Studies on contamination of vegetable drugs with halogen derivative pesticides. Part 1: Changes of concentrations of halogen derivatives in herbal raw materials within the period of 1980-1984

Levels of concentration of halogen derivatives (p,p'-DDT with metabolites p,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDE, HCH, DMDT, aldrin, dieldrin) and their changes in herbal raw materials commercially manufactured in Poland within the period of 1980-1984 have been analyzed (qualitative analyses by TLC, quantitation by GLC). Higher levels of these compounds in 1982 as compared with the periods of 1980-1981 and 1983-1984 has been noticed.     

Suicidal Attempts in Children

Psychiatric assessment and management of 22 suicidal attempts in children are reviewed. Intrapsychic and interpersonal conflicts of a serious nature were present in all cases. Most patients demonstrated longstanding, unrecognized disturbed mental states. These were associated with disturbed family relationships in the majority of cases. The child's position in sibling order appeared to be of some significance. It was of interest to find the presence of superior intelligence in all but one patient. Various types of loss were significant precipitating factors. All patients demonstrated a need for hospitalization and immediate treatment based on a thorough assessment of underlying dynamic factors.     

CCK receptors in release of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) in dogs

Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is released after ingestion of protein-fat meals and following administration of some gut hormones (CCK and bombesin), but the hormonal contribution to the physiological release of PP has not been elucidated. We used specific and potent CCK-receptor antagonist, L-364,718, administered intravenously in a dose of 0.5 mumol/kg or intraduodenally in a dose of 2 mumol/kg to assess the role of CCK in the release of PP. Exogenous CCK-8 infused intravenously in gradually increasing doses (12.5-400 pmol/kg/hr) caused a dose-dependent increase in plasma PP from basal 28 +/- 4 pM to 136 +/- 18 pM, and this PP increase was completely suppressed by both intravenous and intraduodenal administration of L-364,718. Meat feeding caused a dramatic increase in plasma PP from a basal level of 26 +/- 4 pM to a peak of about 190 +/- 32 pM, and the pretreatment with intravenous or intraduodenal L-364,718 reduced this PP increase by about 60%. Duodenal perfusion with oleate (0.12-4.0 mmol/hr) or L-Trp (0.12-4.0 mmol/hr) also increased plasma PP, reaching, respectively, 180 +/- 28 pM and 76 +/- 6 pM. Pretreatment with intravenous or intraduodenal L-364,718 completely abolished the plasma PP responses to oleate and L-Trp. Bombesin (100 pmol/kg/hr) raised plasma PP to the level similar to that achieved by meat feeding and L-364,718 given intravenously or intraduodenally blocked completely these plasma PP increments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The effects of prostacyclin on early ultrastructural changes in the neuron nuclei of the motor cortex in rabbits after complete 20-min cerebral ischemia

Twelve rabbits underwent 20-min of complete cerebral ischemia. They were given PGI2 for 3 min before and during ischemia and for 15 min after ischemia. Control animals with complete cerebral ischemia over the same period of time were not given PGI2 medication. The animals treated with PGI2 were found to have recovered bioelectric activity of the cerebral cortex in half the time that it took the control group. A positive effect of PGI2 on some parameters of the peripheral blood system after ischemia was observed. Under the conditions of this experiment PGI2 did not effect the ultrastructural changes in motor cortex neuron nuclei. The changes were manifested in numerous vesicular structures and nuclear inclusions. The inclusions took the forms of clusters, rodlets, and lattices constructed of filaments and/or tubules. The number of vesicular structures and inclusions grew with the lapse in time after ischemia.     

Effect of amantadine and imipramine on immunological parameters of rats subjected to a forced swimming test

The activation of cell-mediated immunity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may play a role in the pathophysiology of depression, especially a treatment-resistant one, and antidepressant treatments may exert their effect by suppressing this activation. In our previous studies we described synergistic, antidepressant-like effects of a combination of amantadine (10 mg/kg) and imipramine (5 mg/kg) - drugs otherwise ineffective when given separately in such doses - in the forced swimming test (FST), an animal model of depression. Moreover, preliminary clinical data show that the above-described combination has beneficial effects on treatment-resistant patients. However, it is still unknown whether these positive effects of combined treatment with amantadine and imipramine on behavioural depressive changes are accompanied with normalization of immunoendocrine parameters. Therefore, the present study was aimed at ascertaining whether the antidepressive effect of a combination of amantadine and imipramine was accompanied with a decrease in some immunoendocrine parameters. The antidepressant activity was accompanied with a reversal of the stress-induced increase in the proliferation of splenocytes in response to concanavalin A (ConA). Imipramine, amantadine and a combination of amantadine and imipramine enhanced the production of the negative immunoregulator IL-10 in rats subjected to the FST. The exposure to the FST produced an increase in plasma corticosterone levels, which was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with imipramine or amantadine (a combination of imipramine and amantadine causes reduction within the margin of error). In summary, the antidepressive efficacy of a combination of amantadine and imipramine given in suboptimal doses may be related to their negative immunoendocrine effects.