Ethanol regulated preference in rats

A series of experiments evaluated the determinants of preference for mixtures of ethanol plus sucrose relative to sucrose in rats. One dipper served 10% ethanol mixed with 10% sucrose, and the second dipper served 10% sucrose. Lever presses operated each dipper according to a variable-interval 5-s schedule. In three experiments the subjects were given pre-session meals of sucrose (2.5–20 ml) or sucrose (20 ml) plus chow (5 or 10 g). Pre-session meals decreased responding maintained by sucrose but not responding maintained by ethanol mixture. In two experiments body weight was varied from 85% to 125% of the initial free-feeding values. Increases in body weight, like pre-session meals, decreased responding reinforced by sucrose, but typically did not decrease responding reinforced by ethanol mixture. Throughout most of the study, ethanol consumption remained at about 1.25 ml per half hour session (3–4 g/kg per 30 min). For example, pre-session access to ethanol mixture decreased within-session ethanol consumption, but total consumption, counting both sources, remained about 1.25 ml/session. The within-session patterns of responding also differed. Responding reinforced by ethanol mix decreased as a function of ethanol consumption, whereas responding reinforced by sucrose was relatively constant throughout the session. The simplest explanation of the results is that ethanol's pharmacological consequences regulated preference.     

阿米福汀对同步放化疗杀伤肺癌细胞作用的影响

目的　探讨阿米福汀在多烯紫杉醇和同步放射治疗非小细胞肺癌过程中对肺癌组织细胞是否有保护作用。方法　使用MTT方法评价在多烯紫杉醇和同步照射 (10Gy)体外培养的SPC A1肺癌细胞过程中 ,阿米福汀对SPC A1肺癌细胞的影响 ;以Lewis肺癌荷瘤鼠模型评价在多烯紫杉醇同步放射 (10Gy)在体Lewis肺癌过程中 ,阿米福汀对Lewis肺癌的影响。结果　体外实验表明同步放化疗加阿米福汀组和同步放化疗组的吸光度分别相当于对照组的 2 2 .8%和 2 4 .4 % ,两组之间比较 ,经过t检验P >0 .0 5。体内实验表明 ,同步放化疗加阿米福汀组和同步放化疗组在实验观察的 2 0d内 ,相同时间点两组动物的肿瘤体积差异无统计学意义。结论　在多烯紫杉醇和放疗同步治疗肺癌过程中 ,阿米福汀无论是对离体还是在体的肿瘤细胞没有保护作用 ,多烯紫杉醇和同步放射治疗肺癌的疗效不会因为使用阿米福汀而减弱     

The ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram: An evaluation of scoring methods and interrater reliability

The interrater reliability and concurrent validity of two methods of scoring the ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram were evaluated. Impedance cardiographic and electrocardiographic signals were recorded from 40 undergraduate men and women during a baseline rest period and a vocal mental arithmetic task period. Recordings were scored by four raters using a conventional method, involving ensemble averaging after careful editing of beat-to-beat waveforms, and a streamlined method, involving ensemble averaging without beat-to-beat editing. Intraclass correlations for interrater reliability exceeded .92, whereas intraclass correlations for concurrent validity exceeded .97, indicating excellent agreement between raters and scoring methods for all cardiac measures. The streamlined method was significantly faster than the conventional method. The results indicate that variations in beat-to-beat editing do not constitute a serious source of error in the ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram and support the interrater reliability and concurrent validity of the two scoring methods.     

A retrospective study of the therapeutic efficacy of doxycycline on concurrent canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis in a veterinary hospital population

Doxycycline has a well known broad spectrum activity against bacteria and rickettsia, as well as Ehrlichia spp. However, the use of doxycycline for the treatment of concurrent ehrlichiosis and babesiosis has rarely been evaluated, especially in veterinary hospital populations. A retrospective study of 70 canine ehrlichiosis and 12 canine babesiosis concurrent infections from Out Patient Department patients at Chulalongkorn Small Animal Teaching Hospital, admitted during 2001–2003, were studied. The results showed a complete curative effect of doxycycline on both canine ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis concurrent infections. The red blood cell indices after treatment were significantly higher in canine ehrlichiosis (P < 0.05). The platelet cell counts after treatment were significantly higher in concurrent canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis infections (P < 0.05). Doxycycline can be recommended as the drug of choice for both canine ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis and concurrent infections of both conditions in veterinary hospitals.     

Concurrent infections ofTrichinella spiralis andToxoplasma gondii in mice

Concurrent infections with two parasites: a nematode,Trichinella spiralis, and a protozoon,Toxoplasma gondii, were investigated. Antibody production (total immunoglobulin and IgM) was similar in double and single infections. However, the number ofToxoplasma cysts in the brains of mice infected withTrichinella and challenged 1–6 weeks later withToxoplasma was higher than in mice infected withToxoplasma alone, while mice infected withToxoplasma and challenged 4–14 days later withTrichinella had lower worm burdens in the intestine than animals infected withTrichinella alone. Greater loss in body weight was observed in mice infected with both parasites than in those infected with either parasite alone.     

