Hospital admissions as a function of temperature,other weather phenomena and pollution levels in an urban setting in China

Objective

To explore the relationship between weather phenomena and pollution levels and daily hospital admissions (as an approximation to morbidity patterns) in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China, in 1998–2009.

Methods

Generalized additive models and lag models were constructed with data from official sources on hospital admissions and on mean daily temperature, mean daily wind speed, mean relative humidity, daily total global solar radiation, total daily rainfall and daily pollution levels.

Findings

During the hot season, admissions increased by 4.5% for every increase of 1 °C above 29 °C; during the cold season, admissions increased by 1.4% for every decrease of 1 °C within the 8.2–26.9 °C range. In subgroup analyses, admissions for respiratory and infectious diseases increased during extreme heat and cold, but cardiovascular disease admissions increased only during cold temperatures. For every increase of 1 °C above 29 °C, admissions for unintentional injuries increased by 1.9%. During the cold season, for every decrease of 1 °C within the 8.2–26.9 °C range, admissions for cardiovascular diseases and intentional injuries rose by 2.1% and 2.4%, respectively. Admission patterns were not sensitive to sex. Admissions for respiratory diseases rose during hot and cold temperatures among children but only during cold temperatures among the elderly. In people aged 75 years or older, admissions for infectious diseases rose during both temperature extremes.

Conclusion

In Hong Kong SAR, hospitalizations rise during extreme temperatures. Public health interventions should be developed to protect children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups from excessive heat and cold.     

Reinstatement of cocaine seeking in 129X1/SvJ mice: effects of cocaine priming,cocaine cues and food deprivation

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The mechanisms underlying relapse to cocaine seeking induced by exposure to priming cocaine injections, cues associated with cocaine self-administration and environmental stressors have been studied in rats. Here we describe a reinstatement method for studying relapse to cocaine seeking in mice, a suitable species for studying the effect of genetic manipulations such as gene knockout or gene over-expression on compulsive drug use.METHODS: Male mice of the 129X1/SvJ strain were trained for 14-16 days to self-administer cocaine (0.75 mg/kg/infusion; 4 h/day; fixed-ratio-1 schedule of reinforcement; infusions were paired with a light-tone compound cue). Next, the lever-pressing behavior was extinguished by removing the cocaine syringes in the presence (Exps. 1 and 3) or absence (Exp. 2) of the cocaine cue. Subsequently, tests for reinstatement were conducted after exposure to priming injections of cocaine (0, 1.5, 3.0 and 6.0 mg/kg, IV; Exp. 1), response-contingent presentations of the cocaine-associated cue (Exp. 2), or food deprivation stress (1 and 22 h; Exp. 3).RESULTS: The effect of cocaine priming on reinstatement was modest and was only observed at the highest dose tested. On the other hand, reinstatement of cocaine seeking was observed following exposure to the cocaine-associated cue and food deprivation stress.CONCLUSIONS: The present data suggest that factors contributing to relapse to drugs can be studied in the reinstatement model using the common 129X1/SvJ mouse inbred strain.     

海风藤中有PAF拮抗活性的苯骈呋喃类新木脂素

自福建产中药海风藤(Piper kadsura (Choisy)Ohwi)的藤茎中又分得5个苯骈呋喃类新木脂素,经光谱分析(UV,IR,MS,NMR,CD)和衍生物制备,确定化合物Ⅱ和Ⅴ为新结构。Ⅱ为化合物denudatin B的对映体,命名为(-)-denudatin B,V为7S,8S-3,4,3′-三甲氧基-7′-氧-缺8′,9′-7.O.4,′8.5′-新木脂素,命名为风藤素M(kadsurenin M)。化合物Ⅰ,Ⅲ和Ⅳ分别为已知化合物海风藤酮(Ⅰ),(-)-acuminatin(Ⅲ)和(+)-licarin A(Ⅳ)。PAF受体结合实验证明,(-)-denudatin B也具有较强的PAF拮抗活性。     

The anxiogenic drug yohimbine reinstates methamphetamine seeking in a rat model of drug relapse.

