Perioral behaviors induced by cholinesterase inhibitors: a controversial animal model

Perioral behaviors induced by neuroleptic drugs have been interpreted as an animal model of tardive dyskinesia. However, these behaviors have also been induced or enhanced by physostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor. The latter result is contradictory to the clinical effect of physostigmine in human tardive dyskinesia. In view of this contradiction and other considerations, perioral behaviors have also been interpreted as a model of acute dystonia. The present experiments replicated an earlier failure to observe spontaneous perioral behaviors after long-term neuroleptic treatment in rats as well as the paradoxical effect of physostigmine. The effect of physostigmine was also compared to phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride and methanesulfonyl fluoride, irreversible CNS active cholinesterase inhibitors. There were significant differences between the effects of the various cholinesterase inhibitors and their interactions with perioral behaviors and neuroleptic treatment. It is concluded that the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors on perioral behaviors in rodents may not be accounted for entirely by cholinesterase inhibition. Further experiments using additional agonists and antagonists will be required to clarify the behavioral effects of these cholinesterase inhibitors.

Typhoid colitis with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding. An unexpected behavior of Salmonella typhi

Three cases of salmonella colitis with massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage are presented. The patients had fever, diarrhea, and abundant hematochezia; blood and bone marrow cultures were positive for Salmonella typhi. Because of bleeding, all patients underwent hemicolectomy; previous mesenteric arteriograms showed the colonic hemorrhagic sites. The pathologic and radiologic findings are described.

Diet, blood pressure, and hematologic variables of nulliparous women attending a prenatal clinic

Diet, hematology, and blood pressures of 1800 black and white nulliparous women were surveyed at a prenatal clinic. Although black women had higher blood pressure and lower hemoglobin and hematocrit means that white women, no racial differences were found for prevalence of anemia or hypertension. White women reported less adequate intakes of protein/iron and vitamins B and C compared with black women. No associations between dietary intake and anemia or hypertension were found in univariate analysis. Failure to find racial differences in prevalence of hypertension and anemia may reflect improvements in the dietary supplementation and health care available to lower socioeconomic, black women in the last decade.

Effects of in utero administration of phenobarbital on gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of the in utero administration of phenobarbital (Pb) on gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) in rats. Female Wistar rats were bred to healthy adult males. On day 1 of gestation (evidenced by spermatozoa from vaginal smear) the pregnant rats were given 100 mg/kg phenobarbital (as the sodium salt) daily via the BioServ Liquid diet throughout gestation. Pair-fed controls were given the same volume of food as consumed by the experimental group. The offspring were sacrificed at birth and body, brain and liver weights determined. The pups born to the Pb treated mothers weighed significantly less than those born to the control mothers (4.77 and 6.60 g respectively). The brains and livers were homogenized in Tris buffered saline and assayed for gamma-GTP activity. Brain gamma-GTP activity was found to be 0.00807 u in the Pb group and 0.00670 u in the control group. We also examined the effects of chronic administration of Pb in adult rats and found no apparent effect on liver or brain gamma-GTP activity.

Differential immune response in two handled inbred strains of mice

C57BL/10J and BALB/cJ mice, outfostered at birth to C3H/2Ibg dams were subjected to handling on days 1 through 20 of life. Their plaque forming cell (PFC) response to sheep red blood cells as adults on day 5 post-immunization was compared to the PFC response in non-handled control mice. The PFC response of handled C57BL/10J mice was significantly suppressed compared to the PFC response in non-handled mice while the response of the handled and non-handled BALB/cJ mice was not significantly different.

Earlier maturation of pregnant black and white adolescents

A survey was made of the menarcheal age and anthropometry of 1,844 lower income, nulliparous female patients receiving prenatal care. No differences were observed between black and white patients in height and maximum pregnant weight. A significantly earlier mean menarcheal age was observed in adolescents (12 to 16 years) compared with adults (17 to 31 years). Younger adolescents (12 to 14 years) of both races were taller and heavier (prepregnancy) than National Center for Health Statistics standards and had a significantly greater weight-for-height. Menarcheal age and body habitus were consistent with other reports that younger pregnant adolescents tend to be earlier maturers than older pregnant adolescents and adults. Compared with their age-group cohorts (13 to 31 years) in the two-decades-old Collaborative Perinatal Study of the National Institute of Neurological Communicative Disorders and Stroke, these female patients were larger and had greater pregnancy weight gains. These anthropometric findings may reflect the two decades of improvements in social assistance and prenatal care for lower income women.

