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FREGONEZE, J. B., C. P. LUZ, C. SARMENTO, V. GONZALEZ, P. OLIVEIRA, P. SANTANA, JR., C. A. MARINHO, L. CASTRO, T. NASCIMENTO, S. DE PAULA, A. K. S. LIMA, I. R. DE OLIVEIRA AND E. DE CASTRO-E-SILVA. Central lead administration induces natriuretic and kaliuretic effects in rats. PHYSIOL BEHAV 65 (2) 321–326, 1998.—The aim of the present experiments was to discern whether central acute lead injections affect brain control of renal function. Adult Wistar male rats received third-ventricle injections of lead acetate in three different doses (0.03, 0.3, and 3.0 nmol/rat). Lead acetate induced a significant increase in renal excretion of sodium and potassium. Pretreatment with losartan, a selective angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonist (10.8 nmol/rat into the third ventricle 10 min before central lead injection), inhibits lead-induced natriuretic and kaliuretic effects. In addition, pretreatment with gadolinium, a calcium-channel blocker (0.3 nmol/rat into the third ventricle 20 min before central lead administration), reversed the increase in renal excretion of sodium and potassium provoked by central lead administration. Taken together, the data presented here suggest that lead injected into the third ventricle increases renal excretion of sodium and potassium by a mechanism that depends on the functional integrity of central angiotensin II AT1 receptors and calcium channels.

The authors present the radiographical study of the aortographies of 100 consecutive patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic ischemia of the lower limbs in whom were appraised the stenosis of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, renal arteries and the presence of the inferior mesenteric artery. The parameters observed were: age, sex, solitary and concomitant stenosis. Seven patients were excluded: six because of arteritis and one because could not be analyzed. Sixty four (68.81%) of the remaining 93 patients had important stenosis (30%) of one or more branches of the abdominal aorta, which had a steep raise in number from the 60 decade on. There was no difference regarding to the sex of the patients. The more frequently found solitary stenosis was that of the celiac trunk (16-16.1%) followed by the renal (13-13.0%) and in the concomitant was that of the celiac trunk/renal artery (8-8.6%) and celiac trunk/superior mesenteric artery (5-5.3%). They conclude that in spite of the great number of stenosis of the branches of the abdominal aorta in this kind of patients, there was a low incidence of the concomitant stenosis of the celiac trank/superior mesenteric artery, being difficult to characterize radiologically the digestive ischemic syndrome. They point out that this highly selected group of patients, because of their basic disease, should be more extensively studied in order to identify the results of those vascular stenosis on their digestive tract and orient its eventual treatment.

The aim of this study was to compare the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of risperidone with haloperidol and placebo. A meta-analysis of seven published randomized double-blind controlled trials was carried out. Study quality was assessed. The proportion of patients failing to reach at least 20% improvement on the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) or brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS), the proportion of patients discontinuing treatment because of adverse effects and the number of patients who needed antiparkinsonian medication were abstracted for use as outcome measures. Treatment failure was present in 50% of risperidone-treated patients compared to 66% in those treated with haloperidol and 83% in those treated with placebo. It would be necessary to treat 11 patients with risperidone to prevent one treatment failure in those patients treated with haloperidol (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.74, 95% CI of 0.58-0.94, P = 0.02). Pooling of the three multicentre trials which included placebo as a treatment arm, showed that one in three patients treated with risperidone 4-16 mg/day (OR = 0.22, 95% CI of 0.13-0.39, P < 0.00001) and one in six treated with haloperidol 10-20 mg/day. (OR = 0.44, 95% CI of 0.22-0.84, P = 0.02) would derive significant benefit. Moreover, there was a highly significant greater need for anticholinergic medication due to extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) in the haloperidol-treated patients compared to risperidone (OR = 0.54, 95% CI of 0.42-0.70, P < 0.00001). In conclusion, risperidone seems to be more effective and causes less EPS than haloperidol, as suggested by the significantly lower requirement for antiparkinsonian medication.

Texto completo: acesso restrito. p.229–236 Submitted by Suelen Reis (suelen_suzane@hotmail.com) on 2013-02-15T14:44:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 de Oliveira.pdf: 577912 bytes, checksum: 3f10d3f2ef4ab5a0d2be19214619dc5e (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Fatima Cleômenis Botelho Maria (botelho@ufba.br) on 2013-02-18T16:19:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 de Oliveira.pdf: 577912 bytes, checksum: 3f10d3f2ef4ab5a0d2be19214619dc5e (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-02-18T16:19:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 de Oliveira.pdf: 577912 bytes, checksum: 3f10d3f2ef4ab5a0d2be19214619dc5e (MD5) Previous issue date: 1996 Haloperidol, the most studied antipsychotic drug, is the only one about which reliable statements on the relationship between blood levels and clinical outcome can be made. A systematic overview was undertaken to determine whether there was an optimum blood concentration range for clinical efficacy. Eighteen published studies which provided individual patient data in tables or graphs were reviewed. Clinical benefits tended to decline when the haloperidol blood concentration was increased above 26 ng/ml. Our data support the existence of a therapeutic window between 4 and 26 ng/ml for haloperidol in the treatment of schizophrenic, schizoaffective and schizophreniform disorders.

