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Biomedical subjects

H O Collier

Publications and source records attributed to H O Collier.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Endogenous inhibitor of prostaglandin synthetase.

Mammalian serum and plasma contain an endogenous inhibitor of prostaglandin synthetase (EIPS). Human plasma fractions rich in EIPS show anti-inflammatory activity in vivo. In rats, glucocorticoids raise EIPS activity of plasma and serum. These findings suggest the existence of a natural mechanism of controlling prostaglandin synthesis, possibly related to corticosteroid action.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis by sulphasalazine and its metabolites.

Sulphasalazine (SZ) inhibits prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis in vitro with a potency comparable to that of aceylsalicylate. The metabolites of SZ, sulphapyridine and 5-aminosalicylic acid, were of considerably lower potency as inhibitors of PG biosynthesis in the synthetase preparations used. Th inhibition of prostaglandin production by SZ could at least partly account for the clinical utility of sulphasalazine in ulcerative colitis. Sulphapyridine may help to maintain inhibitory concentrations of SZ by restraining bacterial breakdown of the active drug.

Aminosalicylic Acids↗

Effects of drugs affecting endogenous amines or cyclic nucleotides on ethanol withdrawal head twitches in mice.

1 Twenty-four hours after ethanol withdrawal, dependent mice exhibited frequent head twitching. Naive mice exhibited similar twitching 15 min after treatment with 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) or 6 h after alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT). Ethanol lessened the incidence of head twitches induced by any of these treatments. 5-HTP and AMPT each increased the incidence of head twitches induced by withdrawal of ethanol from dependent mice. 2 Drugs that affect the amount or activity of endogenous amines or cyclic nucleotides modified the incidence of head twitches. Nearly all drugs acted in the same direction on twitching elicited by any of these three treatments. 3 The incidence was lessened by: (a) methysergide, methergoline, MA 1420, p-chlorophenylalanine and p-chloroamphetamine; (b) dopamine, noradrenaline, L-DOPA, amphetamine and apomorphine; (c) hyoscine and nicotine; and (d) adenosine triphosphate, dibutyryl cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (db cyclic AMP) and prostaglandins E1 and E2. 4 The incidence was increased by: (a) acetylcholine, carbachol and physostigmine; and (b) guanosine triphosphate, dibutyryl cyclic guanosine monophosphate (db cyclic GMP), theophylline and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine. 5 These findings suggest that head twitching induced by these three treatments arises from a common biochemical mechanism, which may ultimately be a change in favour of cyclic GMP of the balance between this nucleotide and cyclic AMP within appropriate neurones. This imbalance appears to be elicited or increased by 5-hydroxytryptamine and acetylcholine and to be decreased by dopamine, noradrenaline and E prostaglandins. 6 Neither actinomycin D nor cycloheximide, given during the induction of ethanol dependence, altered the incidence of head twitches after ethanol withdrawal.

Acetylcholine↗

Stimulation of prostaglandin biosynthesis by drugs: effects in vitro of some drugs affecting gut function.

Low concentrations of several emetic, purgative or irritant drugs in the absence of added co-factors stimulated conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin E2 and F2alpha by prostaglandin synthetase extracted from bull seminal vesicles (BSV prostaglandin synthetase). Their effect was dependent on concentration and time. Stimulation of BSV prostaglandin synthetase by apomorphine, aloes, tyramine or zingerone was increased several-fold by addition of reduced glutathione to the incubation medium, whereas hydroquinone, a phenolic co-factor of prostaglandin synthetase caused slight depression. From this finding and from the observation that many of the stimulant drugs possess a phenolic group, whereas their inactive relatives lack such a group, it is suggested that these stimulant drugs act as co-factors for prostaglandin synthetase in place of hydroquinone. Aloes, tyramine, ethanol and quipazine also produced a dose-related increase in resting tone of the isolated fundus of the rat stomach. This increase occurred at concentrations comparable to those effective in stimulating BSV prostaglandin synthetase, and was abolished by acetylsalicylate. These findings support the view that certain drugs exert some of their pharmacological effects by stimulating prostaglandin synthetase.

Animals↗

Opiates, cyclic nucleotides, and xanthines.

In rat brain homogenate, opiates exert a dose-related inhibition of PGE-stimulated cyclic (AMP) formation. This effect is stereospecific and is correlated with agonist potency. Naloxone antagonizes heroid in a dose-related way, without, at effective concentrations, itself inhibiting PGE-stimulated cyclic AMP formation. In morphine-dependent rats, intracerebroventricular injection of cyclic AMP intensifies and of dibutyryl cyclic GMP diminishes precipitated abstinence effects. In naive rats, the xanthines, theophylline and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, produce a quasimorphine-abstinence syndrome that is readily suppressed by heroin and intensified by nalosone. In rat brain homogenate, these xanthines inhibit cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. These findings are concistent with these views: (a) The opiates specifically inhibit an adenylate cyclase of morphine-sensitive neurons that is sensitive to stimulation by PGEs. (b) Opiate agonist action is associated with the lowering of a neuronal cyclic AMP. (c) Both the morphine-abstinence syndrome in dependent rats and the quasi-abstinence syndrome in naive rats are associated with a rise in this neuronal cyclic AMP. (d) There are two types of endogenous humoral mediator acting on morphine-sensitive neurons, one of which is morphine-like and the other antimorphine-like in action.

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases↗

Treatment of radiation-induced gastrointestinal distress with acetylsalicylate.

Highly buffered acetylsalicylate was used to treat diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal side-effects of radiotherapy in 28 women who were receiving treatment for uterine cancer. In a double-blind, balanced, and randomised trial, acetylsalicylate significantly reduced the number of bowel motions and relieved abdominal pain and flatulence.

Antacids↗