Acute buspirone abolishes the expression of behavioral dopaminergic supersensitivity in mice

Previous studies have shown that rats withdrawn from long-term treatment with dopamine receptor blockers exhibit dopaminergic supersensitivity, which can be behaviorally evaluated by enhanced general activity observed in an open-field. Recently, it has been reported that co-treatment with the non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic buspirone attenuates the development of haloperidol-induced dopaminergic supersensitivity measured by open-field behavior of rats. The aims of the present study were: 1) to determine, as previously reported for rats, if mice withdrawn from long-term neuroleptic treatment would also develop dopaminergic supersensitivity using open-field behavior as an experimental paradigm, and 2) to examine if acute buspirone administration would attenuate the expression of this behavioral dopaminergic supersensitivity. Withdrawal from long-term haloperidol treatment (2.5 mg/kg, once daily, for 20 days) induced a significant (30%) increase in ambulation frequency (i.e., number of squares crossed in 5-min observation sessions) but did not modify rearing frequency or immobility duration in 3-month-old EPM-M1 male mice observed in the open-field apparatus. Acute intraperitoneal injection of buspirone (3.0 and 10 but not 1.0 mg/kg, 12-13 animals per group) 30 min before open-field exposure abolished the increase in locomotion frequency induced by haloperidol withdrawal. These data suggest that the open-field behavior of mice can be used to detect dopaminergic supersensitivity, whose expression is abolished by acute buspirone administration.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de FarmacologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de FarmacologiaSciEL

Testicular Cancer—Surgical Treatment

Testicular Germ Cell Tumor (GCT) is the most common solid tumor in men between the ages of 20–44. Men diagnosed with GCT have excellent survival rates due to advances in the multimodal treatment paradigm of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. When considering the adequate treatment, several variables should be investigated and known to select the proper procedure. Therefore, when considering Testicular Intra-Epithelial Neoplasia, organ-sparring treatment, such as radiotherapy or organ-sparring surgery should be considered, reaching a cure rate of 98%. However, when the case is of a seminoma or a non-seminoma, orchiectomy is usually the chosen procedure, reaching an oncological cure rate of 80–85%, when there is no metastasis. Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND) is generally considered as a treatment option for non-seminomas, when lymph nodes are compromised. There are three different RPLND techniques: open, laparoscopic, and robotic. The open approach is as effective as the other two in its oncological efficiency. Although, when considering both laparoscopic and robotic approach, hospital stays are significantly reduced, better cosmetic results, and less complications when compared to the open approach. Both laparoscopic and robotic approaches require extensive experience and have a steep learning curve, while also providing similar outcome, however, recent studies have been pointing out a slight increase of advantages on the robotic approach. Therefore, further studies are necessary to assert the robotic approach superiority. Also, it is noteworthy that new technologies are on the rise, improving the laparoscopic approach, requiring further studies after their uses are consolidated

Need of information for parents with children suffering from congenital heart defects

INTRODUÇÃO: a equipe de enfermagem deve informar pais de crianças portadoras de cardiopatias no que diz respeito às necessidades decorrentes desta situação. As necessidades mais comuns são: informações a respeito da própria cardiopatia, promoção de atividade física, adequação da alimentação, cuidado à saúde bucal, prevenção da endocardite infecciosa, cuidados nas crises de cianose e na administração de fármacos. OBJETIVO: caracterizar o quanto pais de crianças portadoras de cardiopatia congênita estão informados acerca desta. MÉTODO: mapeamento sistemático de literatura nas bases MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, LILACS e SciELO, do período de 1997 a 2007 com obtenção de 17 artigos. RESULTADOS: há necessidades pouco exploradas: cuidados por ocasião de crise de cianose, promoção de atividade física e administração de fármacos. As demais concentram a maior parte dos estudos. No entanto, mesmo nestas percebe-se que o conhecimento dos pais é incompleto e fragmentado, e isto ocorre tanto em países desenvolvidos, quanto nos em desenvolvimento. Em sua maior parte os cuidados são prestados por enfermeiros, dentistas e médicos. Programas de capacitação de pais são poucos e apenas um é descrito como exitoso. Há imperiosa necessidade de mudanças em termos de reorganização dos serviços de modo a abranger capacitação e apoio aos pais. Além disto, é necessário validar programas e protocolos de cuidados destinados a promover a capacitação destes. Tais programas devem ser flexíveis de modo a possibilitar a adaptação a cada situação clínica e aos determinantes sociais, cultural e econômico que agem sobre a família.INTRODUCTION: the nursing staff must inform parents with children suffering from congenital heart defects regarding their needs related to this situation. The most common needs are the seven, as follows: Information related to cardiopathy, promotion of physical activities, adequate diet, care with buccal health, prevention of infectious endocarditis, care during cyanosis crisis and drug administration. OBJECTIVE: to characterize how much information these parents have regarding this disorder. METHOD: systematic mapping on the literature in MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, LILACS and SciELO databases, from 1997 to 2007, obtaining 17 papers. RESULTS: the following needs, cyanosis crisis, promotion of physical activities and drug administration, were not adequately studied. The majority amongst the 17 papers was concentrated on the remaining four needs. Beside this, parent's knowledge is not satisfactory and is fragmented. It happens either in developed countries as well as in the underdeveloped ones. In general, care is performed by nurses, dental physicians and physicians. Training programs for parents are scarce and only one is described as successful. Changes are mandatory in terms of reorganization of services involving training and support for parents. Besides, validation of programs and protocols of care to promote training and development is required. These programs must be flexible to allow adaptation to clinical situation and to social, cultural and economic determinant factors acting on the family

