Haloperidol-induced extrapyramidal reaction: lack of protective effect by vitamin E

Haloperidol treatment has been shown to produce oxidative stress in patients with acute psychosis. Oxidative stress has also been implicated in the extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) produced by haloperidol. Supporting the oxidative stress hypothesis, vitamin E (antioxidant) has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in idiopathic parkinsonism. The prophylactic efficacy of vitamin E (antioxidant) on haloperidol-induced EPS was examined in a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of 24 acute psychotic patients hospitalized for a 2-week trial. All patients received oral haloperidol 10 mg/day. The sample was equally randomized to receive either haloperidol alone or haloperidol + vitamin E (3200 IU/day). EPS was rated at recruitment, both live and with video records, and on days 3, 7, 10 and 14. Psychopathology was rated at recruitment and weekly thereafter. Vitamin E had no prophylactic effect on drug-induced EPS, though it did not interfere with the therapeutic efficacy of haloperidol.     

Peptides from bovine brain: structure and biological role

In 1995 at a sea-farm in Ireland, Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts were introduced in the spring and autumn into 2 marine rearing sites, one with and one without recent histories of neurologic disease and mass mortality believed to be due to parasitic encephalitis. In order to monitor disease, determine the onset and anatomic distribution of parasites and encephalitis, and determine the ultrastructure and identity of the parasite, randomly selected smolts were necropsied from both sites at intervals of 1 to 3 d for periods of 1 to 2 mo, and clinical signs and cumulative mortalities were monitored. The prevalences of parasites and encephalitis were assessed by light microscopy, and sections of brain were examined by transmission electron microscopy. No clinical signs of neurologic disease were observed, but parasites and encephalitis were detected in smolts from both sites, with prevalences of each that were significantly greater in smolts from the site with recent disease. Based on light microscopy, the parasite was first detected in smolts sampled at 26 d post-introduction. Parasites were detected with significantly greater frequency in the optic tectum of the mesencephalon than in the diencephalon, metencephalon, and myelencephalon, and were not detected in the telencephalon. Foci of non-suppurative encephalitis were detected with significantly greater frequency in the myelencephalon than in each of the other 4 anatomic subdivisions. In each anatomic subdivision the prevalence of encephalitis was significantly greater than that of parasitic infection. The ultrastructure of the parasite was consistent with that of a histozoic presporogonic multicellular developmental stage of a myxosporean, characterized by intercellular branching tubular structures containing generative cells arranged individually or in cell-in-cell doublets. Parasitic stages were located between bundles of axons, with compression of axons along segments of their plasmalemma. No mature spores were detected.     

The mechanism of action of methotrexate

Because of methotrexate's well-documented efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, it is important that we understand the mechanism of action of this drug. There are two biochemical mechanisms by which methotrexate may modulate inflammation: (1) promotion of adenosine release and (2) inhibition of transmethylation reactions. Evidence is reviewed that favors the notion that the endogenous anti-inflammatory autocoid adenosine mediates the anti-inflammatory effects of methotrexate. This insight should aid in the design of new agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.     

Use of polyethylene glycol for the microinjection of exogenous protein into cultured murine cells

Polyethylene glycol was applied to microinject two exogenous proteins: bovine serum albumin and non-histone protein derived from mouse spleen chromatin, into the mouse L-cells. The effectiveness of fusion of mammal (human, in the given case) erythrocytes in which hemoglobin is substituted for the protein under study was shown to be higher than when Sendai virus was used. The microinjected proteins preserve their specificity to subcellular structures.