Cholesterol drugs show activity in bone formation

"Diseases of bone loss are a major public health problem for women in all Western countries," said the study's lead author, Dr. Gregory R. Mundy, professor of medicine. "An estimated 30 million Americans are at risk for osteoporosis, the most common of these diseases, and 100 million people are at risk worldwide. In appropriate doses, these drugs, known as statins, may have therapeutic applications for the treatment of osteoporosis."

The statins' bone-stimulating effects were found in rodents. Other researchers have linked statin drugs to reduced incidence of hip fractures in osteoporosis patients taking the drugs, but those studies were too small to draw conclusions, Dr. Mundy said. The statins used in the San Antonio study--lovastatin and simvastatin--are not ideal for use as systemic bone-activation agents, the authors said.

Dr. Mundy's team screened more than 30,000 natural products to find one that promotes production of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a growth factor that targets bone. "The statin discovery came out of the blue; we did not expect it," he was quoted as saying in an Associated Press story. Dr. Mundy is the founder of OsteoScreen, a San Antonio company searching for natural products that can stimulate BMP production.

Because osteoporosis occurs most frequently in women past menopause, the researchers administered statins to rodents from which the ovaries had been removed as well as to rodents with intact ovaries.

"Despite recent successes with drugs that inhibit bone resorption (loss), there is a clear need for non-toxic anabolic agents that will substantially increase bone formation in people who have already suffered substantial bone loss," the authors wrote. "There are no such drugs currently approved for this indication.

"Our results suggest that statins, which are available as oral medications and have been safely administered to patients for more than a decade, may merit further investigation as potential anabolic agents for bone."

Joyful recovery marks
the beginning of life together
for a Health Science Center couple

In mid-February, Rodrigo, longtime crew leader in custodial services, suffered a cerebral aneurysm. He was rushed to the hospital and underwent a 6 1/2-hour operation. "We couldn't believe he was alive. It took a lot of prayer," said Mariana, administrative assistant in dental diagnostic science. Rodrigo said, "I was ready for whatever needed to be done. I told my doctors, 'I've got to come back and take care of this beautiful woman.'"

After the surgery, Rodrigo was distressed to learn he could no longer speak or remember much of anything. He knew Mariana's face but couldn't remember her name. Recovery was slow and painful. Speech remained difficult, although he could function well enough to be transferred to a transitional living facility called Verbena House.

Rodrigo's troubles weren't over. In April, he had a second operation to remove a subdural hematoma. It was a much easier operation, said the Lozanos, and this time, he regained his memory and speech much faster. Both recalled affectionately the moment when Rodrigo was able to call Mariana by name.

Their wedding took place June 19, four days after Rodrigo was released from outpatient therapy at Healthsouth Rehabilitation Institute of San Antonio (RIOSA). He still has occasional trouble dealing with noise and crowds, but he can again play his two accordions. One of his proudest moments came Oct. 1, when he passed his driving test and qualified for a "good driver" discount on his auto insurance.

The Lozanos credit the therapists at Healthsouth RIOSA, where Rodrigo received inpatient and outpatient care, with his successful recovery. "They were compassionate and helpful. Without this place and its therapists he wouldn't have advanced so much," Mariana said.

Clearly, the admiration is mutual. The therapists at Healthsouth RIOSA featured Rodrigo as a success story in a training video that was submitted for selection as the nationwide training video for Healthsouth centers. Rodrigo played his accordion at the Healthsouth Halloween party and has been invited to play there at Christmas as well.

Rodrigo, who is now retired disabled, had his retirement party on Nov. 16, his 28th anniversary of employment at the Health Science Center.

Rodrigo Lozano, custodial services, feeds wedding cake to his bride, Mariana Gonzales, dental diagnostic science. The two were married June 19, following Lozano's recovery from a cerebral aneurysm.

Rodrigo Lozano, longtime crew leader with custodial services, is now retired disabled from the Health Science Center after suffering from a cerebral aneurysm and recovering from two long, but successful, surgeries.

