Effect of lacosamide on ethanol induced conditioned place preference and withdrawal associated behavior in mice: Possible contribution of hippocampal CRMP-2

BackgroundExcessive consumption of ethanol is known to activate the mTORC1 pathway and to enhance the Collapsin Response Mediator Protein-2 (CRMP-2) levels in the limbic region of brain. The latter helps in forming microtubule assembly that is linked to drug taking or addiction-like behavior in rodents. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of lacosamide, an antiepileptic drug and a known CRMP-2 inhibitor, which binds to CRMP-2 and inhibits the formation of microtubule assembly, on ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in mice.MethodsThe behavior of mice following ethanol addiction and withdrawal was assessed by performing different behavioral paradigms. Mice underwent ethanol-induced CPP training with alternate dose of ethanol (2 g/kg, po) and saline (10 ml/kg, po). The effect of lacosamide on the expression of ethanol-induced CPP and on ethanol withdrawal associated anxiety and depression-like behavior was evaluated. The effect of drug on locomotor activity was also assessed and hippocampal CRMP-2 levels were measured.ResultsEthanol-induced CPP was associated with enhanced CRMP-2 levels in the hippocampus. Lacosamide significantly reduced the expression of ethanol-induced CPP and alleviated the levels of hippocampal CRMP-2 but aggravated withdrawal-associated anxiety and depression in mice.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated the beneficial effect of lacosamide in attenuation of expression of ethanol induced conditioned place preference via reduction of hippocampal CRMP-2 level. These findings suggest that lacosamide may be investigated further for ethanol addiction but not for managing withdrawal.     

Prophylactic use of chlorpromazine to improve survival of random skin flaps in pigs

On the basis of earlier success in rat studies, chlorpromazine was evaluated as a probable agent for improving survival of random skin flaps in pigs. The aim was to exclude the possibility that the effect of the chlorpromazine is species specific and to find out if it is dose dependent. One hundred and five dorsally-based 12×4 cm flaps were raised unilaterally on the backs of 15 pigs. The animals were divided into three groups using 15 mg/kg chlorpromazine, 7.5 mg/kg chlorpromazine, and a saline-treated control group. Flaps in the control group averaged 40.57±3.17% necrosis, while flaps in the 15 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg chlorpromazine-treated groups averaged 31.53±4.77% and 11.47±2.22% necrosis respectively. These results demonstrate dose dependent beneficial affects of chlorpromazine and the survival of random skin flaps in the pig. Although ideal dose levels are still to be determined, flap survival improved with the prophylactic use of chlorpromazine at the lower 7.5 mg/kg dosage.     

Comparison of positive allergy skin tests among asthmatic children from rural and urban areas living within small geographic area.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of increased asthma and allergic response among urban versus rural residents has been reported. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of allergic response among asthmatic children from urban and rural areas living within close proximity. METHODS: In all, 448 asthmatic children from urban (363) and rural (85) areas were studied. The study group consisted of 234 9-year-olds and 214 12-year-olds. A health questionnaire was completed on each child who subsequently underwent allergic skin prick tests (SPTs). RESULTS: There was significantly more positive SPT response to house-dust mite, mold, cat, and cypress among asthmatic children from urban areas compared with children living in rural areas: 58.3% versus 37.6%, 46.1% versus 31.8%, 17.45 versus 5.9%, and 26.2% versus 15.3%, respectively. Positive SPT for indoor allergens were significantly greater among asthmatic urban residents than asthmatic rural residents: 63.3% versus 45.5%, respectively (P < 0.02). Positive SPT response to all the allergens checked was higher among the 12-year-old age group when compared with the 9-year-olds, 34.6% versus 22.7%, respectively (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Allergic response measured by SPT is significantly more common among asthmatic children from urban areas as opposed to rural, even though both areas are within small distance of one another. Further, asthmatic children living in urban areas demonstrated more allergic response to both indoor and outdoor allergens. The allergic response tends to increase with increased age in both urban and rural asthmatic children.     

Hydatid cyst of gall bladder.

Gall bladder hydatid cyst is a rare entity. Concurrent occurrence of gall blader hydatid cysts along with liver cysts, especially with the biliary channels clear of cysts, is very rare. We report a 27-year-old man with a gall bladder hydatid cyst that was diagnosed only after opening the resected specimen of the gall bladder.     

The use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantitation of Calloselasma rhodostoma (Malayan pit viper) venom and venom antibodies

The specificity and sensitivity of an indirect and two (an ‘ordinary’ and a ‘rapid’) double sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedures for the quantitation of Calloselasma rhodostoma (Malayan pit viper) venom were examined. The three assays were equally sensitive and the accuracy of the assays was not substantially affected by individual variation in the venom composition. The specificity of the assays was examined against 26 venoms from snakes of the families Viperidae and Elapidae. While the double sandwich ELISA procedures were sufficiently specific to be used in the clinical immunodiagnosis of C. rhodostoma bite in Malaysia, the indirect ELISA procedure exhibited extensive cross-reactivity with other Malaysian pit viper venoms. Attempts were made to improve the specificity of the indirect ELISA procedure for the quantitation of C. rhodostoma venom. A ‘low ELISA cross-reactivity’ venom fraction (termed VF52) was isolated from C. rhodostoma venom by repeated Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography. The indirect ELISA procedure using antibodies to VF52 as immunoreagent showed an improvement in specificity. The use of the indirect ELISA procedure for the detection of C. rhodostoma antibodies was also examined and the results show that the assay was sufficiently specific to be used for retrospective diagnosis of C. rhodostoma bite in Malaysia, in particular when VF52 was used as the coating antigen.     

