Stigmatising Attitudes Towards Mental Health Conditions Among Medical Students In Five South-Eastern European Countries.

Introduction: Stigmatising attitudes towards mentally ill people are present among healthcare professionals. The aim of the study was to evaluate medical students' attitudes in five medical schools from Albania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Serbia and to determine if psychiatry clerkship improves these attitudes.

Methods: In the first stage, the study included students from the first and final years of medical school; in the second stage, only final-year students were included; The Mental Illness Clinicians' Attitude Scale (MICA-2) and the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-9) were used in this study.

Ewing Sarcoma of Fibula: A Pediatric Case of Disease Regression and Bone Regeneration. Case Report and Literature Review.

Ewing's sarcoma is a rare type of bone malignancy that occurs mostly in the bones of the pelvis and the limbs. We report a case of Ewing's sarcoma developed in the peroneal bone of a 10-year-old boy, with a severe affectation of the bone and pulmonary metastasis. Chemotherapy was administered to the patient.

Compulsory admissions of patients with mental disorders: State of the art on ethical and legislative aspects in 40 European countries.

Background: Compulsory admission procedures of patients with mental disorders vary between countries in Europe. The Ethics Committee of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) launched a survey on involuntary admission procedures of patients with mental disorders in 40 countries to gather information from all National Psychiatric Associations that are members of the EPA to develop recommendations for improving involuntary admission processes and promote voluntary care.

Methods: The survey focused on legislation of involuntary admissions and key actors involved in the admission procedure as well as most common reasons for involuntary admissions.

Catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy in a patient with pheochromocytoma and polycystic kidney and liver disease: a case report.

Background: Clinical manifestations of pheochromocytoma (PCC) frequently are not specific and can be attributed to other pathologies. The most dreaded manifestation is catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy. A prompt diagnosis, sometimes extremely problematic due to associated conditions of the patient, is essential for clinical outcomes, because early resection of PCC may prevent progression to irreversible cardiac remodelling.

Right visual loss due to choroidal metastasis of a papillary adenocarcinoma of the lung: a case report.

The symptomatic choroidal metastasis is a rare manifestation of lung cancer. The aim of this study was to present a clinical case of choroidal metastasis associated with multiple intracerebral metastases from a papillary adenocarcinoma of the lung diagnosed simultaneously with its metastases. We present the case of a 40-year-old male patient, smoker, admitted to the Neurosurgery Clinic II, "Prof.

Cicletanine attenuates overdrive pacing-induced global myocardial ischemia in rabbits: possible role of cardiac cyclic nucleotides.

Background: This study examined whether cicletanine, an antihypertensive drug with cGMP phosphodiesterase inhibitory effect, could alleviate ventricular overdrive pacing-induced myocardial ischemia in chronically instrumented rabbits.

Methods: An electrode-catheter implanted into the right ventricle was used for pacing (500 bpm over 5 min) and for measuring intracavital ST-segment elevation and ventricular effective refractory period (VERP). PQ and QT intervals were measured in the chest-lead ECG, and dP/dtmax as well as left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were recorded through a left intraventricular catheter.

Vascular remodeling and antihypertensive therapy: the example of cicletanine.

Hypertension causes major structural vascular modifications including increase of wall:lumen ratio, vessel wall hypertrophy, and rarefaction of arterioles and small arteries. These structural alterations are accompanied with vascular dysfunctions. The stimuli responsible for this vascular remodeling are numerous and comprise physical, humoral, and locally synthetized factors.

Cicletanine sulfate: inhibition of anion transport systems and natriuretic activity.

In contrast with cicletanine, its urinary sulfoconjugate metabolite (cicletanine sulfate) was active on membrane ion transport in human red blood cells. Cicletanine sulfate was a more potent inhibitor of the Na+ dependent [Cl-/HCO3-] exchanger (IC50 = 9 +/- 3 x 10(-5) mol/l; mean +/- SD of 4 experiments) than cicletanine (IC50 = 10(-3) mol/l). This inhibitory potency was intermediate between that of xipamide (IC50 = 2 x 10(-5) mol/l) and that of furosemide (IC50 = 2 x 10(-4) mol/l).

Effect of cicletanine on reperfusion-induced arrhythmias and myocardial ion contents: a comparison with furosemide.

We studied the effects of cicletanine, a furopyridine antihypertensive drug, and furosemide, a loop diuretic, on ventricular arrhythmias, such as sustained ventricular fibrillation (VF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT), and myocardial ion content in Langendorff rat hearts subjected to 30 min global ischaemia then 10 min reperfusion. Myocardial Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations were measured by washout technique and atomic absorption spectrophotometry before and after ischaemia and reperfusion. Drugs were either perfused (acute treatment) or orally gavaged daily to the rats for 14 days before isolation of their hearts (chronic treatment).

Cicletanine improves myocardial function deteriorated by ischemia/reperfusion in isolated working rat hearts.

The effect of cicletanine, a novel furopyridine antihypertensive drug was compared with that of nitrendipine, a dihydropyridine slow calcium channel blocker, on cardiac function and reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias in isolated working rat hearts subjected to 10-min ischemia induced by ligation of the left main coronary artery followed by 10-min reperfusion. Before ischemia, cicletanine and nitrendipine, perfused at concentrations of 3 x 10(-5), 6 x 10(-5), 10(-4), and 2 x 10(-4) or 10(-8) M, respectively, did not influence heart rate (HR), LV developed pressure (LVDP), its first derivative (LVdP/dtmax), and LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), whereas aortic flow (AF) was decreased by 2 x 10(-4) M cicletanine only. Coronary flow (CF) remained unchanged by various cicletanine concentrations but was slightly increased by nitrendipine.

