Transient post-mating inhibition of behavioural and central nervous responses to sex pheromone in an insect.

Mating is costly for both male and female insects and should therefore only occur if it is likely to be successful. Within one scotophase, which is the dark period of the light cycle, male moths can only produce one single spermatophore, which is transferred to the female during mating. Remating within the same scotophase would thus be unsuccessful. We tested the hypothesis that newly mated males of the moth Agrotis ipsilon have developed an energy-saving strategy based on the transient inhibition of their sexual behaviour, thus avoiding unsuccessful remating. Agrotis ipsilon males do not copulate more than once during the same scotophase. Moreover, newly mated males do not respond behaviourally to the female sex pheromone although electroantennograms showed that their peripheral olfactory system is fully functional. However, intracellular recordings of antennal lobe neurons showed that the sensitivity for the synthetic sex pheromone blend decreased as compared with that of unmated males. Both the sexual behaviour and the sensitivity of the antennal lobe neurons were restored when tested during the next scotophase. Our results show a fast, transient neuronal plasticity that 'switches off' the olfactory system, which could prevent males from mating unsuccessfully.

The pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) of the black cutworm moth, Agrotis ipsilon: immunohistochemistry, molecular characterization and bioassay of its peptide sequence.

PBAN-like immunoreactivity has been detected in the suboesophageal ganglion and the brain (Br-SOG) of larvae and adult males and females of Agrotis ipsilon, using an antiserum against Helicoverpa zea PBAN (Hez-PBAN). The amino acid sequence of A. ipsilon PBAN (Agi-PBAN) was deduced from the cDNA sequence, using both Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and 5' Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE). The primers were degenerate sets of oligonucleotides derived from known amino acid sequences of the PBAN precursor. The final cloned fragment contained the complete DNA sequence coding for the putative Agi-PBAN. Based on a comparison with known PBAN processing from the polypeptide precursor, we propose that Agi-PBAN is a 33-amino acid peptide. Agi-PBAN exhibits high sequence homology with Hez-PBAN (88%), Lymantria dispar PBAN (Lyd-PBAN, 88%) and Bombyx mori PBAN (Bom-PBAN, 73%). Agi-PBAN shares the C-terminal hexapeptide sequence (Tyr-Phe-Ser-Pro-Arg-LeuNH2) with all identified PBANs but has only one methionine residue instead of two in Hez-PBAN and Lyd-PBAN, and three in Bom-PBAN. Based on predicted a.a. sequence, Agi-PBAN, with Leu-NH2 as C-terminal motif, has been synthesized and assayed for its ability to promote pheromone production in decapitated females of A. ipsilon. Synthetic Agi-PBAN induced pheromone production in decapitated females as evaluated by the male responsiveness to the pheromonal blend in a wind tunnel.

Alcohol consumption, gender and self-reported hypertension.

This study examines the relationship of alcohol consumption and self-reported lifetime prevalence of hypertension among 19,284 non-institutionalized civilians in the United States. Cross-sectional data from the 1983 National Health Interview Survey, a national probability sample, were examined for each sex separately. Women who report hypertension consumed significantly less alcohol than women who did not report hypertension. Self-reported hypertensive men consumed equal or greater amounts of alcohol than self-reported normotensive men. Alcohol consumption was significantly associated with greater risk of hypertension among men, but not among women. After controlling for other risk factors significant effects for hypertension were found among males who on average consumed more than one drink/day. Beer consumption and spirits consumption above three drinks/day were significant predictors of male hypertension after adjustment for the confounding effects of other alcoholic beverage consumption and other risk factors. This study suggests that alcohol consumption by men who know that they are hypertensive is an important public health concern, with policy implications for targeting prevention efforts.

Alcohol and the elderly.

