Comparative effects of enoximone and theophylline on plasma catecholamines and haemodynamics in cardiosurgical patients

Summary The release of endogenous catecholamines in aorto-coronary bypass graft patients receiving either 0.5 mg/kg enoximone (n=10), 4.0 mg/kg theophylline (n=10) or saline solution (control,n=10) has been studied, as well as certain haemodynamic parameters. Adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA) concentrations were not significantly changed by the administration of enoximone. Theophylline caused a small increase in NA (+ 40% in the 1st min) and a marked increase in A (approximately + 7000% in the 1st min), which still remained elevated at the end of the investigation period (+ 220% in the 30th min). The major haemodynamic effects of enoximone were a significant increase in cardiac index (CI; + 35%) and a decrease in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP; −27%), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP; −21%), RVEDV and RVESV, while the heart rate (HR) remained almost unchanged. The dominant haemodynamic effects of theophylline were an increase in HR (+ 26%; arrhythmia in 3 patients), PAP (+ 22%), and RVEDV (+ 19%), while REVESV (+ 26%), MAP (−16%), CI (−14%), and RVEF (−15%) fell significantly. It is concluded that the haemodynamic actions of enoximone are not mediated by catecholamine release, whereas the adverse cardiovascular effects of theophylline might partly be explained by the significant increase in plasma adrenaline.     

A Novel Extravascular Input Function for the Assessment of Drug Absorption in Bioavailability Studies

Purpose. Flexible parametric models describing the input process after extravascular drug administration are needed for the assessment of absorption rate and the use of population methods in bioavailability and bioequivalence studies. Methods. The oral concentration-time curve modeled as the product of the input and disposition function in the Laplace domain was obtained by numerical inversion methods for parameter estimation. The utility of the inverse Gaussian input density was examined using bioavailability data of an extended-release dosage form. Measures of rate of absorption and the cumulative absorbed amount profile were defined in terms of the estimated model parameters. Results. Accurate estimation of absorption parameters was achieved by simultaneous fitting of the extravascular and intravascular data (describing the latter by a triexponential function). The new input function allowed a direct estimation of both extent of absorption and mean absorption time. Conclusions. The findings suggest that the inverse Gaussian density is a useful input function. Its flexibility may reduce the effect of model misspecification in parameter estimation. All parameters can be readily interpreted in terms of the absorption process.     

萘普生缓释胶囊的药代动力学和生物利用度研究

目的 通过健康受试者的双交叉试验比较萘普生缓释胶囊与普通片的药物动力学和生物利用度。方法１０位健康受试者一次服用这两种制剂５００ｍｇ，在稳态试验中８位受试者接受两种制剂５天，缓释胶囊５００ｍｇ每天一次，普通片每天两次，每次２５０ｍｇ。血药浓度用ＨＰＬＣ方法测定。结果 一次服药试验证明该缓释胶囊血药浓度上升缓慢，浓度变化平稳，Ｇｍａｘ为８５．９μｇ／ｍｌ，Ｔｐｅａｋ为６．０ｈ，而普通片的Ｃｍａｘ为１４０．４μｇ／ｍｌ，Ｔｐｅａｋ为３．２ｈ，两种制剂的生物利用度相当，缓释胶囊与普通片生物等效。通过８位健康受试者交叉连续服用萘普生缓释胶囊与普通片的稳态药代动力学研究表明，到第３天给药后已达到稳态，由第５天给药后的血药浓度测定数据计算其主要的稳态药代动力学参数，缓释胶囊的峰浓度（Ｃｍａｘ）、峰谷比和波动度（ＤＦ）明显低于普通片，这些参数分别为７３，１μｇ／ｍｌ、１．４８和３７．７ｏ；而普通片的上述参数分别为 １００．８μｇ／ｍｌ、２．５１和７８．２％。结论 奈普生缓释胶囊具有缓释作用，能较好维持血药治疗浓度。     

Post-ischemic release of nucleosides and oxypurines in isolated rat hearts. Possible involvement of ventricular fibrillation

