Oral self-administration of etonitazene in rhesus monkeys: Use of a fading procedure to establish etonitazene as a reinforcer

The establishment of orally delivered etonitazene (a potent opioid) as a reinforcer, was studied in eight rhesus monkeys. Initially, when given concurrent access to 2.5 μg/ml etonitazene and the water vehicle, five of the monkeys rejected the drug, whereas the other three monkeys consumed more drug solution than water. The five monkeys that rejected the drug solution underwent an acquisition phase to establish the drug as a reinforcer. A fading procedure was used to transfer control of responding from a 2% (wt/vol) ethanol solution to a 2.5 μg/ml etonitazene solution. Initially, responding was maintained by contingent deliveries of 2% ethanol. Next, across blocks of six or more sessions, increasing amounts of etonitazene were added in steps to the 2% ethanol solution. Subsequently, the 2% ethanol solution was decreased in steps to zero, leaving only the 2.5 μg/ml etonitazene present. When the fading procedure was completed, dose of etonitazene was varied by increasing the volume delivered, first under fixed ratio (FR 4) and then under an FR 8 reinforcement schedule. The same dose manipulations were made with the three monkeys who did not undergo the fading procedure because they preferred etonitazene over water when first tested. Etonitazene was established as a reinforcer for six of the eight monkeys because drug deliveries exceeded vehicle deliveries across a range of drug doses.     

Pyogenic infections of the central nervous system secondary to dental affections—a report of six cases

Pyogenic infections of the central nervous system of dental origin are quite uncommon in industrialized countries. We report six cases with intracerebral (n=4) and intraspinal (n=2) infections treated in our hospital. The microbial pathogen was successfully isolated in all patients. Fusobacterium nucleatum as well as Streptococcus species were found in three cases. Bacillus species were identified in two patients. Actinomyces was the etiologic agent in one case. All patients suffered from dental pathologies, so that after clinical and radiological exclusion of other sources an oral focus was presumed. Therapeutic management consisted of an operative procedure in order to obtain decompression, as well as evacuation of the pus on the one hand, followed by targeted antibiotics on the other. Clinical improvement was achieved in all patients, with one patient lost to follow-up. On magnetic resonance tomography, the inflammatory changes also disappeared in all cases. We recommend that oral infection with recurrent bacteraemia should always be considered in the pathogenesis of the so-called “cryptic” intracerebral and intraspinal infections.     

The relationship between histopathological findings in oral squamous cell carcinoma and FDG uptake on PET

Objectives It is known that, in fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG PET) for the diagnosis of oral cancer, FDG uptake may vary even among different cases of the same squamous cell carcinoma. However, the details of this phenomenon have not yet been elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between histopathological findings in oral squamous cell cancer and PET findings on FDG uptake. Methods We examined 45 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma who had undergone FDG PET before treatment. FDG uptake was assessed by a standardized uptake value (SUV) calculated according to the PET-measured tissue concentration of FDG, the administered dose of radionuclide, and the body weight of the patient. The relationship between the mean SUV and each of the following parameters was examined: histological grade of malignancy, degree of cell differentiation, size and/or local extent of the primary lesion, and cell density of the tumor. Results The mean SUV of FDG uptake did not depend on the histological grade of malignancy or on the degree of cell differentiation, but tended to be greater the larger the primary lesion. SUV also depended on cell density, increasing with the percentage of tumor parenchyma. Conclusions It is concluded that cancer cell density greatly influences the SUV of FDG, in that a tumor with fewer cellular elements in cancer tissue tends to become a false negative.     

