Characterizing female bipolar alcoholic patients presenting for initial evaluation.

This study examined gender differences of age and race-matched group of bipolar disorder (BPO) patients with comorbid alcohol dependence (AD; n = 65; males = 35, females = 30) to a group of BPO patients without comorbid AD (n = 61; males = 22, females = 39). The two groups were also similar on marital status and frequency of BPO subtypes. The results revealed that female bipolar alcoholic patients were more likely to report depressive symptoms as compared to either male bipolar alcoholics or both male and female non-alcoholic bipolar patients. When compared to male bipolar alcoholics, they had higher frequency of depressed mood, slow motor behavior, low self-esteem, decreased libido, decreased appetite, and higher general anxiety symptoms. On the other hand, female bipolar alcoholics differed from female non-alcoholic bipolar patients on reports of mood lability, depressed mood, low self-esteem, suicidal indicators, decreased libido, and general anxiety symptoms. These results raise the question of whether alcohol increases the frequency of depressive symptoms among female bipolar patients.

Effects of streptomycin deprivation on enzyme synthesis in streptomycin-dependent Escherichia coli.

During growth of streptomycin-dependent strains of Escherichia coli in the absence of streptomycin (deprived growth), both constitutive and inducible synthesis of beta-galactosidase were preferentially inhibited. A similar preferential inhibition of constitutive and derepressed synthesis of alkaline phosphatase was observed. Catabolite repression accounted for part, but not all, of the inhibition of the inducible beta-galactosidase synthesis. Serological experiments indicated that that part of the inhibition specificially associated with streptomycin deprivation was not a result of the production of altered beta-galactosidase. It is suggested that during deprived growth the ribosomes of streptomycin-dependent bacteria become impaired in their ability to translate certain messages.