Summary In isolated perfused rat hearts global ischemia for 2, 5, and 15 min was produced. Depending on the duration of the ischemia, postischemic reperfusion led to the release of adenosine and its catabolites, and to more or less severe ventricular tachyarrhythmias. When ventricular fibrillation occurred, a highly significant increase in the purine release was observed compared with non-fibrillating hearts. Prevention of fibrillation by antiarrhythmic drugs decreased the purine release in a highly significant way. After only 2 min of ischemia, reperfusion did not lead to ventricular fibrillation. Electrical induction of fibrillation during the reperfusion in these hearts provoked the release of very high amounts of the purine compounds. A similar effect of electrically-induced fibrillation was also obtained in hearts without a previous ischemic period. The findings suggest that ventricular fibrillation is able to induce the release of purine derivatives from the heart.     

The effect of the synthetic neuroprotective dipeptide noopept on glutamate release from rat brain cortex slices

The level of spontaneous and K⁺-stimulated release of endogenous glutamate was studied in experiments on slices of brain cortex of Wistar rats. Pronounced spontaneous release of the neuromediator and its increase under conditions of stimulation were registered by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The effect of the nootropic and neuroprotective dipeptide Noopept (GVS-111) on release of glutamate was investigated. The peptide in concentrations of 10^?5 and 10^?6 M caused a statistically significant decrease in spontaneous and K⁺-stimulated glutamate release. This effect could be the basis of the neuroprotective action of the peptide, suggesting that further studies of Noopept as neuroprotector are very promising.     

Prejunctional effects of muscarinic agonists on 3H-acetylcholine release in the rat urinary bladder strip

Summary The inhibitory effects of some muscarinic agonists on tritiated acetylcholine release evoked by field stimulation were investigated in the rat urinary bladder strip. The acetylcholine stores of the preparation were labelled with ³H-choline. Electrical field stimulation caused an outflow of tritium, reflecting the release of ³H-acetylcholine. The release of ³H-acetylcholine was decreased in a concentration-dependent manner by all the agonists tested: oxotremorine, muscarone, muscarine, carbachol and methylfurtrethonium. On the contrary, only muscarine and muscarone enhanced the basal efflux of tritium in a concentration-dependent fashion. Concentration-response curves were determined both at 2 Hz and at 1 Hz by using intermittent administration of the drugs. Maximal depression in release (by 78 – 82%) was observed in experiments at 1 Hz. A similar inhibition was obtained at 2 Hz frequency only when a low concentration of calcium (0.6 mM) in the medium was used. Oxotremorine was the most potent among the tested compounds with the same intrinsic activity as the other drugs. In contrast to the other agonists investigated, oxotremorine showed in about 10-fold greater potency at pre- than at postjunctional muscarine receptors in the rat urinary bladder. This difference might depend either on heterogeneity of muscarine receptors or on different mechanism(s) relating to the transducing properties of receptors at the pre- and postjunctional level. A comparison between the relative prejunctional potencies in the rat urinary bladder and in the guinea pig myenteric plexus (data from the literature) suggests that prejunctional muscarine receptors are similar in these tissues. Furthermore, the findings obtained with a low concentration of calcium in the medium may support the view that intraneuronal availability of calcium plays a significant role in modulating the prejunctional negative feed-back mechanism in the rat urinary bladder.Send offprint requests to Dr. G. D'Agostino at the above address     

A theophylline dosage regimen which reduces round-the-clock variations in plasma concentrations resulting from diurnal pharmacokinetic variation

Summary Slower drug absorption at night can leave residual drug from an evening dose of a sustained-release product remaining to be absorbed at the time of the next morning's dose, thereby giving higher plasma concentrations of the drug during the day than the night.When a capsule product releasing theophylline over 12 h after a morning dose was given repetitively at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for 4 days, daytime plasma concentrations from 4 h to 8 h after the dose were about 40% greater than corresponding night-time concentrations, and the mean steady-state concentration during the night-time interval was only 81% of that during the daytime interval.Altering the regimen to one capsule at 12 noon and one at 10 p.m. eliminated all significant differences between a.m. and corresponding p.m. plasma concentrations of theophylline and between the mean steady-state concentrations for each of the interdose intervals within a day.     

