2-Methyl-6-phenylethynyl-pyridine (MPEP), a non-competitive mGluR5 antagonist,differentially affects the anticonvulsant activity of four conventional antiepileptic drugs against amygdala-kindled seizures in rats

2-Methyl-6-phenylethynyl-pyridine (MPEP), a selective noncompetitive mGluR5 antagonist, influences the action of conventional antiepileptic drugs in amygdala-kindled seizures in rats. MPEP alone (up to 40 mg/kg) did not affect any seizure parameter. Moreover, the common treatment of MPEP with either carbamazepine or phenytoin (administered at subeffective doses) did not result in any anticonvulsant action in kindled rats. However, when combined with subprotective doses of valproate or phenobarbital, MPEP significantly shortened seizure and afterdischarge durations. Importantly, combinations of MPEP with the two antiepileptics did not have the adverse effects of impaired motor performance or long-term memory in rats. Our data indicate that MPEPmay positively interact with some conventional antiepileptic drugs in the amygdala-kindling model of complex partial seizures.     

The relationship between exposure to air pollution and sperm disomy

The causes of the chromosome abnormalities have been studied for decades. It has been suggested that exposure to various environmental agents can induce chromosomal abnormalities in germ cells. This study was designed to address the hypothesis that exposure to specific air pollutants increases sperm disomy. The study population consisted of 212 men who were attending an infertility clinic for diagnostic purposes. They represented a subset of men in a multicenter parent study conducted in Poland to evaluate environmental factors and male fertility. Sperm aneuploidy for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y was assessed using multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization. Air quality data were obtained from the AirBase database. After adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, temperature (90 days), season, past diseases, abstinence interval, distance from the monitoring station, concentration, motility and morphology, positive associations were observed between exposure to PM_2.5 and disomy Y (P = 0.001), sex chromosome disomy (P = 0.05) and disomy 21 (P = 0.03). Exposure to PM₁₀ was associated with disomy 21 (P = 0.02). Conversely, exposure to ozone, CO, SO₂, and NOx did not affect sperm aneuploidy. A separate analysis conducted among men who were nonsmokers (n = 117) showed that the relationship between PM_2.5 and disomy Y and disomy 21 remained significant (P = 0.01, P = 0.05, respectively). The present findings indicate that exposure to air pollution induces sperm aneuploidy. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 56:50–59, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Provision of medical abortion using telemedicine in Brazil

Objective

To evaluate the need for and outcome of self-administered medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol in Brazil, provided through Women on Web, a global telemedicine abortion service.

Study Design

A retrospective case review of women from Brazil who contacted Women on Web in 2011. Information from the online consultation, follow-up questionnaire and emails were used to analyze data including demographics, gestational age, outcome of the medical abortion and symptoms that lead to surgical interventions.

Results

The Women on Web website had 109779 unique visitors from Brazil, 2104 women contacted the helpdesk by email. Of the 1401 women who completed the online consultation, 602 women continued their request for a medical abortion. Of the 370 women who used the medicines, 307 women gave follow-up information about the outcome of the medical abortion. Of these, 207 (67.4%) women were 9 weeks or less pregnant, 71 (23.1%) were 10, 11 or 12 weeks pregnant, and 29 (9.5%) women were 13 weeks or more pregnant. There was a significant difference in surgical intervention rates after the medical abortion (19.3% at < 9 weeks, 15.5% at 11–12 weeks and 44.8% at > 13 weeks, p=.06). However, 42.2% of the women who had a surgical intervention had no symptoms of a complication.

Conclusion

There is large need for medical abortion in Brazil. Home use of mifepristone and misoprostol provided through telemedicine is safe and effective. However, after 13 weeks gestation, there is an increased risk of surgical intervention that may be due to the regimen used and local clinical practices in Brazil.

Implications

The current study shows that there is an unmet need for medical abortion in Brazil, a country with legal restrictions on access to safe abortion services. Telemedicine can help fulfill the need and self administration of medical abortion is safe and effective even at late first trimester abortion. Prospective trials are needed to establish safety, effectiveness and acceptability of home use of medical abortion beyond 12 weeks of pregnancy.     

Decontextualised Minds: Adolescents with Autism are Less Susceptible to the Conjunction Fallacy than Typically Developing Adolescents

The conjunction fallacy has been cited as a classic example of the automatic contextualisation of problems. In two experiments we compared the performance of autistic and typically developing adolescents on a set of conjunction fallacy tasks. Participants with autism were less susceptible to the conjunction fallacy. Experiment 2 also demonstrated that the difference between the groups did not result from increased sensitivity to the conjunction rule, or from impaired processing of social materials amongst the autistic participants. Although adolescents with autism showed less bias in their reasoning they were not more logical than the control group in a normative sense. The findings are discussed in the light of accounts which emphasise differences in contextual processing between typical and autistic populations.