Fourcroy and pharmaceutical journals

Cadet de Gassicourt wrote a brief Eloge of Fourcroy in January 1810 as he died in December of 1809. Fourcroy had a major role concerning the new ideas on the place of pharmacy at the beginning of the 19th century. Fourcroy has had a key influence for the start of several pharmaceutical journals that wanted to emphasize the link between the new chemistry and pharmacy. None of these journals created with him will survive and one has to wait for 1909 to see the creation, without Fourcroy, of a new pharmaceutical journal, the "Journal de Pharmacie" that will become "Journal de Pharmacie et des Sciences accessoires", then "Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie", before taking the name of"Annales Pharmaceutiques Fran?aises", the present official journal of the French Academy of Pharmacy. In spite of the essential role of Fourcroy at the start of pharmaceutical journals, Cadet did not even mention it in his Eloge of 1810.     

Lavoisier and the Parisian pharmacists of his time

In the 17th and 18th centuries, pharmacists were highly competent in experimentation and well-versed in chemical manipulations. Of necessity, Lavoisier had extensive rapport with them. Presented here are the attitudes regarding him by pharmacists who had their own shops during the twenty years preceding the Revolution. There were his adversaries (one implacable: Baumé; the other lightly mocking: Demachy), his defenders (one timorous: Bronigniart; the other enthusiastic: Cadet de Vaux), and finally and above all those who remained indifferent, although for the most part they had worked for brief periods with Lavoisier (Cadet de Gassicourt, Déyeux, Mitouard and Quinquet). And yet, Baumé and Cadet de Vaux, who were in opposition when faced with the ideas of the new chemistry, joined in their efforts to attempt to get Lavoisier out of prison, at the risk of being guillotined. Finally, the greatest hommage rendered to the pharmacists came from Lavoisier himself, who believing that he would be released from prison denied all of his assets, envisaged himself becoming a pharmacist.     

About Charles-Louis Cadet de Gassicourt and Dominique Larrey's correspondence

From September 1805 to December 1809 , Charles-Louis Cadet de Gassicourt, pharmacien ordinaire of the Emperor, sent six letters to Dominique Larrey chirurgien de la Garde Imperiale. These papers show for the first time his personal and sentimental life, his health worries, his state of anxiety in front of the political and military events.     

The Pluvinet, chemists and grocers, during the french Revolution and the Empire

Between 1750 and 1813, the ancient archives described two Pluvinet: Jean-Claude and Jean-Charles (or Jean-Baptiste-Charles). They were chemists and grocers; they had various activities, with Lavoisier, with Cadet de Gassicourt, at the Council of the City of Paris, etc. But frequent confusions exist between the two first names, and it seems possible that they concern only one man, who changed his first name according to the events.     

Vreemde deeltjes

Samenvatting Deze lezing geeft vier redenen om vreemde deeltjes in parenteralia te voorkomen: formele, medische, wettelijke en commerciele. De belangrijkste methoden om verontreiniging te onderzoeken zijn: visuele inspectie, de filtratiemethode, optische deeltjestellers en het Coulter principe. In het kort is de theorie achter de kwantificering van deeltjesverontreiniging besproken. In Nederlandse ziekenhuisapotheken bereide infusen verschillen sterk in deeltjesconcentratie. De hoeveelheid deeltjes die daar bij toediening aan de patient nog aan wordt toegevoegd is wellicht hoger dan de hoeveelheid die in de vloeistoffen zelf reeds aanwezig was. Er worden enige maatregelen aanbevolen die van belang kunnen zijn bij de bestrijding van deeltjesverontreiniging.

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Paniculate matter

This paper shows four reasons for preventing particles in parenterals: formal, medical, legislative and commercial. The main methods for evaluation of particulate matter burden include: visual inspection, the filtration method, optical particle counting and the Counter principle. A short impression is given of the theory of particulate matter quantification. Intravenous solutions made in Dutch hospital pharmacies vary strongly in their particulate matter content. The amount of particles added on administration in the hospital ward is possibly higher than that present in the fluids themselves. Some considerations are given that may be of value in the prevention of particulate matter contamination.

