The development of addiction to d-amphetamine in an animal model: same principles as for alcohol and opiate

We have established a rat model that reflects the course of development of alcohol and opiate addiction. The present study with d-amphetamine aimed to define general principles in the development of an addiction. Male rats had a continuous free choice between d-amphetamine solutions (100, 200 and 400 mg/l) and water for 47 weeks. An initial intake of high doses of d-amphetamine during the first weeks of drug choice was followed by an individually stable pattern of drug consumption of moderate drug doses. During this period of controlled consumption (from week 10 to week 40), the voluntary intake of d-amphetamine depended on individual factors (dominant rats: 0.37 ± 0.02 mg/kg per day, subordinate rats: 0.57 ± 0.05 mg/kg per day) and environmental variables (group housing: 0.21 ± 0.02 mg/kg per day, single housing: 0.41 ± 0.03 mg/kg per day). Beginning with week 41, voluntary d-amphetamine consumption progressively increased (1.9 ± 0.2 mg/kg per day in week 47), although the experimental conditions remained unchanged. Drug intake during a retest (free choice as before) after 6 months of drug deprivation revealed that the rats had persistently lost their control over drug intake and were no longer able to adjust drug taking to internal and external conditions. These addicted rats took very high drug doses, even when all d-amphetamine solutions but not water were adulterated with bitter tasting quinine (6.6 ± 0.6 mg/kg per day; age-matched controls: 0.37 ± 0.04 mg/kg per day). Forced intake of d-amphetamine for 47 weeks (7.1 ± 0.3 mg/kg per day) via the drinking fluid caused physical dependence (hyperreactivity during withdrawal) but did not lead to drug addiction (voluntary intake in the retest with adulteration: 0.42 ± 0.04 mg/kg per day). Both the temporal development and the prerequisites of psychostimulant addiction were in principle the same as for alcohol and opiates. Received: 3 April 1998/Final version: 26 August 1998     

Urinary dopamine excretion in healthy volunteers: effect of sodium diet and acute water load

The present study was designed to investigate, in human subjects, urinary dopamine excretion under different conditions of sodium and water homeostasis. In a cross-over trial, ten healthy volunteers were subjected to low-salt (LS; dietary salt restriction, sodium chloride (NaCl) intake <5 g per day), normal-salt (NS; normal food ad libitum), and high-salt (HS; normal food plus NaCl 100 mg/kg per day) regimens for 8 days in a randomized order. On day 7, urine was collected for 24 h. The variations in urinary sodium excretion reflected the dietary salt intake (LS: 16.3+/-4.7; NS: 144.1+/-18.2; HS: 221.9+/-12.9 mmol 24 h(-1) 1.73 m(-2)), but were not accompanied by significant changes in urinary dopamine excretion. On day 8, clearance studies showed that an acute oral water load of 1500 ml did not alter glomerular filtration rate or renal plasma flow but significantly increased urinary flow rate without affecting dopamine excretion. Assuming that excreted dopamine is not metabolized or reabsorbed during the tubular passage, both the unchanged urinary dopamine output in spite of 14-fold variations in sodium excretion and its independence of an acute water load argue against the hypothesis that dopamine in the tubular lumen acts as a natriuretic and/or diuretic factor in humans.     

Correction: Stability of gum Arabic-gold nanoparticles in physiological simulated pHs and their selective effect on cell lines

Correction for ‘Stability of gum Arabic-gold nanoparticles in physiological simulated pHs and their selective effect on cell lines’ by Heloise Ribeiro de Barros et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 9411–9420.

The authors regret that the name of one of the authors (Daniel de Lima Bellan) was shown incorrectly in the original article. The corrected author list is as shown above.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Respiratory emergency in the newborn infant: extreme laryngotracheo-esophageal cleft (esophagotrachea)

Intra vitam diagnostic procedures revealed a complete laryngo-tracheo-oesophageal cleft in a premature infant with respiratory distress. Anamnesis together with clinical and roentgenological symptoms suggested the diagnosis of oesophageal atresia or oesophago-tracheal fistula. The diagnosis of "oesophago-trachea" was finally confirmed by laryngo-tracheoscopy. The morphologic defect in this case was combined with partial supradiaphragmatic dislocation of the stomach and with intestinal malrotation.     

Non-elective Caesarean section: how long do we take to deliver?

This study measured the decision to delivery time intervals in non-elective caesarean sections and compared them to the 30-min interval suggested by international literature. It also evaluated fetal outcome. A 3-month prospective evaluation of all (n=178) non-elective caesarean sections was performed, using a structured time and data sheet, in a tertiary centre. Operations were divided into 'emergency', most pressing and 'urgent' where maternal or fetal compromise were not immediately life-threatening. The median interval for the 100 emergency cases was 48 min, and 59 min for the 78 urgent cases. Only 28 (15.7 per cent) of decision to delivery intervals were within 30 min. Twenty-two babies (12.4 per cent) had Apgar scores of below 7 at 5 min. Most decision to delivery intervals exceeded 30 min. It may be wiser to train staff to recognize and respond appropriately to emergencies than insisting on rigid decision to delivery intervals.     

Endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in chronic renal failure

Uremic patients have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress that can contribute to cardiovascular (CV) events. To assess the relationship between endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and renal failure severity, we studied 40 patients (age 57 +/- 7 yrs, 24 males) affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) K/DOQI stage 3-5 (serum creatinine (Cr) 5.6 +/- 2.2 mg/dL) on conservative treatment, 20 uremic patients (age 57 +/- 12 yrs, 13 males) on hemodialysis (HD) and 30 healthy controls (56 +/- 12 yrs, 20 males). Before and 2 hr after oral vitamin C (2 g) administration, we measured brachial artery endothelium-dependent vasodilation (flow mediated dilation (FMD)) to reactive hyperemia following 5 min of forearm ischemia and the response to sublingual glyceril trinitrate (GTN). Measurements were made by high-resolution ultrasound and computerized analysis. FMD was lower in CKD patients than in controls (5.3 +/- 2.2 vs. 6.9 +/- 2.8%; p<0.01) and was further reduced in HD patients (3.6 +/- 2.7; p<0.01 vs. CKD patients). Response to GTN was similar in all groups. FMD was related to Cr clearance (r=0.42; p<0.01) in CKD patients, while it related inversely to Kt/V(urea) (r=-0.52; p<0.05) in HD patients. After vitamin C administration, FMD was significantly enhanced in HD (4.7 +/- 2.4%; p<0.01 vs. baseline), but not in CKD patients. Response to GTN was unaffected. However, vitamin C load reduced oxidative stress markers, and increased plasma antioxidant capability in both groups. In conclusion, the reduced endothelium-dependent dilation in the brachial artery of CKD patients is related to renal failure severity. HD patients showed a more marked alteration, which seems to be related, at least in part, to increased oxidative stress.