Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activity of disodium glycyrrhetinic acid hemiphthalate.

The anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of disodium glycyrrhetinic acid hemiphthalate (glycyrrhetinic acid 3 beta-O-hemiphthalate sodium) after parenteral administration were determined in several animal models. Disodium glycyrrhetinic acid hemiphthalate (GAP) significantly inhibited the rat paw edema induced by carrageenin (ID50 = 21.37 mg/kg), and mice writhing responses caused by acetic acid (ID50 = 9.

Alterations of bromocriptine-induced penile erection by chronic lithium in rats.

In the present study, the effects of chronic lithium pre-treatment (30 days) on penile erection (PE) induced by bromocriptine were investigated in rats. Intraperitoneal administration of the dopamine receptor agonist, bromocriptine (4-32 mg/kg) induced PE in a biphasic manner. The maximum response was obtained with 8 mg/kg of bromocriptine and the effect was decreased with increasing doses of the drug from 8 to 32 mg/kg.

Effects of diltiazem and verapamil on ADP-induced rabbit platelet shape change and aggregation.

1. The effects of diltiazem and verapamil (two structurally different calcium channel blockers) were examined on the rabbit platelets shape change and aggregation induced by adenosine-5'-diphosphate (ADP). 2.

Ultrastructural localization of calcium in neuromuscular junctions of smooth and skeletal muscles after aminoglycoside antibiotics treatment.

Aminoglycoside antibiotics are all capable of producing clinically significant neuromuscular paralysis. Since part of the mechanism of action of these antibiotics at neuromuscular junction is a calcium-dependent inhibition of acetylcholine release, so this experiment was carried out in vitro on both somatic (isolated rat phrenic-nerve hemidiaphragm) and autonomic neuro-effector transmission (guinea-pig ileum) using gentamicin and amikacin, to determine the calcium contents at this level. Electron microscopic observations on gentamycin- and/or amikacin-treated materials, using potassium pyroantimonate method suggest a reduction of internal calcium in nerve terminals of both preparations.

The protective effect of liquorice components and their derivatives against gastric ulcer induced by aspirin in rats.

We have examined the protective effect of liquorice or its derivatives against gastric ulcer induced by aspirin. A granular mixture of aspirin alone and coated with liquorice or its derivatives including the deglycyrrhized form, a high glycyrrhized form, carbenoxolone, and enoxolone were studied. Aspirin coated with liquorice reduced the number and size of ulcers, reducing the ulcer index from 1.

Diabetic rats show more resistance to neuromuscular blockade induced by aminoglycoside antibiotics.

1. Neuromuscular blocking effect of gentamicin and neomycin evaluated in phrenic-nerve hemidiaphragm preparation in normal and diabetic rats and IC50 of both drugs determined from LDR curves. 2.

Inhibition of gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity by lithium in rat.

Daily intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin in doses of 2, 4 and 10 mg/kg/day for 5 consecutive days produced proximal tubular necrosis in male albino rats as assessed by ultrastructural findings from electron microscopic observations. With respect to nephrotoxicity, aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGs) have been shown to concentrate in the lysosomes of kidney proximal tubular cells to inhibit the activities of phospholipases A and C, including a phospholipidosis, characterized by the formation of myeloid bodies. It has been suggested that the nephrotoxicity of AGs is related to the extent of this phospholipidosis.

Interaction of aminoglycoside antibiotics and lithium at the neuromuscular junctions.

Lithium in the form of the carbonate or citrate salts has been used by Cade in 1949 for the treatment of affective disorders. Lithium is known to reduce the supply of inositol, the key substrate for the phosphoinositide cascade, by inhibiting some of the enzymes which hydrolyse the inositol phosphates. On the other hand aminoglycoside antibiotics are used extensively in the treatment of life-threatening infections despite their three important toxicities on kidney, ear and neuromuscular junctions.