bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empathy: a crucial component of the helping relationship
Authors: Reynolds W. J. , Scott B.
Published: March 2003

The literature reviewed in this paper substantiates the widely held view that empathy is crucial to all forms of helping relationships. While most studies cited are more than a decade old, the relationship between empathy and helping remains unchallenged in the 1990s. Additionally, while there is confusion about whether empathy is a personality dimension, an experienced emotion, or an observable skill, it is shown that empathy involves an ability to communicate an understanding of a client’s world. Finally, a definition of empathy considered to be relevant to clinical nursing is introduced, which includes the need to understand clients’ distress, and to provide supportive interpersonal communication. It is argued that there is a need to revisit the role of empathy in the context of current health care delivery.
The Behavioural Status Index: therapeutic assessment of risk, insight, communication and social skills
Authors: WOODS P. , REED V. , ROBINSON D.
Published: March 2003

An overview is given of the Behavioural Status Index (BSI), a developing classification instrument offering practical approaches to assessment and therapy surrounding social ‘risk’. The approach hypothesizes that social ‘risk’ presented by a patient tends to correlate inversely with his/her degree of personal insight and capacity to perform well in key communicative and social skills, though no causal claims are made. Evidence exists to suggest that personal insight and communicative and social skills deserve serious consideration in a therapeutic approach to violent and dangerous behaviours. ‘Risky’ behaviours, as operationalized in the ‘risk’ subscale of the BSI, insight into the self and its activities, and communicative and social skills, may provide three critical foci for treatment planning in high security psychiatric care. A hypothetical linked factorial structure is proposed.
Mental health service user involvement in nurse education: exploring the issues
Authors: Forrest S. , Risk I. , Masters H. , Brown N.
Published: March 2003

This paper reports on findings and issues arising from a study designed to promote mental health service users’ involvement in a preregistration nursing curriculum. Users’ views about the knowledge, skills and attributes required by mental health nurses were explored to inform the curriculum design. Strategies that would facilitate long term, active user involvement in the design and delivery of the curriculum were also explored. Findings are presented with concurrent discussion of issues arising from the research process in relation to user involvement in education. The issue of ‘conflict’ explores findings relating to users’ views of a ‘good’ mental health nurse and inherent conflicts between user and professional views are highlighted. The representativeness of the research participants is explored and debated in relation to service user involvement in nurse education. Finally, the concepts of ‘involvement’ and ‘tokenism’ are discussed and recommendations made about how active user involvement in nurse education can be achieved.
Clients' reflections on relationships with nurses: comparisons from Canada and Scotland
Authors: Forchuk C. , Reynolds W.
Published: March 2003

It has been suggested that the crucial elements in nursing situations are the nurse, the client, and what goes on between them. This paper examines what goes on between clients and nurses during interpersonal relationships, from the perspective of the clients. Data are presented from studies conducted in Canada and Scotland. It is shown that what clients want, or do not want, during relationships with their nurses, is similar on both sides of the Atlantic. The findings reported in this paper are relevant to transcultural nursing, ethical care, the growth in consumerism, and client advocacy. The findings suggest also that there is a need for nursing research to focus on clinical outcomes in order to establish whether clients' perceptions of helping relationships have any relevance to favourable health outcomes, and the evidence base for clinical nursing.
Social policy and mental illness in England in the 1990s: violence, moral panic and critical discourse
Authors: Paterson B. , Stark C.
Published: March 2003

Violence perpetrated by people experiencing mental illness poses a continuing challenge to practitioners and policy makers in the mental health field. It has been suggested, however, that policy developments in England during the period 1990–2000 became unduly dominated by the perceived need to prevent such violence and in particular that a ‘moral panic’ occurred following a series of high profile homicides perpetrated by people experiencing mental illness. This paper critically examines the ability of the moral panic theory to offer a cogent explanation of the relationship between media representations, public perceptions and developments in both social policy and legislation during the last decade. Its conclusions, however, suggest that the evidence does not support assertions of a moral panic and that of moral panic theory itself has serious flaws. Ultimately the paper suggests that we must look elsewhere, particularly to Foucault’s conceptualization of discourse and to the work of Birkland, an American political theorist, in our search for an understanding of the relationship between events, ideas and social policy.
Needs assessment and discharge: a Scottish perspective
Authors: Simons L. , Petch A.
Published: March 2003

Discharge from hospital remains a difficult area for health services and it is unclear how much impact policy directives have had on discharge outcomes. The recent National Service Framework for mental health has highlighted discharge as a key area with Standard Five indicating minimum requirements at discharge from hospital. In order to aid this process this paper discusses the findings of a needs assessment of patients following discharge from psychiatric inpatient care in Scotland. The needs and unmet needs as assessed by both patients and mental health community staff on the Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN) are presented. The CAN seeks to identify needs in a range of domains addressing basic, health, social, functioning and service issues. The sample comprised 173 patients recently discharged from acute psychiatric units in eight health board areas of Scotland and 98 community staff identified as providing key support to 98 of the patient sample. The findings indicate that the needs of patients discharged from hospital are complex and that the targeting of mental health services according to diagnostic criteria may not be the best way of ensuring support reaches those in most need. The range of needs identified suggests that fully integrated multidisciplinary care is essential to meet needs at discharge. The period initially after hospital discharge is one of vulnerability and incorporating a needs assessment into the discharge planning could aid the care planning process required by the Framework.
Perceptions of service provision for clients who self‐injure in the absence of expressed suicidal intent
Authors: Smith S. E.
Published: March 2003

