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In order to determine the prevalence and risk factors for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in adolescent females and young women in central Brazil, 296 subjects attending two public health services were evaluated. The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis infection, as determined using polymerase chain reaction, was 19.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.3–24.7). In multivariate analysis, young age (odds ratio [OR]adjusted 2.32, 95%CI 1.1–4.8, p<0.05) and having 2–3 (ORadjusted 3.41, 95%CI 1.6–6.3, p<0.05) or ≥4 sexual partners in life (ORadjusted 3.10, 95%CI 1.1–6.3, p<0.05) were factors significantly associated with chlamydial infection. In conclusion, the prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was high in the studied population and risk factors were related to age and sexual behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective and Design: L-Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) is the primary enzyme regulating histamine biosynthesis. This study was carried out to examine whether the cultured rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC), which constitute the blood-brain barrier (BBB), have the ability to form histamine, and whether HDC mRNA is expressed in rat BMEC.¶ Material: Male, 3-week-old Wistar rats were used. For in vitro studies, rat BMEC were isolated from rat brains, and subculture cells were grown on collagen-coated culture flask and slide.¶ Methods: HDC assay, immunofluorescence analysis and expression of HDC mRNA by RT-PCR were performed in rat BMEC.¶ Results: The HDC activity of the BMEC was estimated to be 0.14 ± 0.05 p mol/min/mg protein. This activity was completely inhibited by ( S)- α-fluoromethylhistidine, a specific inhibitor of HDC. Using a polyclonal anti HDC antibody and immunofluorescence microscopy, we confirmed the presence of HDC protein in rat BMEC. RT-PCR also showed the expression of HDC mRNA in rat BMEC.¶ Conculsions: L-Histidine uptaken by rat BMEC was shown to be converted to histamine, suggesting that HDC plays an important role in BBB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of four immunosuppressive agents on the in vitro blastogenesis of peripheral blood lymphocytes activated by concanavalin A have been studied using cells from 26 healthy subjects, 34 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and 30 kidney transplant recipients. Differences in lymphocyte sensitivity to prednisolone between the healthy subjects and the CRF patients were statistically significant ( P<0.0002), with impaired sensitivity in CRF. Impaired lymphocyte sensitivity occurred in 3.8% and 52.9% of the healthy and CRF subjects, respectively. Lymphocyte sensitivity to prednisolone, both preoperatively and 3 months post-operatively, was strongly correlated with early allograft rejection during co-administration of prednisolone with cyclosporin or azathioprine. Lymphocyte sensitivity to cyclosporin, azathioprine, and mizoribine in CRF was not significantly less than that in healthy subjects. Since the pharmacokinetics of prednisolone are little altered in renal transplantation, it is concluded that lymphocyte sensitivity specific to prednisolone may be a pharmacodynamic marker characteristic of successful graft survival in patients with histo-incompatibility and/or drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorpheniramine (5-10 mg/kg) showed a dose- dependent suppressive effect on muricide induced by thiamine deficiency at 1 hr after oral administration. The ED value for muricidal suppression was about 7.1 mg/kg (95% confidence limits, 5.4-9.3 mg/kg). The maximum effect of muricidal suppression lasted for 1-2 hr after oral dosage (10 mg/kg). Chlorpheniramine was detectable at 10 min in the blood and brain of thiamine deficient killer-rats by using a high-performance liquid chromatographic method. Maximum brain and blood levels of chlorpheniramine appeared at 45 and 60 min, respectively. In terms of regional distribution, the highest levels were measured in the limbic system, especially in the hippocampus. Although neither blood nor brain levels of chlorpheniramine reflect its pharmacological activity, it can easily enter the brain and suppress muricide more potently than imipramine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research study on the role of histamine H1 receptors on cognition, behavioral, and neurochemical changes using H1 receptor gene knockout mice (H1KO). It states that the memories of mice were evaluated using object recognition, Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests. It states that sedative antihistamines induce cognitive decline in humans.