Chronic administration of risperidone in a rat model of schizophrenia: a behavioural, morphological and molecular study.

In the present work we analyzed the effect of the chronic administration of risperidone (2mg/kg over 65 days) on behavioural, morphological and molecular aspects in an experimental model of schizophrenia obtained by bilateral injection of ibotenic acid into the ventral hippocampus of new-born rats. Our results show that during their adult lives the animals with hippocampal lesions exhibit different alterations, mainly at behavioural level and in the gene expression of dopamine D(2) and 5-HT(2A) receptors. However, at morphological level the study performed on the prefrontal cortex did not reveal any alterations in either the thickness or the number of cells immunoreactive for c-Fos, GFAP, CBP or PV. Overall, risperidone administration elicited a trend towards the recovery of the values previously altered by the hippocampal lesion, approaching the values seen in the animals without lesions. It may be concluded that the administration of risperidone in the schizophrenia model employed helps to improve the altered functions, with no significant negative effects.

[Syphilitic aortic regurgitation: a sexually transmissible cardiopathy]. / L'insuffisance aortique d'origine syphilitique : une cardiopathie sexuellement transmissible.

Syphilitic cardiovascular complications are currently rare. It concerns the tertiary phase of the disease and results in sacciform aneurysm of the thoracic aorta or ostial coronary artery stenosis. Syphilitic aortic regurgitation is even more rare. We illustrate it by a clinical observation and discuss its diagnosis and its treatment.

Chronic administration of risperidone to healthy rats: a behavioural and morphological study.

Taking into account that most of the experimental research into the effects of antipsychotic drugs has mainly focused on behavioural aspects, the aim of the present work is to investigate the effects of a chronic therapeutic dose of risperidone (1 mg/kg/day during 140 days) on both behavioural and morphological aspects in healthy rats. The behavioural results revealed only minor modifications in prepulse inhibition, showing the risperidone-treated group higher values at 70 days of treatment with respect to the vehicle group. Moreover, in the open-field test, this group showed a greater incidence of grooming. In the active avoidance test, no differences were found between the groups studied. Additionally, in the morphological study performed to analyse cortical thickness and the number of GFAP-, CaBP-, PV- and Fos-immunostained cells no differences were seen between the two groups studied. It is important to note that the risperidone-treated group showed a slight increase in the total number of cells counted, although this increase was not significant. Our results indicate that the chronic administration of therapeutic doses of risperidone does not produce any dramatic behavioural or morphological changes in healthy animals.

[Tranexamic acid versus aprotinin for the prevention of bleeding during mitral valve surgery ]. / Prévention du saignement dans la chirurgie de la valve mitrale: comparaison de l'acide tranexamique aux faibles doses d'aprotinine.

PURPOSE: This retrospective stady has for objective to compare the effect of Tranexamic Acid (TA) to the low dose of aprotinin (AP) in primary mitral valve surgery in terms of blood loss and transfusion requirements. METHODS: Are included in the study operated patients of a valvulopathy mitral isolated. Two groups of 50 patients are collected. The tranexamic acid group has received 30 mg kg-1 the acid tranexamic and the aprotinin group has received a low regimen as 500,000 UIK of aprotinin. Blood loss by the chest drains are assessed to different times during first 24 hours post cardiopulmonary bypass. In the same way, we have measured the platelet and fibrinogen count. Blood products were administered according to a classic protocol. RESULTS: The two groups are comparable clinic and echocardiographic parameters what authorizes us an appariement acceptable. Various cardiopulmonary bypass times are almost similar. We noticed a tendency to excessive blood loss processed by low regimen aprotinin and a significant rate difference of platelet and the fibrinogen level. But no complication has been recorded in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates relatively different effect of the two fibrinolytics inhibitors in primary mitral valve surgery. As for the superiority of one of the two produces, it needs a confirmation by a randomised and controlled clinical trial.

[Arterial manifestations of Behcet's disease. A report of five operated cases]. / Manifestations artérielles de la maladie de Behçet. A propos de 5 cas opérés.

Vascular involvement in Behcet's disease is common, especially in deep vein thrombosis. Aneurysmal or occlusive arterial disease is, however, rare. The authors report five cases of vascular Behcet's disease reviewed over a period of 4 years (1996-1999). All these patients were men and the mean age was 38 years. The arterial disease was the presenting symptom of Behcet's disease in 3 cases. The other patients had been followed up for Behcet's disease for 4 years. The average time of onset of arterial disease was 7.2 years with respect to the presenting symptom, the range being 2 to 20 years. In all, seven arteries were involved, two patients having two arterial sites at the same time. The femoral artery was involved in 3 cases. The iliac artery was involved twice. One patient had a coronary thrombosis and the last case was of a pseudoaneurysm of the infra-renal abdominal aorta which ruptured into the retroperitoneal space. Six lesions were aneurysmal. All patients underwent surgery. The histological analysis of the resected lesions showed non-specific panvasculitis. The postoperative period was marked by short and medium term complications: four prosthetic thromboses and two anastomotic pseudo-aneurysms which required several surgical procedures and which led to two deaths. These results and a review of the literature underline the need to search for Behcet's disease in all cases of aneurysmal or occlusive arterial disease in young patients, especially those born in the Mediterranean regions. Surgical treatment should not be delayed. In these inflammatory conditions with pronounced perivascular involvement, the surgery is difficult and postoperative complications are common, especially anastomotic disunion. Medical treatment has no surgical implication, but does not prevent progression of the disease.

[Surgery of active-phase infective endocarditis: report of 13 cases]. / Chirurgie de l'endocardite infectieuse à la phase active: à propos de 13 cas.

OBJECTIVE: Infective endocarditis is always a disease at the present time. In this work we report our initial experience of infective endocarditis surgical treatment during the acute phase. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between September 1993 and December 1997, 13 patients underwent valvular surgery for native infective endocarditis. Mean age was 31 +/- 11 years (range: 9 to 42 years); 92.3% of the patients presented with pre-existing rheumatical valvular lesion. Surgical indication was the occurrence of heart failure in all these patients. Surgery consisted on aortic valvular replacement in four patients, mitral and aortic valvular replacement in nine patients. Tricuspid valvuloplasty was required in two patients. Early mortality was 15% (two patients). A third patient developed cardiac failure and died three years postoperatively. CONCLUSION: This work emphasises the interest of the surgical treatment in the active phase of the infective endocarditis.

[Spinal cord injury and secondary autonomic function disorders]. / Traumatisme médullaire et troubles dysautonomiques secondaires.

Autonomic dysfunction is frequently reported after high level spinal cord injury. These disorders usually occur in the first days and resolve spontaneously within 3 to 6 weeks. Usual clinical aspects are hemodynamic abnormalities and often bradycardia which can lead to death. These dysfunctions rarely reappear during neurological status recovery. In this case report, usual autonomic disorders were noted after a T5 level spinal injury with partial motor lesions. However during motor recovery periods, arrhythmias occurred, including ventricular extrasystoles and bursts of ventricular tachycardia. Physiopathological mechanisms are discussed and regulation changes of sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system are evoked.