Cerebral oligemic hypoxia and MK-801 treatment: effect on alternation behavior in mice.

It is known that glutamatergic system is one of neurotransmitter systems affected by a transiently reduced oxygen supply. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of MK-801, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, on spontaneous alternation in mice exposed to cerebral oligemic hypoxia. Spontaneous alternation behavior and locomotor activity were evaluated using the Y-maze task. Transient cerebral oligemia was induced by bilateral clamping of carotid arteries (BCCA) for 30 min under pentobarbital anesthesia. MK-801 was injected 48 h after BCCA or sham surgery, 30 min before the test session. Treatment with MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg ip) impaired spontaneous alternation both in sham-operated and BCCA mice. MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg ip) significantly enhanced the locomotion of mice. The effects of MK-801 were not exacerbated by BCCA. These results show that cerebral oligemic hypoxia induced by BCCA does not change alternation behavior of mice treated with MK-801.

Effects of cadmium on memory processes in mice exposed to transient cerebral oligemia.

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the effects of chronic or acute exposure to cadmium on memory processes in mice could be exacerbated by transiently reducing cerebral oxygen supply. Adult mice were subjected to bilateral clamping of the carotid artery (BCCA) for 30 min under anesthesia. Cadmium chloride was administered intraperitoneally after surgery at single doses of: 0.7 mg/kg (low dose), 1.4 mg/kg (high dose), or at a prolonged dose of 0.7 mg/kg for up to 10 days. Long-term memory was evaluated in a step-through passive avoidance task while spatial working memory was evaluated using a Y-maze spontaneous alternation task. BCCA mice injected with the 1.4 mg/kg dose of cadmium exhibited recall deficits in the step-through passive avoidance task. Combined treatment at either dose had no effect on the acquisition of passive avoidance. In the Y-maze task, spontaneous alternation behavior was only impaired in BCCA mice treated with the prolonged cadmium dose. These results indicate that cerebral oligemic hypoxia may alter cadmium neurotoxicity and potentiate the tendency for cadmium-induced memory impairments in the passive avoidance task and spontaneous alternation deficits.

Competitive NMDA receptor antagonists and agonists: effects on spontaneous alternation in mice exposed to cerebral oligemia.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of competitive NMDA receptor antagonists,D,L-(E)-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid (CGP 37849) and its ethyl ester (CGP 39551), or agonist, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) on spontaneous alternation in mice exposed to cerebral oligemia. Alternation behavior was evaluated in an Y-maze. Transient cerebral oligemic hypoxia was induced by bilateral clamping of carotid arteries (BCCA) for 30 min under pentobarbital anesthesia. In BCCA mice, CGP 37849 (5 mg/kg, ip) impaired spontaneous alternation when given 48 h or 7 days after surgery. CGP 39551 (5 mg/kg, ip) had no effect.NMDA (50 mg/kg, sc) improved performance of the task in BCCA mice when tested 48 h after surgery. These results suggest that cerebral oligemic hypoxia induced by BCCA leads to functional disturbances in the central nervous system, such as spontaneous alternation impairment and increased susceptibility to NMDA receptor-related drugs. Adverse potential of cerebral oligemia may limit a therapeutic use of NMDA receptor antagonists.

The influence of adenosine A3 receptor agonist: IB-MECA, on scopolamine- and MK-801-induced memory impairment.

The effects of adenosine A3 agonist IB-MECA on scopolamine- and MK-801-induced impairment of spontaneous alternation and learning abilities were examined using Y-maze and passive avoidance tasks in mice. IB-MECA given 20 min before test had no effect on spontaneous alternation performance. Similarly learning abilities tested in passive avoidance were not disturbed after IB-MECA administration before training session. IB-MECA significantly diminished scopolamine- and MK-801-induced impairment of spontaneous alternation in Y-maze and learning abilities in passive avoidance task as well as reduced higher locomotor activity in MK-801-treated group. This ameliorating effect of IB-MECA was not antagonised by adenosine A1 antagonists CPX. Obtained results indicate that adenosine A3 receptor stimulation may ameliorate spatial memory and long term memory impairments in terms of cholinergic and glutamatergic deficits induced by scopolamine and MK-801, respectively.

[Frequency analysis of the use of addictive substances by adolescents attending secondary schools in Sanok]. / Analiza czestosci uzywania substancji uzalezniajacych przez uczniów szkól srednich w Sanoku.

