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Mice and Naltrexone


olutayo

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Mice that have been given morphine are very likely to develop blood poisoning because bacteria that normally reside in the intestine typically respond to morphine by migrating into the bloodstream. However, when mice are given both morphine and the new drugnaltrexone, blood poisoning is much less frequent, although it does still occur. These results provide support for researchers’ prediction that naltrexone will turn out to be toxic to certain types of bacteria.

 

Which of the following, if discovered to be true, would most seriously weaken the support for the researchers’ prediction?

 

A. After being administered to mice, naltrexone does not pass from the bloodstream into the intestine.

B. Naltrexone inhibits morphine from triggering the migration of intestinal bacteria into the bloodstream.

C. Mice that have been given naltrexone but not morphine have no greater risk of developing blood poisoning than do mice that have not been given either substance.

D. The increased risk of blood poisoning is not the only harmful effect on mice of being given morphine.

E. Conditions other than the presence of intestinal bacteria in the bloodstream can cause blood poisoning in mice.

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  • 6 months later...

Mice that have been given morphine are very likely to develop blood poisoning because bacteria that normally reside in the intestine typically respond to morphine by migrating into the bloodstream. However, when mice are given both morphine and the new drugnaltrexone, blood poisoning is much less frequent, although it does still occur. These results provide support for researchers’ prediction that naltrexone will turn out to be toxic to certain types of bacteria.

 

Which of the following, if discovered to be true, would most seriously weaken the support for the researchers’ prediction?

 

Assumption: Naltrexone is destroying the bacteria which has come into the bloodstream.

 

Lets look at the choices:

 

A. After being administered to mice, naltrexone does not pass from the bloodstream into the intestine.

 

In this option, N did not go into the intestine, which means it reduced the bacteria by staying in the blood stream. This option doesn't refute the assumption.

 

B. Naltrexone inhibits morphine from triggering the migration of intestinal bacteria into the bloodstream.

 

This option gives a reason other than the assumption stated above so it is weakening the assumption.

 

C. Mice that have been given naltrexone but not morphine have no greater risk of developing blood poisoning than do mice that have not been given either substance.

 

This option says N does not cause blood poisoning. Dont care !

 

D. The increased risk of blood poisoning is not the only harmful effect on mice of being given morphine.

 

This option is orthogonal. Dont care !

 

E. Conditions other than the presence of intestinal bacteria in the bloodstream can cause blood poisoning in mice.

 

Again tangential thought. Dont care !

 

Hope this helps !

 

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I vote for B.

 

If the drug prevents the bacteria movement , then it cannot be fatal to the bacteria,

 

 

Stimulus states that presence of intestinal bacteria in the bloodstream causes blood poisoning. According to (B), naltrexone curbs the migration of intestinal bacteria into the bloodstream. That means there should no longer be a case of blood poisioning in mice. But one of the premises is that " ... when mice are given both morphine and the new drug naltrexone, blood poisoning is much less frequent, although it does still occur". Since blood poisoning still persists in some mice, there must be some other cause. This is what E says. And it weakens the argument.

 

IMO E

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Stimulus states that presence of intestinal bacteria in the bloodstream causes blood poisoning. According to (B), naltrexone curbs the migration of intestinal bacteria into the bloodstream. That means there should no longer be a case of blood poisioning in mice. But one of the premises is that " ... when mice are given both morphine and the new drug naltrexone, blood poisoning is much less frequent, although it does still occur". Since blood poisoning still persists in some mice, there must be some other cause. This is what E says. And it weakens the argument.

 

IMO E

 

I would agree with gmatcraze

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The argument concludes that naltrexone will turn out to be toxic to certain types of bacteria because when mice are given both morphine and the naltrexone, blood poisoning is much less frequent.

 

If we can prove that the blood poisoning is less frequent not because naltrexone is toxic to bacteria but because some other reason then the argument can be weakened.

 

 

B provides the reason.

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I went with E. Agree with gmatcraze. E is the only option that gives reasoning that there can be some other causes.

 

Ignored B, because B, in a way, is supporting the argument by saying that blood poisoning is reduced/ doesn't happen, because the drug is, actually, inhibiting the bacteria.

 

Would appreciate more discussions.

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