Remembering Theodosius Dobzhansky.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C C Tan.
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We have characterized six chemically induced mutations of the Drosophila dlm-defective (d l m d) gene. The mutants are flightless, but they have an otherwise normal appearance. By electron microscopic examination, a focal atrophy was found in their dorsal longitudinal muscle (DLM) fibers, but no abnormalities in nerve conduction or synaptic transmission were detected by electrophysiological tests. The nerve-evoked muscle spike also seemed to be normal, except that the resting potential of DLM in mutant flies was lower and their membrane excitability was higher than those in the wild type flies. The possible causes of the DLM degeneration in this strain are discussed.
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The substituted benzamide derivatives, dazopride and metoclopramide, enhanced field stimulation-induced contractions of guinea-pig stomach strips and gastric emptying in the guinea-pig after peripheral, intracerebroventricular and intrahypothalamic injection. In the isolated vagal nerve preparation from the rabbit, both compounds were shown to be 5-hydroxytryptamine M-receptor antagonists. Dazopride and metoclopramide were equipotent in antagonising cisplatin-induced emesis in the ferret, whereas metoclopramide was approximately 200 times more potent than dazopride in antagonising the emesis caused by the dopamine agonist 2-di-n-propylamino-5,6-dihydroxytetralin in the marmoset. In behavioural tests which indicate dopamine receptor antagonism in the rat, metoclopramide induced catalepsy, antagonised amphetamine-induced stereotypy and the hyperactivity induced by the intrastriatal injection of dopamine, caused body asymmetry on unilateral injection into the striatum and also antagonised apomorphine-induced climbing and circling behaviour in the mouse. In contrast, dazopride had little or no action in these tests and failed to displace [3H]spiperone in radioligand binding assays. The use of dazopride provides evidence to dissociate a dopamine receptor blockade from an ability to facilitate gastric emptying and to antagonise cisplatin-emesis, and indicates that antagonism of 5-hydroxytryptamine M-receptors is the essential basis of action for dazopride and plays an important role in the actions of metoclopramide.
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Rats were implanted with chronically indwelling gastric and intracerebral cannulae for the analysis of the hypothalamic sites and mechanisms of action of the dopamine agonist, 2-di-n-propylamino-5,6-dihydroxytetralin, to reduce the volume of gastric secretion and concentration of acid. The hypothalamic areas most sensitive to the actions of the tetralin compound to modify gastric secretion were the ventromedial and dorsomedial nuclei. Movement of the injection site 0.5 or 1.0 mm away from the ventromedial and dorsomedial nuclei in the anterior, posterior or lateral direction led to reduced effectiveness, or loss of action. In a study restricted to the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, the tetralin compound (0.1-5 micrograms) was shown to cause dose-dependent changes in gastric secretion, the reduction in concentration of acid being antagonised by the neuroleptic agents, sulpiride, metoclopramide, cis-flupenthixol and haloperidol, and by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine injected at the same site. The reduction in secretory volume was antagonised by propranolol. Thus, a locus specificity was shown for the action of the tetralin compound in the dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei of the rat, to reduce the volume of gastric secretion and concentration of acid. Such actions, as assessed in the ventromedial nucleus, are initiated via neuroleptic-sensitive, dopamine receptor mechanisms with additional involvement of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the control of change in concentration of acid, and beta-adrenoceptors in the change in volume of secretion.
The injection of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 2-methyl-5-HT into the perifornical area of the hypothalamus of the guinea-pig reduced the emptying of barium sulphate spheroids from the stomach. In contrast, the injection of the 5-HT M-receptor antagonist ICS 205-930 into the same area of the hypothalamus enhanced gastric emptying and attenuated the inhibitory effect of 5-HT. Similar injections of methysergide and ritanserin were without effect. It is concluded that an endogenous hypothalamic 5-HT system may inhibit gastric emptying through a 5-HT M-receptor mechanism which may afford a site of action for 5-HT agonist and antagonist drugs to modify gastric emptying.
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2-Di-n-propylamino-5,6-dihydroxytetralin (tetralin) administered subcutaneously (6.25-25 micrograms/kg s.c.) or into the cerebral ventricles (i.c.v. 0.5-10 micrograms) dose-dependently reduced the volume and acid concentration of gastric secretion collected from rats having chronically implanted gastric and intracerebral cannulas. Apomorphine or dopamine given i.c.v. also reduced gastric secretory volume and acid concentration. Tetralin-induced reductions (s.c. or i.c.v.) in gastric acid concentrations were antagonised by the dopamine antagonists metoclopramide, sulpiride or haloperidol and by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine given systemically or i.c.v. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan or the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (i.c.v.) also antagonised the tetralin-induced (i.c.v.) reduction in gastric acid concentration. In contrast, the reduction in gastric secretory volume effected by centrally or peripherally administered tetralin could only be antagonised by propranolol. Previous observations that apomorphine can reduce gastric secretory volume and acid concentration are thus extended to 2-di-n-propylamino-5,6-dihydroxytetralin. Both agents reduce gastric secretory volume via an action on beta-adrenoceptors, and reduce gastric acid concentration via dopamine receptors, with alpha 2-adrenoceptor and, more speculatively, beta-adrenoceptor mechanisms contributing to the effect of the tetralin compound. These actions may be mediated, at least in part, via central mechanisms.
