The dental management of patients with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (manic depressive disease) affects 1% of the United States population. These persons suffer from prolonged episodes of extreme elation and depression. There is a significant incidence of dental pathosis and a need for dental care among these patients. The medications used for the treatment of this disease, their physiologic effects, and their interactions with the drugs used in dentistry are reviewed.     

The effect of estradiol valerate and allylestrenol on endometrial transformation in hypergonadotropic hypogonadic women

The effect of estradiol valerate and allylestrenol on the endometrial transformation of five hypergonadotropic hypogonadic women was evaluated. Estradiol valerate was administered throughout the whole induced cycle (28 days), while allylestrenol was added during the second half of the cycle. Endometrial biopsies were performed during allylestrenol treatment and were evaluated histologically. Samples of endometrium were also subjected to one-dimensional SDS electrophoresis. Of ten biopsies performed, only one was interpreted to be in-phase, while the others were dated proliferative (4 biopsies) or showed abortive or out-of-phase secretory transformation. The highest mean serum progesterone level, detected under allylestrenol treatment, was 1.5 ng/ml. Protein electrophoresis demonstrated relative sequential changes in the protein patterns of the 115 kDa and 150 kDa protein bands. It is concluded that allylestrenol, although having gestagen properties, may not be efficient for the induction of an adequate secretory transformation of human endometrium in the absence of ovaries.     

4-Aminopyridine induces the release of neuropeptide Y (NPY) to produce an atropine- and tetrodotoxin-resistant contraction in rabbit isolated jejunum

4-Aminopyridine (4-AP) induced an atropine- and tetrodotoxin (TTX)-insensitive contraction (resistant contraction), in a concentration-dependent manner, in the isolated jejunum of rabbits. The failure of specific antagonists of histamine, serotonin and substance P to affect this resistant contraction ruled out the participation of histamine, serotonin and/or substance P. Antiserum against neuropeptide Y (NPY) reduced this resistant contraction in a concentration-dependent manner and inhibited the action of 4-AP totally at a high concentration (1.25% dilution) whereas normal serum lacked this ability. This suggested that the release of NPY was involved in this 4-AP-induced resistant contraction. Radioimmunoassay of NPY-like immunoreactivity in isolated synaptosomal preparations indicated that 4-AP possessed the ability to induce the release of NPY. However, guanethidine did not affect the actions of 4-AP, indicating that NPY is released mainly from non-adrenergic nerves. Our results indicate that 4-AP induces the release of NPY from non-adrenergic nerves to produce an atropine- and TTX-resistant contraction in the isolated jejunum of rabbits.