Medication Optimization Using Pharmacogenomic Testing in a Complex Mental Health Population Prescribed Psychiatric Polypharmacy.

The use of polypharmacy has become significantly more common over the past two decades, increasing the risk of drug-drug interactions and adverse drug reactions. Pharmacogenomic (PGx) assays have the purported benefit of being able to predict an individual's response to a specific medication based on genetic markers, which may facilitate the development of optimized medication regimens for patients prescribed polypharmacy. This 12-week pilot study examined the impact of the PGx results on the clinical management of Veterans who were prescribed psychiatric polypharmacy.

Cryptococcal meningitis--a follow-up study of a serious clinical entity: quick cytological and microbiological diagnostics using a special staining procedure in cerebrospinal fluid specimens.

A routine diagnostic procedure of cryptococcal meningitis using Alcian Blue and Nuclear Fast Red staining is described in a group of 16 patients. Cerebrospinal fluid findings, including clinical cytology, routine biochemistry and protein fractions, are presented.

Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the nervous system; possibilities of laboratory diagnostic methods in cerebrospinal fluid.

Contemporary aspects of cerebrospinal fluid analysis are discussed, including the relationship to neuro-infective, autoimmune and other neurological diseases. The actual state of cerebrospinal fluid microbiological and cytological investigation and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid protein fractions are described in detail.

[Determination of chlorine levels in Presept, a modern disinfectant].

Presept (containing sodium dichloroisocyanurate as active component) was shown to be an excellent analytical reagent superior to classical Chloramine T and Chloramine B. Potentiometric titration of potassium ferrocyanide was found to be most suitable for estimation of chlorine content in Presept solutions. The presence of serum albumin can block or reverse the oxidation of ferrocyanide completely, whereas that of a detergent is of little importance.

Plasma beta-endorphin, bombesin and pancreatic polypeptide immunoreactivity in healthy subjects and ulcer patients and changes during treatment with pirenzepine.

A lower level of BEI was demonstrated in duodenal ulcer patients in both acute and chronic cases (P less than 0.01). Treatment of patients with PI increases BEI up to values found in healthy subjects, in accordance with our previous findings (17).

Mutual correlation between levels of plasma beta-endorphin, bombesin and pancreatic polypeptide in healthy subjects and ulcer patients.

A lower level of beta-endorphin (BE) was demonstrated in patients with both acute and chronic duodenal ulcer (P less than 0.01), while the basal level of bombesin (BO) in such patients did not differ from that in healthy subjects. The basal pancreatic polypeptide (PP) level was higher in both groups of patients, primarily in those with acute ulcer (P less than 0.

Failure to detect the presence of pluripotential haemopoietic stem cells in the mouse brain.

Single cell suspensions prepared from adult mouse brains were tested for the presence of pluripotential haemopoietic stem cells (colony-forming units, CFU) by transfer into an irradiated recipient and enumeration of the CFU in the recipient's spleen. In contrast to the findings of others (Bartlett, 1982), we did not detect CFU after injection of brain cell suspensions, although they were detectable after inoculation with bone marrow cells. The number of CFU in recipients after transfer of increasing numbers of brain cells was the same as that detected in the irradiated controls which had not received any transferred cells.

Influence of increased concentration of Ca2+, La3+, PVP and urea on primary adhesivity of embryonic brain cells. Ultrastructural pattern of adhering cells.

With the help of a previously described experimental arrangement the influence of increased external concentration of Ca2+, La3+, PVP and urea was tested on the initial stages of brain cell adhesivity and its kinetics. Urea, an inhibitor of hydrogen bonds, significantly inhibited the adhesivity of the treated cells. PVP significantly increased cell adhesivity.

Correlation between changed biophysical properties of surface membranes and embryonic brain cell adhesivity. Influence of detergents, fixation, EGTA, colchicine, vinblastine, increased K+, ouabain and DMA on the primary cellular adhesivity of embryonic brain cell.

Embryonic mouse brain cells were rotated for 120 min and cellular adhesivity was tested under normal conditions and in the presence of substances which change the membrane properties. A marked decrease of cellular adhesivity (but not complete inhibition) was recorded in the presence of anionic detergents, while fixation of cells caused only non-significant inhibition Colchicine (1 mumol/l) and vinblastine (10 micrograms/ml) did not significantly affect the adhesivity. Increased external K+ (10 mumol/l) and ouabain (10 mmol/l) were also without a significant effect, however, EGTA (0.

