Berberine inhibits the expression of TNFalpha, MCP-1, and IL-6 in AcLDL-stimulated macrophages through PPARgamma pathway

Macrophages are the main source of cytokines in atherosclerotic plaques. Modified low-density lipoproteins may stimulate macrophages to produce large quantities of proinflammatory cytokines that promote atherosclerosis. Berberine is the main component of the traditional Chinese medicine umbellatine, which has a widespread effect and was used to treat many diseases clinically. Our previous study found that berberine could increase adipophilin expression in macrophages, which is a target gene of PPARgamma. PPARgamma agonist could decrease proinflammatory cytokines in macrophage. In this study, we investigated the effects and the mechanism of action of berberine on the expression and secretion of TNFalpha, MCP-1, and IL-6 in vitro to identify new pharmacological actions of berberine. The results of RT-PCR and ELISA shows that berberine may inhibit the expression and secretion of the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in macrophages stimulated by acetylated low-density lipoprotein (AcLDL), whereas the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) inhibitor GW9662 could attenuate this effect of berberine. This study demonstrates that berberine may inhibit the expression and production of TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and IL-6 in AcLDL-stimulated macrophages. This effect might be partially mediated through PPARgamma activity.

Pre-hospital and in-hospital delays after onset of acute ischemic stroke: a hospital-based study in southern Taiwan

The biggest hurdle for early hospital presentation is the narrow therapeutic window after stroke. The aims of our study were to investigate the time lags and the factors causing pre-hospital and emergency department (ED) delay during acute ischemic stroke attack. Between June 2004 and October 2005, we prospectively studied 129 acute ischemic stroke patients who presented to the ED of the study hospital within 4 hours after symptom onset. Chi-square testing for trend, univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses was performed to evaluate the factors influencing delays in the ED presentation of acute ischemic stroke patients. The median time from symptom onset to ED arrival was 71 (mean +/- SD, 82.7 +/- 57.7) minutes. The median times from ED arrival to neurologic consultation, computed tomography scan, electrocardiogram, and laboratory data completion were 10 (11.3 +/- 9.9) minutes, 17 (9.6 +/- 11.3) minutes, 14 (23.3 +/- 55) minutes, and 39 (44.4 +/- 24.5) minutes, respectively. Univariate and multiple logistic regression models revealed that age < 65 years, illiteracy and awakening with symptoms were the most significant factors related to a delay in ED presentation. This study indicates that 2 hours of pre-hospital delay is the cutoff point for thrombolytic therapy. Organization of a stroke team and standardized stroke pathways may help to shorten in-hospital time consumption. Educational efforts should not only focus on the public, but also on the training of ED physicians and other medical personnel.

High-resolution diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the human lumbosacral plexus and its branches based on a steady-state free precession imaging technique at 3T

3D diffusion-weighted steady-state free precession imaging (3D DW-SSFP) with isotropic resolution was performed to delineate structures of the human lumbosacral plexus (LSP). 3D DW-SSFP clearly revealed detailed anatomy of the LSP and its branches. Our data suggest that the sequence based on 3D DW-SSFP can be used for high-resolution MR imaging of the peripheral nervous system.

Bounded diffusion for multiscale edge detection using regularized cubic B-spline fitting

This paper shows that in edge detection the regularization factor alpha is a better scale parameter than the standard deviation (sigma) of the Gaussian pre-filter. The alpha scale space, which exhibits the evolutionary behaviour of an edge in various scales, is the basis for the design of a multiscale edge detector (MRCBS). In MRCBS, the scale is determined adaptively according to the local noise level; the thresholds which control the amount of edge details are adjusted according to the scale; and the anisotropic diffusion is applied in the finest scale to further suppress noise.

Physical mechanism of blue-shift of UV luminescence of a single pencil-like ZnO nanowire

Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy is used to address the ultraviolet (UV) luminescence of a single pencil-like ZnO nanowire whose diameter gradually reduces from bottom to top in the range of 700-50 nm. It is found that the UV emission energy evidently shifts to the high energy with the ZnO nanowire's diameter decreasing and the blue-shift of 90 meV is observed when the nanowire diameter reduces to 50 from 700 nm. The physical mechanism of the UV blue-shift of the ZnO nanowire is attributed to the Burstein-Moss effect under the high carrier concentration.