Comparison of allergenicity and immunogenicity of an intact allergen vaccine and commercially available allergoid products for birch pollen immunotherapy

BACKGROUND: Specific immunotherapy with intact allergen vaccine is a well-documented treatment for allergic diseases. Different vaccine formulations are currently commercially available, the active ingredient either being intact allergens or chemically modified allergoids. The rationale behind allergoids is to decrease allergenicity while maintaining immunogenicity. However, data from the German health authorities based on reporting of adverse events over a 10-year period did not indicate increased safety of allergoids over intact allergens. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of chemical modification on allergenicity and immunogenicity comparing four commercial allergoid products for birch pollen immunotherapy with an intact allergen vaccine. METHODS: Solid-phase IgE inhibition and histamine release assays were selected as model systems for allergenicity, and a combination of human T cell proliferation and IgG titres following mouse immunizations were used to address the immunogenicity of the intact allergen vaccine and the four allergoids. In all assays, the products were normalized with respect to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance dose. RESULTS: IgE inhibition experiments showed a change in epitope composition comparing intact allergen vaccine with allergoid. One allergoid product induced enhanced histamine release compared to the intact allergens, while the other three allergoids showed reduced release. Standard T cell stimulation assays using lines from allergic patients showed a reduced response for all allergoids compared with the intact allergen vaccine regardless of the cell type used for antigen presentation. All allergoids showed reduced capacity to induce allergen-specific IgG responses in mice. CONCLUSION: While some allergoids were associated with reduced allergenicity, a clear reduction in immunogenicity was observed for all allergoid products compared with the intact allergen vaccine, and the commercial allergoids tested therefore do not fulfil the allergoid concept.     

盐酸维拉帕米自乳化缓释片的研制及释药行为的探讨

目的：探索固体自乳化释放药系统，研制自乳化缓释片，考察体外释药行为。方法：以盐酸维拉帕米（Verpamil Hydrochloride,VH)为模型药物，以吐温80（Tween80），豆磷脂（sbpc)为乳化剂，以羟丙甲纤维素（HPMC），卡波普（carbopol)为骨架材料，制备自乳化缓释片。结果：以含吐温80和豆磷脂10％，羟丙甲纤维素和卡波普30％的处方乳化效果好，体外释药符合要求。结论：通过调节乳化剂和骨架材料的比例，可以获得理想的自乳化固体缓释制剂。     

Release of newly synthesized h-dopamine in the striatum: An adaptation of the push-pull cannula method to awake restrained and anesthetized rats

The release of newly synthesized ³H-dopamine (³H-DA) was measured in the rat striatum superfused, through a push-pull cannula, with a physiological medium enriched in ³H-tyrosine. The level of spontaneous ³H-DA release was dependent on the topographical localisation of the cannula in the striatum (anterior parts displayed higher levels than posterior ones) and on the anesthetic state (halothane anesthetized rats demonstrated higher levels than awake ones). Inhibition of DA inactivation processes by local application of benztropine (a DA reuptake inhibitor, 10⁻⁶ M) or by IV administration of pargyline (a MAO inhibitor, 100 mg/kg) enhanced the detectable outflow of ³H-DA from the striatum in both halothane anesthetized and awake rats. Local application of D-amphetamine (10⁻⁵ M) or acetylcholine (5 × 10⁻⁵ M) in the presence of eserine (5 × 10⁻⁵ M) evoked respectively a fivefold and a 30% increase in spontaneous ³H-DA release in halothane anesthetized rats. Inhibition of the firing of dopaminergic neurons by IV injection of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (400 mg/kg) produced a 30% decrease in striatal ³H-DA release. The present results demonstrate that the push-pull cannula method is suitable for the study of DA release in both the anesthetized and the awake rat.