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Biomedical subjects

M Fernandes

Publications and source records attributed to M Fernandes.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Quantitative assessment of tolerance to and dependence on morphine in mice.

1. Tolerance to morphine-induced analgesia (hot plate and acetic acid whrithing test), hypothermia and lethality can be quantified in mice by measuring the degree of parallel shifts of semilog. dose-response relationships induced by repeated opioid administration. 2. A similar procedure can be used for the quantification of naloxone-induced withdrawal as an indicator of dependence. 3. The intensity of tolerance development with respect to time of administration and dosage of morphine varies with the test procedure. It is closely parallel, however, in both analgesic tests during acquisition of tolerance. 4. Log-log-linear relationships exist between tolerance in analgesic tests and physical dependence as determined by naloxone-induced withdrawal. 5. The minimum tolerance-inducing dose of morphine in different tests could not be correlated to the ED50's in these tests. 6. Chronic opiate treatment leads to a decrease or an increase in motility response to morphine, depending on the time that has elapsed after the last morphine administration.

Analgesia↗

Effect of propranolol on blood pressure and renin in renal hypertension in the rat.

1. Propranolol was administered to groups of mature rats before and during the development of renal hypertension induced by ligation of the aorta between the renal arteries. 2. At a dose 10 mumol (3 mg) of propranolol/kg, administered by intraperitoneal injection, the onset and severity of hypertension were not affected, although plasma renin concentration was significantly lower than in the untreated hypertensive rats in the first 5 days after the operation. 3. With 200 mumol (60 mg) of propranolol/kg, administered in the drinking water, peak blood pressure 5 days after aortic ligation was lower than in the untreated control rats, but plasma renin concentration was no lower than with the smaller dose. 4. The development of severe hypertension despite reduction in plasma renin concentration on the low dose of propranolol suggests the participation of renal vasopressor factors other than renin in this model. 5. A higher dose of propranolol reduced the rise in plasma concentration to an equal extent but the rise of blood pressure at 5 days was also reduced, which supports this concept.

Animals↗

Salt, frusemide and renin in severe experimental renal hypertension.

1. Sodium-deficient diet failed to alter development and maintenance of severe renal hypertension produced in the rat by ligation of the aorta between the renal arteries. 2. High sodium diet did not alter the early phase of this hypertension, but significantly decreased blood pressure elevation in the late phases. 3. The decrease in blood pressure produced by high sodium intake does not appear to be mediated by renin suppression. 4. Frusemide effectively reduced blood pressure and renin at all phases.

Animals↗

The haemodynamic response to salt and water loading in patients with end-stage renal disease and anephric man.

1. Patients with end-stage renal disease and anephric patients underwent expansion and depletion of body fluids with salt and water. This resulted in four different sequential haemodynamic patterns: (i) no significant increase in blood pressure; (ii) increase in blood pressure associated with a rise in cardiac output and no effect on total peripheral resistance; (iii) increase in cardiac output followed by a rise in blood pressure and total peripheral resistance; (iv) increase in total peripheral resistance and blood pressure without significant changes in cardiac output. 2. It is concluded that an initial rise in cardiac output is not necessary to increase-blood pressure in either anephric man or patients with end-stage renaldisease.

Blood Pressure↗

Experimental model of severe renal hypertension.

A simple technique is described for producing severe reproducible renal hypertension in the rat. Total ligation of the aorta between the renal arteries and just below the origin of the superior mesenteric artery resulted in sustained systolic and diastolic pressures in 90 per cent of 170 rats studied. Arterial pressure is then measured in the conscious unrestrained rat through a carotid cannula inserted no more than 48 hours before measurements are made. The mean arterial pressure increases to a peak of 180 mm. Hg at day 5 and then remains at a plateau of 160 mm. Hg through the 40 days of the study. Plasma renin increases to a peak at 5 days but returns to baseline at 30 days despite the persistence of severe hypertension. Infarction of the left kidney below the aortic constriction results in no increase in pressure or plasma renin. Infarctions of the right kidney by emboli originating from the indwelling carotid cannula are associated with greater increases in blood pressure and plasma renin than the standard preparation. Prolonged carotid cannulation must be avoided in order to prevent such emboli. This simple technique for producing renal hypertension allows studies on the pathogenesis of hypertension with an excellent degree of reproducibility and reliability.

Animals↗

[Comparative pharmacological effects of dl-amphetaminil and dl-amphetamine in the rat].

The present investigation shows that amphetamine and amphetaminil produce identical pharmacological effects (increase in motility and body temperature, anorexia, stereotypic behaviour). There was neither a qualitative difference under "open field" conditions nor a difference in the capacity of modifying the reserpine induced syndrome. In isomolar doses amphetamine was somewhat more effective. Almost the same amounts of amphetamine were found in blood and brain following amphetamine or amphetaminil administration, with exception of somewhat higher peak levels after amphetamine. These results favor the hypothesis that amphetaminil effects are produced by the amphetamine molecule.

Acetonitriles↗

[Relationship between dependence on and tolerance to morphine in the rat (author's transl)].

The same administration schedule of morphine leads to different degrees of tolerance in different test situations. The most intense one was found to depressing effects. Slight tolerance to stimulating behaviour, observed in an open field stiuation at low doses, develops, too. There is a more marked tolerance to the depression of stimulating effects, thus the bell shaped dose-response relationship is broadened and shifted somewhat towards higher doses. All effects observed in dependent animals were also seen after acute morphine administration. Whereas tolerance in all tests was dependent on dose and administration time this was not the case for dependence determined by naloxone challenge on days 10 and 20 of administration. Thus, in the rat no correlation exists between naloxone provoked withdrawal and tolerance.

