Effects of Mating and Social Exposure on Cell Proliferation in the Adult Male Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster).

Microtus ochrogaster is a rodent with a monogamous reproductive strategy characterized by strong pair bond formation after 6 h of mating. Here, we determine whether mating-induced pair bonding increases cell proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ), rostral migratory stream (RMS), and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus in male voles. Males were assigned to one of the four groups: (1) control: males were placed alone in a clean cage; (2) social exposure to a female (SE m/f): males that could see, hear, and smell a sexually receptive female but where physical contact was not possible, because the animals were separated by an acrylic screen with small holes; (3) social exposure to a male (SE m/m): same as group 2 but males were exposed to another male without physical contact; and (4) social cohabitation with mating (SCM): males that mated freely with a receptive female for 6 h. This procedure leads to pair bond formation. Groups 2 and 3 were controls for social interaction. Male prairie voles were injected with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) during the behavioral tests and were sacrificed 48 h later. Brains were processed to identify the new cells (BrdU-positive) and neuron precursor cells (neuroblasts). Our principal findings are that in the dorsal region of the SVZ, SCM and SE m/f and m/m increase the percentage of neuron precursor cells. In the anterior region of the RMS, SE m/f decreases the percentage of neuron precursor cells, and in the medial region SE m/f and m/m decrease the number of new cells and neuron precursor cells. In the infrapyramidal blade of the subgranular zone of the DG, SE m/m and SCM increase the number of new neuron precursor cells and SE m/m increases the percentage of these neurons. Our data suggests that social interaction, as well as sexual stimulation, leads to pair bonding in male voles modulating cell proliferation and differentiation to neuronal precursor cells at the SVZ, RMS, and DG.

Mating and social exposure induces an opioid-dependent conditioned place preference in male but not in female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster).

In rodents, sexual stimulation induces a positive affective state that is evaluated by the conditioned place preference (CPP) test. Opioids are released during sexual behavior and modulate the rewarding properties of this behavior. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are a socially monogamous species, in which copulation with cohabitation for 6h induces a pair bond. However, the mating-induced reward state that could contribute to the establishment of the long-term pair bond has not been evaluated in this species. The present study aimed to determine whether one ejaculation or cohabitation with mating for 6h is rewarding for voles. We also evaluated whether this state is opioid dependent. Our results demonstrate that mating with one ejaculation and social cohabitation with mating for 6h induce a CPP in males, while exposure to a sexually receptive female without mating did not induce CPP. In the female vole, mating until one ejaculation, social cohabitation with mating, or exposure to a male without physical interaction for 6h did not induce CPP. To evaluate whether the rewarding state in males is opioid dependent, the antagonist naloxone was injected i.p. The administration of naloxone blocked the rewarding state induced by one ejaculation and by social cohabitation with mating. Our results demonstrate that in the prairie vole, on the basis of the CPP in the testing conditions used here, the stimulation received with one ejaculation and the mating conditions that lead to pair bonding formation may be rewarding for males, and this reward state is opioid dependent.

Decreased Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder.

OBJECTIVES: Decreased levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been found in adult patients with bipolar disorder (BD) compared with a comparison group, yet there are no data specifically examining this in geriatric patients. The objective of this study was to examine whether euthymic late-life BD patients have lower BDNF levels than healthy comparators. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Clinics at the University of Pittsburgh and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto). PARTICIPANTS: Older patients with BD (age ≥50 years, N = 118) and similarly aged healthy comparators (N = 76). There were both BD type I (N = 91) and type II (N = 27) patients. MEASUREMENTS: Serum BDNF levels were assessed in BD patients and healthy comparators. RESULTS: We found lower levels of BDNF in patients with BD than in healthy comparators (9.0 ± 6.2 versus 12.3 ± 8.9 pg/µg, t(192) = -3.01, p = 0.002), which remained even after controlling for age, sex, lithium use, and site (F(1,176) = 4.32, p = 0.039). This decrease was found specifically in patients with BD type I (8.0 ± 5.5 versus 12.3 ± 8.9 pg/µg, t(165) = 3.7, Bonferroni p < 0.001), but not type II (12.0 ± 7.5 versus 12.3 ± 8.9 pg/µg, t(101) = 0.14, Bonferroni p = 1.0). CONCLUSIONS: Older patients with BD have lower serum levels of BDNF compared with similarly aged comparators. These effects appear to be specific to patients with BD type I. Future studies are needed to investigate the impact of reduced BDNF levels on cognition, mood, and other aspects of BD throughout the life course.

