Brain ascorbic acid and block of the catecholamine synthesis induced by alpha-methyl-tyrosine.

In brain medial-basal areas (midbrain, hypothalamus, striatum) ascorbic acid (AA) content is lower than in the rest of the brain. It has been hypothesized that AA may be involved in brain catecholamine metabolism. To test this hypothesis AA content in medial-basal areas and in the remaining brain areas was measured in rats pretreated with alpha-methyl-paratyrosine (alpha-MpT), a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor.

[Glycosylated hemoglobin and raubasine in experimental streptozotocin diabetes].

Streptozotocin (Stz) diabetes was induced to study the changes of glycosylated hemoglobin in rats treated with raubasina (R), drug widely used in the vascular compliance of natural human diabetes. Raubasina reduced significantly the increase of glycosylated hemoglobin found in streptozotocin induced diabetes. These results support data obtained in clinical trials.

[Glycosylated hemoglobin in experimental streptozotocin diabetes].

Streptozotocin (Stz) diabetes was induced in rats to study the changes in glycosylated hemoglobin. An increase of glycosylated hemoglobin had been found since the first days of the experiment. These results suggest that such a model may be used for the study of changes of glycosylated hemoglobin in diabetes.