Baclofen antagonizes intravenous self-administration of nicotine in mice and rats.

Aims: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic transmission plays an important role in modulating reinforcing effects of different drugs of misuse. In particular, stimulation of GABA(B) receptors negatively influences self-administration of cocaine, heroin, nicotine, alcohol and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid. The effect and specificity of the GABA(B) agonist baclofen on nicotine misuse were studied on two animal models of self-administration.

Effect of the use of vital dye, lymphoscintigraphy, or a combination for axillary lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer.

Axillary dissection in patients with breast cancer is associated with significant morbidity. Because 85% of the patients with a cancer < or = 1 cm have negative axillary nodal status, axillary dissection in these patients is only a staging procedure. A study of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been developed to determine axillary nodal status by means of a minimally invasive procedure.

Initial experience with sentinel lymph node mapping and biopsy in breast cancer. Preliminary results on 80 consecutive patients.

Sentinel node biopsy, in breast cancer, is a promising surgical technique for predicting histological findings in the remaining axillary lymph nodes, especially in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer. 80 patients with breast cancer were evaluated for enrollment in this study. For mapping procedure 32 patients underwent lymphoscintigraphy in combination with an injection of vital blue dye, while 48 utilized only vital dye.

Baclofen antagonises intravenous self-administration of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in mice.

gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a widely used recreational drug known to exert positive reinforcing effects in animals and humans. The GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen has been proved to possess antimotivational effect and to inhibit alcohol, cocaine, heroin and nicotine intake. In the present study we evaluated the effect of baclofen on i.

Prognostic factors in breast cancer: the predictive value of the Nottingham Prognostic Index in patients with a long-term follow-up that were treated in a single institution.

The Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) is an index, derived from a retrospective multivariate study, that is able to predict survival in patients with breast cancer. The index is based on tumour size, lymph node stage and histological grade and allows the stratification of patients into three different prognostic groups. The aim of this study was to verify, according to our experience with a long-term follow-up, the effect of some prognostic variables on survival and to establish the independent influence of each of them by means of a survival regression analysis.

CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 decreases intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats.

The effect of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 on intravenous cocaine self-administration (IVSA) in rats was evaluated. Male Long Evans rats were implanted with silastic catheters through the external jugular vein. The IVSA was conducted in 3-h daily sessions with a fixed ratio (FR1) schedule: the experimental apparatus had a nose-poking response-like operandum.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid: an evaluation of its rewarding properties in rats and mice.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, an endogenous compound present in mammalian brain and supposed to be a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator, has been shown to affect several aspects of dependence from some drugs of abuse. It has been successfully used in clinical practice to alleviate both alcohol and opiate withdrawal symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether gamma-hydroxybutyric acid possesses rewarding properties by means of conditioned place preference and intravenous self-administration paradigms.

[Pica in psychotic patients: an unusual cause of acute abdomen].

Pica is a pathologic craving for substances not commonly regarded as foods. In this study the authors report their experience about five cases presented with an acute abdomen following foreign bodies ingestion by patients mentally handicapped. Therapeutic treatment was emergency laparatomy with postoperative morbidity of 40% and mortality of 40%.

Intravenous self-administration of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in drug-naive mice.

The reinforcing effects of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) were studied by means of intravenous self-administration in drug-naive mice. GHB self-administration was concentration-dependent (0.01-0.

Self-administration of the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 in drug-naive mice.

Marijuana is one of the most widely used illicit recreational drugs. However, contrary to the majority of drugs abused by humans, there is a general opinion that rewarding effects are not manifested by animals. We studied a synthetic cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 using an intravenous self-administration model in drug-naive mice.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid decreases intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an endogenous compound present in mammalian brain suggested as a putative neurotransmitter, which has been shown to affect several aspects of dependence from various classes of drugs of abuse. In the present study, two sets of experiments were performed to investigate the effects of acute pretreatment with GHB on intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats. In the first experiment GHB was administered intragastrically at the doses of 175, 350, and 700 mg/kg to Long-Evans rats trained to self-administer cocaine using nose-poke as operandum.

Rewarding properties of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid: an evaluation through place preference paradigm.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), a putative neurotransmitter or neuromodulator found in the mammalian brain, has been successfully used in clinical practice to alleviate both alcohol and opiate withdrawal symptoms. In the present study we used a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm to investigate whether GHB possesses rewarding properties in rats. In order to exclude possible artifacts due to experimental design, we evaluated the possibility of a shift in preference when rats are conditioned either on their non-preferred side or on a randomly assigned side of conditioning.

