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Biomedical subjects

H C Becker

Publications and source records attributed to H C Becker.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Two generations of maternal alcohol consumption in mice: effect on pregnancy outcome.

This study investigated whether female offspring of alcohol-treated mothers are, themselves, more or less susceptible than control offspring to the deleterious effects of alcohol on the outcome of their own pregnancy. One group of pregnant C57BL mice was fed a liquid diet containing 25% ethanol-derived calories (EDC) and another group was pair-fed an isocaloric (0% EDC) control diet. A third group was fed lab chow ad libitum (LC). The female offspring resulting from those matings were subsequently mated upon reaching 90 days of age. These pregnant mice were then separated into three prenatal treatments (25% EDC, 0% EDC, and LC). On gestation-day 19, second generation fetuses were removed by cesarean section, weighed, and sexed. Results indicated that number of implants, live births, and percent prenatal mortality did not differ between groups. However, fetal weight was lower in groups prenatally exposed to ethanol than in controls, regardless of the prenatal history of the mothers, themselves. More importantly, the data suggest that offspring of alcohol-treated mothers who do not consume alcohol themselves during their own pregnancy may still have a tendency to have offspring of lower birth weight. On the other hand, if mothers prenatally exposed to alcohol do consume alcohol during their own pregnancy, the impact of fetal weight suppression is even greater than expected for in utero alcohol exposure alone. These effects may be due to the fact that mothers who were prenatally exposed to alcohol weighed less than controls at the time of becoming pregnant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Comparison of the effects of the benzodiazepine midazolam and three serotonin antagonists on a consummatory conflict paradigm.

A consummatory conflict procedure that involves an abrupt reduction in magnitude of an expected reward (negative contrast) has been shown to be particularly sensitive to the effects of anxiolytic agents. As previously reported with chlordiazepoxide, another benzodiazepine (BDZ), midazolam released suppressed consummatory performance in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was not due to a general appetitie stimulatory effect of the drug. The effects of three 5-HT antagonists on negative contrast were examined to evaluate the role serotonin may play in the anxiolytic action of BDZ. Methysergide was found to be ineffective, cinanserin tended to reduce contrast at two intermediate doses, and cyproheptadine eliminated the contrast effect in a similar fashion as midazolam. The effectiveness of cyproheptadine may not be attributed to its anticholinergic or antihistaminergic actions since scopolamine and pyrilamine did not produce similar effects. The results are discussed in terms of the role serotonin may play in the anti-conflict action of BDZ, as well as possible interactional effects of GABA.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Sensitivity to ethanol in female mice: effects of ovariectomy and strain.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of ovariectomy (OVX) on alcohol sensitivity in mice. In the first experiment, OVX, sham-operated, and nonsurgical control C57BL mice were examined for brain alcohol levels associated with alcohol-induced motor incoordination, alcohol-induced loss of righting reflex, and voluntary alcohol consumption. The second experiment employed four strains of mice (C57BL, C3H, DBA, and Swiss Webster) to evaluate the influence of OVX on alcohol-induced spontaneous activity. Taken together, the results indicated that surgical removal of the ovaries in mice does not influence alcohol-induced motor incoordination, loss of righting reflex, or spontaneous activity. Voluntary alcohol consumption, however, was affected by ovariectomy, since mice in the OVX group consumed less alcohol relative to body weight (g/kg) than controls.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1985

Therapy of priapism in high counting myeloid leukemia--a combined oncological-urological approach. Two case reports.

Two cases of leukemic priapism are described. Both patients underwent a combined oncological (antileukemic chemotherapy, cell depletion by leukapheresis) and urological (transglandular cavernosum-spongiosum shunt, heparin lavage of the corpora cavernosa) therapy. Cytologically necrobiotic tumor cells could be identified in the corpus cavernosum aspirates causing blood stasis in the corpora cavernosa initiating priapism. Only sufficient venous outflow by additional transglandular cavernosum-spongiosum shunt completed therapy, effected a rapid detumescence and led to subsequent ability of erection and coitus. This suggests the necessity of additive surgical treatment in every patient suffering from leukemia and priapism, if spontaneous detumescence under chemotherapy is not obvious.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Epididymitis. Studies on its etiology and pathogenesis with special reference to Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum].

