Effects of acute administration of d-amphetamine and haloperidol on procedural learning in man

The effects of an indirect dopamine-agonist, d-amphetamine, and a non-selective dopamine receptor antagonist, haloperidol, were investigated in normal male volunteers using a between-subjects double-blind design in a procedural learning task, thought mainly to involve unconscious/automatic learning. The results showed: (1) d-amphetamine facilitated response speed, whereas haloperidol inhibited it, in comparison to placebo; (2) the linear increase in procedural learning corresponded with pharmacological manipulation of degree of dopaminergic activity, i.e. subjects given haloperidol showed the least, and subjects given d-amphetamine the greatest, procedural learning. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to investigation of abnormalities of procedural learning processes in schizophrenia. Received: 28 June 1996/Final version: 2 October 1996     

Pharmacokinetics of orally administered norethisterone enanthate in rabbit, monkey, and women

Norethisterone enanthate (NET-En), an established intramuscular long-acting contraceptive agent, has previously been shown to be effective in inhibiting fertility in two rodent species even 4 days after oral ingestion. Pharmacokinetics of NET and NET-En were studied after oral and intramuscular doses in two animal species and a few women. The results suggest that the NET-En was absorbed within a day in all the species after oral dose. The estimates of relative bioavailability ranged from 13 to 51% in rabbits, monkeys, and women. The elimination half-life was 5–10 days. The presence of the active component, NET, in the circulation over the experimental period of 15 days suggests that NET-En could be useful as a long-acting oral pill. The suppression of progesterone levels during the luteal phase of menstrual cycle in women also supports this finding.     

Semen analysis in patients operated on for impalpable testes

Semen analysis was performed on 48 men who had undergone orchiopexy, 40 for unilateral impalpable testes and 8 for bilateral impalpable testes. Patients with unilateral impalpable testes had varying sperm analysis; 18 (86%) of the 23 patients with unilateral impalpable canalicular testes had normal sperm analysis. All patients with bilateral impalpable testes were azoospermic. The subsequent quality of the semen is dependent upon the original anatomical positions of the undescended testes.     

Penile malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (schwannoma) in a three-year-old child without evidence of neurofibromatosis.

Malignant schwannoma (malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour, MPNST) is a rare high-grade tumour arising from peripheral nerves. We report the case of a 3-year-old male who presented with a non-tender lesion on the dorsum of his penis. The lesion was excised and a formal circumcision performed. Histology of the lesion revealed a spindle cell tumour. Immunohistochemistry showed the tumour cells to be strongly positive for S100 and Vimentin. A diagnosis of intermediate grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour was made. Malignant schwannoma is rare in children and is previously unreported in the penis in the paediatric age group without evidence of neurofibromatosis.     

Mortality in neonatal septicemia with involvement of mother in management.

In most Special Care Neonatal Units (SCNUs) in India, mothers are excluded from the care of their sick babies for fear of over-crowding and dislocation. We have attempted to study the feasibility of involving mothers in the care of their babies admitted for neonatal septicemia and to analyse whether this changed the sepsis related case fatality rate. The study material consisted of 158 neonates with blood culture positive neonatal septicemia whose mothers were actively involved in their care during their stay in the SCNU of LNJPN Hospital throughout 1987-88. The mothers lived in with their sick neonates and were extremely useful in feeding, cleaning, and monitoring for some important signs and symptoms. There were no epidemics of infection in the nursery during this period. All the babies discharged were receiving breast feeds, and the mothers were confident in taking care of them before discharge. The mortality in this group was 43%. The onset of septicemia was most often in the first week (36%) being 25.9% in second week, 26.6% in the third, and 11.4% in the fourth. Mortality was maximum (64.5%) when the onset of illness was in the first 3 days. Klebsiella and S. aureus were commonly isolated organisms (38.6 and 21.5%, respectively). Gram negative organisms were isolated in 66.5% cases with higher mortality in this group. Nearly 46% of the babies weighed 2 kg or less, with a mortality of 60.2% compared to 28.2% in those more than 2 kg. Only 3 to 5% and 40 to 66.7% of Gram negative and 23 and 70% of Gram positive organisms were sensitive to ampicillin and gentamicin, respectively.