Prenatal exposure to ethanol retards the development of kindling in adult rats

The development of kindling was examined in adult rats exposed to ethanol prenatally. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed a liquid diet containing either 6.7% ethanol or pair fed an isocaloric equivalent. At birth, the litters were cross fostered to surrogate mothers. At 80 days of age, a bipolar electrode was placed either in the right basolateral amygdala or the right angular bundle of entorhinal cortex. Kindling stimulations were administered three times a day until each rat had exhibited three class 5 kindled motor seizures. The total number of kindling stimulations required to exhibit class 1 through class 5 motor seizures was significantly greater in the rats exposed to ethanol prenatally. Further, the retardation in kindling development was due to a slower progression from class 0 to class 1 kindled motor seizures. Progression between other stages was not different between the two groups. Similar results were obtained in both amygdala and angular bundle kindling experiments. Kindling is retarded in a similar fashion by partial destruction of the dentate granule cells of the hippocampal formation. Further, the pattern of dentate granule cell axonal projections to hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons is altered in rats exposed to ethanol prenatally. Taken together, these data suggest the possibility that a defect in the neuronal circuitry within the hippocampal formation of fetal alcohol rats may underlie a retardation in their kindling progression. This proposed defect may have functional implications related to learning deficiencies in rats and children exposed to ethanol prenatally.

A pharmacogenetic analysis of the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9THC) on brain gamma glutamyl transpeptidase

The effects of oral administration of (-)delta 9 Trans-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the membrane bound enzyme, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) was studied. Adult male mice were given an oral dose of THC on each of 5 consecutive days in a vehicle of sesame oil, coconut oil and tween. The dosage ranged from 2.5 to 10 mg/kg. The animals were decapitated and the brains dissected into eight regions. Each brain region was homogenized in Tris buffered saline and assayed for protein and gamma-GTP activity. The higher doses of THC produced higher levels of gamma-GTP activity in the brain regions studied.

Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase as a sensitive marker of fetal alcohol exposure

Changes in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) activity have been shown to occur concomitantly with ethanol use. Alterations in gamma-GTP isozymal forms have also been demonstrated to accompany various developmental stages, diseases, and drug exposures. In view of these properties, electrophoretic examination of gamma-GTP isozymal forms was performed on sera from neonatal rats exposed to ethanol during gestation. The purpose of this study was to see whether or not a form of the enzyme specific for prenatal ethanol exposure could be demonstrated. Pregnant Wistar rats were pair-fed on diets containing either ethanol (1, 4, 5, or 6.7% v/v) or diets without ethanol which were isocalorically equivalent. Sera collected from one day old neonates were separated into gamma-GTP fractions using polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis. The zymograms were specifically stained for gamma-GTP activity and desitometrically scanned. All alcohol groups had 4 bands of gamma-GTP activity shared in common with the control groups. However, in addition to these bands the sera from the neonates exposed to ethanol in utero were found to have a unique band of gamma-GTP activity. This unique band was present in all zymograms of sera from ethanol-exposed neonates and absent in all control neonates. The possibility therefore exists that gamma-GTP serum isozymes may be useful as a diagnostic index available for the assessment of Fetal alcohol exposure in man.

The influence of infantile handling, age and strain on alcohol selection in mice

Male mice from three inbred strains (C57B1/10J, BALB/cJ and C3H/2lbg) were assigned to infantile handling or control conditions. In a cross-sectional developmental design, handled and control mice were tested for two-choice selection of 10% (v/v) ethanol vs. tap water at 60, 90 or 120 days of age. The volume of fluid consumed from both tubes was recorded for fifteen days. In 60 day old mice, handling produced a trend toward increased total fluid consumption in the C57 mice and a trend toward increased ethanol selection in the BALBs. In 90 day old mice, there were trends noted toward handling-related decreased fluid consumption in BALBs. Also noted was a trend toward handling related increased ethanol selection in C57 mice. In 120 day old mice, a handling-related increase in alcohol selection was noted in the C3H strain.

Effects of the maternal consumption of alcohol on alcohol selection in rats

The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of the maternal administration of alcohol on alcohol selection in the adult offspring. Female Wistar rats were pair-fed liquid diets containing either alcohol (6.7% or 4% v/v) or isocaloric carbohydrates starting on day 1 of gestation. The litters were culled to 6 and the pups placed with non-alcohol treated surrogate mothers until they were weaned. At 45 days of age all rats were tested for two-choice selection of 10% (v/v) ethanol vs. water. Consumption from both drinking tubes was recorded for 30 days and selection ratios for alcohol per total fluid volume were calculated. In all conditions a significant increase in alcohol selection was observed across the 30 day test period. These data indicate that prenatal exposure to alcohol may play a part in subsequent selection of alcohol, at least initially. However, the mother's alcohol treatment did not significantly influence the offspring's selection of alcohol over the 30 day test period. Alcohol selection by an individual may be, at least in part, determined by the mother's consumption of alcohol during gestation.