This research involved interviewing three people who had experienced self‐injury. They were accessed from the voluntary sector as I felt that if I had accessed them from the National Health Service their views might not be honest, due to their possible perceptions of threats to their care. It was not intended that the views of these people would be representative, my aim was that their views, as well as areas highlighted in the literature, would inform me of areas pertinent to the topic, when seeking staff views. The views of staff, of which there were 15 self‐selecting clinicians, formed the main focus of the study. The aims of the research were designed to highlight potentially contrasting perceptions of self‐injury as a means of illuminating a current clinical problem. The results showed that staff on the whole agreed with the perceptions of people who have experienced self‐injury; that they are often viewed negatively, though this is changing. It was recognized that care was dependent on where the person entered the service. Staff recognized that the service is under pressure and provision may not be available in the voluntary sector for these clients.
A 19‐h spontaneous sleep period in idiopathic central nervous system hypersomnia
Authors: VODERHOLZER ULRICH , BACKHAUS JUTTA , HORNYAK MAGDOLNA , HOHAGEN FRITZ , BERGER MATHIAS , RIEMANN DIETER
Published: March 2003

Reports of prolonged sleep periods in idiopathic central nervous system hypersomnia, as shown by ad libitum sleep recordings, are rare. A patient with idiopathic hypersomnia with extremely long sleep periods and sleep drunkenness after awakening is described. Polysomnographic recordings showed a spontaneous sleep period of 19.4 h and a normal Multiple Sleep Latency Test. These polysomnographic findings are clearly abnormal but essentially different from those of narcolepsy. Unlike narcolepsy, ‘idiopathic hypersomnia’ does not seem to be a distinct clinical entity but a category for different heterogenous subtypes.
EEG sleep patterns in twins
Authors: Linkowski
Published: March 2003

The investigation of sleep in twins represents one of the major methods for measuring the genetic contributions to sleep in humans. This paper reviews two twin studies in which the sleep EEG was recorded during three consecutive nights in young monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) male twins. The analyses, based on average values of repeated sleep recordings, indicate that a significant proportion of variance in stages 2, 4, and delta sleep appears to be genetically determined. Genetic influences on rapid‐eye‐movement sleep were found inconclusive, but this conclusion is limited by the relatively small size of the sample studied.
Heart period and heart period variability during sleep on the MIR space station
Authors: GUNDEL ALEXANDER , DRESCHER JÜRGEN , SPATENKO YURI A. , POLYAKOV VALERY V.
Published: March 2003

The long‐term acclimation of cardiac rhythms to microgravity was studied in four astronauts aboard the Russian space station MIR during wakefulness and sleep. Sleep polygraphies were obtained between the third and the 30th day in space and, in addition, prior to mission on the ground. From each of the sleep polygraphies, beat‐to‐beat intervals of cardiac rhythms were determined. The response of heart period and heart period variability to the stimulus microgravity was tested during sleep across sleep stages and during waking. A lengthening of heart period by about 100 ms was found in space compared to measurements on the ground. The slowing of heart rate was more pronounced for non‐REM sleep than for REM sleep. A systematic change in heart period in relation to the duration of the stay in space could not be detected. An analysis of heart period variability in the high frequency (respiratory sinus arrhythmia) band supports the hypothesis that the decrease of heart rate under microgravity is produced by an increase in parasympathetic activity. Testing the response of cardiac rhythms to microgravity across distinct behavioural states seems to be a powerful tool to investigate the cardiovascular system.
Sleep paralysis in the elderly
Authors: Wing Yun‐Kwok , Chiu Helen , Leung Tony , Ng Jana
Published: March 2003

Isolated sleep paralysis (SP) is a common sleep phenomenon that is highly colored by indigenous beliefs. In Hong Kong Chinese, the ‘ghost oppression phenomenon’ (GO) has been shown to be descriptively identical to SP. The prevailing concept is that the majority of cases with SP have their onset during adolescence, but the lack of any systematic study on an older population means that late‐onset cases can not be excluded. In a study investigating the prevalence of mental disorders in Chinese elderly aged above 70 y in Hong Kong, we employed the revised GO questionnaire to study the prevalence of SP in this group of elderly as well. One hundred and fifty‐eight subjects were finally analyzed for the study. Almost 18% (95% C.I. 11.77%, 23.68%) of the subjects reported experiences of GO. Their description of the features of GO showed striking similarity to those of SP. There was a clear bimodal distribution of onset of GO with peaks during adolescence and after age 60 y. At least one‐third of the cases were late onset. In concordance with the rapid eye movement (REM)/wakefulness dissociation hypothesis of SP, those elderly with GO+ experiences also had more frequent nocturnal sleep disturbances. A family history was reported in 10% of subjects.
Decreased sleep quality in patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa
Authors: Gordo M. A. , Recio J. , Sánchez‐Barceló E. J.
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of sleep disturbance in subjects diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), as well as the influence of age and gender. Sleep quality was assessed, by means of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), in people with RP (n=177) and gender‐and age‐matched normally sighted individuals (n=491). The population was divided, according to their age, in eight decade groups. People on shift‐work, with affective disorders or with visual impairment other than RP, were excluded. The influence of cataracts in sleep quality was also studied in non‐RP people (n=57), with cataracts significantly impairing visual acuity. Another group of healthy controls (n=190) was studied in different seasons of the year for a possible seasonality in sleep disturbance. Global sleep quality decreased in an age‐dependent manner in RP‐patients, especially from the second decade of life. Retinitis pigmentosa‐patients showed, in relation to age‐matched controls: lower subjective sleep quality and efficiency, longer sleep latency, shorter sleep duration, higher daytime dysfunction and a higher use of sleeping medication. No significant differences in sleep quality were found among RP‐patients or controls depending either on their gender or on the presence of cataracts. Normal sighted individuals did not show seasonality in their sleep quality. We conclude that the sleep quality of RP‐patients decreases in an age‐dependent manner and points to the probably degeneration of photoreceptors mediating the photic input to the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus in this disease.
Acute effects of melatonin on spontaneous and picrotoxin‐evoked sleep–wake behaviour in the rat
Authors: Langebartels Anke , Mathias Stefan , Lancel Marike
Published: March 2003

