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We have examined the distribution of androgen receptor (AR) immunoreactivity in L6 and S1 dorsal root ganglia of male rats in order to determine whether the sensory component of reflex circuits is likely to be androgen-sensitive. Nuclear AR immunoreactivity was present in almost half of the neurons, but was decreased markedly by castration; after castration nuclear staining was absent and a few neurons showed dim cytoplasmic staining. Of the neurons possessing AR, half also contained calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP); in turn, > 80% of CGRP neurons contained AR. AR staining was present in both large and small CGRP neurons. This study shows that testosterone is likely to influence many sensory neurons and may therefore play an important role in modulating visceral and somatic reflexes.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of illicit drug abuse and alcohol use in an obstetric population based in an urban maternity hospital., Setting: A collaborative study between the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin and the Irish National Drug Advisory & Treatment Centre., Design: A prospective study consisting of anonymous, unlinked urine testing of 504 'first visit' antenatal patients and a separate group of 515 patients six weeks after delivery., Methods & Outcome Measures: Toxicological screening using enzyme-linked immunoassay techniques, with all positive samples being reanalysed. Drug histories were taken and samples were tested for alcohol and six of the most commonly abused drugs. The pre- and postnatal prevalence of abuse was matched with demographic data., Results: The prevalence of chemical substance misuse in the antenatal population was 2.8% and 5.6% in the postnatal population. Substances identified included benzodiazepines, cannabis, amphetamines, opiates and cocaine. Less than 2% of samples tested positive for alcohol. None of the women yielding positive samples had been pre-identified on the basis of history. A significant proportion of the women were in the high risk categories with regard to age and socio-economic status., Conclusion: The prevalence of drug misuse antenatally was nearly 3% and postnatally almost 6%. Substance abusers in pregnancy are more likely to be single, unemployed, and to have had a previous pregnancy.

We performed a randomised controlled trial to compare the effect on neonatal and maternal serum sodium of using oxytocin in Hartmanns solution compared to the standard 5% Dextrose regimen for induction or augmentation in labour. We found significantly decreased maternal and neonatal serum sodium concentrations in the 5% Dextrose group compared to the Hartmanns group.

Stearic and iodostearic acid inhibit growth of a cervical carcinoma cell line in vitro. This study was performed to determine if iodostearic acid would induce regression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Women with histologically-proven CIN II or III were randomised into two groups. Those in the first group were given pessaries composed of iodostearic acid in polyethylene glycol (PEG) base. Women in the second group were given pessaries containing only the PEG base. One pessary was inserted into the vagina nightly for 30 nights, and each woman then had the CIN lesion removed by CO2 laser cone excision. There was no difference in the histology of the cone biopsies between the groups, demonstrating that this regime of iodostearic acid has no useful role in the treatment of CIN II-III.

Many attempts have been made to identify infants at risk of suffering asphyxial brain damage. In a retrospective review of records at the Rotunda Hospital over a five year period all infants who died or suffered seizures, presumed secondary to asphyxia, were compared with the general hospital population. Out of 28,655 deliveries reviewed, there were 13 deaths in infants at or after term associated with perinatal asphyxia, and 32 surviving infants had asphyxial seizures. Seizures were regarded as asphyxial in origin if they occurred in the first forty eight hours of life and were associated with other clinical evidence of asphyxia. The incidence of abnormal presentations, assisted breech deliveries, instrumental deliveries and emergency caesarean sections was all increased in the asphyxial categories compared to the control population. Referral to the fetal assessment unit was associated with a seizure rate of 0.16/1000 live births compared with a rate of 1.4/1000 in the remaining non referred hospital population. Nineteen percent of the infants who seized subsequently developed cerebral palsy. It would appear from our data that referral to the fetal assessment unit and the consequent assignment to "high risk" status is associated with low risk in terms of asphyxial outcome.

