Need for hospice approach to treatment of patients with advanced progressive dementia.
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Aged↗
Biomedical subjects
L Volicer
Publications and source records attributed to L Volicer.
CSF cyclic nucleotides and somatostatin in Parkinson's disease.
Concentrations of cyclic adenosine 3',5' monophosphate (cAMP) were significantly lower in parkinsonian patients than in controls, but concentrations of guanosine 3',5' monophosphate (cGMP) were not altered. Both cAMP and cGMP levels were lower in patients with more severe symptoms on the left side of the body. Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) was similar in parkinsonian patients and controls. Both cAMP and SLI were significantly related to acetylcholinesterase activity.
Acetylcholinesterase↗
Daily rhythms of benzodiazepine receptor numbers in frontal lobe and cerebellum of the rat.
Behavioural, biochemical and neurophysiological evidence suggests that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) may play an important role in the neural control of circadian rhythms. Central receptors for benzodiazepines are functionally coupled to GABA receptors and appear to mediate behavioural effects of exogenous benzodiazepines. The binding of 3H-flunitrazepam to synaptic plasma membranes prepared from various regions of rat brain was examined at 6-hour intervals over a 36-hour period. Prominent daily rhythms in receptor number (Bmax) were observed in the frontal lobe and the cerebellum but not in the temporoparietal regions, hypothalamus or medulla/pons. Binding was highest during periods of sleep/low activity with a significant decrease occurring just prior to waking. These results suggest that daily fluctuations in benzodiazepine receptor numbers may be related to the temporal control of sleep/wake and muscle activity cycles.
Animals↗
Cerebrospinal fluid levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, E.C. 3.4.15.1) has been identified as a normal constituent of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). ACE activity in CSF from adult subjects without known neurologic disorder correlated positively (P = 0.002) with age between 50 and 90 years. Patients with moderate degrees of senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type and comparably demented patients with Parkinson's disease or progressive supranuclear palsy exhibited mean levels of ACE activity that were decreased 41, 27 and 53% respectively, compared to the mean level in an age and sex-matched group of neurologically intact individuals. These results raise the possibility that ACE activity in CSF may be an index of neuronal dysfunction in certain central neurodegenerative disorders.
Aged↗
Serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in CSF. Difference in Parkinson's disease and dementia of the Alzheimer's type.
Serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels were measured in the sixth, 13th, and 20th milliliters of CSF in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) and Parkinson's disease (PD), and in an aliquot of CSF in controls. In patients with PD there was a positive correlation between 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels in the 20th milliliter of CSF, while in patients with DAT there was a negative correlation of these levels in this CSF fraction. In patients with the senile form of DAT the 5-HIAA levels in the 20th milliliter of CSF were higher than in patients with PD. These results indicate differential involvement of the serotoninergic system in DAT and PD, and may lead to the development of a chemical marker for DAT.
Aged↗
Serotoninergic system in dementia of the Alzheimer type. Abnormal forms of 5-hydroxytryptophan and serotonin in cerebrospinal fluid.
Serotonin (5-HT), its precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), and its major metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 14 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and in nine controls by high-performance liquid chromatography with a novel multisensor coulometric detection system. Concentrations of both 5-HT and 5-HIAA detected by this system were lower than the concentrations obtained using conventional amperometric detection. This difference was caused by coelution of compounds that could be resolved from 5-HT and 5-HIAA by the multisensor coulometric system. One of the coelution compounds, observed in DAT but not in control CSF, behaved like a partially oxidized 5-HT. A compound behaving like partially oxidized 5-HTP was also observed in DAT CSF. Concentrations of 5-HTP, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA were lower in DAT CSF than in a corresponding fraction of control CSF. These results indicate involvement of the serotoninergic system in DAT and might lead to development of a diagnostic test for DAT.
5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
Cholinesterase activity in plasma, erythrocytes, and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type.
Cholinesterases, including pseudocholinesterase (BChE) of human plasma and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) of erythrocytes and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), have been considered as possible markers in dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). Reported data, however, are widely varied, and no significant pattern emerges when total enzyme activity is assayed. In the present studies, we have reexamined the relationship of ChE activities in DAT and control patients. ChE activity was measured in plasma, erythrocytes, and CSF from DAT patients and compared with normal controls as well as with samples from patients with a diagnosis other than DAT. Early age onset (presenile) and late age onset (senile) DAT were also compared. No significant differences in total enzyme activity were found in any of the comparisons. Calculations of AChE/BChE ratios in CSF also provided no significant indication of any changes in ChE activities in DAT. It is suggested that measurements of total AChE or BChE activity in these biological materials do not provide a useful index of alterations in central cholinergic function in patients with DAT.
Acetylcholinesterase↗
Epinephrine-induced cyclic AMP production in skin fibroblasts from patients with dementia of Alzheimer type and controls.
Skin biopsies were obtained from six patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) and from three hospitalized age matched controls. Fibroblasts from these biopsies were grown in culture and compared for their growth characteristics and sensitivity to epinephrine with four cultures from age matched healthy individuals. The growth characteristics were similar in all three groups. The basal levels of cyclic AMP and the epinephrine-induced increase of cyclic AMP levels were also similar in control and DAT cells.
Aged↗
Catecholamine metabolites and cyclic nucleotides in cerebrospinal fluid in dementia of Alzheimer type.
Three, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC); 3-methoxy, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (HVA); 3-methoxy; 4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG); adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP); and guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) and controls. DOPAC levels were lower and HVA levels were higher in DAT patients than in controls. In the most rostral fractions of CSF from DAT patients there was a negative correlation between DOPAC and cyclic AMP levels. In addition, patients with onset of DAT symptoms before the age of 65 had lower DOPAC levels, a higher HVA/DOPAC ratio, and higher cyclic nucleotide levels than patients with late onset of DAT. By combining DOPAC and cyclic AMP levels, we could clearly distinguish these two groups.
