Identification of benidipine hydrochloride metabolites in rats and dogs

A study of the metabolism of [14C]-(+/-)-(R*)-2,6-dimethyl-4-(m-nitrophenyl)- 1,4-dihydropyridine-3, 5- dicarboxylic acid (R*)-1-benzyl-3-piperdidinyl ester, methyl ester hydrochloride (14C-benidipine hydrochloride, 14C-KW-3049) revealed as major metabolic pathways oxidative N-dealkylation, hydrolysis of the ester moiety, dehydrogenation of the 1,4-dihydropyridine ring, hydroxylation of the methyl group and decarboxylation in rat and dog. Rat and dog showed similar metabolic pathways, but some quantitative differences were found between rat and dog.

Functionally active thrombomodulin is present in human platelets

We found functionally active thrombomodulin in human platelets (60 +/- 18 molecules per platelet). Protein C appeared not to be activated by thrombin with gel-filtered platelets. However, the activation of protein C by thrombin was accelerated by thrombin-stimulated and washed platelets. This cofactor activity of the platelets was neutralized by the anti-lung thrombomodulin-F(ab')2. From the Triton X-extract of platelets, thrombomodulin was partially purified by diisopropylphosphoryl-thrombin-agarose affinity chromatography. The Mr of the predominant platelet thrombomodulin was 78,000 before and 109,000 after reduction on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, values identical to those of placental thrombomodulin. The specific activity of the cofactor activity, apparent Kd (0.4 nM) for thrombin and Km (0.67 microM) for protein C of platelet thrombomodulin were also identical to those of placenta thrombomodulin. Thrombomodulin may play a role in activation of protein C on the surface of platelets.

Phrenic Nerve and vagal nerve activities during differential lung ventilation in cats

The effect of differential lung ventilation (DLV) on afferent vagal and efferent phrenic nerve activities was studied in urethane anesthetized cats. One endotracheal tube was inserted into the left bronchus to ventilate its side lung. Another tube was inserted until its tip reached about 1 cm above the carina to ventilate the right lung. Using two respirators, each lung was ventilated independently. Using hooked silver electrodes, the vagal and phrenic nerve activities were recorded. The afferent vagal nerve was activated in concurrence with lung inflation at any ventilation rate. The right and left vagal nerves were activated by right and left lung ventilation, respectively. On the other hand, the right and left efferent phrenic nerves were synchronized, whether the ventilation was discussed or ventilation was achieved by right or left one lung ventilation or even by asynchronous DLV. The phrenic nerve activity was surpressed by one-lung, right or left, ventilation independently, so that the rhythm of the phrenic nerve was disturbed by asynchronous DLV. From these results, to reduce the stress of patients during asychronous DLV, it was considered that patients need heavier sedation than a usual mechanical ventilatory support.

Absorption of topical disodium cromoglycate and its preservatives by soft contact lenses

Disodium cromoglycate (2%) (DSCG) was administered four times daily for one month to 10 patients using extended wear contact lenses. The same regimen was also followed for five days by 25 patients using daily wear soft contact lenses. The contact lenses and their soaking solutions were collected at the end of the wearing period and analyzed for DSCG, benzalkonium chloride (BAK), 2-phenylethanol, and EDTA. The lens soaking solutions and eluates prepared from the lenses were tested. In the extended wear group, small amounts of DSCG were detected in both the eluates and the soaking solutions. In the daily wear group DSCG was detected in small amounts in the soaking solutions but not in the eluates. BAK, EDTA, and 2-phenylethanol were not detected in any of the eluates or soaking solutions. During the study, no side effects of DSCG were observed in any of the patients. In animal experiments, radioactive DSCG was applied once to a series of rabbit eyes. Four hours after administration of the labelled DSCG, the animals' tears, cornea, and aqueous humor were examined for DSCG. Of the instilled dose, approximately 0.2% was found in the cornea, and less than 0.04% was found in the aqueous humor. We conclude that commercial DSCG applied topically to contact lenses does not result in the accumulation of either the drug or its preservatives in lenses and that DSCG can be safely applied directly onto a worn contact lens.

Effects of caudal block with mepivacaine on resting ventilation and ventilatory response to carbon dioxide in sedated children

We examined the effects of caudal anaesthesia using 10 mg.kg-1 of one or two per cent mepivacaine without epinephrine on resting ventilation, arterial blood gas tensions and the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide in 27 sedated children. Expired minute volume and respiratory frequency decreased significantly after the caudal blocks in both groups. PaO2 and PaCO2 remained unchanged in both groups. The slope of the CO2 response curve increased significantly in both groups. The mean plasma mepivacaine levels were 4.6 +/- 1.6 (SD) and 4.6 +/- 1.0 micrograms.ml-1 20 minutes after the caudal blocks with one and two per cent mepivacaine, respectively. These results demonstrate that resting ventilation is impaired but the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide is improved similarly by caudal block with one or two per cent mepivacaine.

