Effects of oxytocin in normal man during low and high sodium diets

AIM: We tested the hypothesis that oxytocin in normal man causes natriuresis by means of nitric oxide and/or atrial natriuretic peptide. METHODS: Normal male subjects were investigated after 4 days of sodium controlled diets (30 mmol sodium chloride day(-1), n = 8 or 230 mmol sodium chloride day(-1), n = 6). Oxytocin was infused intravenously (1 pmol kg(-1) min(-1) for 240 min). RESULTS: Mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate and glomerular filtration rate by clearance of chromium-labelled ethylenediaminetetraacetate remained stable. Plasma oxytocin increased from 2 to 3 pg mL(-1) to around 50 pg mL(-1). Oxytocin decreased urine flow (4.2 +/- 0.2--0.75 +/- 0.11 and 4.6 +/- 1.3-1.4 +/- 0.6 mL min(-1), low- and high-salt diet, respectively). During low-salt conditions, oxytocin reduced sodium and potassium excretion (11 +/- 2--4 +/- 2 and 93 +/- 19--42 +/- 3 micromol min(-1), respectively). Plasma renin, angiotensin II, aldosterone and renal excretion of metabolites of nitric oxide (nitrate and nitrite) all decreased. Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide and cyclic guanosine monophosphate were unchanged. A similar pattern was obtained during high-salt conditions but in this case the antinatriuresis was not different from that occurring during the corresponding time control series. CONCLUSIONS: The data reject the hypothesis. In contrast, we found significant antinatriuretic, antikaliuretic and antidiuretic effects, which were not mediated by the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, atrial natriuretic peptide, systemic haemodynamics, or processes increasing urinary excretion of metabolites of nitric oxide. The natriuretic effect of oxytocin found in laboratory animals is species-specific.     

Antibiotics from Algae XXXIII1: Phlorotannins of the Brown Alga Himanthalia elongata2,3

It is possible to obtain approximately 0.2% (relative to dry weight) phenols soluble in ethyl acetate from HIMANTHALIA ELONGATA. After removal of a fraction containing high-molecular weight substances, a total of 17 oligomeric phlorotannins with 2 to 8 aromatic rings can be isolated from the mixture of the acetylated phenol fraction. Apart from 2 derivatives belonging to the fucol group, diphlorethol and a tetraphlorethol not yet fully identified, all the other substances are fucophlorethols. Amongst these substances, a phenoxylated therphenyl derivative and several fucophlorethols with two-fold phenoxy-substituted biphenyl moieties were identified for the first time.     

Bladder tumour control by abdominal ultrasound and urine cytology

A blind study comparing abdominal ultrasound and cystoscopy was carried out in 186 patients. 20 bladder tumours sized from 2 to 5 mm were overlooked. Combination with urine cytology increased the diagnostic sensitivity. In order to reduce costs and patient inconvenience in the bladder tumour control population abdominal ultrasound and urine cytology is advocated as an alternative to cystoscopy. This control modality seems safe in patients with "low-risk" bladder tumour disease.     

Evidence that implementation intentions reduce self-harm in the community

Objectives

Implementation intentions are ‘IF-THEN’ plans that encourage goal-intended behaviour. This study was designed to test whether an intervention encouraging the formation of implementation intentions can reduce self-harm in the community.

Design

A randomized controlled design was used.

Methods

At pre-intervention, outcome variables (self-harm in both specified and unspecified critical situations and suicidality) and potential moderators of implementation intentions (goal intention, mental imagery, and exposure to self-harm) were measured using self-report questionnaires. The participants (N = 469, aged 18–66 years, 86.4% female, 6.8% male and 6.7% other) were then randomized to either an experimental (implementation intention) or control task. At three-months post-intervention, self-report questionnaires were used again to measure the outcome variables.

Results

There were no overall differences between the conditions at post-intervention. However, goal intention and mental imagery, but not exposure to self-harm, moderated the effects of condition on self-harm in specified critical situations. At high (mean + 1SD) levels of both goal intention and mental imagery, the experimental condition reported self-harming less frequently in the situations specified in their implementation intentions.

Conclusions

Implementation intentions therefore represent a useful intervention for reducing self-harm in specified critical situations for people in the community who wish to avoid self-harm and those who frequently experience self-harm and suicide related mental imagery.     

Analgesia after inguinal herniorrhaphy with laparoscopic inspection of the peritoneum in children. Caudal block versus ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric block

The authors prospectively evaluated the efficacy of caudal epidural block versus local infiltration combined with ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric block for analgesia after inguinal herniorrhaphy with laparoscopic inspection of the peritoneum. During standardized anesthetic care, 24 children were randomized to Group I (caudal epidural block with 1.2 mL/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine) or to Group II (local infiltration with an ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric block). Postoperative pain scores were significantly lower at all four evaluation points in Group I than in Group II. Patients in Group I had a significantly decreased requirement for supplemental intravenous fentanyl. Intra-operative requirements for isoflurane were decreased in Group I. The expired concentration of isoflurane was 0.4 +/- 0.1 (mean +/- SEM) in Group I and 1.5 +/- 0.3 in Group II. Time to extubation was 3.8 +/- 0.5 minutes in Group I and 8.2 +/- 1.1 minutes in Group II. The time from arrival in the postanesthesia care unit until discharge home was 113 +/- 3 minutes in Group I and 152 +/- 11 minutes in Group II. Caudal epidural block was more effective than local infiltration in controlling pain after herniorrhaphy with laparoscopy in children and resulted in earlier discharge home.