Pharmacy patron perspectives of community pharmacist administered influenza vaccinations

Background

One approach to boost influenza vaccination coverage has been to expand immunization authority. In 2012, the province of Ontario gave community pharmacists the authority to administer the influenza vaccine.

The role of control activity levels in the reported strain differences to the behavioral effects of drugs in mice

The effect of d-amphetamine (3-100 mumoles/kg), scopolamine (0.3-100 mumoles/kg) and morphine (3-1000 mumoles/kg) were studied on the spontaneous motor activity (SMA) of four strains of mice: CF-1, DBA/2, C57BL/6 and CD-1. All three drugs increased the SMA of the CF-1, C57BL/6, and CD-1 strains at low to moderate doses and decreased SMA at higher doses. In the DBA/2 strain, d-amphetamine and scopolamine increased SMA at low doses and decreased SMA at high doses; only decreases in SMA were observed with morphine. When the drug effect was expressed relative to control levels of SMA, large apparent strain differences were shown to exist for all three drugs. In general, these strain differences were shown to exist for all three drugs. However, the majority of these strain differences could be attributed to the large differences which existed in the control level of SMA among the four strains. One important exception to this statement was shown to exist. The DBA strain responded differently (only decreases in SMA were observed) to morphine than did the other three strains. This decrease was not related to the control SMA level and could not be antagonized by naloxone (3 mumoles/kg, IP).     

Clinical guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention: Should they differ by gender?

The effects of cardiovascular disease are substantial in women, yet cardiovascular preventive therapies for women are underused. The prevalence and impact of many coronary risk factors differ by gender. Coronary risk interventions (eg, using aspirin) have diverse outcomes in women and men. Results from studies of preventive interventions specific to women (eg, menopausal hormone therapy) have changed preventive recommendations and clinical practice.     

Cellular Distribution of G Protein Goa in Pituitary Lactotrophs: Effects of Dopamine

Membrane-bound GTP-binding (G) proteins mediate signal transduction in a variety of cell systems. The exact mechanisms of G proteins action are still under investigation but they appear to involve effectors located in the plasma membrane as well as in other parts of the cell. With this study, we investigated the cellular and ultrastructural localization of G protein subunits, and particularly of Goa, in normal rat anterior pituitaries and in estrone-induced rat adenomatous lactotrophs. We also evaluated the effects of Goα cellular redistribution in rat adenomatous lactotrophs following short-term exposure to dopamine (DA). Using the Protein A-gold (PAG) methodology, Goα was found to be present in the cysternae of the endoplasmic reticulum of normal pituitary cells and of adenomatous lactotrophs. In the latter, Goα could be co-localized with prolactin (PRL). By immunoblots, using specific antisera, significant amounts of Goα and Gs42α, together with smaller amounts of Giα, Gs47α and Gβ were found to be present in the uncontaminated supernatant fraction of adenomatous lactotrophs. Unexpectedly, exposure of the cells to DA induced a rapid and short-lived decrease in the cytosolic fraction of Goα and Gβ associated with a decrease of PRL release. Since cytosolic Goα can be ADP-ribosylated by pertussis toxin (PT) and is therefore in a heterotrimeric form, our data suggest that the soluble Go protein may play a role during lactotrophs' exposure to an inhibitor of PRL release, perhaps through its relocalization after being internalized with the D₂ receptor or by being used for interaction with intracellular and/or membrane-bound effectors.     

Acrometageria: A spectrum of “premature aging” syndromes

A child with manifestations of acrogeria and metageria, two “premature aging” syndromes, is presented. Because of his indistinct phenotype and because the question has been previously raised as to whether these conditions are separate, we propose the designation of acrometageria to describe this phenotypic continuum. As there is much in common clinically between acrometageria and the syndrome of type III procollagen deficiency (Ehlers-Danlos type IV), it might be presumed that a similar pathogenesis for acrometageria exists. This possibility has been tested previously, without demonstrating specific quantitative or qualitative deficits, but with some indirect evidence that collagen metabolism is deranged in these patients. One such crude indicator is the elevation of urinary hyaluronic acid levels, demonstrated in our patient and also observed in the phenotypically distinct Werner and Hutchinson-Gilford premature aging syndromes. On one hand, it could be argued that this supports the concept that premature aging syndromes exist as a biological continuum. On the other hand, it is equally valid to argue that syndromes of premature aging are so described merely because they include recognizable changes of normal aging and that the demonstration of an underlying mutation in a collagen gene, for example, invalidates their study as models of accelerated normal aging. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Dopamine D2 receptor imaging with SPECT: studies in different neuropsychiatric disorders.

The purpose of the present study is to visualize and quantify dopamine D2 receptors in the living human brain using an 123I-labeled ligand and the single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) technique. S-(-)-Iodobenzamide [S-(-)-IBZM] has been shown to be a highly selective ligand with high affinity for D2 receptors in experimental studies. Five millicuries (185 MBq) of 123I-labeled S-(-)-IBZM was administered intravenously to 12 control subjects, 22 parkinsonian patients under L-Dopa therapy, 12 parkinsonian patients without L-Dopa, 10 unmedicated patients with Huntington's disease, and 12 patients under different neuroleptics. Data collection with a rotating double-head scintillation camera started 1 h after injection and lasted for 50 min. In a semiquantitative approach, a ratio was calculated between mean counts per pixel in the striatum and a region in the lateral frontal cortex, which was 1.74 +/- 0.10 in the control group. A marked reduction of this ratio was found in patients with Huntington's disease (1.38 +/- 0.12; p = 0.0001), no significant changes in untreated parkinsonian patients (1.67 +/- 0.14), but a reduction in L-Dopa-treated cases (1.59 +/- 0.13; p = 0.0014). A curvilinear relationship was found between total daily dose of neuroleptics and the reduction of this ratio. Estimated receptor blockade under full neuroleptic treatment was 75-80%. S-(-)-IBZM binding was reduced with increasing age (p less than 0.01). Specific binding was reduced markedly when the racemic mixture of IBZM was used, and no specific binding was seen with the R-(+)-isomer, demonstrating the stereoselectivity of IBZM binding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Common bile duct calculi: updated experience with dissolution with methyl tertiary butyl ether

The authors describe their experience with methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in a larger series of patients than previously reported in order to acquaint physicians with both its effectiveness for dissolution of common bile duct calculi and the limitations of its use. Ten patients with 13 biliary calculi underwent percutaneous stone dissolution treatment with the experimental cholesterol solvent, MTBE. Three stones completely dissolved within 30 minutes, seven were reduced in size, and three were visibly unaffected. All stones not completely dissolved were easily extracted by means of a stone basket except for one in a patient taken to surgery. Although MTBE perfusion is an effective technique for management of biliary calculi, practitioners should be aware that its use is quite time consuming and its odor difficult to control.