Low doses of acetaminophen produce antidepressive-like effects through the opioid system in mice.

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is one of the most popular analgesics for the management of fever and pain but few reports have investigated its antidepressant-like effect. Moreover, the role of the opioidergic pathway has been indicated in depression pathophysiology. This study aimed to examine the involvement of the opioid receptors in the antidepressant-like effect of acetaminophen after acute and sub-chronic administration using mice forced swimming test (FST). Our finding showed that administration of acetaminophen (50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before the FST produced an antidepressant effect which was reduced by naloxone (1 mg/kg, i.p., a nonselective opioid receptor antagonist). Moreover, we observed that acetaminophen in higher doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) was ineffective. Also, the response of the non-effective dose of acetaminophen (25 mg/kg) was potentiated by the non-effective dose of morphine (0.1 mg/kg) in the FST that was antagonized by naloxone. Also, in contrast to morphine (10 mg/kg), acetaminophen (100 mg/kg, i.p.) induced neither tolerance to the anti-immobility behavior nor withdrawal syndrome after repeated administration. In addition, RT-PCR showed that hippocampal mu- and kappa-opioid receptor mRNA expression increased in mice after repeated administration of acetaminophen; however, morphine therapy for 6 days did not affect kappa-opioid receptor expression. Our findings demonstrated that acetaminophen in lower doses but not high doses revealed an antidepressant-like activity without inducing tolerance and withdrawal syndromes. Moreover, the observed effect of acetaminophen may be via altering the opioid system, particularly hippocampal mu- and kappa-receptors.

The effect of a self-care programme on urinary incontinence and self-esteem in elderly men dwelling in nursing homes in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Whilst self-care programme involving comprehensive lifestyle plans including physical and behavioural interventions have reported positive outcomes for the aged suffering from urinary incontinence (UI), very few programmes have been implemented amongst Iranian nursing home residents, particularly in men. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a self-care programme on UI and self-esteem in elderly men dwelling in nursing homes in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-one elderly men (aged 60-75 years of age), at two different sites and living in nursing homes in the west of Iran, suffering from urinary incontinence were included in this study. Participants were selected using convenience sampling based on selected and randomized criteria in experimental and control groups. Data collection tools included Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Questionnaire (RSES), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), and demographic information form. Data were analysed using SPSS vesion18 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). RESULTS: A significant decrease in the mean scores of ICIQ-SF in the experimental group compared with the control group following intervention (p < .001). Furthermore, a significant increase was observed in self-esteem in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < .001). CONCLUSION: The study findings demonstrate that the self-care programme significantly reduced UI in elderly men living in nursing homes, and that this in turn contributed to boosting their self-esteem. Implementing such an intervention has shown to be useful in managing both UI and improving self-esteem in this patient population.