Effect of isradipine, a dihydropyridine-calcium antagonist on i.v. self-administration of morphine in rats.

The effect of dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist isradipine (PN 200-110) on morphine reinforcement has been investigated using i.v. self-administration test in rats.

Isradipine inhibits nicotine intravenous self-administration in drug-naive mice.

The effect of isradipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, on intravenous self-administration of nicotine in naive mice has been investigated. When nicotine injections were made contingent upon nose-poke response by naive mice, they increased their rate of nose poking with respect to animals receiving contingent saline injections or yoked control animals receiving noncontingent nicotine injections. Pretreatment of mice with mecamylamine (2.

Effects of the calcium antagonist isradipine on cocaine intravenous self-administration in rats.

The effect of isradipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, on cocaine intravenous self-administration in rats was investigated. Administration of (+/-)isradipine (1.25-5 mg/kg SC) 2 h before the cocaine self-administration session induced a significant and dose-dependent increase in the number of cocaine injections with respect to basal values.

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone during human perinatal life.

To obtain information on human pituitary intermediate lobe activity throughout the perinatal period, plasma alpha MSH immunoreactivity (IR) was measured in 106 newborns at delivery and during the first week of postnatal life. Subjects were divided into groups according to gestational age at birth, mode of parturition, and antenatal state of health. Plasma alpha MSH IR decreased progressively from severe preterm to fullterm neonates born by vaginal delivery (VD; P < 0.

Dopamine and opioids interactions in sleep deprivation.

1. Sleep deprivation induced by the platform technique is considered to be a heavy stressful situation in rats. At the end of the sleep deprivation period (72 hrs) the rat displayed particular behavior characterized by wakefulness, a high degree of motor and exploratory activity, increased alertness and reactivity to environmental stimuli.

Calcium antagonists isradipine and nimodipine suppress cocaine and morphine intravenous self-administration in drug-naive mice.

The effect of isradipine and nimodipine, two dihydropyridine calcium antagonists, on intravenous self-administration of cocaine and morphine in naive mice has been investigated. When morphine or cocaine injections were made contingent upon nose-poke response by naive mice, they increased their rate of nose-poking with respect to animals receiving contingent saline injections or yoked control animals, receiving noncontingent cocaine or morphine injections. Pretreatment of mice with isradipine (1.

Dopamine D1 and opioid receptor binding changes in the limbic system of sleep deprived rats.

Sleep deprivation induced by the platform technique is considered to be a heavy stressful situation in rats. At the end of the sleep deprivation period (72 h) the rat displayed particular behavior characterized by wakefulness, a high degree of motor and exploratory activity, increased alertness and reactivity to environmental stimuli. Our previous results indicated that this behavior was potently antagonized by the administration of the D1 selective antagonist SCH 23390 and by the opioid antagonist naloxone.

The calcium antagonist PN 200-110 inhibits the reinforcing properties of cocaine.

The effect of a dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium antagonist, PN 200-110, on cocaine reinforcing properties was investigated using conditioned place preference paradigm. PN 200-110 in nonsedative doses (0.62-1.

Sleep deprivation increases dopamine D1 receptor antagonist [3H]SCH 23390 binding and dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase in the rat limbic system.

Sleep deprivation induced by the platform technique is considered to be a heavy stressful situation in rats. At the end of the sleep deprivation period (72 h) the rats displayed particular behaviour characterized by wakefulness, a high degree of motor and exploratory activity, increased alertness and reactivity to environmental stimuli. Our previous results indicated that this behaviour was potently antagonized by the administration of the D1-selective antagonist SCH 23390.

Plasma alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone during the menstrual cycle in women.

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) immunoreactivity (IR) was measured in the blood of 22 healthy women with normal ovulatory process in the early and late follicular (near to ovulation) phases and in the early luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Plasma alpha-MSH IR ranged from undetectable values to 81.3 pg/ml, the highest levels being found in the late follicular phase (15.

Effect of fipexide on passive avoidance behaviour in rats.

The effect of fipexide, administered at different intervals after the learning trial of a single step-through type passive avoidance situation was studied. The administration of fipexide immediately after the learning trial resulted in a long-lasting facilitation of passive avoidance behaviour. On the contrary, the administration of this compound 1 h prior to the retention test failed to influence passive avoidance behaviour.

Stress-induced insomnia: opioid-dopamine interactions.

REM sleep deprivation induced by means of the platform technique (72 h) was followed by a period of latency to sleep characterized by a marked excitement in rats. The administration of naloxone at the end of the REM deprivation period reduced this latency to sleep while morphine, beta-endorphin and DADLE prolonged it. The dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 was extremely potent (0.