Noradrenergic and opioidergic influences on the antinociceptive effect of clomipramine in the formalin test in rats

Although tricyclic antidepressant are especially useful in the treatment of chronic pain conditions, most of the work about its mechanism of action has been made on acute pain tests. The present study was aimed at studying the role played by noradrenergic and opioidergic influences on the antinociceptive activity of subchronically administered clomipramine in the formalin test (a tonic pain model) in rats. Clomipramine produced antinociception after 7 days, administration (2.5 mg/kg/day), an effect equivalent to that obtained by acute morphine (5 mg/kg). The antinociceptive effect of clomipramine was inhibited by the following: nonspecific blocking of alpha₁-and alpha₂-adrenoceptors by phentolamine, specific blocking of alpha₁-adrenoceptors by prazosin; stimulation of alpha₂ receptors by clonidine; and blocking of the opioid receptors by naloxone. Blocking the alpha₂-receptors with yohimbine did not antagonize the effect of clomipramine. These results suggest that clomipramine produces antinociception in this test, partly via the participation of the endogenous opioid system and partly by further activating or potentiating previously activated noradrenergic pathways which are involved in the control of pain information.     

Lower Lip Hypertrophy Secondary to Port-Wine Stain: Combined Surgical and Carbon Dioxide Laser Treatment

Background. Port-wine stains (PWSs) are capillary malformations that usually show progressive stasis of the vascular channels and cause slow hyperplasia of the soft and hard tissues. When these lesions involve the lower lip, macrocheilia may be developed along the time. Vascular-specific lasers are not adequate to correct these three-dimensional tissue deformities, and surgical management becomes necessary, resulting in considerable morbidity and aesthetic disturbances.
Objective. To report a case of macrocheilia secondary to PWS treated by combination of surgery and carbon dioxide laser.
Methods. A 51-year-old man with macrocheilia of the lower lip and severe functional impairment, secondary to long evolution PWS, received treatment with carbon dioxide laser vaporization and minimal surgical correction, resulting in significant improvement of the lower lip hypertrophy, good aesthetic and functional status, and preservation of the muscular function.
Conclusions. Combined carbon dioxide laser and surgery treatment may constitute a valuable alternative in treatment of macrocheilia secondary to PWS because bleeding risk is minimized and improves the preservation of muscular function and aesthetic results in relationship to conventional surgical approaches.     

Platelet-rich plasma serotonin levels in tension-type headache and depression

We measured platelet-rich plasma (PRP) serotonin in patients suffering from tension-type headache, before and after treatment with amitriptyline, comparing them with a healthy control group and patients with untreated depression. We evaluated the severity of headache and depression in each group. PRP serotonin levels were higher in patients with headache than in controls and depressed patients. We observed a fall of PRP serotonin in patients with tension-type headache to similar levels after treatment as the depressed group. This fall was correlated with the improvement of headache but not with depression scales. Our data suggest that the rise of platelet serotonin levels in tension-type headache is related to pain and not depression.     

Ossifying fibromyxoid tumor of soft parts

Ossifying fibromyxoid tumors (OFT) of soft parts are very rare neoplasms recently described by Enzinger et al. (1). They usually present as well-circumscribed, slow-growing, asymptomatic subcutaneous masses. A characteristic finding is a fibrous capsule and an incomplete peripheral shell of mature bone. Although most cases behave as benign tumors, a high rate of local recurrences have been described. We describe a 43-year-old male with a perianal subcutaneous tumor of 10 years evolution. The histopathology was compatible with OFT. Due to the subcutaneous location of OFF, both the dermatologist and dermatopathologist need to know about this rare tumor.     

Hepatic angiomyolipoma developing during the follow-up of ulcerative colitis: Report of a case and review of the literature

Hepatic angiomyolipoma is a rare tumor composed of spindle-shaped and epithelioid smooth muscle cells, adipose tissue, and proliferating blood vessels. We report the first documented case of this tumor developing in a patient with ulcerative colitis. A solitary tumor (7.5×7.5×7cm) was detected in the left lateral segment of the liver and a left hepatic lobectomy was performed. The diagnosis of angiomyolipoma was confirmed by a pathological examination. We also review the literature on previously reported cases of hepatic angiomyolipoma.     

