Biomedical subjects

C Valerio

Publications and source records attributed to C Valerio.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Isolated ambulatory hypertension and changes in target organ damage in treated hypertensive patients.

Isolated ambulatory hypertension is a condition characterized by elevated ambulatory but normal clinic blood pressure (BP), and has been reported to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk in untreated subjects. However, little is known about the relationship between this condition and intermediate end points such as target organ damage (TOD) in treated hypertensives. We investigated the impact of isolated ambulatory hypertension on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and microalbuminuria (MA) in a selected sample of treated nondiabetic hypertensives with effective and prolonged clinic BP control (BP<140/90 mmHg). Clinic BP measurements, routine diagnostic procedures, echocardiography and 24-h urine collection for MA, were undertaken in 80 patients (mean age 53+/-8 years) with essential hypertension attending our hospital outpatient centre at baseline and after an average follow-up of 30 months. At follow-up evaluation BP status was assessed by self-measurement of BP and ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). At the follow-up visit, 51 out of 80 patients (63.7%) reached a BP control according to ABP (average daytime BP<132/85 mmHg) criteria (group I) whereas the remaining 29 did not (group II); home BP was controlled (BP<135/85 mmHg) in all members of group I and in 86% of group II. In the overall study population, mean Sokolow voltage, LV mass index (LVMI) and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) decreased compared to baseline from 24.1+/-5.0 to 18.9+/-5.1 mm (P<0.05), 115.6+/-24.1 to 97.7+/-21.6 g/m(2) (P<0.01), 11.8+/-23.7 to 5.8+/-14.9 mg/24 h (P<0.05), respectively. The prevalence of ECG LVH, altered LV patterns and MA fell from 7.5 to 2.5% (P=NS), from 45 to 25 (P<0.01) and from 13.7 to 5.1% (P<0.05), respectively. However, when data were analysed separately for the two groups a significant decrease of echo LVH and MA was found only in patients with controlled ABP. LVMI and MA decreased from 117.1+/-23.1 to 95.9+/-22.1 g/m(2) (P<0.01) and 12.8+/-24.7 to 4.1+/-5.7 mg/24 h (P<0.05) in group I, and from 114.1+/-24.8 to 102.3+/-20.3 (P=NS) and 11.9+/-22.1 to 6.3+/-18.1 mg/24 h (P=NS) in group II. In conclusion, in the present study isolated ambulatory hypertension in treated patients is associated with a lack of regression in cardiac and extracardiac TOD, suggesting that a tight BP control throughout the 24 h plays a key role in lowering hypertension-induced structural and functional alterations at cardiac and renal level.

Albuminuria↗

PubMed2005

Prevalence and correlates of advanced retinopathy in a large selected hypertensive population. The Evaluation of Target Organ Damage in Hypertension (ETODH) study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of advanced retinal microvascular lesions and their associations with cardiac and extracardiac signs of target organ damage (TOD) in a large selected hypertensive population. METHODS: A total of 2172 non-diabetic untreated and treated uncomplicated essential hypertensives consecutively attending for the first time our hospital outpatient hypertension clinic and included in the Evaluation of Target Organ Damage in Hypertension (ETODH), an observational ongoing registry of hypertension-related TOD, were considered for this analysis. Advanced hypertensive retinopathy was defined by the presence of any of the following lesions: flame-shaped haemorrhages, soft exudates or cotton wool spots and papilloedema. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), carotid structural abnormalities, such as plaques and intima media (IM) thickening, and microalbuminuria were diagnosed according to the 2003 ESH/ESC guidelines criteria. RESULTS: Among the whole study population, 33 patients (1.5%) were found to have advanced hypertensive retinopathy. Patients with these retinal lesions were similar to those without for age, body mas index, known duration of hypertension, smoking habit, total serum cholesterol, fasting blood pressure and prevalence of antihypertensive treatment; whereas mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher in the former group. The prevalence rates of LVH, carotid plaques, carotid IM thickening and microalbuminuria in patients with and without retinopathy were 57%, 67%, 69%, 19% and 25%, 47%, 44%, 12%, respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, advanced retinopathy was significantly associated with LVH (OR = 4.0), carotid IM thickening (OR = 2.9), carotid plaques (OR = 2.8), but not with microalbuminuria. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicated that: (i) advanced retinopathy is a rare finding in non-diabetic hypertensive patients seen in a specialist setting; (ii) a strong relation exists between retinal microvascular lesions and cardiac and macrovascular markers of TOD.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Reproducibility of nocturnal blood pressure fall in early phases of untreated essential hypertension: a prospective observational study.