Effects of adverse early-life events on aggression and anti-social behaviours in animals and humans

We review the impact of early adversities on the development of violence and antisocial behaviour in humans, and present three aetiological animal models of escalated rodent aggression, each disentangling the consequences of one particular adverse early-life factor. A review of the human data, as well as those obtained with the animal models of repeated maternal separation, post-weaning social isolation and peripubertal stress, clearly shows that adverse developmental conditions strongly affect aggressive behaviour displayed in adulthood, the emotional responses to social challenges and the neuronal mechanisms activated by conflict. Although similarities between models are evident, important differences were also noted, demonstrating that the behavioural, emotional and neuronal consequences of early adversities are to a large extent dependent on aetiological factors. These findings support recent theories on human aggression, which suggest that particular developmental trajectories lead to specific forms of aggressive behaviour and brain dysfunctions. However, dissecting the roles of particular aetiological factors in humans is difficult because these occur in various combinations; in addition, the neuroscientific tools employed in humans still lack the depth of analysis of those used in animal research. We suggest that the analytical approach of the rodent models presented here may be successfully used to complement human findings and to develop integrative models of the complex relationship between early adversity, brain development and aggressive behaviour. © 2014 British Society for Neuroendocrinology

Social Isolation-Induced Aggression Potentiates Anxiety and Depressive-Like Behavior in Male Mice Subjected to Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress

Accumulating epidemiological evidence shows that life event stressors are major vulnerability factors for psychiatric diseases such as major depression. It is also well known that social isolation in male mice results in aggressive behavior. However, it is not known how social isolation-induced aggression affects anxiety and depressive-like behavior in isolated male mice subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (CMS), an animal model of depression.C57/B6 male mice were divided into 3 groups; non-stressed controls, in Group I; isolated mice subjected to the CMS protocol in Group II and aggression by physical contact in socially isolated mice subjected to the CMS protocol in Group III. In the sucrose intake test, ingestion of a 1% sucrose solution by mice in Groups II and III was significantly lower than in Group I. Furthermore, intake of this solution in Group III mice was significantly lower than in Group II mice. In the open field test, mice in Group III, showed reduced locomotor activity and reduced entry and retention time in the central zone, compared to Groups I and II mice. Moreover, the distances moved in 1 hour by Group III mice did not differ between night and morning. In the light/black box test, Groups II and III animals spent significantly less time in the light box compared to Group I animals. In the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST), the immobility times of Group II and Group III mice were significantly longer than in Group I mice. In addition, immobility times in the FST were significantly longer in Group III than in Group II mice.These findings show that social isolation-induced aggression could potentiate anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in isolated male mice subjected to CMS

Necessity of information and support to the parentes of children bearing congenital heart disease