Electrophysiological studies have shown that the olfactory organ (antennule) of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, has chemoreceptors that are selectively excited by adenine nucleotides in seawater. Biochemical studies have revealed that these same nucleotides can be rapidly dephosphorylated by ectoenzymes associated with the olfactory sensilla (aesthetascs). In this study the distribution of ecto-ATPase/phosphatase activity within aesthetascs was determined cytochemically and the nature of the adenine-nucleotide dephosphorylating activity was dissected biochemically. Cytochemically, the distribution of ATP-dephosphorylating activity was similar to that shown previously for AMP and beta-glycerol phosphate; i.e., cerium phosphate reaction product was specifically localized to the transitional zone where the sensory dendrites develop cilia and branch to form the outer dendritic segments. Unlike the dephosphorylation of AMP and beta-glycerol phosphate, Mg2+ or Ca2+ was required for ecto-ATPase/phosphatase activity. Biochemical measures of both AMP- and ATP-dephosphorylating activity within aesthetascs corroborated the cytochemical evidence that these activities are localized to the transitional zone. A major portion of the AMP dephosphorylation (about 67%) derives from nonspecific alkaline phosphatase activity that is insensitive to levamisole and L-bromotetramisole. In contrast, nonspecific phosphatase activity accounted for a much smaller part of the ATP dephosphorylation (about 15%). Ectoenzymatic activity in the transitional zone may be an important means of removing excitatory/inhibitory nucleotides from this region.

For more than 10 years, the Alfred I. duPont Institute's Spinal Dysfunction Clinic in Wilmington, DE, has helped families and their children with myelomeningocele and neurogenic bowels to establish workable, acceptable, physiologically sound bowel programs. The basic bowel management program at the Alfred I. duPont Institute is described here, as is a program by which a child with a neurogenic bowel can obtain continence. The program is based on the child's developmental level, physiological abilities, and any necessary pharmacologic intervention. The program has enabled approximately 75% of its child patients over age 5 with neurogenic bowel to be continent of stool.

A pethidine infusion administered subcutaneously using a syringe pump was evaluated in 118 women following cesarean section. One hundred three women (87%) were satisfied with their postoperative analgesia. The mean length of infusion was 18.8 h, and the mean total dose of pethidine was 402 mg. Twenty-seven patients (23%) reported no severe pain postoperatively, the remainder had on average 2.6 h of pain which they described as severe. Of 38 women who had had a previous cesarean section, 19 (50%) considered the pump to be an improvement on the analgesia given the previous time. There were no cases of respiratory depression. This mode of analgesia has advantages over conventional intramuscular bolus injections. It was judged acceptable to both patients and ward staff.

The olfactory system of the Florida spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, has olfactory receptors that are excited by the purine nucleotides AMP, ADP, and ATP. These receptors reside on chemosensory neurons that are contained within aesthetasc sensilla on the lateral filaments of the antennules. Also associated with the lobster's olfactory system are ectonucleotidase activities that dephosphorylate excitatory nucleotides, resulting in the production of the nonstimulatory nucleoside adenosine. Our studies of the 5'-ectonucleotidase, ecto-ADPase, and ecto-ATPase activities of this olfactory system showed that each activity was characterized by Michaelis-Menten kinetics; Michaelis constants ranged from 6.9 to 33.5 microM, and maximum velocities ranged from 2.5 to 28.8 fmol/sensillum/s. Evidence that AMP dephosphorylation may serve as an inactivation process was shown by the close correlation between the kinetics of 5'-ectonucleotidase activity and the periodicity of olfactory sampling. Decreased magnesium ion concentration or increased calcium ion concentration resulted in increased ecto-ATPase activity; this activity was insensitive to vanadate ion. Ectonucleotidase activities may have multiple effects on the detection of exogenous nucleotides by a chemosensory system. These effects can be either direct, such as the conversion of an odorant to an inactive compound, or indirect, such as the conversion of an odorant to another compound that can activate or inhibit either receptors or enzymes associated with the system.

In a review of vertebrate olfaction, Getchell et al. coined the term 'perireceptor events' to denote processes, ancillary to both receptor activation and transduction, that influence the entry, exit or residence time of odorant molecules in the receptor environment. The present review describes recent advances in our understanding of perireceptor events and shows that these processes are integral components of chemical sensing systems of organisms as diverse as bacteria, slime molds, yeast, insects, crustaceans and mammals. Moreover, it emphasizes that perireceptor processes are essential components of chemical sensing systems, rather than simply interesting adjuncts to the 'main events' of receptor activation and transduction.

In vitro platelet function was inhibited in healthy volunteers by two different doses of aspirin, as confirmed by measurement of maximum serum production of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) by platelets. 75 mg aspirin did not fully inhibit serum TXB2 production after 24 hours, whereas 300 mg aspirin did. Inhibition of platelet function in vitro was maintained by both 75 mg/day aspirin or 300 mg/alternate day aspirin. In contrast, in vivo production of TXB2, measured as urinary levels of the 11-keto-TXB2 metabolite, was inhibited similarly by both doses of aspirin throughout the study. These findings suggest that 75 mg/day aspirin may be sufficient adequately to inhibit platelet aggregation in vivo.

