Functional changes of myocardial contraction and relaxation in hypertension patients as affected by reflexotherapy

49 patients with initial stages of essential hypertension (EH) were investigated using phase systole analysis and echocardiography during acupuncture (reflexotherapy) treatment. It was established that even at the initial stages of EH increasing of myocardial mass and the disturbances of contractile and diastolic activity of myocardium take place. As a result of acupuncture a stable hypotensive effect, improvement or normalization of contractile function and diastolic values, a decrease of energy loss, reversal of myocardial hypertrophy were achieved. It is the decrease of sympathetic influences on the circulation system that plays an important part in the onset of these positive changes.     

Effect of leucine-enkephalin on cerebral cortical unit activity

Experiments on unanesthetized rats immobilized with flaxedil showed that leucineenkephalin (150 g), if injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle, caused heterogeneous changes in the activity of 21 sensomotor cortical units tested. Spike discharges of five neurons were reduced and those of 11 neurons increased. Naloxone (2 mg/kg, intravenously) prevented both the inhibitor and the activating effect of leucine-enkephalin in the case of repeated injections of this pentapeptide. Leucine-enkephalin did not change the activity of five units.Department of Pharmacology, Faculties of Internal Medicine and Hygiene, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. V. Zakusov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 88, No. 7, pp. 42–44, July, 1979.     

Cerebro-autonomic correlations in patients with early stages of hypertension during reflexotherapy

Seventy patients with Stages I and II hypertensive disease underwent electrocardiographic studies of the emotional syndrome and central hemodynamics prior to and following reflexotherapy. Characteristics of the psychovegetative syndrome were identified in the patients. A significant antihypertensive effect and normalized psychological and vegetative parameters observed after reflexotherapy suggest that acupuncture is beneficial in the treatment at early stages of essential hypertension.     

Effect of opiate peptides on interneuronal transmission in the spinal cord

It has been shown that leucin- and methionine-enkephalins (200 microgram into the lateral brain ventricle), as well as synthetic opiate peptides FK 33-824 (2 mg/kg) and tetrapeptide (25 mg/kg) disturb the excitation transmission in the cat ventrolateral columns. The effects of opiate receptors was more pronounced in animals with the intact central nervous system as compared with spinal animals. Naloxone (1 mg/kg) eliminated the effect of opiate peptides.     

The mediator spectrum of the action of morphine and the pentapeptide FK 33-824 on the neurons of the cerebral cortex]

Morphine and pentapeptide FK 33-824 were shown to reduce spontaneous and evoked neuronal discharges in the IInd somatosensory zone of the cortex on microiontophoretic and intravenous administration of cats. The neurons were identified by electric stimulation of thalamocortical fibers. The agents tested decreased neuronal responses to glutamate and acetylcholine. They failed to change responses to dopamine and enhanced responses to GABA. Morphine and pentapeptide FK 33-824 appeared to decrease slightly the inhibitory neuronal action of serotonin on microiontophoretic administration and increased it when injected intravenously. Beta-adrenoblocker propranolol decreased the inhibitory action of morphine and pentapeptide FK 33-824 on the cortical neurons.