No cuidado cotidiano a crianças portadoras de cardiopatias congênitas percebe-se que os pais têm dificuldade para lidar, no domicílio, com as situações decorrentes da própria situação clínica, tais como cianose, prevenção da endocardite infecciosa, administração dos fármacos, etc. Com a finalidade de conhecer melhor os determinantes e possíveis soluções para tais situações, buscou-se identificar trabalhos científicos que abordassem as necessidades de informação e suporte a pais de criança cardiopatas, de 0 a 12 anos de idade, quanto à sete pontos: cardiopatia congênita propriamente dita; como lidar com a cianose; promoção de atividade física; promoção da alimentação; promoção da saúde bucal; prevenção da endocardite infecciosa e administração de fármacos. A busca foi realizada nas bases de dados MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, LILACS e Scielo, tendo-se limitado o período entre janeiro de 1997 e abril de 2007. Foram identificados 17 estudos, nos quais foi utilizada a análise temática de conteúdo como referencial metodológico. As categorias de análise foram os sete pontos previamente determinados. Os resultados mostraram que há categorias pouco exploradas, como, cuidados por ocasião de crise de cianose, promoção de atividade física e administração de fármacos. As outras concentram a maior parte dos estudos. São elas: conhecimento dos pais sobre a cardiopatia, promoção de alimentação (compreendendo aleitamento natural), promoção da saúde bucal e prevenção da endocardite infecciosa. Na análise geral percebe-se que o conhecimento dos pais, como um todo, é incompleto e fragmentado, tanto em países desenvolvidos, quanto nos em desenvolvimento. São descritos cuidados prestados por enfermeiros, dentistas e médicos, entre outros. Programas de capacitação de pais são poucos e apenas um é descrito como tendo êxito. Tais resultados apontam para a necessidade de mudanças, tanto em termos da relação direta com os pais, quanto em termos de re-organização dos serviços com vistas a abarcar de modo mais completo a necessidade de informação e suporte a estesIn the daily care regarding to children bearing congenital heart disease one can realize that parents have difficulties to deal, at home, with situations coming from the clinical situation itself, such as cyanosis, prevention of the infective endocarditis, administration of medicines, etc. In order to know better the main causes and possible solutions to such situations, one has sought to identify scientifical studies which approach the necessities of information and support to the parents of congenital heart disease from 0 up to 12 years old concerning seven points: congenital heart disease in the very sense of the problem; how to deal with cyanosis; promotion of physical activity; promotion of feeding; promotion of mouth and teeth hygiene; prevention of infective endocarditis and administration of medicines. The search was done in the bases of data MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, LILACS and Scielo, in the period between 1997 January to 2007 April. Seventeen studies were identified and the tematic analyses of content was used as methodological reference. The categories to analyse were the 7 points previously determinate. The results showed that there are categories with few reaserches carried out, as, for example, the care in situations of cyanosis crisis, promotion of physical activity and administration of medicines. The other ones concentrate the most of the studies. They are: parents\' knowledge about heart disease, promotion of feeding (including breast-feeding), promotion of mouth and teeth hygiene and prevention of infective endocarditis. The general analyses demonstrates that the parents\' knowledge, as a whole, is incomplete and fragmented both in developed world\'s countries and in the developing world ones. Cares rendered by nursery, odontological and medical staff are described along other sort of cares. Programs to capacitate parents are few and only one is describeb as succesful. Such results point to the need of changing.concerning the straight relation with parents and concerning the re-organization of the service as well, in order to embrace in a more complete way the necessity of information and support to parent

Avaliação do consumo alimentar em residências de crianças usuárias de um centro de educação infantil

É fundamental para um crescimento adequado e saudável da criança uma alimentação adequada em casa. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a alimentação consumida na residência de crianças usuárias de um centro de educação infantil, em quantidade e qualidade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de campo descritiva exploratória com abordagem quantitativa, realizada em um Centro de Educação Infantil (CEI) da cidade de São Paulo. Participaram deste estudo 57 mães de crianças usuárias do CEI; 53% das crianças eram do sexo feminino e 47% do sexo masculino; 75% das crianças foram classificadas com o peso ideal; todas as crianças foram amamentadas. A maior parte das crianças frequentava restaurantes do tipo fast food, consumia produtos industrializados de diferentes tipos e ingeria bebidas industrializadas e naturais, mas com alta frequência de consumo de suco industrializado. Nem todas consumiam água em casa. Neste estudo concluiu-se que apesar de toda uma dieta adequada no CEI, os hábitos alimentares da famí­lia faz com que a criança consuma alimentos industrializados que podem afetar í  saúde. Entretanto, percebeu-se também a ingestão de verduras, legumes e frutas com frequência e a maioria estava no peso ideal para a idade. Palavras-chave: alimentação infantil, estado nutricional, alimentos industrializados.</jats:p