Effects of Papaver rhoeas extract on the acquisition and expression of morphine-induced behavioral sensitization in mice

In the present study, the effects of a water-alcohol extract of Papaver rhoeas on the acquisition and expression of morphine-induced behavioral sensitization in mice were investigated. The subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of morphine (50 mg/kg) induced locomotor activity in animals, whereas the drug did not show an effect at a dose of 5 mg/kg. On the other hand, intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of the plant extract (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) did not show any effect. The locomotor behavioral response was enhanced in mice pretreated with morphine (5 mg/kg, daily x 3 days) alone, indicating that sensitization had developed. Extract (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) administration, 30 min before each of the three daily doses of morphine decreased the development of sensitization. Moreover, intraperitoneal administration of the plant extract (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) 30 min before the test reduced the expression of morphine-induced behavioral sensitization.The results indicate that administration of the extract of Papaver rhoeas reduced the acquisition and expression of morphine-induced behavioral sensitization in mice.     

Bronchial artery embolization in the management of hemoptysis: technical aspects and long-term results

Seventy-five patients with hemoptysis were treated with bronchial artery embolization (BAE). The procedure was performed with Hexabrix (sodium methylglucamine ioxaglate), Mikaelson catheters, and Gelfoam particles. Angiographic evaluation of the bronchial artery anatomy revealed ten different configurations, which are described. The embolization attempt failed in three cases (4%); eight additional patients (10.7%) were excluded from the series because of inadequate data. In the remaining 64 patients, 41 underwent BAE alone and 23 underwent either chemotherapy or surgery in addition to embolization. Immediate control of hemoptysis was achieved in 49 of 64 patients (76.6%). Long-term control of hemoptysis was achieved in 46 of the 56 patients included in the long-term follow-up (82.1%). Eight of the 64 patients were lost to follow-up, which ranged from one to 47 months (mean 24.8 months). Hemoptysis recurred in 12 of 56 patients (severe in 10, mild in 2) (21.4%). Twelve patients died (21.4%), five of them due to hemoptysis (8.9%). None of the patients who died of hemoptysis had responded to initial BAE. It is concluded that BAE is an effective treatment for immediate control of life-threatening hemoptysis, allowing long-term control of bleeding in the majority of patients.     

Respiratory viral infection in lower airways of asymptomatic children

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine if asthmatic children have viruses more commonly detected in lower airways during asymptomatic periods than normal children. Methods: Fifty‐five asymptomatic children attending elective surgical procedures (14 with stable asthma, 41 normal controls) underwent non‐bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage. Differential cell count and PCR for 13 common viruses were performed. Results: Nineteen (35%) children were positive for at least one virus, with adenovirus being most common. No differences in the proportion of viruses detected were seen between asthmatic and normal ‘control’ children. Viruses other than adenovirus were associated with higher neutrophil counts, suggesting that they caused an inflammatory response in both asthmatics and controls (median BAL neutrophil count, 6.9% for virus detected vs. 1.5% for virus not detected, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Over one‐third of asymptomatic children have a detectable virus (most commonly adenovirus) in the lower airway; however, this was not more common in asthmatics. Viruses other than adenovirus were associated with elevated neutrophils suggesting that viral infection can be present during relatively asymptomatic periods in asthmatic children.     

Addition of estradiol to progesterone for luteal supplementation in patients stimulated with GnRH antagonist/rFSH for IVF: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: The role of progesterone for luteal support in stimulated cycles for IVF is well established. However, controversy still surrounds the benefit of additional supplementation with estradiol (E2) in GnRH agonist (GnRHa) cycles, while no such data are available for GnRH antagonists. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to compare ongoing pregnancy rates in patients stimulated with recombinant FSH (rFSH) and GnRH antagonist for IVF, who received micronized progesterone for luteal phase supplementation, with or without the addition of E2. METHODS: Two hundred and one patients underwent ovarian stimulation with a fixed dose of 200 IU rFSH and GnRH antagonist. Patients were randomized to receive, for luteal phase supplementation, either 600 mg of micronized progesterone vaginally (n=100, progesterone group) or 600 mg of micronized progesterone and 4 mg of E2 valerate orally (n=101, progesterone/E2 group). The main outcome measure was ongoing pregnancy at 12 weeks per patient randomized. RESULTS: Demographics, stimulation parameters and embryological data were comparable for the two groups compared. Twenty-six ongoing pregnancies were achieved in the progesterone (26%) and 30 in the progesterone/E2 group (29.7%). (Difference: 3.7 and 95%, CI: -15.8 to 8.6%). CONCLUSION: It appears that the addition of E2 to progesterone in the luteal phase after stimulation with rFSH and GnRH antagonist does not enhance the probability of pregnancy.     

