In nine hippocampally kindled rats (5 normal and 4 microcephalic) a comparative study of the antiepileptic effects of carbamazepine, and AF-CX 921 [(E)-2-[(alpha-amino)-phenylmethylene]-benzo-[b]-thiophene-3(2H)- one] and its metabolite AF-CX 1325 [(E)-2-[(alpha-amino)-phenylmethylene]-benzo-[b]-thiophene-3-(2H)- one-1-oxide], were compared with placebo. The treatment effects were tested 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h after drug administration, and the testings were executed twice for each treatment and animal. The following biological parameters were evaluated and statistically analyzed: duration of first AD (AD1); frequency of occurrence of focal spiking (FS) which followed AD1; frequency of occurrence of second AD (AD2) which followed FS; duration of total EEG epileptic activity (AD1 + FS + AD2); frequency of occurrence of convulsive seizures (CS); frequency of occurrence of partial seizures (epileptic behavior, automatisms); and frequency of occurrence of a quiet state of the animal, indicating no behavioral kindling response. All three drugs had clear antiepileptic effects on EEG epileptic activity and clinical seizures in comparison with placebo. The strongest antiepileptic effect was produced by AF-CX 1325. It reduced AD1 duration to approximately 50% of that in the placebo treatment, and was most effective in reducing occurrence of FS to 20% and AD2 to 33% of that in the placebo. It was the only drug that decreased AD2 duration, and total EEG epileptic activity was reduced to less than 50% of that in the placebo. These EEG results were paralleled by clinical effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Carbamazepine effects on afterdischarge, memory retrieval, and conditioned avoidance response latency in hippocampally kindled cats.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) effects on (a) complex partial seizures and afterdischarges (AD), (b) memory retrieval, and (c) conditioned avoidance response (CAR) latencies were studied in a group of 9 hippocampally kindled cats. Significant AD and epileptic seizure suppression was observed in kindled cats after administration of CBZ concurrent with significant improvement in percentage scores on the memory retrieval test. The CAR latencies were longer in kindled cats with or without CBZ than in the conditioned group of cats without both kindling and CBZ. CAR latencies were not significantly different between kindled and kindled-CBZ-treated cats. Thus, the longer latencies in kindled animals cannot be due to CBZ but apparently are related to the effects of kindling. In some kindled animals, longer CAR latencies were reversed by CBZ.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Strategies for rapid response to emerging foodborne microbial hazards.

The foodborne outbreak paradigm has shifted. In the past, an outbreak affected a small local population, had a high attack rate, and involved locally prepared food products with limited distribution. Now outbreaks involve larger populations and may be multistate and even international; in many the pathogenic organism has a low infective dose and sometimes is never isolated from the food product. Delay in identifying the causative agent can allow the outbreak to spread, increasing the number of cases. Emergency intervention should be aimed at controlling the outbreak, stopping exposure, and perhaps more importantly, preventing future outbreaks. Using epidemiologic data and investigative techniques may be the answer. Even with clear statistical associations to a contaminated food, one must ensure that the implicated organism could logically and biologically have been responsible for the outbreak.

Botulism↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Further studies of the state of knowledge and attitudes of the rural population toward epilepsy].

Inquiry investigations were carried out covering 657 individuals from two counties: Plock and Nowy Targ. The inquiry contained 21 questions concerning the knowledge of epilepsy and the attitudes of those questioned to epileptics. The responses were correlated with the sex, age, educational level and occupation of the questioned. Statistical significance was assessed at the confidence level 0.05. The fear of epilepsy was in the 5th place after neoplasms, tuberculosis, cardiac diseases and mental diseases. As the most shameful diseases were regarded venereal diseases, tuberculosis and epilepsy ex aequo with mental diseases. About 1/3 of the respondents answered that epilepsy is a hereditary disease; nearly half of them considered that epileptics may marry and have children. 60% of those questioned regard that they would let their children play with epileptic children, they were usually respondents with medium and higher educational level and representatives of non-agricultural workers. Most respondents stressed the significance of sudden fright in the aetiology of epilepsy and thought that observation of an epileptic seizure may cause epilepsy; the observing subject, especially a child, may be frightened. About 50% of respondents knew nothing of the causes of epilepsy. Over 1/3 of respondents regarded that epileptic children can attend normal schools. Nearly 60% of respondents regard that epileptics can work in certain occupations. The latter view is expressed by younger people below 40 years with high school and college education and representatives of non-agricultural occupations.

Attitude to Health↗