Plasma beta-endorphin immunoreactivity (PL-beta-ED-ir) in patients with ulcer disease and its management by acute and chronic administration of gastrozepin.

The initial level of PL-beta-ED-ir was significantly lowered in a group of 14 patients with gastroduodenal ulcer disease as compared with healthy volunteers (P less than 0.05). Immediately after i.

Suppression of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in rats by suppressor factor from a permanent T cell line.

An antigen non-specific suppressor factor (SF4) produced by a permanent mouse T cell line inhibits the mitogen- and antigen-induced proliferation of cells in vitro. The suppression of immune response is not restricted by interspecies barrier. Administration of the SF4 factor in vivo had a significant suppressive effect on the induction and manifestation of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats.

Cell-to-cell adhesion of dissociated embryonic brain cells; the effects of metabolic inhibitors and temperature.

Brain cells from 16 to 18-day-old mice embryos were dissociated by mild trypsinization and rotated for 120 min. The area and density of of the adhesive complexes formed were registered using the method described previously. The adhesiveness of dissociated embryonic brain cells (measured during the 120 min of rotation) was diminished in the presence of inhibitors of protein synthesis (puromycin, cycloheximide and inhibition of mRNA synthesis actinomycin D).

Circahoralian changes in the size and dry mass of glioma C-6 cells in culture.

Changes in the size and dry mass of glioma C-6 intact cells in culture were investigated for 35-50 min at 5 min intervals by means of vital cytointerferometry. Rhythmic variations in the size, dry mass and protein concentration were thereby revealed in glioma cells. These variations fall into the category of circahoralian ones.

Morphological maturation and survival of chicken and rat embryonic neurons on different culture substrata.

Neuronal cells from chicken and rat embryonic cerebral hemispheres were plated at a low cell concentration and cultured either on collagen or on a supporting continuous glial layer for periods of up to 21 days. The glial layer was either homologous or heterologous with regard to the animal species; the survival and maturation of the neuronal cells in these different conditions were investigated by light and electron microscopy. Neuronal cells cultured on collagen formed aggregates similar to those formed by neuronal cells plated at high cell density as described in a previous paper; a few aggregated neurons formed processes after 24 h and, only after 48 h of culture, more fibres had developed; the majority of the cells progressively degenerated between days 7 and 21 of culture.

The effect of short-term temperature changes on the adhesivity of nerve cells. Participation of DNA molecules on non-specific cellular adhesion.

Brain cells from 16 to 18-day-old mice embryos were dissociated by mild trypsinization and sieving. Immediately after dissociation the cells were preincubated in a PBS solution at -6 to +54 degrees C for 3 and 20 min. After this preincubation cells were rotated for 60 min at 37 degrees C in the PBS solution.

The organization and differentiation of nervous cells in tissue cultures (a minireview).

Single stages of histiotypic formation from dissociated embryonic brain cells are described. The first stage, i.e.

Inhibitory effect of tunicamycin on the adhesivity and aggregation of embryonic brain cells.

Tunicamycin (TM) - (0.1, 1.0 and 10 micrograms/ml) inhibits insignificantly the adhesivity of embryonic mice brain cells during the first 120 min of incubation.

Enzyme activity pattern in developing mouse brain in situ in embryonic brain aggregated cells at 37 degrees C and 0 degree C.

In aggregates of nervous tissue, cultivated for 1--7 days at 0 degree C and 37 degrees C, respectively, the activities of seven enzymes of energy liberating metabolism were estimated, in order to evaluate their metabolic "profiles" and changes during cultivation. The enzymes used as markers of different pathways of energy liberation from substrates were: lactate dehydrogenase - LDH - (EC 1.1.

Ultrastructural and protein synthetic changes in embryonic brain: cells aggregated at 0 degree C.

Cells dissociated from brains of 16 to 18 day-old mice embrya were rotated at 37 degrees C and 0 degree C for 7--8 days. While cells aggregated at 37 degrees C formed compact aggregates, cells aggregated at 0 degree C were found in clusters or were randomly distributed. Cells aggregated in the cold did not differ markedly from the controls in their ultrastructural organisation till the 2--3 day in vitro (DIV).