Investigation of stretching behaviour induced by the selective 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist, Ro 04-6790, in rats

1. The present study examined the effects of the selective 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist 4-amino-N-(2, 6 bis-methylamino-pyrimidin-4-yl)-benzene sulphonamide (Ro 04-6790) on locomotor activity and unconditioned behaviour in male Sprague Dawley rats (230–300 g). 2. In non-quantified behavioural observations, animals treated with Ro 04-6790 (3, 10 or 30 mg kg(−1), i.p) showed no overt behavioural signs except a dose-dependent reduction in locomotor activity and a behavioural syndrome of stretching, yawning and chewing. The latter behaviour was most pronounced between 30 and 90 min following the administration of Ro 04-6790. 3. Detailed analysis of the stretching and yawning behaviour showed that Ro 04-6790 (3, 10 or 30 mg kg(−1), i.p.) dose-dependently induced stretching. The number of stretches observed following treatment with either Ro 04-6790 (10 mg kg(−1) i.p.) or Ro-04-6790 (30 mg kg(−1), i.p.) was significantly greater than that observed in saline-treated rats. The yawning behaviour, however, was not dose-dependent nor was the number of yawns in any of the drug treated groups significantly greater than in those treated with saline. 4. Pretreatment (30 min) with the non-selective muscarinic antagonists scopolamine (0.1, 0.3 or 1 mg kg(−1), i.p.) and atropine (0.3, 1 or 3 mg kg(−1), s.c.) but not methylatropine (1, 3 or 10 mg kg(−1), s.c) significantly inhibited stretching induced by Ro 04-6790 (30 mg kg(−1), i.p.). 5. The dopamine D(2)-like receptor antagonist, haloperidol (0.03, 0.1 or 0.3 mg kg(−1), s.c.) given at the same time as Ro 04-6790 (30 mg kg(−1), i.p.) had no effect on the stretching induced by the 5-HT(6) antagonist. 6. These data suggest that systemic injection of the 5-HT(6) antagonist, Ro 04-6790, produces a stretching behaviour that appears to be mediated by an increase in cholinergic neurotransmission in the CNS and which could be a useful functional correlate for 5-HT(6) receptor blockade. There is no evidence for dopamine D(2)-like receptor involvement in this behaviour

Women’s dissatisfaction with inappropriate behavior by health care workers during childbirth care in France: A survey study

Background As part of a decades-long process of restructuring primary care, independent (also known as community) healthcare workers are being encouraged to work in groups to facilitate their coordination and continuity of care in France. French independent midwives perform about half of the early prenatal interviews that identify mothers' needs during pregnancy and then refer them to the appropriate resources. The French government, however, structured the COVID-19 pandemic response around public health institutions and did not directly mobilise these community healthcare workers during the lockdown phase. These responses have raised questions about their role within the healthcare system in crises. This survey’s main objectives were to estimate the proportion of independent midwives who experienced new difficulties in referring women to healthcare facilities or other caregivers and in collaborating with hospitals during the first stage of this pandemic. The secondary objective was to estimate the proportion, according to their mode of practice, of independent midwives who considered that all the women under their care had risked harm due to failed or delayed referral to care. Methods We conducted an online national survey addressed to independent midwives in France from 29 April to 15 May 2020, around the end of the first lockdown (17 March–11 May, 2020). Results Of the 5264 registered independent midwives in France, 1491 (28.3%) responded; 64.7% reported new or greater problems during the pandemic in referring women to health facilities or care-providers, social workers in particular, and 71.0% reported new difficulties collaborating with hospitals. Nearly half (46.2%) the respondents considered that all the women in their care had experienced, to varying degrees, a lack of or delay in care that could have affected their health. This proportion did not differ according to the midwives’ form of practice: solo practice, group practice with other midwives only, or group practice with at least two types of healthcare professionals. Conclusions The pandemic has degraded the quality of pregnant women’s care in France and challenged the French model of care, which is highly compartmentalised between an almost exclusively independent primary care (community) sector and a predominantly salaried secondary care (hospital) sector