Trimming the tree

Clockwise from top: Volunteers Paul Summers, acute nursing care; April Cox, educational resources; Loretta Edwards, legal affairs; Kim Johnson, educational resources; Sigrid Long, computing resources; Mary Yanes, computing resources; Marilyn Acre, Medical School dean's office; Rita Sicina, center for distance learning; Maria Reyna, acute nursing care and Joe Ocampo, instrumentation services, decorate the Health Science Center's Christmas tree.

Newly Granted

"A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Efficacy of Botox Purified Neurotoxin Complex Injection into Areas of Focal Tenderness in Subjects with Chronic Lower Back Pain," Dr. Somayaji Ramamurthy, Allergan Inc., $112,200, 1 year, 6 months.

"Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement (IPA) for Annalise Castro," Dr. Bandana Chatterjee, South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), $602, 2 months.

"South Texas Doctoral Bridge Program," Dr. Damon Herbert, National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), $484,456, 1 year.

"Department of Agriculture Telemedicine Grant," Dr. Helen Cronenberger, U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Chaparral Health Clinic, $94,836, 2 years.

"Physician Assistant Services," Dr. Marilyn Harrington, STVHCS, $14,232, 2 months.

"Teaching Services to St. Mary's University," Dr. Miguel Bedolla, St. Mary's University, $30,472, 1 year.

"Area Health Education Center (AHEC)," Dr. Richard Garcia,

Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS)/Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), $1,412,149, 1 year.

"A Pilot Study to Measure the Effectiveness of Two Types of Toothbrushes in Contacting Tooth Surfaces," Dr. Peggy Gragg, Milton V. Marshall, Ph.D., $8,000, 4 months.

"Cooperative Agreement for Coordinated Community Responses to Prevent Intimate Partnership Violence," Dr. Margaret Brackley, DHHS/Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), $1,629,144, 3 years.

"Sports Medicine Fellow Support," Dr. Walter Calmbach, Texas Orthopaedic Shoulder & Sports Surgery, $5,000, 1 year.

"Health Education & Training Centers," Dr. Alfonso Holguin, DHHS/HRSA, $657,159, 3 years.

"Transfer Deflection & Impact Test on a Denture-Based Resin," Dr. Ramon Baez, Vynacron Dental Resins, $1,440, 3 months.

"Mouse Cancer Models by Regulated Inactivation of Tumor Suppressor Genes," Dr. Eva Lee, NIH/National Cancer Institute (NCI), $2,565,494, 4 years.

"Genetics of Diabetic Nephropathy in Mexican Americans," Dr. Hanna Abboud, NIH/National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), $2,179,247, 5 years.

"X-Tract X-Sizer for Treatment of Thrombus & Atherosclerosis in Coronary Intervention Trial," Dr. Steven Bailey, Endicore Medical Inc., $15,900, 1 year.

"Secondary Prevention in Small Subcortical Strokes (SP3)," Dr. Oscar Benavente, NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NINDS), $1,439,812, 3 years.

"Physician Services for Patients with Advanced HIV Diseases," Dr. Delia Bullock, University Health System, $190,005, 10 months.

"Physician Services for Patients with Advanced HIV Diseases," Dr. Delia Bullock, University Health System, $149,345, 10 months.

"IPA for Senlin Li," Dr. Robert Clark, STVHCS, $109,611, 2 years.

"A Double-Blind, Randomized Trial of Clopidogrel 300 mg Loading Dose and Aspirin 325 mg, Followed by Clopidogrel 75 mg and Aspirin Daily Compared with Placebo Loading Dose, Followed by Clopidogrel 75 mg and Aspirin Daily for the Prevention of Vascular Events and All-Cause Mortality in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention," Dr. Marc Feldman, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, $30,000, 1 year.

"IPA for Richard Lawrence," Dr. Gabriel Fernandes, Biomedical Research Foundation of South Texas, $97,901, 2 years.

"ADF: A Novel Cytokine Involved in Adipogenesis," Dr. Robert Gregerman, Incell Corp., $19,312, 2 years.

