Cognitive performance and serotonergic function in users of ecstasy.

Rationale: (+/-) 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy") has been shown to cause long term damage to serotonergic cerebral neurons in animals. The neurotoxic effects in humans are less clear and little is known about the functional consequences, although some studies suggest memory impairment. Given the widespread use of MDMA, our lack of knowledge raises concerns.

Circulating levels of human insulin-like growth factor binding protein-6 (IGFBP-6) in health and disease as determined by radioimmunoassay.

Objective: Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-6 (IGFBP-6) is a relatively unknown member of a family of six specific structurally related IGF binding proteins which are involved in the modulation of the biological effects of the IGFs. A distinctive property of IGFBP-6 is its preferential affinity for IGF-II relative to IGF-I. In order to obtain more insight into the clinical significance and regulation of circulating levels of IGFBP-6 we developed a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for this protein.

Rat odontogenic tumors associated with disturbed tooth eruption.

Most odontogenic tumors occurring in rats have the appearance of immature or mature odontomas. The present brief paper describes two spontaneously occurring odontogenic lesions in rats; both had the appearance of complex odontomas. One was associated with a lesion that had the appearance of an odontogenic fibroma; the other occurred concomitant with a lesion that had the appearance of a cementoblastoma.

Brief communication, Histopathology of a spontaneously developing mast cell sarcoma in a Wistar rat.

A case report is given of a very rare spontaneous mast cell tumor in the eyelid of the left eye of a female Wistar rat used in a long-term oral toxicity study. Metastasis of the tumor had occurred in the mandibular lymph nodes and in the liver. Clinically, the animal showed blepharospasm, dacryorrhoea, and exophthalmus.

Review article. The rat incisor in toxicologic pathology.

Microscopic examination of the incisors of rats and mice may reveal toxicologically significant changes. First, the incisor morphology reflects the nutritional status of the animal: fluctuations of mineral metabolism and vitamin availability are disclosed by the rodent incisors, because the incisors continue to grow during life. Similarly, direct or indirect changes of mineral metabolism by a test substance are reflected in the morphological appearance of the incisor dentin.

Lung, ileum and heart are predilection sites for AApoAII amyloid deposition in CD-1 Swiss mice used for toxicity studies. Pulmonary amyloid indicates AApoAII.

Amyloid deposits represent frequent histological findings in SPF strains of mice mainly used for toxicological studies. Usually, these are deposits of reactive amyloid (AA-amyloid) derived from the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA). The SAA is an apoprotein of high density lipoprotein (apoSAA).

The effect of sarcolemmal cholesterol content on intracellular calcium ion concentration in cultured cardiomyocytes.

In this study the relationship between sarcolemmal free cholesterol content and intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) was explored. In cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes the cellular free cholesterol content was modulated by treatment with liposomes. Using cholesterol-rich or cholesterol-free liposomes, sarcolemmal free cholesterol content was raised or diminished, respectively.

Simvastatin-sodium delays cell death of anoxic cardiomyocytes by inhibition of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger.

When incubated under anoxic conditions, cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes undergo cell necrosis. Simvastatin-sodium, the bioactive metabolite of simvastatin (a potent serum cholesterol-lowering drug), delayed the anoxia-induced myocyte necrosis in a dose-dependent manner. This beneficial effect of simvastatin-sodium could not be attributed to its cholesterol-lowering properties.

The role of alkalizing and neutral potassium salts in urinary bladder carcinogenesis in rats.

Using an initiation-promotion rat model, we have previously shown that the alkalizing salt KHCO3 is a strong and the neutral salt KCl a weak promoter of urinary bladder carcinogenesis. We have now studied the effects of these salts on rat urinary bladder epithelium without prior exposure to a bladder tumour initiator. In four studies ranging in duration from 4 to 130 weeks, (equimolar) amounts of K+ were administered in the diet to male and female rats (85 rats/sex/group) as KHCO3 or KCl.

Chronic inhalation toxicity and carcinogenicity study of respirable polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (polymeric MDI) aerosol in rats.

