Reversal of stress-induced anhedonia by the dopamine receptor agonist,pramipexole

Chronic exposure to mild unpredictable stress has previously been found to depress the consumption of a palatable (1%) sucrose solution, and to attenuate food-induced place preference conditioning. In this study the effects of pramipexole (SND-919), a dopamine D₂ agonist, were studied during 7–9 weeks of chronic treatment. Pramipexole (1.0 mg/kg per day) reversed the suppression of sucrose intake in stressed animals, increasing sucrose intakes above the levels seen in untreated nonstressed controls. Pramipexole also increased sucrose intake in nonstressed animals; these effects were accompanied by increases in water intake and tended to correlate with weight loss. Drug-treated stressed animals also lost weight, but in this case water intake was unaffected. A second group of animals received a higher dose of pramipexole (2.0 mg/kg per day). The effects of the two doses were very similar. After three weeks of treatment, these animals were switched to a lower dose of pramipexole (0.1 mg/kg per day). Increases in sucrose intake were maintained over three weeks of treatment at the lower dose, with significant recovery of body weight. Two further groups received the same doses of pramipexole (1.0 mg/kg for 6 weeks or 2.0 mg/kg for 3 weeks followed by 0.1 mg/kg thereafter), but received intermittent (twice-weekly) drug treatment. Intermittent pramipexole treatments also tended to increase sucrose intakes, but the results were less consistent from week to week. Following 6–8 weeks of pramipexole treatment, food-induced place preference conditioning was studied in all animals. Untreated stressed animals showed no evidence of place conditioning. Normal conditioning was seen in both groups of stressed animals treated daily with pramipexole (at 1.0 and 0.1 mg/kg) and in the group treated twice weekly at the higher dose (1.0 mg/kg); intermittent treatment at the lower dose (0.1 mg/kg) was ineffective. The results indicate that pramipexole exerts rapid anti-anhedonic effects in the chronic mild stress model. This conclusion is complicated, but not undermined, by drug-induced weight loss and by the presence of significant drug effects in nonstressed control animals.     

Oral sensorimotor therapy: Assessment,efficacy and future directions

This review addresses the current state of knowledge in oral sensorimotor therapy for children with neurological impairments and ingestive problems. Comprehensive assessment of the child with dysphagia looks at the interaction of oral performance and growth. These domains include eating efficiency, oral-motor skills, oral sensory evaluation, classification of the severity of an eating problem, interaction of respiration and ingestion, aspiration, positioning for feeding, social skills assessment, careload and assessment technologies. Oral sensorimotor therapy improves eating but not drinking skills in children 3–12 years of age. Weight gain is sufficient so that children maintain their growth channel but they do not show catchup growth. Many factors thought to contribute to better ingestive performance need further study, such as jaw and lip control in association with drinking. The earliest possible identification of infants at risk for eating impairments needs to be rigorously pursued. Such an approach offers hope that the later growth deterioration now seen in children with eating impairments may be prevented. Finally, the effect of positioning and the use of eating equipment to promote self-feeding need further study.     

Facilitation of ethanol consumption by intracerebroventricular infusions of corticosterone

Male Wistar rats bearing intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannulae and with simultaneous access to 6% ethanol and water were subjected to adrenalectomy (ADX) or sham surgery. ADX decreased ethanol intake. Starting a few days later, the animals received ICV infusions with 100 μg corticosterone acetate (CORT) with 2-to 3-day intervals for 2 weeks. ICV CORT, but not SC CORT at the same dose, restored ethanol consumption in ADX rats to preoperative levels, whereas vehicle infusions (propylene, glycol) did not. Adrenally intact animals, which normally consumed moderate amounts of ethanol (≈0.5 g/kg per day), also showed a robust effect of ICV infusions of CORT, whereas this facilitatory effect was not observed in high consumers (≈3.0 g/kg per day). The suppressive effect of ADX on ethanol intake was not reproduced by concurrent and repeated ICV infusions of intracellular mineralocorticoid (RU 28318) and glucocorticoid (mifepristone) receptor blockers. It is concluded that CORT stimulates alcohol consumption by acting in the brain, probably by way of neuronal membrane mechanisms.     

Changing the College AOD Environment for Primary Prevention

Identifying environmental factors reflected to alcohol use is important for program planning and evaluation in college alcohol and drug prevention programs. Little has been written concerning uses of data in environmental prevention efforts. This paper presents four brief interrelated case studies of how environmental modifications were used by a college alcohol prevention project to 1) change the marketing practices and service policies of a student-oriented bar, 2) alter the sales practices of a campus bookstore concerning alcohol paraphernalia, 3) to develop a campaign with the goal of reducing risk factors related to heavy drinking at private student parties, and 4) stop an unsafe bus from transporting students to bars in Mexico. Creative use of such environmental prevention approaches has potential benefit to colleges and universities concerned with the primary prevention of alcohol-related problems experienced by students.     