A number of studies have shown that a smaller than normal nocturnal blood pressure (BP) decrease is associated with cardiovascular disease. However, no large prospective studies have examined the reliability of nocturnal dipping within individuals. The aim of our study was to investigate the short-term variability of nocturnal BP fall in a large cohort of patients with recently diagnosed essential hypertension. In all, 414 uncomplicated never treated hypertensive patients referred to our outpatient hypertension hospital clinic (mean age 46+/-12 years; 257 M, 157 F) prospectively underwent: (1). repeated clinic BP measurements; (2). routine examinations recommended by WHO/ISH guidelines; and (3). ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) twice within a 4-week period. Dipping pattern was defined as a reduction in the average systolic and diastolic BP at night greater than 10% compared to average daytime values. Overall, 311 patients (75.1%) showed no change in their diurnal variations in BP. Of the 278 patients who had a dipping pattern on the first ABPM, 219 (78.7%) confirmed this type of profile on the second ABPM, while 59 (21.3%) showed a nondipping pattern. Among 37 dipper patients with >20% of nocturnal systolic BP decrease (extreme dippers), only 16 (43.2%) had this marked fall in BP on the second ABPM. Of the 136 patients who had a nondipping pattern on the first ABPM, 92 (67.6%) confirmed their initial profile on the second ABPM, while 44 (32.4%) did not. Patients with reproducible nondipping profile were older (48+/-12 years) than those with reproducible dipping profile (44+/-12 years, P<0.05). These findings indicate that: (1). short-term reproducibility of nocturnal fall in BP in untreated middle-aged hypertensives is rather limited: overall, one-fourth of patients changed their initial dipping patterns when they were studied again after a few weeks; (2). this was particularly true for extreme dipping and nondipping patterns; (3). abnormalities in nocturnal BP fall, assessed by a single ABPM, cannot be taken as independent predictors of increased cardiovascular risk.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Home blood pressure measurement and its relationship with blood pressure control in a large selected hypertensive population.

Despite the impressive increase of home blood pressure monitoring (BPM) among hypertensive patients over the last few years, a limited number of studies have analysed the rate of home BPM and its relationship with target blood pressure (BP) control, in representative samples of the hypertensive population. The objectives of the study were first to evaluate the prevalence of home BPM in a large selected group of treated hypertensive patients referred to our outpatient hypertension hospital clinic. Second, to assess the rate of satisfactory clinic BP control in patients with or without familiarity with home BPM. In all, 1350 consecutive hypertensive patients who attended our hypertension centre during a period of 12 months and were regularly followed up by the same medical team were included in the study. After informed consent all patients underwent the following procedures: (1) accurate medical history (implemented by a structured questionnaire on demographic and clinical characteristics, including questions concerning home BPM); (2) physical examination; (3) clinic BP measurement; (4) routine examinations; and (5) standard 12-lead electrocardiogram. A total of 897 patients (66%) out of 1350 (687 men, 663 women, age 58.6 +/- 12.3 years, mean clinic BP 141 +/- 16/87 +/- 9 mmHg ) were regularly practising home BPM. In this group of patients, home BPM was associated with a significantly greater rate of satisfactory BP control (49.2 vs 45.6%, P < 0.01). Patients performing home BPM were more frequently men (54 vs 46%, P < 0.02 ) younger (average age 57.8 +/- 12.0 vs 60.3 +/- 12.7 years, P < 0.001) and with a higher educational level (defined by more than 8 years of school, 71 vs 55%, P < 0.05) than their counterparts. There were no significant differences in duration of hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, obesity, smoking, diabetes, associated cardiovascular diseases, left ventricular hypertrophy and compliance with drug treatment. This study demonstrates that: (1) home BPM is widely performed by hypertensive patients managed in a hypertension hospital clinic; (2) this practice is associated with a significantly higher rate of clinic BP control; and (3) age, male gender and educational level influence the adoption of home BPM.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Change in cardiovascular risk profile by echocardiography in medium-risk elderly hypertensives.

