Antagonism of the 5-HT1A receptor stimulus in a conditioned taste aversion procedure.

The conditioned taste aversion procedure in mice was used to test for blockade of the drug stimulus of the 5-HT1A receptor agonists (+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin HBr (8-OH-DPAT), 1-(4-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridinyl)-4- [4-[2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl]butyl]piperazine (E)-2-butenedioate (Org 13011) and the 5-HT reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine. The conditioned taste aversion induced by 8-OH-DPAT (0.22 mg/kg) and Org 13011 (0.5 mg/kg) was readily blocked by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl) cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY-100635) (0.1 mg/kg). The conditioned taste aversion induced by fluoxetine could not be antagonized by WAY-100635 nor by the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist mianserin. It is concluded that the conditioned taste aversion induced by 8-OH-DPAT or Org 13011 is mediated via 5-HT1A receptors. The results suggest that the conditioned taste aversion induced by fluoxetine is not exclusively mediated by 5-HT1A receptors nor exclusively by 5-HT2 receptors. The results also indicate that the conditioned taste aversion paradigm can be used to test for antagonism of stimulus properties of compounds.     

Patient's need for choice and information across the interface between primary and secondary care: A survey

Objective

Hospitals in the Netherlands have recently made certain performance data public, allowing patients to choose the location of their care. The objective of this study is to assess (a) patient preferences and experiences concerning the transition between primary and secondary health care, (b) patients’ needs for choice and information and how these are influenced by personal and morbidity factors.

Methods

Two different types of questionnaires were used. The first questionnaire concerns the importance that patients attach to the care provided. The second questionnaire concerns the actual experiences of the patient with the care provided.For the selection of patients, we used the databases of the registration networks of the Departments of General Practice of the Universities of Groningen and Leiden. The questionnaires were returned by 513 patients (Importance 69%) and 1404 patients (Experience 65%).

Results

Many patients prefer the GP advising them regarding which hospital or specialist they should be referred to: a quarter of the patients preferred that the GP decided for them. Patients with a curable condition and patients aged between 25 and 65, highly educated and with stable personal characteristics as measured by a purposive scale, more often wished to use information from internet or newspapers to make a decision.The amount of information that was needed on illness or treatment varied greatly. Young people, older people, and those with less stable personal characteristics more often desired only practical information.

Conclusions

In spite of making performance data of different health care institutions public, only a limited number of patients want to use this information on a limited number of health problems.

Practice implications

Care providers should take differences into account concerning patients’ need for information on their illness.