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Biomedical subjects

J A Watt

Publications and source records attributed to J A Watt.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Morphine-3-glucuronide--a potent antagonist of morphine analgesia.

In this study, morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G), the major plasma and urinary metabolite of morphine, was shown to be a potent antagonist of morphine analgesia when administered to rats by the intra-cerebroventricular (i.c.v.) route. The antagonism of morphine analgesia was observed irrespective of whether i.c.v. M3G (2.5 or 3.0 micrograms) was administered 15 mins prior to or 15 mins after i.c.v. morphine (20 micrograms). When M3G (10mg) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to rats 30-40 mins prior to morphine (1.5mg i.p.), the analgesic response was significantly reduced compared to administration of morphine (1.5mg i.p.) alone. It was further demonstrated that i.c.v. M3G (2.0 micrograms) antagonized the analgesic effects of subsequently administered i.c.v. morphine-6-glucuronide (0.25 micrograms).

Analgesia↗
PubMed1990

A double-blind comparative study of remoxipride and thioridazine in the acute phase of schizophrenia.

Sixty-one patients with acute schizophrenia received either remoxipride (75-375 mg daily) or thioridazine (150-750 mg daily) for 6 weeks. There was no statistically significant between-drug difference in improvement in mental state, as measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, although the trend favoured thioridazine; global assessment of illness severity at the last rating also favoured thioridazine. Sedation, anticholinergic effects, autonomic dysfunction, and weight gain were significantly more common in patients receiving thioridazine. Both drugs produced few extrapyramidal effects, but both were associated with cardiovascular changes in two patients; neither drug produced significant abnormalities in laboratory tests.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

The effect of diethyl ether, pentobarbitone and urethane anaesthesia on diflunisal conjugation and disposition in rats.

1. The disposition of diflunisal (DF) at 10 mg/kg i.v. was investigated over 4 h in bile-exteriorized male rats continuously anaesthetized with (a) diethyl ether inhalation (as required), (b) pentobarbitone sodium i.p. (55 mg/kg initially), (c) urethane i.p. (1500 mg/kg initially) or (d) urethane i.v. (750 mg/kg initially), and compared to that obtained in conscious rats. 2. Diethyl ether decreased the plasma clearance of DF to about 30% of control values, by inhibition of both glucuronidation and sulphation of DF. 3. Pentobarbitone anaesthesia caused only modest inhibition of DF elimination, with plasma clearance decreased to about 80% of control values. 4. Plasma profiles and biliary recovery of DF and its conjugates were little altered by urethane i.p. anaesthesia, but urinary recovery was low and variable because of the nearanuria produced by urethane via this administration route. 5. Urinary recovery of DF and its conjugates was satisfactory in rats given urethane i.v., but tissue distribution of DF was substantially decreased. 6. Pentobarbitone was considered to interfere least with DF disposition at the 10 mg/kg dose, and was selected as the most suitable anaesthetic agent for ongoing studies of disposition of DF and its conjugates in anaesthetized rats.

Anesthetics↗
PubMed1990

Effects of blockage of urine and/or bile flow on diflunisal conjugation and disposition in rats.

1. The effects of surgical blockage of either or both of the urinary and biliary excretion routes on the elimination of diflunisal (DF) and its conjugates were investigated in pentobarbitone-anaesthetized rats given DF at 10 mg/kg i.v. 2. In control animals the acyl glucuronide and phenolic glucuronide conjugates were excreted predominantly in bile, whereas the sulphate conjugate was eliminated almost exclusively in urine. 3. Bilateral ureter ligation had little effect on DF elimination, except for accumulation of the sulphate conjugate in plasma. Compensatory biliary excretion did not occur. 4. Total plasma clearance of DF decreased from 1.01 to 0.68 ml/min per kg following bile duct ligation. Plasma concentrations and urinary excretion of the glucuronides were elevated. 5. In rats with blockage of both urinary and biliary excretion routes, total plasma clearance of DF decreased to 0.59 ml/min per kg. Both the sulphate and phenolic glucuronide conjugates accumulated in plasma, whereas the acyl glucuronide peaked at 30 min and then declined in parallel with DF. The latter result indicates systemic instability of DF acyl glucuronide with hydrolytic regeneration of DF as the likely major consequence.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

The Scottish first episode schizophrenia study. VII. Two-year follow-up. Scottish Schizophrenia Research Group.

