Ketamine abusers develop severe lower urinary tract symptoms. The major aims of the present study were to elucidate ketamine-induced ulcerative cystitis and bladder apoptosis in association with oxidative stress mediated by mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed into three different groups, which received normal saline or ketamine for a period of 14 or 28 days, respectively. Double-labeled immunofluorescence experiments were performed to investigate tight junction proteins for urothelial barrier functions. A TUNEL assay was performed to evaluate the distribution of apoptotic cells. Western blot analysis was carried out to examine the expressions of urothelial tight junction proteins, ER stress markers, and apoptosis-associated proteins. Antioxidant enzymes, including SOD and catalase, were investigated by real-time PCR and immunofluorescence experiments. Ketamine-treated rats were found to display bladder hyperactivity. This bladder dysfunction was accompanied by disruptions of epithelial cadherin- and tight junction-associated proteins as well as increases in the expressions of apoptosis-associated proteins, which displayed features of mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signals and ER stress markers. Meanwhile, expressions of mitochondria respiratory subunit enzymes were significantly increased in ketamine-treated bladders. Conversely, mRNA expressions of the antioxidant enzymes Mn-SOD (SOD2), Cu/Zn-SOD (SOD1), and catalase were decreased after 28 days of ketamine treatment. These results demonstrate that ketamine enhanced the generation of oxidative stress mediated by mitochondria- and ER-dependent pathways and consequently contributed to bladder apoptosis and urothelial lining defects. Such oxidative stress-enhanced bladder cell apoptosis and urothelial barrier defects are potential factors that may play a crucial role in bladder overactivity and ulceration.

The present work is an attempt to develop a new method to determine sex from the skull with lateral radiographic cephalometry and discriminant function analysis. The superciliary ridges, frontal sinuses, external occipital protuberance, and mastoid processes were adopted as objects of lateral radiographic cephalometric measurements. With discriminant functions created from 18 established cephalometric variables, a total of 100 cases were classified into two sexual groups with 100% accuracy in a random sample of Taiwanese adults. Therefore, we may obtain a much greater reliability of sex determination from skulls according to this newly developed technique.

This study confirmed that ovary hormone deficiency induced overactive bladder dysfunction via intramural nerve damage and muscarinic receptor overexpression. EGCG prevented ovariectomy-induced bladder dysfunction through neuroprotective effects in a dose-dependent fashion.

This study aimed to examine the correlations between academic achievement and levels of anxiety and depression in medical students who were experiencing curriculum reform. The differences in academic achievement and the directions of correlations between academic achievement and anxiety and depression among the medical students with different levels of anxiety and depression were also examined. Grade 1 students from graduate-entry program and grade 3 students from undergraduate-entry program in their first semester of the new curriculum were recruited to complete the Zung's Anxiety and Depression Scale twice to examine their levels of anxiety and depression. Their academic achievement ratings in the four blocks of the first semester of the new curriculum were collected. The results indicated that no significant correlation was found between academic achievement and global anxiety and depression. However, by dividing the medical students into low, moderate and high level anxiety or depression groups, those who had poorer academic achievement in the first learning block were more likely to have higher levels of depression in the first psychologic assessment. Among the medical students who were in the high anxiety level group in the first psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had poorer academic achievement in the fourth learning block. Among the medical students who were in the low anxiety level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had better academic achievement in the fourth learning block. Among the medical students who were in the moderate anxiety level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had poorer academic achievement in the second learning block. Among the medical students who were in the high depression level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe depression had poorer academic achievement in the fourth learning block. The results of this study indicate that there are both positive and negative correlations between academic achievement and anxiety and depression in medical students, regarding differing levels of severity of anxiety or depression. The results could represent a reference for teachers on the planning of teaching and assessment programs.

T. Effects of long-term estradiol exposure on the hypothalamic neuron number. Acta Endocrinol 1993;129:543-7. ISSN 0001-5598 Neuron density, volume of the area and total neuron number were measured in the medial preoptic area, anterior hypothalamic area and arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus of young (6-month-old), middle age (14-month-old) and old (22-month-old) male and female rats. Intact male rats did not show neuron loss even in old age, while intact female rats manifested neuron loss in the medial preoptic area, anterior hypothalamic area and arcuate nucleus in old age. Long-term administration of estradiol benzoate to castrated male rats induced neuron loss in the anterior hypothalamic area and arcuate nucleus of the middle age group and in all three areas of the old age group. However, long-term ovariectomy could not prevent neuron loss in these hypothalamic areas in old age. The results suggested that estradiol can have a cumulative impact on the degree of neuron damage and simulate female-type age-related neuron loss in male rats and that there may be the possibility of an intrinsic aging process inducing neuron loss in female rats.The number of neurons is a determinant of neuron function (1). It is well documented that cells in the central nervous system that are involved in neuroendo¬ crine control mechanisms decrease in number during aging (2). Selective neuron loss was found in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), anterior hypothalamic area (AHA) and arcuate nucleus (ARN) of old female rats (3, 4) but not in old male rats (5). Sex-specific variation in patterns of neuron death also has been demonstrated in warm-blooded vertebrates (6, 7). The MPOA, AHA and ARN are also estrogen-concentrating regions (8). Many neuroendocrine aging syndromes of rodents, such as lengthening or loss of ovarian cycles, small E2-induced luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, decreased pulsatile release of LH, small postovariectomy LH elevation, decreased negative feedback sensitivity of E2 on LH, glial hyperactivity in the ARN, reduced pituitary stalk blood dopamine, increased pituitary dopamine, increased pituitary glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactotroph adenoma, increased number of lactotrophs and prolactinemia, have been reported to be accelerated by chronic E2 in young rodents or delayed by chronic ovariectomy in aging rodents (9). Landfield et al. (10,11), Brizzee and Ordy (12) and Sapolsky et al. (13) produced evidence that cumulative exposure to basal corticosterone concentrations over a lifespan might mediate hippocampal neuron death. Damage to dopa¬ mine neurons in the ARN of rats may be caused by chronic exposure to prolactin or estrogen (14).These facts prompt us to elucidate whether the sexspecific neuron loss in the MPOA, AHA and ARN is caused by E2 exposure over the lifespan in rats.In order to know the long-term effects of E2 on the hypothalamic neuron number of rats during aging, male and female rats were gonadectomized and implanted with an E2-filled capsule throughout their lifespan and were sacrificed at di...