Physician awareness of prescription drug costs: a missing element of drug advertising and promotion

The effects of high-dose ketamine on the c-fos protein (c-Fos) expression were investigated in rat by an immunohistochemical technique. The administration of 100 mg/kg ketamine i.p. induced seizure-like activity (limbic seizure). No c-Fos immunoreactivity was observed in hippocampus, piriform cortex and amygdala, while it was observed in neocortex and thalamus. These findings disagree with the reports that ketamine depresses the neuronal function of the neocortex and thalamus, while it stimulates the limbic system.     

Atrial natriuretic peptide and bradykinin interaction on norepinephrine uptake in rat adrenal medulla

Interactions between atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and bradykinin (BDK) on norepinephrine (NE) uptake were demonstrated in the adrenal medulla of the rat. One hundred nM ANP and 10 nM BDK increased total NE uptake. Subthreshold concentration of ANP (1nM) or BDK (1nM) reverted the effects of thre shold concentrations of both peptides (10 nM BDK and 100 nM ANP respectively). Effective concentrations of ANP and BDK acting simultaneously did not induce additive effects on total NE uptake. Threshold concentrations of both peptides increased neuronal NE uptake only. These results suggest interactions between ANP and BDK at the neuronal uptake level. They confirm that ANP and BDK take part in the regulation of the sympathetic activity in the adrenal medulla of the rat.     

Interleukin-12 inhibits hepatitis B virus replication in transgenic mice

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine produced by antigen-presenting cells that has the ability to induce gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) secretion by T and natural killer cells and to generate normal Th1 responses. These properties suggest that IL-12 may play an important role in the immune response to many viruses, including hepatitis B virus (HBV). Recently, we have shown that HBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes inhibit HBV replication in the livers of transgenic mice by a noncytolytic process that is mediated in part by IFN-gamma. In the current study, we demonstrated that the same antiviral response can be initiated by recombinant murine IL-12 and we showed that the antiviral effect of IL-12 extends to extrahepatic sites such as the kidney. Southern blot analyses revealed the complete disappearance of HBV replicative intermediates from liver and kidney tissues at IL-12 doses that induce little or no inflammation in these tissues. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the disappearance of cytoplasmic hepatitis B core antigen from both tissues after IL-12 treatment, suggesting that IL-12 either prevents the assembly or triggers the degradation of the nucleocapsid particles within which HBV replication occurs. Importantly, we demonstrated that although IFN-gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and IFN-alpha/beta mRNA are induced in the liver and kidney after IL-12 administration, the antiviral effect of IL-12 is mediated principally by its ability to induce IFN-gamma production in this model. These results suggest that IL-12, through its ability to induce IFN-gamma, probably plays an important role in the antiviral immune response to HBV during natural infection. Further, since relatively nontoxic doses of recombinant IL-12 profoundly inhibit HBV replication in the liver and extrahepatic sites in this model, IL-12 may have therapeutic value as an antiviral agent for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.     

Urine extravasation secondary to upper urinary tract obstruction

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of renal salvage in a neonate with presumed spontaneous perirenal leakage of urine associated with ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Many instances of such extravasation in this age group have been described with lower urinary tract obstructions. As in the latter cases, the occurrence of extravasation secondary to upper tract obstruction need not preclude primary reconstruction.     

A prospective evaluation of open prefrontal leucotomy

Forty-three patients received an open prefrontal leucotomy for severe and intractable psychiatric illnesses. As a result of the operation three patients died, three developed personality changes and one had repeated grand-mal seizures. Of the 40 patients followed up for six months, 57-5% showed marked improvement in their clinical state and 30-0% mild to moderate degrees of improvement whilst no patient's condition was considered to be worse. Significant improvement was obtained after operation in the mean scores on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the Hamilton Depression Scale, the Beck Depression Scale and the Neuroticism Scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Extroversion, as measured by the Eysenck Personality Inventory, was significantly increased after operation. It is recommended that open prefrontal leucotomy procedures be replaced by the safer stereotactic or electrode implantation techniques and that all psychosurgery be confined to specialist units.     

Effects of information processing load in abstinent and nonabstinent smokers' psychomotor task performance.

Recent evidence has indicated that nicotine, the active agent in tobacco, may affect mental abilities of smokers. To better understand the effects of nicotine on central processing, we used a basic chronometric approach to studying information processing. This chronometric approach allowed for the independent examination of nicotine's effects on two theoretically nonoverlapping information-processing stages, stimulus identification and response programming. Two stimulus intensity and four distance traversed conditions were used to affect the stimulus identification and response programming stages, respectively. The 11 subjects completed two experimental sessions (nicotinized and denicotinized), which were conducted 1 week apart. Each experimental session comprised two tests. The first test consisted of abstinent baseline measures, and the second test was administered after subjects smoked an investigator-supplied nicotinized or denicotinized cigarette. Data analysis revealed that the higher intensity stimulus elicited faster reaction times, as did the shorter movement distances, thus confirming successful manipulation of both the stimulus identification and response programming stages of the information-processing model. Furthermore, the significant improvement in reaction-time performance over baseline abstinent levels was consistent despite the manipulations made within the stimulus identification stage of processing, demonstrating that no interaction existed between stimulus intensity and the administration of nicotine. Interestingly, these data provide initial evidence that although nicotine may not affect the programming of very simple movements, it has a more pronounced effect on more complex movements. Although distance traversed had a reliable effect on movement time, nicotine had no observable effect.