Effects of in vitro, acute and chronic treatment with fluoxetine on the sympathetic neurotransmission of rat vas deferens.

It is described that fluoxetine treatment is able to induce ejaculatory disorders. However, the exact mechanism is still not fully understood. Therefore, this study was carried out to further evaluate the anti-ejaculatory effects of fluoxetine, using different approaches (in vitro or in vivo treatments), on the sympathetic neurotransmission of the rat vas deferens. Vas deferens from male Wistar rats were used to check the in vitro effects of fluoxetine 10-6M, 3.10-6M or 10-5M. Animals were also acutely (20mg/kg, i.p. 4h or 24h) or chronically (10mg/kg, i.p., 30days) treated with fluoxetine or drug-free vehicle. The vas deferens from non-treated and treated animals were isolated and mounted in an isolated organ bath for the study of the contractions induced by adrenergic agonists, tyramine, 5-HT, Ca2+ or electrical field stimulation. In vitro or acute treatment with fluoxetine decreased the contraction induced by agonists, Ca2+ or electrical field stimulation. The chronic treatment with fluoxetine decreased the contractions induced agonists, tyramine or Ca2+, but did not modify the contractions induced by electrical field stimulation. We have shown that in vitro or in vivo fluoxetine treatment is able to alter the sympathetic neurotransmission of the rat vas deferens which could be related to alterations in the calcium signalling.

[Schistosomiasis in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil in the 2007-2011 period]. / Esquistosomiasis en la ciudad de Belo Horizonte en el período de 2007 a 2011.

INTRODUCTION: schistosomiasis is kept under epidemiolotical surveillance in some areas of Brazil. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the epidemiological situation of schistosomiasis in the city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais, Brazil, through epidemiological indicators. METHODS: a descriptive study was conducted by using the System of Information and Notification of Grievances (SINAN) that contains the cases occurred in the residents of Belo Horizonte in the period of January-2007 to July-2011. Four hundred ninety six lab confirmed cases of schistosomiasis(Kato-Katz technique) were recorded. RESULTS: in this period, there was a considerable increase of the number of cases in 2007 when the incidence was 1.96/100 000 habitants; the incidence was 7.29/100 000 habitants until July, 2011. CONCLUSIONS: the increasing number of recent cases points to the need of developing new strategies to control this endemic disease in our region.