Dual regulation by ethanol of the inhibitory effects of ketamine on spinal NMDA-induced pressor responses in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Acute exposure of ethanol (alcohol) inhibits NMDA receptor function. Our previous study showed that acute ethanol inhibited the pressor responses induced by NMDA applied intrathecally; however, prolonged ethanol exposure may increase the levels of phosphorylated NMDA receptor subunits leading to changes in ethanol inhibitory potency on NMDA-induced responses. The present study was carried out to examine whether acute ethanol exposure influences the effects of ketamine, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, on spinal NMDA-induced pressor responses.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The blood pressure responses induced by intrathecal injection of NMDA were recorded in urethane-anesthetized rats weighing 250-275 g. The levels of several phosphorylated residues on NMDA receptor GluN1 subunits were determined by western blot analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Intravenous injection of ethanol or ketamine inhibited spinal NMDA-induced pressor responses in a dose-dependent and reversible manner. Ketamine inhibition of NMDA-induced responses was synergistically potentiated by ethanol when ethanol was applied just before ketamine. However, ketamine inhibition was significantly reduced when applied at 10 min after ethanol administration. Western blot analysis showed that intravenous ethanol increased the levels of phosphoserine 897 on GluN1 subunits (pGluN1-serine 897), selectively phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PKA), in the lateral horn regions of spinal cord at 10 min after administration. Intrathecal administration of cAMPS-Sp, a PKA activator, at doses elevating the levels of pGluN1-serine 897, significantly blocked ketamine inhibition of spinal NMDA-induced responses.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results suggest that ethanol may differentially regulate ketamine inhibition of spinal NMDA receptor function depending on ethanol exposure time and the resulting changes in the levels of pGluN1-serine 897.</p

Innovate with Complex Information Technologies: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Examination

Complex information technologies (CITs), such as ERP packages, have become the core component of modern organizations. Corporate investments in CITs have soared to a record high. Firms need to creatively apply the technologies in order to adapt to the ever-changing environments and realize the full potential of the technologies. We approach this issue from the perspective of ‘Innovate with IT’, a post-acceptance usage behavior that describes innovative use of information technologies to support individual task performances. Drawing upon the IS Continuance (ISC) model, as well as the managerial and individual factors that facilitate higher level IT use, a model is theoretically developed to understand employees’ novel use of CITs. A field study was conducted in a large manufacturing firm using ERP packages to empirically validate the model. The results suggest that the ISC model, personal propensity toward IT innovations, and management support jointly nurture employees’ creative use of complex technologies

Effect of Auricular Acupressure on Peri- and Early Postmenopausal Women with Anxiety: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, and Controlled Pilot Study

We tested effects of auricular acupressure on peri- and early postmenopausal women with anxiety (PPWA). Fifty PPWA were randomly assigned to the auricular acupressure group (AG) or the sham group (SG). After 3 meals and before sleep every day for 4 weeks, the AG received auricular acupressure on the bilateral ear shenmen and subcortex points for 3 min per point on alternating ears. The SG received sham auricular acupressure. The Alprazolam was reduced from 0.5 mg/day at baseline to 0.3 mg/day 4 weeks after auricular acupressure (4 W) in the AG (P < .05) whereas maintained at 0.5 mg/day in the SG (P > .05). The Zolpidem was reduced from 3.0 mg/day at baseline to 1.5 mg/day at 4 W (P < .05) whereas was reduced from 2.4 mg/day to 1.9 mg/day at 4 W in the SG (P > .05), thus, significant tapering medication, suggesting auricular acupressure is helpful to PPWA

Plasma-cell type Castleman’s disease of the neck and lymphocyte-depletion Hodgkin lymphoma associated with intestinal intussusception in an AIDS patient

A 36-year-old man was diagnosed with plasma-cell type Castleman’s disease with the presentation of recurrent lymphadenpathy of the neck. HIV infection was not suspected or confirmed until esophageal candidiasis developed one year later. Meanwhile, surgery was performed for intestinal intussusception and obstruction caused by lymphocyte-depletion Hodgkin lymphoma. However, he died of rapidly progressive pneumonia and disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with intracerebral hemorrhage, which occurred 6 months later during the course of chemotherapy. This case suggests that HIV infection should be considered in patients who present with plasma-cell type Castleman’s disease or lymphocyte-depletion Hodgkin lymphoma with extra-nodal involvement in order to conduct appropriate diagnosis and initiate treatment for HIV infection

The Estimation of First-Phase Insulin Secretion by Using Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in a Chinese Population

Aims. There are two phases of insulin secretion, the first (FPIS) and second phase (SPIS). In this study, we built equations to predict FPIS with metabolic syndrome (MetS) components and fasting plasma insulin (FPI). Methods. Totally, 186 participants were enrolled. 75% of participants were randomly selected as the study group to build equations. The remaining 25% of participants were selected as the external validation group. All participants received a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test, and acute insulin response after the glucose load (AIRg) was obtained. The AIRg was considered as FPIS. Results. When MetS components were only used, the following equation was built: log (FPIS) = 1.477 − 0.119 × fasting plasma glucose (FPG) + 0.079 × body mass index (BMI) − 0.523 × high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). After FPI was added, the second equation was formulated: log (FPIS) = 1.532 − 0.127 × FPG + 0.059 × BMI - 0.511 × HDL-C + 0.375 × log (FPI), which provided a better accuracy than the first one. Conclusions. Using MetS components, the FPIS could be estimated accurately. After adding FPI into the equation, the predictive power increased further. We hope that these equations could be widely used in daily practice

Seroprevalence and Severity of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A H1N1 in Taiwan

BACKGROUND: This study is to determine the seroprevalence of the pandemic influenza A H1N1 virus (pH1N1) in Taiwan before and after the 2009 pandemic, and to estimate the relative severity of pH1N1 infections among different age groups. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 1544 and 1558 random serum samples were collected from the general population in Taiwan in 2007 and 2010, respectively. Seropositivity was defined by a hemagglutination inhibition titer to pH1N1 (A/Taiwan/126/09) ≥1:40. The seropositivity rate of pH1N1 among the unvaccinated subjects and national surveillance data were used to compare the proportion of infections that led to severe diseases and fatalities among different age groups. The overall seroprevalence of pH1N1 was 0.91% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43-1.38) in 2007 and significantly increased to 29.9% (95% CI 27.6-32.2) in 2010 (p<0.0001), with the peak attack rate (55.4%) in 10-17 year-old adolescents, the lowest in elderly ≥65 years (14.1%). The overall attack rates were 20.6% (188/912) in unvaccinated subjects. Among the unvaccinated but infected populations, the estimated attack rates of severe cases per 100,000 infections were significantly higher in children aged 0-5 years (54.9 cases, odds ratio [OR] 4.23, 95% CI 3.04-5.90) and elderly ≥ 65 years (22.4 cases, OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.99-3.83) compared to adolescents aged 10-17 years (13.0 cases). The overall case-fatality rate was 0.98 per 100,000 infections without a significant difference in different age groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Pre-existing immunity against pH1N1 was rarely identified in Taiwanese at any age in 2007. Young children and elderly--the two most lower seroprotection groups showed the greatest vulnerability to clinical severity after the pH1N1 infections. These results imply that both age groups should have higher priority for immunization in the coming flu season

Women with endometriosis have higher comorbidities: Analysis of domestic data in Taiwan

AbstractEndometriosis, defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma, can grow or bleed cyclically, and possesses characteristics including a destructive, invasive, and metastatic nature. Since endometriosis may result in pelvic inflammation, adhesion, chronic pain, and infertility, and can progress to biologically malignant tumors, it is a long-term major health issue in women of reproductive age. In this review, we analyze the Taiwan domestic research addressing associations between endometriosis and other diseases. Concerning malignant tumors, we identified four studies on the links between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, one on breast cancer, two on endometrial cancer, one on colorectal cancer, and one on other malignancies, as well as one on associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome, one on links with migraine headache, three on links with pelvic inflammatory diseases, four on links with infertility, four on links with obesity, four on links with chronic liver disease, four on links with rheumatoid arthritis, four on links with chronic renal disease, five on links with diabetes mellitus, and five on links with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.). The data available to date support that women with endometriosis might be at risk of some chronic illnesses and certain malignancies, although we consider the evidence for some comorbidities to be of low quality, for example, the association between colon cancer and adenomyosis/endometriosis. We still believe that the risk of comorbidity might be higher in women with endometriosis than that we supposed before. More research is needed to determine whether women with endometriosis are really at risk of these comorbidities