Sixteen healthy young volunteers (seven females, nine males) received repeated doses of either 30 mg paroxetine, 100 mg maprotiline or placebo in a double-blind crossover study. Each of the three treatments lasted 1 week separated by 2 weeks of no treatment. Treatment order was counterbalanced. Subjects were tested before each treatment period, and after 1 and 7 days of treatment. Measurements were made of mood, perceptual-motor skills, and eye movements including pupil size when subjects were watching a traffic film.

The treatment effect of nicotinic acid and xanthinol nicotinate on human memory was compared with placebo in 96 healthy subjects. Forty-three subjects were young (35-45 years), 30 subjects middle aged (55-65 years) and 23 subjects were old aged (75-85 years). Pre- and post-treatment scores were measured on a battery of memory tasks, covering sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory. The treatment regime was 1 dragee t.i.d. for 8 weeks. The administration of xanthinol nicotinate (500 mg, containing 141.7 mg nicotinic acid), nicotinic acid (141.7 mg) and placebo (lactose) was double-blind. Pre- and post-treatment scores were analysed by means of a multivariate covariance technique, the pre-treatment score serving as covariate. Nicotinic acid treatment resulted in improvement of sensory register and short-term memory, while xanthinol nicotinate improved sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory. In comparison with placebo, both active compounds yielded improvements of 10-40%, depending on type of task. Treatment effects of nicotinic acid were predominantly found in the young and middle-aged, whereas treatment effects of xanthinol nicotinate were predominantly found in the old. These results are interpreted by the supposed activity of nicotinic acid at the cell membrane, improving neuronal transmission, and of xanthinol nicotinate inside the cell, enhancing cell metabolism and oxygen supply in the brain.

A prospective randomized comparison of a single pre-operative dose of 2.2 g amoxycillin/clavulanate versus the combination of 1.5 g cefuroxime plus 0.5 g metronidazole was conducted in 467 women, who underwent gynaecological surgery. The incidence of febrile morbidity, urinary tract infection, wound infection and the use of post-operative antimicrobial agents was similar in the two groups. Amoxycillin/clavulanate is as effective as a combination of cefuroxime and metronidazole and less expensive.

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In an open study, 30 women with clue cell-positive discharge (CCPD) were treated for seven days with either amoxycillin, amoxycillin-clavulanic acid or metronidazole (ten in each group). Patients were monitored on days 2, 4, 9 and 15. Clinical and microscopical parameters were used to assess treatment efficacy. Gas-liquid chromatography of vaginal secretions was also performed. The succinate-lactate ratio had good correlation with the clinical findings. All patients treated with metronidazole were cured by day 4, suggesting that a three-day course is as effective as the standard seven-day regimen. Treatment with amoxycillin-clavulanic acid was less effective resulting in the cure of seven patients by day 15. Amoxycillin established normal secretions in only four patients. Gastro-intestinal complaints, although common in patients treated with amoxycillin-clavulanic acid, were generally mild. We consider amoxycillin-clavulanic acid a possible alternative in the treatment of CCPD.