Synthesis and biological activity of Substance P C-terminal hexapeptide and heptapeptide analogues

The analogues [Glu(OBzl)¹¹]SP_6–11 and [Glu(OBzl)¹¹]SP_5–11 of the C-terminal hexapeptide and heptapeptide of Substance P have been synthesized by conventional solution methods. In each analogue the SCH₃ group of Met¹¹ is replaced by the COOCH₂C₆H₅ group. The in vitro activity of both analogues has been determined on three biological preparations: guinea pig ileum (GPI), rat vas deferens (RVD), and rat portal vein (RPV). The selectivity for the different receptors has been studied by utilizing atropine-treated guinea pig ileum (GPI + At). The results showed that both analogues are mainly active on GPI through the NK-1 receptor and that both analogues are equipotent to Substance P.     

Personality and Substance Use Among Adolescents: a longitudinal study

The following hypotheses have been tested: (a) sensation seeking, A–State and Trait and Depressive Mood should positively affect the initiation and continuation of adolescent substance use: and (b) Following Zuckerman's conclusion with regard to the relationships between sensation seeking and drug use, and Khantzian's ‘self medication hypothesis’, different patterns of relationships between personality variables and substance use should be found: Whereas sensation seeking will be associated with substance use regardless of the specific psychopharmacological properties of a given substance, anxiety and depressive mood will be primarily associated with the use of depressants. One thousand nine hundred adolescents, 14–19 years old, were tested twice, 12 months apart, for alcohol and drug use. The major findings were as follows: (a) Sensation seeking was found to affect substance use among adolescents more than State and Trait Anxiety, and Depressive Mood; (b) Sensation seeking differentiated among abstainers, beginners, and users of all substances. A different pattern of relationship between State-Trait Anxiety, and Depressive Moods and substance use was found. These personality variables appeared to differentiate only among those subjects who used depressants; (c) It is also evident that previous experimentation with drugs significantly affect current–use. The implications of these findings for interventions among adolescents are discussed.     

Modulation of the Arterial Coronary Blood Flow by Asynchronous Activation with Ventricular Pacing

This study aims to test the assumptions that: (1) coronary arterial flow is attenuated in an early activated region by ventricular pacing; (2) asynchronous mechanical activation caused by ventricular pacing under controlled perfusion pressure and intact coronary tone is associated with reduced coronary flow compared to atrial pacing; and (3) abolishment of vascular tone under controlled perfasion pressure diminishes the expected difference in blood flow between atrial and ventricular pacing. Blood flow velocity (BFV) in the left anterior descending (LAD) and the left circumflex arteries (CFX) and a wall thickening index were measured in 14 open-chest dogs under normal conditions, and constant perfasion pressure. Four pacing sites were used: right atrium (RAJ, mid-right ventricle (RVyJ, mid-left ventricle (LVp), and left ventricular apex (Apex. Pacing modes were either sequential ventriculoatrial (VA) (protocol A, n = 7), or sequential atrioventricalar (AV) (protocol B, n = 7), with a shorter AV difference (30 msec) than normal. Residis: BFV was decreased in the LAD during HV and Apex, pacingby 9.7%-12.9% versas LV^p and by 1.6%-14.6% versus LV^p (P < 0.05). No BFV variations were observed in the CFX. Flow velocity conductance (FVC = mean blood flow velocity divided by the mean aortic pressure) was higher by 16%-28% in the CFX for the three ventricular pacing sites versus the airial pacing, and higher by 14.1%± 6.1% only in LV_p versus RA_p pacing in the LAD (P < 0.05). Wall thickening index reduced during ventricular pacing in all three ventricular sites by 50%-64% (P < 0.05) compared to atrial pacing. Under constant perfusion pressure, LAD blood flow decreased with ventricular pacing as compared to right atrial pacing; this was particularly pronounced during the diastolic phase (16.6%?45.5%, P < 0.02). Normalized oscillatory flow amplitude (OFA.J was reduced in RVy, pacing compared to RA_p and LV_p pacing (16.2 ± 3.5 and 21.7%± 4.1%, respectively, P < 0.03). The variations in blood flow and OFAn disappeared with adenosine-mediated maximum vasodilatation. Summary; (1) Mean and phasic flows are reduced in the early activated LAD region by ventricular pacing (RV_p, Apex. (2) Under controlled perfusion pressure and intact vascular tone, ventricular pacing compromises blood flow compared with atrial pacing. (3) This effect disappears when vascular tone is eliminated by intracoronary injection of adenosine, suggesting that the coronary autoregulation is responsible for some of the effects.     

