Proceedings of the Western Pharmacology Society最新文献

Here we contrast the vascular smooth muscle contractility produced by D-nor-pseudoephedrine, alone or combined with triiodothyronine, on the aorta and coronary vasculature of the rat. At high concentrations (greater than those found in normal therapeutic dosing) D-nor-pseudoephedrine contracted the aorta. In contrast, it produced vasodilation on pre-contracted aorta independently of the vasoconstrictor employed or the presence of vascular endothelium. D-nor-pseudoephedrine increased coronary perfusion pressure, but the effect was smaller than the vasoconstriction produced by phenylephrine (a full alpha 1 adrenergic agonist), and was blocked by the pre-treatment with triiodothyronine. These results suggest cardiovascular risks in the use of D-nor-pseudoephedrine for weight loss.

Chronic renal failure requiring dialysis or transplantation is known as end-stage renal disease. Several drugs are used to treating the symptoms, co-morbid conditions and treatment side effects of end-stage renal disease. We investigated drug treatment during the period of hemodialysis in children with end-stage renal disease in the Hospital del Niño DIF, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. Data were collected from hospital records. The data included demographic, clinical data and those on drug usage. A total of 13 patients were included. The average age of patients was 14.2 +/- 2.1 years. Eighteen different medications were administered; the mean number of drugs during the period of hemodialysis was 1.3 +/- 0.6 (range 1-4). Two-hundred sixteen doses of medication were administered in 130 hemodialysis sessions. The drugs most used were erythropoietin (42.7 %), followed by dextrose solution (18.9 %), calcium gluconate (10.4 %), iron dextran (9.1%) and nifedipine (5.5 %). Medications may be used to help control some of the issues associated with kidney failure or hemodialysis. Our study showed that few drugs are administered to children with ESRD during their period of hemodialysis.

Mechanisms underlying age-dependent changes in vasodilator responses to beta-adrenergic drugs are poorly understood. The aim of the current study was to compare responses to isoproterenol (a non-selective beta-adrenergic receptor agonist) in phenylephrine or KCl precontracted aortic rings from 3 week and 3 month old male Wistar rats. Both the mechanism and the subtype of beta-adrenergic receptor underlying the response to isoproterenol in the both age groups were examined. Endothelial removal, pre-contraction with KCl (40 mM), pre-treatment with tetraethylammonium or with N(omega)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester inhibited the vasodilator response to isoproterenol only in aortic rings from older rats. The inhibition was total when TEA and L-NAME were administered together. In both age groups the response to isoproterenol was unaffected by the beta1-adrenergic antagonist CGP20712A, but was significantly inhibited by ICI 118551 (a beta2-adrenergic-antagonist) and to a greater extent by SR 59230A (a non-selective beta 3-adrenergic antagonist), the inhibition being more evident in the older rats. Unlike younger rats, in older animals the response to isoproterenol was partially dependent on endothelial nitric oxide and on K+ channels. In both age groups, beta2- and beta3-, but not beta1-adrenergic receptors were involved. The degree of relative participation of beta2 and beta3 adrenergic receptors may change with age and explain the differences in response to isoproterenol.

We analyzed the effect of marijuana and nalbuphine on levels of 5-hydroxyindol acetic acid and lipid peroxidation in rat brain. Single and repeated dosages of 250 mg/kg marijuana extract or 10 mg/kg nalbuphine were administered to male and female Wistar rats. Animals were sacrificed and brains were obtained to measure the content of 5-hydroxyindol acetic acid, reduced glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, total ATPase and Na+/K+ ATPase activities. There was an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, total ATPase and Na+/K+ ATPase activity in the animals that received a single dose of marijuana and nalbuphine (p=0.001), with a notable decrease in glutathione and 5-hydroxyindol acetic acid levels (p=0.001). Both marijuana and nalbuphine increased levels of oxidative damage biomarkers in rat brain and decreased glutathione and 5-hydroxyindol acetic acid levels which could provoke changes in cellular and biochemical regulations and serotonergic activity in either male or female rats.

There is evidence that local peripheral administration of gabapentin produces antinociception through the activation of the ATP-sensitive K+-channel. However, this interaction has not been evaluated systemically, nor in diabetic rat. This work was undertaken to determine whether glibenclamide has any effect on the systemic antinociception induced by gabapentin. Inflammatory pain was induced by injection of formalin in diabetic rats. Reduction of flinching behavior was considered as antinociception. Systemic administration of gabapentin (10-56 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a dose-dependent antinociception in both phases of the formalin test. Also, glibenclamide (1-10 mg/kg, s.c.) blocked the gabapentin-induced antinociception. Given alone glibenclamide did not significantly modify formalin-induced nociception in diabetic rats. Our data suggest that gabapentin is able to reduce formalin-induced nociception in streptozotocin-injected rats. In addition, these data are consistent with gabapentin-mediated activation of ATP-sensitive-K+ channels to produce systemic antinociception in the formalin test in diabetic rats.

