Subchronic 3, 4-methylenedioximethamphetamine (mdma) reverts anxiety induced by chronic mild stress

Here we report the effects of subchronic 3, 4-Methylenedioximethamphetamine (MDMA) on the elevated plus-maze, a widely used animal model of anxiety. Rats exposed to a mild chronic stress (MCS) protocol received intracerebroventricular microinjections of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) – fluoxetine (2.0ug/ul) or 3, 4-Methylenedioximethamphetamine (MDMA, 2.0ug/ul) for seven days. On the eighth day rats were tested in the elevated plus-maze. Our results showed that sub-chronic MDMA interacted with MCS leading to a decrease in anxiety-related behaviors including: percentage of open arms entries (F[2,26]=4.00; P=0.031), time spent in the open arms (F[2,26]=3.656; P=0.040) and time spent in the open arms extremities (F[2,26]=5.842; P=0.008). These results suggest a potential effect of MDMA in the reversion of the emotional significance of aversive stimuli.

Quality of life and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has a progressive and irreversible character and it’s associated to the triad of dyspnea, exercise limitation and the evident deterioration of quality of life. In the United States the prevalence of COPD in adult population is approximately of 6% in men, and 1 to 3% in women and it’s the fourth cause of mortality by no transmissible chronic diseases. In 1993, the National Health Interview Surgery considered that 12 millions of Americans suffer from chronic bronchitis and 2 million had emphysema. These two affections are responsible for more than 13% of the hospitalizations. As this affection progresses, patients experience a diminution in quality of life related to health (CVRS), their capacity to work get worse and their participation in physical and social activities reduces. Nevertheless, it has been confirmed that the isolated evaluation of COPD seriousness, defined by the reduction of the Forced Expiratory Volume in the First Second (FEV1), does not provide enough information to know the health state perceived by the patients. The fact that the CVRS is the result of the interaction of multiple physical, psychological and social factors, unique for each individual, can explain this finding. This paper is a general and updated approach to the integral handling of patients with COPD, and it discusses the concept of quality of life, related to health improvement.

Reference values for handgrip strength in among healthy young adults

Background: Isometric grip strength, evaluated with a handgrip dynamometer, is a marker of current nutritional status and cardiometabolic risk and future morbidity and mortality. We present reference values for handgrip strength in healthy young Colombian adults (aged 18 to 29 years). Methods: The sample comprised 5.647 (2.330 men and 3.317 women) apparently healthy young university students (mean age, 20.6±2.7 years) attending public and private institutions in the cities of Bogota and Cali (Colombia). Handgrip strength was measured two times with a TKK analogue dynamometer in both hands and the highest value used in the analysis. Sex- and age-specific normative values for handgrip strength were calculated using the LMS method and expressed as tabulated percentiles from 3 to 97 and as smoothed centile curves (P3, P10, P25, P50, P75, P90 and P97). Results: Mean values for right and left handgrip strength were 38.1±8.9 and 35.9±8.6 kg for men, and 25.1±8.7 and 23.3±8.2 kg for women, respectively. Handgrip strength increased with age in both sexes and was significantly higher in men in all age categories. The results were generally more homogeneous amongst men than women. Conclusions: Sex- and age-specific handgrip strength normative values among healthy young Colombian adults are defined. This information may be helpful in future studies of secular trends in handgrip strength and to identify clinically relevant cut points for poor nutritional and elevated cardiometabolic risk in a Latin American population. Evidence of decline in handgrip strength before the end of the third decade is of concern and warrants further investigation