The role of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in alcoholism

The effects of alcohol on the membrane-bound enzyme, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, is discussed. Both in vitro and in vivo studies are presented. The chronic administration of alcohol produces an increase of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in several regions of rat brain whether the alcohol is administered via the inhalational route or by a liquid diet. Rat pups born to mothers which received alcohol throughout gestation are compared to human FAS. In the rat model of FAS the in utero administration of alcohol causes an increase in brain gamma-GTP activity. The use of gamma-GTP as a diagnostic tool in problem drinkers is discussed. A significant positive correlation was found between the amount of alcohol consumed by an individual and serum gamma-GTP activity. Serum from 1 day old pups born to alcoholic mothers and their pair-fed controls were analyzed by gel electrophoresis and stained for gamma-GTP activity. The zymographs of neonatal rats exposed to alcohol in utero were shown to differ from the zymographs of control neonatal rats.

Appetite for alcohol: influence of genetics and early experience

Thirty male mice from three inbred strains (C57BL/10J, BALB/cJ, C3H/2Ibg) were assigned to infantile handling or control conditions. At sixty days of age, all animals were tested in a two-choice situation for selection of 10% ethanol vs. water. Consumption from both drinking tubes was recorded for 15 days and selection ratios for alcohol per total fluid volume were calculated. C57 mice demonstrated increased preference for alcohol as a result of early handling. The BALB strain, known for low preference for alcohol, showed increased preference for alcohol as well. C3H mice evinced a biphasic effect of early handling, showing an initially greater acceptance of alcohol as compared to controls, followed by decreased selection.

Maternal sociomedical characteristics and birth weights of firstborns

Pregnancy outcome and sociomedical characteristics were examined in a sample of 1844 black and white primiparous females who received prenatal care. White females were more frequently married and more likely to live with their husbands than with their parents. Black females were better educated and more interested in obtaining further education. White women smoked significantly more cigarettes. There were no differences in contraceptive use in black and white females. Number of prenatal visits was least frequent among adolescent black females. With the exception of a higher incidence of vaginal infection among black females, there were no significant differences in general health status. There were no differences in birth weights between the firstborns of black and white adolescents, but adult white females had significantly heavier firstborns than blacks. Nonetheless, no differences were found in prevalence of low birth weight-for-gestational neonates between black and white females. Infrequent prenatal visits, maternal diabetes and smoking were the only significant multivariate factors associated with the occurrence of a low birth weight-for-gestational age neonate among the total sample.

Embryonic/fetal growth following suckling-induced delay of implantation

In rats fertilized during the first or second day post partum (second consecutive pregnancy), suckling induces delay of implantation for 8 to 22 days. However, pregnancy is prolonged for only 3 to 17 days because accelerated embryonic and early fetal growth makes up 4 to 5 days of the implantation delay. After implantation, embryonic/fetal growth is accomplished within 11 to 12 days for a second consecutive pregnancy, whereas 16 days are required for first or second-spaced pregnancies. After weaning, increased function of the intestinal tract and liver is not needed anymore for mammary milk synthesis, and abundant nutrients can be shifted to the uteroplacental unit for rapid embryonic/fetal growth. Because the exponential curves for fetal growth are similar for first, second consecutive, and second-spaced pregnancies, it seems that, besides an increased supply of nutrients, an as yet unidentified maternal or a placentofetal factor(s) may play a role for embryonic/fetal growth.

Effects of tricyclic antidepressants on platelet monoamine oxidase activity

The eight subjects in this study were diagnosed as having primary or secondary depression and were treated with amitriptyline, 100 to 300 mg/day. Activity of platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO), an enzyme responsible for the degradation of biogenic amines, was determined before and after treatment with amitriptyline. Pretreatment values for MAO activity ranged from 17.94 to 44.89 U. After amitriptyline the values ranged from 0.66 to 41.94 U, a mean decrease of 50.2%. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the tricyclic antidepressants act, at least in part, by inhibition of MAO.

Naltrexone effects on pituitary neurointermediate lobe and median eminence

The long-acting opiate antagonist naltrexone hydrochloride was administered by intraperitoneal injection, in a dose response protocol, to adult rats. The drug was used to observe effects of opiate receptor blockade on cells of the pituitary gland and adjacent hypothalamus. At higher drug doses (5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg), neurites directly innervating pars intermedia cells contained swollen vesicles and disrupted membranous elements. Fibers within the median eminence of the hypothalamus appeared swollen, and contained myelin figures. Despite the consistent degenerative changes appearing in neurites, measurements of levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine in striatum, and hypothalamus did not differ significantly between naltrexone-treated or control animals, although there was a significant elevation of norepinephrine in the pituitary after drug treatment. At all drug dose levels administered, supraependymal neuron-like cells appeared atop the ependyma of the third ventricle above the median eminence. These observations suggest that naltrexone produces specific "neurotoxic" effects on neurites of the tuberoinfundibular system, and may induce changes in the ventricular environment which stimulate the appearance of supraependymal neurons.