Behavioral development in mice: Effects of maternal environment and the albino locus

We examined the interaction of the albino locus with the maternal environment on the behavioral development of two coisogenic strains of mice. Subjects of the pigmented C57BL/6 strain (=B6^+/+) and of the albino C57BL/6^c2J strain (=B6^c/c) were either fostered by a mother of their own strain or cross-fostered at birth to an F₁ hybrid dam. They were compared for the amount and daily distribution of activity displayed during 48 h in a seminatural device at weaning and when 75 days old. Food hoarding in the nest and food consumption at the food-search place were also recorded in adult subjects. When animals were fostered by a mother of their own strain, albino mice were more active and less nocturnal than pigmented mice at both ages. They hoarded less food in the nest and ate more at the food-search place. Most of these differences disappeared when both strains were fostered by an F₁ dam. The amount of activity displayed during 48 h increased between 21 and 75 days of age. This increase was affected by cross-fostering to an F₁ dam in B6^c/c mice only. The developmental pattern of daily distribution of activity was changed by F₁ dams in B6^+/+ mice only. Whereas these influences of F₁ dams produced subjects resembling the mother's phenotypic score, maternal effects on hoarding behavior in B6^c/c mice produced subjects which did not resemble their foster mother. The results are discussed in terms of different possible ways of hereditary transmission of behavior and some methodological consequences are emphasized.     

HOME AND LABORATORY DREAMS COLLECTED UNDER UNIFORM SAMPLING CONDITIONS

Twelve young-adult males spent two nonconsecutive nights at the laboratory (L) and two at home (H), six in the order LHHL and six in the order HLLH. Dreams were collected under uniform sampling conditions in both settings: S was awakened by an alarm clock at 6:30 a.m. and reported any dreams he could remember into a tape recorder. Twenty dream reports were collected in the laboratory, and 18 at home. Dream reports were rated by two judges on the six dimensions isolated by Hauri et al.'s factor analysis of dream ratings. Results showed no significant differences between home and laboratory in percentage of recall, median dream word counts, and dream ratings for Vivid Fantasy, Unpleasantness, Active Participation, and Sex. Home dreams were judged to contain more Verbal Aggression (p < .02) and Physical Aggression (p < .08). It was concluded that, although impulse-related content may be more likely to occur in home dreams than in laboratory dreams, the basic dream processes of imagination, distortion, dramatization, etc., are the same in both settings.     

Hormonal contraception without estrogens

The long-term clinical effects of ethinyl estradiol and the impact on environmental safety of the alkylated estrogen components used in combined contraceptive pills remain the subject of debate. The development of improved methods for the use of progestogen-only contraception would represent a viable and desirable option. Several progestogen compounds are not alkylated, and these can be delivered through a variety of routes. Some of the progestogen-only methods are well established in clinical use. Estimates for both perfect and typical effectiveness are less than one pregnancy per 100 woman-years with oral, injectable, implantable and intrauterine methods. In practice, with the oral progestogen-only method, perfect and typical effectiveness range from three to five pregnancies per 100 woman-years. The main side effect with all progestogen-only methods is unpredictable vaginal bleeding during the first months of use, and this may lead to discontinuation. Nevertheless, continuation of use is more frequent if patients are well informed of this side effect before treatment begins. No cardiovascular- and cancer-related side effects have been proven.     