"IPA for Cary Goyes," Dr. Jan Patterson, Biomedical Research Foundation of South Texas, $11,308, 1 year.

"IPA for Cynthia Kelly," Dr. Jan Patterson, Biomedical Research Foundation of South Texas, $19,492, 2 years.

"IPA for William Friedrichs," Dr. David Roodman, STVHCS, $74,670, 2 years.

"A Single-Blind, Randomized, Usual Therapy-Controlled, Double-Crossover Study to Evaluate the Sleep Efficacy & Safety of the Cuddle Ewe Underquilt in Fibromyalgia Syndrome," Dr. Jon Russell, The Cuddle Ewe Co. LLC., $73,219, 1 year.

"IPA for Jin E. Tang," Dr. Jon Sheehan, STVHCS, $64,548, 2 years.

"IPA for Desiree Hao," Dr. Geoffrey Weiss, Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC), $50,463, 1 year.

"IPA for Sun Young Rah," Dr. Geoffrey Weiss, CTRC, $52,224, 1 year.

"San Antonio Sexually Transmitted Diseases Cooperative Research Center," Dr. Joel Baseman, NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID), $5,513,464, 4 years.

"Gene Expression of Retinal Ganglion Cells," Dr. Stuart McKinnon, NIH/National Eye Institute (NEI), $264,975, 9 months.

"Proteolipids in Matrix-Mediated Calcification," Dr. Simon Van Dijk, NIH/National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), $30,000, 1 year.

"IPA for Nandini Ghosh-Choudhury," Dr. Sherry Abboud, STVHCS, $32,164, 2 years.

"Molecular & Genetic Epidemiology of Gliomas," Dr. Peter O'Connell, NIH/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, $73,104, 1 year.

"A1422-010 Central Mycology Laboratory," Dr. Michael Rinaldi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, $32,250, 1 year.

"Specialized Caries Research Center," Dr. Kevin Donly, NIH/University of Iowa, $55,997, 8 months.

"Alamo Children's Advocacy Center (ACAC)," Dr. Celia Kaye, Alamo Children's Advocacy Center, $109,897, 1 year.

"Newborn Screening & Genetics Services Center," Dr. Bradford Therrell, DHHS/HRSA, $1,050,000, 2 years, 8 months.

"Clinical Pharmacy Program," Dr. Louis Littlefield, University of Texas at Austin, $92,000, 1 year.

"Transcription Factors Involved in Cardiogenesis," Dr. Anthony Firulli, NIH/National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI), $1,068,642, 4 years.

"Investigation of Lateral Forces Due to Amlocclusion as Primary Etiology in Abfractive Lesions," Dr. Ryan Farnum, American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, $1,500, 2 years.

"A Clinical Evaluation of Tokuyama Sofreliner," Dr. John Jones, Tokuyama America Inc., $39,600, 1 year.

"Program for Minority Research Training in PsychiatryYadira Hernandez," Dr. Charles Bowden, American Psychiatric Association, $22,608, 9 months.

"Iloperidone Study ILP3000," Dr. Alexander Miller, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, $34,250, 4 years.

"NF-KB Regulation in Simulated Microgravity-Exposed Human Lymphocytes," Dr. Mohan Natarajan, NASA, $10,020, 3 months.

"Robotic Image-Guided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation," Dr. Peter Fox, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), $793,713, 2 years, 7 months.

"Mechanical Properties of Surefil," Dr. Franklin Garcia-Godoy, Dentsply/Caulk, $2,000, 3 months.

"TGFB Type II Receptor Gene for Anti-Tumor Effect of Inhibitors in Pancreatic Cancer," Dr. James Freeman, Marc Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, $125,000, 1 year.

"Resident Minimally Invasive Training Module," Dr. Kenneth Sirinek, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, $140,000, 1 year.

"A Multicenter Phase III Study to Assess the Safety & Efficacy of Bactericidal, Permeability-Increasing Protein in RBP121 in Patients with Hemorrhage Due to Trauma," Dr. Ronald Stewart, Clinicor Inc., $102,000, 5 months.