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
Aminopyrine breath test and zonal hepatic damage in rats.
Acute hepatic damage in centrilobular or periportal areas was induced in two groups of rats by intraperitoneal injections of bromobenzene or allyl alcohol, respectively. The effect of this zonal damage on the demethylation of 14C-aminopyrine was evaluated by measuring the elimination of 14CO2 in breath following intravenous administration of a tracer dose of the labeled compound. In rats with centrilobular hepatic damage 14CO2 elimination in breath was significantly decreased compared to controls. In rats with periportal hepatic damage, elimination of 14CO2 in breath was unchanged. These results suggest functional heterogeneity of hepatocytes in vivo with respect to drug-metabolizing capacity.
Aminopyrine↗
Pharmacologic management of Alzheimer-type dementia.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer-type dementia is made by excluding other causes of dementia. This type of dementia is not well understood, but affects one million persons in the United States. Ergoloid mesylates are sometimes useful. A promising approach may be increasing brain cholinergic activity through combinations of drugs, such as lecithin and physostigmine. Sleep disturbances and impulsivity may both respond to benzodiazepines. Other drugs are being studied, but nonpharmacologic strategies may accomplish more.
Adult↗
Assessment of genetic predisposition to alcoholism in male alcoholics.
Association between the history of alcoholism in different relatives with the development of alcoholism in male probands was analysed using the rate of development of alcoholism as a marker of genetic predisposition. It was found that a history of alcoholism in parents, grandparents and siblings of parents was associated with an accelerated rate in the development of alcoholism while a history of alcoholism in siblings and children of probands was not. The rate of development of alcoholism was positively associated with the number of generations of the proband's family in which alcoholism occurred.
Adult↗
Allowing the debilitated to die (continued)
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Aged↗
Parkinson's disease. The possible relationship of laterality to dementia and neurochemical findings.
We examined the relationship of disease laterality to neuropsychological and neurochemical features in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). We tested patients with PD, patients with Alzheimer's type of senile dementia, and a control group neuropsychologically, and we determined their CSF levels of homovanillic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid, serotonin, and acetylcholinesterase. The patients with PD were divided into two groups depending on the side of the body with greater disease involvement. Both parkinsonian groups, those more affected on the left (group L) and those more affected on the right (group R), were otherwise similar in all other clinical and historical features. Group L patients showed greater neuropsychological impairments than group R patients. Group L also had significantly higher CSF levels of homovanillic acid and acetylcholinesterase than group R. These findings of neuropsychological and neurochemical differences between groups L and R suggest functional or anatomic asymmetries of dopaminergic systems in the CNS.
Acetylcholinesterase↗
Relationship of family history of alcoholism to patterns of drinking and physical dependence in male alcoholics.
The occurrence of physical dependence, morning drinking and binge drinking was assessed in alcoholic men in relation to family history of problem drinking. The incidence of physical dependence, binge drinking and morning drinking was higher in men with a family history of problem drinking than in men without such a history. Physical dependence also developed earlier in family history positive subjects than in family history negative ones. The incidence of physical dependence was higher in subjects who reported binge drinking or morning drinking than in others. These results indicate that family history of problem drinking is associated with severe alcohol abuse resulting in early development of physical dependence.
Alcohol Drinking↗
Effect of dietary restriction and stress on body temperature in rats.
Body temperature was measured in 6- and 24-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats that were either kept on a restricted diet or fed ad libitum. The circadian variation of body temperature was similar in 24-month-old restrained, restricted, and control rats. Feeding of rats increased their body temperature. The process of temperature measurement also increased body temperature of rats. This stress-induced increase of temperature was larger in younger than in older rats and was diminished in ad-libitum-fed rats by 24-hr fasting. The stress-induced increase in rats on restricted diet that were fasted 24 hrs before the experiment was similar to that observed in 24-hr-fasted ad-libitum-fed rats. These results show that appropriate controls should be used when the effect of chronic food restriction is being investigated to distinguish between the effect of short-term fasting and long-term food restriction. These results also indicate that the increase of life span induced by dietary restriction in rats is not associated with decreased body temperature as was observed in some strains of mice.
Age Factors↗
n-Electrode three-dimensional liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection for determination of neurotransmitters.
Coulometric electrodes in series have been used with liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection to increase selectivity and resolution for the direct analysis of tissue neurotransmitters. Use of three coulometric sensors for electrochemical modification, selectivity, and peak identification has been expanded into "gate" cells of three or four coulometric electrodes that allow elimination of all electrochemically irreversible substances, and "array" cells of up to 15 coulometric electrodes for separation of co-eluting compounds by their current/voltage characteristics. On-column sensitivity of the sensor arrays is 0.4 to 4 pg. Gate cell selectivity favors electrochemically reversible compounds over irreversible ones, e.g., 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol vs ascorbate, by a factor of up to 10(4). Resolution across the multi-electrode array cells allows separation of co-eluting compounds with half-wave potentials differing by as little as 30 to 40 mV. Cells with three to 15 electrodes have been used to measure monoamines and metabolites in brain; monoamines directly in serum filtrate; and the state of oxidation of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptophan in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
Development of reversible hypertension during disulfiram therapy.
An alcoholic patient had a gradual increase of BP while he was treated with disulfiram. The BP returned to normal after the disulfiram was withdrawn. Increased BP should be considered a possible side effect of long-term disulfiram therapy, especially in the presence of alcohol-induced liver damage.
Alcoholism↗