Subject(s)
Clinical Laboratory Techniques/methods , Specimen Handling , Virus Physiological Phenomena , Betacoronavirus/isolation & purification , Betacoronavirus/physiology , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Testing , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/virology , Humans , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Viral/virology , Recurrence , SARS-CoV-2 , Specimen Handling/methods , Specimen Handling/standardsSubject(s)
Disease Transmission, Infectious/prevention & control , Masks , Betacoronavirus/isolation & purification , COVID-19 , Communicable Disease Control/instrumentation , Communicable Disease Control/methods , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Humans , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Reproducibility of Results , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Methamphetamine (MA), a commonly abused psychostimulant, induces the drug dependence by enhancing the dopamine-mediated neurotransmission. Ketamine (KET) is a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, which can be actually mixed with MA for polydrug abuse. In the present study, the individual and combined effects of KET (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and MA (1 mg/kg, i.p.) on conditioned place preference in rats were investigated. The alterations of serine 897 phosphorylations of NR1 receptors in the striatum and ventral tegmental area of after-conditioning rats were measured immunochemically. The results showed repeated administrations of MA, KET and their combination, at the doses studied, all could induce psychological dependences evaluated by conditioned place preference. KET was not able to suppress the MA-induced place preference. The modulations of NR1 phosphorylations in basal ganglia were partly responsible to place preference. Although the alterations induced by KET were not significant in most areas we studied, MA showed a significant increase in the ventral tegmental area but a marked decrease in caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens. Such alterations were much more significant when KET and MA were combined. These results have important implications for public awareness of harm with combined drug abuse. Further investigations toward the specific interaction of the two drugs are necessary.
Subject(s)
Basal Ganglia/drug effects , Conditioning, Classical/drug effects , Ketamine/pharmacology , Methamphetamine/pharmacology , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/drug effects , Spatial Behavior/drug effects , Substance-Related Disorders/physiopathology , Animals , Basal Ganglia/physiology , Basal Ganglia/ultrastructure , Conditioning, Classical/physiology , Male , Neurons/drug effects , Neurons/metabolism , Nucleus Accumbens/cytology , Nucleus Accumbens/drug effects , Nucleus Accumbens/physiology , Organ Specificity , Phosphorylation/drug effects , Phosphoserine/analysis , Protein Processing, Post-Translational/drug effects , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/chemistry , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/physiology , Spatial Behavior/physiology , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/physiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To examine the long-term effect of auricular therapy using magnetic pearls administered for the elderly suffering from insomnia. DESIGN: A follow-up study after a randomized controlled trial. SETTINGS: Four hostels for the elderly in Hong Kong. INTERVENTIONS: This paper focuses on reporting the long-term effect of auricular therapy using magnetic pearls in the experimental group of a randomized controlled study. Fifteen volunteer participants were followed up at 1-, 3-, and 6-month intervals after a 3-week treatment course. OUTCOME MEASURES: Objective sleep parameters using actigraphic monitoring were collected at different intervals of time after the therapy. RESULTS: Results of RANOVA demonstrate that there was a significant difference of nocturnal sleep time (F(2.30,29.90)=3.63, P<0.05) and marginally differences of sleep efficiency (F(4,52)=2.52, P=0.05) at baseline, immediately after the therapy, and at the three time intervals at 1, 3 and 6 months. The results illustrate that the mean nocturnal sleep time (F=4.95, P=0.30, R(2)=0.91) and the mean sleep efficiency (F=13.50, P=0.19, R(2)=0.96) also remained constant over the 6-month follow up period. The results of least square polynomial regression analysis also illustrate that the mean NST (F=4.95, P=0.30, R(2)=0.91) and the mean sleep efficiency (F=13.50, P=0.19, R(2)=0.96) remained constant over the 6-month follow up period. CONCLUSION: The results of this follow up study indicate that auricular therapy using magnetic pearls could have a long-term effect, at least within the observed period of time, on improving the quality as well as the quantity of sleep among the elderly.