SFAT-AM: Short Family Therapy in Ambulatory Medicine. Treatment Approach in 10-15 Minute Encounters

The question of the possibilities latent within an appointmentlasting on average only 10–15 minutes, under the pressuresof a heavy workload in a public clinic, has occupied the authorsfor three years. S FAT-AM: Short Family Therapy in AmbulatoryMedicine, has been developed with aim of offering solutionsto this question. The theoretical background is taken from familymedicine with a biopsychosocial (b.p.s.) systems approach. Theauthors formulated series of basic doctor-patient encounterswhich last on average 10–15 minutes. The basic encounteris a kind of didactic checklist model which presents to thedoctor possibilities latent within. Emphasis is placed on theart of treatment and the meeting itself as therapeutic. Duringthe meeting, patient's satisfaction, psychosocial informationand the doctor's inner voice help the participants adjust toeach other and move from stage to stage. The approach also relatesto the possibility of joint work together with colleagues orwith members of different teams in the clinic. The doctor makesuse of communication techniques and reaches a b.p.s. diagnosiswhich will be the basis for suggesting a treatment. The presentedmodel was tried by the authors and by trainees as part of aspecialization course in family medicine. The trainees receivedbetween 20 and 70 academic hours of instruction. From the doctors'report it can be seen that SFAT-AM can be used in a primaryclinic. Future research should give more specific answers toquestions about the model's desirability, cost-efficiency, andjob satisfaction. (Doctors will be referred to in the male genderthroughout the article).     

Alcohol consumption among Israeli youth—1989: epidemiology and demographics

Epidemiological and sociodemographic findings on alcohol (wine, beer, hard liquor) consumption among the Israeli youth are presented. Three samples of adolescents, aged 12–18, were studied by means of an anonymous self-report questionnaire: a nationwide representative sample of high school students; a sample of detached youth; and a sample of inmates in institutions for juvenile delinquents. Alcohol consumption was assessed by three indices: frequency of use during the last year, use during the last month and use during the last week. Since alcohol is imbibed ceremonially in the Jewish tradition, only non-ritualistic consumption of alcoholic beverages was considered. Prevalence of drinking during the last year was 58%, during the last month 42% and during the last week 25%. Thus, it appears that Israeli youth are approaching the drinking prevalence of European adolescents. The results clearly indicate that alcohol consumption is concentrated among groups of deviant adolescents. These adolescents consume all types of alcoholic beverages at rates considerably exceeding those found among high school students. As for the effect of sociodemographic variables, the results strongly support previous findings showing that the patterns and contexts of alcohol use among Israeli youth are similar to those found among youth in other cultures.     

The Reliability and Consistency of Self-reports on Substance Use in a Longitudinal Study

The paper presents an evaluation of the stability and consistency of self-reported adolescent drug use. The data were collected from 1900 high-school students. Analyses included estimates of alternate forms reliability, non-response rates, logical consistency in the responses, test-retest reliability as well as estimates of exaggerated reports. The findings indicate a high rate of stability in self-reporting of substance use, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. These results are in agreement with other studies of self-reported drug use and suggest that questionnaire may provide highly reliable data for research.     

GLOMERULOSA FAILURE IN CONGENITAL ADRENOCORTICAL UNRESPONSIVENESS TO ACTH

We report two children of a family with congenital adrenocortical unresponsiveness to ACTH. Repeated stimulation of the adrenal by Synthetic 1-24 ACTH (Synacthen) failed to increase cortisol secretion, but produced significant rises of serum aldosterone. This was, however, associated with increased plasma renin activity. Only when the renin-angiotensin effect was eliminated, by a converting enzyme blocker, did Synacthen fail to affect serum aldosterone. These data support the view that glucocorticoid deficiency in this disorder results from unresponsiveness to ACTH and that development of the zona glomerulosa and normal aldosterone secretion is achieved by action of the renin-angiotensin system.