Glutathione-mediated effects of lithium in decreasing protein oxidation induced by mitochondrial complex I dysfunction.

The aim of this study was to elucidate whether glutathione is involved in lithium's ability to decrease carbonylation and nitration produced by complex I inhibition, which is consistently found in BD. Neuroblastoma cells were treated with rotenone, a complex I inhibitor. Our results suggest that glutathione is essential for lithium's ability to ameliorate rotenone-induced protein carbonylation, but not nitration.

Recommendations for management of equine athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities.

Murmurs and arrhythmias are commonly detected in equine athletes. Assessing the relevance of these cardiovascular abnormalities in the performance horse can be challenging. Determining the impact of a cardiovascular disorder on performance, life expectancy, horse and rider or driver safety relative to the owner's future expectations is paramount. A comprehensive assessment of the cardiovascular abnormality detected is essential to determine its severity and achieve these aims. This consensus statement presents a general approach to the assessment of cardiovascular abnormalities, followed by a discussion of the common murmurs and arrhythmias. The description, diagnosis, evaluation, and prognosis are considered for each cardiovascular abnormality. The recommendations presented herein are based on available literature and a consensus of the panelists. While the majority of horses with cardiovascular abnormalities have a useful performance life, periodic reexaminations are indicated for those with clinically relevant cardiovascular disease. Horses with pulmonary hypertension, CHF, or complex ventricular arrhythmias should not be ridden or driven.

Number of manic episodes is associated with elevated DNA oxidation in bipolar I disorder.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a major public health problem characterized by progressive functional impairment. A number of clinical variables have been associated with progression of the disease, most notably number of affective episodes and presence of psychotic symptoms, both of which correlate with greater cognitive impairment, lower response rates for lithium, and possibly lower levels of neurotrophic factors. Oxidative damage to cytosine and guanosine (8-OHdG) has been described as a modulator of DNA methylation, but the extent of DNA oxidative damage involvement in BD remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of DNA oxidative damage to 8-OHdG and 5-methylcytosine (5-HMec), as well as global methylation (5-Mec), in BD patients and healthy controls. Potential association with clinical variables was also investigated. DNA levels of 8-OHdG, 5-HMec and 5-Mec were measured in 50 BD type I patients and 50 healthy controls. DNA 8-OHdG levels were higher in BD patients compared to healthy controls and found to be positively influenced by number of previous manic episodes. BD subjects had lower levels of 5-HMec compared to controls, whereas this measure was not influenced by the clinical features of BD. Number of manic episodes was correlated with higher levels of 8-OHdG, but not of 5-Mec or 5-HMec. Lower demethylation activity (5-HMec) but no difference in global 5-Mec levels was observed in BD. This finding suggests that oxidative damage to 8-OHdG might be a potential marker of disease progression, although further prospective cross-sectional studies to confirm neuroprogression in BD are warranted.

An extract of neem leaves reduces anxiety without causing motor side effects in an experimental model.

Anxiety modulation often requires pharmaceutical intervention, and though effective in the short-term, benzodiazepines may cause impaired motor function. As a potential alternative, anxiety-modulating effects of a neem leaf (Azadirachta indica, A Juss) extract were investigated using ethological analysis of rat behaviour on an elevated X maze and compared with diazepam treatment. Sexually immature female Sprague-Dawley rats received 0.07 or 7 mg/kg neem leaf steroidal extract, a sham injection, a 1% DMSO/saline vehicle, 2 mg/kg diazepam or no treatment one hour prior to a recorded five-minute exploration of the elevated X maze. Neem matched diazepam in anxiety reduction as both treatments caused a decrease in per cent protected stretched-attend postures (PPSAP). Neem treatment had no effect on closed arm entries or total rears, distinguishing it pharmacologically from diazepam which resulted in a predictable decrease in those locomotor measures. Whereas both neem and diazepam reduced anxiety in complex ethological behavioural indices, only neem produced anxiolysis without motor deficiency.