Twinblock矫治器矫治下颌后缩畸形

目的 观察Twinblock矫治器矫治替牙期或恒牙初期下颌后缩畸形的临床效果。方法 选择23例下颌后缩畸形患者。用Twinblock矫治器进行矫治。结果 经过14～20个月的治疗。23例患者的下颌后缩畸形得到矫治，面型得到改善。结论 Twinblock矫治器可矫正下颌后缩畸形且疗效稳定。     

Evidence for a reflex provoking contraction of the renal pelvis (with some comments on its clinical implications)

The effect of swallowing a small quantity of water or of solid food (biscuit) on the renogram curve was observed in 177 patients. Swallowing provoked contraction of the renal pelvis in 63% of the kidneys with a pelvicalyceal system which was neither obstructed nor dilated, with expulsion of a substantial fraction of the contents within 30 s. This did not occur in obstructed or denervated kidneys, nor in patients with a high transection of the spinal cord. Evidence is adduced that this contraction is mediated reflexly. This effect may be used diagnostically to distinguish physiological dilatation from obstruction. The implications when performing and interpreting renography are discussed. Correspondence to: M.V. Merrick     

沈阳市961名老年干部牙健康状况调查

目的了解并分析沈阳市老年干部牙健康状况。方法按第二次全国口腔健康流行病学抽样调查标准,对沈阳市961名60岁以上的老年干部进行口腔健康调查,结果用SPSS软件处理。结果患龋率为67.12%,患龋者的龋均随着年龄的增长而逐渐增高(P<0.05),龋齿全部充填率为33.18%。缺牙率为80.65%,人均失牙7.38颗,人均保留牙的数目与年龄呈负相关(P<0.01)。无牙牙合率为10.20%,无牙牙合与牙列缺损的修复率分别为98.98%和36.04%。牙周健康状况与年龄呈负相关(P<0.01)。结论牙列缺失及缺损是老年人常见的口腔疾患,龋病和牙周病是其主要原因。加强老年人的口腔保健意识,是提高口腔疾病治疗成功率的重要环节,进而增进老年人的全身健康。     

活动翼矫治器的研制与初步应用

目的评价活动翼矫治器的设计原理与矫治效能。方法应用活动翼矫治器对588例错畸形病例进行矫治。对2001年～2004年的389例进行研究,分析其疗效、疗程、复诊次数、弓丝使用等情况。结果病例完成时间为4～15个月,平均为8.13个月。复诊次数4～13次,平均7.55次。平均每例上颌使用弓丝1.95根、下颌1.98根。仅11例病例使用口外支抗。结论活动翼矫治器是一种新研发的高效能矫治器,能够明显缩短疗程、减少复诊次数、减少弓丝用量     

Head and Neck Histoplasmosis—A Nightmare for Clinicians and Pathologists! Experience at a Tertiary Referral Cancer Centre

Histoplasmosis is a rarely reported deep mycotic infection in the Indian context. Oral or oropharyngeal manifestation can occur as an isolated symptom or as part of a disseminated process associated with immunosuppression especially with HIV and diabetes. Five cases of head and neck histoplasmosis accrued over 6 years in a tertiary referral cancer institute were reviewed. All these patients presented clinically as cancer. In three patients, the marked pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia led to a mistaken biopsy diagnosis of malignancy following which definitive surgical treatment was performed. The subsequent excision revealed typical features of histoplasmosis. Isolated oral presentation of histoplasmosis can mimic malignancy both clinically as well as pathologically, leading to potentially disastrous consequences. A high index of suspicion in those with overt or hidden immunosuppression and a deep wedge biopsy to demonstrate the organisms in the subepithelial tissue is recommended. This work has been presented in the “Slide seminar on Infections and Infestations” in the IAP-ID pre conference CME in APCON 2006.     

鱼腥草止咳口服液治疗难治性肺炎的临床观察

目的:观察鱼腥草止咳口服液对难治性肺炎患者的临床疗效,并探讨其作用机理。方法:65例患者随机分成两组,治疗组35例,对照组30例。对照组采用西医常规治疗,治疗组在同对照组治疗基础上加用鱼腥草止咳口服液口服,观察两组患者症状及体征的改善情况,并检测治疗前后外周血IL-2和TNF-α的变化。结果:治疗后总有效率:治疗组为94.3%,对照组为83.3%,组间比较有显著性差异(P<0.05);治疗组在增加外周血IL-2及降低TNF-α水平方面明显优于对照组。结论:鱼腥草止咳口服液治疗难治性肺炎具有显著疗效,尤其在镇咳、平喘、抗炎、退热及促进排痰、肺部啰音和炎症消失、毒副作用等方面具有明显优势。