Moderate drinking for the elderly of both genders is no more than one drink per day, where a drink is defined as 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of spirits. Age does not affect the rate of absorption or elimination of alcohol. Lean body mass decreases and adipose tissue increases with age, however, resulting in a corresponding decrease in the volume of total body water. With a smaller volume of distribution, an alcohol dose identical to that administered to a younger individual of the same size and gender will produce a higher blood alcohol concentration in the elderly. Low-dose alcohol stimulates appetite and promoters regular bowel function. In the well-nourished nonalcoholic elderly, the negative impact of alcohol consumption on nutrition is minimal. Alcohol consumption improves mood by increasing feelings of happiness and freedom from care while lessening inhibitions, stress, tension, and depression. Although in the laboratory low-dose alcohol improves certain types of cognitive function in young men, in other types of task performance, alcohol induces impairment, which worsens with age. The effects of alcohol on sleep are primarily detrimental, worsening both insomnia and breathing disturbances during sleep. Although the role of alcohol consumption in mortality from heart disease has not been investigated in the elderly, moderate drinking appears safe. Under some circumstances low-dose alcohol may produce analgesia whereas in others it may worsen pain. The elderly use a significant proportion of both prescription and over-the-counter medication, a large variety of which interact with alcohol. Alcoholic beverage consumption may exacerbate cognitive impairment and dementias of other etiology. Although some studies suggest that moderate use of alcohol by institutionalized senior citizens appears to produce benefits including improved socialization, separation of the effects of the social situation from those specifically attributable to alcohol remains to be accomplished. Older individuals who want to drink, have no medical contraindications, and take no drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) that interact with alcohol, may consider one drink a day to be a prudent level of alcohol consumption. Patients should be counseled to avoid alcohol consumption immediately prior to going to bed in order to avoid sleep disturbances. They also should be cautioned against potential drug-alcohol interactions and told to avoid alcohol ingestion prior to activities such as driving. The decision to recommend a particular level of alcohol consumption in any given patient must, however, be carefully tailored not only to that individual's specific medical needs but to his or her social and environmental circumstances as well.

Alcohol use in combination with cocaine, heroin and methadone by medical examiner cases.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review of all appropriate, available medical examiner (ME) studies is to provide information on cases with positive toxicologies for cocaine, morphine (the heroin metabolite) and methadone that have positive blood or brain alcohol concentrations (BACs). METHODS: Criteria for inclusion of U.S. ME studies in this review are (1) at least 20 cases with a positive toxicology for cocaine, morphine or methadone and (2) BAC test findings according to specific drug positivity. Only 19 studies conducted from 1969 to 1992 met these criteria; most studies reviewed were not included primarily because of their failure to present or link available BAC test findings with positive toxicologies for these other drugs. RESULTS: The BAC-positive ranges were similar for cocaine and heroin. In reports on both heroin and methadone or on all three drugs, heroin-positive cases had the highest proportions and methadone-positive cases had the lowest proportions with positive BACs. CONCLUSIONS: Published data confirm the substantial presence of alcohol in combination with cocaine, heroin and methadone among ME cases. Future ME studies should endeavor to link BAC and toxicology findings for other drugs according to drug-induced or drug-related manner of death. These data would advance our knowledge about the role of alcohol in drug deaths and provide additional information on substance abuse trends.

Average daily alcohol consumption during adult life among decedents with and without cirrhosis: the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey.

The relationship of alcohol consumption and cirrhosis mortality was examined by sampling 1% of deaths in the U.S. using the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey. Quantity and frequency of decedent's alcohol consumption was obtained from next of kin through mailed questionnaire. The percentage of decedents with cirrhosis increased sharply with the increasing number of drinks per day. Three drinks per day was associated with a significantly higher percentage of cirrhosis deaths compared with lifetime abstainers for both whites and blacks. Although blacks had a significantly higher percentage of abstainers than whites, of those persons who were reported to drink every day, blacks were more likely to be heavier drinkers (5 or more drinks per day). Blacks did not have a higher risk of cirrhosis mortality than whites for each drinking category. Although Native Americans were oversampled, the number of deaths was too small for statistical comparisons.

The relationship between three subtypes of the flushing response and DSM-III alcohol abuse in Japanese.

This study examined the relationship between the flushing response and drinking patterns and DSM-III alcohol abuse among Japanese using data collected in the joint U.S.-Japan collaborative study. The flushing response was classified into the following three subtypes: typical flushing (always flushed in the face after drinking), atypical flushing (sometimes) and nonflushing (never). This study of male current drinkers showed that typical flushers drank less alcohol than did atypical and nonflushers, but there was no observed difference between the drinking patterns of atypical flushers and nonflushers. Although the relationship was less pronounced, a similar association was found for female current drinkers. The 12-month prevalence of DSM-III alcohol abuse was estimated to be highest among atypical flushers and lowest among typical flushers, with nonflushers in between for both genders. When daily alcohol consumption and other pertinent sociodemographic variables were controlled, logistic regression analyses revealed that the risk for alcohol abuse by men was approximately 3.0 times higher among atypical flushers and 1.7 times higher among nonflushers than among typical flushers. The corresponding risks for abuse by women were 7.8 (atypical flushers) and 2.8 (nonflushers) times higher. Possible explanations for these differences in drinking patterns and the risk for alcohol abuse among the three flushing subtypes and between genders are discussed.

The relationship between low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase phenotype and drinking behavior in Japanese.