Animals↗

Two-stage urethroplasty. Improved method for treating bulbomembranous strictures.

Twelve years' experience with a two-stage urethroplasty for the surgical management of severe and complicated urethral strictures in 200 patients is summarized. The techniques used, including a modification of the Johanson urethroplasty for bulbomembranous urethral strictures and for multiple strictures without splitting the scrotum, are discussed. The most usual complications of these procedures are reported, as well as how to deal with them, and long-term final results are given. The principles of these procedures are surgically sound, considering the pathology of the strictures. At no time after urethroplasty were urethral dilatations necessary in these 200 patients.

Fistula↗

Prazosin in the treatment of hypertension.

1. Prazosin decreases blood pressure in normotensive, renal hypertensive and spontaneous hypertensive rats. The effect is greatest in the last-named. 2. In spontaneously hypertensive rats the decrease in pressure is associated with a decrease in heart rate. 3. In hypertensive patients prazosin decreases blood pressure by decreasing total peripheral resistance with minor effects on cardiac output. 4. Prazosin is effective in the long-term therapy of hypertensive patients, alone and in combination with a diuretic. The effect on blood pressure is the same in the supine and standing position.

Animals↗

Blood pressure regulation in end-stage renal disease and anephric man.

The hemodynamic pattern of response to bilateral nephrectomy was studied in 29 patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis. Four patterns of hemodynamic response were seen. In 12 patients with nonmalignant hypertension, bilateral nephrectomy reduced blood pressure and total peripheral resistance with no effects on cardiac output. In 5 patients with malignant hypertension, bilateral nephrectomy reduced blood pressure, increased cardiac index, and reduced total peripheral resistance more markedly. In these two groups, at equivalent levels of total exchangeable sodium, before and after bilateral nephrectomy, mean arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance were invaribly lower in the absence of renal tissue. In 3 additional patients with nonmalignant hypertension, the decrease in blood pressure after bilateral nephrectomy was delayed from 3 to 12 weeks. When this occurred spontaneously, it was accompanied by a decrease in total peripheral resistance. The fourth hemodynamic pattern was seen in 6 normotensive patients with end-stage renal disease. After bilateral nephrectomy, there were no significant changes in mean arterial pressure, total peripheral resistance, or cardiac output. Salt and water loading failed to elevate blood pressure significantly. Renal transplantation was performed in 3 hypertensive patients before removal of the end-stage kidney. The functioning renal homograft did not result in normal blood pressure as long as the end-stage kidneys remained in place. Removal of the end-stage kidneys significantly decreased mean arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance. In the anephric state, a sharp difference was seen in blood pressure response to salt and water loading between previously normotensive and previously hypertensive patients. Previously hypertensive patients responded with a progressive increase in blood pressure that reached hypertensive levels. Previously normotensive patients failed to elevate their blood pressure significantly. It is concluded that the vasopressor function of the kidney is the most important factor in the pathophysiology of hypertension of end-state renal disease. Expansion of body fluid plays a role, but elevates the blood pressure only in patients who were previously hypertensive. The antihypertensive function of the kidney does not appear to be a major factor in the regulation of blood pressure in end-stage renal disease.

Adolescent↗

A three-phase clinical evaluation of prazosin.

A preliminary study of cardiac hemodynamics with measurement in both supine and tilt positions showed that the antihypertensive effect of prazosin given intravenously is associated with a fall in total peripheral resistance, with minor effects on cardiac output and heart rate, and with no consistent orthostatic hypotension. The postural reflexes appear to remain intact. The results are entirely similar to those reported by Lund-Johansen. In a second, short-term study of ambulatory patients, prazosin alone exerted an antihypertensive effect somewhat less than that of methyldopa, but the difference in blood pressure reduction between supine and standing positions was less with prazosin than with methyldopa. Both drugs were well tolerated. In a third, long-term study, prazosin alone gave satisfactory antihypertensive results, and prazosin used in combination with polythiazide produced a satisfactory response in 80% of the patients.

Adult↗

[Stability of amphetaminil. 2. In vivo studies].

The metabolism of radioactively labelled alpha-phenyl-alpha-N-(beta-phenyl-isopropyl)-aminoacetonitrile (amphetaminil, AN 1-R) (tritium-labelled in the amphetamine-part, 14C-labelled in the benzaldehyde-part of the molecule) in the rat was examined. In the body amphetaminil is cleft very quickly into the original compounds of its chemical synthesis (amphetamine, benzaldehyde and hydrocyanic acid) independent of the mode of application (i.p. or oral). Blood: In the interval from 5-90 min after application of amphetaminil only 1-2 percent of the total radioactivity are received from amphetaminil. The main part of the tritium- and 14C-radioactivity is distributed among amphetamine, p-OH-amphetamineglucuronide and hippuric acid. Brain: In the brain only a minimum amount of amphetaminil can be present, if any. The share of amphetamine of the total activity amounts to more than 90 percent. Adipose tissue: In the adipose tissue the ratio of the two isotopes of the substances extracted at pH 5 is almost equal to that of the administered amphetaminil. It seems that the substance is enriched there because of its pronounced lipophilia. After i.p. application the concentration is about 12 times higher than after oral application. Urine: In the urine there could be detected amphetamine, p-OH-amphetamineglucuronide and hippuric acid but no amphetaminil.

Acetonitriles↗