Adrenergic influences on the gallbladder emptying.

Dihydroergotamine (dhe) (or phentolamine), an alpha-adrenergic blocking agent, induced important changes on the CCK-stimulated gallbladder emptying of 70 volunteer subjects. Two cholecystograms were performed with 10-day intervals in each subject. The first cholecystogram showed gallbladder emptying provoked by a test meal (35 subjects or by 0.

The "spastic colon" syndrome: therapeutic and pathophysiologic considerations.

Low doses of d-amphetamine plus propranolol rapidly improved the abdominal pain in 165 "spastic colon" patients. Concomitantly, these drugs reduced the sigmoidal hypertonicity and the rectal inhibition found in the manometric studies performed in some of those patients. The sigmoidal tone and phasic activity were also decreased by anticholinergic drugs.

Antidiarrheal effects of dihydroergotamine.

Dihydroergotamine (DHE), an alpha-adrenergic blocking agent, rapidly improved 121 out of 123 diarrheal patients. A hypotonic sigmoid and a hyperreactive rectum were found in these patients. Manometric studies of the distal colon showed that DHE counteracts the rectal hyperactivity and increases sigmoidal tone.

Effect of fasting and insulin on the glucagon-induced orthophosphate incorporation to the isolated perfused rat liver.

Isolated perfused fed rat livers spontaneously liberated glucose and orthophosphate to the medium; 24-hr fasted rat livers did not exhibit these phenomena. In perfused fed rat livers, glucagon (2 mug) increased glucose output and promoted orthophosphate incorporation. In perfused fed rat livers, insulin (250 or 500 mU) inhibited the spontaneous liberation of glucose and orthophosphate.

The effect of serotonin (5-HT) on insulin secretion.

The present study was aimed at observing the effect on insulin secretion of serotonin (5-HT) administered intraportally to anesthetized adult dogs. The influence of 5-HT on insulin release was also studied in mouse pancreatic islets isolated by a collagenase method. In the in vivo studies, 6 mg of 5-HT rapidly injected in the portal vein of dogs induced hypoglycemia, and a significant increase of immunoreactive insulin plasma levels (IRI) in blood samples taken from the pancreatoduodenal vein.