Therapeutic criteria in hydrocephalic children

The xanthine, hypoxanthine, and total oxypurine levels were determined in the CSF of 28 hydrocephalic patients (age from newborn to 2 years) and 8 healthy controls using HPLC. The Evans' index, the mean weekly increase in cranial circumference, and the intracranial pressure were also measured. Of the hydrocephalic patients 13 were self-compensated and the other 15 had a shunt implanted during the course of the study. The mean xanthine, hypoxanthine, and total oxypurine levels in the normal children were 5.20, 5.94, and 11.29 mol/l, respectively. In the self-compensated hydrocephalics these levels were 5.17, 5.71, and 10.79 mol/l, respectively. In the noncompensated hydrocephalics, they were 9.90, 9.91, and 19.82 mol/l. The differences between the latter group and the first two are statistically significant (P<0.001). The mean Evans' index and the mean weakly increase in cranial circumference in the self-compensated hydrocephalics were 0.35 and 0.25 cm, respectively. In the noncompensated hydrocephalics, they were 0.55 and 0.95 cm. The differences between the two groups are statistically significant (P<0.001). Two weeks after implantation of shunts in the noncompensated cases, the mean xanthine, hypoxanthine, and total oxypurine levels fell to 4.22, 4.57, and 8.80 mol/l, respectively. These changes are statistically significant (P<0.001). We think that the two criteria (clinical and biochemical) are equally useful for the prediction of self-compensation in hydrocephalic children and that the oxypurine values after shunt implantation can be used to monitor progress in noncompensated cases.     

Role of angiotensin in the salt-hypertension of rats

Summary Hypertension was induced in uninephrectomized rats by NaCl 0.9% drinking and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) administration for 6 weeks. Plasma renin activity was markedly reduced but not suppressed. Renal renin concentration and total renal renin content were moderately reduced. Intravenous injection of 0.2 ml of antiangiotensin plasma resulted in transitory hypotension both in salt and DOCA-treated rats, and in normotensive control rats. It is concluded that angiotensin participates in the maintenance of blood pressure in salthypertensive rats as well as in normal animals.This work was supported by grant 67-00-517 from D.G.R.S.T. (Délégation Générale à la Recherche Scientifique et Technique). The authors wish to thank Miss colette Innocenzi and Miss Sonia Culot for technical assistance.     

The effect of harmaline on intestinal sodium transport and on sodium-dependentd-glucose transport in brush-border membrane vesicles from rabbit jejunum

Harmaline inhibition of sodium uptake and of sodium-dependentd-glucose transport was investigated using brush-border membrane vesicles from frozen rabbit jejunum. Under sodium-gradient conditions, initiald-glucose uptake (20 s) was inhibited by harmaline at concentrations above 0.5 mM, but at lower harmaline concentrationsd-glucose uptake was stimulated by 10–15%. When a similar potassium gradient was used, harmaline had no effect. At concentrations upt to 2 mM, harmaline did not alter the equilibrium uptake ofd-glucose ord-mannitol. After pre-equlibration with sodium (25 mM),d-glucose uptake was inhibited at harmaline concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 2 mM. Sodium (10 mM) uptake was also inhibited by harmaline. Increasing the sodium concentration reduced the inhibitory effect of harmaline on tracer sodium uptake as well as on sodium-dependentd-glucose uptake. Similar to phlorizin, harmaline (1 mM) was able to prevent glucose-induced sodium influx across the brush-border membrane.Sodium uptake into brush-border membrane vesicles seems to be inhibited at lower harmaline concentrations than sodium-dependentd-glucose uptake. At high (2 mM) inhibitor concentrations, however, sodium-dependent glucose uptake is more strongly inhibited than sodium uptake. These results suggest that harmaline inhibits both sodium and sodium-dependent transport across intestinal brush-border membranes by interacting with specific sodium-binding sites.