"Central Office for the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial," Dr. Ian Thompson, CTRC, $122,275, 1 year.

"A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind Study to Compare Safety & Hemostatic Efficacy of the Fibrin Sealant, Beriplast-P, Combined with Standard Care Compared with Standard Care Alone in the Prevention of Surgical Bleeding During Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy," Dr. Ian Thompson, Centeon L.L.C., $37,000, 1 year.

"Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA) Medical Director," Dr. William Washburn, TOSA, $48,000, 2 years.

School of Nursing hosts lively presentation
on herbs, health

Dr. Hall's animated and often humorous talk focused on ways common herbs can help forestall the effects of aging and add to one's enjoyment of life. She sees herbs as an essential part of self-care, a new paradigm in the health world today but one that nurses have always valued.

Herbs are not magical potions, Dr. Hall stressed. Rather, they are foods, which represent the first line of defense against disease. Like all foods, herbs should be used in moderation. Even an innocent apple can cause diarrhea if you eat enough of it. But Dr. Hall stresses the safety of herbs, especially when compared with fatalities attributed to misuse of drugs.

In one especially startling statistic, Dr. Hall cited a report from a June 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that found non-steroidal anti-inflammatories have killed as many people as AIDS. Glucosamine with Condroitin, a natural substance, has been shown to ease joint pain and could be used as a safer alternative, Dr. Hall said.

Finally, be practical, she stressed. Start taking herbs cautiously. If one doesn't agree with you, stop taking it, or use less. Use garlic in your cooking as much as possible.

Don't take St. John's Wort if you're not depressed and don't combine psychoactive herbs such as kava kava with alcohol.

Build up to therapeutic doses gradually. Carry a small amount of ginger root with you for upset stomach or motion sickness.

She concluded that, along with other positive lifestyle changes, making herbs part of your life will improve your health.

The seminar was held at the San Antonio Country Club and was sponsored by the Biomedical Development Corp., HEB Central Market, Mission Pharmacal, the San Antonio Express-News, the San Antonio Federal Credit Union, S&C Advertising & Public Relations, Sun Harvest and Barbara Wulfe.

HSC Memory Disorders Clinic opens at Villa Serena

About 100 people gathered at Villa Serena for the Nov. 30 opening of the Health Science Center's Memory Disorders Clinic. The dignitaries included (left to right) Dr. Donald Royall, medicine, psychiatry and pharmacology; Dr. Gustavo Román, medicine; Dr. Divina Grossman, chronic nursing care; Tom Elin, owner and chief executive officer of Villa Serena; and Dr. John P. Howe, III, president.

John's primary physician served as a sleuth, sifting the clues for answers. He could not rule out the possibility of Alzheimer's disease or other "dementia"--the loss of intellectual capabilities and life knowledge. Was John's disease the result of Alzheimer's, a degenerative brain disorder for which the cause is not known, or was it due to a vascular injury such as a stroke? John's doctor needed the help of a specialized diagnostic and treatment clinic, such as the Health Science Center's recently opened Memory Disorders Clinic at Villa Serena.

Dementia disorders affect an estimated 4.5 million people in the United States. They increase with age, occurring in nearly half of all Americans 85 and older. The annual cost of dementia treatment and care in this country is about $100 billion. Incidence of the disorder is expected to double to 9 million Americans by 2030.

The Memory Disorders Clinic will emphasize stroke, which triggers dementia in many patients, said neurologist Dr. Gustavo Román, clinic director and professor of medicine at the Health Science Center. Dr. Román, staff physician at University Hospital and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, is an internationally recognized expert on treating and researching all forms of dementia, in particular vascular dementia, which involves memory impairment with stroke.

"We are building on Health Science Center faculty expertise developed over many years in the field of neurology and specifically in the subject of stroke," he said. "The data clearly link vascular disease with dementia. Research in elderly patients--age 85 or older--shows that those who had small strokes were the ones who exhibited symptoms of dementia, including the type of dementia known as Alzheimer's disease. If we can prevent small strokes, we can prevent the development of dementia."

