Comparison of the inhibitory action of aminobeclamide and beclamide on socially offensive behaviour

The inhibitory effects of aminobeclamide (N-(p-aminobenzyl)-beta-chloropropionamide) on socially offensive behaviour has been studied and compared with those of the parent drug beclamide (N-benzyl-beta-chloropropionamide). Following oral administration in mice which had been individually housed for a 28 day period then paired with normal group-housed opponents, aminobeclamide and beclamide both produced significant and dose-related inhibition of socially offensive behaviour. Aminobeclamide (20-150 mg kg-1 p.o.) and beclamide (50-250 mg kg-1 p.o.) gave increased offense onset latency whilst at the same time they reduced the incidence of offense encounters/animal and decreased the group percentage of animals displaying offense behaviour. It is likely that both drugs have similar monoamine modifying effects though this animal study suggests that aminobeclamide is 1.5 to 2.7 times more potent than beclamide against socially offensive behaviour.     

In vitro antibacterial activity of the volatile oil of Nigella sativa seeds against multiple drug-resistant isolates of Shigella spp. and isolates of Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli

The antibacterial activity of the volatile oil of Nigella sativa seeds was studied against 37 isolates of Shigella dysenteriae 1, Shigella flexneri, Shigella sonnei and Shigella boydii and 10 strains of Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli. Most of the strains were clinically resistant to ampicillin, co-trimoxazole and tetracycline. All the strains tested showed promising sensitivity to the volatile oil. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the volatile oil for Shigella, Vibrio and Escherichia strains tested was between 50–400 μg/mL.     

Conservative management of iatrogenic oesophageal perforations--a viable option.

OBJECTIVE: Iatrogenic Oesophageal perforations are a dreaded complication and there is no consensus as to their best management. The aim of our study was to assess the results of conservative management in these cases. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with iatrogenic perforations of the oesophagus treated over a 10-year period were reviewed retrospectively. They were managed conservatively by keeping them nil by mouth on intravenous fluids and intravenous antibiotics. Out of these 26, nine were patients of carcinoma of the oesophagus while the remaining 17 had benign pathologies. Twenty-two were diagnosed within 6h, while the remaining four were diagnosed over 24h after perforation. Twenty-three of the 26 were caused by oesophageal dilatations. RESULTS: Twenty-two (84.6%) of the 26 survived on this regimen. Out of the four that died, two had advanced carcinomas and died of chest complications, one died of a myocardial infarction and the fourth was an old debilitated man who died of renal failure. All four who died had extension of the leak into the pleural cavity. Early diagnosis and treatment is of critical importance and is only possible by maintaining a high index of suspicion. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative management when applied to cases of iatrogenic oesophageal perforations gives results comparable to or better that those reported in series where early surgical intervention was practised. Extension of the leak into the pleura carries a worse prognosis.     

Model of reentrant ventricular tachycardia based on infarct border zone geometry predicts reentrant circuit features as determined by activation mapping

BACKGROUND: Infarct border zone (IBZ) geometry likely affects inducibility and characteristics of postinfarction reentrant ventricular tachycardia, but the connection has not been established. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine characteristics of postinfarction ventricular tachycardia in the IBZ. METHODS: A geometric model describing the relationship between IBZ geometry and wavefront propagation in reentrant circuits was developed. Based on the formulation, slow conduction and block were expected to coincide with areas where IBZ thickness (T) is minimal and the local spatial gradient in thickness (DeltaT) is maximal, so that the degree of wavefront curvature rho proportional, variant DeltaT/T is maximal. Regions of fastest conduction velocity were predicted to coincide with areas of minimum DeltaT. In seven arrhythmogenic postinfarction canine heart experiments, tachycardia was induced by programmed stimulation, and activation maps were constructed from multichannel recordings. IBZ thickness was measured in excised hearts from histologic analysis or magnetic resonance imaging. Reentrant circuit properties were predicted from IBZ geometry and compared with ventricular activation maps after tachycardia induction. RESULTS: Mean IBZ thickness was 231 +/- 140 microm at the reentry isthmus and 1440 +/- 770 microm in the outer pathway (P <0.001). Mean curvature rho was 1.63 +/- 0.45 mm(-1) at functional block line locations, 0.71 +/- 0.18 mm(-1) at isthmus entrance-exit points, and 0.33 +/- 0.13 mm(-1) in the outer reentrant circuit pathway. The mean conduction velocity about the circuit during reentrant tachycardia was 0.32 +/- 0.04 mm/ms at entrance-exit points, 0.42 +/- 0.13 mm/ms for the entire outer pathway, and 0.64 +/- 0.16 mm/ms at outer pathway regions with minimum DeltaT. Model sensitivity and specificity to detect isthmus location was 75.0% and 97.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Reentrant circuit features as determined by activation mapping can be predicted on the basis of IBZ geometrical relationships.     

