Effects of selected opioid agonists and antagonists on DMT-and LSD-25-induced disruption of food-rewarded bar pressing behavior in the rat

Several opioid agonists and antagonists interact with N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and lysergic acid diethylamide-25 (LSD) in adult male Holtzman rats trained on a positive reinforcement, fixed ratio 4 (FR 4 ) behavioral schedule, i.e., a reward of 0.01 ml sugar-sweetened milk was earned on every fourth bar press. DMT (3.2 and 10.0 mg/kg) and LSD (0.1 mg/kg) given IP with 0.9% NaCl pretreatment, disrupted food-rewarded FR4 bar pressing. Animals were pretreated IP (10–15 min) with predetermined, behaviorally noneffective doses of morphine, methadone, naltrexone, and the (+)-and (-)-enantiomers of naloxone prior to receiving DMT or LSD. Dose-dependent effects were shown with opioid agonist pretreatment. Morphine (0.32–1.0 mg/kg) and methadone (0.32 mg/kg) significantly antagonized the bar pressing disruption induced by DMT and LSD. Larger doses of morphine (3.2 mg/kg) and methadone (1.0–3.2 mg/kg) potentiated only LSD-induced effects, with no effect on DMT-treated groups. The opioid antagonists (-)-naloxone and naltrexone potentiated the disruption of bar pressing induced by DMT and LSD. Failure of (+)-naloxone to potentiate the DMT effects was attributed to a stereospecific opioid antagonist effect of (-)-naloxone.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46425/1/213_2004_Article_BF00432428.pd

A review of zoonotic infection risks associated with the wild meat trade in Malaysia.

The overhunting of wildlife for food and commercial gain presents a major threat to biodiversity in tropical forests and poses health risks to humans from contact with wild animals. Using a recent survey of wildlife offered at wild meat markets in Malaysia as a basis, we review the literature to determine the potential zoonotic infection risks from hunting, butchering and consuming the species offered. We also determine which taxa potentially host the highest number of pathogens and discuss the significant disease risks from traded wildlife, considering how cultural practices influence zoonotic transmission. We identify 51 zoonotic pathogens (16 viruses, 19 bacteria and 16 parasites) potentially hosted by wildlife and describe the human health risks. The Suidae and the Cervidae families potentially host the highest number of pathogens. We conclude that there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of zoonotic pathogens and recommend performing microbial food safety risk assessments to assess the hazards of wild meat consumption. Overall, there may be considerable zoonotic risks to people involved in the hunting, butchering or consumption of wild meat in Southeast Asia, and these should be considered in public health strategies

Second Primary Tumors in Retinoblastoma

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of retinoblastoma have vastly improved patient outcomes. In developed countries, the most common cause of death in patients with heritable retinoblastoma is now a second primary tumor occurring in retinoblastoma survivors; many of these second primaries can be avoided by the reduced use of radiation. Mesenchymal tumors including primitive neuroectodermal tumors, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, leiomyomas, lipomas, cutaneous melanomas, and gliomas are the most common types of the second primary tumors in retinoblastoma survivors. Osteogenic sarcoma is the most common type of second primary tumor particularly in younger patients. Widespread use of systemic chemotherapy only started in the mid-1990s, so it is still too early to know its long-term risk of second primary tumors. Ophthalmic arterial chemotherapy has been widely used for only a few years and, while a major goal of this therapy is to reduce systemic exposure to chemotherapy, a significant amount of radiation exposure to the orbit is required for the fluoroscopy needed to cannulate the ophthalmic artery. Thus, it will be many years before we know the long-term risk of ocular tumors associated with ophthalmic arterial chemotherapy. Regardless of the therapy used to treat intraocular retinoblastoma, it is important to provide lifelong surveillance for second primary tumors that may arise in the orbit and elsewhere in patients with germline retinoblastoma