Therapeutic effect of D-002 (abexol) on gastric ulcer induced experimentally in rats

D-002 is a mixture of higher aliphatic primary alcohols isolated from beeswax, wherein triacontanol is the most abundant alcohol, with antioxidant and anti-ulcer properties. Since compounds with cytoprotective and antioxidant effects can improve healing of gastroduodenal ulcer induced by noxious agents, this work investigated the healing effect of D- 002 on acute and chronic gastric ulcers induced with indomethacin and acetic acid, respectively, in rats. Acute gastric ulcer was induced with single oral doses of indomethacin (20 mg/kg). Treatments with D-002 at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg or vehicle were administered 3 hours after ulcer induction. Three hours later, rats were sacrificed, and the stomach was removed for quantifying the lesions. Chronic gastric ulcer was induced by 50 microL of 80% acetic acid application on the anterior serosal surface of the glandular stomach during 20 seconds. Twenty-four hours later D-002 at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg or vehicle was administered for 5 days. At the end of the treatment, animals were fasted for 24 hours and sacrificed, the stomachs were removed, and the lesions were quantified. D-002 orally administered at 100 and 200 mg/kg acutely significantly healed gastric ulcers induced with indomethacin by 39% and 56% compared with positive controls, respectively. Also, D-002 at 200 mg/kg, but not at 50 or 100 mg/kg, administered orally for 5 days after ulcer induction exerted a significant healing effect (65.8% inhibition) in gastric ulcers induced with acetic acid. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that D-002 administered after ulcer induction induced effective healing of acute and chronic gastric ulcers provoked by, respectively, indomethacin and acetic acid.     

Bone remodelling is not affected by consumption of a sodium-rich carbonated mineral water in healthy postmenopausal women

This study was designed to investigate the possible effects of consuming Na-rich carbonated mineral water on bone remodelling and urinary mineral excretion in postmenopausal women. Women (n 18) included were amenorrhoeic (>1 year), healthy and not obese (BMI <30 kg/m2). No woman was taking oestrogen replacement therapy, mineral and vitamin supplements, phyto-oestrogens or medications known to affect bone and lipid metabolism. In two consecutive interventions that lasted 8 weeks each, women drank 1 litre of control mineral water daily and 1 litre of carbonated mineral water, rich in Na, HCO3- and Cl-, daily. Body weight and height were measured, BMI was calculated and blood pressure was measured. Blood samples were taken from fasting subjects and serum obtained to analyse the biochemical bone markers, procollagen I amino-terminal propeptide (PINP) and beta-carboxy-terminal telopeptide of collagen (beta-CTX). At the end of each period, 24 h urine samples were collected to determine Ca, Mg, P, Na+, K+, Cl-, urine excretion and urinary pH. No changes in body weight, BMI or blood pressure were observed during the experimental period. Ca excretion was lower after the intake of carbonated water than after intake of the control water (P=0.037) while P excretion was higher (P=0.015). Total urine, Na and Cl- excretion did not differ between the two periods but urinary pH was increased after the intake of carbonated mineral water. PINP and beta-CTX did not differ between the two periods. Daily consumption of 1 litre of Na-rich carbonated mineral water for 8 weeks does not affect bone remodelling in healthy postmenopausal women.     

Extended use of a progesterone-releasing vaginal ring in nursing women: a phase II clinical trial

AIM: This study evaluates the performance of extended use of a progesterone (P)-releasing vaginal ring (PVR) in nursing women. METHOD: An open-label, noncomparative study on the safety and contraceptive efficacy of PVR replaced every 4 months of use (instead of 3 months) in 192 PVR acceptors. PVR use was initiated at day 59+/-2 (mean+/-SD) postpartum and continued until weaning or completing the use of three PVRs. RESULTS: Plasma P levels attained with the ring decreased from 17+/-1 to 14+/-1 nmol/L (mean+/-SE) from the third to the fourth month of use. These levels are still over the critical level of 10 nmol/L required for contraceptive protection. One pregnancy occurred in the third month of use of the second ring in 1998 woman-months of exposure. Extended use of the ring did not appear to affect breast-feeding performance or the rate of infant growth, and lactational amenorrhea was prolonged. No differences in the characteristics of bleeding between the third and fourth month of ring use were observed. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that use of the PVR for 4 months represents a safe and effective contraceptive for nursing women.     

Pediatric fractures of the humerus

Humeral shaft fractures constitute only 3% of fractures in children younger than age 16 years. They are most common in children younger than 3 and older than 12 years old. They can be classified according to the fracture pattern, location, and tissues damaged. Fractures resulting from minor trauma may be caused by an occult unicameral bone cyst. Each age group requires different diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Fractures at birth are seen mostly with macrosomic and breech presentation. In children younger than 3 years, humeral fractures often are linked to child abuse. In those older than 10 years, fractures are related to direct or indirect trauma. Sports activities have been reported also to cause injuries in skeletally immature patients. Most humeral fractures are controlled nonoperatively; however, potential operative indications include open fractures, multiple trauma, bilateral injuries, compartment syndromes, pathological fracture, significant nerve injuries, and inadequate closed reduction.     

