Effects of L-dopa and biperiden on the sebum secretion in Parkinson's disease

Sebum secretion was measured on the forehead of 47 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease before and after treatment with anticholinergic (biperiden), levodopa + AAID and bromocriptine, by the osmic acid technique. Another 100 patients under biperiden, levodopa 4- AAID or association of both, for at least one year, were also evaluated. The male parkinsonian «de novo» patients have shown greater sebum secretion than female patients. It was also concluded that biperiden failed to reduce sebum secretion rate. On the other hand, it was found that L-dopa + AAID reduces the sebum secretion (CL = casual level and SER = sebum excretion rate) on both male and female patients. Bromocriptine (10mg/day) was the second dopaminergic therapy employed in the present work. Similarly to L-dopa, this dopaminergic agonist was able to significantly reduce sebum secretion (both CL and SER) of male patients. There was a positive and significant correlation for the 50-59 years old male patients «de novo» between CL and tremor, hypokinesia, gait and posture or functional incapacity, before treatment. After a period of treatment correlation was no more found. In relation to parkinsonians under chronic treatment was found a positive and significant correlation between sebum secretion and hypokinesia. The level of sebum secretion on parkinsonian «de novo:» patients before treatment was equal to parkinsonian patients under chronic treatment regardless the treatment, except for > 60 years old parkinsonians who have shown CL and SER higher than «de novo» parkinsonian patients with the same age but without treatment. The treatment with L-dopa + AAID significantly decreased both CL and SER of «de novo» parkinsonian patients. No difference of sebum secretion was found between parkinsonian «de novo» patients before treatment and patients under treatment, regardless the, drugs, but after treatment with L-dopa + AAID, «de novo» patients have shown significant lesser sebum secretion than patients under the same treatment for at least one year. It is discussed whether the suppressive effect of the dopaminergic drugs may be explained through dopamine hypothalamic dysfunction.A excreção sebácea frontal de 47 parkinsonianos «de novo» antes e após tratamento com anticolinérgico (biperideno), levodopa + IDAA e bromocriptina foi avaliada pelo método do ácido ósmico. Outros 100 parkinsonianos sob terapêutica crônica com biperideno, levodopa + IDAA ou associação de ambos foram avaliados. Parkinsonianos «de novo» do sexo masculino apresentam valores de excreção sebácea significativamente mais elevados em relação às mulheres. Verificou-se que biperideno não foi eficaz em reduzir o grau de excreção sebácea. Já, em relação a L-dopa + IDAA constatou-se que a droga foi efetiva em reduzir o grau de excreção sebácea (NC e TRE) tanto no sexo masculino quanto no feminino. Em relação à bromocriptina (l0mg/dia) também constatou-se que houve redução da excreção sebácea no sexo masculino. Correlação significante positiva foi verificada entre o NC, tremor, bradicinesia, hipertonia, alterações da marcha e postura e incapacidade funcional, entre parkinsonianos do sexo masculino e faixa etária 50-59 anos, no período pré-tratamento. Após o período de tratamento não mais havia correlação entre excreção sebácea e as manifestações neurológicas da doença de Parkinson. Entre parkinsonianos sob terapêutica crônica verificou-se correlação positiva e significante entre excreção sebácea e bradicinesia. O grau de excreção sebácea de parkinsonianos «de novo» sem tratamento não difere do grau daqueles sob tratamento crônico, exceção feita a parkinsonianos com idade > 60 anos, em que verificou-se maior grau de excreção sebácea (NC e TRE) em relação ao mesmo sexo e faixa etária, sem tratamento. L-dopa + IDAA foi eficiente em reduzir o grau de excreção sebácea de parkinsonianos «de novo», tornando-a significativamente menor em relação àqueles sob tratamento crônico. Não há diferença entre o grau de excreção sebácea de parkinsonianos «de novo» sem tratamento e parkinsonianos sob associação de drogas cronicamente. A possibilidade de ser a disfunção dopaminérgica hipotalâmica a origem do aumento da excreção sebácea em parkinsonianos é discutida, além de serem comparados os resultados apresentados aos registrados na literatura.Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de PsicobiologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de PsicobiologiaSciEL

Challenging the stigma of schizophrenia

Federal University of São Paulo Departament of PsychiatryUniversity of GenevaUNIFESP, Departament of PsychiatrySciEL

NMR linewidth and Skyrmion localization in quantum Hall ferromagnets

The non-monotonic behavior of the NMR signal linewidth in the 2D quantum Hall system is explained in terms of the interplay between skyrmions localization, due to the influence of disorder, and the non-trivial temperature dependent skyrmion dynamics.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Reported stigma and discrimination by people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia

Aims. This article examines the extent of stigma and discrimination as reported by people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The hypothesis is that when people express in their own words the discrimination they experience such discrimination will be found to be widespread. Methods. Seventy-five people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia from 15 different countries were interviewed with a mixed methods instrument to assess reported discrimination. The data were analysed for frequency counts and then a thematic analysis was performed. A conceptual map is provided. Results. The study was a cross-cultural one but, contrary to expectations, few transnational differences were found. The main hypothesis was supported. Conversely, we found that when participants reported ‘positive discrimination', this could as easily be conceptualised as being treated similarly to how others in society would expect to be treated. Conclusion. Negative discrimination is ubiquitous and sometimes connotatively very strong, with reports of humiliation and abuse. ‘Positive discrimination' conversely indicates that people with a mental illness diagnosis expect discrimination and are grateful when it does not occur. The literature on self-stigma is discussed and found wanting. Similarly, the theory that contact with mentally ill people reduces stigma and discrimination is not fully supported by our result

Optical conductivity of charge carriers interacting with a two-level systems reservoir

Using the functional-integral method we investigate the effective dynamics of a charged particle coupled to a set of two-level systems as a function of temperature and external electric field. The optical conductivity and the direct current (dc) resistivity induced by the reservoir are computed. Three different regimes are found depending on the two-level system spectral function, which may lead to a non-Drude optical conductivity in a certain range of parameters. Our results contrast to the behavior found when considering the usual bath of harmonic oscillators which we are able to recover in the limit of very low temperatures.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

IS1245 RFLP fingerprinting of Mycobacterium avium

Abstract Mycobacterium avium is an important pathogen among immunodeficient patients, especially patients with AIDS. The natural history of this disease is unclear. Several environmental sources have been implicated as the origin of this infection. Polyclonal infection with this species is observed, challenging the understanding of its pathogenesis and treatment. In the present study 45 M. avium strains were recovered from 39 patients admitted to a reference hospital between 1996 and 1998. Species identification was performed using a species-specific nucleic acid hybridization test (AccuProbe ® ) from Gen-Probe ® . Strains were genotyped using IS1245 restriction fragment length polymorphism typing. Blood was the main source of the organism. In one patient with disseminated disease, M. avium could be recovered more than once from potentially sterile sites. Strains isolated from this patient had different genotypes, indicating that the infection was polyclonal. Four patient clones were characterized in this population, the largest clone being detected in eight patients. This finding points to a common-source transmission of the organism

Modulatory effect of BclI GR gene polymorphisms on the obesity phenotype in Brazilian patients with Cushing's disease

OBJECTIVES: Patients with Cushing's disease exhibit wide phenotypic variability in the severity of obesity, diabetes and hypertension. In the general population, several glucocorticoid receptor genes (NR3C1) and HSD11B1 polymorphisms are associated with altered glucocorticoid sensitivity and/or metabolism, resulting in an increased or reduced risk of an adverse metabolic profile. Our aim was to analyze the association of NR3C1 and HSD11B1 gene variants with the severity of some clinical and hormonal features of Cushing's disease. METHODS: Sixty-four patients presenting with Cushing's disease were diagnosed based on adrenocorticotrophic hormone levels, high-dose dexamethasone suppression tests and/or inferior petrosal sinus sampling and magnetic resonance imaging. The A3669G, ER22/23EK, N363S BclI-NR3C1 and HSD11B1-rs12086634 variants were screened. RESULTS: The BclI, HSD11B1-rs12086634 and A3669G variants were found in 36%, 19.5% and 14% of alleles, respectively. The N363S and ER22/23EK polymorphisms were identified in heterozygosis once in only two patients (1.5% of alleles). There were no differences in the weight gain or prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in the patients carrying the abovementioned alleles compared to the wild-type carriers. Interestingly, the mean body mass index (BMI) of the BclI carriers was significantly higher than the non-carriers (34.4±7 kg/m2 vs. 29.6±4.7 kg/m2, respectively). None of the polymorphisms were associated with the basal adrenocorticotrophic hormone, FU levels or F level after dexamethasone suppression testing. CONCLUSION: Although Cushing's disease results from increased glucocorticoid secretion, we observed that interindividual variability in the peripheral glucocorticoid sensitivity, mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor, could modulate the obesity phenotype

Biochemical parameters of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) after transport with eugenol or essential oil of Lippia alba added to the water

The transport of live fish is a routine practice in aquaculture and constitutes a considerable source of stress to the animals. The addition of anesthetic to the water used for fish transport can prevent or mitigate the deleterious effects of transport stress. This study investigated the effects of the addition of eugenol (EUG) (1.5 or 3.0 mu L L-1) and essential oil of Lippia alba (EOL) (10 or 20 mu L L-1) on metabolic parameters (glycogen, lactate and total protein levels) in liver and muscle, acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) in muscle and brain, and the levels of protein carbonyl (PC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and nonprotein thiol groups (NPSH) and activity of glutathione-S-transferase in the liver of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen; Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) transported for four hours in plastic bags (loading density of 169.2 g L-1). The addition of various concentrations of EUG (1.5 or 3.0 mu L L-1) and EOL (10 or 20 mu L L-1) to the transport water is advisable for the transportation of silver catfish, since both concentrations of these substances increased the levels of NPSH antioxidant and decreased the TBARS levels in the liver. In addition, the lower liver levels of glycogen and lactate in these groups and lower AChE activity in the brain (EOL 10 or 20 mu L L-1) compared to the control group indicate that the energetic metabolism and neurotransmission were lower after administration of anesthetics, contributing to the maintenance of homeostasis and sedation status.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS/PRONEX) [10/0016-8]; Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Cientifico (CNPq) [470964/2009-0]; Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES); CNPqinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio