Effect of acrylamide on biogenic amine levels,monoamine oxidase,and cathepsin D activity of rat brain

Exposure of rats to acrylamide (25 mg/kg, oral intubation daily for 21 consecutive days) markedly reduced the contents of dopamine and noradrenaline in brain. Maximum decrease in dopamine, noradrenaline, and 5-hydroxytryptamine contents was observed at Days 14 and 21 of acrylamide treatment. Treatment of rats with acrylamide (50 mg/kg daily for 5 consecutive days) significantly altered dopamine, noradrenaline, and 5-hydroxytryptamine contents in some selected areas of brain. Specific activity of monoamine oxidase showed increase at all stages of treatment, maximally at Day 7 while significant increase in cathepsin D was observed at Days 7 and 14 of acrylamide treatment.     

Serial electrocardiographic recording in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

We prospectively studied serial electrocardiograms in 61 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Electrocardiographic changes were related to the initial level of consciousness, to subsequent events, and to outcome after 3 months. All 61 patients had at least one abnormal electrocardiogram, but cardiac disease did not contribute directly to morbidity or mortality. Fast rhythm disturbances, ischemic changes, or both on the electrocardiograms were significantly correlated with poor outcome but not with specific outcome events, particularly not with rebleeding or cerebral ischemia. The Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission and the amount of cisternal and (to a lesser extent) intraventricular blood on the initial computed tomogram were also significantly correlated with poor outcome, but these factors only partially confounded the relation between electrocardiographic abnormalities and poor outcome. We conclude that in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, electrocardiographic abnormalities do not herald impending cardiac disease but indirectly reflect adverse intracranial factors. Electrocardiographic abnormalities may therefore have some independent value in predicting poor outcome.     

The potential of antiestrogens as centrally-acting antihostility agents: recent animal data

Recent studies suggest that motivations for certain forms of masculine behavior including social aggression are mediated by central estrogen receptors. Two studies using antiestrogens in rodent species were performed. Intact male LH rats were given Tamoxifen or vehicle for 4 or 8 days. The three possible pairings were videotaped for 60 min. Intact male OF1 mice were given CI-680 or vehicle over 25 days. Similar pairings were carried out but some CI-680 or vehicle animals were paired with anosmic opponents. Encounters were videotaped for 10 min. In both experiments evidence was obtained that the antiestrogen markedly reduced time allocated to offense. Any variations in defense were a consequence of the level of attack to which animals were subjected. Neither compound greatly influenced the androgen-dependent sex accessory glands. Antiestrogens consequently have potential as antihostility agents in some forms of attack.     

Natural evolution of snoring: a 5-year follow-up study

Introduction – The natural evolution of snoring was studied in a middle-aged population in Finland. Material and methods – A questionnaire was mailed to a stratified random sample of 1600 people aged 36–50 years in 1985 with a response rate of 75.2%; 53% of them completed also the 5-year-follow-up questionnaire. Clinical examinations (N = 36) and whole-night polygraphic recordings (N = 22) were made to habitual (every or almost every night) snorers and daily sleepy persons. Results – A total of 626 persons completed the 5-year-follow-up questionnaire. The prevalence of habitual snoring among men was 28.3–43.8% and among women 6.3–18.8%, increasing with age. Sleepiness was common: doze-off at the wheel was reported by 23% of snorers and traffic accidents because of sleepiness by 4.5%. Hypertension was clearly more common (p = 0.002) among habitual snorers, but the self-reported rates of strokes and coronary heart disease were not increased in this study. None of the snorers had been investigated because of their snoring or sleepiness during the five years. In polygraphic recordings 11/22 showed an oxygen desaturation index (ODI4) more than 5/h; active treatment was started for 8 of them. The observed prevalence of sleep apnea syndrome with ODI4> 10 was 1.1% in this study. Conclusions – Snorers, even with clear sleepiness, are passive in seeking help for their symptoms. Physicians should actively diagnose this treatable condition impairing the quality of life and increasing the risk of traffic accidents and vascular diseases.     

Macrophages Are a Major Source of Acetaldehyde in Circulating Acetaldehyde-Albumin Complexes Formed after Exposure of Mice to Ethanol

C57BL mice were depleted of macrophages by an intravenous injection of liposome-encapsulated dichloromethylene diphosphonate (DCMDP), and control mice were uninjected or injected with empty liposomes. One day after injection, a proportion of the DCMDP-treated and control mice was continuously exposed to ethanol vapor for 4 days. Albumin fractions were separated from the sera of both ethanol-unexposed and ethanol-exposed animals and tested for cytotoxicity against a monolayer of A9 cells using two indicators of cytotoxicity: detachment of adherent cells and a decrease in the ability of cells to reduce tetrazolium. The results show that, in mice exposed to ethanol, macrophages are a major source of the acetaldehyde in circulating cytotoxic acetaldehyde-albumin complexes and presumably also of free acetaldehyde.