Thyroid hormone correlates of sensation seeking and anxiety in healthy human females.

The present study explores the relationships among a number of personality measures (the Sensation-Seeking Scale, SSS; the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Susceptibility to Punishment Scale) and some parameters of the pituitary-thyroid axis. The study was carried out on a group of 37 physically and mentally fit female volunteers, none of whom had a personal history of psychiatric or endocrinologic illness. The subjects were controlled for the menstrual cycle. The most relevant result was a significant negative relationship between the SSS score and plasma basal levels of thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Interaction between T4 and TSH levels with trait anxiety was also observed.     

Radioimmunoassay method for the detection of IgE antibodies specific to alcuronium

A radio-immunoassay (RIA) was used to screen for specific IgE to myorelaxants. Alcuronium was coupled to epoxy-activated Sepharose. Sixteen patients with anaphylaxis to alcuronium (n = 2), gallamine (n = 2) or suxamethonium (n = 12) were studied. The diagnosis was established by intradermal tests (ID), passive cutaneous anaphylaxis tests and human basophil degranulation tests. The amount of non specific label retained by Sepharose-ethanolamine (with sera of patients) and Sepharose-alcuronium (with sera of 11 control subjects) was estimated. The RIA was positive 10/16 (8/14 patients having reacted to a muscle relaxant other than alcuronium). The RIA seemed to be useful in the diagnosis of anaphylaxis to muscle relaxants. Drug-reactive antibodies were specific of the quaternary ammonium radical, which was the common allergenic determinant of all molecules of muscle relaxants. This test accounted for in vitro cross-reactivity, but had no predictive value for the clinical risk of crossed-anaphylaxis. This risk was best assessed by ID; it was positive in three cases. Although it was not possible to compare ID and RIA, the interpretation of which was different, both tests should be recommended for the detection of sensitivity to muscle relaxants.     

Schädelröntgen zur Abklärung bei Kopfverletzungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Pharmacological studies on zymosan inflammation in rats and mice. 1: Zymosan-induced paw oedema in rats and mice

Injections of zymosan in mouse and rat paws provoke inflammatory reactions, the kinetics of which are different. In both models, inflammation occurs at an early stage but oedema is maximal at 30 min in rat paw and 6 h in mouse paw. In this study the two reactions have been studied up to 6 h. The reduction of oedema by anti-H1 compounds, as well as by disodium cromoglycate, proves the active role played by histamine in rat paw oedema. In mouse its role appears to be minor or non-existent. Serotonin seems to be clearly implicated in the early stages of the oedema in mouse, somewhat less in rat. In the two species, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds only reduce the 4-6 h phase. BW755C and phenidone reduce the early and late phase of paw oedema in both species, with the exception of phenidone which is inactive on the 4-6 h phase in the mouse. We can hypothesize that in the two species some leukotrienes seem to be implicated principally in the early phases, while derivatives of cyclooxygenase play a more important role in the late phases. Theophylline reduces inflammation in the two models, hydrocortisone acetate, however, is only active on the late phases. These results indicate that there are important differences in the participation of the various mediators studied in the two models.