Herbs for Voice Database: Developing a Rational Approach to the Study of Herbal Remedies Used in Voice Care.

Herbs have been used for voice care since ancient times and many herbal remedies are still in use in every geographical areas and cultures, both as traditional medicine and as sources of botanicals used in commercial products. Many of these plants are used as extracts and other phytopreparates, and a full phytochemical analysis is sometimes incomplete or lacking. The mechanisms of action of these botanicals include antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, mucolytic, and other general activities; nevertheless, mechanisms that could be specifically referred to voice are often unknown, as well as the corresponding molecular targets and therefore a rational approach in the use of these remedies is hard to be applied by phoniatricians.

Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal modifications consequent to chronic stress exposure in an experimental model of depression in rats.

Unlabelled: The modifications in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function induced by repeated unavoidable stress exposure, according to a standardized procedure used for inducing an experimental model of depression, were studied. Rats exposed to this procedure show hyporeactivity to both pleasurable and aversive stimuli and this condition is antagonized by the repeated administration of classical antidepressant drugs. We also studied whether imipramine administration during stress exposure would interfere with the possible modifications in the HPA axis.

Study of mirtazapine antidepressant effects in rats.

Mirtazapine is a widely used antidepressant and the aim of this study was to further investigate its antidepressant activity in rats. Thus, the efficacy of long-term mirtazapine treatment was assessed in three models of depressive symptoms induced by stress exposure: the acute escape deficit, the chronic escape deficit, and the stress-induced disruption of the acquisition of an appetitive behaviour sustained by a palatable food (vanilla sugar). Administration of mirtazapine for 2 wk prevented the escape deficit development induced by acute exposure to unavoidable stress.

The mesolimbic dopaminergic response to novel palatable food consumption increases dopamine-D1 receptor-mediated signalling with complex modifications of the DARPP-32 phosphorylation pattern.

Acute cocaine administration increases extraneuronal dopamine and Thr34 phosphorylation of dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein (M(r) 32 kDa; DARPP-32) in striatal and cortical areas. Novel palatable food consumption increases extraneuronal dopamine in the same areas. We examined the DARPP-32 phosphorylation pattern in food non-deprived rats at different times after vanilla sugar consumption.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in ureteral and kidney malformations.

Introduction: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) has long been accepted worldwide in the treatment of kidney stone disease. Upper ureter calculi in ureteral and kidney malformations are rather frequent (10-25%). The aims of this retrospective study were to determine whether malformations might impair fragment expulsion.