Strategies in the management of renal tumors amenable to partial nephrectomy.

Purpose: The laparoscopic approach to radical and partial nephrectomy is becoming the standard of care for treating patients with renal tumors. Hand-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (HALPN) provides some advantages over the pure laparoscopic approach which include manual manipulation of the kidney, tactile feedback, and timely specimen removal.

Materials And Methods: We describe our technique for HALPN and emphasize the implementation of an in-room pathologist to examine gross margins during the period of renal arterial occlusion.

Social and environmental influences on opioid sensitivity in rats: importance of an opioid's relative efficacy at the mu-receptor.

Rationale: Evidence indicates that social and environmental enrichment can influence the functional maturation of the central nervous system and may affect an organism's sensitivity to centrally acting drugs.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of social and environmental enrichment on sensitivity to mu-opioids possessing a range of relative efficacies at the mu-receptor.

Methods: Rats were obtained at weaning (21 days) and divided into two groups immediately upon arrival.

Sensitivity to the effects of a kappa opioid in rats with free access to exercise wheels: differential effects across behavioral measures.

It is well established that chronic exercise decreases sensitivity to mu opioid agonists; however, it is less clear what effects it has on kappa opioids. The purpose of the present study was to examine sensitivity to the effects of the selective, kappa opioid spiradoline in rats with free access to exercise wheels. Rats were obtained at weaning and randomly assigned to either standard polycarbonate cages (sedentary) or modified cages equipped with exercise wheels (exercise).

Social and environmental enrichment enhances sensitivity to the effects of kappa opioids: studies on antinociception, diuresis and conditioned place preference.

Previous studies have reported that social and environmental enrichment can have a marked impact on the functional maturation of the central nervous system and may influence an organism's sensitivity to psychotropic drugs. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of social and environmental enrichment on sensitivity to drugs possessing activity at the kappa opioid receptor. Rats were obtained at weaning and randomly assigned to one of two housing conditions: isolated rats were housed individually with no visual or tactile contact with other rats; enriched rats were housed in groups of four in large cages and given various novel objects on a regular basis.

Interactions between opioids and cocaine on locomotor activity in rats: influence of an opioid's relative efficacy at the mu receptor.

Rationale: Cocaine and mu opioid agonists increase central dopamine concentrations and produce robust interactions at both neurochemical and behavioral levels. Although the interactions between cocaine and high-efficacy mu opioids have been well characterized, the interactions between cocaine and lower efficacy opioids have not been as extensively examined.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions between cocaine and opioids possessing a range of relative efficacy at the mu receptor.