Texto completo: acesso restrito. p.687–693 Submitted by Suelen Reis (suelen_suzane@hotmail.com) on 2013-02-15T16:03:14Z No. of bitstreams: 1 castro.pdf: 873879 bytes, checksum: 5d3180e73e820b3ea1d7ccbbb68b1850 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-02-15T16:03:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 castro.pdf: 873879 bytes, checksum: 5d3180e73e820b3ea1d7ccbbb68b1850 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1996 The effect of acute third ventricle cadmium administration on the drinking behavior of adult male rats under different situations was studied. Injections of cadmium chloride (0.07, 0.7, and 7.0 ng/rat) significantly attenuated water intake in dehydrated rats. Drinking behavior induced by acute intracerebroventricular injections of carbachol (2 μg/rat) or angiotensin II (5 ng/rat) was also inhibited by central cadmium injections. Cadmium-induced blockade in water intake in dehydrated animals was reverted by the previous administration of a S-HT2 antagonist (RP62203) in different doses (5 and 10 μg/rat). The data clearly reveal that cadmium elicits very fast actions on the central nervous system. It is suggested that cadmium-induced attenuation of water intake may rely on at least three different mechanisms: impairment of cholinergic and angiotensinergic systems in the brain and stimulation of a central serotonergic drive acting on 5-HT2 receptors. The study of cadmium neurotoxicity by observation of drinking behavior, a behavioral parameter easy to be recorded and measured, is proposed.

AIDS can affect many parenchymal organs but the renal involvement is of vital value for patient's prognosis. Sonography can easily analyse most of all renal insult even in those patients without symptoms.

Zinc is found in many brain regions where it participates in important processes such as neurotransmission and neuromodulation. We previously demonstrated that acute third ventricle injection of zinc inhibits water intake in dehydrated rats. The present study was undertaken to explore a possible link between zinc-induced inhibition of water intake in dehydrated rats and serotonergic systems in the brain. Adult, male Wistar rats had the third ventricle cannulated a week before the experiments. After an overnight period of water deprivation, the animals (N = 12 per group) received acute intracerebroventricular injections (2 microliters) of Zn(Ac)2 (6.7, 67.1 and 671.6 ng/rat). Control animals (N = 12) received NaAc (671.6 ng/rat). Zinc-treated animals displayed a significant, dose-dependent reduction in water intake. Water intake after 120 min was 7.70 +/- 0.50 ml in control (NaAc-treated) dehydrated rats while animals treated with the highest dose of Zn(Ac)2 drank 2.63 +/- 0.73 ml. Third ventricle injections of SDZ 216-525, a selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, 45 min before zinc administration, generated a dose-dependent reversal of zinc-induced thirst blockade in water-deprived rats. At the highest dose used (10 micrograms/rat), the water intake of the animals after 120 min was 7.30 +/- 0.23 ml, a value equal to that of control animals. These data suggest that zinc may decrease water intake in dehydrated rats by activation of a 5-HT1A receptor-related mechanism.

SummaryWe studied the relationship of blood and brain levels of imipramine (IMI) and/or its active metabolite desipramine (DMI) to behavioural response, in the tail suspension test (TST). Compared to the control group, doses of 3.75, 7.5, 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg of IMI given intraperitoneally reduced immobility scores significantly. There were significant negative correlations between doses, brain levels of IMI, DMI, IMI + DMI, blood levels of IMI, DMI, IMI + DMI and the animal behaviour. Higher level of IMI and its metabolite in brain and in blood did not impair anti-immobility effect. These findings agree with most results found in men treated with IMI, and suggest a linear or sigmoid relationship between the antidepressant concentrations and its biological response.

SummaryPart II of this paper contains some general considerations on tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) monitoring. Long-term assessment of TCA plasma levels is advised by the few existent studies, although each of these focusses on different aspects. Cardiovascular and central nervous system toxicity is reviewed as well as pharmacokinetics and the importance of protein binding. Some consideration is also given to their use in elderly patients. The authors conclude that although available data support its usefulness in many situations, routine measurement of TCA levels is not warranted.

Clays of different composition have been used in the development of polymer nanocomposites. The utilization of bentonite clays of the State of Paraíba, Brazil, has been emphasized mainly due to their availability. However, these bentonite deposits are becoming exhausted after several years of exploitation. Thus, the aim of this work was to characterize bentonite clays recently discovered in the municipality of Cubati, Paraíba. The samples underwent a particle size classification step and were characterized by granulometric analysis by laser diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and cation exchange capacity. The results of particle size distribution showed that the clay samples have similar physical characteristics to bentonite clays of Boa Vista, Paraíba. Results of X-ray diffraction indicated that the mineralogical composition of the samples consisted of montmorillonite, kaolinite and quartz. The characterization of the samples by FTIR confirmed these results. Results of chemical analysis showed that the samples are polycationic bentonite clays and have predominantly different exchangeable cations similar to those seen in South American bentonites.