溴氰菊酯对白纹伊蚊C6／36细胞株的杀伤作用及对其形态影响的研究

本文采用ＭＴＴ微量酶反应比色法，研究了溴氰菊酯对白纹伊蚊Ｃ６／３６细胞的杀伤作用、形态影响以及受损细胞的恢复。结果发现用溴氰菊酯处理２４ｈ后，对Ｃ６／３６细胞的半数毒性浓度（ＩＣ５０）为７４８８μｇ／ｍｌ，且毒性作用强度随着药物浓度增加而增强。溴氰菊酯浓度在２０μｇ／ｍｌ以上时可以诱发Ｃ６／３６细胞形态学改变，表现为细胞呈多形性、细胞间有间隙、胞质内充满颗粒，以后随药物浓度的升高，胞质出现空泡、染色质凝成粗大颗粒或无结构大块、大片细胞脱落、崩解、死亡。高浓度溴氰菊酯（１６０μｇ／ｍｌ）作用于Ｃ６／３６细胞，其受损细胞的恢复与作用时间有关，作用２４ｈ的细胞，在经历一段生长停滞后，可缓慢恢复，而作用４８ｈ的细胞，则不可逆转的死亡     

Time of onset of action of acrivastine in the skin of pollen-allergic subjects

The purpose of this study was to assess the time of onset of action of acrivastine in suppressing the wheal response to histamine (10 mg/ml) and allergen (10000 and 100000 BU/ml) in the skin prick test. Ten subjects with a well-documented allergy to pollen received single doses of 8 mg of acrivastine and placebo according to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover treatment design. Duplicate skin prick tests were performed 0, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 60 min after medication. The results demonstrated a statistically significant suppression of the wheal reactions 15–20 min after medication, depending on the reaction producers used. The sum of all three producers showed a statistically significant effect on the wheal reaction 15 min after medication. The upper 95% confidence limit for time lag from dosing of acrivastine until reduction from placebo level commences was 6.5 min. The study substantiates that orally administered acrivastine has a rapid onset of action in the skin of allergic subjects. The results indicate that allergen SPT is a more sensitive tool for studying antihistaminergic activity than histamine SPT.     

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of lithium on cognition in healthy subjects: mild and selective effects on learning

Background: Several studies have shown cognitive impairment in short-term memory, long-term memory and psychomotor speed in bipolar patients taking lithium. The aim of the study was to look at the effect of lithium in normal subjects (N=30) taking lithium for 3 weeks. A comprehensive battery was used to assess attention and memory. Methods: Subjects were randomized to double-blind treatment with either lithium (N=15) or placebo (N=15) for a 3-week period. Thirteen participants in the lithium group and 15 in the placebo group completed the study. The lithium and placebo were administered twice daily in doses varying from 1050 to 1950 mg (mean=1569 mg). The initial daily dose was calculated according to the Pepin formula to achieve a blood serum lithium level of about 0.8 mmol/l. Cognitive performance (attention, memory) was assessed in each subjects during three periods, i.e. at baseline, after 3 weeks of lithium or placebo, and 2 weeks after discontinuation of study medication. Results: In short-term memory tasks, the performance of subjects in the lithium group was worst 3 weeks after lithium treatment compared to 2 weeks after discontinuation. In long-term memory, a significantly higher number of words was recalled by the placebo group but not the lithium group. Conclusions. Lithium may have an effect on learning when long-term explicit memory test are administered repeatedly. It means that the practice effect when a subject performs the same task several times is less in the lithium-treated group than in the placebo group. This practice effect is related to the learning of a task.     

Impact of anxiety,stress and depression related to COVID-19 pandemic on the course of hereditary angioedema with C1-inhibitor deficiency

Background

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks can be provoked with psychological factors. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of anxiety, depression and stress related to COVID-19 pandemic on disease activity of HAE patients during the quarantine period (QP) and the return to normal period (RTNP).

Methods

This study was conducted between March 2020 and September 2020 in four allergy centres. Demographic, clinical features and mental health status were evaluated in QP (from March to the beginning of June) and RTNP (from June to the beginning of September) applied by the government. The 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS10) was used to define the severity of HAE attacks. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and Fear of COVID-19 (FC-19) scale were performed to assess mental health status.

Results

139 HAE patients were included in the study. In QP, median attack numbers and median VAS10 scores were 5 (min-max: 0–45) and 6 (min-max: 0–10), respectively. HAE attack numbers, DASS-21 stress, anxiety, depression and total DASS-21 scores, and FC-19 scores were higher in QP than RTNP (p = 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). However, there was no difference in attack severity scores between the two periods (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

This study revealed that the restriction measures during COVID-19 outbreak cause an increase in the number of HAE attacks in relation to anxiety, depression, stress and fear of COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is important to provide psychological support to HAE patients during the pandemic.

     

Reduction of side-effects from ultrarush immunotherapy with honeybee venom by pretreatment with fexofenadine: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy with Hymenoptera venoms is highly effective but causes allergic side-effects frequently, especially when honeybee venom is used. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the effect of pretreatment with the antihistamine fexofenadine on the incidence of allergic side-effects during ultrarush immunotherapy with bee venom. METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 57 patients with a history of systemic allergic reactions to honeybee stings and positive diagnostic tests (skin tests, serum specific IgE to honeybee venom) were investigated. Bee venom immunotherapy was started with an ultrarush protocol and patients were randomized to pretreatment with either fexofenadine 180 mg or placebo on days 1, 8, 22, and 50 of the protocol. Local and systemic allergic side-effects were registered. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients completed the study, 28 on fexofenadine and 26 on placebo pretreatment. On day 1, large local reactions were significantly reduced in both extension and duration by fexofenadine pretreatment (P<0.025). Systemic allergic side-effects on the whole were not reduced. However, the symptoms pruritus, urticaria, and angioedema occurred less frequently with fexofenadine (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment with fexofenadine during venom immunotherapy reduces local allergic reactions and generalized symptoms of the urticaria and angioedema type.     

Hemodynamic Conditions Alter Axial and Circumferential Remodeling of Arteries Engineered <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ex Vivo</Emphasis>

We previously demonstrated that growth and remodeling was stimulated in arteries elongated ex vivo using step increases in axial strain. Viability and vasoactivity were similar to fresh arteries, however there was a substantial decrease in the ultimate circumferential stress. To test the hypothesis that the subphysiological perfusion conditions (i.e., low pressure and flow) previously used caused the reduction, arteries were subjected to the identical elongation protocol (50% increase over 9 days) while being perfused with physiological levels of flow, viscosity and pulsatile pressure. A significant increase in unloaded length was achieved by elongation under both perfusion conditions, although the increase was less under physiological (7 ± 1%) than under subphysiological conditions (19 ± 2%, p < 0.005). When length at physiological stress was estimated using mechanical testing data the values were similar. The ultimate circumferential stress of arteries elongated under physiological conditions was increased (33%), whereas the ultimate axial stress was decreased (50%) as compared with arteries elongated under subphysiological conditions. Elongated arteries under both perfusion conditions showed significant increases in proliferation and collagen mass, and similar viability and appearance to fresh arteries. These data suggest that there is substantial cross-talk between perfusion conditions and axial strain that modulates arterial remodeling and length.     

Modulation of Event-Related Potentials by Word Repetition: The Effects of Inter-Item Lag

The modulation of event-related potentials by word repetition was investigated in two experiments. In both experiments, subjects responded to occasional nonwords interspersed among a series of words. A proportion of the words were repetitions of previously presented items. Words were repeated after 0 or 6 intervening items in Experiment 1 and after 6 or 19 items in Experiment 2. Event-related potentials to repeated words were characterised by a sustained, widespread positive-going shift with an onset of approximately 300 ms. This effect did not vary significantly as a function of lag in either experiment. When words were repeated immediately, this repetition-evoked positive shift was preceded by a transient negative deflection (onset ca. 200 ms) which was absent in event-related potentials to words repeated at longer lags. These results suggest that the modulation of event-related potentials by word repetition is influenced by at least two processes. One of these processes acts relatively early during the processing of a repeated word, but subsides rapidly as inter-item lag between first and second presentations increases. The second process occurs later in time, but is considerably more robust over variations in inter-item lag.