Smilax aristolochiaefolia (Liliaceae) has been used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of tumors, leprosy, anemia and as a tonic for skin infections and anemia. Aplastic anemia (AA) was induced in CD1 mice 8-12 weeks old distributed 10 animals each in Groups VSC, AA, AASa and AAr. Groups AA, AASa and AAr received benzene (2 ml/kg diluted v/v with corn oil) subcutaneously every three days until 20 dosages had been administered. The vehicular solution control group (VSC) received corn oil and the HC group (healthy control) received saline solution. Two days after the last benzene inoculation, groups AA and HC were bled and sacrificed to count blood and bone marrow cells. Group AASa received an aqueous S. aristolochiaefolia (0.4 g/kg) solution orally on days 3, 5 and 7 after the last dosage of benzene, meanwhile group AAr received no treatment after induction of AA (self recovery). On day 9 these groups were bled and sacrificed to count blood and bone marrow cells. Mice with aplastic anemia treated with S. aristolochiaefolia extract, recovered normal platelet levels and nucleated bone marrow cells as compared with the control, but the counts of erythrocytes and leukocyte were lower than controls (p<0.005). The aqueous extract of S. aristolochiaefolia (zarzaparrilla) restores hematopoeisis in the bone marrow of mice with aplastic anemia.

The response of adult female mice to diazepam (DZ) can be sculpted by the prenatal experience with the drug. Experiments were performed in ICR strain (Harlan México) mice exposed in utero to DZ. They were born from dams injected (s.c.) with 2.7 mg/kg/bw of DZ or just saline solution from day 6 to 17 of pregnancy. They were maintained at 12:12 dark/light cycles with food and water ad libitum. On the experimental day, mice were introduced in an activity meter (actometer) for 5 min. Recordings were run at 25 mm/min. The time they remained motionless or clearly sleepy was determined in millimeters. After that, all animals received (s.c.) 2.7 mg/kg/bw of DZ; 15 min later they were introduced into the actometer again for 5 min. Before DZ, control animals injected with saline during gestation showed 1.57 +/- 0.53 mm and the experimental (DZ) prenatally exposed to DZ, 3.69 +/- 1.72 mm (p =0.27). After DZ, control animals remained motionless for 37.27 +/- 6.77 mm and DZ mice, 59.95 +/- 7.10 mm (p=0.03). This result indicates a significantly larger response to DZ in the pretreated animals, suggesting that exposure of the developing fetus to the drug may lead to persistent (14 months) morphological alterations in several areas of the central nervous system with physiological repercussion on motor behavior and learning, sometimes attributed to brain circuitry modifications or to the developmental vulnerability of synaptic neurochemical mechanisms.

In higher education, learning variables are critical for professional activity and they should be properly assessed. Therefore, adequacy of evaluation instruments is very important. Consistency of an exam is one characteristic frequently studied to determine exam reliability. The subject of this study is a Pharmacology test of 70 items, taken by 849 medical students during a Pharmacology course at Medical School in the National University of Mexico in 2008. It explores whether students have been exposed to the same knowledge domain and if consistent execution in all parts of the exam is seen. Exam items were analyzed as independent items and as grouped items (by topic) and tested for consistency with Cronbach's test. Data were processed with the JMP statistical program (SAS Institute Inc.). The coefficient alpha was greater for independent items. We consider that grouping of items into topics tests integration of knowledge; a reasonable degree of consistency found when items are grouped, might favor this conclusion. Information obtained from the analysis of consistency of the exam, should provide elements for feedback during a course. Long term goals of this study include: to develop test instruments useful in formative evaluation and knowledge integration, to characterize the specificity of a Pharmacology exam, to determine degrees of knowledge acquisition and to get feedback about the quality of courses and exams.

The rate of improvement in patient safety is slow. The goal of this review is to address the results of a survey of Ob-Gyn physicians regarding important patient safety issues. A sample of 600 obstetricians and gynecologists were sent a survey asking them about their beliefs, activities, problems, and source of information regarding patient safety with a response rate of 53.2%. Results about beliefs and patient safety activities have been reported [Stumpf et al., 2009]. Misdiagnosis (95.6%), failure to follow-up with patients (94.9%), and administration of the wrong medication or dosage of a medication (90.5%) were the most often reported patient safety problems. Obstetricians and gynecologists most often use printed materials, CMEs, journals, and practice guidelines for information regarding patient safety. Ob-Gyns prefer to learn new patient safety information using printed materials and post graduate classes rather than materials on compact disk or online webcasts. A majority of respondents recognize patient safety as an important issue. Education about the importance of patient safety may be a less pertinent topic when compared to the need for education about implementing specific tools for patient safety and moving from awareness to action.

Taurine and the neurotransmitter GABA are both inhibitory in nature in the brain. The effects of GABA receptor agonists and antagonists on taurine release were studied in hippocampal slices prepared from developing 7-day-old and young adult 3-month-old mice. In ischemia no significant effects were discernible, but in normoxia the agonists of all three classes of GABA receptors enhanced the basal release of taurine among mice of both ages. The K+-evoked release was potentiated only in adults. The effects were receptor-mediated, being blocked by GABA receptor antagonists. Taurine may thus augment GABAergic inhibition in this brain region.