Concurrent progressive-ratio schedules to compare reinforcing effectiveness of different phencyclidine (PCP) concentrations in rhesus monkeys

  Rationale: Progressive ratio (PR) schedules have become well accepted for testing the reinforcing effectiveness of drugs. This study extends the methods to concurrent PR schedules with different concentrations of orally delivered phencyclidine (PCP). Objective: The sensitivity of the procedure is tested by presenting different PCP concentrations with independently-operating PR schedules. Method: PCP self-administration was investigated in seven rhesus monkeys. Six different PCP concentrations (0.03–1.0 mg/ml) and water were randomly paired (21 pairings). Liquid delivery (24 ml) was contingent upon lip-contact responses on solenoid-operated drinking spouts; whereby, the response requirement or fixed-ratio (FR) increased (from 8 to 16, 32, 64, 128... to 4096) after each successful completion of a previous FR and subsequent liquid delivery. Monkeys self administered PCP during daily 3-h sessions, and each pair of concentrations was held constant until behavior had stabilized for at least 4 days. Results: The higher of the two PCP concentrations always maintained greater responding, PR break point (BP), or the last ratio completed, and liquid deliveries than did the lower concentration. However, the monkeys did not exclusively respond on the drinking spout that yielded the higher drug concentration. When examined across all drug pairings, the percentage of total available deliveries of the higher concentration was significantly greater than those of the lower concentration. The monkeys maximized the amount (mg) consumed for the response output. Responding, BPs and liquid deliveries maintained by 0.12 and 0.25 mg/ml PCP were significantly greater than other PCP concentrations; however, drug intake (mg) increased directly with PCP concentration. Conclusion: These results indicate that concurrent PR schedules using oral drug self-administration and a concurrent choice paradigm reliably provide an estimation of relative reinforcing strength, and behavior maintained by these schedules is sensitive to small changes in PCP concentration. Received: 18 September 1998 / Final version: 28 December 1998     

食管癌放化疗前后可溶性肿瘤坏死因子受体变化

[目的]探讨食管癌患者放化疗前后血清可溶性肿瘤坏死因子受体水平的变化及其与疗效的关系。[方法]采用双单抗夹心酶联免疫吸附法,检测60例食管癌患者放化疗前和结束时血清sTNFR鄄Ⅰ和sTNFR鄄Ⅱ的水平变化,并观察其与肿瘤消退的关系。[结果]食管癌患者sTNFR鄄Ⅰ水平明显高于健康人(P<0.001),且放化疗后水平较治疗前明显下降;sTNFR鄄Ⅱ显著低于健康人(P<0.001),放化疗后有显著升高。[结论]同时检测血清sTNFR鄄Ⅰ和sTNFR鄄Ⅱ有助于判断肿瘤消退情况和评价疗效。     

The prediction of late rectal complications in patients treated with high dose-rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix

: The aim of this work is to invetigate an unusually high rate of late rectal complications in a group of 43 patients treated with concomitant irradiation and chemotherapy for carcinoma of the cervix between December 1988 and April 1991, with a view to identifying predictive factors.

: The biologically effective dose received by each patient to the rectal reference point defined by the International Commission of Radiation Units and Measurements, Report 38, were calculated. Radiotherapy consisted of 46 Gy external beam irradiation plus three dose-rate intracavitary treatments of 10 Gy each prescribed to point A. Cisplatin 30 mg/m² was given weekly throughout the duration of the irradiation. The results have been compared to data from 119 patients treated with irradiation alone to assess the cofounding effect of the cisplatin.

: The relationship between the biologically effective dose delivered to the rectal reference point and the development of late complications shows a strong dose-response with a threshold for complications occurring at aproximately the same biologically effective dose threshold as that found for external beam irradiation in the head and neck region. The date from the group of patients treated wihout cisplatin is comparable to the date from the first group of patients in the lower dose ranges; the higher doses were not used and thus are not available for comparison.

: Using the linear quadratic model applied to our clinical results, we have established a threshold for late rectal complications for patients treated with external beam irradiation and high dose-rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix. This threshold is consistent with similar data for external irradiation in the head and neck region.     

食管癌同步放化疗52例

[目的]评价食管瘤同步放化疗的疗效。[方法]回顾性分析1983年1月至1992年12月353例无锁骨上转移的食管癌。按治疗方法分三级：Ⅰ组：单纯放疗301例，放疗剂量48Gy－75Gy；Ⅱ组：放疗加平阳霉素26例，放疗剂量50Gy－76Gy，平阳霉素10mg肌注，每周1－2次，共6－7周；Ⅲ组：放疗加顺钻26例，放疗剂量54Gy－70Gy，顺钢20mg－30mg，静脉滴注，每周1－2次，共6－7周。所有病例均随访5年以上。[结果]1年生存车Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组分别为48．2％、61．5％和53．8％，三组间无统计学差异。3年生存率各组分别为21．6％、26．9％和42．3％，其中Ⅲ组与Ⅰ、Ⅱ组有显著性差异（P＜0．05）。5年生存率各组分别为11．3％、154％和26．9％，Ⅲ组与Ⅰ、Ⅱ组间有显著性差异（P＜0。05）。[结论]同步放化疗可提高食管癌的疗效，尤以放疗加顺铂为佳。