The effect of naloxone on the preoperative gastric volume and pH

The effect of 4 mg oral naloxone on preoperative gastric volume and pH of gastric aspirate was studied in a double-blind, randomized study. Twenty patients received 10 ml of naloxone (4 mg) mixed with 10 ml of orange juice, and 20 patients received 10 ml of isotonic saline mixed with 10 ml of orange juice, 2 h before surgery. Gastric content was obtained immediately after intubation of the trachea. No significant difference in gastric volume and pH of gastric aspirate was found between the two groups. It is concluded that naloxone does not affect gastric emptying and gastric acid secretion to a degree great enough to protect against aspiration of gastric contents into the lungs.     

Polyclonal B-lymphocyte stimulation in human malaria and its association with ongoing parasitemia

To study the polyclonal B-lymphocyte stimulation or activation (PBA) phenomenon in human malaria, the numbers of immunoglobulin (G, A, and M)-secreting cells in the peripheral blood, serum levels of immunoglobulins, and the presence of antibodies directed against the DNA-autoantigen were evaluated in Plasmodium falciparum- and P. vivax-infected individuals. Individuals chronically exposed to the risk of infection or non-immune subjects who contracted malaria during first visits to endemic areas were studied. Numbers of immunoglobulin-secreting cells (IgSC) were increased dependent upon ongoing parasitemia. Levels of IgG and the anti-DNA activity were also augmented in malarious individuals from the endemic area. Study of the kinetics of PBA done in treated patients showed that PBA decreased during treatment and disappeared 5-15 days after the start of chemotherapy.