Prenatal Stress Increases the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Response in Young and Adult Rats

Prenatal stress is considered as an early epigenetic factor able to induce long-lasting alterations in brain structures and functions. It is still unclear whether prenatal stress can induce long-lasting modifications in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. To test this possibility the effects of restraint stress in pregnant rats during the third week of gestation were investigated in the functional properties of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and hippocampal type I and type II corticosteroid receptors in the male offspring at 3, 21 and 90 days of age. Plasma corticosterone was significantly elevated in prenatally-stressed rats at 3 and 21 days after exposure to novelty. At 90 days of age, prenatally-stressed rats showed a longer duration of corticosterone secretion after exposure to novelty. No change was observed for type I and type II receptor densities 3 days after birth, but both receptor subtypes were decreased in the hippocampus of prenatally-stressed offspring at 21 and 90 days of life. These findings suggest that prenatal stress produces long term changes in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in the offspring.     

Advances in treatment of type II diabetes mellitus in the elderly.

Elderly diabetic patients are prone to the acute and subacute consequences of hyperglycemia, which can adversely affect health, well being, and quality of life. Every elderly patient with diabetes should be offered an individualized treatment plan, consisting of education, dietary counseling, and an exercise program. If fasting and postprandial glucose levels do not stay consistently in the desired range, then an oral hypoglycemic agent should be instituted at the lowest possible dose. When the oral hypoglycemic agent fails, it may be possible to achieve good glycemic control with the addition of insulin. Recent developments in insulin administration can optimize glycemic benefits and reduce potential adverse effects.     

Effects of beta-adrenergic blockade on nitroglycerin-induced augmentation of regional coronary blood flow in patients

Although beta-adrenergic blockade may increase coronary vascular resistance in some patients with severe ischemic heart disease, the effects of beta blockade on the nitroglycerin (NTG)-induced augmentation of coronary blood flow have not been elucidated. Therefore, systemic hemodynamic and anterior left ventricular regional coronary blood-flow (thermodilution) data were measured during administration of NTG into the left coronary artery, before and 10 min after intravenous propranolol (0.1 mg/kg) in 22 patients. Six patients (Group 1) had normal left coronary arteries and nine (Group 2) had severe coronary artery disease with at least greater than 70% narrowing of the left anterior descending artery. In seven additional patients (three without and four with greater than 70% left anterior descending coronary artery disease), measurements were obtained with constant-paced heart rates (Group 3). Before beta blockade, NTG (200 mcg) significantly increased anterior regional great-vein flow [for Group 1, 84 +/- 38% (81 +/- 20 to 140 +/- 60 ml/min); Group 2, 39 +/- 41% (61 +/- 26 to 83 +/- 38 ml/min); and Group 3, 87 +/- 55% (75 +/- 36 to 144 +/- 86 ml/min)]. In Groups 1 and 2, beta-adrenergic blockade reduced heart rate 10% (p less than 0.01) but did not affect mean arterial or pulmonary artery pressures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Renal Effects of Multiple Infusion of Pyridoxalated-Hemoglobin-Polyoxyethylene Conjugate (PHP) Solution in Dogs

Abstract: Pyridoxalated-hemoglobin-polyoxyethylene conjugate (PHP), which is made from out-dated human red blood cells by two major chemical modifications, namely pyridoxalation and conjugation with polyoxyethylene (POE), is currently under development as a physiological oxygen carrier. This study assessed the effects of PHP-88 solution, which contains 8% (wt/vol) each of hemoglobin (Hb) and maltose, on renal function when it was infused 3 times every other day into the intact circulation of 8 dogs (5 dogs for the PHP group and 3 for the control group; 20 ml/kg for the first infusion, and 10 ml/kg each for the second and third infusions, at the rate of 2.5 ml/h/kg). Serial determinations of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) were carried out pre- and postinfusion for up to 3 months along with measurements of blood and urine analyses, urine output rate, fractional excretion of sodium (FES), and free water clearance (C_H2O). The results showed that plasma colloid osmotic pressure (COP) elevated an average of 3.3 mm Hg (p = 0.0085), and GFR and RPF tended to increase by 13% (NS) and 38% (NS), respectively, immediately after the third infusion with PHP solution. Urine output rate increased during and after the infusion, and FES and C_H2O also increased for 24 h after the infusion in both groups. Blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and serum Na⁺ concentrations were not affected greatly by the infusions, but hematocrit was decreased by 8% in the PHP group, indicating approximately a 42% expansion of plasma volume. These changes were observed to return to their preinfusion levels by 1 week postinfusion. Renal histology of the PHP group obtained at 2 weeks postinfusion revealed vacuole formation in the proximal tubules which was not associated with any pathologic changes indicative of cell death or regeneration. In 4 out of 5 dogs at 3 months postinfusion (necropsy), the vacuoles were not present. Though urinary N-acetyl β-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity had significantly increased after infusion, it returned to the preinfusion level by 1 month postinfusion. No detrimental effect of vacuoles on the assessed renal tubular functions was confirmed in the present study. The result demonstrated that multiple infusions of PHP solutions were well tolerated in normal dogs, and the observed effects were conceived predominantly attributable to the physiological response of the kidneys to an oncotic load into the circulation, which produced plasma volume expansion.     

Beta-adrenergic blockers reduce the risk of fracture partly by increasing bone mineral density: Geelong Osteoporosis Study.

This population-based study documented beta-blocker use in 59/569 cases with incident fracture and 112/775 controls. OR for fracture associated with beta-blocker use was 0.68 (95%CI, 0.49-0.96). Beta-blockers were associated with higher BMD at the total hip (2.5%) and UD forearm (3.6%) after adjusting for age, anthropometry, and thiazide use. Beta-blocker use is associated with reduced fracture risk and higher BMD. INTRODUCTION: Animal data suggests that bone formation is under beta-adrenergic control and that beta-blockers stimulate bone formation and/or inhibit bone resorption. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the association between beta-blocker use, bone mineral density (BMD), and fracture risk in a population-based study in Geelong, a southeastern Australian city with a single teaching hospital and two radiological centers providing complete fracture ascertainment for the region. Beta-blocker use was documented for 569 women with radiologically confirmed incident fractures and 775 controls without incident fracture. Medication use and lifestyle factors were documented by questionnaire. RESULTS: Odds ratio for fracture associated with beta-blocker use was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.49-0.96) for any fracture. Adjusting for age, weight, medications, and lifestyle factors had little effect on the odds ratio. Beta-blocker use was associated with a higher BMD at the total hip (2.5%, p = 0.03) and ultradistal forearm (3.6%, p = 0.04) after adjustment for age, anthropometry, and thiazide use. CONCLUSION: Beta-blockers are associated with a reduction in fracture risk and higher BMD.     

Pregnant dreaming: Search for a typology of a proposed dream genre

Dreams during pregnancy were collected from post-partum women on the maternity ward of an Israeli hospital. Our data indicate that primipara women and women with complicated obstetrical histories were more likely to report increased dreaming during pregnancy. The collected dream corpus suggests that dreams during pregnancy can be viewed as a distinct dream genre. This paper develops a tentative typology of that genre. In addition, the authors argue that the context of disclosure was highly relevant to the sorts of manifest contents that were reported.