Efficacy of a single low dose of esketamine after childbirth for mothers with symptoms of prenatal depression: randomised clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a single low dose of esketamine administered after childbirth reduces postpartum depression in mothers with prenatal depression. DESIGN: Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial with two parallel arms. SETTING: Five tertiary care hospitals in China, 19 June 2020 to 3 August 2022. PARTICIPANTS: 364 mothers aged ≥18 years who had at least mild prenatal depression as indicated by Edinburgh postnatal depression scale scores of ≥10 (range 0-30, with higher scores indicating worse depression) and who were admitted to hospital for delivery. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either 0.2 mg/kg esketamine or placebo infused intravenously over 40 minutes after childbirth once the umbilical cord had been clamped. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was prevalence of a major depressive episode at 42 days post partum, diagnosed using the mini-international neuropsychiatric interview. Secondary outcomes included the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale score at seven and 42 days post partum and the 17 item Hamilton depression rating scale score at 42 days post partum (range 0-52, with higher scores indicating worse depression). Adverse events were monitored until 24 hours after childbirth. RESULTS: A total of 364 mothers (mean age 31.8 (standard deviation 4.1) years) were enrolled and randomised. At 42 days post partum, a major depressive episode was observed in 6.7% (12/180) of participants in the esketamine group compared with 25.4% (46/181) in the placebo group (relative risk 0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 0.48; P<0.001). Edinburgh postnatal depression scale scores were lower in the esketamine group at seven days (median difference -3, 95% CI -4 to -2; P<0.001) and 42 days (-3, -4 to -2; P<0.001). Hamilton depression rating scale scores at 42 days post partum were also lower in the esketamine group (-4, -6 to -3; P<0.001). The overall incidence of neuropsychiatric adverse events was higher in the esketamine group (45.1% (82/182) v 22.0% (40/182); P<0.001); however, symptoms lasted less than a day and none required drug treatment. CONCLUSIONS: For mothers with prenatal depression, a single low dose of esketamine after childbirth decreases major depressive episodes at 42 days post partum by about three quarters. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were more frequent but transient and did not require drug intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04414943.

Asymmetrically 4,7-disubstituted benzothiadiazoles as efficient non-doped solution-processable green fluorescent emitters.

Asymmetrically 4,7-disubstituted benzothiadiazole derivatives involving a carbazolyl moiety at one end and a solubilizing dendron at the opposite end have been synthesized and characterized. A two-layer electroluminescent device based on one of these solution-processed molecular emitters revealed a maximal luminous efficiency of approximately 10.6 cd A(-1) and green light emission with CIE coordinates (0.34, 0.58).

An ionic molecular glass as electron injection layer for efficient polymer light-emitting diode.

An ionic molecular glass based on a dendronized monoammonium salt has been facilely synthesized and utilized as an interfacial electron-injection layer in a light-emitting diode (LED). The characterization of a yellow-green LED that involves an Al cathode and a thin layer of the new compound spin cast from a methanol solution has shown device performances comparable to those obtained with a Ba/Al cathode. Photovoltaic measurements under white light irradiation reveal that a thin layer of the new compound can significantly increase the built-in potential and thus facilitate electron injection from an Al cathode. Furthermore, it is interesting to observe that the new ionic salt could undergo reorganization on the emissive conjugated polymer layer, which leads to the formation of nearly uniform nanoaggregates.

[Effects of moxibustion on cerebral cortical nitric oxide level and nitric oxide synthase activity in aging mice].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the anti-aging effect of moxibustion of "Zusnali" (ST 36) and "Xuanzhong" (GB 39) in D-galactose induced aging mice. METHODS: Thirty-three female Kunming mice (3 months old) were randomly divided into model group (n=11), saline control group (n=10), and moxibustion group (n=11). In addition, another 10 female mice (16 months old) were used as the physio-senility control (PSC) group. Senescent mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection of D-galactose (120 mg/kg x d(-1)) for 42 days. From the 13th day on after the first injection, moxibustion (3 cones/acupoint) was applied to bilateral ST36 and GB39, once every other day for one month. At the end of the treatment, the mice were killed under anesthesia for collecting cerebral cortex and cerebellar cortex separately. NO content and NOS activity were assayed by using nitrate reductase method and chemico-chromatometry respectively after homogenate and centrifugalization. RESULTS: Compared with saline control group, cerebral NO contents and NOS activity in physio-senility group and model group, cerebellar NO content in model group, cerebellar NOS activity in physio-senility and model groups increased considerably (P < 0.05, < 0.01). In comparison with model group, cerebral and cerebellar NO contents and NOS activity of moxibustion group lowered significantly (P < 0.05, 0.01). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion of ST36 and GB39 can significantly suppress aging induced increase of both NO content and NOS activity in cerebral and cerebellar cortical tissues in aged mice, suggesting an effective anti-aging effect of moxibustion.