Stress in neonatal rats with different maternal care backgrounds: monoaminergic and hormonal responses.

The first 2 weeks of life in rats are known as the stress hyporesponsive period because stress responses in pups are diminished as compared to adult animals. However, it is considered a critical period in development in which infant rats are susceptible to environmental events, such as stressful stimuli and quality of maternal care received. These early life events have long-lasting effects, shaping a variety of outcomes, such as stress responsivity. This study investigated the effects of maternal care and sex differences on the response to an aversive stimulus in rat pups from high (HL) and low licking (LL) mothers. Plasma corticosterone, oxytocin (OT), and central monoaminergic activity in 13-day-old rats submitted to cold stress were analyzed. Stress increased plasma corticosterone and marginally decreased hypothalamic dihydroxyphenylacetic acid/dopamine ratio. HL pups showed higher levels of plasma OT than LL pups. The maternal effect was also detected in the hippocampus, in which 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid/serotonin ratio was increased in HL pups, independently of the sex and stress. Investigating the early life events is useful not only into understand the neurobiological and hormonal mechanisms underlying maternal and stressful influences on infant development into a healthy or psychopathological adult phenotype, but also to unveil the immediate outcomes on infancy.

Stress in Neonatal Rats with Different Maternal Care Backgrounds: Monoaminergic and Hormonal Responses.

The first 2 weeks of life in rats are known as the stress hyporesponsive period because stress responses in pups are diminished as compared to adult animals. However, it is considered a critical period in development in which infant rats are susceptible to environmental events, such as stressful stimuli and quality of maternal care received. These early life events have long-lasting effects, shaping a variety of outcomes, such as stress responsivity. This study investigated the effects of maternal care and sex differences on the response to an aversive stimulus in rat pups from high (HL) and low licking (LL) mothers. Plasma corticosterone, oxytocin, and central monoaminergic activity in 13-day-old rats submitted to cold stress were analyzed. Stress increased plasma corticosterone and marginally decreased hypothalamic dihydroxyphenylacetic acid/dopamine (DOPAC/DA) ratio. HL pups showed higher levels of plasma oxytocin than LL pups. The maternal effect was also detected in the hippocampus, in which 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid/serotonin (5-HIAA/5-HT) ratio was increased in HL pups, independently of the sex and stress. Investigating the early life events is useful not only into understand the neurobiological and hormonal mechanisms underlying maternal and stressful influences on infant development into a healthy or psychopathological adult phenotype, but also to unveil the immediate outcomes on infancy.

Cocaine/levamisole-induced systemic vasculitis with retiform purpura and pauci-immune glomerulonephritis.

Levamisole has been increasingly used as an adulterant of cocaine in recent years, emerging as a public health challenge worldwide. Levamisole-associated toxicity manifests clinically as a systemic vasculitis, consisting of cutaneous, hematological, and renal lesions, among others. Purpura retiform, cutaneous necrosis, intravascular thrombosis, neutropenia, and less commonly crescentic nephritis have been described in association with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) and other autoantibodies. Here we report the case of a 49-year-old male who was a chronic cocaine user, and who presented spontaneous weight loss, arthralgia, and 3 weeks before admission purpuric skin lesions in the earlobes and in the anterior thighs. His laboratory tests on admission showed serum creatinine of 4.56 mg/dL, white blood count 3,800/µL, hemoglobin 7.3 g/dL, urinalysis with 51 white blood cells/µL and 960 red blood cells/µL, and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio 1.20. Serum ANCA testing was positive (>1:320), as well as serum anti-myeloperoxidase and anti-proteinase 3 antibodies. Urine toxicology screen was positive for cocaine and levamisole, with 62.8% of cocaine, 32.2% of levamisole, and 5% of an unidentified substance. Skin and renal biopsies were diagnostic for leukocytoclastic vasculitis and pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis, respectively. The patient showed a good clinical response to cocaine abstinence, and use of corticosteroids and intravenous cyclophosphamide. Last serum creatinine was 1.97 mg/dL, white blood cell count 7,420/µL, and hemoglobin level 10.8 g/dL. In levamisole-induced systemic vasculitis, the early institution of cocaine abstinence, concomitant with the use of immunosuppressive drugs in severe cases, may prevent permanent end organ damage and associate with better clinical outcomes.

Cocaine/levamisole-induced systemic vasculitis with retiform purpura and pauci-immune glomerulonephritis

Levamisole has been increasingly used as an adulterant of cocaine in recent years, emerging as a public health challenge worldwide. Levamisole-associated toxicity manifests clinically as a systemic vasculitis, consisting of cutaneous, hematological, and renal lesions, among others. Purpura retiform, cutaneous necrosis, intravascular thrombosis, neutropenia, and less commonly crescentic nephritis have been described in association with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) and other autoantibodies. Here we report the case of a 49-year-old male who was a chronic cocaine user, and who presented spontaneous weight loss, arthralgia, and 3 weeks before admission purpuric skin lesions in the earlobes and in the anterior thighs. His laboratory tests on admission showed serum creatinine of 4.56 mg/dL, white blood count 3,800/μL, hemoglobin 7.3 g/dL, urinalysis with 51 white blood cells/μL and 960 red blood cells/μL, and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio 1.20. Serum ANCA testing was positive (>1:320), as well as serum anti-myeloperoxidase and anti-proteinase 3 antibodies. Urine toxicology screen was positive for cocaine and levamisole, with 62.8% of cocaine, 32.2% of levamisole, and 5% of an unidentified substance. Skin and renal biopsies were diagnostic for leukocytoclastic vasculitis and pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis, respectively. The patient showed a good clinical response to cocaine abstinence, and use of corticosteroids and intravenous cyclophosphamide. Last serum creatinine was 1.97 mg/dL, white blood cell count 7,420/μL, and hemoglobin level 10.8 g/dL. In levamisole-induced systemic vasculitis, the early institution of cocaine abstinence, concomitant with the use of immunosuppressive drugs in severe cases, may prevent permanent end organ damage and associate with better clinical outcomes.