPC (15.4-213.8 x 10 CFU-GM kg-1) after myeloablative chemotherapy and experienced rapid and sustained engraftment (Platelets >50 nL-on day + 13 [9 -22]).We conclude that PBPC can be mobilised effectively by Dexa-BEAM plus G-CSF. An adequate timing of PBPC collection (when the leukocyte count has exceeded 10 nL-1) and evaluation of the progenitor content of the leukapheresis products with 8G12-PE will allow to minimise the number of leukaphereses.

Background New pharmacotherapies to treat Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) are needed. Given the complex nature of AUD, there likely exist multiple novel drug targets. We, and others, have shown that the tetracycline drugs, minocycline and doxycycline, reduced ethanol drinking in mice. To test the hypothesis that suppression of high ethanol consumption is a general property of tetracyclines, we screened several derivatives for anti-drinking activity using the Drinking-In-the-Dark (DID) paradigm. Active drugs were studied further using the dose-response relationship. Methods Adult female and male C57BL/6J mice were singly housed and the DID paradigm was performed using 20% ethanol over a 4-day period. Mice were administered a tetracycline or its vehicle 20 h prior to drinking. Water and ethanol consumption was measured daily. Body weight was measured at the start of drug injections and after the final day of the experiment. Blood was collected for ethanol content measurement immediately following the final bout of drinking. Results Seven tetracyclines were tested at a 50 mg/kg dose. Only minocycline and tigecycline significantly reduced ethanol drinking, and doxycycline showed a strong effect-size trend towards reduced drinking. Subsequent studies with these three drugs revealed a dose-dependent decrease in ethanol consumption for both female and male mice, with sex differences in efficacy. Minocycline and doxycycline reduced water intake at higher doses, although to a lesser degree than their effects on ethanol drinking. Tigecycline did not negatively affect water intake. The rank order of potency for reduction in ethanol consumption was minocycline > doxycycline > tigecycline, indicating efficacy was not strictly related to their partition-coefficients (LogP) or distribution constants (LogD). Conclusions Due to its effectiveness in reducing high ethanol consumption coupled without an effect on water intake, tigecycline was found to be the most promising lead tetracycline compound for further study toward the development of a new pharmacotherapy for the treatment of AUD.

BackgroundPhysicians have long reported that patients with chronic pain show higher tendencies for alcohol use disorder (AUD), and AUD patients appear to have higher pain sensitivities. The goal of this study was to test 2 hypotheses: (i) binge alcohol consumption increases inflammatory pain and mechanical and cold sensitivities; and (ii) tigecycline is an effective treatment for alcohol‐mediated‐increased pain behaviors and sensitivities. Both female and male mice were used to test the additional hypothesis that important sex differences in the ethanol (EtOH)‐related traits would be seen.Methods“Drinking in the Dark” (DID) alcohol consuming and nondrinking control, female and male, adult C57BL/6J mice were evaluated for inflammatory pain behaviors and for the presence of mechanical and cold sensitivities. Inflammatory pain was produced by intraplantar injection of formalin (10 μl, 2.5% in saline). For cold sensation, a 20 μl acetone drop was used. Mechanical withdrawal threshold was measured by an electronic von Frey anesthesiometer. Efficacy of tigecycline (80 mg/kg i.p.) to reduce DID‐related pain responses and sensitivity was tested.Results DID EtOH consumption increased inflammatory pain behavior, while it also produced sustained mechanical and cold sensitivities in both females and males. Tigecycline produced antinociceptive effects in males; a pro‐nociceptive effect was seen in females in the formalin test. Likewise, the drug reduced both mechanical and cold sensitivities in males, but females showed an increase in sensitivity in both tests.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that binge drinking increases pain, touch, and thermal sensations in both sexes. In addition, we have identified sex‐specific effects of tigecycline on inflammatory pain, as well as mechanical and cold sensitivities. The development of tigecycline as an AUD pharmacotherapy may need consideration of its pro‐nociceptive action in females. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism underlying the sex‐specific differences in nociception.