To determine the role of M1 muscarinic receptors in the response of the pulmonary parenchyma to inhaled methacholine (MCh), 20 mongrel, out-bred puppies, 8-10 weeks of age were challenged following pretreatment with either saline (control), UH-AH37 (a combined M1 & M3 receptor blocker), or pirenzepine (a relatively selective M1 receptor blocker). In addition, eight fox hound-beagle puppies, born and raised in a clean animal house, were studied. Relatively selective doses of pirenzepine produced a dose-dependent shift to the right of the parenchymal dose-response curves (P = 0.031), with no effect on the airway dose-response curve (P = 0.102). The fox hound-beagle puppies showed less parenchymal response (P <0.0005), but equivalent airway response (P = 0.468), to MCh compared with the mongrel puppies. High doses of pirenzepine (10 000 mu g/kg) and UH-AH37 (3 mg/kg) markedly inhibited both the parenchymal and airway responses to MCh. Data from the present study demonstrate that: (1) while both the airway and pulmonary parenchyma respond to inhaled MCh, the mechanisms by which they respond differ; (2) stimulation of M1 subtype muscarinic receptors are responsible, at least partly, for the parenchymal response; and (3) experimental conditions, such as the breed and housing conditions of animals, may have major influences on the parenchymal response to inhalational challenge tests.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A new method of plasma collection suitable for large scale seroepidemiological surveys of malaria in the tropics.

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Blood Specimen Collection↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Minocycline-related lupus.

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Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Alcohol dehydrogenase: a new sensitive marker of hepatic centrilobular damage.

To determine whether serum alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity reflects hepatic damage of centrilobular region (zone 3), the rats were given either bromobenzene (BB) or allyl alcohol (AA) IP to produce the pericen tral or periportal necrosis respectively. After AA or BB serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity showed no significant difference between the two groups. By contrast, serum ADH and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) activities were elevated preferentially in the BB treated rats. However, AA administration to rats also resulted in a significant increase in GLDH activity, whereas ADH activity was only slightly elevated when compared to controls. Moreover, acute ethanol administration to rats resulted in a significant elevation of the serum ADH activity, whereas serum GLDH and ALT activities remained normal. These data suggest that serum ADH activity appears to be a sensitive and specific marker of hepatic centrilobular damage.

1-Propanol↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of a nucleotide-nucleoside solution on hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats.

After hepatectomy, purine and pyrimidine metabolism is a key process in the synthesis of DNA and RNA and maintaining cellular energy metabolism. The purpose of this study is to evaluate changes in blood purine and pyrimidine levels after partial hepatectomy and the effect of purine and pyrimidine nucleoside solution injection on hepatic regeneration under the hypothesis that the rat after partial hepatectomy requires substrates for salvage nucleotide synthesis and changes blood nucleoside and nucleobase levels. Blood levels of nucleotides, nucleosides, and nucleobase by high-performance liquid chromatography method and liver ATP level by enzymatic analysis, and the effect of preoperative injection of nucleoside solution (OG-VI) on hepatic regeneration ratio and hepatocytes DNA synthesis, were assessed in rats after 70% partial hepatectomy. Decreased liver adenosine triphosphate and increased plasma xanthine and hypoxanthine after partial hepatectomy indicated an increase in catabolism of purine nucleotides in regenerating liver. Plasma thymidine and cytidine levels increased, then returned to the prevalue, suggesting that the thymidine and cytidine pool was enlarged. OG-VI increased labeling indices of hepatocytes at postoperative d 1 (POD) and hepatic regeneration ratio at POD 14. Blood purine nucleobase and pyrimidine nucleoside levels change after partial hepatectomy and preoperative supply of nucleoside solution is effective for increasing hepatocytes DNA synthesis and hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Spinal myoclonus which appeared during the administration of alpha interferon].

We report a 42-year-old man who showed myoclonus in his right leg during alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) treatment for HCV-RNA positive chronic hepatitis C. The myoclonus continuously persisted even during sleeping. Surface EMG recordings revealed fairly regular about 0.3 Hz periodic grouping discharges synchronized in the right lower extremities muscles. Jerk-locked back averaging method demonstrated a monophasic negative sharp wave associated with the myoclonus. This pre-myoclonus sharp wave was localized on the Cz and preceded the myoclonus by about 60 ms. T 2-weighted gradient-echo MRI images revealed a high-intensity lesion in the right leg motor cortex in the left hemisphere. The myoclonus vanished in association with the disappearance of the above MRI lesion one month after the termination of alpha-IFN therapy. Based on these, we conclude the alpha-IFN may induce the myoclonus in this patient.

Adult↗