     

Avoidance behaviour in the rat after 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) administration

Résumé L'effet de l'administration du 5-HTP, en doses peu élevées, a été étudié par une méthode utilisant la cage deSkinner: un stimulus auditif annonce l'arrivée d'un choc électrique dans un délai de 9 secondes à moins que l'animal ne presse une barre située dans la paroi de la cage.Le temps de réaction entre le stimulus conditioné et la réponse conditionée est augmenté après l'administration du 5-HTP et le nombre de chocs reçus par le rat augmente suivant la dose. Les résultats suggèrent que le 5-HTP exerce une action dépressive sous les conditions de cette expérience.

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The experiments reported in this paper were conducted under a Medical Research Council grant toH. M. B. Hurwitz and the production of the paper was supported in part by research grant MH-03313 from the National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Public Health Service.     

Validity of Self-Reported Drug Use in High Risk Populations: A Meta-Analytical Review

Research involving drug users and treatment evaluations continue to rely extensively on self-reports of drug use. This paper presents a meta-analytical review of 24 studies published since 1985 that examined the validity of drug self-reports in high risk populations. Only studies employing a biological criterion of validity (e.g., urinalysis, hair analysis) are included. Coefficients of chance-corrected agreement between self-reports and the validity criteria are calculated from published data to facilitate cross-study comparisons. The median conditional kappa (K_c) was. 42, considerably below the level of K_c =. 80 that represents acceptable reporting accuracy. The magnitude of drug use underreporting documented in this review could seriously bias prevalence estimates and treatment outcome studies.

Investigaciones sobre los usadores de drogas y las evaluaciones de tratamiento continuan a ser basadas, extensamente, sobre el reportaje personal de consumo de drogas. Este papel presenta una reseña meta-analitica de 24 investigaciones publicadas desde 1985, que examinan la validez del reportaje personal de consumo de drogas en las poblaciones de alto riesgo. Solamente las que utilisan un criterio de validez biologico (análisis de orina o de pello, por ejemplo) estan incluidas. Los coeficientes de concordancia, corregidos para la variacíon del azar, entre el reportaje personal y los criterios de validez son calculados basados sobres datos publicados, para facilitar la comparacíon entre las investigaciones. El kappa condicional (K_c) medio (median) estaba. 42, mucho debajo del nivel de (K_c) =. 80 que representa una medida acceptable de reportaje justa. La magnitud del reportaje en menos de lo justo que es documentada aquí podría gravemente influir en las estimaciones de prevalencia y en los resultados de las evaluaciones de tratamiento también.

La recherche concernant les toxicomanes et les évaluations de traitement continue à ětre basé en grande partie sur le rapportage personnel de consommation de drogue. Cet article présente une revue méta-analytique de 24 études publiées depuis 1985 qui examinent la validité du rapportage personnel de consommation de drogue au sein de populations à haut rique. Seules sont inclues les études utilisant un critère de validité biologique (analyse d'urine ou de cheveux, par exemple). Les coefficients d'accord, corrigés pour la variation de hasard, entre le rapportage personnel et les critères de validité, sont calculés à partir de données publiées, pour faciliter la comparaison entre les études. Le kappa conditionnel (K_c) moyen (median) était de. 42, considér-ablement en dessous du niveau de (K_c) =. 80 qui représente une mesure acceptable de rapportage exact. L'ampleur du sous-rapportage qui est documentée dans cette revue pourrait sérieusement affecter les estimations de prévalence ainsi que les résultats des évaluations de traitement.     

The quest for novel chemical matter and the contribution of computer-aided de novo design

Identifying novel chemical matter is the focus of many drug discovery efforts. Through these efforts, computer-based de novo design of drug-like molecules, which aim to build an entire molecule 'from scratch', has emerged as a valuable approach to identify novel chemical matter. In this paper, the author discusses the recent research efforts that aim to build, in silico, more chemically accessible molecules, sample more efficiently the chemical space and rank the proposed molecules. The author reviews de novo design algorithms developed between 2008 and 2010 and the issue of validation, and highlights some recent successful applications of de novo design to drug discovery projects. Although research has addressed the lack of synthetic accessibility of the molecules proposed by the first generation of de novo design tools, the lack of accurate scoring function remains a major limitation of structure-based de novo design. However, de novo design is a valuable approach to generate either chemical starting points or ideas.     