Various studies indicate that exogenous melatonin has hypnotic properties in humans, which may be mediated by its influence on the circadian timing system or direct sleep‐promoting actions, e.g. through a modulation of GABAergic transmission. The aim of the present placebo‐controlled study was to examine the effects of melatonin on sleep in rats and the contribution of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)Areceptors. Sleep–wake behaviour was assessed in nine rats after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of pharmacological doses of melatonin (5 and 10 mg kg–1) and after combined administration of the GABAAreceptor antagonist picrotoxin (1.5 mg kg–1) and melatonin (10 mg kg–1). To prevent chronobiotic effects, melatonin was delivered in the middle of the light period. Neither doses of melatonin exerted significant effects on brain temperature, sleep architecture or sleep electroencephalogram (EEG). Moreover, melatonin failed to attenuate the picrotoxin‐induced promotion of wakefulness. These observations indicate that melatonin hardly influences sleep–wake behaviour in rats.
Variability in sleep bruxism activity over time
Authors: Lavigne G J , Guitard F , Rompré P H , Montplaisir J Y
Published: March 2003

Sleep bruxism (SB) is an oral activity associated with jaw movements and tooth grinding. Sleep bruxism is believed to be highly variable over time, with subjects showing no activity on some nights and intense activity on others. Assessment of SB variability in individual patients is necessary for clinical trials designed to estimate the efficacy of SB management strategies. The present study analysed SB night‐to‐night variability over time in nine moderate to severe SB patients. Excluding the first night for habituation, a total of 37 nights were analysed, with a range of 2–8 nights per subject. The interval between the first and the last recording was between 2 months and 7.5 years. The outcomes were the number of SB episodes per hour, number of SB bursts per hour and number of SB episodes with grinding noise. The within subject variability of the three SB oromotor outcomes was evaluated using standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation. To verify the diagnosis of subjects over time, the values of the oromotor outcomes were compared with a standard research diagnostic cut‐off: (1) Number of SB episodes per hour >4, (2) Number of SB bursts per hour >25, (3) Number of SB episodes with noise per night >1 (Lavigne et al. 1996). The mean coefficient of variation for the nine subjects was 25.3% for SB episodes per hour, 30.4% for SB bursts per hour and 53.5% for episodes with noise. Linear regression showed that the number of SB episodes per hour of stages 1 and 2 explains a large proportion of the variability. The SB diagnosis remained constant over time for every subject: 35 nights over 37 respected criteria 1 and 2, while grinding was present every night. These results indicate that while the SB diagnostic remains relatively constant over time in moderate to severe sleep bruxers, individual variability could be important in some SB patients.
Autonomic activity during human sleep as a function of time and sleep stage
Authors: Trinder John , Kleiman Jan , Carrington Melinda , Smith Simon , Breen Sibilah , Tan Nellie , Kim Young
Published: March 2003

While there is a developing understanding of the influence of sleep on cardiovascular autonomic activity in humans, there remain unresolved issues. In particular, the effect of time within the sleep period, independent of sleep stage, has not been investigated. Further, the influence of sleep on central sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity is uncertain because results using the major method applicable to humans, the low frequency (LF) component of heart rate variability (HRV), have been contradictory, and because the method itself is open to criticism. Sleep and cardiac activity were measured in 14 young healthy subjects on three nights. Data was analysed in 2‐min epochs. All epochs meeting specified criteria were identified, beginning 2 h before, until 7 h after, sleep onset. Epoch values were allocated to 30‐min bins and during sleep were also classified into stage 2, slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The measures of cardiac activity were heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), high frequency (HF) and LF components of HRV and pre‐ejection period (PEP). During non‐rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep autonomic balance shifted from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance, although this appeared to be more because of a shift in parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. Autonomic balance during REM was in general similar to wakefulness. For BP and the HF and LF components the change occurred abruptly at sleep onset and was then constant over time within each stage of sleep, indicating that any change in autonomic balance over the sleep period is a consequence of the changing distribution of sleep stages. Two variables, HR and PEP, did show time effects reflecting a circadian influence over HR and perhaps time asleep affecting PEP. While both the LF component and PEP showed changes consistent with reduced sympathetic tone during sleep, their pattern of change over time differed.
Association between polysomnographic sleep measures and health‐related quality of life in obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Moore Polly , Bardwell Wayne A. , Ancoli‐Israel Sonia , Dimsdale Joel E.
Published: March 2003

