Activity of the Adenylyl Cyclase in Lymphocytes of Male Alcoholic Patients Is State Dependent

A decreased basal and/or stimulated activity of the G-protein/adenylyl cyclase (AC) system in peripheral blood cells has been proposed to represent a trait marker for alcoholism. However, AC activity may underlie state-dependent changes, which may impair a proper interpretation of AC activity measurements. Our study examined systematically the AC activity in peripheral lymphocytes of 73 male alcohol-dependent patients (according to DSM-IV criteria) at three different time points of measurement during the clinical course of detoxification (day 0 = at admission, while still ethanol-affected; day 2 = at the presumed peak of withdrawal symptoms; day E = after detoxification). Basal and stimulated (with GTPγS and forskolin) AC activities were measured. AC activities were compared to those of a control group of 44 healthy male age-matched volunteers. As our main finding, we detected a significant decrease in AC activity from day 0 to day 2 (during withdrawal), with lowered AC activities in a vast majority of patients. This effect resolved after detoxification, as AC activities showed a significant increase from day 2 to E. No significant difference was detected between day O and E in AC activities of the patients. Compared with controls, AC activities in patients were significantly lower at day 2, but not at day O and E. Taken together, our results indicate rapid and marked state-dependent changes of AC activities in alcohol-dependent patients during the course of detoxification. For an adequate interpretation of AC activities in alcoholic patients, their clinical status must be taken into consideration.     

Thiocyanato-Chrom(III)-Komplexe in der chemischen Analyse, 39. Mitt. Bestimmung des 1,4-Dihydrazinophthalazins mit Reineckesalzanaloga

Complexes of Thiocyanatochromium(III) in Chemical Analysis, XXXIX: Determination of 1,4-Dihydrazinophthalazine with Reinecke Salt Analogues 12 New complex salts of 1,4-dihydrazinophthalazine (C₈H₁₀N₆ : DHF) with tetrathiocyanato(diamino)chromates: (DHF) · H · [Cr(NCS)₄(amine)₂] and [M(DHF)] [Cr(NCS)₄(amine)₂] (amine = aromatic or heterocyclic amine, M = Cu, CO, Ni, Zn) were obtained. They are slightly soluble and were used for the volumetric and spectrophotometric determination of the hydrazine derivative in various drugs.     

Thiocyanato-Chrom(III)-Komplexe mit Nikotin und die analytische Bestimmung des Alkaloids

Thiocyanato-chrom(III)-Complexes with Nicotine and the Analytical Determination of this Alkaloid A new Reinecke salt like compound: NH₄[Cr(NCS)₄ (nicotine)] · H₂O was obtained from K₃-[Cr(NCS)₆] with nicotine. The constitution of this complex anion was proved by means of a series of double decomposition reactions with amines and cobalt (III) amine bases. Some new slightly soluble nicotine salts of the type nicotine · H[Cr(NCS)₄ (amine)₂] were used for the oxidimetric and spectrophotometric determination of this alkaloid.     

Probing Beta Relaxation in Pharmaceutically Relevant Glasses by Using DSC

Purpose This study was conducted to demonstrate the use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in detecting and measuring β-relaxation processes in amorphous pharmaceutical systems. Methods DSC was employed to study amorphous samples of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), indomethacin (IM), and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDA) that were annealed at temperatures (T_a) around 0.8 of their glass transition temperatures (T_g). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to measure β-relaxation in PVP. Results Reheating the annealed samples gives rise to annealing peaks that occur below T_g. The peaks cannot be generated when annealing below the low temperature limit of β-relaxation. These limits are around 50°C for PVP, −20°C for IM, and 30°C for UDA. The effective activation energy (E) of the sub-T_g relaxation has been estimated for each T_a and found to increase with T_a, reflecting increasing contribution of the α-process. Estimates of E for β-relaxation have been obtained from the lowest T_a data, and are as follows: 68 (PVP), 56 (IM), 67 (UDA) kJ mol⁻¹. Conclusions DSC can be used for detecting β-relaxation processes and estimating its low temperature limit, i.e., the temperature below which amorphous drugs would remain stable. It can also provide comparative estimates of low temperature stability of amorphous drugs in terms of the activation energies of the β-relaxation.     

The micronucleus test in piscine erythrocytes

Cytogenetic assays on aquatic organisms are essential, as humans are exposed throughout their lifetime to several xenobiotics present in both the water and aquatic food. The micronucleus test showed to be a useful in vivo assay for genotoxicity testing. However, many aspects of its protocol need to be refined, knowledge of confounding factors should be improved and inter-species differences need further investigation. This review summarizes the protocols developed until now, provides knowledge from hematology and physiology that might be useful to researchers dealing with the micronucleus test and indicates the drawbacks of this assay.