A corneal dendritic lesion with a skin eruption: eczema herpeticum, an important differential diagnosis.

Eczema herpeticum is a rare and potentially life-threatening viral infection. We present the case of a 54-year-old man who presented to the emergency eye clinic with a dendritic ulcer and a facial rash. An initial diagnosis of herpes zoster ophthalmicus was suspected.

Tryptophan in alcoholism treatment I: kynurenine metabolites inhibit the rat liver mitochondrial low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, elevate blood acetaldehyde concentration and induce aversion to alcohol.

Aims: The aims were to provide proofs of mechanism and principle by establishing the ability of kynurenine metabolites to inhibit the liver mitochondrial low K(m) aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity after administration and in vivo, and to induce aversion to alcohol.

Methods: Kynurenic acid (KA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) were administered to normal male Wistar rats and ALDH activity was determined both in vitro in liver homogenates and in vivo (by measuring blood acetaldehyde following ethanol administration). Alcohol consumption was studied in an aversion model in rats and in alcohol-preferring C57 mice.

Tryptophan in alcoholism treatment II: inhibition of the rat liver mitochondrial low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, elevation of blood acetaldehyde concentration and induction of aversion to alcohol by combined administration of tryptophan and benserazide.

Aims: The aims were to provide proofs of mechanism and principle by establishing the ability of the amino acid L-tryptophan (Trp) combined with the kynureninase inhibitor benserazide (BSZ) to inhibit the liver mitochondrial low K(m) aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity after administration and in vivo and to induce aversion to alcohol.

Methods: Trp, BSZ or both were administered to male Wistar rats and ALDH activity was determined both in vitro in liver homogenates and in vivo (by measuring acetaldehyde accumulation in blood after ethanol administration). Alcohol consumption was studied in an aversion model in rats and in alcohol-preferring C57 mice.

Activation of liver tryptophan pyrrolase mediates the decrease in tryptophan availability to the brain after acute alcohol consumption by normal subjects.

Aims: We have previously suggested that acute ethanol consumption by normal subjects decreases the availability of circulating tryptophan (Trp) to the brain by activating liver Trp pyrrolase, the first and rate-limiting enzyme of the (major) kynurenine pathway of Trp degradation. The aim of the present study was to examine this hypothesis further by measuring plasma levels of kynurenine metabolites following alcohol consumption.

Methods: After an overnight fast and a light breakfast, each of 10 healthy subjects received one of five drinks (placebo and doses of ethanol of 0.