It has been clearly demonstrated that ageing and arterial hypertension are both associated with an increased prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which is a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) events. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of echocardiographic LVH in profiling the absolute CV risk stratification according to the 1999 World Health Organization-International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH) guidelines in elderly hypertensive patients. A total of 223 never-treated elderly patients (> or =65 years) with essential hypertension (98 men, 125 women, mean age 72+/-5 years) referred to our outpatient hospital clinic were included in the study. They underwent the following procedures: (1) medical history, physical examination, and clinic blood pressure; (2) routine blood chemistry and urine analysis and (3) electrocardiogram. The risk was initially stratified according to the routine procedures suggested by WHO/ISH guidelines and subsequently reassessed by adding the results of echocardiography (LVH as left ventricular mass index >51 g/m(2.7) in men and >47g/m(2.7) in women). According to routine classification, 56% (n=125) were medium-risk patients, 29% (64) high-risk and 15% (34) very-high-risk patients. The overall prevalence of LVH was 56% (48% in medium-risk and 62% in high-risk or very-high-risk patients, P<0.01). A marked change in risk stratification was observed when echocardiographic LVH was taken into consideration: medium-risk patients decreased to 29% and high-risk patients rose to 56% (P<0.01). In conclusion, ultrasound assessment of cardiac target organ damage is extremely useful in obtaining a more valid assessment of global cardiovascular risk in elderly hypertensives, because stratification based on diagnostic routine procedures can underestimate the overall risk in a large fraction (48%) of medium-risk subjects.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2003

Reduced nocturnal fall in blood pressure, assessed by two ambulatory blood pressure monitorings and cardiac alterations in early phases of untreated essential hypertension.

To investigate whether in recently diagnosed essential hypertensives a reduced nocturnal fall in blood pressure (BP), established on the basis of two 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitorings (ABPM) is related to a greater cardiovascular damage. In all, 355 consecutive, recently diagnosed, never-treated essential hypertensives referred for the first time to our outpatient clinic were included in the study. Each patient underwent the following procedures: (1) two 24-h ABPMs performed within 3 weeks, (2) 24-h urinary collection for microalbuminuria, (3) nonmydriatic photography of ocular fundi, (4) echocardiography, (5) carotid ultrasonography. We defined nondipping profile as a night-day systolic and diastolic fall < or =10 % (mean of two ABPMs). A dipper BP profile was found in 238 patients, whereas in 117 patients a nondipper profile was present. The two groups were similar for age, gender, body mass index, smoking habit, clinic BP, 48-h BP and heart rate, while, by definition, night-time systolic and diastolic BP were significantly higher in nondippers than in dippers (130/81 vs 121/74 mmHg, P < 0.0001).The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) defined by four different criteria: (a) LV mass index (LVMI) > or = 125 g/m(2) in both genders; (b) LVMI > or = 134 gm(2) in men and > or = 110 in women; (c) LVMI> or = 125 g/m(2) in men and > or = 110 g/m(2) in women; (d) LVMI > or = 51 g/m(2.7) in men and > or = 47 g/m(2.7) in women was significantly higher in nondippers than in dippers (a: 12 vs 7%, P < 0.05; b: 16 vs 7%, P < 0.01; c: 20 vs 11%, P < 0.01; d: 35 vs 23% P < 0.02) and this finding was associated with a significant increase in aortic root and left atrium dimensions. There were no differences between the two groups in the prevalence of carotid and retinal changes and microalbuminuria. In conclusion our findings suggest that never-treated hypertensives with a reduced BP fall in the night time, defined on the basis of two ABPMs, have a higher prevalence of TOD than dippers, in terms of echocardiographic LVH. In this population setting, cardiac structural alterations are a more sensitive marker of the impact of the nocturnal BP load on cardiovascular system than other extracardiac signs of TOD.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Awareness of hypertension guidelines in primary care: results of a regionwide survey in Italy.

Unsatisfactory blood pressure (BP) control so often described in treated hypertensive populations is also explained by insufficient physicians' awareness of experts' guidelines. We assessed awareness of current recommendations about hypertension management in a general practice setting, using the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH) 1999 guidelines as reference. In a regionwide survey, a total of 5133 physicians (three-quarters of all active general practitioners in Lombardy, a region of north-western Italy) were contacted by letter and received a multiple choice 10-item questionnaire. Data on physicians' demographic characteristics, information on hypertension prevalence and their perception of BP control among their patients were also requested in an additional form. The number of answers in agreement with WHO/ISH guidelines was used as an awareness measure. This was considered adequate if correct answers to six out of 10 questions, including an appropriate definition of hypertension, were provided. Of the 1256 returned questionnaires (a 24.5% response rate), 1162 were suitable for analysis. The mean score of correct answers was 5.3 points and only 20.1% of the study population correctly answered at least six of the questions (including that on the definition of hypertension in the elderly). Guidelines awareness was negatively related to increase in physicians' age and duration of clinical practice and by the male gender. Finally, the physicians reported a high rate of achieved BP control, and those who were considered to have achieved highest rates (>75%) of control in their patients had a lower rate of adequate knowledge than those who reported less-successful therapeutic results (18 vs 25%, P<0.01), suggesting that they ignored or disregarded the goal BP recommended by the guidelines. This large regional survey shows that a sufficient degree of guidelines awareness is present in a minority of primary-care physicians in the Italian region of Lombardy. Therefore, further efforts are required to intensify information strategies for improving professional education, training and practice organization aimed at achieving therapeutic goals. Physicians with longer duration of clinical practice represent a particularly relevant target group for these interventions.