HQJ-500多功能净水装置装舰试用评价

目的：改善舰船官兵的饮用水水质，提高舰员的生活质量。方法：将研制的HQJ-500多功能净水装置装舰试用，征求试用意见并进行水质分析。结果：经实船试用证实，该多功能净水器能经受住各种海况下颠簸，摇晃的考验。运行正常。处理后的水质有明显改善。结论：该装置净化，消毒效果肯定，适合舰船使用，可推广应用。     

重庆某高校桶装饮用水及饮水机微生物污染检测情况分析

目的 了解桶装饮用水及饮水机微生物污染状况，探讨其原因并提出处理措施。方法检测了25桶桶装饮用水及43台饮水机用水的细菌总数和霉菌。结果 桶装饮用水及饮水机用水的细菌总数和霉菌都有一定的超标。结论 造成桶装饮用水及饮水机用水水质微生物超标的原因包括生产厂家因素、用户因素、卫生部门监管力度、市场规范等等方面。     

中国饮用水源水中藻类卫生标准的研究

为制定饮用水源中藻类限值 ,结合国内外文献调查研究毒理学试验和现场生态学调查资料 ,根据世界卫生组织 (WHO)和卫生部推荐的饮用水中微囊藻毒素MC -LR的限值、藻类生物量和MC -LR浓度关系以及毒理学实验所得到的藻类的无作用浓度而制定饮用水源中藻类限值。结果显示 ,推荐饮用水源中藻类三级限值分别为 :安全限值 :1.0× 10 4个 升 ;警戒限值 :2 .1× 10 5个 升 ;危险限值 :1.2× 10 6 个 升。提示饮用水源中藻类限值在日常工作中有显著意义和可行性     

重庆地区驾驶员血液中乙醇浓度与驾驶能力的关系

目的　探讨重庆地区驾驶员血液中乙醇浓度 (BAC)和驾驶能力的关系 ,为交通安全立法提供科学依据。　方法　随机选择重庆地区 59名驾驶员志愿者 ,建立饮酒后驾车模型、科学的BAC测定以及驾驶能力评价体系 ,对不同BAC下驾驶能力进行测评。　结果　受试者出现驾驶能力损害时的BAC均数为 685.9mg/L ,最小值 190 .0mg/L ,最大值 152 0 .0mg/L ,总体均数 95%可信区间为 60 2 .4～ 70 9.5mg/L。汉族和土家族间、汉族男性和女性间、2 3～ 3 5岁和 3 6～ 56岁年龄组间差异无显著性意义 (P >0 .0 5) ,而既往饮酒量不同的三个组别间差异有显著性意义 (P <0 .0 5)。随着BAC增高 ,驾驶能力受损人数增加。在 2 0 0 .0mg/L有 3 % (2 / 59)的受试者驾驶能力降低 ,80 0 .0mg/L则达到 68% (40 / 59)。　结论　随着BAC增高 ,重庆地区驾驶员驾驶能力受损人数比例增加 ,出现驾驶能力明显损害时BAC为 60 2 .4～ 70 9.5mg/L ,既往酒量较大人群中该值较高     

Association between alcohol consumption and aeroallergen sensitization in Danish adults

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that alcohol consumption may be one of the lifestyle factors associated with a westernized, urban, and affluent lifestyle contributing to the rise in atopic disease. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the association between alcohol consumption and atopy (aeroallergen sensitization). METHODS: In 1982, a population-based cross-sectional study of 3608 Danes (79% of the invited), aged 30, 40, 50, and 60 years, was carried out. Information on alcohol consumption was obtained by a questionnaire. Aeroallergen sensitization was defined as a positive test for the detection of specific IgE against a panel of 19 common inhalant allergens in stored serum samples. A total of 3317 subjects with complete information on all variables were included in the analyses. RESULTS: We found a statistically significant association between alcohol consumption and aeroallergen sensitization (independent of the type of alcoholic drink consumed). This association appeared to relate only to those who consumed more than 8 drinks/week. After adjustment for confounders this association was only statistically significant for those who consumed 15-21 drinks/week (adjusted odds ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 1.2-2.8). CONCLUSION: In this adult general population, self-reported alcohol consumption was positively associated with aeroallergen sensitization.     

Consequence of long-term exposure to corticosterone or dexamethasone on ethanol consumption in the adrenalectomized rat,and the effect of type I and type II corticosteroid receptor antagonists

The daily fluid intake of male Wistar rats with simultaneous access to 6% ethanol and water was determined during a baseline period (1 week), following adrenalectomy (1 week) and for 3 weeks following SC implantation of hormone pellets containing corticosterone (CORT) or dexamethasone (DEX). Ethanol consumption dropped during the first week of adrenalectomy (ADX) but increased again in the absence of hormone replacement to reach preoperative levels during the ensuing weeks. The CORT treatment, which produced plasma hormone levels similar to the 24-h mean concentration of adrenally intact rats, not only reversed the effect of ADX on alcohol consumption but also enhanced it to levels above those observed in intact rats. Water intake was not affected by the CORT treatment. DEX implants stimulated water intake, but did not enhance the drinking of ethanol. SC injections of RU 28318 (type I corticosterone receptor antagonist; 10 mg/kg) or mifepristone (RU 38486; type II receptor antagonist; 25 mg/kg) at the beginning and halfway through three daily, 6-h tests failed to affect ethanol drinking in adrenally intact rats or in ADX rats bearing CORT implants. Similarly, there was no effect of giving the two antagonists in combination. These results suggest that exogenous CORT can induce excessive alcohol intake in genetically unselected rats and that this facilitatory effect may be mediated by non-genomic cellular mechanisms.