The relationship between the low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) phenotype determined by the isoelectric focusing of hair root lysates, facial flushing and alcohol drinking patterns in Japanese (N = 282) was examined. Men who had inactive ALDH2 drank significantly less alcohol than those with active ALDH2. Although the effect was less noticeable, a similar relationship was detected in women. Two types of flushing responses were determined: one due to the inactive ALDH2, the other unrelated to this variant form of the isozyme. A striking difference between these flushing types, in terms of the inhibitory influence over drinking patterns, was noted. Nearly 86% of the subjects who reported always flushing in the face were shown to have inactive ALDH2, whereas infrequent flushing and absence of flushing were associated with active ALDH2. Thus, facial flushing may be used as an indicator of ALDH2 phenotype.

If you drink alcoholic beverages do so in moderation: what does this mean?

The changes in content of the alcohol guideline of the various editions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans from 1980 to 2000 are discussed. This is followed by a capsule summary of the history and evolution of the discipline of alcohol epidemiology compared with that of nutrition epidemiology. Methods of assessment are discussed, and issues surrounding the validity and reliability of self-report of alcohol consumption are then outlined. Relevant objectives from Healthy People 2010 are discussed. Surveillance of the alcohol guideline discloses that, at present, very few American drinkers follow the recommendations of the alcohol guideline. Indications for future research needs to address this issue conclude the discussion.

What is moderate drinking? Defining "drinks" and drinking levels.

Although the benefits and risks associated with moderate drinking have gained increasing attention in recent years from both researchers and the general public, no universal definition of moderate drinking exists. Most currently used definitions are based on a certain number of drinks consumed in a specific time period. Defining a "drink," however, also is difficult because alcoholic beverages can differ substantially in their alcohol content, even within the same beverage category (e.g., beer, wine, or distilled spirits). Because international differences in drink definitions also exist, comparing studies from different countries is difficult. The development of a universal definition of moderate drinking is hampered further by variations in the way alcohol consumption levels and drinking patterns are being assessed (i.e., the survey methods and assessment modes used). Despite these problems, definitions of moderate drinking and drinking guidelines have been developed in the United States and other countries.

Drinking patterns and liver cirrhosis mortality.

Using the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey, alcohol consumption patterns were compared for decedents with and without mention of cirrhosis of the liver as a cause of death. Approximately 55% of cirrhosis decedents had 3 drinks or more daily (80% of decedents with alcoholic cirrhosis, and 40% of decedents with unspecified or other specified cirrhosis). In contrast, only 10% of decedents without cirrhosis had at least 3 drinks daily. Forty percent of decedents with alcoholic cirrhosis had 7 drinks or more daily, compared with 17% for unspecified cirrhosis, and 21% for other specified cirrhosis. The comparable figure was 3% for decedents without cirrhosis. An average of 3 drinks per day was associated with increased cirrhosis proportional mortality, and cirrhosis proportional mortality increased with higher numbers of daily drinks.

Epidemiology of alcoholic liver disease.

Although there exists a relationship between alcohol consumption and alcoholic liver disease at both the aggregate and individual levels, it is also well established that less than one-third of alcoholics or heavy drinkers develop serious alcohol-related liver damage. A number of factors have been proposed to account for this susceptibility. Evidence supporting the direct dose-response relationship and the role of genetic and environmental factors in influencing vulnerability are reviewed. To date, no consistent evidence attests to the significance of any one factor in the susceptibility to developing alcoholic liver disease.

[Cytogenetic study of fragmented embryos not transferred in in vitro fertilization]. / Etude cytogénétique des embryons fragmentés et non transférés en fécondation in vitro.

A cytogenetic analysis was performed on a sample of 411 human grade IV embryos (i.e. poor morphological quality embryos, never transferred in our in vitro fertilization (IVF) pro Gram) in order to investigate the chromosomal status of these embryos. One hundred eighteen were successfully karyotyped from at least one metaphase. Only 10% displayed normal diploid metaphases. Aneuploidy was the most frequently observed abnormality, with a rate of 36.4%. Six cases of single chromatids were noted and 9 embryos showed structural aberrations. Polyploidy (from 3n to 7n) and haploidy were also observed, suggesting parthenogenetic activation, polyspermy or chromosomal duplication. Mosaicism constituted 6% of the abnormalities. Thirty embryos exhibited fragmented chromosome sets which might result from in vitro delayed fertilization.

The motivational correlates of drinking, smoking, and illicit drug use during pregnancy.