石花多糖抗辐射有效部位的提取分离及检测

目的:对具有抗辐射作用的石花多糖粗品进行提取、分离和纯度检测.方法:将梅花衣科植物石花(Parmelia tinctorum Despr)水提、醇沉后,经AB-8树脂脱色和三氯乙酸除蛋白,再用DE22纤维素柱分离,冷冻干燥后得浅灰色粉末多糖;对石花多糖有效组分进行纸层析分析和玻璃纤维纸电泳纯度检查.结果:纯度检查不多于3个斑点.结论:石花多糖有效部位为相对单一组分.     

基于认知反映的信念逻辑

Quine[9]提出了一类有关信念模态的难题,比如Cicero难题,这些难题的解读对模态逻辑语义具有重要的意义.目前的一阶模态逻辑普遍给予Quine难题以de re/de dicto解读.本文指出de re/de dicto解读存在缺陷,并且认为为了解读Quine难题,需要在一阶模态逻辑的模型中引入一个认知反映关系.在此观念下,本文提出了一个新的一阶模态逻辑系统--基于认知反映的信念逻辑.     

蝙蝠葛化学成分的研究

从我国东北地区出产的蝙蝠葛Menispermum dauricnm DC.的根茎中分得五种生物碱,其中碱甲,碱乙和碱丙属于氧化异阿朴啡类生物碱。碱甲,碱乙和碱丙为新生物碱。根据红外,紫外光谱、质谱和核磁共振氢谱数据的分析,证明碱甲的结构为5,9-二甲氧基-7H-二苯基[de,h]喹啉-7-酮,命名为蝙蝠葛辛;碱乙证明为5,6-次甲二氧基9甲氧基-7H-二苯基[de,h]喹啉-7-酮,命名为蝙蝠葛定;碱丙证明为4,5,6,9-四甲氧基-7H-二苯基[de,h]喹啉-7-酮,命名为蝙蝠葛宁。其它二种为已知生物碱,为尖防己碱和N-去甲尖防己碱。     

蝙蝠葛化学成分的研究

我国东北地区出产的蝙蝠葛(Menispermum deuricum D C.),又称山豆根,属于防己科蝙蝠葛属植物,从蝙蝠葛根茎的乙醇提取物中,通过硅胶柱层析,离心薄层层析以及制备薄层层析等方法得到五个生物碱,其中尖防己碱(acutumine)和N-去甲尖防己碱(acutumidine)为已知碱,而另外三个为属于新类型氧化异阿朴啡类(oxoisoaporphine-type alkaloids)的新生物碱。     

About two unpublished autographs of Louis Pasteur belonging to the Academie national de pharmacie

Two unpublished autographs of Louis Pasteur, dated respectively november 26th 1853 and december 22nd 1853 in Strasbourg, were found in unclassified archives of the Academie nationale de pharmacie - Paris. They are described in the paper. They are related to the prize of F 1500 given to him by the Societe de pharmacie, the previous name of the Academy. This award concerned his famous studies on the racemic or paratartric acid.     

Natuurstoffen als genot- en geneesmiddelen

Samenvatting Eerst wordt een kort overzicht gegeven van het plantenrijk; de belangrijkste bron van natuurstoffen. Aan de hand van een aantal voorbeelden, zoals vis- en pijlvergiften voor het verkrijgen van voedsel, kauwhoutjes voor de mondhygi?ne en genotmiddelen zoals de kava en de vliegenzwam, wordt het belang van natuurstoffen voor de kwaliteit van het leven beschreven. Een model voor het verband tussen voeding, genot- en geneesmiddelen wordt gepresenteerd. Tot slot wordt het belang van etnofarmaceutisch onderzoek onderstreept en wordt een bibliografie voor dergelijk interdisciplinair onderzoek gegeven.

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Natural compounds and the quality of life

This paper presents in the first place a brief survey of the plant kingdom, which is the most important source of natural compounds. By some examples like fish- and arrow-poisons for obtaining food, chewingsticks for oral hygiene and stimulating narcotic plants like kava and the fly-ageric, the importance of natural compounds for the quality of life is demonstrated. A model for the relationship between food, drugs and stimulants and narcotic plants is given. Finally the importance of ethno-pharmaceutical research is stressed and a bibliography for this interdisciplinary field of science is given.

