Simultaneous determination of aminopyrine hydroxylation and aminopyrine N-demethylation in liver microsomes by high-performance liquid chromatography

Aminopyrine and its metabolites, including 3-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl-4-dimethylamino-1-phenyl-3-pyrazoline-5-one which is a hydroxylated metabolite of aminopyrine, were separated on a reversed-phase (C8) Radial-Pak column using a mobile phase of methanol-triethylamine-water (30:1:69) adjusted to pH 5.40 with acetic acid. Detection of the peak was performed by an ultraviolet detector at 254 nm. By the rapid and simple method, aminopyrine hydroxylation as well as aminopyrine N-demethylation in liver microsomes can be examined simultaneously.

[The effect of indomethacin on placental permeability and the fetal lung circulation]

Administration of indomethacin, a typical representative agent among the prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors (PGSI) causes contraction of the fetal ductus arteriosus and recently the relationship between these PGSI-type agents and the development of persistent fetal circulation (PFC) has been gaining attention in medical circles. Therefore, we studied the pharmacokinetics of indomethacin and its effect on the fetal lung. 1) Indomethacin (i.v.) was administered to near-term rabbits and its placental passage was studied. As to the chronological changes of this preparation in fetal blood, the maximum concentration and half-life were delayed compared with the changes in maternal blood. The concentration of indomethacin in fetal blood remained constant at around 33 percent irrespective of the doses to the mother and the number of gestational days. 2) When we administered indomethacin (0.5mg X 5 days, s.c.) to pregnant Wistar rats, neonatal findings (after spontaneous delivery) showed death in 7.0% and asphyxia in 10.5% of the neonates. Thus a significantly higher rate of abnormalities was observed in the neonates after spontaneous delivery compared with those delivered by laparotomy. During our histopathological studies of the lungs of the neonates, the complication of emphysema was observed in 2/4 of the dead neonates but no other abnormal findings were made. Hypertrophy of the pulmonary vascular bed in neonatal rats was not observed.

Cytotoxic effects of methylnitrosourea on developing brain

The effect of methylnitrosourea (MNU) on cerebellar and cerebral DNA, RNA, protein, lysosomal enzymes (acid DNase, RNase, phosphatase, and beta-glucuronidase), and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (2',3'-CNPase) activities was studied in rats from birth through 12 days of age. Subcutaneous injection of MNU in a dose of 0.625 mmol/kg caused a suppression of increase in weights and content of DNA, RNA, and protein of cerebellum, but no changes in those of the cerebrum or in body weight. Ratios of protein and RNA to DNA were substantially elevated by MNU in the cerebellum but not in the cerebrum. Acid DNase and acid RNase activities of MNU-treated rats were significantly elevated beyond the increase of these activities in controls in the cerebellum, but no change in these activities by MNU was observed in the cerebrum. A slight elevation in acid phosphatase activity was observed in the cerebellum but not in the cerebrum after MNU pretreatment. Beta-glucuronidase and 2',3'-CNPase activities were not changed in the cerebellum or in the cerebrum. These results suggest that in the developing brain, especially in the cerebellum at the mitotic stage, MNU caused cell damage and inhibited cell mitosis.

Comparison of brain discrete area distributions of chlordecone and mirex in the mouse

Discrete area distributions of chlordecone or mirex in the brain at different times after a single oral administration of the compounds, 50 mg/kg, were investigated. Whole brain and plasma levels of these compounds also were compared. With the same dose of chlordecone or mirex administered to mice, both brain and plasma levels of chlordecone were significantly higher than those of mirex. Chlordecone appeared to distribute to specific discrete areas in the brain--the striatum and medulla/pons areas having higher chlordecone levels and retaining chlordecone longer. Mirex showed less specific distribution in discrete areas. Therefore, it appears that these structurally related analogs exhibited distribution and pharmacokinetic differences.

Effects of oral administration of chlordecone and mirex on brain biogenic amines in mice

Levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and the 5-HT metabolite, 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) were determined in brains of mice after daily oral administration of 10, 25 or 50 mg/kg of chlordecone or mirex until mortality occurred. Significant decreases in whole brain and striatal DA levels were observed in chlordecone-treated mice exhibiting tremors. Mirex had no effect at the 3 doses tested. In mice treated with chlordecone or mirex, the 5-HT levels were elevated only in animals exhibiting severe tremors or diarrhea, respectively. NE levels were not altered by chlordecone or mirex. These results suggest that chlordecone-induced neurotoxicity may be due in part to a decrease in the inhibitory state of dopamine neurons.

