The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative sensitivity of neonatal and adult CD rats to manganese-induced neurotoxicity. Identical oral manganese chloride (MnCl(2)) doses (0, 25, or 50 mg kg(-1) body wt. day(-1)) were given to neonatal rats throughout lactation (i.e. from postnatal day (PND) 1 through 21) and to adult male rats for 21 consecutive days. The MnCl(2) doses administered to neonates were ca. 100-fold higher than those resulting from the consumption of an equivalent volume of rat's milk. Rats were assessed using similar behavioral and neurochemical evaluations. Several statistically significant changes occurred in Mn-exposed rats relative to control animals. Neonates given the high dose of MnCl(2) had reduced body weight gain. An increased pulse-elicited acoustic startle response amplitude was observed in neonates from both MnCl(2) treatment groups on PND 21. Increased striatal, hippocampal, hindbrain and cortical Mn concentrations were observed in all Mn-exposed neonates on PND 21. Increased hypothalamic and cerebellar Mn concentrations were also observed on PND 21 in neonates from the high-dose group only. Increased striatal, cerebellar and brain residue Mn concentrations were observed in adult rats from the high-dose group. Increased striatal dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels were observed only in PND 21 neonates from the high-dose group. No treatment-related changes were observed in clinical signs, motor activity (assessed in neonates on PND 13, 17, 21 +/- 1 and in adults), passive avoidance (assessed in neonates on PND 20 +/- 1 and in adults) or neuropathology (assessed in PND 21 neonates only). The results of our experiment suggest that neonates may be at greater risk for Mn-induced neurotoxicity when compared to adults receiving similar high oral levels of Mn.

OnabotulinumtoxinA distributed between the frontalis and glabellar complex, with or without additional CFL injections, was safe and effective for treatment of moderate to severe FHL.

No abstract

Ribavirin, part of the current first line combination therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, may cause haemolytic anaemia and poses a significant challenge to the clinical management of the disease. Viramidine, a prodrug of ribavirin, is currently under development. In-vitro partition demonstrated that viramidine had less association with RBCs than ribavirin in rat, monkey and man, and thus has less liability for haemolytic anaemia than ribavirin. In a whole body autoradiography study in rats following oral dosing (30 mg/kg) of [14C]ribavirin or [14C]viramidine to monkeys, viramidine produced 32% higher radioactivity in the liver than ribavirin, indicating a better liver-targeting properties. In portal vein-cannulated cynomolgus monkeys following single oral dosing (30 mg/kg) of [3H]viramidine or [3H]ribavirin, viramidine retained 3X higher radioactivity in the liver than ribavirin. Viramidine dosing also produced a higher viramidine to ribavirin ratio in portal plasma than in systemic plasma, indicating that the liver was the main site for the viramidine conversion to ribavirin and subsequent trapping of the drug. After multiple oral dosing (10 mg/kg) of [14C]ribavirin or [14C]viramidine to monkey, viramidine yielded three times the drug level in the liver but only half in RBCs compared to ribavirin. Viramidine and ribavirin had comparable toxicity profiles in a 28-day toxicity study in rats. In contrast, viramidine had much better safety profiles than ribavirin in a 28-day toxicity study in monkeys. In conclusion, viramidine has better liver-targeting properties and safety profiles than ribavirin in animals.

Neonatal rat primary astrocyte cultures were swollen by exposure to hypotonic buffer. Using an electrical impedance method for determination of cell volume coupled with on‐line measurements of efflux of radioactive ions or amino acids, we have investigated the role of K+ (using 86Rb), taurine, and d‐aspartate (an analogue of glutamate) in regulatory volume decrease (RVD). Addition of 1 mM quinine, 10 µM nimodipine, 100 µM BAPTA‐AM, 10 µM trifluoperazine, or a calcium‐free buffer significantly (p < 0.0001) inhibited RVD. This was accompanied by inhibition of 86Rb release but an increase in d‐[3H]‐aspartate release, which was proportional to the degree to which RVD was inhibited. These results support a regulatory role for calcium in RVD and show that inhibition of calcium entry from the extracellular fluid, intracellular calcium sequestration, inhibition of calcium‐activated K+ channels, and inhibition of calmodulin all inhibit RVD. Because d‐[3H]aspartate efflux profiles increase as RVD is inhibited, it is unlikely that d‐aspartate release is a main determinant of RVD. In contrast, [3H]taurine release was increased by 1 mM quinine and inhibited by 10 µM trifluoperazine. The net release of K+ and taurine is highly correlated with the degree of RVD, implicating a regulatory role for both K+ and taurine release in RVD.