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Voordracht gehouden op de Wetenschappelijke Dag van hetKnmp-congres, Leeuwarden, 10 oktober 1978. Thema: ‘Het geneesmiddel en de kwaliteit van het leven’.     

Micturin and torsades de pointe — experience of a post-marketing alert

On 13 September 1991 Micturin® (terodiline hydrochloride), was temporarily withdrawn worldwide after the discovery of an association with serious cardiac arrhythmias, notably a rare form of ventricular tachycardia known as torsades de pointe. This paper describes the events and actions leading up to the withdrawal and discusses the reasoning behind it.     

The foundation of the School of Pharmacy in Paris

The Parisian School of Pharmacy originates from the Jardin des apothicaires created by the Parisian apothecaries community located rue de l' Arbalète to the suburb St Marcel in Paris in the early 17th century. It expenced on this site and was successively named the Collège de pharmacie (1777), the Société libre des pharmaciends de Paris and the Ecole gratuite de pharmacie (1796). The 11 April 1803 law as well as the government decrees of the same year organised the official training education of pharmacists in France with the creation of three schools in Montpellier, Paris and Strasbourg. The first director of the Parisian School was the well-known Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin. The development of this School imposed a new location in Paris, avenue de l' Observatoire, in 1882. The School of Pharmacy became Faculté de pharmacie in 1920.     

Uracil nucleotide synthesis in a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and in two drug-resistant sublines that contain increased levels of enzymes of the de novo pyrimidine pathway

Cultured wild-type MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and two MCF-7 sublines that overproduce enzymes of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway were compared with regard to: rate of de novo biosynthesis of uracil nucleotides, sensitivity of the de novo and salvage pathways to the concentration of intracellular uracil nucleotides, and potential of exogenous uridine at concentrations equivalent to plasma levels to affect de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. The PALAR MCF-7 subline, which is resistant to N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate and has 5.2 times the activity of the first de novo enzyme as the wild-type MCF-7 cells, synthesizes uracil nucleotides via the de novo pathway at a rate that is 5.8 times that of the wild type MCF-7 cells. The PYRR MCF-7 subline, which is resistant to pyrazofurin and has 15.1 times the activity of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase as the wild-type MCF-7 cells, synthesizes uracil nucleotides via the de novo pathway at a rate that is 1.4 times that of wild-type MCF-7 cells. These results are consistent with carbamyl phosphate synthetase being the rate-controlling step of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. In the presence of exogenous uridine at concentrations equivalent to that found in plasma (4.4-8.6 microM), the uracil nucleotide pool of wild-type MCF-7 cells was expanded by 20% and de novo synthesis was inhibited by 55%. Incubation of PALAR MCF-7 cells with uridine at concentrations between 7.3 and 16.8 microM caused a 40% increase in the uracil nucleotide pool and a 30% inhibition of de novo synthesis. De novo synthesis of uracil nucleotides in PYRR MCF-7 cells was not affected by a greater than 10-fold increase in the uracil nucleotide pool. Salvage of [14C] uridine was inhibited by an expanded uracil nucleotide pool in the wild-type and PYRR MCF-7 cells but was not inhibited in the PALAR MCF-7 cell line. These results demonstrate that, although the overproduced enzymes exhibit substrate affinities and specificities in cell-free preparations similar to those of the wild-type enzymes, in intact cells the resistant cell lines exhibit marked differences in the control of de novo and salvage pyrimidine biosynthetic pathways by intracellular uracil nucleotides.     

Cellular basis of drug-induced torsades de pointes

Striking QT prolongation and the morphologically distinctive ventricular tachycardia torsades de pointes can occur in up to 5% of patients treated with certain antiarrhythmic drugs. This adverse drug reaction also occurs, albeit far less frequently, during therapy with a range of drugs not used for cardiovascular indications; examples include certain antibiotics, antipsychotics and antihistamines. The common mechanism for drug-induced torsades de pointes is inhibition of a specific repolarizing potassium current, I(Kr). The key question facing clinicians, regulators and those who develop drugs is why torsades de pointes only occurs in some patients exposed to I(Kr) block. This paper reviews the clinical, cellular, molecular and genetic features of the arrhythmia that may provide an answer to this question and proposes future studies in this area.     