Many facets of health‐related quality of life are diminished in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as they are in other chronic medical conditions. We speculated that impairment in health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) might result from the fatigue and daytime somnolence associated with the sleep disorder, as an indirect result from the fragmentation of night‐time sleep in OSA. Our hypothesis was that sleep fragmentation measures would correlate with poorer HRQoL measured by medical outcomes study (MOS) subscales. Thirty‐nine patients with polysomnographically‐confirmed OSA participated in this study. Pearson’s correlations were performed with the following sleep architecture variables: wake after sleep onset, the total number of brief arousals, the number of respiratory‐related arousals, the rate of respiratory events per hour, and total sleep time. To our surprise, although the total number of arousals was associated with health distress (r=–0.481, P < 0.005), it did not correlate with any other subscales indicating poorer physical and mental health. The relatively insensitive measure of total sleep time (TST) correlated in the expected direction with most subscales. However, after controlling for age and gender, respiratory disturbance indices (RDI) and/or number of arousals emerged as significantly associated with mobility, cognitive functioning, social functioning, energy and fatigue, and health distress. Our findings suggest that polysomnographic indicators of sleep quality and sleep continuity may be an important influence determining many aspects of HRQoL in OSA patients.
The recuperative value of brief and ultra‐brief naps on alertness and cognitive performance
Authors: Tietzel Amber J. , Lack Leon C.
Published: March 2003

The aim of the study was to investigate the recuperative value of brief and ultra‐brief naps following nocturnal sleep restriction. Sixteen young adult healthy sleepers participated in a repeated measures design comprising four experimental conditions: no nap, 30‐s nap, 90‐s nap and 10‐min nap. On the evening preceding each laboratory session, participants limited their nocturnal sleep to between 24:00 and 05:00 h. Measures of subjective alertness, objective alertness, fatigue, vigour and cognitive performance were taken before the nap and at several intervals postnap. Consistent with our previous study (Tietzel and Lack 2001), the 10‐min nap resulted in significantly improved alertness and cognitive performance relative to a no‐nap control. There were no measurable improvements for the 30‐ and 90‐s nap conditions relative to no nap, which suggests that the mechanism underlying the benefits of brief naps does not appear to be the onset of stage 1 sleep. Further research is required to investigate whether the benefits of brief naps are because of the onset of stage 2 or delta wave sleep, or a specific duration of sleep between 90 s and 10 min.
Measures of cognitive function in persons with varying degrees of sleep‐disordered breathing: the Sleep Heart Health Study
Authors: Boland Lori L. , Shahar Eyal , Iber Conrad , Knopman David S. , Kuo Tracy F. , Nieto F. Javier ,   For the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) Investigators
Published: March 2003

Epidemiologic literature suggests that persons with clinically diagnosed sleep apnoea frequently have impaired cognitive function, but whether milder degrees of sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) are associated with cognitive dysfunction in the general population is largely unknown. Approximately 1700 subjects free of clinically diagnosed SDB underwent at‐home polysomnography (PSG) as part of the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) and completed three cognitive function tests within 1–2 years of their PSG: the Delayed Word Recall Test (DWR), the WAIS‐R Digit Symbol Subtest (DSS), and the Word Fluency test (WF). A respiratory disturbance index (RDI) was calculated as the number of apnoeas and hypopnoeas per hour of sleep. After adjustment for age, education, occupation, field centre, diabetes, hypertension, body‐mass index, use of CNS medications, and alcohol drinking status, there was no consistent association between the RDI and any of the three cognitive function measures. There was no evidence of a dose–response relation between the RDI and cognitive function scores and the adjusted mean scores by quartiles of RDI never differed from one another by more than 5% for any of the tests. In this sample of free‐living individuals with mostly mild to moderate levels of SDB, the degree of SDB appeared to be unrelated to three measures of cognitive performance.
Electromagnetic fields, such as those from mobile phones, alter regional cerebral blood flow and sleep and waking EEG
Authors: Huber R. , Treyer V. , Borbély A. A. , Schuderer J. , Gottselig J. M. , Landolt H.‐P. , Werth E. , Berthold T. , Kuster N. , Buck A. , Achermann P.
Published: March 2003