Seasonal abundance of anopheline mosquitoes and their association with rainfall and malaria along the Matapí River, Amapá, [corrected] Brazil.

Three communities separated by 1.5-7.0 km, along the Matapí River, Amapá State, Brazil, were sampled monthly from April 2003 to November 2005 to determine relationships between seasonal abundance of host-seeking anophelines, rainfall and malaria cases. Out of the 759 821 adult female anophelines collected, Anopheles darlingi Root (Diptera: Culicidae) was the most abundant (56.2%) followed by An. marajoara Galvão & Damasceno (24.6%), An. nuneztovari Gabaldón (12.4%), An. intermedius (Chagas) (4.4%) and An. triannulatus (Neiva and Pinto) (2.3%). Vector abundance, as measured by human landing catches, fluctuated during the course of the study and varied in species-specific ways with seasonal patterns of rainfall. Anopheles darlingi and An. triannulatus were more abundant during the wet-dry transition period in June to August, whereas An. marajoara began to increase in abundance in February in two villages, and during the wet-dry transition in the other village. Anopheles nuneztovari and An. intermedius increased in abundance shortly after the rains began in January to February. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analysis of 32 consecutive months of collections showed significant differences in abundance for each species by village and date (P < 0.0001). Correlations between lagged rainfall and abundances also differed among species. A strong positive correlation of An. darlingi abundance with rainfall lagged by 4 and 5 months (Pearson's r = 0.472-0.676) was consistent among villages and suggests that rainfall may predict vector abundance. Significant correlations were detected between numbers of malaria cases and abundances of suspected vector species. The present study shows how long-term field research may connect entomological and climatological correlates with malaria incidence.

Reinforcement of mate preference among hybridizing Heliconius butterflies.

Recent models of mate preference evolution suggest that direct selection on alleles at preference loci and correlated evolution of preference with locally adapted mating cues are more likely to drive the evolution of assortative mate preference than reinforcement. Mate preference evolution in mimetic Heliconius butterflies has been attributed to all three forms of selection, but here we show that reinforcement has been critical. By examining geographical variation in assortative mating and male mate preference among seven populations of three hybridizing Heliconius species from Costa Rica, we found pronounced character displacement of preference such that sexual isolation was enhanced in areas of interspecific contact. Of the different explanations for the evolution of assortative mate preference, only reinforcement is dependent on interspecific contact in this system. Thus, the observed pattern of reproductive character displacement of mate preference is best explained as a product of indirect selection generated by natural selection against nonmimetic hybrids.

Choline supplementation facilitates short-term memory consolidation into intermediate long-term memory of young Sprague-Dawley rats.

Choline is important for the synthesis of acetylcholine, an integral neurotransmitter involved in memory formation. In order to investigate the effect of choline supplementation on memory consolidation, the study utilized a T-maze to facilitate passive avoidance learning and memory in young female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were placed in two groups; choline-supplemented that received choline chloride daily for two weeks, and control that received vehicle daily for two weeks. Rats were evaluated to determine their ability to avoid an aversive electric foot-shock (0.1 mA at 60V) when they characteristically entered the preferred dark area (DA) of the T-maze. Both groups of rats showed preference, without significant difference, for entry into DA of the T-maze. However, fifteen minutes after passive avoidance both choline supplemented and control rats avoided entry into DA. This display of DA avoidance 15 minutes after training, suggests that both groups of rats had acquired short-term memory of the aversive stimulus. However, when the test was repeated 24 hours after training, the control group did not avoid entry into DA, whereas the choline-supplemented group either avoided entry or entered after a significantly longer latency period (p < 0.01). These results suggest that supplementation with choline facilitated the consolidation of short-term memory of the avoidance learning into intermediate long-term memory in young rats.

