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A Yoffe

Publications and source records attributed to A Yoffe.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Trichotillomania and the mourning process: a case report and review of the psychodynamics.

We present our theory of trichotillomania (hair pulling) as a manic phenomenon, complementary to its classic comprehension as a mourning response. Under certain conditions, separation or threat of separation can generate sadness or grief, while in pathological cases, when the loss is experienced as unbearable, the response might be depressive or manic. We suggest that in trichotillomania (TR), like in mania, manic defenses are used to cope with separation. We believe hair pulling is an expression of primary magical thinking, offering the subject an illusion of control and victory over the object. A representative case of a young woman suffering from bipolar disorder with TR is described. Based on our case analysis, we argue that TR may not necessarily be a variant of OCD, but rather classified among the affective disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Smooth muscle effects of hydroxylated docosahexaenoates produced from human platelet.

Washed platelets (10(8)cells/ml) are capable of metabolizing docosahexaenoic acid (22:6w3, DHE) to 12-lipoxygenase derivatives. The two major metabolites of the DHE thus formed were collected and derivatized for analysis by GC/MS/EI. The structures assigned were 14(S) and 11(S) hydroxy-docosahexenoate (HDHE). 12-lipoxygenase inhibitors such as ETYA inhibited the production of HDHE. The metabolites formed are biologically active as they are capable of inducing a weak contraction in airway but not vascular smooth muscle preparations; a thromboxane-agonist (U46619) was 10 to 20-fold more efficacious than HDHE in the guinea pig lung parenchymal strip. HDHE may act in part through stimulation of leukotriene production as increased peptidyl-leukotriene levels were associated with the HDHE-induced contraction in this preparation and a lipoxygenase inhibitor (NDGA) was capable of a partial blockade of this response. In addition, HDHE antagonizes the contractile effects of the thromboxane-agonist, U46619, especially in vascular smooth muscle. Stimulation of the sulfidopeptido leukotrienes and thromboxane antagonism may therefore be important aspects of the biological function of HDHE.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

N-nitrosodibenzylamine in boneless hams processed in elastic rubber nettings.

Boneless hams processed in elastic rubber nettings contain high levels of nitrosamines in the outermost layer. The precursors of the nitrosamines are zinc dibutyl- or dibenzyldithlocarbamate used as a vulcanizing agent in the formulation of the rubber. The outermost layer from 59 commercial hams was analyzed for 11 volatile nitrosamines including N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA) and N-nitrosodibenzylamine (NDBzA). The principal nitrosamine, NDBzA, was detected in 32 (54%) ham samples at the 10-100 ppb range; it exceeded 100 ppb in 18 (30%) samples, with the highest at 512.2 ppb. No nitrosamine was detected in 7 of 59 ham samples. To determine the cause of the high NDBzA values, various types of unused nettings (from different manufacturers) accompanying the samples were analyzed for nitrosamines. No correlation was found between the NDBzA content of the hams and the nettings. The results suggest that the problem of nitrosamine formation in these products has not yet been resolved.

Animals↗