The effects of apomorphine on the volume of gastric secretion and its content of H+, K+, Na+ and Cl- were determined in conscious rats having gastric cannulas. Apomorphine dose-dependently (0.25-0.5 mg/kg s.c.) decreased the volume of gastric secretion, its acid concentration and, at the highest dose, Cl- concentration. However, Na+ and K+ concentrations were unchanged. The alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists prazosin (0.25-0.5 mg/kg i.p.) and yohimbine (5-10 mg/kg i.p.), the beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (5 mg/kg i.p.), the beta 2-adrenoceptor antagonist ICI 118551 (1 mg/kg i.p.) and the dopamine receptor antagonists haloperidol (0.25-2.5 mg/kg i.p.), metoclopramide (2.5-10 mg/kg i.p.) or domperidone (2.5 mg/kg i.p.), administered alone, had little or no effect on the volume, H+, Na+ or Cl- concentrations of gastric secretion. Propranolol prevented the action of apomorphine to reduce the volume of gastric secretion but failed to modify the reductions in H+ and Cl- concentrations. The action of propranolol was mimicked by ICI 118551 but not by the beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist atenolol. Yohimbine, prazosin or domperidone had little or no effect on the actions of apomorphine. Haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg i.p.) and metoclopramide (10 mg/kg i.p.) antagonised apomorphine's action to reduce H+ and Cl- concentrations but significantly enhanced the action of apomorphine to reduce the volume of gastric secretion. The results suggest that the ability of apomorphine to reduce the volume of gastric secretion is mediated via beta 2-adrenoceptors whilst acid concentration is reduced via an action on neuroleptic sensitive receptors.
The actions of the substituted benzamide derivatives metoclopramide, clebopride, YM-09151-2, tiapride, (+)- and (-)-sulpiride and (+)- and (-)-sultopride, and the dopamine antagonists haloperidol and domperidone, were studied on the responses to field stimulation (0.125-10 Hz) of smooth muscle strips taken from cardia, fundus, body and antral regions of the longitudinal and circular muscle of guinea-pig stomach. Field stimulation of the longitudinal strips caused contraction responses which were antagonised by atropine (but not by prazosin, yohimbine, propranolol or methysergide) to indicate a muscarinic cholinergic involvement. Antagonism of the contractions revealed or enhanced relaxation responses mediated via unidentified mechanisms (resistant to cholinergic and adrenergic antagonists). Metoclopramide enhanced the field stimulation-induced contractions of the stomach smooth muscle preparations via atropine sensitive mechanisms but failed to attenuate the field stimulation-induced relaxation responses. Clebopride's action closely followed that of metoclopramide but YM-09151-2 only enhanced the contraction responses of the longitudinal muscle preparations. Other dopamine antagonists, (+)- and (-)-sulpiride, (+)- and (-)-sultopride, tiapride, haloperidol and domperidone failed to facilitate contraction to field stimulation of any stomach tissue. Thus, the actions of metoclopramide, clebopride and YM-09151-2 to facilitate contraction to field stimulation of stomach smooth muscle are mediated via a muscarinic cholinergic mechanism and are not the consequence of an antagonism at any recognisable dopamine receptor.
Field stimulation (0.125-10 Hz) of longitudinal smooth muscle strips taken from the fundus of guinea pig stomach caused frequency related contraction responses (atropine-sensitive) associated with relaxation at the higher frequencies (both responses tetrodotoxin-sensitive). Dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline and apomorphine antagonised the contraction responses at all frequencies; the concentration-response curves were steep and the use of higher concentrations was precluded by changes in base line tension per se. That noradrenaline was approximately 10 fold more potent than dopamine, that the dopamine response was not antagonised by the dopamine antagonists haloperidol, domperidone or (-)sulpiride, but was mimicked by the alpha 2-agonist guanfacine and partially antagonised by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine (which could also antagonise the inhibitory actions of guanfacine) would indicate that a component of dopamine's action to reduce cholinergic activity is effected via alpha 2-adrenoceptor mechanisms. A failure of phenylephrine to mimic, or prazosin to attenuate the agonist inhibitory responses would not indicate an additional alpha 1-adrenoceptor involvement. The persistence of the dopamine response following disruption of noradrenergic function by reserpine or inhibition of catecholamine reuptake processes (desmethylimipramine plus corticosterone, GBR 13098) would indicate a direct action of dopamine. It is concluded that the ability of dopamine to reduce cholinergic induced contractions in longitudinal smooth muscle of the stomach does not reflect a dopamine receptor or alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation but may involve an action on alpha 2-adrenoceptors.
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One hundred and thirty-three children 15 years old and younger with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were treated with two different protocols. Both regimens consist of a multi-drug program, without CNS irradiation, administered for three years. Seventy-five children were enrolled on the first protocol, L-2; and 58 were treated on the subsequent regimen, L-10. Of the 70 evaluable patients on the L-2 program, 40 continue in complete remission from 72-111 months. Seventy-four percent of the children qualified for treatment cessation, and 59% have remained in continuous remission for six years. The estimated seven year disease-free survival for the 70 evaluable children on the L-2 protocol is 57% and for all entries is 53%. Of the 57 evaluable patients on the L-10 program, 35 are in complete remission from 15-67 months. The combined frequency of primary CNS leukemia for the two regimens is 7%. The off-therapy results of the L-2 protocol cannot be compared to the L-10 at present, but the on-therapy outcomes, despite the modifications that were designed to improve the L-10 regimen, are comparable.
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