SCREENING FOR ALCOHOLISM IN GENERAL MEDICAL PATIENTS

Medical patients (N = 108) were administered a brief screeninginstrument (LAMSI) and a structured diagnostic interview (SUDDS).Twenty-five patients met DSM-III criteria for an alcohol usedisorder, 20 current, five in remission. The four-item scaleembedded in the screen identified the alcoholics with 88% sensitivityand 96% specificity.     

Enhancing and suppressive effects of tumour necrosis factor/cachectin on growth of Trypanosoma musculi

The effect of human recombinant TNF on the growth of T. musculi has been investigated. When added to parasites cultured in vitro, TNF inhibited their growth. In the presence of thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal exudate cells, the opposite effect was seen and TNF enhanced the growth of trypanosomes in vitro. Similarly, administration of TNF in vivo during the course of infection led to a net increase in the parasite population. It is suggested that TNF exerts a direct antitrypanosomal effect while simultaneously promoting the growth of the parasite through an indirect effect mediated via the host's cells, possibly the macrophages.     

Cardiac vagal tone and sustained attention in school-age children

Three hypotheses tested relationships between cardiac responses mediated via the vagus and sustained attention in a population of normal school-age children. These hypotheses addressed the theoretical relationships among resting cardiac vagal tone (using the Porges estimate of respiratory sinus arrhythmia, V), performance measures of sustained attention, and cardiac reactivity during sustained attention. Thirty-two fourth and fifth grade children performed a continuous performance task while their electrocardiograms were monitored. Children with higher resting levels of V performed better on the first 3-min block of the continuous performance task. Additionally, levels of V were significantly reduced across the blocks of the 9-min task for all children. No relationships were found between resting levels of V and change in either V or heart period during task performance. These findings support two of the three hypotheses proposed by Porges regarding individual differences in cardiac vagal tone and sustained attention.     

The Source and Significance of Raised Serum Enzymes in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hepatobiliary dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis has been suggestedon the basis of raised serum activity of alkaline phosphatase,5-nucleotidase, lactic dehydrogenase and -glutamyl transferase,but a specific pathological lesion has not been demonstratedand serum transaminases and bilirubin are almost invariablynormal. This paper reports a series of studies designed to determinethe tissues of origin of the enzymes and offers an alternativeinterpretation of the enzymological findings. The results suggestthat only alkaline phosphatase originates from the liver, whilelactic dehydrogenase and 5-nucleotidase originate from synovialfluid polymorphs and synovial lining cells, respectively. Serumalkaline phosphatase may be induced by inflammatory mediatorssuch as interleukin-1 because it correlates with the acute phaseresponse. Serum lactic dehydrogenase is an integrated measureof polymorph lysis in all joints and offers a marker of jointinflammation more specific than measures such as the ESR. Levelsof serum 5-nucleotidase provide information about the activityof the synovium. Finally, because hepatic necrosis does notnormally occur, the transaminases may be used to monitor drugtoxicity.     

Carisoprodol: Reproductive Assessment by Continuous Breeding in Swiss Mice

Carisoprodol (CARI), a commonly prescribed neuromuscular relaxant,was evaluated for reproductive toxicity in Swiss CD-1 mice usingthe Reproductive Assessment by Continuous Breeding (RACB) protocol.Male and female mice were given CARI in corn oil suspensionby daily gavage at doses of 0, 300, 750, and 1200 mg/kg bodywt/day. Clinical signs of general toxicity in Fo animals includedsedation, primarily in the high-dose group during the firstweek of exposure, and reduced body weight in high-dose females.CARI administration for 14 weeks did not affect the abilityof the F₀ animals to produce litters. However, decreases inproportion of pups born alive (4%) and absolute (5%) and adjustedlive pup weight (7%) were observed at 1200 mg/kg CARI when comparedto controls. In a crossover mating trial to determine the affectedsex, there were no significant differences in the measured reproductiveparameters. CARI at the high dose increased the proportion oftime spent in proestrus and estrus, but cycle length was unaffected.At F₀ necropsy (Week 27 of treatment), all sperm parameterswere normal. Right epididymis and liver weights, relative tobody weight, were increased (12 and 23%, respectively) overthe control group for high-dose males. A mating trial to determinethe fertility and reproductive competence of the F₁ generationshowed no effect of CARI on indices of mating, pregnancy, orfertility, the proportion of F₂ pups born alive, the sex ratioof live F₂ pups, live F₂ pup weight, or gestation length. However,decreases in the number of F₂ pups per litter (22%) and adjustedlive F₂ pup weight (8%) were observed in the high-dose group.Indications of generalized toxicity in the F₁ generation includeddecreased survival through Postnatal Day 21 at 750 (5%) and1200 (9%) mg/kg CARI, and transiently decreased body weightsduring postnatal development and as adults for males and femalesat all dose levels. At necropsy, there was no effect of treatmenton the relative weight of any male or female reproductive organs;testicular spermatid concentration was reduced at all levelsof CARI. Relative liver weight was increased for females at300 mg/kg and for males and females at both 750 and 1200 mg/kg.In summary, CARI produced generalized toxicity and moderateeffects on the reproductive processes of F₀ and F₁ generationSwiss mice during chronic exposures of up to 1200 mg/kg/day.     

Increased Immune and Inflammatory Responses to Dust Mite Antigen in Rats Exposed to 5 ppm NO2

Immune hypersensitivity to house dust mite antigen (HDM) isa frequent cause of respiratory allergy. The objective of thisstudy was to determine whether exposure to NO₂, a common indoorair pollutant, modulates immune responses to HDM and influencesimmune-mediated lung disease. Brown Norway rats were immunizedip with 100 µg semipurified antigen and Bordetella pertussisadjuvant and challenged 2 weeks later with an intratrachealinjection of 50 µg of a crude antigen preparation. Exposureto 5 ppm NO₂ for 3 hr after both immunization and challengeprocedures resulted in significantly higher levels of antigen-specificserum IgE, local IgA, IgG, and IgE antibody than air controls,and increased numbers of inflammatory cells in the lungs. Lymphocyteresponsiveness to antigen in the spleen and MLN was also significantlyhigher in NO₂-exposed animals. These data show that exposureto a common air pollutant can upregulate specific immune responsesand subsequent immune-mediated pulmonary inflammation.