Intraoperative blood loss is a risk factor for complications in donors after living donor hepatectomy.

Complications in a donor are a distressing but inevitable occurrence, since graft procurement is a major undertaking. Although the technique for procurement has some similarities to hepatic resection, a donor is very unlike a patient with malignancy. The risk factors identified in these patients cannot be extrapolated to donors. Donor hepatectomy carried out from June 1995 to March 2005 in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical Center was reviewed with the aim of identifying risk factors for complications. There were 204 living donor liver transplants, with 205 donor hepatectomies, as 1 living donor liver transplantation was a dual graft. Ten donors (4.88%) suffered complications. There was no difference in terms of age, gender, body weight, operation, and parenchymal time between those who had complications and those who did not. There was also no difference in liver function tests between the 2 groups of donors, but the total bilirubin was significantly higher in donors with complications. The graft weight and remnant liver volume were also similar. The proportion of donors with fatty liver was the same between the 2 groups. The mean blood loss in donors with complications was 170 +/- 79 mL, and that for donors without complications was 95 +/- 77 mL. There was a statistically significant greater blood loss in donors with complications (P < 0.05). The number of segments removed in donors with complications was also higher compared to donors without complications (P < 0.03). Using multivariate analysis, intraoperative blood loss and the number of segments removed were found to be independent risk factors for donor complications. Intraoperative blood loss during graft procurement must be kept low to minimize complications in donors.     

Recombinant VP9-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of immunoglobulin G antibodies to Banna virus (genus Seadornavirus)

Banna virus (BAV, genus Seadornavirus, family Reoviridae) is an arbovirus suspected to be responsible for encephalitis in humans. Two genotypes of this virus are distinguishable: A (Chinese isolate, BAV-Ch) and B (Indonesian isolate, BAV-In6969) which exhibit only 41% amino-acid identity in the sequence of their VP9.The VP7 to VP12 of BAV-Ch and VP9 of BAV-In6969 were expressed in bacteria using pGEX-4T-2 vector. VP9 was chosen to establish an ELISA for BAV, based mainly on two observations: (i). VP9 is a major protein in virus-infected cells and is a capsid protein (ii). among all the proteins expressed, VP9 was obtained in high amount and showed the highest immuno-reactivity to anti-BAV ascitic fluid.The VP9s ELISA was evaluated in three populations: French blood donors and two populations (blood donors and patients with a neurological syndrome) from Malaysia, representing the region where the virus was isolated in the past.The specificity of this ELISA was >98%. In mice injected with live BAV, the assay detected IgG-antibody to BAV infection 21 days post-injection, which was confirmed by Western blot using BAV-infected cells.The VP9 ELISA permits to determine the sero-status of a population without special safety precautions and without any requirements to propagate the BAV. This test should be a useful tool for epidemiological survey of BAV.     

Characterization and identification of Oya virus,a Simbu serogroup virus of the genus Bunyavirus,isolated from a pig suspected of Nipah virus infection

Summary.  A virus, named Oya virus, was isolated in Vero cell cultures from the lungs of a pig suspected of Nipah virus infection. The virus was revealed as a spherical enveloped RNA virus with a diameter of 79 nm. For identification of Oya virus, RT-PCR was performed. A common primer set for S-RNA of the Simbu serogroup of the genus Bunyavirus was able to amplify a cDNA from Oya virus RNA. The sequence data of the product revealed that the partial gene of Oya virus S-RNA segment had 65–70% homology with published cDNA sequences of Simbu serogroup viruses. The phylogenetic analysis of the data showed that the Oya virus is grouped in Simbu serogroup, but is genetically distinct from the serogroup viruses that have been analyzed molecularly. Serological surveys revealed that the virus distributed widely and densely in Malaysia. Received January 5, 2002; accepted April 16, 2002 Published online July 19, 2002     

Summation of fibre potentials and the e.m.g.-force relationship during the voluntary movement of a forearm

A linear mathematical model of the electromyogram (e.m.g.) has been developed for the biceps muscle. The number of motor units (and therefore muscle fibres) contributing to the resultant e.m.g. at any stage of movement has been found from the force analysis of elbow flexion. The depths of various motor units and the phase difference between the recruitment of any two motor units have been formulated using a spiral spread of recruitment sequence. The attenuation of individual motor-unit action potentials due to varying depths has been taken into consideration, and due regard has been taken of the length-tension diagram of a muscle while performing the force analysis. Attention has been focused on the flexion of the elbow joint, in which a method of finding the individual contribution of the biceps and brachialis muscles has been developed and applied. The results predicted by the model have been verified by experiments. The model can also be extended to the e.m.g. of other fast skeletal muscles. The conditions and limitations for such generalisations have been stated and discussed.