Evaluation of PDTC for removing Ni(II) from human serum transferrin in vitro

Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)can be an oral chelator with pKa=3.300+/-0.002. It behaves as a bidentate ligand at serum pH. The effect of pH on Ni2+-Tf indicated that the maximum adsorption was at pH=7.4. The effective Ni-PDTC binding constant was determined (logk=11.1+/-0.1) for the 1:2 Ni(PDTC)2 complex using UV-vis spectra. The isosbestic point at 298 indicated that the complexation reaction was done directly (without side reaction). Removal of Ni from transferrin (Tf) was investigated by reverse titration of PDTC at 25 masculineC and pH=7.4 using UV-vis spectra. PDTC is able to remove 25% of Ni from human serum transferrin.     

Accurate guidance of a catheter by ultrasound imaging and identification of a catheter tip by pulsed-wave Doppler

Background: With the advent of numerous minimally invasive medical procedures, accurate catheter guidance has become imperative. We introduce and test an approach for catheter guidance by ultrasound imaging and pulsed‐wave (PW) Doppler. Methods: A steerable catheter is fitted with a small piezoelectric crystal at its tip that actively transmits signals driven by a function generator. We call this an active‐tip (AT) catheter. In a water tank, we immersed a “target” crystal and a rectangular matrix of four “reference” crystals. Two‐dimensional (2D) ultrasound imaging was used for initial guidance and visualization of the catheter shaft, and then PW Doppler mode was used to identify the AT catheter tip and guide it to the simulated target that was also visible in the 2D ultrasound image. Ten guiding trials were performed from random initial positions of the AT catheter, each starting at approximately 8 cm from the target. Results: After the ten navigational trials, the average final distance of the catheter tip from the target was 2.4 ± 1.2 mm, and the range of distances from the trials was from a minimum of 1.0 mm to a maximum of 4.5 mm. Conclusions: Although early in the development process, these quantitative in vitro results show promise for catheter guidance with ultrasound imaging and tip identification by PW Doppler. (PACE 2012; 35:44–50)     

Comparison of the effect of post-instruction multiple-choice and short-answer tests on delayed retention learning

Background

People forget much of what they learn, therefore students could benefit from learning strategies that yield long-lasting knowledge. Yet surprisingly, little is known about how longterm retention is most efficiently mastered. We studied the value of teacher made in class tests as learning aids and compared two types of teacher-made tests (multiple choice and short-answer tests) with a no test (control) to determine their value as aids to retention learning.

Method

The study was conducted on two separate batches of medical undergraduate students. This study compared two types of tests [multiple choice questions (MCQs) and short answer questions (SAQs)] with a no test (control) group. The investigation involved initial testing at the end of the lecture (post instruction), followed by an unannounced delayed retention test on the same material three weeks later. The unannounced delayed test comprising of MCQs and SAQs on the same material was given three weeks later to all the three groups.

Results

In batch I, the MCQ group had a higher mean delayed retention score of 10.97, followed by the SAQ group (8.42) and the control group (6.71). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and least significance difference (LSD) post hoc test revealed statistically significant difference between the means of the three groups. Similar results were obtained for batch II

Conclusion

Classroom testing has a positive effect on retention learning; both short-answer and multiple-choice tests being more effective than no test in promoting delayed retention learning, however, multiple-choice tests are better.     

Comparative gene expression study of the chronic exposure to clozapine and haloperidol in rat frontal cortex

Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are effective in treating some of the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. APDs take time to achieve a therapeutic effect which suggests that changes in gene expression are involved in their efficacy. We hypothesized that there would be altered expression of specific genes associated with the etiology or treatment of schizophrenia in frontal cortex of rats that received chronic treatment with a typical APD (haloperidol) vs. an atypical APD (clozapine). Rats were administered clozapine, haloperidol, or sterile saline intraperitoneally daily for 21days. Frontal cortices from clozapine-, haloperidol-, and saline-treated rats were dissected and subjected to microarray analysis. We observed a significant (1.5 fold, p<0.05) downregulation of 278 genes and upregulation of 73 genes in the clozapine-treated brains vs. controls and downregulation of 451 genes and upregulation of 115 genes in the haloperidol-treated brains vs. control. A total of 146 genes (130 downregulated and 16 upregulated) were significantly altered by both clozapine and haloperidol. These genes were classified by functional groups. qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) analysis verified the direction and magnitude of change for a group of nine genes significantly altered by clozapine and 11 genes significantly altered by haloperidol. Three genes verified by qRT-PCR were altered by both drugs: Bcl2-like 1 (Bcl2l1), catechol-O-methyltransferase (Comt), and opioid-binding protein/cell adhesion molecule-like (Opcml). Our results show that clozapine and haloperidol cause changes in levels of many important genes that may be involved in etiology and treatment of schizophrenia.