Valproate reduces intake of alcoholic beverage among rats.

A series of experiments was carried out to assess the effects of valproate (VAL) on the intake of ethanol by rats. In Experiment 1, the effects of VAL (150 and 200 mg/kg, i.p.) were assessed across 10 days. Compared with controls, the 200 mg/kg dose reliably reduced intake of ethanol while also reliably increasing intake of water. The 150 mg/kg dose did not reliably reduce the intake of ethanol across the initial days, but it did across later days. Neither dose affected the total intake of fluids. Similarly, 5 days of oral dosing with VAL (400 and 600 mg/kg) reliably reduced the intake of ethanol without affecting the intake of water. However, body weights were reduced by the oral doses across the procedure. In another procedure, VAL (200 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a mild conditioned taste aversion to a saccharin solution, suggesting that VAL may reduce intake of ethanol because it produces a general malaise. However, this dose of VAL enhanced the intoxicating effects of ethanol (2.0 g/kg). Overall, the results are equivocal with respect to VAL as a potential medicine for treating alcohol misuse and alcoholism.

Combination of naltrexone and fluoxetine on rats' propensity to take alcoholic beverage.

Naltrexone (NTX) and fluoxetine (FLU) are useful for treating alcoholism and depression, respectively. Furthermore, these afflictions covary. Given the possibility that people might be prescribed NTX and FLU concurrently, we assessed the effects of these two agents on rats' propensity to drink an alcoholic beverage. Rats were given 65 days of access to a sweetened alcoholic beverage and water for 2 hr daily. At first, they took little ethanol, but after 20 days, they took on average 2.0 to 2.5 g/kg of ethanol, daily during the 2-hr session. They also took sufficient water to maintain their health. After 30 days, they were divided into four groups to receive, 30 min before the drinking session, 1 of 4 different kinds of injections. For the next 20 days, one group received placebo daily. Another group received 5 mg/kg of NTX daily and another 5 mg/kg of FLU daily. The fourth group received both 5 mg/kg of NTX and 5 mg/kg of FLU daily. After 20 days, the doses of NTX and FLU were doubled across an additional 10 days. Both NTX and FLU reduced rats' intake of alcoholic beverage. The combinations of NTX and FLU, however, were no more effective in reducing rats' intake of alcoholic beverage than either alone. Also, the small dose of NTX seemed to lose its effectiveness with repeated administrations. A second experiment confirmed the conclusion that small doses of NTX lose their effectiveness in suppressing intake of alcoholic beverage across repeated administrations. In summary, data provide no support for the idea that FLU and NTX would act synergistically to reduce propensity to take alcoholic beverages.

Ultrasonic features of fallopian tube carcinoma.

With the routine use of sonography in the evaluation of patients with pelvic masses, it is essential to be familiar with the sonographic features of fallopian tube carcinoma so that diagnosis can be made early and thus contribute to prompt management of these patients. The authors present the clinical manifestations, sonographic features, and pathologic correlations in three cases of fallopian tube carcinoma.