Respiratory effects of quazepam and pentobarbital.

Quazepam is a new benzodiazepine that may provide good hypnotic action with negligible effect on motor coordination or respiration. Sleep laboratory studies on human volunteers have shown quazepam 15 mg to be an effective hypnotic dose, with the 30-mg dose being optimal. At these doses, there was no deterioration of motor performance, and the drug, when given nightly for two weeks, continued to exert hypnotic effects without serious adverse effects.

Comparison of chemoreflex gains obtained with two different methods in cats.

This study investigates the correspondence between results of the ventilatory response to CO2 obtained using the technique of dynamic end-tidal CO2 forcing (DEF) and results obtained using the technique of artificial brain stem perfusion (ABP). The DEF technique separates the dynamic ventilatory response into a slow and fast component with gains g1 and g2 as well as the extrapolated CO2 tension at zero ventilation (Bk). The ABP technique results in steady-state central (Sc) and peripheral (Sp) chemoreflex gains and extrapolated CO2 tension at zero ventilation (B).

Effect of intravenous dopamine on hypercapnic ventilatory response in humans.

This study assessed the effect of low-dose intravenous dopamine (3 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1) on the hypercapnic ventilatory response in humans. Six normal healthy subjects were studied. By manipulating the inspired carbon dioxide concentration, the end-tidal carbon dioxide tension was raised in a stepwise fashion from 41 to 49 Torr and held at this level for 4 min.

Reduction of hypoxic ventilatory drive by dopamine.

To define precisely the effects of dopamine on hypoxic ventilatory drive, two sets of experiments were performed in five healthy subjects. End-tidal CO2 was held constant in all experiments. First, a dopamine infusion (3 microgram/kg/min) was started in subjects already rendered hypoxic, causing an average sustained decrease in ventilation to 60% of the preinfusion ventilation.

Potency, duration of action and pA2 in man of intravenous naloxone measured by reversal of morphine-depressed respiration.

Placebo and morphine (5 and 10 mg) alone and in combination with naloxone (0.2, 0.4 and 0.