Effects of two different probiotics on microflora, morphology, and morphometry of gut in organic laying hens.

The current study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bacillus subtilis, used as probiotics, on the microflora, morphology, and morphometry of the gut in organic laying hens. The birds (180 Hy-Line laying hens) were divided into 3 homogenous groups and received a pre-deposition diet from 16 to 20 wk of age and a deposition diet for the remaining 7 months of the experiment. The control group ( CTR: ) was fed a corn-soybean cake-based diet, the second group ( L: ) received the same diet supplemented with 0.1% of L. acidophilus while in the third group ( B: ) the basal diet was supplemented with 0.05% of B. subtilis At 18 wk of age ( T1: ) and at 5 ( T2: ) and 7 months ( T3: ) from the beginning of deposition, 9 subjects per group were humanely killed for microbiological, morphological and morphometric analyses of the intestinal tract. The 2 probiotic-supplemented diets increased Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. counts compared with the CTR diet. The lowest viable counts of E. coli, coliforms and staphylococci were observed in the L group (P < 0.001). Clostridium spp. decreased (P < 0.001) in both L and B subjects. The probiotic supplementation appeared to affect the intestinal microbial population, promoting the presence of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. and reducing potential harmful bacteria such as E. coli, clostridia and staphylococci. Morphological and morphometric analyses did not reveal substantial differences among groups. At T3, the plasma cell infiltrate in the villi of the CTR hens was more severe than that observed in the L and B groups (P = 0.009).

The high prevalence of bipolar II and associated cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments in HIV-patients.

BACKGROUND: Although recent studies have shown high rates of current and lifetime depression in HIV-infected patients, there is little systematic data on the occurrence of bipolarity in these patients. METHOD: We compared 46 HIV patients with index major depressive episode (MDE) to an equal number of age- and sex-matched seronegative MDE patients, and systematically examined rates of DSM-III-R bipolar subtypes (enriched in accordance with Akiskal's system of classifying soft bipolar disorders). RESULTS: Although HIV and psychiatric clinic patients had comparable background in terms of familial affective loading, HIV patients had significantly higher familial rates for alcohol and substance use. The more important finding was the significantly higher proportion of HIV patients with lifetime bipolar II disorder (78%), and associated cyclothymic (52%) and hyperthymic (35%) temperaments; the findings were the same irrespective of HIV risk status (intravenous drug user vs. homosexual and other risk groups combined). LIMITATIONS: The major methodologic limitation of our study is that clinicians evaluating temperament were not blind to affective diagnoses and family history. The comparison affective group was a sample of convenience drawn from the same tertiary care university facility. CONCLUSION: The finding of a high rate of bipolar II disorder in HIV patients has treatment implications for seropositive patients presenting with depression. More provocatively, we submit that premorbid impulsive risk-taking traits associated with cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments may have played an important role in needle-sharing drug use and/or unprotected sexual behavior, leading ultimately to infection with HIV. Given their public health importance, these clinical findings and insights merit further investigation. In particular, systematic case-control studies, as well as other large scale studies with prospective methodology need to be conducted.

Psychopathology in 90 consecutive human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive and acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients with mostly intravenous drug use history.

This report presents systematic clinical data regarding psychiatric diagnoses, personal and family psychiatric histories, and symptomatologic aspects of 90 consecutive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, of whom slightly less than two thirds were at risk due to intravenous drug abuse. In addition, a comparison was made between the distribution patterns of these variables at various stages of HIV illness and related at-risk behaviors. Eighty-four percent of the patients met criteria for a spectrum of DSM-III-R diagnoses (mostly affective) that were associated with high rates of affective and alcohol abuse disorders among first-degree relatives. Mood disorders did not differ significantly between the two main groups at risk (intravenous drug users [IVDUs] v others) by gender, age, or stage of illness. The overall data from the rating scales show high levels of psychic and somatic anxiety in the early stages of illness, whereas cognitive symptoms, retardation, and disorientation are dominant in later stages. A noteworthy finding in this study is that many depressed patients demonstrated current and/or past hypomanic, hyperthymic, or cyclothymic features with no evidence of brain damage detectable by computed axial tomography (CAT). These temperamental attributes, which preceded HIV infection, may have served as risk factors for both drug abuse and impulsive sexual behavior in all types of at-risk groups.

Feasibility of pharmacotherapy in HIV-related affective spectrum disorders: an open trial with fluvoxamine.

Among HIV patients treated for AIDS-related adjustment, major depressive disorders and other affective disorders, we assessed in an open study the feasibility of using a serotonergic antidepressant (fluvoxamine). Thirty-five seropositive patients with the above conditions (22 men and 13 women) were followed over a minimum period of four weeks. At the end of the treatment, a large number of patients (77%) showed marked improvement. "Nuclear" depressive and anxiety symptoms remitted, while the "somatic" ones seemed less sensitive to treatment. Treatment had to be terminated prematurely due to side effects in only two patients (6%).

[Prevention of infections of cerebrospinal fluid shunts for hydrocephalus]. / Prévention des infections des drainages ventriculaires pour hydrocéphalie.

Two consecutive series of patients operated for insertion or revision of a shunt for hydrocephalus have been followed for at least 18 months. The series are comparable. The first series (84 cases) did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis, whereas the second series (59 cases) received a unique dose of intravenous Vancomycin immediately before the operation. In the first series (168 operations), there were 18 infections, 8 in the group of 34 children and 10 in the group of 50 adults. In the second series, only one infection happened in the group of 27 adults (41 operations) and none among the 22 children (44 operations). The difference was significative. Bacteriological samples were taken during these operations. The positive cultures, mostly for sta. epidermidis, were as frequent among the cases of the first series than among those of the second series. The antibiotics are considered effective in protecting the shunting device against contamination during the surgical procedure by germs from the skin of the patient.