Stearic acid and iodo-stearic and inhibited cell growth in a cervical cancer cell line (HOG-1) in a dose-related manner, with a half maximal effect at 50 microM stearic acid. Addition of oleic acid abrogated the effect of stearic acid. EGF-stimulated DNA synthesis and growth of HOG-1 cells was inhibited in the presence of stearic acid without any apparent effect on EGF receptor number or affinity.

Benign cystic teratomas of the ovary (dermoid cysts) are common in women in the 20- to 40-year-old age group; 10% of these teratomas are bilateral. There have been reports of hormone production by dermoid cysts, particularly thyroid-stimulating hormone. We report the first case to our knowledge, of ectopic human chorionic gonadotropin production by a dermoid cyst.

A case of an acoustic neurinoma presenting as a subarachnoid hemorrhage is described. This is the second such case in the literature.

Cervicofacial actinomycosis is a disease that is currently encountered as a pseudotumor entity or cold abscess. The frequent use of antibiotics in treatment of masses in the cervicofacial region may either delay its appearance or disguise the diagnosis. The surgeon must be highly suspicious when making the diagnosis since precautions in handling the biopsy specimens are necessary. Treatment consists of incision biopsy and drainage or aspiration to establish the diagnosis, followed by prolonged penicillin therapy. In those patients allergic to penicillin, clindamycin should be the initial drug of choice. Either medication must be administered for a prolonged period of time, even after the disease is clinically controlled.

The olfactory organ of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, is composed of chemosensory sensilla containing the dendrites of primary chemosensory neurons. Receptors on these dendrites are activated by the nucleotides AMP, ADP, and ATP but not by the nucleoside adenosine. It is shown here that the lobster chemosensory sensilla contain enzymes that dephosphorylate excitatory nucleotides and an uptake system that internalizes the nonexcitatory dephosphorylated product adenosine. The uptake of [3H]-adenosine is saturable with increasing concentration, linear with time for up to 3 h, sodium dependent, insensitive to moderate pH changes and has a Km of 7.1 microM and a Vmax of 5.2 fmol/sensillum/min (573 fmol/micrograms of protein/min). Double-label experiments show that sensilla dephosphorylate nucleotides extracellularly; 3H from adenine-labeled AMP or ATP is internalized, whereas 32P from phosphate-labeled nucleotides is not. The dephosphorylation of AMP is very rapid; 3H from AMP is internalized at the same rate as 3H from adenosine. Sensillar 5'-ectonucleotidase activity is inhibited by ADP and the ADP analog alpha, beta-methylene ADP. Collectively, these results indicate that the enzymes and the uptake system whereby chemosensory sensilla of the lobster inactivate excitatory nucleotides and clear adenosine from extracellular spaces are very similar to those present in the internal tissues of vertebrates, where nucleotides have many neuroactive effects.

As measured by extracellular single-cell recording, the responses to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by ATP-sensitive chemoreceptors (ATP cells) on the olfactory organ of the spiny lobster are markedly suppressed by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and to a lesser extent, adenosine, when each is presented in binary mixture with ATP. In the presence of ADP, the dose-response function for ATP exhibits an apparent parallel displacement to the right suggesting that this antagonism may occur via competition at the ATP receptor. Structure-activity relationships reveal that the structural requirements for antagonism by diphosphate analogs of ADP bear little relationship to the requirements for the agonistic activity of corresponding triphosphate analogs. Under Mg2+-free conditions, the desensitization of ATP cells tends to be delayed resulting in enhanced responses to ATP. Desensitization does not appear to be related to the generation of the antagonist, ADP, from ATP via ecto-ATPase activity. The results of this study suggest that the responses of ATP cells to the ATP contained in natural stimulus (odor) mixtures can be tempered by the suppressive interactions of other nucleotides in the mixtures. Furthermore, these interactions may be mitigated and/or intensified by the actions of sensillar ectonucleotidases.

