Pharmacodynamics of Phenobarbital Anesthesia and Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Maximal Seizures in a Rat Model of Neoplastic Spinal Cord Compression

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether paraplegia induced by neoplastic cord compression affects the pharmacodynamics of phenobarbital general anesthesia or of pentylenetet-razol (PTZ)-induced convulsions. Paraplegic rats harboring a thora-columbar epidural tumor, or an identical hindlimb tumor mass, received an i.v. infusion of phenobarbital until the onset of anesthesia. At that point, the phenobarbital concentrations in the CSF and serum were measured. Similarly, PTZ was infused until the onset of maximal seizures. It was found that changes related to systemic tumor growth and newly developed paraplegia due to neoplastic spinal cord compression did not attenuate the pharmacodynamics of phenobarbital. However, sustained paraplegia of 4 days duration reduced CNS sensitivity to the hypnotic action of the barbiturate as evidenced by the higher cerebrospinal fluid phenobarbital concentration required to induce anesthesia (170 ± 31 vs 125 ± 20 mg/L; P < 0.05). On the other hand, sustained paraplegia did not affect brain threshold concentration for PTZ-induced seizures.     

Hypotheses: Melatonin/steroid combination contraceptives will prevent breast cancer

Summary The use of the conventional combination oral contraceptives (containing ethinyl-estradiol and a progestin) is associated with reduced risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer. However, prolonged use of these pills before first term pregnancy apparently increases the risk of pre menopausal breast cancer. We propose that the pineal gland hormone melatonin, combined with a progestin, as a new and novel oral contraceptive combination might prevent breast cancer in long term users. This hypothesis is based on the assumption that women have a propensity to develop breast cancer which correlates with number of ovulatory cycles over their lifetime. In evolution, the phylogenetic point at which women became sensitive to breast cancer evolved at a transfer point of the mechanism of ovulation from seasonal ovulation, which is still common in many mammalian species, to the current human pattern of continuous ovulatory cycles. We suggest that melatonin/ovariansteroid contraceptive will restore the lost mechanism of endogenous anovulation, and thus, by preventing continuous epithelial breast cell proliferation, will reduce the risk of breast cancer in long-term users.     

The supply module: recouping lost revenue

The authors describe how computerization helped to improve materiel management in the OR, including inventory control and purchasing, and how they acutally enabled them to recoup lost revenue.     

Hospitals hand over gift shop operation

Many hospitals are re-examining their gift shop operations and concluding that outside experts can do it better. Although only an estimated 30 hospital gift shops are operated by management services companies, interest in outside companies is growing as executives recognize that hospital gift shops can be extremely lucrative, and that hospital gift shop volunteers are an endangered species.     

Structure and biological activity of (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol, a radioligand for studies of beta-adrenergic receptors.

(-)-Alprenolol is a potent competitive beta-adrenergic antagonist. "(-)-[3H]Alprenolol", a radioactive form of this agent produced by catalytic reduction with tritium, has recently been used successfully as a radioligand for direct studies of beta-adrenergic receptors. In this communication it is documented that the compound formed by catalytic reduction of (-)-alprenolol with tritium gas is the saturated product (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol in which tritium is added across the double bond and exchanged into the adjacent benzylic position. No exchange into the aromatic ring was observed. These conclusions were substantiated by results obtained on hydrogenation and deuteration of (-)-alprenolol. The biological activity of (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol, dihydroalprenolol, and alprenolol was also shown to be identical as assessed by direct ligand binding and inhibition of catecholamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase.