Drug conditioning induced by intrastriatal apomorphine administration

The present study examined (1) whether the neostriatum is involved in a drug-induced conditioned locomotor response and; (2) whether this structure participates in the development of behavioral sensitization. Moreover, the present study addressed the question whether the development of behavioral sensitization is necessary for the induction of conditioning. Rats received injections of either apomorphine (2 μg) or vehicle (solution of 0.1% ascorbate/saline) into the dorsal neostriatum daily for 7 days. These treatments were performed immediately prior to (apomorphine-paired group and vehicle group) or 30 min following (apomorphine-unpaired group) 10-min placement in an open field which served as the test environment. After a 3-day drug withdrawal period, the animals were given a 10-min non-drug vehicle test trial in the test environment. Three days later, a drug test with apomorphine was administered to the animals of the paired and unpaired treatment groups; the vehicle group again received an injection of vehicle. The analysis of locomotor activity in the open field (measured as the distance traversed) revealed that locomotor activity in the apomorphine-paired group was higher than in the other groups. There were no indications for behavioral sensitization to intrastriatal apomorphine, since the locomotor response in the apomorphine-paired group did not increase, but rather decreased with daily repeated injections of apomorphine. Furthermore, only the apomorphine-paired animals showed a higher locomotor response when tested after an intrastriatal injection of vehicle in the previously apomorphine-paired environment, which is indicative of a conditioned drug effect. These results suggest that the neostriatum is directly involved in the development of drug-induced conditioning of locomotor behavior but not in the establishment of behavioral sensitization.     

Survival of a conditioned inhibitory avoidance response after decerebration

There is evidence that inhibitory avoidance learning is still possible after removal of the telencephalic forebrain. However, it is not known whether subtelencephalic storage of such a conditioned response takes place when the brain is intact. To investigate this possibility, rats received one training trial in the "up-hill avoidance" task, and 8 h later the entire forebrain except the hypothalamus was bilaterally ablated. When tested 24 h later, the decerebrate rats still exhibited the learned response, demonstrating a transfer of the conditioned response from the intact to the postlesion state. This result indicates that memory-storage for this avoidance task takes place, at least in part, subtelencephalically.     

Single fresh and frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer using hyaluronan-rich transfer medium

The purpose of this prospective randomized study was to evaluate use of a hyaluronan-rich transfer medium in fresh and frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfer. The study included 279 single blastocyst transfers in women aged<37 years in their first, second or third treatment cycle. According to the type of single blastocyst transfer (fresh elective or frozen-thawed) the women were divided into two study and two control groups. In both study groups (n=130) transfers were performed using hyaluronan and in the control groups (n=149) a conventional transfer medium was used. The results indicate that fresh elective single blastocyst transfer with hyaluronan results in significantly higher pregnancy rates in a selected subgroup of women; those with >or=2 blastocysts developed to day 5 and a previous implantation failure (55% versus 10%; P=0.012). Overall pregnancy rates after fresh elective and frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfer were similar in both study and control groups.     

Plasmatic vitamin C in nontreated hepatitis C patients is negatively associated with aspartate aminotransferase

Objectives: To evaluate the possible relationship between aminotransferases levels and markers of oxidative stress in chronic hepatitis C patients. Design and methods: Patients without treatment for hepatitis were divided in to group I (15–39 U/L); group II (41–76 U/L) and group III (81–311 U/L) of activity alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Blood markers of oxidative stress [catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), thiobarbituric acid‐reactive species (TBARS), nonprotein and protein thiol (NP‐SH and P‐SH) groups and vitamin C] were determined. Results: P‐SH and NP‐SH levels, TBARS, GPx and CAT were not different between groups. Vitamin C was significantly decreased in groups II (P=0.03) and III (P=0.001) when compared with group I and correlated negatively with aspartate aminotransferase (AST; r=?0.29, P=0.042). Conclusion: Vitamin C levels were negatively associated with AST, suggesting that vitamin C could be an additional indicator of hepatitis C severity.     

Current evidence of peripheral vestibular symptoms secondary to otitis media

Background: The association between otitis media and vestibular symptoms has been hypothesized in the past. Thus, in this study, we aimed to critically analyze (based in a systematic review of the literature) whether patients who have otitis media are at greater risk of developing vestibular impairment or not.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature and identified potentially relevant articles reporting vestibular symptoms and results of vestibular function tests in patients with otitis media through searches of the PubMED, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. The quality of the final set of records was assessed using the “Newcaste–Ottawa Scale”.

Results: Of the 2334 records searched, 43 met our inclusion and exclusion criteria, and those included 2250 patients. The records comprised 20 longitudinal studies, 21 cross-sectional studies, and 2 case reports. Regarding the type of otitis media studied, 25 examined vestibular impairment in otitis media with effusion, 6 acute otitis media, and 12 chronic otitis media. Results of anamnesis, clinical exams, and several vestibular function tests are reported and critically discussed.

Conclusion: Most studies evaluating the association between otitis media and vestibular symptoms have potential methodological flaws. Clinical evidence suggests that patients with otitis media have increased chances for having vestibular symptoms, delayed acquisition of developmental milestones, and abnormalities in several vestibular function tests as compared with controls. Future studies with rigorous methodology aiming to assess the clinical significance (and prognostic factors) of the association between otitis media and vestibular impairment are warranted.

• Key message

• Several studies demonstrated long-term sequelae secondary to otitis media. However, the evidence supporting those assumptions are based in low-quality evidence. Thus, better structured studies are warranted to better understand the clinical relevance of such association.

     

Addition of n-butyl cyanoacrylate to classic transarterial chemoembolization may improve the radiological response in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE:

Transarterial chemoembolization is the treatment of choice for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. However, there are no clear data supporting transarterial chemoembolization vs. transarterial embolization or regarding the best chemotherapeutic agent, which may suggest a preponderant role of ischemia over chemotherapeutic action. This study sought to evaluate the radiological response and outcome of transarterial chemoembolization modified by n-butyl cyanoacrylate addition compared to conventional transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A retrospective review identified forty-seven patients who underwent modified chemoembolization and thirty-three who underwent conventional chemoembolization between June 2006 and December 2011. The radiological response was reassessed using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. The sustained complete response, time to progression and overall survival rates were also analyzed.

RESULTS:

Complete response rates were significantly higher in patients who had undergone modified chemoembolization compared to those who had undergone conventional treatment (61.7% and 24.3%, respectively; p<0.001). The rate of sustained complete response was significantly higher in the modified chemoembolization group compared to the conventional chemoembolization group (median of 236 and 37 days, respectively; p<0.001). Time to progression was significantly higher in the modified chemoembolization group compared to the conventional chemoembolization group (median of 424 and 201 days, respectively; p=0.042). Overall survival rates revealed no difference between patients who received modified chemoembolization and conventional chemoembolization (median of 483 and 399 days, respectively; p=0.316).

CONCLUSION:

Transarterial chemoembolization modified by n-butyl cyanoacrylate addition was superior to conventional transarterial chemoembolization in terms of the radiological response in the first imaging control. Although the sustained complete response and time to progression rates were higher for the modified chemoembolization group, no differences in overall survival rates were observed.     

Synthesis and Anticholinesterase Activity Evaluation of Asymmetric Azines

Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal - Azines or di-imines are compounds containing R1R2C=N-N=CR3R4 fragment in its structure. These compounds have received special attention due to their importance as...