Mania: sympathoadrenal function and clinical state

We investigated sympathoadrenal and sympathetic nervous system activity, catecholamine disposition, and clinical state in 19 hospitalized manic patients. Severity of the core manic syndrome, anxiety, and hostility correlated with 24-hour urinary excretion of epinephrine relative to its metabolites, but only weakly with norepinephrine. Agitation, however, correlated most strongly and significantly with norepinephrine. Eight of the patients had mixed states: concurrent manic and depressive syndromes. There were no differences between mixed and pure manic patients with respect to catecholamine or metabolite excretion or precursor/product ratios, but mixed manic patients tended to have higher excretion of norepinephrine and had increased variance with respect to catecholamine measures. These data suggest that the function of the adrenal medulla, whether directly or indirectly, is important in the symptoms of both mixed and pure mania.     

Detection of talocalcaneal coalitions by magnification bone scintigraphy

Fibrocartilaginous talocalcaneal coalitions are very difficult to identify on plain radiography in symptomatic children and adolescents before gross ossification occurs. Computed tomography (CT) has been successful in identifying osseous and some fibro-osseous coalitions. In this series, magnification imaging of the tarsus on bone scintigraphy in the medial-lateral projection correctly identified talocalcaneal coalitions, seven of the nine bars were fibrous or fibro-osseous. Three of the fibrous lesions were equivocal or normal on conventional radiography and CT. Physiologic accumulations of activity in the growing hind foot are also presented from a control pediatric population. Magnification scintigraphy of the hind foot is offered as an adjunct to plain radiography and CT in the diagnosis of elusive nonosseous subtalar bars.     

Brain catecholamine metabolites and behavior in morphine withdrawal

Morphine withdrawal behavior, brain and plasma catecholamine metabolites, and brain beta-noradrenergic receptor binding were examined after acute treatment with naloxone in rats treated with morphine pellets or a sham pelleting procedure. Increases in brain 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethyleneglycol (MHPG), a norepinephrine metabolite, occurred in parallel with rated withdrawal behavior. Withdrawal behavior correlated significantly with brain, and, more modestly, with plasma levels of MHPG but did not correlate with beta-receptor binding or HVA. The effectiveness of debrisoquin sulfate was variable, but the reductions in withdrawal signs and cerebral cortex MHPG were strongly correlated. These data support a direct relationship between presynaptic noradrenergic hyperactivity and opiate withdrawal behavior.     

Incidence of endotoxemia in pigs with ischemic hepatic necrosis treated by hemodialysis. Prevention of endotoxemia with lactulose

The incidences of endotoxemia and bacteremia were evaluated in 30 pigs with ischemic hepatic necrosis treated by hemodialytic procedures. Prior to induction of hepatic ischemia, ten pigs underwent bowel cleansing by means of an oral dose of magnesium sulfate, and 20 received a combination of magnesium sulfate and lactulose. Endotoxemia and bacteremia seldom occurred during the development of hepatic encephalopathy, but the incidence of both increased markedly shortly before death. Pigs pretreated with magnesium sulfate and lactulose however did not develop preterminal endotoxemia. A significant relation between endotoxemia or bacteremia and survival was not found, irrespective of pretreatment with lactulose. Of the positive limulus tests, 67% were accompanied by a positive blood culture, while 42% of all positive blood cultures were associated with a positive limulus test. Dialysis with dialysates contaminated with endotoxins did not increase the risk of endotoxemia. It is concluded that in an animal model of ischemic hepatic necrosis (1) endotoxemia and bacteremia appear mainly in the preterminal stage, but do not influence the duration of survival significantly; (2) lactulose prevents endotoxemia and (3) dialytic procedures do not increase the risk of endotoxemia and bacteremia.     

Urinary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol and psychiatric diagnosis

The authors examined the quantities of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) in the urine of 11 schizophrenic female patients, 14 primary affective disorder (depressed type) female patients, and 10 healthy comparison women. The primary affective disorder patients had significantly less MHPG in their urine than did the comparison subjects. The schizophrenic patients when compared with the healthy subjects or the depressed patients did not excrete significantly different amounts of MHPG in urine. The variance in MHPG in schizophrenic patients was quite large; some had very low urinary MHPG. There was a significant positive correlation between agitation and urinary MHPG for schizophrenic but not depressed patients. The authors discuss theoretical and practical implications of these findings.