Biomedical subjects

V Coric

Publications and source records attributed to V Coric.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A systematic review: antipsychotic augmentation with treatment refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder.

As many as half of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients treated with an adequate trial of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) fail to fully respond to treatment and continue to exhibit significant symptoms. Many studies have assessed the effectiveness of antipsychotic augmentation in SRI-refractory OCD. In this systematic review, we evaluate the efficacy of antipsychotic augmentation in treatment-refractory OCD. The electronic databases of PubMed, PsychINFO (1967-2005), Embase (1974-2000) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, as of 2005, Issue 3) were searched for relevant double-blind trials using keywords 'antipsychotic agents' or 'neuroleptics' and 'obsessive-compulsive disorder'. Search results and analysis were limited to double-blind, randomized control trials involving the adult population. The proportion of subjects designated as treatment responders was defined by a greater than 35% reduction in Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) rating during the course of augmentation therapy. Nine studies involving 278 participants were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis of these studies demonstrated a significant absolute risk difference (ARD) in favor of antipsychotic augmentation of 0.22 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13, 0.31). The subgroup of OCD patients with comorbid tics have a particularly beneficial response to this intervention, ARD=0.43 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.68). There was also evidence suggesting OCD patients should be treated with at least 3 months of maximal-tolerated therapy of an SRI before initiating antipsychotic augmentation owing to the high rate of treatment response to continued SRI monotherapy (25.6%). Antipsychotic augmentation in SRI-refractory OCD is indicated in patients who have been treated for at least 3 months of maximal-tolerated therapy of an SRI. Unfortunately, only one-third of treatment-refractory OCD patients show a meaningful treatment response to antipsychotic augmentation. There is sufficient evidence in the published literature, demonstrating the efficacy of haloperidol and risperidone, and evidence regarding the efficacy of quetiapine and olanzapine is inconclusive. Patients with comorbid tics are likely to have a differential benefit to antipsychotic augmentation.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

A paradigm to investigate the regulation of cocaine self-administration in human cocaine users: a randomized trial.

RATIONALE: We recently conducted a pilot study supporting the feasibility, safety, and validity of a human laboratory model of ad libitum cocaine administration in which subjects self-selected the timing of infusions. The current study extends this work to include a randomized design with a test-retest component in a larger sample. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the regulation of cocaine intake by humans and its effects on subjective and cardiovascular responses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were 14 non-treatment seeking volunteers (10 M, 4 F) with cocaine abuse/dependence. Subjects self-administered cocaine infusions (0, 8, 16, and 32 mg/70 kg) over a 2-h period under a fixed ratio 1, 5-min time-out schedule on 4 consecutive days. A fifth session was conducted at 16-mg dose to assess the paradigm's test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Subjects regulated their cocaine intake in a dose-dependent fashion. Self-reports of cocaine-related subjective effects (e.g., "high" and "stimulated") also varied in a dose-dependent way. Test-retest data and the randomized design support the conclusion that such effects are not due to tolerance or other experimental artifacts. CONCLUSION: The current study replicates prior work demonstrating the feasibility, safety, and validity of our human laboratory paradigm of cocaine administration in a larger sample using a randomized design. The current study also shows the test-retest reliability of these methods, establishing its utility for comparisons of experimental interventions (e.g., pharmacological treatments). Finally, the current study suggests that factors other than drug-induced euphoria (i.e., "high") contribute to the regulation of cocaine-taking behaviors in humans.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Surgical treatment of a postpartal spontaneous left main coronary artery dissection.

We report on a 34-year-old woman who presented with acute anterolateral myocardial infarction 12 weeks postpartum. Cardiac catheterization documented a left main coronary artery dissection with complete occlusion of the left anterior descending artery. The surgical treatment and the complicated postoperative course are discussed here.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 attenuates gastric lesions induced by alloxan in rats and mice.