Single unit recordings from chemoreceptors on the antennule of the spiny lobster revealed a population of taurine-sensitive cells whose response is suppressed when taurine is presented in mixture with certain amino acids. A synthetic mixture of 21 amino acids plus betaine, which mimics the composition of a natural food stimulus (crab muscle tissue) and itself contains taurine, totally and reversibly blocked the taurine response of this group of receptor cells. An analysis of the contribution to this suppression by the six major components (based on concentration) in the mixture revealed partial or complete inhibitory activity by five of the compounds. In a sample group of the inhibited cells, mean percent suppression of the taurine response was 99% for glycine and L-arginine, 98% for L-glutamine, 60% for L-alanine and 43% for L-proline. Both glycine and alanine in binary mixture with taurine caused a right-shift in the concentration-response function for taurine, suggesting a competitive mechanism of suppression. pA2 values determined from these data yielded 4.17 for glycine and 3.55 for alanine. These results suggest that the processing of chemical information in quality and/or intensity coding of natural stimulus mixtures can be tempered by interactions of the components at the receptor-cell level, and possibly at the receptor-sites themselves.

Because central noradrenaline neuronal activity is tonically inhibited by noradrenaline (NA) itself via an action at prejunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors, it was hypothesised that the blockade of central NA synthesis following acute dopamine-beta -hydroxylase (DBH) inhibition might primarily deplete prejunctional NA levels and result in an increase in central NA neuronal activity through reduced NA autoinhibition. This hypothesis was tested in the rat following the acute administration of the DBH inhibitors diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) and cysteamine (CSH). Computerised gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to precisely measure the hypothalamic levels of NA and dopamine (DA) together with those of their primary neuronal metabolites dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), respectively. Both DDC (at 4 h) and CSH (at 30 min.) caused approximately a 50% reduction of hypothalamic NA concentrations. However this was associated with marked and highly significant increases in hypothalamic DHPG levels (by 50-100%) and in the hypothalamic ratio DHPG/NA. Also, when measured after CSH, the hypothalamic levels of the DHPG metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol were highly significantly increased. Consistent with increased DA neuronal activity, both DBH inhibitors raised DA and DOPAC levels and also the ratio DOPAC/DA in the hypothalami of treated rats and markedly suppressed serum prolactin levels (all p less than 0.01). The rise in hypothalamic concentrations of DHPG indicates that an increase in hypothalamic NA neuronal activity occurs following DBH inhibition. Significant elevations of blood glucose, corticosterone and ACTH were also observed after DBH inhibition. As we have previously demonstrated that increased central NA activity is associated with elevations of blood glucose, corticosterone and ACTH, these data provide further evidence for a functional increase in central NA activity caused by acute DBH inhibition. It is proposed that the increase in hypothalamic NA activity after DBH inhibition results from a primary depletion of the prejunctional alpha 2-active autoregulatory pool of NA.

Major negative side-effects reported for mood-stabilizing and antidepressant drugs in humans are excess weight gain and carbohydrate craving. The aim of the present study was to establish whether the rat could usefully be employed in investigation of these phenomena. Three experiments investigated the effects of chronic lithium (40 mg/kg LiCl), amitriptyline (2.5 mg/kg), mianserin (2.5 mg/kg) and saline administration (15-20 days, one subcutaneous injection/day) on body weight, food intake and fluid intake. Water and food cubes were provided in all experiments. Additionally available, as separate fluid sources, in Experiment 2 were 24% sucrose and 0.6% saccharin and in Experiment 3, 0.6% saccharin. Blood was collected for plasma glucose and insulin determinations 20-24 hours after the final injections. Lithium administration resulted in a marked increase in weight gain but only if both sucrose and saccharin were available (Experiment 2). Saccharin intake was increased with lithium treatment as was total caloric intake with sucrose available. Amitriptyline induced a sweetness craving; however, weight gain was somewhat depressed with just cubes available (Experiment 1) and only normalised by the additional availability of sucrose and saccharin (Experiment 2). With amitriptyline, total caloric intake was never different from controls. Weight gain was slightly suppressed and caloric intake slightly elevated by mianserin but importantly the two effects combined for a decrease in metabolic efficiency which was particularly exaggerated under the condition of carbohydrate availability (Experiment 2). Lithium and amitriptyline both produced hyperinsulinemia with normoglycemia whether or not the rate of weight gain was changed and whether or not intake was increased. Corticosterone levels were elevated by all drug treatments in Experiment 1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A microelectrode was used to measure vaginal pH in a longitudinal study during pregnancy in 30 women, 28 of whom were delivered at term. Excluding pH readings made in the presence of pathogenic organisms, 120 readings were taken. The mean vaginal pH of all subjects was 4.16 (SD 0.41). Analysis of variance showed no significant within-subject variation of pH during pregnancy. Two women had spontaneous preterm deliveries (less than 37 weeks) and their mean vaginal pH during pregnancy was 5.05 and 5.06. Eight women admitted in preterm labour, who then gave birth, had a mean pH of 5.43 (SD 0.94) which was significantly higher than the mean pH of 10 women in labour at term (4.58, SD 0.59). The relation between bacterial growth in vitro and the surrounding pH was also examined. Escherichia coli, a potential pathogen, behaved differently from both Lactobacillus (a commensal organism) and Candida albicans. The clinical observations show a trend towards higher vaginal pH values in association with preterm labour.