The clinic will help with the early diagnosis of dementia and explore new ways to treat it. Dr. Román and his colleague, psychiatrist Dr. Donald Royall, will conduct clinical trials of drugs targeting dementia and its symptoms. Today's prescribed drugs slow progression of dementia but are not cures. Dr. Román's research also will include a study of hyperbaric oxygen treatment for dementia.

Dr. Royall, associate professor in the departments of medicine, psychiatry and pharmacology at the Health Science Center and staff physician at University Hospital and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, is a recognized expert on early diagnosis of dementia. He studies diagnostic tests for assessing "executive function"--brain functions that involve decision making, planning and sequencing of steps toward a goal, all strongly associated with activities of daily living.

The Memory Disorders Clinic also will address the needs of families and individuals. "Older people may lack access to specialty care or not know it is available to them," Dr. Román said. "We encourage people to call for specialty information so we can help them get a referral if necessary. If loved ones want something more comprehensive for their family member, they should look to a place like the Memory Disorders Clinic.

"This memory clinic is an outpatient program available to anyone in the city. Dr. Royall and I will see patients on consultations in the clinic by referral through the patients' health care providers."

Clinical trials of drug therapies will be offered without cost to eligible subjects and with free medical monitoring, he said.

Anyone with questions may call the clinic at 530-5005 or Villa Serena at 344-2664. Villa Serena is a clinical affiliate of the Health Science Center with specialized capacity to care for dementia patients.

John and his family eventually came to grips with a diagnosis of vascular dementia. The Memory Disorders Clinic is open now to serve the needs of patients like John.

"The worst thing people can hear is, 'There's nothing we can do,'" Dr. Román said. "The Memory Disorders Clinic is here to provide some options."

New computer printing system
to be implemented in February

Approximately 2 million pages were printed in all of these facilities in 1999. In an effort to better manage laser printing on campus and contain costs, an ad hoc committee of students, faculty and staff was formed to examine options being used by other universities. The committee recommended a centralized print management system for all public access computer printing on campus. The plan was endorsed by the Health Science Center Executive Committee.

The print management system will enable printing services providers to efficiently track individual print requests and recover costs from users. It is anticipated that the new per-page charge of 5.5 cents will reduce the amount of laser printing and wasted paper. The charge is the same price per page as photocopying.

The print management system will use the same photocopy cards currently used for self-service photocopying. People can choose to print at their office or home computers by sending attached e-mail documents or downloading them to a floppy disk at no charge. The system should be ready for testing in January with the per-page charge implemented by February.

Of Note

Individuals who wish to have an item discussed or who wish to address the committee may do so by contacting Dr. Richard King, physiology, chairman of the committee, before the meeting so that the item may be placed on the agenda.

For more information, contact Dr. King at ext. 4342 or by e-mail at <kingr@uthscsa.edu>.

Door prizes for the event include two nights at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort, one night at the La Mansion Del Rio Hotel, dinner for two at Tex's Grill & Sports Bar, dinner for two at Piedras Negras De Noche, a free car rental at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, a one-month membership at Gold's Gym, a three-month family membership at Thousand Oaks Racquet Club and a gift certificate for Maggie's Restaurant.

Entries will be available the morning of Dec. 16 in the Medical School foyer. The drawing will be held at 4 p.m. that day.

Anyone interested in donating to Gifts for Children before the holiday event can drop off a new or handmade toy or a cash donation at containers marked "Gifts for Children" in the Dental School cafeteria, the bookstores, the "Easy Go" area by the cafeteria, the Allied Health/Research Building deli and Subway. Drop-off boxes also are located in each department and donations can be brought to the reception.

Teleconference participants include Dr. Harold Slavkin, director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Dr. Claude Earl Fox, administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration, and Dr. William Maas, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The event will include discussions on reducing oral health disparities, increasing access to care and reviewing the progress of the Healthy People 2000 initiatives.