PAF-acether induced arterial thrombosis and the effect of specific antagonists.

Platelet-vessel wall interactions and local thrombosis are investigated in vivo in a branch of the mesenteric artery of the guinea pig, using optoelectronic registration and ultrastructural control. Following an electrical challenge resulting in changes of cell membrane polarization, subsequent superfusion by PAF-acether or a stable analogue, (1-O-alkyl-2-N-methylcarbamyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 10(-8) M focal concentration (f.c.

Platelet activating factor (PAF). A review of its effects, antagonists and possible future clinical implications (Part I).

This review is an attempt to summarise recent data on platelet activating factor (PAF) and PAF antagonists from 1988 to the present. This period saw a burst in research activity focused predominantly on the effect of PAF in various organs. The effect of PAF and its antagonists was further intensively studied in vitro on isolated platelets, leucocytes, macrophages and endothelial cells.

Effect of BN 50739, a new platelet activating factor antagonist, on ischaemia induced ventricular arrhythmias in isolated working rat hearts.

Study Objective: The aim was to investigate the role of platelet activating factor (PAF) in myocardial ischaemia by using BN 50739, a new specific PAF receptor antagonist with a hetrazepine framework.

Design: Isolated working rat hearts were subjected to regional ischaemia, induced by ligation of the left main coronary artery for 30 min, followed by reperfusion. BN 50739 was applied at concentrations of 10(-7), 10(-6), 10(-5) and 5 X 10(-5) M, and its effects on the incidence of ischaemia induced and reperfusion induced ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation and heart functions, such as heart rate, coronary flow, aortic flow, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), its first derivative (LVdP/dtmax), and left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), were determined.

Recovery of postischemic brain metabolism and function following treatment with a free radical scavenger and platelet-activating factor antagonists.

We have studied the metabolic and functional effects of two new platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonists (BN 50726 and BN 50739) and their diluent (dimethyl sulfoxide; DMSO) during reoxygenation of the 14-min ischemic isolated brain. Blood gases, EEG, auditory evoked potentials, cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRglc), and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2) were monitored throughout the study. Frozen brain samples were taken for measurement of brain tissue high-energy phosphates, carbohydrate content, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive material (TBAR, an indicator of lipid peroxidation) at the end of the study.

[A brain abscess of mycotic origin due to Histoplasma capsulatum].

The case here presented is one of the histoplasmosis cases occurring sporadically in Romania. It is the first case with cerebral site and with the aspect of an extensive intracranial process. The diagnosis was made by a careful microscopic examination of the intraoperative specimens.

Histamine H1-receptors mediate phosphoinositide and calcium response in cultured smooth muscle cells--interaction with cicletanine (CIC).

Smooth muscle cells were cultured from guinea-pig aorta and labelled with 45Ca++ and 32Pi to investigate the possible effect of cicletanine, a new antihypertensive drug, on the release of intracellular Ca++ and the metabolism of phosphoinositide induced by histamine. In 45Ca++ labelled cells, histamine increased in a dose-dependent manner the 45Ca++ efflux in the first two minutes. Stimulation of 45Ca++ release was observed with H1-agonist [2-pyridylethylamine dihydrochloride (2-PEA)] but not with H2-agonist (dimaprit).

Gaps and perspectives of new fluoroquinolones.

The gaps in the present piperazinyl-substituted fluoroquinolones include: (a) gaps in their antibacterial spectrum, varying from one fluoroquinolone to another for streptococci-pneumococci-enterococci (SPE), some Gram-negative and Gram-positive anaerobes, Nocardia, Pseudomonas maltophilia, Ureaplasma urealyticum, slow-growing mycobacteria; (b) a pH dependence of their antibacterial activity (low activity at acidic pH for piperazinyl-substituted fluoroquinolones); (c) a rapid development of bacterial resistance for some bacteria (staphylococci, pseudomonas) in prolonged treatment of cystic fibrosis, intensive care units; (d) some gaps in the pharmacokinetic parameters such as incomplete oral bioavailability, short half-life, intensive biotransformation, unwanted interactions with other antibiotics or other drugs. The prospects for fluoroquinolones are trying to eliminate these gaps. The 7-piperazinyl or pyrrolidinyl, 1-cyclopropylfluoroquinolones have improved activity on SPE, anaerobes and pseudomonas-acinetobacter.

Endogenous lignans--a potential endogenous digitalis.

Lignans are natural products formed by oxidative dimerization of monomeric phenols. A few were recently discovered in human and animal urine, semen and blood plasma but their role has never been assessed. We investigated the actions of mammalian lignans obtained by total synthesis or extracted from the urine of pregnant women, on the Na+K+-pump in human red cells.

Inhibition of the erythrocyte Na+, K+-pump by mammalian lignans.

Several mammalian lignans, particularly enterolactone, 3-oxy-methyl enterolactone and prestegane B are able to inhibit Na+, K+-pump activity in human red cells with IC50 of about 1 mM. The inhibition of Na+, K+-pump activity by mammalian lignans have the following properties: the IC50 for ouabain remains unchanged suggesting a noncompetitive inhibition. The apparent affinity for internal Na+ and maximal rate of cation translocation are both diminished.

Evidence that mammalian lignans show endogenous digitalis-like activities.

Enterolactone, a lignan that has been identified in biological samples from man and several mammals, shares with ascorbic acid and cardiac glycosides a gamma-butyrolactone. It displaces 3H-ouabain from its binding sites on cardiac digitalis receptor and inhibits, dose dependently, the Na+, K+-ATPase activity of human and guinea-pig heart. The time dependence of this inhibition resembles that of dihydroouabain, a cardiac glycoside in which the lactone ring does not contain conjugated double bonds.