Sexual arousal patterns of bisexual men revisited.

Men who identify themselves as bisexual report feeling sexually aroused by both men and women. However, past research has not demonstrated that such men exhibit substantial genital arousal to both male and female erotic stimuli, suggesting that they identify as bisexual for reasons other than their genital arousal pattern. The purpose of the present study was to examine arousal patterns among bisexual men who were recruited using stringent criteria involving sexual and romantic experience with both men and women in order to increase the likelihood of finding a bisexual arousal pattern. Bisexual men in the present study demonstrated bisexual patterns of both subjective and genital arousal. It remains unclear which pattern is most typical of contemporary bisexual men: the present results supporting a bisexual arousal pattern, or previous results not finding one. In either case, understanding men with bisexual arousal patterns could help illuminate the etiology and development of male sexual orientation.

Regional cerebral blood flow in female cocaine-addicted subjects following limbic activation.

BACKGROUND: Cocaine dependence follows a different disease course in men and women, possibly as a consequence of sex-specific neurobiologic responses to chronic cocaine use. We have previously reported that male cocaine-dependent subjects demonstrate a significantly different limbic response to the limbic-stimulus procaine, as measured by regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), compared with male controls. In this study, we assessed the limbic rCBF response to procaine in female cocaine-addicted subjects (n=10) and female controls (n=10). METHODS: Subjects were administered 1.38 mg/kg procaine or saline intravenously in two separate sessions. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was used to compare the rCBF response to procaine. RESULTS: Female cocaine-dependent subjects demonstrate a markedly muted, and distinctly different, limbic response to procaine compared with matched healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: The rCBF response to procaine in female cocaine-dependent subjects suggests significant CNS differences compared with non-addicted female controls. Coupled with findings previously observed in male cocaine-dependent subjects, these biologic differences suggest that both male and female subjects experience alterations in limbic responsiveness following the chronic use of cocaine.

Clinical experience with i.v. Mannitol in the treatment of ciguatera.

To assess the effectiveness of i.v. Mannitol treatment for Ciguatera Poisoning, 35 patients were treated from the Miami-Caribbean area with symptoms of acute and chronic Ciguatera Poisoning. Information was collected on demographics, fish type and location, timing and type of symptoms, and response to treatment. Iv Mannitol (1 g/kg infused 3-4 hours) given within 48 hours dramatically decreased the acute morbidity of Ciguatera Poisoning without serious side effects. Treatment also appears to be safe and effective in chronic cases up to eight weeks from ingestion of toxic fish.

A pilot study of a new ELISA test for ciguatoxin in humans.

The major impediment to the thorough study of Ciguatera in human populations has been the lack of definitive diagnostic ability. However, recently an ELISA test was developed which can diagnose Ciguatera qualitatively and quantitatively in human fluids, as well as in contaminated fish tissue. This study proposes to evaluate this new ELISA test in human subjects with the clinical diagnoses of acute and chronic Ciguatera Poisoning. The contaminated fish from exposed subjects, and the blood and urine of exposed and controls, will be examined using the new ELISA. The ELISA performance will be compared to traditional bioassays for the fish testing. In addition, a distinct diagnostic profile will be developed using serial questionnaires, physical examinations, and nerve conduction tests. Ultimately this ELISA test can be used not only in establishing the correct diagnosis of Ciguatera Poisoning, but also in the treatment and clinical prognosis, and in epidemiologic studies of Ciguatera Poisoning in human populations. We hope that this protocol will serve as a model for the study of the effects of other marine toxins on human populations.

Is filariasis a trigger for bronchial asthma?

Many Sri Lankan children with cough and wheeze and peripheral blood eosinophilia are treated with diethyl carbamazine (D.E.C.) on the assumption that filaria is the cause. We tried to establish whether filaria can trigger asthma and whether D.E.C. improves bronchial reactivity. In 35 symptomatic and 22 asymptomatic children peripheral blood eosinophil counts, filarial antibody test, stool examination, chest radiography, allergy skin tests and histamine inhalation tests were performed before and after treatment with D.E.C. Most of the symptomatic children were atopic; 1/3 of all children had helminthiasis, positive filarial antibodies and total eosinophil counts of greater than 2,000. Ten children had chest radiographs suggestive of tropical pulmonary eosinophilia. Only in those with intermittent symptoms was there a marked improvement in bronchial reactivity after D.E.C., but baseline peak expiratory flow (P.E.F.) improved in all symptomatic groups. We conclude that 1/3 of the children had filariasis which in an atopic individual may trigger asthma. Both the anti-inflammatory and the anti-filarial action of D.E.C. probably contribute to improvement of bronchial reactivity.