Effects of High-Fat Diet and Maternal Binge-Like Alcohol Consumption and Their Influence on Cocaine Response in Female Mice Offspring

BackgroundPrenatal alcohol exposure is a leading cause of neurobehavioral and neurocognitive deficits collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, including eating disorders and increased risk for substance abuse as very common issues. In this context, the present study aimed to assess the interaction between prenatal and lactation alcohol exposure (PLAE) and a high-fat diet (HFD) during childhood and adolescence.MethodsPregnant C57BL/6 mice underwent a procedure for alcohol binge drinking during gestation and lactation periods. Subsequently, PLAE female offspring were fed with an HFD for 8 weeks, and thereafter, nutrition-related parameters as well as their response to cocaine were assessed.ResultsIn our model, feeding young females with an HFD increased their triglyceride blood levels but did not induce overweight compared with those fed with a standard diet. Moreover, PLAE affected how females responded to the fatty diet as they consumed less food than water-exposed offspring, consistent with a lower gain of body weight. HFD increased the psychostimulant effects of cocaine. Surprisingly, PLAE reduced the locomotor responses to cocaine without modifying cocaine-induced reward. Moreover, PLAE prevented the striatal overexpression of cannabinoid 1 receptors induced by an HFD and induced an alteration of myelin damage biomarker in the prefrontal cortex, an effect that was mitigated by an HFD-based feeding.ConclusionTherefore, in female offspring, some effects triggered by one of these factors, PLAE or an HFD, were blunted by the other, suggesting a close interaction between the involved mechanisms.     

Very early signs of autism reported by parents include many concerns not specific to autism criteria

This study assessed parents’ first concerns about their autistic child. This information was categorized so that it could help healthcare professionals improve early detection of autism. We designed a questionnaire using an open-ended format, and 459 questionnaires were completed by parents to assess difficulties encountered in obtaining a diagnosis for their child. Answers about their first motive of concerns were categorized and compared with regards to age, gender, birth order, age of onset, delay in seeking professional advice, and delay in diagnosis. Concerns about social development or autistic behaviors were frequent, but not exclusive. Parents were divided into three clusters of concerns: (a) an “early awareness group”: which included motor problems and passivity (14.6 months); (b) “intermediate awareness group”: included emotional, hyperactivity, and sleep problems (15.3 months); and (c) a “later awareness group”: which included communication problems, poor social interaction, and autistic-type behaviors (22.3 months). Parents who noticed general concerns not specific to autism were worried earlier, but received a later diagnosis. We suggest that motor problems, and/or emotional problems, and/or the level of a child's activity should encourage frontline professionals to seek autistic symptoms in infants.     

Chronic Cancer-Related Pain: Continuous Perineural Infusion of Local Anesthetics as Alternative to Systemic Analgesic Drugs

Pain is a major concern for patients suffering from cancer. Although opioid drugs remain the gold standard for treatment of pain, little is known about the interest of continuous analgesia techniques as alternative. The aim of the present article is to detail the feasibility and to present the diversity of continuous perineural infusion of local anesthetic. A series of five patients suffering from different cancer-related pain is presented. A continuous perineural block was proposed to patients presenting with unbearable pain in an area innervated by a plexus or a nerve despite parenteral analgesic pharmacotherapy. All blocks were performed in a surgical theatre under sterile conditions. An initial bolus dose with 3.75 mg/mL ropivacaine was injected followed by a continuous infusion of 2 mg/mL of ropivacaine. Patient-controlled perineural analgesia was started at home by a nursing network. The technique, the efficacy, and the side effects were reported. Complete pain relief was noted 15 minutes after local anesthetic injection in the five cases, and efficacy was maintained during the following days at home, with no other analgesic treatment required. One patient restarted working a few weeks after catheter insertion. The catheter duration lasted for 12 to 110 days. One catheter was removed because of local anesthetic leak at the puncture point. Some paresthesia was noted in one patient. No other side effect was noted. No infection was reported. In selected patients, continuous perineural infusion of local anesthetics appears to be an attractive alternative to parenteral opioids for cancer-related pain. Further investigation is warranted to better define the place of these techniques in the armamentarium of cancer-related pain treatment.