[Influences of indomethacin on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems of fetuses]

The influences of indomethacin--a drug with prostaglandins inhibiting effect--on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems of fetuses were studied. 1) 1mg/day of indomethacin was administered subcutaneously to pregnant Wister rats for 5-6 days. The rats were administered laparotomyon on the 21st day of conception, and the histopathological changes of the lungs of the fetuses were studied. The findings demonstrated no histopathological changes due to indomethacin nor any hypertrophy of the smooth muscles in the small arteries of the lungs. 2) 10-35mg of indomethacin was administered intravenously to rabbits in the final stages of pregnancy, thus, indomethacin was absorbed into the maternal livers, placentas, fetal livers, maternal plasmas, and amniotic fluids as the serum concentrations of indomethacin increased with each added dosage. The percentile changes in relation to the maternal plasma concentration values revealed high percentages in fetal livers, followed by placentas, maternal livers, and fetal plasmas. Amniotic fluid concentrations were as low as 20 percent. 3) As for the clinical results of the use of indomethacin (N = 302), tocolysis showed that abortions numbered 7 out of 101 (5.3%), premature births 63 out of 155 (40.6%), SFD 14 out of 302 (4.6%), perinatal deaths 8 out of 302 (2.6%), and deaths due to distress 3 out of 302 (1%). No neonatal pulmonary hypertension was observed in the 8 premature infants that were delivered dead.

Glucagon-secreting pancreatic islet cell carcinoma, containing insulin and somatostatin, with hypoglycemic attack

A patient with glucagonoma syndrome and hypoglycemic attack is presented. Total pancreatectomy was performed with splenectomy and excision of the metastatic nodule in the liver. Diagnosis of glucagon-secreting A cell carcinoma of the pancreas was confirmed by hormone assays and morphological studies with light and electron microscopy. Glucagon, insulin, and somatostatin were demonstrated immunohistochemically in the tumor tissue. Multihormonal features of the endocrine pancreatic tumors are discussed.

Neurochemical evaluation of chlordecone toxicity in the mouse

Plasma and brain levels of chlordecone in chlordecone-induced motor impairment, lethal levels of chlordecone, and cumulative LD50 of chlordecone in the mouse are presented. In terms of biochemical events, the possible contributory role of neurotransmitters in chlordecone-induced neurotoxicity is also discussed. On the basis of the data obtained so far, it is suggested that the dopaminergic pathway and its interaction with other neurotransmitter systems in the basal ganglia may be primarily involved in chlordecone-induced neurotoxicity.

[Cardiovascular and metabolic effects during longtime treatment with beta 2-stimulants (author's transl)]

To study the influence of beta 2-stimulants on pregnant woman and fetus from cardiovascular and metabolic viewpoint, tests were conducted on pregnant rats and human clinical cases of threatened premature labor. 1) When terbutaline 800 micrograms was administered to groups of pregnant rats for 4 days and 8 days, body weight, and weight of liver, placenta and heart of both mother and fetus indicated the trend of decrease when compared to the control, but the difference was not statistically significant. 2) Concentration of c-AMP in the fetal serum was found to be less than the control (P less than 0.001) under the above conditions and consequently c-AMP/c-GMP indicated decrease. Concentrations of c-AMP and c-GMP in the maternal, fetal cardiac tissue were in a decreasing tendency in the terbutaline group. In the patholo-histological studies, terbutaline-induced myocardial necrosis was not observed. 3) In the past five years, of the terbutaline treated cases, specifically 15 cases of large dose and long period of administration were analyzed and the prognosis of their children were followed up. The doses were 20.6 mg (iv, im), and 1276 mg (po), arrest less than 37W was noted in four cases, but onset of SFD was not observed. During the administration term, no abnormality of mothers was noted before and after delivery, and unusual phenomenon was not recognized in the prognosis traced on newborns.

Assessment of photomirex toxicity in the mouse

Toxicity in the mouse was produced after oral administration of photomirex at 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg.d in corn oil. Mortality began to occur 4, 7, and 16 d after daily administration of photomirex at 50, 25, and 20 mg/kg, respectively. In all cases, the cumulative LD50 for photomirex was estimated as 225-250 mg/kg. The effect of photomirex on food and water consumption varied depending on dose. Daily oral administration of photomirex caused a dose-dependent loss of body weight. No overt behavioral changes were observed during the experiments. Body temperature was unaffected. Biochemical studies also showed that photomirex did not affect plasma glucose and free fatty acid content and brain biogenic amine levels. It appears that photomirex is similar to mirex in terms of peripheral toxicity.

The reactivity of the charge-transfer complex of butyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride in the radical terpolymerization of butyl vinyl ether, maleic anhydride and acrylonitrile

The equilibrium constant of the charge-transfer complexation of butyl vinyl ether (bve) and maleic anhydride (manh) is measured in carbon tetrachloride as 0.30�0.02 dm3 mol-1 at 37°C by n.m.r. spectroscopy. The radical terpolymerization of the bve-manh-acrylonitrile (acn) system is carried out in chloroform. The participation of the complex is considered and the monomer reactivity ratios of the bve-manh complex and acn are obtained as rc 83 and racn 0.0090, respectively.

Mutarotation of α-D-glucose catalysed by pyridine-phenols and pyridine-water catalyst pairs in dimethylformamide

The rate of mutarotation of α-D-glucose is at a maximum for close to 1 : 1 molar composition of acid and base catalysts when pyridine-phenol, pyridine-p-cresol and pyridine-p-chlorophenol catalyst pairs are used in dimethylformamide solutions at 34.6�C. The evidence favours a termolecular bi-functional catalytic mechanism. No rate maximum is detectable for the pyridine-water catalyst pair under the same conditions. Two water molecules appear to be operative at the rate- determining step in dilute dimethylformamide solution.