Simultaneous determination of cefepime and vancomycin in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid by MEKC with direct sample injection and application for bacterial meningitis

A simple MEKC with UV detection at 214 nm for simultaneous analysis of cefepime and vancomycin in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by direct injection without any sample pretreatment is described. The separation of cefepime and vancomycin from biological matrices was performed at 25 degrees C using a BGE consisting of a Tris buffer with SDS and methanol as the electrolyte solution. Under optimal MEKC conditions for biological samples, good separations with high efficiency and short analysis time are achieved. Several parameters affecting the separation of the drugs from biological matrices were studied, including methanol, pH, and concentrations of the Tris buffer and SDS. The linear ranges of the method for the determination of cefepime and vancomycin in plasma and in CSF using imidazole or cefazolin as an internal standard, respectively, were all over the range of 1-30 microg/mL; the detection limits of cefepime and vancomycin in biological matrices (injection 10 kV, 15 s) were 0.3 and 0.5 microg/mL, respectively. The applicability of the proposed method for the determination of cefepime and vancomycin in plasma and CSF collected after intravenous administration of the drugs in patients with meningitis was demonstrated.

Resistance of Haemophilus influenzae isolates in children under 5 years old with acute respiratory infections in China between 2000 and 2002

This prospective, three-centre study tested for antimicrobial susceptibility in 898 isolates of Haemophilus influenzae between 2000 and 2002 in Chinese children aged under 5 years with acute upper respiratory tract infection. The average incidence of beta-lactamase production was 12.0%. Overall, 88.0% of isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, 100.0% were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime and azithromycin, and 99.0% were susceptible to ciprofloxacin. Isolates from Beijing and Shanghai had a lower susceptibility to tetracycline (57.0% and 61.0%, respectively) compared with those from Guangzhou (81.0%), while trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole susceptibilities in Shanghai (47.0%) and Guangzhou (54.0%) were significantly higher than in Beijing (35.0%). A total of 34.5% of all the isolates were susceptible to all eight of these antimicrobial agents and 12.8% were multi-drug resistant. Ampicillin resistance increased over the duration of the study. These findings show that beta-lactamase production and ampicillin resistance among isolates from Chinese children with upper respiratory tract infection are increasing, and highlight the strong correlation between ampicillin resistance and resistance to cefaclor, chloramphenicol and tetracycline in H. influenzae isolates.

Quantification of meropenem in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography and application in bacterial meningitis patients

A high-performance micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) has been demonstrated for the determination of meropenem in human plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and application in meningitis patients after intravenous (IV) administration. Plasma sample was pretreated by means of solid-phase extraction (SPE) on C(18) cartridge and CSF sample was by direct injection without sample pretreatment, with subsequent quantitation by MEKC. The separation of meropenem was carried out in an untreated fused-silica capillary (40.2 cm x 50 microm I.D., effective length 30 cm) and was performed at 25 degrees C using a background electrolyte consisting of Tris buffer (40 mM, pH 8.0) solution with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the running buffer and on-column detection at 300 nm. Several parameters affecting the separation and sensitivity of the drug were studied, including pH, the concentrations of Tris buffer and surfactant. Using cefotaxime as an internal standard (IS), the linear ranges of the method for the determination of meropenem in plasma and in CSF were all over 0.5-50 microg/mL; the detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio=3) of meropenem in plasma and in CSF were 0.2 microg/mL and 0.3 microg/mL, respectively.