Flora béntica y reproducción de las algas Batophora spp. (Chlorophyta: Dasycladaceae) de una laguna costera contaminada (Bahía de Chetumal, México) / Benthic flora and reproduction of Batophora spp. algae (Chlorophyta: Dasycladaceae) in a polluted coastal lagoon (Chetumal Bay, Mexico)

The benthic flora, and the vegetative and reproductive characters of the algae Batophora oerstedii and B. occidentalis (Chlorophyta) were recorded from five sites of Chetumal Bay, Quintana Roo, Mexico. A sewage gradient has been reported along those sites. Plants were sampled in May and October 1999, which corresponded to dry and rainy seasons, respectively. Forty taxa were found, 11 are new records for the Chetumal Bay, and 6 are new records for the Mexican Caribbean. Enteromorpha species were present in sites known as rich in organic matter (both from anthropogenic and natural sources). Batophora spp. is the dominant algae in all Chetumal Bay. However, it was absent next to sewage outfalls. The morphological characters of B. oerstedii and B. occidentalis did not change significantly along the sites reported as polluted. The length and width of gametophores, as well as the diameter of the gametangia were clearly different for both species. Different reproductive strategies may help B. oerstedii and B. occidentalis to closely coexist in the Chetumal Bay.

Los componentes de la flora béntica, y mediciones de partes vegetativas y reproductivas de Batophora oerstedii y B. occidentalis (Chlorophyta) se registraron en cinco sitios de la costa Oeste de la Bahía de Chetumal, donde se ha registrado la existencia de un gradiente de contaminación orgánica. La colecta de flora se realizó en mayo y Octubre de 1999, meses incluidos en las épocas climáticas e secas y lluvias, respectivamente. Se registraron 40 taxa de vegetación béntica, de los cuales 11 representan nuevos registros para la Bahía de Chetumal, y 6 para el Caribe Mexicano. Especies de Enteromorpha estuvieron presentes en ambientes ricos en materia orgánica, tanto de origen urbano, como natural. En los desagües de la Bahía de Chetumal existen especies indicadoras de contaminación, pero la ausencia de Batophora spp., dominante en esta laguna costera. Los caracteres morfológicos de B. occidentalis y B. oerstedii a lo largo de los cinco sitios de muestreo no reflejaron la presencia de contaminantes. Ambas especies presentaron diferencias significativas en su largo y ancho de gametóforos, y en el diámetro de gametangios Las diferencias en estrategias reproductivas probablemente ayudan a que B. oerstedii y B. occidentalis puedan coexistir cercanamente en la Bahía de Chetumal.

Algas epífitas de Bajo Pepito, Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, México / Epiphytic algae from Bajo Pepito, Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico

A total of 96 epiphytic algae species were identified from Bajo Pepito, Quintana Roo, México. 60.4% (58) belonged to the Rhodophyta, 19.79% (19) to the Phaeophyta, 16.6% (16) to the Chlorophyta and 3.1% (3) to the Cyanophyta; 49 species (50.5%) were found only in one month, while Heterosiphonia crispella was found in all of the sampled months. That species provided the largest contribution to the biomass of epiphytes. During January we registered the greater biommass and richness of epiphytes species, coincidently with high values of host species cover and rainfall.

Se identificó un total de 96 especies de algas epífitas de Bajo Pepito, Quintana Roo, México; el 60.4% (58) pertenecieron a la división Rhodophyta, 19.79% (19) a la división Phaeophyta, 16.6% (16) a la división Chlorophyta y 3.1% (3) a la división Cyanophyta; 49 especies (51%) se presentaron solamente en un mes de muestreo. Heterosiphonia crispella se presentó en todos los meses de muestreo, y fue la que tuvo mayor contribución en la biomasa de epífitas. En enero se registró la mayor biomasa y riqueza de algas epífitas, lo cual coincidió con valores altos de cobertura de especies hospederas y precipitación pluvial.

Choline supplementation facilitates short-term memory consolidation into intermediate long-term memory of young Sprague-Dawley rats / La suplementación con colina facilita la consolidación de la memoria a corto plazo y su transformación en memoria intermedia a largo plazo, en las Ratas Sprague-Dawley jóvenes

Choline is important for the synthesis of acetylcholine, an integral neurotransmitter involved in memory formation. In order to investigate the effect of choline supplementation on memory consolidation, the study utilized a T-maze to facilitate passive avoidance learning and memory in young female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were placed in two groups; choline-supplemented that received choline chloride daily for two weeks, and control that received vehicle daily for two weeks. Rats were evaluated to determine their ability to avoid an aversive electric foot-shock (0.1 mA at 60V) when they characteristically entered the preferred dark area (DA) of the T-maze. Both groups of rats showed preference, without significant difference, for entry into DA of the T-maze. However, fifteen minutes after passive avoidance both choline supplemented and control rats avoided entry into DA. This display of DA avoidance 15 minutes after training, suggests that both groups of rats had acquired short-term memory of the aversive stimulus. However, when the test was repeated 24 hours after training, the control group did not avoid entry into DA, whereas the choline-supplemented group either avoided entry or entered after a significantly longer latency period (p < 0.01). These results suggest that supplementation with choline facilitated the consolidation of short-term memory of the avoidance learning into intermediate long-term memory in young rats.