In recent years more and more adolescents use addictive and psychoactive substances. Lack of love and safety feeling in their families, being in conflict with peer group and the need for acting opposite to social rules are amongst the most pertinent reasons of the matter in hand. The aim of this paper is to find out how may teenagers use and fall in dependence on alcohol, tobacco and drugs. We interviewed 140 pupils aged 17-18 years attending secondary schools in Sanok. 91.4% of the interviewed students said that they had been informed at school about health hazards resulting from drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco and use of drugs. In spite of that all of them said that they did use alcohol. 46.4% of them confirmed that they overused it. 35.7% of the examined students smoked cigarettes. 25.7% of the respondents used drugs at least once in their lives. 62.5% of them used marihuana, 25% hashish, 5.7% hallucinogenic mushrooms, 3.6% LSD, 1.8% amphetamine and 1.8% ecstasy. When asked to evaluate how difficult for them the access to drugs was 27.9% of pupils said that it was easy, 6.45--diffucult, 65.7% didn't know. The results obtained in our study show that adolescents use addictive substances in spite of having knowledge about their hazardous influence on their health.

[Study of hygienic habits of children and youth in the commune of Horyniec]. / Badanie nawyków higienicznych dzieci i mlodzieiy w gminie Horyniec.

Health behaviour of children and youth is being taught from the earliest years of their lives. Hygiene, dental care, hygiene of work and rest as well as proper nutritional habits determinate health condition of a child and, later on, of an adult. The aim of this work was to evaluate the hygienic habits of children and youth in the commune of Horyniec. An especially designed questionnaire was used as an examination tool. It consisted of 27 questions. 151 students of primary and grammar school were examined. The highest percentage of the interviewed students (37.1%) washed their hands 4-5 times a day. After using WC 78.1% of them washed hands, whereas the rest of them neglected that routine. Only 21.2% of the examined children brushed their teeth after every meal. An average student of the primary or grammar school spent daily 7 hours at school. They did homework or studied themselves usually 2 hours a day. Vast majority of them slept 8-9 hours every night. The most numerous group of the examined children watched TV about 2 hours a day. 57% of the students did physical activities more of ten than twice a week, 29.1% once a week and 13.3% less frequently. 85% of the kids regularly had three meals a day. The study of hygienic habits of children and youth in the commune of Horyniec shows that most of them have proper nutritional habits. Unfortunately, majority of them neglect brushing teeth after every meal and washing hands. Too many children don't do sports intensively enough.

Urinary iodine excretion in inhabitants of rural region living in the Lublin Province.

Iodine is the element necessary for the human organism to function properly. Iodine is essential especially for the synthesis of thyroid hormones that regulate the cellular metabolism of the whole organism. The purpose of the work was to estimate the concentration of iodine in urine among the inhabitants of a typical agricultural region as a simple method of detecting deficiency of iodine in the human organism. The biggest iodine excretion was observed in a group above 40 years of age. The amount of the excretion of iodine together with urine was similar among men and women up to 40 years old. Monitoring of iodine concentration in urine is a sensitive marker of iodine deficiency in the human organism.

Life style and the risk of development of circulatory system diseases.

Circulatory system diseases (c.s.d.) belong to the group of civilization diseases. The risk factors of circulatory system diseases are: stress, overuse of alcohol, smoking cigarettes, bad eating habits, sitting life style. Calorie overconsumption, animal fat rich diet, sitting life style result in the development of android obesity, hypercholesterolemia, that enhance atheromatosis. The most dangerous consequences of atheromatosis are: angina pectoris, hypertension, myocardial infarction, brain insult, type II diabetes. The aim of the work was to evaluate life style and its correlation with development of circulatory system diseases. The results obtained significantly indicate how important is health education about the danger of widely understood unhealthy life style. Propagation of staying healthy model with emphasizing real profit resulting from leading healthy life style is the only righteous way to improve it.

Interaction between local anesthetics and centrally acting antihypertensive drugs.

UNLABELLED: Local anesthetics are widely used in alleviating pain concomitant with small surgery procedures and in dentistry. Especially medication in ductal anesthesia after penetrating into systemic circulation can have significant influence on the central nervous system and stimulus conduction in the heart. Clonidine and reserpine are centrally acting antihypertensive drugs. The aim of this study was to examine an interaction of lidocaine, articaine and mepivacaine with some antihypertensive drugs clonidine and reserpine on the pentylenetetrazole induced seizures. IN CONCLUSION: articaine is the most safe local anesthetic and can be used in epileptic patients Co-administration of local anesthetics with centrally acting antihypertensive drugs did not influence seizures activity in mice.