Slow and fast inhibition and an H-current interact to create a theta rhythm in a model of CA1 interneuron network

The oriens-lacunosum moleculare (O-LM) subtype of interneuron is a key component in the formation of the theta rhythm (8-12 Hz) in the hippocampus. It is known that the CA1 region of the hippocampus can produce theta rhythms in vitro with all ionotropic excitation blocked, but the mechanisms by which this rhythmicity happens were previously unknown. Here we present a model suggesting that individual O-LM cells, by themselves, are capable of producing a single-cell theta-frequency firing, but coupled O-LM cells are not capable of producing a coherent population theta. By including in the model fast-spiking (FS) interneurons, which give rise to IPSPs that decay faster than those of the O-LM cells, coherent theta rhythms are produced. The inhibition to O-LM cells from the FS cells synchronizes the O-LM cells, but only when the FS cells themselves fire at a theta frequency. Reciprocal connections from the O-LM cells to the FS cells serve to parse the FS cell firing into theta bursts, which can then synchronize the O-LM cells. A component of the model O-LM cell critical to the synchronization mechanism is the hyperpolarization-activated h-current. The model can robustly reproduce relative phases of theta frequency activity in O-LM and FS cells.     

Rapid-acting IM ziprasidone in a psychiatric emergency service: a naturalistic study

Atypical antipsychotics have gained acceptance as first-line treatment for psychotic disorders. Rapid-acting intramuscular (IM) atypicals may supplant benzodiazepine and/or neuroleptic alternatives. IM atypical ziprasidone studies excluded severe psychiatric agitation (PSYCH), or that due to the abuse of alcohol (ETOH) or other substances (SUBS). We report Behavioral Activity Rating Scale agitation scores (range, 1-7) and duration of physical restraints in a naturalistic study in a psychiatric emergency service using IM ziprasidone 20 mg and various doses for conventional antipsychotics. Baseline scores were high for PSYCH, ETOH and SUBS patients (mean, 6.5, 6.9 and 6.6, respectively). Agitation decreased rapidly from baseline with ziprasidone [mean, 5.6, 5.3 and 5.8, respectively, at 15 min (P<.05 for all), and 4.2, 4.1 and 4.1, respectively, at 30 min (P<.01 for all)]. At 2 h, scores were 2.6, 2.1 and 2.3 (P<.01 for all versus baseline). For 9 patients receiving conventional IM antipsychotics, scores were 6.6 (baseline), 5.7 (15 min), 4.2 (30 min) and 2.9 (2 h) (P<.02 versus ziprasidone). Compared with restraint durations from 80 patients receiving conventional IM agents 1 month prior to this study, restraint duration decreased from 91+/-4 to 54+/-3 min with ziprasidone (n=77; P<.01) and varied with conventional IM agents (mean, 60+/-12 min; n=4; P=NS). None of the 19 ziprasidone patients who received electrocardiograms showed prolonged QTc; one had a dystonic reaction. IM ziprasidone appears effective for severe agitation, including agitation associated with alcohol or substance intoxication, and may reduce time in restraints.     

Improving survival of neonates with isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Despite advances in neonatal care including prenatal diagnosis, conventional ventilation, surfactant, high frequency oscillation, nitric oxide and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) the diagnosis of CDH is reported to carry a high mortality rate. Pulmonary hypoplasia and persistent pulmonary hypertension are major factors that contribute to death. In an effort to improve the survival of these infants a protocolized approach was adopted. In summary, this involves antenatal use of steroids if CDH antenatally diagnosed, sedation and muscle relaxation following tracheal intubation, administration of surfactant, gentle ventilation with permissive hypercapnia, trial of nitric oxide, preoperative ECMO for those infants failing therapy and delayed repair of the CDH. With the use of this protocolized approach the survival of infants with isolated CDH was 96 % for inborn and 81 % for outborn infants.     

Ileocolic Arteriovenous Fistula with Superior Mesenteric Vein Aneurism: Endovascular Treatment

We report a case of a venous aneurysm secondary to an acquired ileocolic arteriovenous fistula in a 64-year-old woman with recurrent abdominal pain and history of appendectomy. The aneurysm was diagnosed by ultrasound and computed tomography. Angiography showed an arteriovenous fistula between ileocolic branches of the superior mesenteric artery and vein. This vascular abnormality was successfully treated with coil embolization.