Prognostic value of beta human chorionic gonadotrophin in blood serum of patients with urinary bladder tumours.

Beta human chorionic gonadotrophin levels have been assessed in blood serum of 79 patients with bladder tumours before and seven days after transurethral electroresection (TUR). With the growth grade of anaplasia and staging the mean serum beta HCG level increased. Beta HCG was a good biological marker to differentiate between superficial and deep tumours.

Behavioral and biochemical effects of intraventricular kainic acid.

Wistar rats received intraventricularly solutions of kainic acid (KA) and behavioral symptoms and changes in the brain concentrations of biogenic amines and 5-hydroxy-indole-acetic acid (5-HIAA) following the injection were observed. KA produced a characteristic behavioral syndrome dominated by episodes of "wet dog shakes" (WDS), which were most frequent after doses of 0.25-1.5 nmole, 10-25 min after the injection. Multiple injections of KA produced only negligible inhibition of the response in initial experiments, and the effect was significantly below the control level on the 6th consecutive treatment. WDS were more frequent in rats which had undergone central chemosympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine. Serotoninolytics did not inhibit WDS; the shakes were strongly inhibited by pretreatment with compounds inhibiting the transmission in the noradrenergic neurons, clonidine and aceperone, by a neuroleptic, spiperone, and by opiates stimulating the opiate receptor; morphine, azidomorphine and N-cyclopropylmethylnorazido-morphine, but not by an opiate receptor antagonist, naloxone. KA depressed the cerebral level of norarenaline 35 min after the administration, byt 6 days after a single injection the brain levels of noradernaline and 5-HIAA were elevated. It i suggested that the catecholaminergic systems and opiate receptors play an important role in the syndrome observed, and that the syndrome resembles the syndrome of morphine abstinence.

Motor depression and head twitches induced by IP injection of GABA.

Influence of GABA onlocomotor activity and gross behavior of mice, rats, and rabbits was studied. In mice and rats, IP GABA injection produced decreased locomotor activity, but in rats and rabbits head twitches and disturbances in body balance were seen. GABA-induced head twitches were inhibited by picrotoxin, clonidine, morphine, or cyproheptadine. Our results suggest a serotonergic component in GABA-induced head twitches, but it is not the only mechanism involved in this behavior.

Head twitches produced by serotonergic drugs and opiates after lesion of the mesostriatal serotonergic system of the rat.

Electrolytical lesions of the dorsal raphe nucleus in the rat did not change frequency of head twitches produced by codeine and apocodeine. The action of serotonergic drugs was affected differently: the lesion depressed the frequency of head twitch episodes produced by 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), LSD and quipazine, but did not change the frequency of head twitches produced by 5-methoxytryptamine. On the other hand, the lesions protected against high mortality produced by combined treatment with tranylcypromine and 5-methoxytryptamine. There was a good correlation between the extent of lesion, measured by the depression of the level of prosencephalic serotonin, and the depression of head twitch frequency produced by 5-hydroxytryptophan and quipazine, while the correlation was not significant for the action of LSD. It is concluded that presynaptic serotonergic structures belonging to the mesostriatal serotonergic system are necessary for appearing of head twitches after treatment with 5-HTP, LSD and quipazine, and therefore these compounds have a presynaptic action in this test.