Drug-induced torsade de pointes

Three patients who developed torsade de pointes associated with antiarrhythmic or psychotropic drugs are described, and the electrocardiographic characteristics, clinical presentation, predisposing factors, and management of this form of ventricular tachycardia are reviewed. The first patient was a 56-year-old schizophrenic man receiving thioridazine hydrochloride, trifluoperazine hydrochloride, and benztropine mesylate who was admitted to a hospital after a syncopal episode. Subsequently, the patient experienced several episodes of ventricular tachycardia combined with multifocal premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and torsade de pointes; the arrhythmias were attributed to antipsychotic therapy. The second patient was a 69-year-old man who experienced ventricular tachycardia that progressed to ventricular fibrillation 41 days after surgery. Quinidine sulfate probably induced the ventricular tachycardia, which was identified as torsade de pointes. The third patient was a 71-year-old man admitted to the hospital for treatment of refractory ventricular arrhythmias. Previous drug therapy with quinidine sulfate and procainamide hydrochloride had been associated with torsade de pointes. Despite unsuccessful treatment of ventricular ectopy, the patient was discharged on maintenance therapy with pindolol, topical nitrates, and phenytoin. No additional episodes of torsade de pointes have been observed. Torsade de pointes is characterized by polymorphous electrocardiographic appearance and delayed repolarization (prolonged QT interval). It may occur in association with a number of disease states and also as a complication of treatment with therapeutic doses of drugs that affect repolarization (quinidine, disopyramide, procainamide, and phenothiazines). Clinical outcomes range from asymptomatic, self-terminating arrhythmias to ventricular fibrillation resulting in cardiac arrest. The definitive emergency therapy for torsade de pointes is overdrive pacing; cautious isoproterenol administration can also be used. Lidocaine and bretylium are often ineffective in treating this form of ventricular tachycardia. Potassium and magnesium repletion appear to be essential in abolishing drug-induced torsade de pointes. Drug-induced torsade de pointes is best prevented by avoiding agents known to induce arrhythmias in patients with a pre-existing prolonged QT interval. Periodic serum electrolyte assessment is warranted, and new drugs that prolong the QT interval should be considered potential causative agents of torsade de pointes.     

Alcohol Misuse in Young Adulthood: Effects of Race,Educational Attainment,and Social Context

We analyzed survey data collected from 1,582 African-American and White young adults to determine 1) whether the relationship between educational attainment and alcohol misuse would vary by race, and 2) what social and psychological factors might explain the differential effects of educational attainment on alcohol misuse. Low educational attainment was positively associated with alcohol misuse among African-American young adults, while high educational attainment was positively associated with alcohol misuse among Whites. Selected social and psychological factors (e.g., unemployment, emotional distress) did not explain the differential effect of low educational attainment of alcohol misuse, but college status and attitudes favorable toward alcohol use accounted for racial differences in the effect of high educational attainment on alcohol misuse. This study may help to explain why disproportionately higher rates of alcohol-related health and social problems have been observed in the African-American adult population, but additional research is needed to better understand the long-term and differential effects of educational attainment on alcohol misuse.

Analizamos datos recopilados mediante una encuesta a 1,528 adoles-centes afro-americanos y blancos para establecer (1) si la relatión entre el nivel de educatión y el abuso de alcohol varía de acuerdo a raza, y (2) qué factores sociales y psicológicos explican los efectos diferenciales que tiene el nivel de educación en el abuso de alcohol. Se encontró que bajo nivel de educatión estuvo positivamente asociado con el abuso de alcohol entre adolescentes afro-americanos, mientras que alto nivel de educación estuvo positivamente asociado con el abuso de alcohol entre blancos. Además, los factores sociales y psicológicos (p.ej. desempleo, angustia) seleccionados no explican el efecto diferencial que demuestra el nivel de educación en el abuso de alcohol. Sin embargo, el hecho de ser estudiante universitario, tanto como las actitudes a favor del uso de alcohol, si corresponden a las diferencias raciales presentes en el efecto que tiene el alto nivel educacional en el abuso de alcohol. Puede que este estudio explique porqué se han observado tasas altas en desproporción de problemas relacionados con el uso de alcohol en la población adulta afro-americana. No obstante, se necesita más investigatión a fin de mejor entender ambos efectos, diferenciales y a largo plazo, que manifesta el nivel educacional en el abuso de alcohol.