Four groups of 60 Wistar rats of each sex were exposed by inhalation to 0, 0.2, 1.0, or 6.

Spontaneous squamous cell carcinoma of nasal and paranasal structures in the Cpb:WU (Wistar random) rat: nasolachrymal duct as major site of origin.

Spontaneous nasal tumors in ageing rats are very rare. Chronic irritation and disruption of nasal, paranasal, buccal, and dental tissues have been associated with the occurrence of tumors of the nasal and paranasal structures in rats. To find out whether there is a relationship between malocclusion (MO) and nasal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in Cpb:WU (Wistar random) rats, a total of 899 untreated control rats (548 males and 351 females) from eight long-term toxicity/carcinogenicity studies was screened for nasal tumors and MO.

Effects of the color additive caramel color III and 2-acetyl-4(5)-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole (THI) on the immune system of rats.

Administration of ammonia caramel color (AC) to rats may decrease blood lymphocyte counts, specifically in rats fed a diet low in vitamin B6. This effect is associated with 2-acetyl-4(5)-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)imidazole (THI). To characterize and compare the effects of AC and THI and to study the influence of dietary pyridoxine, two studies in rats were conducted.

Safety evaluation of Protaminobacter rubrum: intravenous pathogenicity and toxigenicity study in rabbits and mice.

The iv pathogenicity and toxigenicity of Protaminobacter rubrum was studied in New Zealand White rabbits and CF1 BR mice. Following a probe study, nine groups of six rabbits each were injected iv with; 1 ml of viable-cell suspension (VCS) at concentrations of 2.23 x 10(8), 10(6), 10(4) and 10(2) organisms/ml; the cell-free supernatant (CFS; in which the test organism had been cultured to a concentration of approximately 3 x 10(10) cells/ml) at dilutions of 1:100, 1:10,000 and 1:1,000,000 in phosphate buffered saline (PBS); uninoculated culture medium; or uninoculated PBS.

Relationship between blood pressure level, renal histopathological lesions and plasma renin activity in fawn-hooded rats.

The fawn-hooded rat (FH rat) develops hypertension accompanied with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and proteinuria, resulting in premature death. In a first experiment the relationship between renal lesions and blood pressure at various ages was investigated. In a second experiment blood pressure was measured weekly from 10 to 38 weeks of age in a number of male FH rats, followed by examination of renal tissues at 40 weeks of age.

Spontaneous hypertension in the fawn-hooded rat: a cardiovascular disease model.

The fawn-hooded (FH) rat develops hypertension spontaneously. Systolic blood pressure is already elevated at 5 weeks of age, increases with age, and the final range is 180-240 mmHg at the age of 1 year. Concomitantly with the rise in blood pressure proteinuria occurs and increases with age.

Topical treatment of recurrent genital herpes simplex virus infections with trisodium phosphonoformate (foscarnet): double blind, placebo controlled, multicentre study.

A double blind, placebo controlled trial was performed in nine sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinics in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to investigate the efficacy of trisodium phosphonoformate (foscarnet) cream in treating recurrent genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. The study group comprised 145 male and 85 female patients. Men received 0.

Development of hypertension and proteinuria with age in fawn-hooded rats.

Blood pressure and urinary protein excretion were monitored in male fawn hooded rats (FH rats) from 8 until 46 weeks of age. Mild hypertension was already observed at 8 weeks of age. Between the age of 5 and 7 months the blood pressure rose steeply to a plateau of about 200 mmHg.

Spontaneous hypertension and hypertensive renal disease in the fawn-hooded rat.

The fawn-hooded (FH) rat, a strain characterized by a platelet storage-pool disease, developed focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis at the age of 2-3 months (males) and approximately 6 months (females). Male animals died spontaneously at 11-13 months, and females at 15 months of age, both with overt malignant nephrosclerosis. During the first half year of life focal glomeruli showed depositions of IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and fibrinogen in a segmental pattern and mainly in mesangial areas.