Phase fluctuations of linearly chirped solitons in a noisy optical fiber channel with varying dispersion, nonlinearity, and gain

The phase fluctuations of arbitrarily nonlinearity- and dispersion-managed solitons propagating in a noisy fiber channel are studied both analytically and numerically. We begin by discussing the stability problem of such linearly chirped solitons with a full linear stability analysis. It is shown that these sophisticated solitons possess an enhanced stability against perturbations and therefore hold promise for applications in optical telecommunications. We then make an approach to the phase statistics of these solitons, which stems from an inevitable random walk in phase evolutions due to amplified spontaneous emission noise. By using the variational approach together with impulse-response (Green) functions, an elegant closed-form expression for the phase variance is derived based on an unconstrained self-similar soliton ansatz in which the effect of chirp fluctuations has been critically taken into account as well as the dispersive and nonlinear effects. An inspection of the intriguing subtleties of the interplay among these effects reveals that the chirp fluctuations effect does play an important role in the control of nonlinear phase noise via fiber dispersion, independently of whether the input solitons are initially chirped or not. Our analytical result also offers many possibilities of optimally manipulating nonlinear phase noise with engineered fiber parameters that may lead to the steady pulse propagation, broadening, or compression under favorable parametric conditions. Last, we demonstrate our result by several convincible examples and show an excellent agreement between analytical predictions and numerical simulations.

Higher Bcl-2 levels decrease staphylococcal superantigen-induced apoptosis of CD4+ T cells in atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND

Staphylococcal superantigens (SsAgs) contribute to the persistence of allergic skin inflammation in atopic dermatitis (AD). The aims of this study were to (1) determine whether there are differences between AD patients and healthy subjects in SsAg-induced caspase-3 activation and SsAg-induced changes of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and Bcl-2 mRNA levels of CD4+ T cells; (2) investigate the effect of interleukin (IL)-4 on SsAg-induced caspase-3 activation and SsAg-induced changes of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2 mRNA levels of CD4+ T cells.

METHODS

Using immunofluorescence staining followed by flow cytometric analysis and real-time PCR, we analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells with or without staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) stimulation in the presence or absence of recombinant IL-4 or anti-IL-4 neutralizing antibodies in 16 AD patients and 14 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

SEB-reactive (TCRVbeta3+, Vbeta12+, and Vbeta17+) CD4+ T cells from AD patients were more resistant to SEB-induced caspase-3 activation and SEB-induced decrease of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2 mRNA than those from healthy subjects. Exogenously added IL-4 inhibited SEB-induced caspase-3 activation and SEB-induced decrease of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2 mRNA in SEB-reactive CD4+ T cells from healthy subjects. Inhibition of endogenous IL-4 by using anti-IL-4 neutralizing antibodies up-regulated SEB-induced caspase-3 activation and SEB-induced decrease of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2 mRNA in SEB-reactive CD4+ T cells from AD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Following SsAg stimulation, IL-4 produced by T cells in AD patients down-regulates SsAg-induced caspase-3 activation and apoptosis of CD4+ T cells through inhibiting the decrease of Bcl-2. This may impair deletion of SsAg-activated T cells and resolution of allergic skin inflammation.

A multi-array multi-SNP genotyping algorithm for Affymetrix SNP microarrays

MOTIVATION

Modern strategies for mapping disease loci require efficient genotyping of a large number of known polymorphic sites in the genome. The sensitive and high-throughput nature of hybridization-based DNA microarray technology provides an ideal platform for such an application by interrogating up to hundreds of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a single assay. Similar to the development of expression arrays, these genotyping arrays pose many data analytic challenges that are often platform specific. Affymetrix SNP arrays, e.g. use multiple sets of short oligonucleotide probes for each known SNP, and require effective statistical methods to combine these probe intensities in order to generate reliable and accurate genotype calls.

RESULTS

We developed an integrated multi-SNP, multi-array genotype calling algorithm for Affymetrix SNP arrays, MAMS, that combines single-array multi-SNP (SAMS) and multi-array, single-SNP (MASS) calls to improve the accuracy of genotype calls, without the need for training data or computation-intensive normalization procedures as in other multi-array methods. The algorithm uses resampling techniques and model-based clustering to derive single array based genotype calls, which are subsequently refined by competitive genotype calls based on (MASS) clustering. The resampling scheme caps computation for single-array analysis and hence is readily scalable, important in view of expanding numbers of SNPs per array. The MASS update is designed to improve calls for atypical SNPs, harboring allele-imbalanced binding affinities, that are difficult to genotype without information from other arrays. Using a publicly available data set of HapMap samples from Affymetrix, and independent calls by alternative genotyping methods from the HapMap project, we show that our approach performs competitively to existing methods.