Awareness↗

PubMed2002

Left ventricular concentric remodelling and extracardiac target organ damage in essential hypertension.

Left ventricular (LV) concentric remodelling is an adaptive change in cardiac geometry frequently observed in arterial hypertension. This study was addressed to investigate the extent of extracardiac target organ damage (TOD) in patients with LV concentric remodelling. Two groups of never-treated essential hypertensives, 31 with normal LV geometry (group I, relative wall thickness: 0.39) and 31 with LV concentric remodelling (group II, relative wall thickness: 0.47) matched for age, sex, body mass index and mean 24-h systolic blood pressure (BP), were included in the study. They underwent clinical and laboratory examination, 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), 24-h urinary collection for microalbuminuria, non-mydriatic photography of ocular fundi, echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography. In both groups age (I: 51 +/- 11 years; II: 51 +/- 11 years), body mass index (I: 25 +/- 3 kg/m(2); II: 26 +/- 3 kg/m(2)), clinic and 24-h ABPM values (I: 149 +/- 11/95 +/- 8, 142 +/- 11/91 +/- 7 mm Hg; II: 150 +/- 11/98 +/- 9, 142 +/- 12/92 +/- 9 mm Hg) were similar by design. There were no differences between patients with normal LV geometry and with LV concentric remodelling in LVM index (97 +/- 16 vs 99 +/- 16), carotid intima-media thickness (0.7 +/- 0.02 vs 0.7 +/- 0.02) and carotid plaques prevalence (35% vs 35%). Furthermore, no significant differences among the two groups were found in the prevalence of retinal changes and microalbuminuria. These results suggest that in hypertensive patients with similar BP and LVMI levels, LV concentric remodelling is not associated with more prominent TOD.

Albuminuria↗

PubMed2002

Short-term reproducibility of nocturnal non-dipping pattern in recently diagnosed essential hypertensives.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate in a selected population of patients with a recently diagnosed essential hypertension the short-term intrasubject variability of diurnal changes in blood pressure (BP). METHODS: Two hundred and eight consecutive, recently diagnosed, never treated essential hypertensives (119 men, 89 women, 46 +/- 12 years) underwent 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) twice within 3 weeks. Dipping pattern was defined as a reduction in average systolic and diastolic BP at night greater than 10% compared to average daytime values. RESULTS: 177 subjects (85%) showed no change in their diurnal variations in BP. Of the 159 subjects who had a dipping pattern on first ABPM, 134 (90.6%) confirmed this type of profile on the second ABPM, while 15 (9.4%) showed a non-dipping pattern. Of the 59 subjects who had a non-dipping pattern on the first ABPM, 43 (72.2%) confirmed their initial profile on the second ABPM, while 16 (28.8%) did not. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that short-term reproducibility of diurnal changes in BP in early phases of untreated essential hypertension, characterized by a large prevalence of dipping pattern, is overall satisfactory. However, our study underlines that also in this particularly selected population of hypertensives the definition of non-dipping status on the basis of a single ABPM remains unreliable in about one-third of patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

A comparison of blood pressure control in a hypertension hospital clinic between 1997 and 2000.

