Molecular targets of atypical antipsychotics: From mechanism of action to clinical differences.

The introduction of atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) since the discovery of its prototypical drug clozapine has been a revolutionary pharmacological step for treating psychotic patients as these allow a significant recovery not only in terms of hospitalization and reduction in symptoms severity, but also in terms of safety, socialization and better rehabilitation in the society. Regarding the mechanism of action, AAPs are weak D receptor antagonists and they act beyond D antagonism, involving other receptor targets which regulate dopamine and other neurotransmitters. Consequently, AAPs present a significant reduction of deleterious side effects like parkinsonism, hyperprolactinemia, apathy and anhedonia, which are all linked to the strong blockade of D receptors.

Clozapine as the most efficacious antipsychotic for activating ERK 1/2 kinases: Role of 5-HT receptor agonism.

Antipsychotics (APDs) are divided into first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) based on the concept that SGAs have reduced motor side effects. With this premise, this study examined in HeLa and other cell lines the effects of different APDs on the activation of ERK1/2 (Extracellular signal-regulated kinases) and AKT (Protein Kinase B) kinases, which may be affected in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Among the SGAs, Clozapine clearly resulted as the most effective drug inducing ERK1/2 phosphorylation with potency in the low micromolar range.

[Liver abscess: is drug therapy only possible?].

We describe a case of liver abscess, whose favourable evolution, after the initial medical treatment, started when we didn't know the diagnosis, persuaded us to continue the begun treatment, based on localization of disease and on clinical improvement, instead of carrying out on evacuative puncture. At moment, according to our knowledge, this is the third case of liver abscess which has recovered by on antibiotic rational treatment without surgical punctures. Can we treat the liver abscess like the pneumonia according to features of localization and clinical history?

Pulmonary function in diabetic children with and without persistent microalbuminuria.

The principal spirometric and plethysmographic parameters were measured in 68 (38 female) diabetic children and adolescents, aged from 6.01 to 22.00 years; their duration of disease ranged from 1 to 247 months.