The serum copper levels of 46 elderly patients with fractures of the femoral neck were assayed and found to be significantly lower than those of a group of controls matched for age and sex. These findings are consistent with nutritional copper deficiency which may contribute to the development of fractures by reducing bone strength.

1 The contributions of 22-adrenoceptors and 5-HTIA receptors to sexual behaviour in the rat have been re-evaluated by use of a highly potent and selective a2-adrenoceptor antagonist, delequamine (RS-15385-197), yohimbine, idazoxan and the partial agonist at 5-HTlA receptors, 8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). 3 In orchidectomized, sexually experienced rats exposed to sexually receptive females, delequamine, idazoxan and yohimbine increased the number of rats mounting, and there was a tendency to increase the number of animals intromitting, but no effect on ejaculatory behaviour. 4 In ovariectomized female rats brought to low level receptivity by priming with low dose injections of oestradiol benzoate and progesterone, delequamine, at 1.6 and 6.4 mg kg-' p.o., increased lordosis, while yohimbine, at 2, 4 and 8 mg kg-' p.o., reduced lordotic responses to sexually experienced males in a dose-dependent manner. 8-OH-DPAT at 0.1, 0.25 mg kg-', s.c. reduced lordosis in a dose-dependent manner.5 These findings may be explained on the basis that yohimbine is an X2-adrenoceptor antagonist with affinity for 5-HTlA receptors and that the effects of 5-HTIA receptors may modulate the sexual behaviour responses to a2-receptor antagonism in some models. Thus, in contrast to yohimbine, the highly-selective a2-adrenoceptor antagonist, delequamine, was very effective in increasing the behavioural score in male and female rats over a wide dose-range.

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