Antidepressant and other centrally acting drugs regulate glucocorticoid receptor messenger RNA levels in rat brain

The effect of imipramine, desipramine, ketanserin and lithium on Type II glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA levels was studied in rat brain regions involved in the control of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the dysregulation of which has been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depression. Northern blot analysis of Type II GR mRNA showed that treatment of male rats with either desipramine or imipramine increased hypothalamic and hippocampal GR mRNA levels. Upregulation of GR mRNA following administration of imipramine was found in brain regions of female rats, while desipramine had no effect. Ketanserin increased levels of GR mRNA in hippocampus of male, but not female, rats. Lithium also was able to induce important increases rat brain GR mRNA; this effect was particularly marked in females.

We conclude that desipramine, imipramine, ketanserin and lithium can modulate GR mRNA in regions of rat brain involved in the control of the HPA axis and may have a common mechanism of action at the level of the GR gene. Sexual dimorphism for drug regulation of brain GR mRNA content was shown and may be related to sex differences in the prevalence of certain affective disorders.     

Evaluation of four elastomeric interocclusal recording materials

Background: The fabrication of dental prosthesis requires the transfer of interocclusal records from patient's mouth to semiadjustable articulators using different kinds of recording media. Any inaccuracy in these interocclusal records leads to occlusal errors in the final prosthesis. This study was conducted to evaluate the dimensional changes occurring in the interocclusal recording material over a given period of time and the material's resistance to compression during the cast mounting on the articulator.     

Cemented and ingrowth fixation of the Miller-Galante prosthesis. Clinical and roentgenographic comparison after three- to six-year follow-up studies

One hundred thirty-nine cemented and 132 cementless Miller-Galante total knee prostheses were followed between three and six years (average, 43-44 months). The fixation technique was based on patient age, bone quality, and ability to delay full-weight bearing. Clinical follow-up studies were possible on 116 cemented knees. Fifteen knees were lost because of death before the three-year follow-up study, and eight knees required component removal. One hundred twenty-three cementless knees were available for clinical follow-up studies; there were three deaths, and six failures required component removal. No cemented failure was due to fixation, and three cementless failures were due to lack of tibial ingrowth in two and pain of undetermined etiology in one. Preoperative knee scores were slightly significant with cemented knees averaging 48 points and cementless knees averaging 52 points. A similar significant difference was maintained at the final follow-up study. No significant differences were noted for pain, limp, or support scores. Average range of motion was similar in the two groups. Radiolucent lines about the femoral component were rare. Cementless tibial radiolucencies were partial in up to 20% of examined zones, and complete tibial tray radiolucency was seen in only three patients. No correlation between radiolucency and knee scores was seen.     

Measurement of bone by dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)

Bone densitometry is essential for (a) confirming a diagnosis of osteoporosis, (b) determining the degree of osteopenia and risk of fracture, and (c) monitoring the response of bone to therapeutic agents. Fracture risk at specific axial fracture sites (spine, proximal femur), is associated directly with bone mineral density (BMD) at these sites. ROC analysis demonstrates that the diagnostic sensitivity of spine and femur BMD for spine and/or femur fracture is substantially superior to BMD of appendicular sites in the immediate postmenopausal period. Femoral neck BMD affords high diagnostic sensitivity for proximal femur fracture even in the elderly. Recent prospective studies have shown that bone densitometry can predict future fractures in postmenopausal women. Conventional DPA with 153Gd provides high accuracy for total body, spine, and femur BMD with adequate clinical precision of 1%, 2% and 3%, respectively. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), using either switched kVp or by k-edge filtering, offers better precision; typically the precision error is halved. The higher flux available from x-ray sources provides other advantages over DPA, including: improved spatial resolution (2 vs 4 mm), reduced radiation exposure (1 vs 2 mrem), and decreased scan times (3 to 10X). Improved DPA systems, with automatic gain stabilization to minimize drift, could offer clinical precision comparable to DEXA but the scan time and spatial resolution remain as before. Both DPA and DEXA allow detection of therapeutic efficacy in individual patients over the first year or two of therapy.     

7β-(6-取代-2-喹诺酮-3-乙酰氨基)头孢菌素的合成

以6-取代-2-喹诺酮-3-乙酸为侧链,用CDI法和潘化酯法与7-ADCA,7-ACA,7-ACT,和7-ACD缩合,合成了16个新的7β-(6-取代-2-喹诺酮-3-乙酰氨基)头孢菌素类化合物,通过溶媒转提,葡聚糖凝胶(Sephadex LH-20)柱层析及离心薄层层析分离精制,得到纯品。初步体外抑菌试验表明:新化合物对革兰氏阳性及某些阴性菌具有高度敏感性。大多数化合物对所试试验菌的抗菌活性与头孢唑啉和青霉素G钠相当,有些比它们还强。