Surgical management of tuberculous broncholithiasis with hemoptysis: experience with 5 operated cases.

INTRODUCTION: Broncholithiasis is often seen after chronic granulomatous diseases such as tuberculosis and hystoplasmosis and leads to a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms; including hemoptysis which often needs surgical management. The goal of this study is evaluation of surgery in patients with tuberculous broncholithiasis who present with hemoptysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study all patients with tuberculous broncholithiasis had been operated on between 1991 and 2005, followed up at least 6 months and at most 9 years, and studied relating to age, sex, clinical symptoms, diagnostic methods, type of surgical treatment, complications and mortality. RESULTS: Overall 5 patients have been studied (male:female=2:3, mean=31 years); 2 with severe and 3 mild to moderate and recurring hemoptysis, lesion at left in 80% and at right in 1, in 3 patients some degree of bronchiectasia was seen, in 4 the lesion was visible in bronchoscopy and endoscopic removal of the lesion failed in all. Three of patients underwent pulmonary resections and in 2 broncholithotomy has been done. In follow-up, patients treated with pulmonary resection have had no subsequent problems, but in patients treated with broncholithotomy due to occurring late bronchiectasia, re-operation and pulmonary resection was inavoidable. There was no mortality. CONCLUSION: Regarding the dangers of hemoptysis and excellent results of surgery and possible occurance of late bronchiectasia after broncholithotomy, the results of our study show that pulmonary resection distal to the lesion and as the retention of lung of parenchyma is preferable. Broncholithotomy should be done only in patients in whom pulmonary resection is not technically possible. Because of the very low occurance of this complication complete studies are needed.     

Finite element analysis of the effects of thermal obturation in maxillary canine teeth.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to determine the distribution and level of temperature, in a model of a maxillary canine, the surrounding periodontal tissues, and the bones, during a System B heat obturation technique simulation. STUDY DESIGN: The temperature distribution was determined by using a three-dimensional finite element analysis. The tooth was assumed to have undergone an endodontic treatment before the application. Heat applications of 200 degrees C and 100 degrees C were considered. RESULTS: By using the virtual model and the simulation technique, the maximum temperature in the periodontal ligament was found to be 43.5 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: Within the assumptions and the limitations of the study, it was determined that the simulation of System B technique created no potentially harmful levels of temperature throughout the maxillary canine model.     

Time-dependent changes in distribution of basic fibroblast growth factor immunoreactive cells in hippocampus after kainic acid injection in rat pups

Five-day-old Wistar albino rats were injected with kainic acid (KA) or saline i.p. to investigate time-dependent alterations in morphology and number of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) immunoreactive (-ir) astrocytes and neurons in hippocampus at 15, 30, and 90 days after the injections. Sections were stained with cresyl violet for morphological evaluation and bFGF immunohistochemistry was used for quantitative evaluation of bFGF-ir cell density. Fifteen days after KA injection, there was gliosis but no neuronal loss although disorganization in CA1, CA3, CA4 pyramidal layers and neuronal loss were evident 30 and 90 days after the injection. KA injected rats demonstrated significantly increased number of bFGF-ir astrocytes throughout the hippocampus and pyramidal neurons in CA2 after 15 days and decreased number of bFGF-ir cells after 30 and 90 days. The decrease in the number of bFGF-ir astroglia and neurons in long term after KA injection may indicate a decrease in the production of bFGF and/or number of bFGF-ir cells suggesting that protective effects of bFGF may be altered during epileptogenesis in hippocampus.     

Studies on the effects of the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate on social encounters between pairs of male mice

An attempt was made in two experiments to reinvestigate the effects of the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate (CA) on mouse social behavior in a variety of ethologically-assessed paired encounters. The data confirm that CA reduces offense (threat and attack) in animals when both subjects receive the material but that CA has no such action in other pairings. This suggests that CA's major suppressive effect on "hostility" is expressed in mice via a reduction in "attack-promoting" pheromone production. Indeed, there was evidence in the more chronic study that CA, could augment (via a central mechanism?) offense in subjects paired with docile anosmic opponents. Changes in defense were largely responses to variations in the degree of attack to which animals were subjected. The antihormone also had actions on other aspects of behavior including sexual activity, social investigation and immobility in such tests. CA had a potent suppressive action on the weights of sex accessory glands. The data do not suggest that CA can be used as a specific antihostility agent.