Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

New York Times Examines Program To Help Orphans Survive 'Fragile Days Of Infancy'
The New York Times examines a program being offered at an orphanage in Tanzania that provides emotional and physical support for newborns and young children who are at a high risk of death after losing their mothers in infancy. "Africa is full of at least 50 million orphans, the legacy of AIDS and other diseases, war and high rates of death in pregnancy and childbirth," the newspaper writes. "With the numbers increasing every day, Africans are struggling to care for them, often in ways that differ strikingly from the traditional concept of an orphanage in the developed world."

Common Migraine Pain Condition Also Prevalent In Cluster Headache
A pain condition common in people with migraines also has a high prevalence in patients with cluster headache, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Jefferson Headache Center at Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience.
News of the day
Declare Your Independence And Stop Smoking For Good This Fourth Of July
This Independence Day, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in conjunction with Ralphs and L.A. Care Health Plan, is helping LA County residents declare their freedom from smoking by giving away free two-week starter kits of nicotine patches or gum. The quit smoking aids are free to residents of LA County at 47 participating Ralphs Pharmacies throughout the county between the hours of 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., while supplies last.
Nutrition

Histamine Affects Alcohol-related Behaviour

The histamine-3 receptor is important in terms of alcohol-related behaviour, and a drug affecting that receptor may have qualities that alter alcohol-related behaviour. This appears in the study headed by Pertti Panula entitled "Tuberomamillary nucleus neurons, histamine and H3 receptor in hypothalamic regulation of alcohol addiction" which is part of the Substance Use and Addictions research programme of the Academy of Finland. "Whether these histamine-3 receptor drugs help in the treatment of human alcoholism will probably be clear when the results of the currently ongoing clinical trials become public. The drugs are currently being tested for the treatment of conditions such as observation disorders, sleep disorders and narcolepsy," says Professor Panula. In addition to the well-known dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that are important to the functioning of the brain also include histamine, which is better known for the regulation of allergies and stomach functioning. The histamine system of the brain is important in the regulation of the sleep-waking rhythm. There is also an extensive histamine system in the human brain. In Professor Panula"s previous studies it was observed that the brain histamine content of a rat population that liked to drink alcohol was higher compared with other rat populations. The alcohol consumption of these rats was reduced by giving the rats an agent that blocks the new histamine-3 receptor that was discovered in the studies. These studies showed that the histamine system of the brain is part of the mechanism that regulates alcohol consumption. The latest studies used mice in whose brain the histamine producing enzyme and, consequently, histamine is completely lacking. These mice did not become livelier after receiving alcohol as did the mice in the control group. On the other hand, the rewarding pleasure effect of alcohol was stronger in the mice lacking histamine compared with normal mice. It was also observed in the study that the effects of alcohol that cause liveliness and pleasure changed noticeably when a histamine-3 receptor blocker was used. The results suggest that, in addition to the use of alcohol, transmitter histamine also contributes to the transmission of the stimulating and pleasing effect of alcohol in the brain. Suomen Akatemia (Academy of Finland)


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009