Usage of mobile phones is rapidly increasing, but there is limited data on the possible effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure on brain physiology. We investigated the effect of EMF vs. sham control exposure on waking regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and on waking and sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) in humans. In Experiment 1, positron emission tomography (PET) scans were taken after unilateral head exposure to 30‐min pulse‐modulated 900 MHz electromagnetic field (pm‐EMF). In Experiment 2, night‐time sleep was polysomnographically recorded after EMF exposure. Pulse‐modulated EMF exposure increased relative rCBF in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex ipsilateral to exposure. Also, pm‐EMF exposure enhanced EEG power in the alpha frequency range prior to sleep onset and in the spindle frequency range during stage 2 sleep. Exposure to EMF without pulse modulation did not enhance power in the waking or sleep EEG. We previously observed EMF effects on the sleep EEG (A. A. Borbély, R. Huber, T. Graf, B. Fuchs, E. Gallmann and P. Achermann. Neurosci. Lett., 1999, 275: 207–210; R. Huber, T. Graf, K. A. Cote, L. Wittmann, E. Gallmann, D. Matter, J. Schuderer, N. Kuster, A. A. Borbély, and P. Achermann. Neuroreport, 2000, 11: 3321–3325), but the basis for these effects was unknown. The present results show for the first time that (1) pm‐EMF alters waking rCBF and (2) pulse modulation of EMF is necessary to induce waking and sleep EEG changes. Pulse‐modulated EMF exposure may provide a new, non‐invasive method for modifying brain function for experimental, diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Patterns of performance degradation and restoration during sleep restriction and subsequent recovery: a sleep dose‐response study
Authors: Belenky Gregory , Wesensten Nancy J. , Thorne David R. , Thomas Maria L. , Sing Helen C. , Redmond Daniel P. , Russo Michael B. , Balkin Thomas J.
Published: March 2003

Daytime performance changes were examined during chronic sleep restriction or augmentation and following subsequent recovery sleep. Sixty‐six normal volunteers spent either 3 (n = 18), 5 (n= 16), 7 (n = 16), or 9 h (n = 16) daily time in bed (TIB) for 7 days (restriction/augmentation) followed by 3 days with 8 h daily TIB (recovery). In the 3‐h group, speed (mean and fastest 10% of responses) on the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) declined, and PVT lapses (reaction times greater than 500 ms) increased steadily across the 7 days of sleep restriction. In the 7‐ and 5‐h groups speed initially declined, then appeared to stabilize at a reduced level; lapses were increased only in the 5‐h group. In the 9‐h group, speed and lapses remained at baseline levels. During recovery, PVT speed in the 7‐ and 5‐h groups (and lapses in the 5‐h group) remained at the stable, but reduced levels seen during the last days of the experimental phase, with no evidence of recovery. Speed and lapses in the 3‐h group recovered rapidly following the first night of recovery sleep; however, recovery was incomplete with speed and lapses stabilizing at a level comparable with the 7‐ and 5‐h groups. Performance in the 9‐h group remained at baseline levels during the recovery phase. These results suggest that the brain adapts to chronic sleep restriction. In mild to moderate sleep restriction this adaptation is sufficient to stabilize performance, although at a reduced level. These adaptive changes are hypothesized to restrict brain operational capacity and to persist for several days after normal sleep duration is restored, delaying recovery.
Bioequivalence of ivermectin formulations in pigs and cattle
Authors: Lifschitz  , Pis  , Alvarez  , Virkel  , Sanchez  , Sallovitz  , Kujanek  , Lanusse
Published: March 2003

The vehicle in which endectocide compounds are formulated plays a relevant role in their absorption kinetics and resultant systemic availability. The pharmaceutical bioequivalence and comparative plasma disposition kinetics of ivermectin (IVM), following the subcutaneous administration of two injectable formulations to pigs and cattle were investigated using parallel experimental designs. Sixteen parasite‐free male Duroc Jersey‐Yorkshire crossbred pigs (90–110 kg) (Expt 1) and 16 parasite‐free male Holstein calves (100–120 kg) (Expt 2) were divided into two groups and treated subcutaneously at either 300 (pigs) or 200 (calves) μg/kg with two different propylene glycol/glycerol formal (60: 40) based IVM formulations; in both experiments pigs or calves in Group A received the test (IVM‐TEST) formulation and those in Group B were treated with the reference formulation (IVM‐CONTROL). Heparinized blood samples were taken from 0 h up to either 20 (pigs) or 30 (calves) days post‐treatment and plasma was extracted, derivatized and analysed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using fluorescence detection. Early detection of IVM (12 h) with a peak plasma concentration (Cmax) between 33 and 39 ng/mL was observed in pigs. The drug was detected in plasma up to 20 days post‐administration of either formulation, resulting in elimination half‐lives between 3.47 and 3.80 days. There were no differences between the IVM‐TEST and IVM‐CONTROL formulations in the kinetic parameters (except tmax) obtained in pigs. IVM was detected in plasma between 12 h and 30 days post‐administration of both formulations under investigation in cattle. The plasma disposition kinetics of IVM in calves was similar following treatment with both formulations. Cmax values (between 40.5 and 46.4 ng/mL) were achieved at 2 days post‐administration of both formulations. None of the estimated kinetic parameters were statistically different between drug formulations. The injectable IVM formulations investigated were bioequivalent after their sub‐cutaneous administration to both pigs and calves at recommended dose rates.
Influence of interleukin‐1β and hyaluronan on proteoglycan release from equine navicular hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage
Authors: Frean  , Gettinby  , May  , Lees
Published: March 2003

