Interactions between ethanol and pantothenic acid on tremor and behavior in squirrel monkeys.

Ethanol consumption alters the levels and distribution of pantothenic acid and its metabolic products, an effect that can be counteracted by preloading with pantothenic acid. Ethanol also produces significant disturbances in motor function and has a potent tremorolytic activity when administered acutely. To investigate the interaction of pantothenic acid and ethanol, the two substances were administered alone and in combination to three squirrel monkeys trained to perform a response-initiated positioning task that enabled the detection of tremor.

Effects of ethanol and pantothenic acid on brain acetylcholine synthesis.

1. Measurements of brain acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis from precursor [14C]-pyruvate, pantothenic acid (PA) concentration in the brain, and blood ethanol (EtOH) concentration were made in rats treated with either ethanol (5-6 g kg-1 body wt daily) alone or ethanol with PA supplementation (100-200 mg kg-1 body wt daily). EtOH with or without PA was administered orally by either Lieber-Decarli liquid diet for 4 weeks and 4 months or by oral intubation for 1 and 4 days.

The significance of drugs in breast milk. Pharmacokinetic considerations.

This article discusses the importance of the pharmacokinetic properties of various drugs in adults and in infants in the interpretation of the significance of the excretion of drugs in breast milk to the neonates.

Duodenal delivery of levodopa for on-off fluctuations in parkinsonism: preliminary observations.

The pathogenesis of on-off motor fluctuations in parkinsonism remains incompletely understood, but slowed or erratic gastric emptying of orally administered levodopa may be involved. In 3 patients with resistant on-off fluctuations, direct duodenal continuous infusion of levodopa via a nasoduodenal tube resulted in a heightened therapeutic effect, including a reduction in motor fluctuations. In 1 of these patients, continuous duodenal levodopa infusion produced greater benefit than did intermittent duodenal levodopa administration.

Bioavailability and pharmacological effects of two slow-release theophylline preparations: intrasubject tablet-to-tablet variability.

The bioavailability and pharmacological effects of slow-release preparations oxtriphylline (Choledyl SA) and anhydrous theophylline (Theo-Dur) were compared in a single-blind, randomized, crossover study in 10 normal men. Subjects were administered three doses from the same lot of each preparation at weekly intervals. Plasma concentration of theophylline was measured at timed intervals for 33 hr by high-pressure liquid chromatography.