A comparison of wakeboard-, water skiing-, and tubing-related injuries in the United States, 2000-2007.

The purpose of the study was to compare tubing-related injuries to wakeboarding- and water skiing-related injuries. Data was collected from the 2000-2007 National Electronic Injury Surveillance Survey for 1,761 individuals seeking care at an emergency department due to a tubing-, wakeboarding, or water skiing-related injury. Data included patient age and sex, as well as injury characteristics including body region injured (i.

Effects of purified puerarin on voluntary alcohol intake and alcohol withdrawal symptoms in P rats receiving free access to water and alcohol.

Alcohol preferring (P) rats, given "free choice" of water, exhibited daily intake of 60-75 g of water/kg of body weight. When given "free choice" of water and 15% ethanol, P rats consumed 7-13 g of alcohol/kg. Their water intake decreased proportionally to the alcohol intake, but total fluid intake did not differ significantly.

Kudzu root extract suppresses voluntary alcohol intake and alcohol withdrawal symptoms in P rats receiving free access to water and alcohol.

Alcohol-preferring (P) rats, given free choice to drink water or 15% alcohol, drank 7-10 g of alcohol/kg/day, giving blood alcohol values ranging from 16 to 24 mg/dL. Body weight and food and total fluid intake values in control and alcohol-drinking P rats did not differ significantly, while water intake was inversely related to the amount of alcohol consumed. Alcohol withdrawal after 50 days of alcohol drinking caused withdrawal symptoms such as hypersensitivity, poor landing coordination, and tremors.

Investigation of quality in ephedrine-containing dietary supplements.

Ephedra alkaloids in 47 dietary supplements were measured to examine variability within and between products as well as for comparison of actual constituents with label claims of manufactured products. Samples were analyzed for (-)-ephedrine, (+)-pseudoephedrine, (-)-methylephedrine, (+)-methylpseudoephedrine,(-)-norephedrine, and (+)-norpseudoephedrine without derivatization using gas chromatographic mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Samples were then screened for pharmaceutically derived chiral contaminants.

Quantitative analysis of phytoestrogens in kudzu-root, soy and spiked serum samples by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

A sensitive and reliable HPLC method that allows simultaneous quantification of phytoestrogens extracted from kudzu-root and soy preparations, and serum samples has been developed. Kudzu-root and soy preparations were mixed with 5 microg flavone and 15 microg rutin (internal standards) and the phytoestrogens were extracted by using solid-phase (C18) extraction cartridges. Blank or spiked serum samples were extracted by using either C18 cartridges or trichloroacetic acid-methanol extraction.

Composition, red blood cell uptake, and serum protein binding of phytoestrogens extracted from commercial kudzu-root and soy preparations.

Kudzu-root and soy phytoestrogens have been associated with anti-cancer and anti-intoxication activities. Sales of capsules containing kudzu-root and soy extracts through health food stores and the Internet are unregulated. To compare efficacy, the amount of phytoestrogens present in commercial preparations and their fate in biological samples must be determined.

Toxicity study of an antidipsotropic Chinese herbal mixture in rats: NPI-028.

Objectives: To determine the potential toxicity and safety of the Chinese herbal medicine NPI-028 in rats following subchronic (3-month) exposure via daily oral consumption.

Design: Subchronic toxicity was evaluated in four groups of rats (n = 10 per group) receiving NPI-028 orally at a dose of either 0.0 (normal diet control), 0.