Chemiluminescent analysis of the antioxidant and immunomodulation effects of several psychotropic drugs on peritoneal macrophages.

The present study describes the application of several chemiluminescent (CL) methods for evaluation of antioxidant and immunomodulation effects of psychotropic drugs upon phagocytes: KO2-induced luminal-dependent CL for detection of superoxide anion radicals in a pure chemical system; PMA- and A23187-induced CL of peritoneal macrophages for detection of free radicals in cell suspension; and CL, produced by the luciferase-catalyzed luciferin + ATP reaction, for evaluation of cell viability before and after drug application. These methods provide also a way to investigate the location of drug action. It was found that the psychotropic drugs in fluence the 'oxidative burst' of macrophages through two mechanisms: by expression of drug antioxidant properties and/or by a direct immunomodulation effect.

Tissue variation of acute haemodynamic changes by NG-nitro-L-arginine in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats.

1. The acute effects of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on the haemodynamics in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SHRSP) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were investigated using radiolabelled microspheres. 2.

Proper measurement of blood pressure and heart rate in SHRSP and WKY by an indirect volume-oscillometric method.

1. The effect of environmental temperature on the indirect measurement of rat blood pressure and heart rate was investigated with special reference to the tail arterial blood flow in both strains of SHRSP and WKY. 2.

Comparative haemodynamic studies of endothelin-1, -2 and -3 on conscious SHRSP and WKY.

1. Depressor and pressor effects of endothelin-1, -2 and -3 in relation to hypertension were investigated in conscious WKY and SHRSP. 2.

Haemodynamic effects of NO-synthase inhibitors, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, NG-nitro-L-arginine and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, and NO-donor, glyceryl trinitrate, in conscious SHRSP and WKY.

1. The experiments were carried out by an ordinary and a microsphere method in order to clarify the effects of three nitric oxide-synthase inhibitors and -donor on the circulating system between SHRSP and WKY. 2.