La colina es importante para la síntesis de la acetilcolina – un neurotransmisor integral que participa en la formación de la memoria. Para investigar el efecto de la suplementación con colina en la consolidación de la memoria, el estudio utilizó un laberinto T para facilitar la memoria y el aprendizaje de evitación pasiva en ratas hembras jóvenes Sprague-Dawley. Las ratas fueron colocadas en dos grupos: uno que recibió cloruro de colina diariamente por espacio de dos semanas, y uno de control que recibió vehículo diariamente por dos semanas. Las ratas fueron evaluadas a fin de determinar su habilidad para evitar un choque eléctrico aversivo (0.1mA a 60V) cuando entraban característicamente a la preferida área oscura (AO) del laberinto en T. Ambos grupos de ratas mostraron preferencia – sin diferencia significativa – por entrar en el área oscura del laberinto en T. Sin embargo, quince minutos después de la evitación pasiva, tanto las ratas que recibieron la suplementación con colina como las ratas de control, evitaban entrar al área oscura. El hecho de que se observe la evitación del área oscura15 minutos después del entrenamiento, sugiere que ambos grupos de ratas habían adquirido una memoria a corto plazo del estímulo aversivo. Sin embargo, cuando la prueba se repitió 24 horas después del entrenamiento, el grupo de control no evitó el entrar al AO, mientras que el grupo que recibió el complemento de colina, o evitó entrar o entró luego de un período de latencia significativamente más largo (P < 0.01). Por lo tanto, estos resultados sugieren por consiguiente que la suplementación con colina facilitó la consolidación de la memoria a corto plazo del aprendizaje de la evitación, y su transformación en memoria a largo plazo en las ratas jóvenes.

[Epiphytic algae from Bajo Pepito, Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico]. / Algas epífitas de Bajo Pepito, Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, México.

A total of 96 epiphytic algae species were identified from Bajo Pepito, Quintana Roo, México. 60.4% (58) belonged to the Rhodophyta, 19.79% (19) to the Phaeophyta, 16.6% (16) to the Chlorophyta and 3.1% (3) to the Cyanophyta; 49 species (50.5%) were found only in one month, while Heterosiphonia crispella was found in all of the sampled months. That species provided the largest contribution to the biomass of epiphytes. During January we registered the greater biommass and richness of epiphytes species, coincidently with high values of host species cover and rainfall.

[Benthic flora and reproduction of Batophora spp. algae (Chlorophyta: Dasycladaceae) in a polluted coastal lagoon (Chetumal Bay, Mexico)]. / Flora béntica y reproducción de las algas Batophora spp. (Chlorophyta: Dasycladaceae) de una laguna costera contaminada (Bahía de Chetumal, México).

The benthic flora, and the vegetative and reproductive characters of the algae Batophora oerstedii and B. occidentalis (Chlorophyta) were recorded from five sites of Chetumal Bay, Quintana Roo, Mexico. A sewage gradient has been reported along those sites. Plants were sampled in May and October 1999, which corresponded to dry and rainy seasons, respectively. Forty taxa were found, 11 are new records for the Chetumal Bay, and 6 are new records for the Mexican Caribbean. Enteromorpha species were present in sites known as rich in organic matter (both from anthropogenic and natural sources). Batophora spp. is the dominant algae in all Chetumal Bay. However, it was absent next to sewage outfalls. The morphological characters of B. oerstedii and B. occidentalis did not change significantly along the sites reported as polluted. The length and width of gametophores, as well as the diameter of the gametangia were clearly different for both species. Different reproductive strategies may help B. oerstedii and B. occidentalis to closely coexist in the Chetumal Bay.

Nocturnal blood pressure in young patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: correlation with cardiac function.