Of 49 schizophrenic patients followed up 2 years after their first admission to hospital, 37% were well, 47% had been readmitted to hospital at some time over the 2 years, and 38% showed schizophrenic symptoms at follow-up. A poor outcome at 2 years was associated with male sex, poor outcome after the first 5 weeks of the first admission, negative schizophrenic symptoms on first admission, and a diagnosis of definite or probable schizophrenia using the Feighner criteria. Only 23% were in employment. A small double-blind discontinuation study of maintenance antipsychotic medication during the second year found more relapses in those switched to placebo medication. Repeat psychometric assessment at 2 years confirmed modest improvements found at 12 months; that is, there was no evidence of intellectual decline. Relatives showed no more psychosocial distress than that found in a normal community sample; what distress there was correlated with patients' schizophrenic symptoms.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1988

A double blind comparative study of remoxipride and thioridazine in the acute phase of schizophrenia.

This is the first comparative double blind study of remoxipride. Sixty-one patients with acute schizophrenia received either remoxipride (75-375 mg daily) or thioridazine (150-750 mg daily) for 6 weeks. There was no statistically significant between-drug difference in improvement in mental state, as measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, although the trend favoured thioridazine; global assessment of illness severity at the last rating also favoured thioridazine. Sedation, anticholinergic effects, autonomic dysfunction and weight gain were significantly more common in patients receiving thioridazine. Both drugs produced few extrapyramidal effects, but both produced cardiovascular changes in two patients; neither drug produced significant abnormalities in laboratory tests.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

Hearing and premorbid personality in paranoid states.

The author studied the hearing and premorbid personality of 79 patients whose illnesses began before they were 60 years old. Hearing was assessed by pure-tone audiometry and premorbid personality by interviewing relatives. Thirty-two patients had paranoid states, 32 matched patients had recurrent unipolar depression, and 15 patients had schizophrenia. Three paranoid patients and two depressed patients met DSM-III criteria for premorbid paranoid personality. There was no consistent difference in hearing loss between paranoid and depressed patients or between paranoid patients and a population control group. The author concludes that premorbid paranoid personality and hearing loss are not associated with paranoid states in middle age.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗
PubMed1985

The relationship of paranoid states to schizophrenia.

The author interviewed relatives of 32 paranoid patients, 32 matched depressed patients, and 15 schizophrenic patients regarding family history. Two (1.3%) of the relatives of paranoid patients and one (0.6%) of the relatives of depressed patients had possible paranoid states. Significantly more relatives of schizophrenic patients than relatives of paranoid or depressed patients had schizophrenia, but the rates were similar among relatives of paranoid and depressed patients. The author concludes that there is little evidence of familial occurrence of paranoid states and no evidence that paranoid states are familially related to schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Evidence for the contribution by the cerebral cortex to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid found in the cerebrospinal fluid of cats.

Perfusion of artificial CSF from a lateral ventricle to the cerebral cortical subarachnoid space in anaesthetized cats was used to study the contribution of the cerebral cortex to the concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in CSF. The technique did not cause rupture of the meninges. The use of [14C]5-HIAA and of probenecid suggested that there was a contribution and also a transport mechanism similar to that in the choroid plexus.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

The chronic mental patient: the position of th Canadian Psychiatric Association.

The Canadian Psychiatric Association recommends: 1. In this International Year of Disabled Persons, that the needs of the chronic neural patient be publicized with emphasis on the potential for improvement if these needs are adequately met. A working definition of the chronic mental patient refers to those members of society who suffer from a chronic mental illness and who demonstrate significant impairment of task performance and/or social performance. 2. A comprehensive network of services should be developed including provision for basic need with a range of housing options, inpatient and outpatient psychiatric evaluations and treatment, personal clinical support, living-skills training and vocational assessment and training. Aside from patient needs, the professional status of the caregivers involved is to be enhanced. Laudable efforts by self-help groups should be further encouraged. 3. Community resources should be enlisted following principles and practices identified as basic to successful programs already existing, for example: -- provision of economic stability -- presence of administrative leadership -- striving for continuity of care -- allowance for adequate manpower -- establishment of vocational supports -- respect for patients' rights -- provision of community education -- design of ongoing evaluation and research 4. A greater emphasis should be placed in undergraduate and postgraduate medical and psychiatric training programs on the treatment of the chronically ill. 5. The Canadian Council on Hospital Accreditation should continue to elaborate and publish criteria by which services to the chronically mentally ill would be evaluated both at the inpatient and outpatient levels. These criteria when available should be promoted in all relevant institutions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Paranoid states of middle life. Familial occurrence and relationship to schizophrenia.

Paranoid states beginning in middle life were selected from a case register. A search among the sibs of those probands uncovered no paranoid states and schizophrenia was no more common than in the general population. The implications for the aetiology of paranoid states and for the relationship between these and schizophrenia are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Plasma amino acid levels in Huntington's chorea.

Concentrations of plasma amino acids in nine patients with Huntington's chorea and nine control patients were studied while diet and drug therapy were controlled. Significantly low values for threonine, alanine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine and histidine were found in the Huntington's chorea patients. However, since different investigators have failed to establish a consistent pattern of abnormality, it is considered that the findings are probably due to non-specific factors.

Amino Acids↗