A standardized clinical and microbiological diagnostic examination was conducted on 137 patients with acute or chronic epididymitis (cardinal symptom: painful swelling of the epididymis). Patients with spontaneous secretion from the urethra were examined according to the methods of urethritis diagnosis, patients without it with the four-glass test. Gram-negative bacteria and enterococci were responsible for 27.7% of the infections. Additional tests for Chlamydia trachomatis and mycoplasmas increased the microbiological rate of diagnosis to 65.7%. Demonstration of Ureaplasma urealyticum in significant numbers was always associated with urethritis or prostatitis. Chlamydia trachomatis was demonstrated especially in younger, sexually active men with epididymitis but without accompanying urethritis or prostatitis. The most striking clinical finding was a disturbance in bladder emptying in about one third of all patients with epididymitis, regardless of age.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Medial and lateral amygdalectomy differentially influences consummatory negative contrast.

Rats shifted from a 32% to 4% sucrose solution consume substantially less 4% sucrose than unshifted animals that experience only the 4% solution. This negative contrast effect was found to be attenuated by lesions of the lateral aspects of the amygdala (basolateral, lateral, and basomedial nuclei) and eliminated by lesions of the medial aspects of the amygdala (corticomedial and central nuclei). The results are discussed in terms of the possible role the amygdala may play in some of the proposed determining factors mediating consummatory negative contrast (e.g., emotionality, neophobia, memory).

Amygdala↗
PubMed1984

Influence of conditioned stimulus context on hyperglycemic conditioned responses.

Glycemic conditioning was investigated in four experiments in which insulin was administered to animals in particular stimulus contexts. Both hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic conditioned responses were obtained, with the directionality of the CR dependent upon which environmental complex was used as the CS. These bidirectional glycemic CRs were obtained in both within-Subject and between-Subject conditioning procedures. Additional experiments indicated that the hyperglycemic CR was probably not related to illumination differences between the two conditioning contexts, nor to a differential opportunity for activity in the two conditioning contexts. Several possible reasons for the occurrence of bidirectional glycemic CRs were considered.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Effects of chlordiazepoxide on novelty-induced hyperglycemia and on conditioned hyperglycemia.

Moving rats from their home cages to a different environment for a twenty minute period tended to raise plasma glucose levels (PGLs). In general, the more different the novel environment was from the housing condition, the greater the rise in PGL. Stimulus contexts that have led to conditioned hyperglycemia in previous experiments caused a larger rise in PGLs than stimulus contexts that led to conditioned hypoglycemia in previous experiments. These glycemic effects of environmental novelty did not habituate across seven exposure periods. Experiment 2 showed that chlordiazepoxide (CDP) reduced PGLs in animals transported to novel environments. Experiment 2 also showed that conditioned hyperglycemia occurred when insulin was administered in the environment that led to the highest PGLs in Experiment 1, and that conditioned hypoglycemia occurred in this same environment when the animals were regularly pretreated with CDP. Administering insulin in an environment that did not initially elicit a large rise in PGL resulted in a tendency towards conditioned hypoglycemia that was not influenced by CDP.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

[The diagnosis of sexual function disorders. Screening studies of angiological factors in disorders of sexual function].

106 outpatients, visiting our department because of sexual disturbances, underwent a standardized examination program. The following anamnestic data and clinical and laboratory findings were recorded: Details of the vita sexualis, evidences for genital and vascular diseases, endocrine abnormalities including diabetes mellitus, drug consumption. Genital organs were judged by clinical examination, blood-pressure, oscillography and penis-flow-index were measured, hormones, sugar and lipids in blood serum were determined, with respect to a special indication, cavernosography and pelvic angiography were performed, and prostatic inflammation was excluded. None of the anamnestic data differ in its frequency from that of the total population. Mean blood pressure, oscillographic indices, hormone levels, and lipids were found within the normal range. Only a high rate of diabetes mellitus (6%) in all patients and a high rate of pathologic penis-flow-index in men between 40 and 60 years of age were found. We conclude from our results, that medical history and laboratory findings in general will indicate no pathogenetic mechanism in impotence. Just the recording of penile blood flow will give positive correlations.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Chlordiazepoxide and ethanol additively reduce gustatory negative contrast.