Lack of a decline in nocturnal blood pressure is associated with an adverse effect on end organs in adults with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The role of the decline in nocturnal blood pressure in young patients with IDDM is not known. We studied 25 white subjects with IDDM (age = 20.8 +/- 3.7 years, mean +/- SD), 8 of whom were female. The duration of IDDM in these subjects was 12.9 +/- 5.4 years (mean +/- SD). We determined the values for glycosylated hemoglobin (HgbA1), 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, diastolic cardiac function (the ratio of peak E wave to peak A wave velocity (E/A) and indexed peak filling rate ¿PFR/SV¿ by Doppler echocardiography), and albumin excretion rate. The HgbA1 level was 10.9% +/- 1.9% (mean +/- SD; normal range = 4.5%-8.5%). The HgbA1 concentration was inversely correlated (p < 0.005) with the decline in systolic (r = 0.57) and diastolic (r = -0.55) nocturnal blood pressure. Diastolic cardiac dysfunction ¿E/A ratio [r = 0.42, p < 0.03) and PFR/SV (r = 0.52, p < 0.01)¿ correlated with a smaller decrease in nocturnal diastolic blood pressure. An inverse correlation between decline in nocturnal systolic blood pressure and log albumin excretion rate (r = -0.37, p = 0.07) approached statistical significance. We conclude that poor glycemic control adversely affects nocturnal blood pressure and that the latter may play an important role in cardiac and possibly renal dysfunction in early IDDM.

Postinfectious purpura fulminans caused by an autoantibody directed against protein S.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the mechanism responsible for idiopathic purpura fulminans, we investigated the procoagulant and anticoagulant pathways in five consecutive patients, four after varicella, and the fifth after a nonspecific infection. METHODS: Procoagulant and anticoagulant factors, including protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III, were measured by quantitative or functional assays. Anti-protein S autoantibodies were identified by dot blotting and Western blotting, and quantified serially by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical and laboratory data were collated retrospectively. RESULTS: In each case the disease began 7 to 10 days after the onset of the precipitating infection, with rapidly progressive purpura leading to extensive areas of skin necrosis. The illness was complicated by impaired perfusion of limbs or digits (two patients), peripheral gangrene resulting in an above-knee amputation (one patient), and major organ dysfunction caused by thromboembolic phenomena involving the lungs (two patients), the heart (one patient), or the kidneys (one patient). Protein S levels were virtually undetectable at the time of admission and failed to respond to infusions of fresh frozen plasma, despite correction of other procoagulant and anticoagulant factors. All five children had anti-protein S IgM and IgG autoantibodies, which persisted for less than 3 months after admission. Decline in the anti-protein S IgG antibody concentration was associated with normalization of the plasma protein S levels. CONCLUSIONS: Autoimmune protein S deficiency may be a common mechanism causing postinfectious idiopathic purpura fulminans. Recognition of the pathophysiologic mechanism may provide a rational basis for treatment. Immediate heparinization, infusions of fresh frozen plasma, and, in cases complicated by major vessel thrombosis, the use of tissue-type plasminogen activator may limit thromboembolic complications.

Progress in medical education in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies: implementation of problem-based learning at the St. Augustine Campus.

This paper reviews some of the developmental procedures regarding changes in Medical Education within the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies. Discussed are some of the constraints experienced in attempting curriculum changes in the established Medical School at Mona, Jamaica, as compared with the implementation of a Problem-based Learning Strategy curriculum at the Eric Williams Medical Complex, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. At Mona, integration of disciplines, Community-health and other programmes were attempted. However, it was at the Eric Williams Complex, a new school, that the Faculty of Medical Sciences was able to implement a problem-based programme.

Ethics and law in the medical curriculum--a university of the West Indies perspective.

The Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS), University of the West Indies, recognizes that ethics and law are not currently given adequate importance in the training of health professionals. FMS also recognizes the rapid advancement of technology, such as transplants, artificial organs, in vitro fertilization, life-sustaining equipment and euthanasia, as well as the ever-increasing prevalence of malpractice. Thus, two conferences were held to consider the implementation of ethics and law in the medical curriculum. The conferences recommended an increased input into the curriculum of ethics and law, and that this programme be taught and examined in all the medical years. The article discusses implementation strategies.