Proteoglycan (PG) release, in response to recombinant human interleukin‐1β (rh‐IL‐1β), was measured in cartilage explants obtained from the equine distal sesamoid bone (navicular bone). Fibrocartilage from the surface of the navicular bone apposing the deep digital flexor tendon and hyaline cartilage from the surface of the navicular bone articulating with the middle phalanx were labelled with35SO4. Hyaline cartilage from the distal metacarpus was used as a control tissue. Following radiolabel incorporation, the three cartilage types were treated with rh‐IL‐1β (100 U/mL) in the presence of hyaluronan (0.2, 2, 20, 200 and 2000 μg/mL). rh‐IL‐1β‐Induced PG release was measured by scintillation assay of PG‐bound radiolabel. Increases in PG release of 94% (P< 0.01), 101% (P< 0.05) and 122% (P< 0.05), in response to rh‐IL‐1β, were noted in fibrocartilage, navicular hyaline cartilage and metacarpal hyaline cartilage, respectively. Hyaluronan (0.2 μg/mL) significantly reduced rh‐IL‐1β‐induced PG release in metacarpal hyaline cartilage (P< 0.01). In fibrocartilage and navicular hyaline cartilage, hyaluronan did not reduce PG release and at some concentrations appeared to increase PG release, although this was not statistically significant. These experiments show that (i) fibrocartilage and hyaline cartilage of the navicular bone release PGs in response to rh‐IL‐1β, and (ii) hyaluronan does not prevent rh‐IL‐1β‐induced breakdown of navicular bone cartilage.
Albendazole sulphoxide enantiomeric ratios in plasma and target tissues after intravenous administration of ricobendazole to cattle
Authors: Cristofol C. , Virkel G. , Alvarez L. , Sánchez S. , Arboix M. , Lanusse C.
Published: March 2003

The comparative concentration profiles of the (+) and (–) albendazole sulphoxide (ABZSO) enantiomers obtained in plasma and in selected target tissues/fluids after intravenous (i.v.) administration of a racemic formulation of ricobendazole (RBZ) to cattle were characterised. Fourteen Holstein calves received RBZ (racemic solution, 150 mg/mL) by i.v. administration at 7.5 mg/kg. Jugular blood samples were collected over 48 h post‐treatment (plasma kinetic trial) and two animals were sacrificed at either 4, 12, 20, 28 or 32 h post‐treatment to obtain samples of abomasal/small intestine mucosal tissue, abomasal/small intestine fluids, bile, liver and lung tissue (tissue distribution study). The (–)ABZSO enantiomer was depleted significantly faster from plasma compared with the (+)ABZSO antipode. The plasmaAUCfor (+)ABZSO (38.3 μg · h/mL) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with that obtained for (–)ABZSO (20.5 μg · h/mL). The (+)ABZSO enantiomer was the predominant antipode measured in bile, abomasal fluid and abomasal mucosa. For instance, at 12 h post‐treatment the (+)/(–) concentration ratios were: 12.9 (plasma), 1.62 (abomasal mucosa), 13.0 (abomasal fluid), 2.92 (intestinal mucosa), 9.87 (intestinal fluid) and 21.5 (bile). No marked differences between the concentration profiles of both enantiomers were observed in the liver tissue. Albendazole (ABZ) was recovered from the liver, lung and gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal tissues of RBZ‐treated calves up to 32 h post‐treatment, probably produced by a GI microflora‐mediated sulphoreduction of RBZ. An enantioselective kinetic behaviour may account both for the faster depletion of the (–) enantiomer and for the higher availabilities of the (+) antipode observed in plasma and in most of the tissues/fluids investigated. The simultaneous evaluation of the plasma kinetics and tissue concentration profiles of both enantiomeric forms reported here, may help to interpret the relationship between chiral behaviour and pharmacological action for sulphoxide derivatives of benzimidazole (BZD) methylcarbamate anthelmintics.
Effects of 8‐epi‐PGF2αon isolated bronchial smooth muscle of healthy and heaves‐affected horses
Authors: Kirschvink N. , Art T. , Lekeux P. , Roberts C. , Gustin P.
Published: March 2003

8‐Epi‐PGF2α, a prostaglandin‐like compound generated by oxidative stress, has been shown to be anin vitrobronchoconstrictor in airways from healthy laboratory animals and healthy humans, but it has never been studied in diseased airways. Here, the bronchoconstrictive capacity of 8‐epi‐PGF2αon isolated bronchial rings (BR) of healthy and heaves‐affected horses was evaluated by comparing the maximal effect and the potency of 8‐epi‐PGF2αto those of (1) acetylcholine (ACh), (2) its stereoisomer PGF2αand (3) its synthetic receptor agonist, U46619. Furthermore, the potential capacity of 8‐epi‐PGF2αto enhance the cholinergic (ACh) responsiveness of bronchial smooth muscle was investigated. 8‐Epi‐PGF2αcontracted BR with a rank order of efficacy of Ach > U44619 > PGF2α > 8‐epi‐PGF2αin both healthy and heaves‐affected horses. The contractile maximal response elicited by 8‐epi‐PGF2αwas significantly smaller than that elicited by the other drugs, but was significantly higher in BR from heaves‐affected horses than in those sampled in healthy horses, whilst pD2values were similar. A subthreshold concentration of 8‐epi‐PGF2α(10−7 M) did not inducein vitrocholinergic hyper‐responsiveness in BR of either healthy or heaves‐affected horses. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that 8‐epi‐PGF2αis anin vitrobronchoconstrictor of minor importance in healthy horses, but whose efficacy is significantly increased in heaves‐affected horses.
Influence of ruminal distribution on norfloxacin pharmacokinetics in adult sheep
Authors: González F. , Andrés M. I. San , Nieto J. , Andrés M. D. San , Waxman S. , Vicente M. L. , Lucas J. J. , Rodríguez C.
Published: March 2003

González, F., San Andrés, M. I., Nieto, J., San Andrés, M. D., Waxman, S., Vicente, M. L., Lucas, J. J., Rodríguez, C. Influence of ruminal distribution on norfloxacin pharmacokinetics in adult sheepJ. vet. Pharmacol. Therap.24,241–245.