AVAILABILITY

R functions are available upon request from the authors.

[Mental status examination]

Integration of various cerebral cortical functions results in performance of mentality. Given to mental status examination evaluates the general performances of cerebral cognitive function, it becomes indispensable to a comprehensive neurological examination accordingly. Whereas mental status examination evaluates complex cerebral function, it should be interpreted and administrated more cautiously than other ordinary exams in clinical application. In this report, we introduce essential concepts of mental status examination, some important skills in testing, and a few useful tests used in a medical center.

High prevalence of albuminuria in population-based patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the Shanghai downtown

OBJECTIVE

The prevalence of albuminuria and the risk factors associated with albuminuria were evaluated among the Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 in the Shanghai downtown. We also evaluated the variability of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) among the three measurements and the relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and albuminuria.

METHODS

The 1039 Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 were investigated by randomized cluster sampling in the Shanghai downtown and 1018 patients were analyzed in this study. Body mass measurements including height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference, resting blood pressure, fasting blood measures, urinary ACR and the digitally stored fundus images were investigated. The prevalence of albuminuria was calculated and the risk factors associated with albuminuria were evaluated by stepwise logistic regression. The concordance of urinary ACR was evaluated by observed agreement. The relationship between albuminuria and DR was also evaluated.

RESULTS

(1) The mean age of all patients was 66.10+/-11.54 years and the duration of diabetes was 7.89+/-7.16 years. (2) The prevalence of albuminuria was 49.6% among the Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 in the Shanghai downtown, 41.4% with microalbuminuria and 8.2% with macroalbuminuria. (3) Microalbuminuria was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure, gender and waist circumference. Macroalbuminuria was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure and duration of diabetes. (4) Observed agreement among the three urinary ACR measurement for albuminuria staging was 73.3% (first versus second), 64.5% (first versus third) and 77.5% (second versus third). Observed agreement in the albuminuria staging between the single urinary ACR measurement and all three urinary ACR measurements was 85.8% (first versus all three), 87.6% (second versus all three) and 81.9% (third versus all three). (5) The percentage of DR in the macroalbuminuric group (59.2%) was significantly higher than that in the normalbuminuria group (16.1%) and microalbuminuria group (24.6%). (6) The macroalbuminuric patients with DR had significantly increased fasting blood glucose and HbA1c compared with the macroalbuminuric patients without DR.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of microalbuminuria observed in the Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 in the Shanghai downtown reached up to 41.4% though the observations in our study might be representative of the diabetic patients of the Shanghai downtown. We agreed that at least two of the three urinary collections were done in a 3- to 6-month period because of the day-to-day variability in albumin excretion. The percentage of DR among the patients with macroalbuminuria was 59.2%, and the macroalbuminuric patients with the significantly high plasma glucose and DR were prone to diagnose DN.

Growth mechanisms of one-dimensional zinc oxide hierarchical structures

One-dimensional (1D) zinc oxide (ZnO) hierarchical structures have been self-assembled on amorphous carbons using thermal chemical vapour transport and condensation. Three typical micro- and nanostructures consisting of micrometre-sized rods and nanometre-sized needles were observed. Growth mechanisms were established to elucidate the growth properties of 1D ZnO hierarchical structures.

Adjacent location of the bac gene and two-component regulatory system genes within the putative Streptococcus agalactiae pathogenicity island

A chromosomal DNA fragment of 8992 bp in size that has not been previously identified in Streptococcus agalactiae, was cloned and sequenced from strain 98-D60C. In particular, this 8992-bp fragment contained genes homologous to the sensor histidine kinase gene and the DNA-binding response-regulator gene of Streptococcus pneumoniae, and S. agalactiae bac gene. Structural and genetic features of the 8992-bp fragment were highly similar to those specific for bacterial pathogenicity islands. Analysis of epidemiologically unrelated S. agalactiae strains revealed that this fragment was present only in bac gene-positive strains. The possible origin of the 8992-bp fragment in S. agalactiae and its significance for molecular mechanisms of "bacteria-host" interactions are discussed.

