Effect of injury on the bi-affinity α1-adrenoreceptor binding in rat brain in vivo

Focal freezing lesions in rats cause a widespread decrease of cortical glucose utilization in the lesioned hemisphere, probably as a reflection of depressed cortical activity. The noradrenergic neurotransmitter system was implicated in these alterations when it was demonstrated that prazosin, a specific norepinephrine (NE) antagonist at β₁-adrenergic receptors, prevented their development. In normal rat brain, specific binding of [¹²⁵I]HEAT [(±)2-(3-[¹²⁵I]iodo-4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethyl-aminomethyltetralone], another selective α₁-adrenoreceptor ligand, was demonstrated in vivo at sites consistent with the α_1A- and α_1B-adrenoreceptor subtypes. In the present study, the effect of a freezing lesion on specific binding of [¹²⁵I]HEAT in rat brain in vivo was determined three days after traumatization when cortical glucose use suggested the greatest degree of functional depression. The steady-state volumes of distribution of [¹²⁵I]HEAT three days after injury were significantly increased in all the cortical areas of the lesioned hemisphere, but not in the subcortical structures. Injury did not modify the binding affinities for HEAT. However, a statistically significant increase in the number of low-affinity binding sites for this ligand was demonstrated in all cortical areas of the lesioned hemisphere, but not in subcortical structures. The traumatization did not modify B_max. estimates for the high-affinity binding of HEAT. The results support the hypothesis that changes in the noradrenergic system are of functional importance in brain injury and that at least some effects of injury are mediated by α_1B-adrenergic receptors. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Assessment of exercise capacity in asthmatic children with various degrees of activity

Physical fitness in a group of 49 stable asthmatic children was determined by an incremental exercise test. Thirty-one normal children served as a control group. The asthmatic children were divided into three groups. Group 1 was comprised of 16 children who actively participated in organized sports, Group 2 of 16 children who did not participate in organized sports but who engaged in free-play, and Group 3 of 17 children with a sedentary life-style who avoided even free-play. The results of cardiopulmonary evaluation before and after maximal incremental exercise testing have shown that Groups 1 and 2 behaved like the control group and their physical fitness was similar. Group 3 whose life-style was sedentary had poor physical fitness as compared to the other asthmatics and to the control group. This was the result of poor cardiovascular conditioning and was unrelated to the respiratory limitation. We conclude that poor physical fitness in asthmatic children is the result of a sedentary life-style and can be potentially normalized. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Prediction of worsening consciousness from edema after hemispheric infarction.

We sought to develop a risk profile that would predict worsening consciousness from edema after hemispheric infarction. Charts were reviewed correlating initial computed tomography scan, neurologic examination, demographic features, and ischemic mechanism with worsening consciousness from massive edema after hemispheric infarction. An edema risk profile composed of two of three clinical factors (gaze preference, hemiplegia, or hemineglect) and evidence of acute cortical infarction on initial computed tomography scan highly correlated with the later development of worsening consciousness from edema. The edema risk profile correlated with worsening consciousness from edema after hemispheric infarction. The profile requires prospective verification before use for family counseling, for anticipatory care, and for randomizing patients in acute stroke trials aimed at controlling the formation and sequelae of edema after ischemic stroke.     

The peritoneal equilibration test in children

Eight children, aged 15 months to 17 years 9 months, maintained by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)/continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis and nine adults, aged 20–59 years, managed by CAPD were compared using a standardized peritoneal dialysis protocol, the peritoneal equilibration test (PET). The peritoncal glucose concentration tended to equilibrate with the serum glucose more rapidly in children, but the percentage of the glucose load absorbed was not different between the two age groups. There was an inverse trend between the percentage of glucose absorbed and age in children. Peritoneal creatinine clearance scaled to surface area in children was significantly less than that of the adults; however, the clearances became similar when adjusted for body weight. Peritoneal creatinine clearace scaled to surface area bore a positive and significant relationship to age which, when expressed per kilogram body weight, disappeared. Children had a significantly higher dialysate/plasma (D.P) creatinine ratio after the first 2 h of the PET, but this ratio approached unity by 4 and was not different from adults. The fractional change in the creatinine D/P ratio during the PET was not different between the two age groups. Drain volume adjusted to surface area was significantly less in children than adults. This difference was reversed when drain volume was factored by weight. Similarly drain volume scaled to surface area demonstrated a significant and positive relationship to age, which disappeared when drain volume was expressed per kilogram body weight. Ultrafiltration, whether factored by weight or scaled to surface area, did not differ between the two groups. The post-PEt residual volume corrected for body weight was significantly larger in the children, but bore no relationship to age. It is possible that this larger residual volume in children functions as a tidal volume enhancing solute equilibration.     

Corticosterone-induced inhibition of gliogenesis in rat hippocampus is counteracted by electroconvulsive seizures.

BACKGROUND: Volumetric changes and glial pathology have been reported in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients with depressive disorder, an illness often associated with elevated glucocorticoid levels. Glucocorticoids reduce gliogenesis in the adult rat CNS. Electroconvulsive seizure (ECS)-treatment, an animal model for the antidepressant treatment electroconvulsive therapy, can enhance proliferation of glial cells. This study examined glial cell proliferation in response to ECS in rats whose glucocorticoid levels were elevated to mimic the conditions seen in depression. METHODS: Rats were injected daily for seven days with either corticosterone or vehicle. ECS- or sham- treatment was given once daily during the first five days. Proliferating cells in the hippocampus were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine and analyzed for co-labeling with the glial cell markers NG2, Ox42, S-100beta and Rip. RESULTS: ECS counteracted the glucocorticoid-induced inhibition of NG2+, Ox42+ and Rip+ cell proliferation, and the gliogenesis rate was restored to baseline levels. Volumetric changes in rats treated with ECS were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that ECS-treatment affects the proliferation of glial cells even in the presence of elevated levels of glucocorticoids. This result adds to an increasing number of studies suggesting that antidepressant treatment can counteract degenerative processes associated with major depression.     

老年冠心病的二级预防

冠心病在老年人（≥65岁者）中有很高的发病率和病死率，给卫生保健系统增加了沉重的经济负担。近几十年来，关于其预防和治疗的新方法提高了冠心病患者的生存率，大规模、随机临床研究中得出的干预手段已经为临床治疗提供了有力的证据。由于老年患者不能代表所有的冠心病患者，其治疗策略在不同人群中的有效性缺乏参考数据。     

Effect of Nurse-Client Transaction on Female Adolescents' Oral Contraceptive Adherence

An experimental study was conducted to test the effect of a nurse-client transactional intervention (King, 1981) on 51 female adolescents' oral contraceptive adherence. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control or an experimental group. Both groups experienced the clinics' contraceptive teaching. Subjects in the experimental group experienced the transactional intervention. Contraceptive perceptions were measured immediately post-intervention and at the three-month follow-up. Oral contraceptive adherence was measured at the three-month follow-up. Female adolescents who experienced the transactional intervention had greater levels of oral contraceptive adherence than those who had not (F = 4.75, p <.05 ).     

A comparison of a new computer-based interview for knee disorders with conventional history taking

A computer based questionnaire has been developed to record the history and analyse symptoms of patients with knee disorders. The programme produces a consistent database and a structured printed report. The printed reports from 100 patients were compared with their clinical notes recorded by two specialist knee surgeons from conventional history taking in out-patient clinics. The results show an overall agreement of 90.9% (kappa statistic=0.81) between the two methods with the information content of the computer record being much greater. The ability of the computer interview to produce a detailed history similar to and even more complete than a conventional out-patient record has the potential to considerably reduce the clinical and clerical time needed for some patients.