AIMS: (1) To evaluate the prevalence of clinic blood pressure (BP) control in a large sample of treated hypertensives followed in our hypertension clinic during the year 2000, and to compare it with our 1997 data. (2) To investigate the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) according to different levels of BP control. METHODS AND RESULTS: One thousand consecutive hypertensive patients who attended our hypertension hospital clinic in a period of 7 months during the year 2000 and who had regularly been followed by the same medical team were included in the study. LVH was assessed using two different electrocardiographic criteria (Sokolow-Lyon and Cornell). This population had similar clinical characteristics of a cohort including 700 patients seen at our centre during 1997 in which BP control rate was 34% (Cuspidi et al., J Hypertens 1999; 17: 835-41). During follow-up, 441 of the treated patients had clinic BP < 140/90 mmHg, 283 < 150/95 mmHg and 276 > or = 150/95 mmHg, indicating that BP control was satisfactory in 44.1%, borderline in 28.3% and unsatisfactory in 27.6% of the cases. Thirty-five patients (3.6%) had LVH according to Cornell criteria and 25 (2.6%) according to Sokolow criteria. A significantly lower prevalence of LVH was detected in patients with optimal BP control (< 130/ 85 mmHg) compared to those with unsatisfactory BP (2.3% vs 9.4%, respectively, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that: (1) hypertensive patients in a hypertension clinic have satisfactory BP control in 44.1% of cases, indicating a significant improvement of BP control in this clinical setting during the last 3 years; (2) prevalence of LVH is significantly related to BP control.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Regioselective chlorocarbonylation of polybenzyl cores and functionalization using dendritic and organometallic nucleophiles

Regiospecific chlorocarbonylation of the polybenzyl cores PhCH2CH2Ph, C6(CH2CH2Ph)6, 7, and CH(CH2Ph)24-1,2,4,5-C6H2, 8, in the para position of the benzyl groups gives the chlorocarbonyl derivatives 2, 9, and 10, respectively, in good yields. The octachlorocarbonyl derivative 10 reacts with Newkome's aminotripod NH2C(CH2OCH2CH2CN)3 to give the 24-nitrile dendrimer 13 which is characterized by its molecular peak in the MALDI TOF mass spectrum and with (5-aminopentyl)-1-ferrocene to give the octaferrocene complex 14. Reactions of 2, 9, and 10 with sodium methanolate in methanol gives the methyl esters 3, 15, and 16 which are reduced by LiAlH4 to the primary alcohols 4, 17, and 18; reactions of these alcohols with NaI and BF3.Et2O yield the iodomethyl derivatives 5, 19, and 20. The organoiron nucleophile [FeIICp(eta 5-C6Me5CH2)], 1, reacts with 5, 19, and 20 leading to C-C bond formation and recovery of the aromatic structure of the ligand. This reaction with 5 yields a soluble complex, [FeIICp(eta 6-C6Me5CH2CH2C6H4CH2-)]2, 6, in which the two redox groups, separated by 14 carbon atoms, are independent, being reversibly reduced at approximately the same potential in an overall two-electron wave recorded by cyclic voltammetry. The analogous reaction with 19 and 20, however, gave almost insoluble hexa- and octa-iron complexes 21 and 22 with mediocre purities.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

Effects of acute or chronic administration of risperidone on motor and sexual behavior of male rats.

A number of experiments were carried out to explore the behavioral profile of a novel antipsychotic, risperidone, after acute or chronic administration, in a dose range of 0.1-10 mg kg-1. This drug did not affect the acquisition and retention of avoidance behaviors in a dose of 0.1 mg kg-1, either after acute or chronic administration. Higher doses induced a inhibited acquisition and a facilitated extinction (only after chronic treatment) of active avoidance behavior, but no significant effect on the retention of passive avoidance responses. In contrast, haloperidol inhibited the acquisition and facilitated the extinction of active avoidance behavior, and reduced the retention of passive avoidance reaction at the dose of 0.1 mg kg-1 injected either acutely or chronically. Ambulation and rearing of rats rated in an open field was increased by risperidone injected acutely at the dose of 1 mg kg-1. Under the same experimental conditions, grooming appeared to be reduced. In the same test, acute or chronic haloperidol 1 or 10 mg kg-1 inhibited all behavioral items. Furthermore, in contrast to haloperidol, the acute or chronic administration of risperidone in a dose range of 0.1-10 mg kg-1 did not substantially induce catalepsy and did not affect apomorphine-induced stereotypies. Also, the dose of 0.1 mg kg-1 induced a facilitation of male sexual behavior by increasing the frequency and reducing the latency of mountings, intromissions and ejaculations, while haloperidol 1 or 10 mg kg-1 inhibited this behavior. These findings suggest that the pharmacological profile of risperidone differs from that of classical neuroleptics, like haloperidol, probably due to different mechanism or site of action.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1996

Behavioral and neurochemical alterations induced by reversible conductive hearing loss in aged male rats.