The role of central vs. peripheral actions of clonidine was investigated in the rat following the separate and combined administration of clonidine and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). Clonidine or 2-DG alone stimulated serum glucose and corticosterone but hypothalamic noradrenaline neuronal activity and ACTH release were stimulated by 2-DG only. The stimulation of noradrenaline neuronal activity and ACTH by 2-DG were totally blocked by clonidine. It was concluded that the increases in serum glucose and corticosterone after clonidine administration were not mediated by central effects but that alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonism by clonidine was responsible for inhibition of hypothalamic noradrenaline neuronal activity and pituitary ACTH release.

It has been suggested that the circulating levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene glycol (MHPG), a major end metabolite of noradrenaline (NA), may provide an index of central NA neuronal activity. The aim of this study was to examine in the rat the relationship between serum MHPG and hypothalamic NA neuronal activity during basal conditions, and when hypothalamic NA neuronal activity was stimulated or suppressed. Hypothalamic NA neuronal activity was assessed from the concentrations of the primary neuronal NA metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG), MHPG, and the DHPG/NA and MHPG/NA ratios. Following 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) and cysteamine administration, hypothalamic NA neuronal activity and serum MHPG rose significantly. In contrast, hypothalamic NA neuronal activity and serum MHPG fell significantly in gentled rats. Serum MHPG correlated significantly with hypothalamic DHPG and the DHPG/NA ratio in control rats, and with hypothalamic DHPG, MHPG, and the DHPG/NA and MHPG/NA ratios in gentled, 2DG- and cysteamine-treated rats. In the latter two groups, serum MHPG also correlated significantly with serum glucose, which is itself closely related to hypothalamic NA neuronal activity. These studies demonstrate a significant relationship between serum MHPG and hypothalamic NA neuronal activity in the rat, so that serum MHPG provides an index of hypothalamic NA neuronal activity in the rat.

The molting hormone/sex pheromone hypothesis of Kittredge and Takahashi (1972) and Kittredge et al. (1971) was explored inC. sapidus. Two concentrations of crustecdysone (5 × 10(-5) M and 5 × 10(-6) M) were presented to male crabs in a bioassay system in which courtship behavior was monitored. The results demonstrate that crustecdysone does not stimulate courtship in this species. The physical properties of crustecdysone were also compared to those of the partially purified sex pheromone derived from pubescent females. Using HPLC and mass spectral analysis, no correspondence of crustecdysone with the bioactive material could be shown. These results, in conjunction with the findings of others, do not support an evolutionary relationship between the molting hormone and sex pheromone communication in the Crustacea.

The serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) precursor 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP) and 5-HT antagonists, respectively, are able to stimulate and block pituitary adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) release. However, our previous data do not support a role of central serotoninergic systems in the neural control of ACTH release. We thus examined the hypothesis that 5-HTP given either alone or with uptake-blocking drugs such as fluoxetine caused stimulation of ACTH through activation of central noradrenergic neuronal activity (NNA). The hypothesis was tested in normal adult male rats by correlating medial basal hypothalamic NNA and serotoninergic neuronal activity (SNA) with serum ACTH following administration of 5-HTP (20 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) in the presence or absence of fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or cyproheptadine (10 mg/kg, i.p.). The alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine (150 micrograms/kg, i.p.) was used to inhibit central NNA and to examine the role of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the actions of serotoninergic drugs. Computerized mass spectrometry was employed to specifically and precisely assay hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG), 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) to obtain indices of hypothalamic NNA (DHPG/NE) and SNA (5-HIAA/5-HT). The administration of fluoxetine/5-HTP stimulated (p less than 0.01) both hypothalamic NNA and ACTH release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)