Growth mechanisms of SnO(2)/Sn nanocables

SnO(2)/Sn nanocables have been grown on single-crystal Si substrates by metal catalyst assisted thermal evaporation of SnO powders. The morphologies and structures of the prepared nanocables were determined on the basis of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectra analyses. The microstructures and compositions of the top and bottom regions of the SnO(2)/Sn nanocables were identified by HRTEM in detail, which revealed some basic physical and chemical processes involved in the formation of the nanocables. A growth model was proposed to address the formation of SnO(2)/Sn nanocables on the basis of the vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) process.

Voltage noise of current-driven vortices in disordered Josephson junction arrays

Dynamical phenomena of moving vortices and voltage noise spectra are studied in disordered Josephson junction arrays (JJAs). The plastic motion of vortices, smectic flow, and moving Bragg glass phases are separated by two dynamic melting transitions driven by current. From the voltage noise spectra of moving vortices, it is found that the driving current plays an important role in the melting of pinning vortices glass and ordering of moving vortices. The features of noise spectra obtained in the disordered JJA model have been observed recently in the high-temperature superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(y) near the first-order melting transition, indicating that both of them are related to each other.

Eligibility for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in acute ischemic stroke: way to endeavor

BACKGROUND

The eligibility for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) is rare. We analyze the reasons for exclusion from rtPA among patients who were admitted to our hospital within 3 h.

METHODS

A strict protocol for hyperacute stroke was set in a university teaching hospital. Consecutive patients activating the protocol from June 2004 to October 2005 were prospectively registered and entered into a computerized database. The patients were excluded from rtPA according to the modified exclusion criteria from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rtPA trial.

RESULTS

Of the 182 patients activating the protocol, only 11 (6.04%) received intravenous rtPA and 4 (2.2%) IA thrombolysis. Patients were excluded for multiple reasons, and the main reasons for exclusion were minor or improving stroke (46.15%), hypertension (35.16%), insufficient time to complete studies or onset beyond 3 h after reconfirmation (24.17%) and intracranial hemorrhage (15.93%). Of 167 excluded patients, 72 (43.11%) were excluded by a single criterion, 53 (31.73%) by 2 criteria and 29 (17.36%) by 3 criteria. The mean time from hospital arrival to presentation to a neurologist was 9.24 +/- 15.11 min (n = 164, median = 8.00, mode = 10, range = 0-65). The mean time from hospital arrival to computed tomography (CT) was 21.67 +/- 23.95 min (n = 167, median = 20.00, mode = 10, range = 4-68).

CONCLUSION

An intrahospital stroke code was implemented to minimize intrahospital delay. However, only 11 patients received intravenous rtPA and 4 IA thrombolysis at our hospital from June 2004 to October 2005. The result brings into question the neurologist's conservative interpretation of the criteria and the necessity to clearly define some criteria. Furthermore an intrahospital stroke code should also be implemented for inpatients to maximize the eligibility for rtPA.

Cut-off Values of Blessed Dementia Rating Scale and Its Clinical Application in Elderly Taiwanese

Although the Blessed Dementia Rating Scale (BDRS), a clinical screening instrument, has been applied extensively, no suitable cut-off values and clinical application have been proposed, particularly in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the precursor of dementia. The BDRS, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) were administrated in people aged 65 years and above, who were enrolled from southern Taiwan with multistep stratified random sampling and followed-up for 2 years. All subjects (total number = 3,027), with new onset of MCI (defined as CDR = 0.5) in the first year and dementia (defined as CDR > or = 1) in the second and third years were subjected to statistical analysis. In distinguishing normal from MCI, except in the literate group aged 65-74 years, MMSE was superior to BDRS, with cut-off values of 1 in both literate groups aged 65-74 years and > or = 75 years, and 1.5 and 2 in less educated groups aged 65-74 and > or = 75 years, respectively. In distinguishing MCI from dementia, BDRS had cut-off values of 2.5 in both literate groups aged 65-74 and > or = 75 years, and 2.5 and 3 in less educated groups aged 65-74 and > or = 75 years, respectively. These values were better than those for MMSE in all groups. BDRS might be considered as a better tool than MMSE to screen for MCI and dementia in the increasing proportion of literate elderly aged 65-74 years in the aging population.