Negative contrast that occurs when rats are shifted from 32% to 4% sucrose has been shown to be reduced by chlordiazepoxide (CDP) and ethanol (ETOH). In a previous experiment, doses of 0.75 and 1.0 g/kg ETOH substantially reduced contrast while doses of 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg ETOH were much less effective. In this study, doses of 6 and 8 mg/kg CDP were shown to attenuate the negative contrast effect while smaller doses (2 and 4 mg/kg) influenced contrast to a lesser degree. Evidence for an additive effect of CDP and ETOH on contrast reduction was obtained when 4 mg/kg CDP and 0.5 g/kg ETOH were administered together.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Incentive relativity effects reduced by exogenous insulin.

In two experiments rats shifted from 32% to 4% sucrose consumed less of the 4% than rats maintained on the 4% solution. This negative contrast effect was eliminated if the rats were injected with insulin (5.4 U/kg) on the shift day. This insulin dose reduced blood glucose levels to less than 50% of control levels, but the brief access period to 4% sucrose just before blood sampling reliably increased blood glucose levels. The results were discussed in terms of the effects of deprivation conditions on incentive relativity.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Influence of ethanol on contrast in consummatory behavior.

Negative contrast that occurs when rats are shifted from 32% to 4% sucrose was reduced by IP injections of ethanol (1.0 g/kg) on postshift day 2, but not on postshift day 1. Smaller doses (0.25 and 0.5 g/kg) were ineffective, while larger doses (1.5 and 2 g/kg) produced sedation. A dose of 0.75 g/kg had effects similar to the 1.0 g/kg dose when administered on post-shift day 2. These results parallel those obtained with chlordiazepoxide and differ somewhat from amobarbital treatment.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Penile flow index and its role in classification of erectile dysfunction: a preliminary report.

A method is described to confirm vascular disorders in sexual impotence by a simple noninvasive screening technique. Doppler ultrasound signals are registered from superficial dorsal penile arteries and arteria radialis. The penile flow index (PFI) is determined by dividing the mean values of both measurements. An insufficient vascular support of the penis is assumed if the amplitude of the dorsal penile arteries is less than one third of that of the a. radialis. Identical Doppler signals are registered in superficial dorsal and deep cavernosal arteries.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pre-pregnancy alcohol experience attenuates typical decrease in gestational alcohol consumption in mice.

The influence of pre-pregnancy alcohol consumption on alcohol self-selection during pregnancy and lactation was examined in C57BL mice. One group of animals was given a two-bottle choice between water and a 10% w/v ethanol solution for three weeks prior to breeding, throughout pregnancy, and during lactation, while a second group was given the alcohol-water choice beginning on the first day of pregnancy. Relative alcohol intake (g ethanol/kg body weight) as well as alcohol "preference" decreased below pre-pregnancy levels during both pregnancy and lactation. That is, voluntary alcohol consumption was attenuated in pregnant and lactating mice, regardless of strain-typical pre-pregnancy high consumption. However, mice given a choice between alcohol and water prior to pregnancy did not decrease their alcohol consumption during pregnancy as much as mice not given the pre-pregnancy alcohol choice. There was no correlation between pre-pregnancy alcohol consumption and subsequent intake. The mechanism underlying decreased voluntary alcohol consumption during pregnancy remains to be elucidated, but it is clear that prior experience with alcohol influences the phenomenon.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stereotypic wall climbing in mice during ethanol withdrawal: a new measure of physical dependence.

A new potentially useful measure for assessing physical dependence in mice chronically exposed to ethanol is described. C3H/He mice continuously exposed to ethanol vapor for four (Experiment 1) or three (Experiment 2) days spent more time engaged in stereotypic climbing behavior than controls. This stereotypic climbing behavior correlated well, both temporally as well as in intensity, with other previously described signs of ethanol withdrawal. All measures of withdrawal behavior (including climbing) peaked at eight hours after withdrawal and returned to control levels by 30-33 hours. The utility of this behavioral assay for assessing physical dependence on ethanol is further discussed with reference to possible underlying neurochemical events.

Alcoholism↗