ASBAH-independence

This paper describes the work done by ASBAH in the field of social independence training since November 1977. The aims of the training scheme are to encourage young people toward accepting responsibility for the course of their own lives, and to prepare them to take fuller advantage of the opportunities for further education and training and a wider range of leisure activities. Problems so far encountered - physical, vocational and emotional, are examined and proposals made for further development in this area of work.

The problem of tricyclic antidepressant poisoning

In the year May 1976 to April 1977, 489 enquiries about the management of tricyclic antidepressant poisoning received at the London Centre of the National Poisons Information Service were followed-up. One hundred and sixty-four patients (33.5%) were unconscious, convulsions occurred in 62 (12.7%), hypotension in 31 (6.3%), respiratory depression in 28 (5.7%), tachydysrhythmias in 17 (3.5%) and cardiac arrest in 12 patients (2.5%). Sixteen patients died (3.3%). No statistically significant differences were found between individual antidepressants although poisoning with amitriptyline-like drugs resulted in a significantly higher proportion of unconscious patients than poisoning with imipramine-like drugs (P less than 0.01). There were more asymptomatic children than adults and more unconscious adults than children. Tricyclic antidepressant poisoning is a major clinical problem in general medical and paediatric practice.

Rabbit cardiomyopathy associated with a virus antigenically related to human coronavirus strain 229E

A new disease of rabbits is described. Following an acute febrile course, animals die or recover by the 11th day postinoculation. The characteristic pathologic finding is multifocal myocardial degeneration and necrosis. The disease can be transmitted by various routes with tissue filtrates or with infectious sera diluted to 10(-6) and passed through 0.1 micron filters. Virus particles with morphologic features characteristic of a coronavirus are present in infectious but not in normal rabbit serums. The antigen(s) in the infectious serums cross-reacts with the 229E and the OC43 strains of human coronavirus. Antigen cross-reacting with the 229E virus is detectable by immunofluorescent staining in frozen sections of heart tissue from sick but not from healthy animals. Animals surviving infection seroconvert to coronavirus specificity, as demonstrated by the presence in convalescent serums of antibody capable of reacting with the 339E virus. Susceptibility to infection has not been demonstrated in mice, hamsters, or guinea pigs, and the virus was not adapted for growth in tissue culture. It is uncertain whether the agent is a natural pathogen of rabbits or a coronavirus contaminant from another species, possibly human. The name rabbit infectious cardiomyopathy is suggested for this disease.

Cholinergic mediation of motor effects of ethanol in rats

The role of cholinergic neurons in the motor depressant effects of ethanol was examined. Choline chloride pretreatment (30-90 mg/kg i.p.) potentiated the hypomotility produced by 2 g/kg of ethanol. Physostigmine pretreatment (0.2 mg/kg i.p.) also enhanced the motor depression produced by ethanol. Conversely, in animals pretreated with scopolamine (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) the depressant effect of ethanol was less. The potentiation produced by choline was not associated with changes in levels of ethanol in blood. It is concluded that cholinergic neurons are involved in the motor activity changes produced by ethanol. Such a mechanism may operate in conjunction with the dopaminergic neuronal system.

A comparison of the effects of single doses of mianserin and amitriptyline on psychomotor tests in normal volunteers

Eight healthy volunteers received single doses of either mianserin 10 mg, mianserin 20 mg, amitriptyline 25 mg or placebo. Critical flicker frequency, reaction time, digit substitution and addition times were tested up to six hours afterwards. Mianserin 20 mg and amitriptyline 25 mg significantly prolonged reaction time and mianserin 10 mg and 20 mg significantly reduced critical flicker frequency. No other significant effects were found. Patients should be warned of possible sedation when first starting treatment with mianserin.

Paracetamol poisoning in children

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Effect of ethanol on dopamine synthesis in rat striatal synaptosomes

We have examined the effects of acute and chronic ethanol treatment and of ethanol withdrawal on dopamine synthesis in rat striatal synaptosomes in vitro. Our studies showed that acute exposure to ethanol produces a dose-related decrease in dopamine synthesis in synaptosomes. This effect of acute ethanol treatment is time-dependent, since there is an initial stimulation of dopamine synthesis, which then is followed by a depression of synthesis. Chronic exposure to ethanol in the form of a liquid diet for 2 weeks does not alter dopamine synthesis in striatal synaptosomes. After withdrawal from ethanol, dopamine synthesis in striatal synaptosomes is decreased.

Surface sulphydryl groups and hexose monophosphate pathway activity in resting human polymorphonuclear leucocytes

The role of surface -SH groups on the hexose monophosphate pathway activity in resting human polymorphonuclear leucocytes was studied. Endotoxin, taurocholic acid and concanvalin A stimulated [I-14C]glucose oxidation to a greater degree than [6-14C]glucose oxidation. The stimulation of glucose-I-C-oxidation by endotoxin, taurocholic acid and concanavalin A could be prevented by p-chloromercurybenzene sulphonic acid, an inhibitor of surface -SH groups. In contrast, polymorphonuclear leucocytes from four patients with chronic granulomatous disease failed to show stimulation of glucose-I-C-oxidation by endotoxin, taurocholic acid or concanavalin A.

Surface sulphydryl groups and phagocytosis-associated oxidative metabolic changes in human polymorphonuclear leucocytes

The role of surface sulphydryl (-SH) groups of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes on phagocytosis-associated oxidative metabolic changes was studied. p-Chloromercurybenzene sulphonic acid, a surface -SH group inhibitor, had no effect on phagocytosis, superoxide production during phagocytosis, or killing of S. aureus by the leucocytes, while it inhibited phagocytosis-associated stimulation of hexose monophosphate pathway activity and H2O2 production. In contrast, N-ethylmaleimide, which inhibits both intracellular and surface -SH groups, inhibited phagocytosis-associated oxidative metabolic changes. p-Chloromercurybenzene sulphonic acid also inhibited the stimulation of hexose monophosphate pathway activity by exogenous H2O2, suggesting a regulatory role of plasma membrane on the pathway's activity in human polymorphonuclear leucocytes. The results also suggest that: (I) superoxide production is the primary event of oxidative metabolic changes during phagocytosis, (2) superoxide plays an important role in the killing of S. aureus, and (3) the hexose monophosphate pathway plays a primary role in producing NADPH for H2O2 production from superoxide.

Effects of mitogens on glucose oxidation by lymphocytes from normal individuals and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The effects of phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin a (con A) and endotoxin on glucose oxidation by lymphocytes from normal individuals and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (Cll) were demonstrated without using tissue culture techniques. PHA and CON A had no effect on glucose-6-14C oxidation, but stimulated glucose-1-14C oxidation by normal lmphocytes. This stimulation of glucose-1-14C oxidation occurred within 1 hour and could be prevented by colchicine. In contrast, endotoxin had no effect on either gucose-I-14C or glucose-6-14C oxidation by normal lymphocytes. Lymphocytes from five out of six Cll patients showed low basal rate of gucose-1-14C oxidation by the lymphocytes of these five patients.

Theoretical aspects of saturation analysis

'Saturation analysis' is the term originally proposed by one of us (Barakat & Ekins 1961) to describe the general analytical method relying on progressive saturation by the test compound of a specific reagent. It has, in the last ten years, been applied to widely differing groups of physiologically important compounds using a variety of classes of reactive material.

This review is intended to summarise the fundamental requirements of the method, with particular reference to the aim of achieving an 'accurate' result. Some of the mathematical principles underlying optimal assay design are discussed.