Activation of a brain-specific protein kinase C subspecies in the presence of phosphatidylethanol

Protein kinase C (PKC) is normally activated by diacylglycerol in the presence of Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine. At physiological concentrations of Ca2+, however, phosphatidylethanol, a product of the phospholipase D-catalyzed transphosphatidylation reaction between membrane phospholipids and ethanol, can replace phosphatidylserine, and activate PKC. This mode of activation is most effective for the gamma-subspecies, which is expressed only in central nervous tissue. Phosphatidylmethanol is also effective to some extent. Consideration of these results suggests the possibility that ethanol may exert some effect on signal transduction in this tissue via changes in protein phosphorylation.

The heterogeneity of protein kinase C in various rat tissues

Expression of multiple subspecies of protein kinase C (PKC) was studied in various rat tissues. Three types of the enzyme designated type I, II, and III were analyzed, which have the structures of gamma-, beta- (beta I- and beta II-), and alpha-sequence, respectively. Type I enzyme was found only in the central nervous tissue, whereas type III enzyme appeared to be commonly present in various tissues such as liver, spleen, lung, testis, heart, and kidney. Type II enzyme was also found in these tissues. However, immunoblot and biochemical analysis indicated that type II enzyme of lung and heart was distinct from that of other tissues. The tissue-specific expression of PKC suggests that each subspecies of this enzyme has a defined function in processing and modulating tissue responses to external stimuli.

Effects of ranitidine on plasma clearance of indocyanine green in patients with liver cirrhosis

The effects of ranitidine on plasma clearance of ICG were investigated in 68 cirrhotic patients (9 were positive for HBsAg, 33 were alcoholics and 26 had cryptogenic cirrhosis). The ICG clearance test was performed before and after ranitidine administration. In 31 patients treated with ranitidine (150 mg perorally), the plasma ICG clearance were 233.6 +/- 20.4 ml/min (mean +/- S.E.) and 239.2 +/- 20.5 ml/min before and after ranitidine, respectively. In the 37 treated with intravenous ranitidine 50 mg, the corresponding values were 205.4 +/- 17.7 ml/min and 206.4 +/- 17.9 ml/min. There was no significant change in the plasma clearance of ICG or the elimination rate constant after ranitidine administration. Even in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis, no significant change was demonstrated in the plasma ICG clearance after ranitidine. These results led to the conclusions that ranitidine does not reduce the hepatic blood flow and that it is a safe and useful drug for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Identification of the structures of multiple subspecies of protein kinase C expressed in rat brain

Rat brain protein kinase C purified to apparent homogeneity [(1986) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 135, 636-643] was resolved into three distinct fractions, type I, II and III, upon chromatography on a hydroxyapatite column connected to high-performance liquid chromatography. Comparison of each fraction with the four subspecies of protein kinase C, that were separately expressed in COS cells transfected by the respective cDNAs, alpha, beta I, beta II and d gamma, identified the primary structures of these three fractions of protein kinase C. Type I corresponded to the enzyme encoded by the gamma-sequence; type II was a mixture of the two subspecies determined by the beta I- and beta II-sequences; and type III had the structure encoded by the alpha-sequence. The structures and properties of these subspecies of protein kinase C were similar to each other.

Oxatomide inhibits the release of bronchoconstrictor arachidonic acid metabolites (iLTC4 and PGD2) from rat mast cells and guinea-pig lung

The effect of oxatomide, an orally active antiallergic drug, on immunoreactive LTC4 (iLTC4) production has been studied in rat peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and guinea-pig lung fragments using the calcium ionophore A23187 and specific antigen in vitro. Oxatomide (10(-5) M) inhibited iLTC4 release by 70% with A23187 from rat PEC, and by 48% with antigen from guinea-pig lung. Oxatomide is supposed to affect the biosynthesis pathway of leukotrienes, because oxatomide inhibits 5-lipoxygenase from guinea-pig peritoneal leukocytes with an IC50 17 microM. Oxatomide also depressed the release of PGD2 from rat peritoneal mast cells stimulated by A23187 (IC50 4.2 microM). The effects of oxatomide on iLTC4 and PGD2 release were more potent than other antiallergic drugs (DSCG, ketotifen, tranilast).

Blood levels of mepivacaine during continuous epidural anesthesia

Venous blood concentrations of mepivacaine were measured in 30 patients during 5 hr of surgical anesthesia following either multiple epidural injections of mepivacaine with or without epinephrine or continuous epidural infusion of mepivacaine with epinephrine. Patients were divided into three groups: group 1 initially received 10 or 15 ml followed by 10 ml of 2% plain mepivacaine at 1-hr intervals; group 2 received 10 or 15 ml followed by 10 ml of epinephrine-containing 2% mepivacaine at 1-hr intervals; group 3 received 10 or 15 ml followed by a constant infusion of 10 ml/hr of epinephrine-containing 2% mepivacaine. There were no significant differences between groups 1 and 2, but the mean blood concentration was slightly lower for the first 3 hr in group 2 than group 1. The mean blood concentration of mepivacaine in group 3 remained significantly lower than the concentrations in groups 1 and 2 from 3.5 to 5 hr. These results demonstrate that the blood concentrations of mepivacaine are not reduced by the addition of epinephrine to mepivacaine solutions when intermittent epidural injections are repeated more than four times at 1-hr intervals, but that blood mepivacaine levels are reduced below levels seen with intermittent injections by the continuous epidural infusion of epinephrine-containing mepivacaine.