Rapid determination of piracetam in human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with sample direct injection

A simple micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method with UV detection at 200 nm for analysis of piracetam in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by direct injection without any sample pretreatment is described. The separation of piracetam from biological matrix was performed at 25 degrees C using a background electrolyte consisting of Tris buffer with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the electrolyte solution. Several parameters affecting the separation of the drug from biological matrix were studied, including the pH and concentrations of the Tris buffer and SDS. Under optimal MEKC condition, good separation with high efficiency and short analyses time is achieved. Using imidazole as an internal standard (IS), the linear ranges of the method for the determination of piracetam in plasma and in CSF were all between 5 and 500 microg/mL; the detection limit of the drug in plasma and in CSF (signal-to-noise ratio=3; injection 0.5 psi, 5s) was 1.0 microg/mL. The applicability of the proposed method for determination of piracetam in plasma and CSF collected after intravenous administration of 3g piracetam every 6h and oral administration 1.2g every 6h in encephalopathy patients with aphasia was demonstrated.

Craniofacial morphometric analysis of mandibular prognathism

The purpose of this study was to provide more information about the morphological characteristics of the craniofacial complex in mandibular prognathism. Forty young adult males having mandibular prognathism were compared with 40 having normal occlusion. This was conducted to carry out geometric morphometric assessments to localize alterations, using Procrustes analysis and thin-plate spline analysis, in addition to conventional cephalometric techniques. Procrustes analysis indicated that the mean craniofacial, midfacial and mandibular morphology was significantly different in prognathic subjects compared with normal controls. This finding was corroborated by the multivariate Hotelling T(2)-test of cephalometric variables. Mandibular prognathism demonstrated a shorter and slightly retropositioned maxilla, a greater total length and anterior positioning of the mandible. Thin-plate spline analysis revealed a developmental diminution of the palatomaxillary region anteroposteriorly and a developmental elongation of the mandible anteroposteriorly, leading to the appearance of a prognathic mandibular profile. In conclusion, thin-plate spline analysis seems to provide a valuable supplement for conventional cephalometric analysis because the complex patterns of craniofacial shape change are visualized suggestive by means of grid deformations.

Rapid determination of acyclovir in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with direct sample injection and its clinical application

A simple MEKC with UV detection at 254 nm for analysis of acyclovir in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by direct injection without any sample pretreatment is described. The separation of acyclovir from biological matrix was performed at 25 degrees C using a BGE consisting of Tris buffer with SDS as the electrolyte solution. Several parameters affecting the separation of the drug from biological matrix were studied, including the pH and concentrations of the Tris buffer and SDS. Using dyphylline as an internal standard, the linear ranges of the method for the determination of acyclovir in plasma and in CSF all exceeded the range of 2-50 microg/mL; the detection limit of the drug in plasma and in CSF (S/N = 3; injection 3.45 kPa, 5 s) was 1.0 microg/mL. The applicability of the proposed method for determination of acyclovir in plasma and CSF collected at 8 h after intravenous administration of 500 mg acyclovir (Zovirax) in two patients with herpes simplex encephalitis was demonstrated.

Involvement of norepinephrine in the hyperglycemic responses of the freshwater giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, under cold shock

Hyperglycemic response of freshwater giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, under acute cold shock was investigated, and the involvement and stimulatory pathways of norepinephrine (NE) on induced-glycemia were further examined. Remarkable elevations in hemolymph glucose at comparable magnitude were observed in both intact and eyestalkless prawn under cold treatments, suggesting that hyperglycemic response of this species is not solely mediated through the actions of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone released from X-organ sinus gland complex on the target tissues, but NE is involved. Positive and significant correlations were noted between the hemolymph glucose titers and NE contents in both thoracic ganglia and the hemolymph, suggesting that NE plays a significant role in the hyperglycemic responses of this species under cold. Depressive effects of various adrenoceptor antagonists monitored in vivo and in vitro further suggest that the action of NE is primarily mediated through both alpha1- and beta1-adrenoceptors.