Gulf War illness: Effects of repeated stress and pyridostigmine treatment on blood-brain barrier permeability and cholinesterase activity in rat brain.

After the first Persian Gulf War, many soldiers have complained of a variety of symptoms designated as "Gulf War Illness". Among several factors, implication of pyridostigmine (PB) in late cognitive dysfunction is highly likely. As a hypothesis to explain these behavioural disorders is a potentiation of the operational stress effects by pyridostigmine.

Low dose of the gamma acute radiation syndrome (1.5 Gy) does not significantly alter either cognitive behavior or dopaminergic and serotoninergic metabolism.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the early-delayed effects of a low dose of the gamma acute radiation syndrome (1.5 Gy) on memory and on dopaminergic and serotoninergic metabolism in Swiss albino CD1 mice, of various ages (6, 10 and 20 weeks). At different times after irradiation (from 24 hr to three months), the mice were trained in a single-trial passive avoidance task and tested for retention either 24 hr or 5 days later.

Immunological relevance of malonic dialdehyde (MDA): IV. Further evidences about the epitope recognized by antibodies obtained from rabbits immunized with MDA-modified lysozyme.

Reactions of MDA with primary amino groups produce inter- or intra-molecular 1-amino-3-imino-propene (AIP) bridges, leading to structural modifications of biological molecules. In this work, applying electrophoresis followed by transfer onto nitrocellulose membranes, we observed that serum of a rabbit immunized with MDA-modified lysozyme (ML) reacts not only with ML and native lysozyme (L), but also with MDA-modified ribonuclease, cytochrome c or polylysine (MR, MC and MP respectively), while it does not react with native ribonuclease, cytochrome c or polylysine (R, C and P respectively). These results confirm previous ones indicating that sera of rabbits immunized with ML contain antibodies reacting specifically with epitopes containing AIP bridges.

Thermal strain resulting from protective clothing of an armored vehicle crew in warm conditions.

The purpose of the study is to define a method of evaluation of physiological strain resulting from protective garments worn in warm conditions by the armored vehicle crew. A technique is developed evaluating evaporative transfer through clothing by continuous weighing of the active man (accuracy +/- 3/g). An index is defined (Iw) as the ratio of steady-state evaporating rate in clothed conditions to steady-state evaporation of nude subject in the same conditions of work and heat stress.