Eighteen months old male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were subjected to a reversible conductive hearing loss (HL) or a sham operation. A series of behavioral tests performed 3 months after surgery, revealed a sustained deficit in learning and memory capacity and a marked depressive attitude of rats with HL. At this time, a group of these animals were allowed to recover from HL for 1 month and were again tested behaviorally compared to those with persistent auditory deficit. A better performance at the active and passive avoidance tests and normal responsiveness to the despair test was found in animals with recovered hearing capacity as compared to those with persistent HL. A biochemical analysis revealed a decrease of dopamine and homovanillic acid content and of choline-acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activity in the striatum and hippocampus of animals with persistent HL as compared to those with recovered auditory deficit. These data suggest that persistent auditory deafferentation affects cognitive mechanism in old rats in a reversible manner.

Aging↗

PubMed1996

Behavioral effects of amylin injected intracerebroventricularly in the rat.

Amylin is a peptide of pancreatic origin that has been reported to possess high-affinity binding sites in the brain and to affect central dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. Administered ICV the peptide induced a dose-dependent decrease of locomotor activity without affecting grooming and sniffing. At a dose of 5 micrograms/ rat, it antagonized the hypermotility and stereotypies induced by s.c. injection of amphetamine (2 mg/kg) or of the dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine (250 mg/kg). Amylin did not change significantly the effect of haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) on locomotor activity, grooming, and sniffing. Moreover, the peptide did not modify the locomotor behavior of animals injected with the 5-HT2 antagonist, ritanserin (2 mg/kg, s.c.). These results suggest that amylin may exert motor effects, probably by interfering with central dopaminergic neurotransmission.

Amphetamine↗

PubMed1993

Effects of cytidine-diphosphocholine on acetylcholine-mediated behaviors in the rat.

The phosphatidylcholine precursor, cytidine-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline), was injected intraperitoneally (IP) at the dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg/day for 20 days to 24-month-old male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain that showed cognitive and motor deficits. The drug was also injected in animals with behavioral alterations induced pharmacologically with a single injection of the cholinergic receptor antagonist, scopolamine, with prenatal exposure to methylazoxymethanol (MAM rats), or with bilateral injections of kainic acid into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Learning and memory capacity of the animals, studied with tests of active and passive avoidance behavior, was improved after treatment with CDP-choline in all experimental groups. An improvement in motor performance and coordination in the rotorod and open field tests was also observed in aged rats. These results indicate that this drug affects central mechanisms involved in cognitive behaviors, probably through a cholinergic action.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1992

Behavioral effects of L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine: influence on cognitive mechanisms in the rat.

The phosphorylcholine precursor, L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC), was injected at the dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 20 days to aged male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain, 24 months old, showing a deficit of learning and memory capacity. The drug was also administered to rats with amnesia induced pharmacologically with bilateral injections of kainic acid into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Learning and memory capacity of the animals, studied with tests of active and passive avoidance behavior, was improved after treatment with alpha-GPC in all experimental groups. These results indicate that this drug affects cognitive mechanisms in the rat through an involvement of central neurotransmission.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide on extrapyramidal motor system.

The effects of central administration of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP, 1 or 100 ng/rat) on behavioral and biochemical parameters related to the extrapyramidal motor system were investigated in male rats. The peptide-induced catalepsy occurred only at the dose of 100 ng/rat and hypomotility at both doses used. Calcitonin gene-related peptide increased haloperidol-induced catalepsy and decreased apomorphine-induced hypermotility at the doses of 1 and 100 ng/rat. Although these behaviors are related to dopamine, no significant change of striatal DA or DOPAC concentration were observed after central administration of the peptide. Other neurotransmitters may be directly or indirectly involved in these behavioral effects of CGRP.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

PubMed1992

From psychotic "tragedy" to hysterical "drama": Anna history.

The authors present a multiple personality case. The characteristics of the family system seemed to be typical of psychotic families, but after a rightway look on the case, the therapists focussed their attention on several elements which had not come out before. Carefully analysing the case, they were able to find out well played "roles" or "masks", (particularly a "great-seducer father", and a "very depressed mother") a stressed "characterization" of the players and a double level of reality, as if members, although maintaining an inner capacity of self-definition, play a particular "role" on the family "stage", never revealing themselves to the others. These elements are to be considered as primal "clues" of "emerging qualities" of that family. The symptom metaphorically points out a different reality behind the "masks" and with its dramatization, its quick and short rising, its modifications depending on the environment, confirm a different interpretation of the case.

Adolescent↗