Application of a ketogenic diet in children with autistic behavior: pilot study

A pilot prospective follow-up study of the role of the ketogenic diet was carried out on 30 children, aged between 4 and 10 years, with autistic behavior. The diet was applied for 6 months, with continuous administration for 4 weeks, interrupted by 2-week diet-free intervals. Seven patients could not tolerate the diet, whereas five other patients adhered to the diet for 1 to 2 months and then discontinued it. Of the remaining group who adhered to the diet, 18 of 30 children (60%), improvement was recorded in several parameters and in accordance with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Significant improvement (> 12 units of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale) was recorded in two patients (pre-Scale: 35.00 +/- 1.41[mean +/- SD]), average improvement (> 8-12 units) in eight patients (pre-Scale: 41.88 +/- 3.14[mean +/- SD]), and minor improvement (2-8 units) in eight patients (pre-Scale: 45.25 +/- 2.76 [mean +/- SD]). Although these data are very preliminary, there is some evidence that the ketogenic diet may be used in autistic behavior as an additional or alternative therapy.     

Positive inotropic effects of histamine in anaesthetized dogs.

1 The cardiovascular effects of histamine were examined in dogs anaesthetized with pentobarbitone 2 The effect of histamine on heart rate, blood pressure, left ventricular pressure, dP/dtmax and dP/dt: IIT (integrated isometric tension) was compared in the presence and absence of autonomic reflexes and blood pressure control. 3 In innervated animals with no attempt to control blood pressure, histamine produced dose-dependent decreases in blood pressure and heart rate and either positive or negative inotropic actions. 4 When autonomic reflexes were abolished, this variability in inotropic response was reduced and histamine produced a slight positive inotropic response. There was a decrease in blood pressure and a positive chronotropic response to histamine. 5 When blood pressure was controlled and the cardiac nerves were intact, histamine produced a decrease in heart rate. However, in the denervated animals, there was a slight increase in heart rate. 6 Inotropic responses to histamine in the blood pressure controlled groups were less variable than when blood pressure was uncontrolled. In all of these animals there was an increase in contractility, the increase being more marked in the denervated group. 7 The H2-receptor agonist impromidine produced a positive inotropic action in intact animals with uncontrolled blood pressure.