That gallamine causes tachycardia during general anesthesia is well known, but the efficacy of its anticholinergic action or an adrenergic beta blocking action remains to be determined. Twelve patients were subjected to this study, in which under halothane anesthesia small doses of propranolol. an adrenergic beta-blocker, was administered. In all cases bradycardia resulted and the greatest decrease was noted five minutes after intravenous injection of propranolol(0. 5 1. 0mg). At the height of bradycardia, gallamine 80 mg was administered intravenously. In all cases gallamine produced a significant increase of heart rate over the level before the injection of propranolol, but not so much as without propranolol pretreatment. But fifth minute values after propranolol expressed as 100 per cent, (per cent change in heart rate after propranolol followed by gallamine,) and after gallamine were similar effectively. This study suggested that gallamine-induced tachycardia is modified, but its anticholinergic action is not impaired by propranolol, and that gallamine-induced tachycardia is caused by anticholiaergic action of gallamine.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Bradycardia ; Gallamine Triethiodide ; Halothane* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Propranolol* ; Tachycardia*

Four patients underwent surgery for idiopathic epiretinal membrane at macula. The follow-up was from 5 to 8 months. The epiretinal membrane was removed by vitreous surgical technique with sutherland scissors and forceps. By electron microscopic study of the membrans, four typical cells(fibrous astrocytes, macrophages, fibrocytes and myofibroblast-like cells) were found in one case and hyalocytes in another case. In all cases visual acuity improved by more than 2 lines in Snellen chart.
Astrocytes ; Epiretinal Membrane* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Macrophages ; Surgical Instruments ; Visual Acuity

Glycopyrrolate(Robinul) is a potent anticholinergic drug. Being a quaternary ammonium compound, it dose not cross the blood-brain barrier and thus dose not have the central effects. It has been shown that glycopyrrolate has a pharmacologic properties similar to that of atropine, belladonna alkaloid, but it has lesser effect on the heart rate than that of atropine. The author administered a small dose of glycopyrrolate intravenously to 18 people who were awake, 21 compatous cases and 17 halothane anesthetized cases. The effect on the heart rate in these 3 groups was compared. The results are as follows: 1) In the awake state, glycopyrrolate(0.1mg) produced a slight decrease in the heart rate. 2) In the comatose state, glycopyrrolate(0.1mg) produced a slight increase in the heart rate. 3) In the halothane anesthetized state, glycopyrrolate(0.1mg) produced a significant increase in the heart rate. 4) In the comatose state, the absence of bradycardia after a small dose of glycopyrrolate is similar to a small dose of atropine. Therefore we suggest that bradycardia after glycopyrrolate and atropine is caused by sympathetic ganglion block.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to integrate the results of community based studies which assessed a relationship between depression and alcoholism by meta-analysis. METHODS: We identified the previons studies and included in meta-analysis by searching MEDLINE. Overall, 21 results of the studies for relationship between depression and alcoholism were selected for quantitative meta-analysis. Before the integration of the each effect size of the relationship between depression and alcoholism, a homogeneity test was conducted. For the publication bias, we also conducted the analyses of funnel plot, normal quantile plot, rank correlation test and the fail-safe n. RESULTS: We used the random effect model to estimate the overall effect size, because the homogeneity of studies was rejected in a fixed effect model. Our quantitative meta-analysis yielded that integrated odds ratio between depression and alcoholism was 2.42 (95% C.I. 1.98-2.97). From the results of analyses of the publication bias, the probability of publication bias is considered low. CONCLUSION: The published evidences suggested that there may be a significant positive relationship between depression and alcoholism.
Alcoholism* ; Depression* ; Odds Ratio ; Publication Bias