A diabetogenic alloxan regimen produced lesions in all stomachs of treated animals, either rats (200 mg x kg(-1) s.c.) or mice (400 mg x kg(-1) i.p.). In control animals, the lesions, when developed (i.e. 24 h following application), appear to be quite sustained, and consistently present also after 1 or 2 weeks. The application of the pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (10 microg or 10 ng x kg(-1) i.p. coadministered together with alloxan) would significantly attenuate these lesions' appearance. This beneficial effect seems to be present in either rats or mice and in either of the tested intervals. Importantly, the beneficial effect seems to be shared by both microgram and nanogram regimens.

Alloxan↗

PubMed1998

Carbon monoxide poisoning and treatment with hyperbaric oxygen in the subacute phase.

The use of normobaric versus hyperbaric (>2 atm) oxygen in the treatment of carbon monoxide intoxication continues to be a matter of debate despite reports of increased efficacy with hyperbaric oxygen. When hyperbaric oxygen is used, immediate treatment is preferred for best results. The therapeutic window of time, however, is unknown. A patient presented with acute confusion and partial retrograde and total anterograde memory loss due to carbon monoxide poisoning. He was initially treated with normobaric oxygen and failed to show appreciable improvement. One month after carbon monoxide exposure the patient underwent treatment with hyperbaric oxygen and showed appreciable symptom relief confirmed by clinical findings and neuropsychological testing. This case shows that hyperbaric oxygen may be efficacious in the recovery of neuropsychiatric function up to 1 month after carbon monoxide induced brain injury.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1993

PTH-sensitive K(+)- and voltage-dependent Pi transport by chick renal brush-border membranes.

Brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) from chick (Gallus gallus) kidneys were used to examine possible pathways of Pi transport associated with Pi secretion. Preloading with 6 mM Pi trans-stimulated 32Pi uptake in the absence of Na+, indicating facilitation. Inside-positive voltage (100 mM K+, out > in, +valinomycin) increased Pi uptake from 161 +/- 4.4 to 241 +/- 16.1 pmol.mg protein-1.5s-1 at pH 7.5 (in = out). Gradients characterized by extravesicular pH (pHo) of 5.5 vs. intravesicular pH (pHi) of 7.5, 100 mM K+ (out > in), without and with valinomycin, further increased uptake to 664 +/- 148.5 and 946 +/- 90.8 pmol.mg protein-1.5s-1, respectively. Carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) had no effect on the latter response, but with 100 mM K+ (in = out), valinomycin decreased the response more than one-half, implicating a H+ diffusion potential. Generation of this potential with pHo 5.5 vs. pHi 7.5 and CCCP did not drive concentrative Pi uptake in absence of K+. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) treatment significantly increased this BBMV K(+)- and voltage-dependent Pi up-take compared with the parathyroidectomized (PTX) condition. The values of maximal uptake rate (Vmax) in PTH vs. PTX BBMV were 5,330 and 1,976 pmol.mg protein-1.5s-1, respectively. K(+)-dependent transport was inhibited by arsenate, phosphonoacetic acid, and vanadate. Together, the data indicate that this PTH-sensitive, voltage- and K(+)-dependent monovalent Pi transporter could be the mechanism by which Pi exits, cell-to-lumen, during renal tubular Pi secretion.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

BPC 157's effect on healing.

The 15 amino acid agent BPC 157, showing a wide range of organoprotective action in different experimental models, was used in our experiments in order to establish its influence on different elements connected with the healing process. Elements thought to be of greatest importance in the process of healing are formation of granulation tissue, angiogenesis and production of collagen. In our work we tested the influence of BPC 157 on: granulation tissue and collagen formation, on angiogenesis as well as on tensile strength development, using three experimental rat models: 1) skin incisional wounds; 2) colon-colon anastomoses; and 3) angiogenesis model with synthetic sponge implantation. The specimens were histologically assessed for collagen, reticulin and blood vessels using scoring and morphometry. In all experiments significant differences between BPC 157-treated animals and controls were found, showing a strong, promoting involvement of BPC in the healing process. It is worth noting that these effects were achieved by different routes of application, including intragastric and local, making BPC 157 a potentially useful therapeutic agent.

Animals↗