Norfloxacin (NF) ruminal distribution after intravenous (i.v.), intramuscular (i.m.) and oral (p.o.) administration was determined in order to assess the influence of the rumen on the pharmacokinetic behaviour of NF in sheep. Norfloxacin concentrations in rumen were detected after i.v. and i.m. administrations between 4 and 48 h in all animals studied. The experimental distribution ratios after i.v. and i.m. administration expressed as area under the concentration–time curve ratiosAUCrumen/AUCplasmawere 0.24 and 0.39, respectively, and thus lower than corresponding predicted value of 5.06. Apparently, drug persisted in the rumen content longer than in plasma. The experimental mean residence time ratiosMRTrumen/MRTplasmaafter i.v. and i.m. administrations were 2.33 and 1.66, respectively. After p.o. administration, NF concentrations in the rumen content were extremely high compared with the respective plasma concentrations, resulting in mean peak concentrations ratioCmax‐rumen/Cmax‐plasmaof 383.66 andAUCrumen/AUCplasmaexperimental ratio of 402.32. This value was considerably higher (≈79 fold) than the predicted distribution ratio of 5.06. Our results suggest that the limited p.o. bioavailability of NF in ruminants could not be attributed to ruminal degradation.
Pharmacokinetics of ibafloxacin following intravenous and oral administration to healthy Beagle dogs
Authors: COULET M. , VAN BORSSUM WAALKES M. , LEEUWENKAMP O. R. , COX P. , LOHUIS J.
Published: March 2003

The pharmacokinetics of ibafloxacin, a new veterinary fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent, was studied following intravenous (i.v.) and oral administration to healthy dogs. The mean absolute bioavailability of ibafloxacin after oral doses of 7.5, 15 and 30 mg/kg ranged from 69 to 81%, indicating that ibafloxacin was well absorbed by dogs. Ibafloxacin was also absorbed rapidly [time of maximum concentration (tmax) 1.5 h], reaching a mean maximum concentration (Cmax) of 6 μg/mL at 15 mg/kg, well distributed in the body [large volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) andVareaof 1.1 L/kg and 4 L/kg, respectively], and exhibited an elimination half‐life of 5.2 h and a low total body clearance (8.7 mL/min/kg). BothCmaxand area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) showed dose proportionality over the dose range tested (7.5–30 mg/kg). The pharmacokinetics of ibafloxacin was similar following single and repeated dosage regimens, implying no significant accumulation in plasma. Food promoted the absorption of ibafloxacin by increasingCmaxandAUC, but did not changetmax. High amounts of the metabolites, mainly 8‐hydroxy‐ and, 7‐hydroxy‐ibafloxacin were excreted in urine and faeces, either unchanged or as glucuronide conjugates. Following oral administration of 15 mg ibafloxacin/kg, the total recovery of ibafloxacin, its metabolites and conjugates in urine and faeces was 61.9–99.9% of the dose within 48 h.
5‐Hydroxytryptamine mediated contractions in isolated preparations of equine ileum and pelvic flexure: pharmacological characterization of a new 5‐HT4 agonist
Authors: WEISS R. , ABEL D. , SCHOLTYSIK G. , STRAUB R. , MEVISSEN M.
Published: March 2003

The effects of 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT), HTF 919, a new 5‐HT4 agonist, and the antagonists SB 203–186 (5‐HT4) and tropisetron (5‐HT3) on intestinal motility were tested in vitro on isolated preparations of horse ileum and pelvic flexure. Concentration–response curves were created by cumulative application of the agonists with or without preincubation of the antagonists. The 5‐HT preparation induced a concentration‐dependent contraction in equine ileum and pelvic flexure. The results indicate that 5‐HT receptors are present in all parts of equine intestine investigated in this study. Tropisetron was found to act as a noncompetitive antagonist in all locations of the equine intestine. SB 203–106 was confirmed as an antagonist to 5‐HT in the equine ileum circular muscle, in pelvic flexure circular and longitudinal muscle. Nevertheless, a discernible increase of smooth muscle contractions caused by HTF 919 could only be observed in pelvic flexure. In accordance with an earlier study in the guinea pig, in the equine gut HTF 919 acted as a partial agonist for the 5‐HT4 receptor with an affinity constant in the nanomolar range. It is concluded that 5‐HT receptors, and especially their subtypes, may represent a promising target for the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders in horses.
The pharmacokinetics, metabolism and urinary detection time of etamiphylline in camels after intramuscular administration
Authors: ELGHAZALI M. , WASFI I. A. , AL KATHEERI N. A. , HADI A. A. A. , HUSSEIN M. M.
Published: March 2003

