Effects of combined 5-HT and cannabinoid receptor modulation on a schizophrenia-related prepulse inhibition deficit in mice.

Rationale: Prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI) is disrupted in several psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. Understanding PPI pharmacology may help elucidate the pathophysiology of these disorders and lead to better treatments. Given the advantages of multi-target approaches for complex mental illnesses treatment, we have investigated the interaction between receptors known to modulate PPI (5-HT and 5-HT) and the neuromodulatory endocannabinoid system.

Endoscopic application of hemostatic thrombin-gelatin matrix (FloSeal) in anticoagulated pigs.

Flexible endoscopy is the method of choice for the diagnosis and therapy of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, but there are still problems during therapy of patients with coagulation disorders. FloSeal((R)) is a hemostatic matrix largely independent of the body's own clotting system. A newly developed endoscopic applicator for FloSeal((R)) was tested in a survival study on pigs with impaired clotting.

Angiotensin II induces vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in rat vasculature: A potential link between the renin-angiotensin system and atherosclerosis.

Background: Cardiovascular ischemic events may occur more frequently in hypertensive patients with activated renin-angiotensin systems. We tested the hypothesis that angiotensin II (Ang II) may contribute to atherosclerosis by increasing expression of vascular inflammatory genes such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1).

Methods And Results: Rats infused with norepinephrine or Ang II for 6 days developed similar hypertensive responses, but only Ang II-treated rats exhibited significant increases in aortic VCAM-1 protein and mRNA expression.

Intraoperative ultrasonic microbubble contrast in determining the patency of the foramen of Monro.

A case is reported in which intraoperative ultrasonic microbubble contrast was used to demonstrate the patency of the foramen of Monro following resection of a colloid cyst.

Nuclear medicine imaging in podiatric disorders.

Radionuclide scanning is a valuable diagnostic tool based on metabolic and anatomic imaging. When used in the appropriate clinical setting, radionuclide imaging is a sensitive, minimally invasive imaging modality that detects and differentiates skeletal from nonskeletal pathology in the painful foot. Isotopic scanning is of particular value in the evaluation of the diabetic foot and in the subsequent follow-up of response to therapy.