Donald R. Bennett, M.D., Ph.D.    Pages  431-434
Vol.2, July 19, 1994

 

In regards:  Silicone Breast Implants

MDL926

 

Page 431

 

1                    so to speak, to help your group develop

2                    some of these products?

3                    A.        Since I don’t remember that

4                    specifically, I’m—I have to assume it

5                    was—it was done by someone else, but I

6                    could be wrong.  It was someone higher

7                    corporation in executive management,

8                    perhaps Dr. Hunter, perhaps Dr. Bass,

9                    whoever.

10                Q.        Okay.  Well, let’s turn to the

11                actual meeting that you had with Lepetit

12                in January 1971—

13                A.        Okay.

14                Q.        --and it appears that you had

15                met with a  Dr. Lerner there, who was an

16                endocrinologist.  And I’m on page 5464

17                A.        Yes

18                Q.        Does that appear to be

19                accurate?

20                A.        Uh-huh (indicating

21                affirmatively).

22                Q.        Okay.  Now, again, an

23                endocrinologist is somebody who looks at

24                the endocrine system which included—

25                includes the reproductive system; correct?

 

Page 432

1          A.        Correct.

2          Q.        And you had been looking at

3                    the reproductive system at least for the

4                    effects of 2,6 cis and some other

5                    organosilicon compounds; correct?

6                    A.        Right.

7                    Q.        Okay.  And, indeed, you had

8                    found that 2,6 cis had some effect on—I

9                    believe you were studying the male

10                reproductive system, or was it the female?

11                A.        Both.  It was an estrogen-like

12                substance, and therefore, it was both.

13                Q.        Okay.  An estrogen-like

14                substance; what does that mean in simple

15                terms?

16                A.        It had hormonal activity and

17                had the effects of an estrogen as well as

18                an anti-estrogen agent.  It had both

19                effects.  It just simply mimicked the

20                action of estrogen as a hormonal in the

21                body and was an anti-estrogen as well.

22                Q.        It had both types of effects?

23                A.        Yes.  That is common among

24                drugs to have agonist activity like and

25                antagonist opposing activity within the

 

 

Page 433

 

1                    same molecule.  Many examples of that.

2                    Q.        Okay. Is that similar to how

3                    the same compound could in some ways

4                    suppress after an immune suppressant and

5                    then at the same time act as—to

6                    activate the immune system?

7                    MR DONLEY:

8                    Objection

9                    EXAMINATION BY MR. ELLIS

10                Q.        Is that a similar type of

11                concept?

12                A.        It’s—It’s an analogy.  I’m

13                trying to think of one, and I can’t for

14                specifically immune system as such.

15                Q.        The reason I made that

16                reference is later we’re going to come to

17                a document that talks about some types of

18                0rganosilicon compounds at the same time

19                acting as a suppressant for the immune

20                system and also activating the immune

21                system

22                MR. DONLEY

23                Objection.  That’s not a

24                Question.

25                EXAMINATION BY MR. ELLIS

 

Page 434

1          Q.        But you had found—in any

2                    event, you had found both types of

3                    estrogen-like activity and

4                    anti-estrogen-like activity with 2,6 cis?

5                    A.        I believe it’s principally

6                    classified as anti-estrogen.

7                    Q.        Okay.  Now by 1972 when you

8                    made this visit to Lepetit had you also

9                    done some work on the effect of 2,6 cis on

10                the central nervous system?

11                A.        Yes

12                Q.        And what were—

13                A.        2,6 cis on the central nervous

14                system, I have to ask for a clarification.

15                Hormones—The major

16                pituitary glad is considered to be a—

17                if you will, a part of the endocrine

18                system, but it’s in the brain.  And if

19                you’re talking about the mechanism of

20                action studies that were conducted on the

21                central nervous system to determine if

22                that where the site of action of 2,6 cis

23                was, yes, those kinds of studies were—

24                were done.

25                Q.        And actually, you have found