Townsend tribute

Dr. Robert Reddick, left, chairman of the Department of Pathology, presents Dr. Ramzi Cotran, right, chairman of the Department of Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, with a commemorative plaque in honor of the inaugural Frank M. Townsend, M.D., visiting professor lecture.

Institutional Strategic Planning Committee
seeks input

Calendar for Dec. 13 - 19

Tuesday, December 14
8:00 a.m.
Rehab Medicine Lecture Series "Back Exercise: Patient Presentation," Drs. Travis Hird & Mark Fredrickson (UH: Reeves Rehab Center 3rd-floor classroom)
8:00 a.m.
Medical Housestaff Specialty Conf. "Extremes of Temperature," Dr. Carmelito Arkangel (MED: 409L)
Noon
Medicine Research Conf. "Targeted Therapy for Multiple Myeloma," Dr. Yair Gazitt, & "Effects of Pamidronate on Bone Disease & CD 34+ Cell Mobilization in Patients Undergoing Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation for Myeloma," Dr. Natalie Callander (MED: 209L)
1:15 p.m.
Psychiatry Grand Rounds "Good Sleep, Bad Sleep: Diagnosis & Treatment of Insomnia," Dr. David Duhon, Sleep Disorders Center of Central Texas (MED: 409L)
4:00 p.m.
Molecular Medicine Seminar Series "Store-Operated Calcium Channels & the Control of Gene Expression in T Lymphocytes," Dr. Richard Lewis, Stanford University (IBT: 3.002)

Wednesday, December 15
6:30 a.m.
Podiatry Grand Rounds "Shoe Gear," Dr. Darm (MED: 309L)
7:00 a.m.
Vascular Surgery Grand Rounds, Dr. Mellick Sykes (MED: 209L)
8:00 a.m.
Medical Grand Rounds "Intermediate High Grade Lymphoma: Current Treatments," Dr. Richard Fisher, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine (MED: 409L)
9:00 a.m.
Surgery Trauma M&M Conf., Dr. Ronald Stewart (MED: 309L)
Noon
Cellular & Structural Biology Seminar Series "The Role of pRb, p300 & p300-Related Proteins in Differentiation: An Osteoblast Model," Dr. Elizabeth Moran, Fels Institute for Cancer Research (MED: 209L)

Thursday, December 16
7:30 a.m.
Thoracic Surgery Resident Teaching Conf. (VA: 4th-floor CT Library A404 )
7:30 a.m.
Obstetrics & Gynecology Grand Rounds "Assessing Ovarian Reserve in an Infertile Population," Dr. J. Ricardo Loret de Mola (MED: 309L)
8:00 a.m.
Pain Management Grand Rounds "Foot Pain," Dr. Sam Sayson, Brooke Army Medical Center (UH: Reeves Rehab Center 3rd-floor classroom)
Noon
Pulmonary, Thoracic & Oncology Conf. (MED: 309L)
Noon
Microbiology Seminar Series "Diabetic Yeasts: Glucose Sensing & Signaling in a Simple Eucaryotic Cell," Dr. Mark Johnson, Washington University School of Medicine (MED: 444B)
4:00 p.m.
Surgery Tumor Conference, Dr. Anatolio Cruz (MED: 209L)
4:30 p.m.
Citywide Thoracic Grand Rounds Conf. "Case Presentation," Dr. Allan Brants (MED: 309L)
5:00 p.m.
Plastic Surgery Grand Rounds "Breast Reconstruction," Dr. Steve Pisano (MED: 409L)

Friday, December 17
7:30 a.m.
Pediatric Grand Rounds "Hot Rashes," Dr. James Brian, Scott & White Children's Health Center (MED: 409L)
8:00 a.m.
Medical Housestaff Specialty Conf. "Anxiety & Panic," Dr. Michelle Conde (Nursing School room 2.424T)
8:00 a.m.
Rehab Medicine Lecture Series "Lymphedema & Lymphatic System Physiology," Drs. Michele Arnold & Mark Fredrickson (UH: Reeves Rehab Center 3rd-floor classroom)