BACKGROUND: Brain noradrenaline is involved in footshock stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking in a rat relapse model. We studied whether yohimbine, an alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist that increases noradrenaline release and induces anxiety-like responses in human and nonhuman subjects, would reinstate methamphetamine seeking in rats. METHODS: In experiment 1, the effect of yohimbine (1.25-2.5 mg/kg) on reinstatement was compared with that of intermittent footshock (5 min;.2-.6 mA) in rats that were trained to lever press for intravenous methamphetamine (9-11 days) and subsequently underwent 7 days of extinction training. In experiment 2, the effect of yohimbine on reinstatement of drug seeking was determined during early (1 day) and late (21 or 51 days) withdrawal periods. On the test days, rats were first given 3-hour extinction sessions and were then tested for reinstatement induced by yohimbine. RESULTS: In experiment 1, both yohimbine and footshock stress reinstated methamphetamine seeking after extinction. In experiment 2, extinction responding was higher after 21 or 51 withdrawal days than after 1 withdrawal day. In contrast, no significant time-dependent changes in yohimbine-induced reinstatement were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that yohimbine is a potent stimulus for reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking in a rat relapse model.     

At least three hepatitis C virus strains implicated in Swedish and Danish patients with intravenous immunoglobulin-associated hepatitis C

BACKGROUND: Three reported Swedish cases of hepatitis C in patients receiving an intravenous immunoglobulin (Gammagard, Baxter Healthcare, Deerfield, IL) were among the first to bring to light a worldwide outbreak of hepatitis C associated with non-solvent/detergent (SD)- treated Gammagard. In February 1994, all implicated batches of Gammagard were recalled and exposed patients traced. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Sera from all identified and hepatitis C-viremic Swedish and Danish patients (n = 14) exposed to the implicated batches underwent hepatitis C virus genotyping and sequencing of the core region and hypervariable region 1 of E2. Genomic amplification was also done on 15 non-SD-treated batches of Gammagard. RESULTS: Twelve patients were infected with subtype 1a and surprisingly, two with subtype 2b. Analysis of the core region showed identical sequences in four patients and the only consistently positive batch. Five patients shared another sequence, whereas three other subtype 1a patients each manifested unique sequences. The two subtype 2b isolates were identical. Genomic fingerprinting of the hypervariable region confirmed identity within each group with great stringency. Amplification with isolate-specific primers showed mixed infection in one patient whose exposure was confined to a single batch. CONCLUSION: The few batches implicated presumably were contaminated with several strains.     

氯胺酮和硝苯吡啶对培养神经元谷氨酸兴奋毒性的保护作用

以体外培养的大鼠胚胎皮层神经元为对象,以培养上清液中乳酸脱氢酶活性为指标,研究了谷氨酸兴奋毒性及药物的保护作用。结果表明,培养10d的皮层神经元置于含10或50μmol·L^-1谷氨酸和低糖(1g·L^-1)的DMEM培养液中后,随着作用时间的延长,LDH漏出逐渐增加。在谷氨酸处理前,于培养液中加入氯胺酮或硝苯吡啶,则LDH漏出量明显低于对照组。氯胺酮和硝苯吡啶并用,LDH漏出量比单独使用氯胺酮或硝苯吡啶下降更加明显。结果表明,谷氨酸对培养的神经元可产生严重损伤。氯胺酮和硝苯吡啶单用或并用均有明显的保护作用。     

咪苯嗪酮对TXA2和HHT生成的选择性抑制作用

咪苯嗪酮(CI-914)能抑制大鼠血小板环氧酶和TXA₂合成酶产物HHT的生成,而对脂氧酶产物12-HETE的生成仅高浓度药物才有弱的抑制作用,提示CI-914主要影响花生四烯酸(AA)环氧酶途径,而对脂氧酶途径影响较少。在大鼠血小板和中性白细胞CI-914能抑制TXA₂的生成,同时CI-914还可使白细胞6-keto-PGF_1a和血小板PGE₂的产生量显著增加,提示CI-914在这两种细胞引起了AA的转向合成。上述结果基本证实,CI-914在大鼠中性白细胞和血小板对TXA₂合成酶具有选择性抑制作用。     

脑益嗪对实验性脑血栓形成及血小板聚集的抑制作用

本文报道脑益嗪对大鼠实验性脑血栓形成及兔血小板聚集的抑制作用。经大鼠颈动脉顺行注射复合血栓诱导剂造成脑血栓模型,测定伊文思兰通过血脑屏障渗入脑实质的量以反映脑血栓的严重程度。结果表明脑益嗪(67 mg/kg,灌胃)有抗脑血栓形成的作用。半体内实验表明脑益嗪(34 mg/kg,灌胃)可抑制兔血小板聚集。