The pharmacokinetics of etamiphylline were determined after an intramuscular (i.m.) dose of 3.5 mg/kg body weight in six healthy camels. Furthermore, the metabolites and drug detection time were evaluated. The data obtained median and (range) were as follows: the terminal elimination half‐life (t1/2β, h)was 3.04 (2.03–3.62); apparent total body clearance (Cl/F, L/h/kg) was 1.27 (0.74–2.99); the apparent volume of distribution at steady state (Vss/F, L/kg) was 4.94 (3.57–12.54); and renal clearance (Clr, L/h/kg) determined in two camels was 0.005 and 0.004, respectively. The detection time of etamiphylline in urine after an i.m. dose of 3.5 mg/kg body weight ranged between 12 and 13 days. Three etamiphylline metabolites were tentatively identified in camels urine: The first one desethyletamiphylline was the main metabolite and resulted from N‐deethylation of etamiphylline had a molecular weight of 251, and was detected in urine for about 13–14 days. Theophylline (molecular weight 180) was the second metabolite and resulted from ring N‐dealkylation of etamiphylline. It was present in small amounts and was detected for about 5 h after drug administration in urine. The third metabolite, possibly resulted from demethylation of etamiphylline, had a molecular weight ofm/z265, and was present in small amounts and was detected in urine for about 5 h after drug administration.
Pharmacokinetics of ceftriaxone administered by the intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous routes to dogs
Authors: REBUELTO M. , ALBARELLOS G. , AMBROS L. , KREIL V. , MONTOYA L. , BONAFINE R. , OTERO P. , HALLU R.
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of ceftriaxone after single intravenous (i.v.), intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) doses in healthy dogs. Six mongrel dogs received ceftriaxone (50 mg/kg) by each route in a three‐way crossover design. Blood samples were collected in predetermined times after drug administration. Results are reported as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Total body clearance (Clt) and apparent volume of distribution (Vz) for the i.v. route were 3.61 ± 0.78 and 0.217 ± 0.03 mL/kg, respectively. Terminal half‐life harmonic mean (t½λ) was 0.88; 1.17 and 01.73 h for the i.v., i.m and s.c. routes, respectively. Mean peak serum concentration (Cmax) was 115.10 ± 16.96 and 69.28 ± 14.55 μg/mL for the i.m and s.c. routes, respectively. Time to reach Cmax (tmax) was 0.54 ± 0.24 and 1.29 ± 00.64 h for the i.m and s.c. routes, respectively. Mean absorption time (MAT) was 1.02 ± 0.64 and 2.23 ± 00.73 h for the i.m and s.c. routes, respectively. Bioavailability was 102 ± 27 and 106 ± 14% for the i.m and s.c. routes, respectively. Statistically significant differences were determined in Cmax, tmax, MAT and t½λ of s.c. administered ceftriaxone when compared with the i.v and i.m. routes. These findings suggest that once or twice s.c. or i.m. daily administered ceftriaxone should be adequate to treat most susceptible infections in dogs.
Antifungal agents of use in animal health – practical applications
Authors: Rochette F. , Engelen M. , Vanden Bossche H.
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of antifungal agents currently in use in veterinary medicine. The practical applications and the therapeutic regimens that have proved successful in the treatment and prevention of fungal infections in dogs and cats, cattle and sheep, horse, pig, poultry and other birds, rodents, rabbits and fur animals are summarized.
Medical practices regarding hepatitis C virus infection in Europe
Authors: Nalpas B. , Delaroques‐Astagneau E. , Le Bihan C. , Drucker J. , Desenclos J. C.
Published: March 2003

Six hundred and ninety‐three European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) members, belonging to one of the 15 European Union (EU) member‐states, were surveyed, through a standardized 45‐item questionnaire, on their medical practices regarding hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The response rate was 45%, roughly similar in all the countries concerned. Responders were classified into three groups according to their geographical origin: North, Centre and South. A consensus existed with regard to the necessity of HCV screening in well‐defined situations, such as history of blood transfusion, haemodialysis, haemophilia or intravenous drug addiction (90% of positive answers) while opinions substantially differed for vertical and nosocomial transmission of HCV. For the prevention of sexual and vertical transmission, opinions differed greatly: 22% were in favour of barrier methods for HCV‐positive subjects while 34% were against; 49% allowed breast‐feeding for babies born to HCV‐positive mothers while 14% were against. Conversely, there was relative homogeneity in the issue of domestic prevention (70% in favour of precautions). Algorithms for prescription of virological tests were inhomogeneous (recombinant immunoblot assay was used by 60%; polymerase chain reaction was requested by 77% when alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was elevated vs 89% when normal); medical evaluation varied according to ALT values: liver biopsy and liver ultrasonography were carried out in 90 and 91%vs 40 and 70% for increased and normal ALT, respectively. Thirty per cent of respondents advised patients to stop alcohol consumption and 60% advised moderation. Two‐thirds of the responders did not take into account histological severity and virological parameters before initiating antiviral therapy. Eighty per cent of the participants claimed that they administered interferon (IFN) for 12 months. For most of the items studied, there was a large variation, not only between the three groups, but also within each group. Ninety‐two per cent of the responders claimed that they were well trained on HCV but they were rather critical of the quality of the information diffused (satisfaction rate: 45%). Altogether, our survey demonstrates that preventive and medical practices towards HCV are not homogeneous throughout the EU; this suggests the need for a European consensus conference in this regard.