Despite attempts to eliminate the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances of abuse by women of childbearing age, especially during gestation, apparently many do not curtail these negative lifestyle behaviors, as evidenced by the number of poor birth outcomes and developmentally disabled children born each year. This study examined the relationship of depression, attitude toward pregnancy, a number of sociodemographic variables, and substance use by women of child-bearing age prior to and after learning of their pregnancies. Results indicated that attitude independently, and depression independently and in interaction with socio-demographic factors are associated with substance use at both time points. From this we conclude that preventive efforts should be designed and targeted at those women who are depressed, especially those who have the sociodemographic characteristics associated with heavier substance use.

Direct assessment of the rate of chromosomal abnormalities in grade IV human embryos produced by in-vitro fertilization procedure.

During in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, human preimplantation embryos were classified into four grades according to their morphological appearance under light microscopy. The grade IV group included poor quality embryos. In our IVF programme, these embryos were never transferred or frozen, and were thus available for cytogenetic analysis. Cytogenetic analysis was performed on 411 grade IV embryos from 327 couples participating in the IVF programme. A total of 118 embryos were successfully karyotyped using at least one metaphase. Normal diploid chromosomes were found in only 12 embryos, containing a total of 19 metaphases. All others (90%) showed abnormal or aberrant chromosome complements; 48 were aneuploid and six cases of single chromatids were noted; 14 embryos (11.8%) contained haploid complements, while the remaining 44 exhibited mosaics (2n/3n, n/2n, n/3n) or fragmented chromosome sets. Also, several structural aberrations and rearrangements were observed. These results indicate that the large majority of grade IV human embryos are chromosomally abnormal. This confirms the morphological assessment of the poor quality of these embryos and demonstrates the uselessness of both the transfer and the cryopreservation of grade IV embryos.

The critical dimension of ethnicity in liver cirrhosis mortality statistics.

BACKGROUND: In 1997, liver cirrhosis was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Beginning in the 1950s, liver cirrhosis mortality rates have been consistently higher for black than for white men and women. There has been a gradual adoption of the recommendation that all death certificates include information on the Hispanic origin of decedents, with universal adoption in the 1997 data year. It is the purpose of this study to examine the extent to which relative risks for cirrhosis mortality might shift for different demographic groups when Hispanic origin is considered along with the race and sex of the decedent. METHODS: Age-adjusted death rates were calculated for liver cirrhosis by using public-use data files produced by the National Center for Health Statistics. Trends in cirrhosis mortality rates from 1991 through 1997 are shown for white Hispanic, white non-Hispanic, black Hispanic, and black non-Hispanic men and women. RESULTS: In 1997, white Hispanic men show the highest cirrhosis mortality rates over the period examined, followed by black non-Hispanic and white non-Hispanic men, white Hispanic women, and black non-Hispanic and white non-Hispanic women. Among Hispanic decedents, the largest group was of Mexican ancestry, with large numbers being born outside the United States and having low education levels. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of higher risk for cirrhosis mortality among white men and women of Hispanic origin serve to focus new attention on these demographic groups. Collateral analyses of other causes of death do not support alternate explanations of these findings as artifacts of demographic misclassification. Future studies of amounts and patterns of alcohol consumption should include Hispanic origin among demographic factors examined.

Alcohol consumption and the risk of developing liver cirrhosis: implications for future research.

Studies of the association of alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis were reviewed, focusing on possible biases of study design. Daily alcohol consumption (as opposed to intermittent binge drinking), amount of alcohol consumed, longer duration of alcohol abuse, and being female were associated with the increased risk of cirrhosis. Follow-up studies reviewed failed to take full advantage of the study design and added little information to existing literature. Retrospective studies were relatively free of bias and are valuable tools in estimating the risk of cirrhosis. Future research needs to take the following variables into consideration: better ascertainment of alcohol consumption, consumption patterns, changes in alcohol consumption, gender, and body weight.

The effects of substance use during gestation on birth outcome, infant and maternal health.

This study examines the relationship of substance use to birth outcome, infant, and maternal health in a large, nationally representative sample. Multiple regression analyses, accommodating the nature of the survey data using the SUDAAN software package, indicated that drinking and smoking independently and/or interactively with depression account for poor health and serious medical conditions among pregnant women as well as negative birth outcomes or adverse health consequences in those infants who are live births. In addition, African American women and their infants are more likely than those of other racial groups to suffer these adverse outcomes. Given the risk profiles of individual illnesses, this study suggests the need for developing and targeting health education and preventive efforts specific to those groups that are clearly at greater risk.

A simplified method for R banding of human oocyte chromosomes.

A simple and reliable R banding technique was developed for karyotyping mature human oocytes. The banding quality obtained is sufficient for the diagnosis of specific aneuploidies and the discrimination between whole chromosomes and separated chromatids. The ability to karyotype human oocytes accurately will facilitate study of the aetiology of chromosomal abnormalities in human concepti.