Aspirin potentiates the effect of ephedrine on the thermogenic response to a meal in obese but not lean women.

The effect of ephedrine (30 mg) and aspirin (300 mg) on the acute thermogenic response to a liquid meal (250 kcal) was investigated in lean and obese women (n = 10 each group). Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured prior to each of the following treatments: meal only (M), meal plus ephedrine (ME) or meal plus ephedrine and aspirin (MEA). Eight post-treatment measurements of metabolic rate were made over a total of 160 minutes.

Energy balance in rats given chronic hormone treatment. 2. Effects of corticosterone.

1. Sprague-Dawley rats were given corticosterone for 4 to 14 d either by subcutaneous injection (50 mg/kg body-weight per d) or as a higher dose in the diet (1 g/kg diet). Energy balance was calculated using the comparative carcass technique.

Energy balance in rats given chronic hormone treatment. 1. Effects of long-acting insulin.

1. Sprague-Dawley rats were injected for 16 d with long-acting insulin, and energy balance was calculated using the comparative carcass technique. Two experiments were carried out with females (starting weights 150 and 90 g respectively), and one with males (starting weight 150 g).

Limited autonomy and partnership: professional relationships in health care.

Principles of autonomy and self-determination have been upheld as vital to modern-day medical and ethical practice. However, the complexities of current health care and changes in the expectation of some patients and their families justify a review of such concepts. Their limitations and relativities may suggest that other descriptions of partnership and negotiated goal-setting, while based on respect for autonomy, reflect more modern and ideal multi-disciplinary practices.

Phosphate transport across the basolateral membrane of chick kidney proximal tubule cells.

Characterization of the phosphate transport system across the basolateral membrane of renal proximal tubule has been attempted using isolated proximal tubule cells prepared from chicks. The Pi efflux system is independent of Na+ ions and is not influenced by the nature of the chief anion present in the bathing medium. Pi efflux is not sensitive to DIDS and it is concluded that a generalized anion transporter of band III type is not the chief agent for facilitating Pi exit from the cell across the basolateral membrane.

Endothelium-derived relaxing factor inhibits platelet aggregation in human whole blood in vitro and in the rat in vivo.

Carbachol (0.03-10 microM) or histamine (0.06-10 microM) challenge of indomethacin-pretreated rat aortic rings inhibited ADP-induced aggregation of platelets suspended in anticoagulated human whole blood.

Endothelium-derived relaxing factor and the effects of acetylcholine and histamine on resistance blood vessels.

1. The role of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in the action of vasodilator (acetylcholine, histamine, nitroprusside) and vasoconstrictor (noradrenaline, vasopressin) drugs on vascular resistance in the isolated perfused kidney and mesentery of the rat was studied. 2.

Preparation of microencapsulated liposomes.

Liposomal microcapsules were prepared by encapsulating a liposome suspension in a nylon wall formed by the interfacial polymerization technique. The resulting microcapsules were washed in ether to remove the chloroform and cyclohexane. Residual ether was removed by rinsing with distilled water prior to resuspending the microcapsules in aqueous medium.

Organ selective conversion of prostaglandin D2 to 9 alpha, 11 beta-prostaglandin F2 and its subsequent metabolism in rat, rabbit and guinea pig.

Cell-free 100,000 g supernatants from liver, kidney, lung and caecum of rat, rabbit and guinea-pig were compared for their ability to transform prostaglandins F2 alpha, D2, E2 and 9 alpha, 11 beta-prostaglandin F2 (11epi-PGF 2 alpha) to metabolic products. Experiments utilized multitritiated substrate PGs, with assessment of biotransformation by TLC, HPLC and GC/MS. PGF2 alpha was converted via the sulphasalazine analogue-inhibitable NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxy-prostaglandin dehydrogenase pathway (15-PGDH), with high activity (greater than 5 pmol/min/mg protein) in all 12 systems except rat and rabbit liver (e.

Effect of fibrinopeptides A and B on human and rat platelet aggregation in vitro.

The effect of fibrinopeptides on platelet aggregation is reported. Fibrinopeptide A (minimal effective concentration, 0.65 microM) aggregated human (but not rat) platelets suspended in plasma and at lower concentrations (0.

The neurotoxicity of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium (ECMA) in rat brain reaggregate cultures.

The cholinergic neurotoxin ECMA causes a biphasic loss of choline acetyltransferase activity in foetal rat whole brain reaggregate cultures. Initial direct inhibition is followed by longer-term loss of cholinergic neurones. Final muscarinic receptor binding, neurofilament protein and Na+, K+-ATPase concentrations suggest that the lesion is specific for cholinergic neurones at 12.

Historical perspective: the problem of the origin of life in the context of developments in biology.

The structure of the history of scientific ideas on the origin of life, after Darwin's theory of evolution brought the problem into focus, is discussed. 19th-century theories in the mainstream of historical development already included some notion of chemical evolution. These theories were limited, however, by their reliance on a protoplasmic view of life, according to which the protoplasmic substance combines all vital properties.

Biologically-significant scavenging of the myeloperoxidase-derived oxidant hypochlorous acid by some anti-inflammatory drugs.

Neutrophils contain the enzyme myeloperoxidase, which oxidizes Cl- ions into the powerful oxidant hypochlorous acid (HOCl). HOCl inactivates alpha 1-antiprotease, permitting uncontrolled protease activities. Most anti-inflammatory drugs tested are capable of reacting with HOCl, but the reactions seem insufficiently rapid under physiological conditions to protect alpha 1-antiprotease against inactivation by HOCl.

Measurement of allantoin and uric acid in human body fluids. A potential index of free-radical reactions in vivo?

Free-radical attack upon uric acid generates allantoin [Ames, Cathcart, Schwiers & Hochstein (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad.

The specificity of thiourea, dimethylthiourea and dimethyl sulphoxide as scavengers of hydroxyl radicals. Their protection of alpha 1-antiproteinase against inactivation by hypochlorous acid.

Thiourea and dimethylthiourea are powerful scavengers of hydroxyl radicals (.OH), and dimethylthiourea has been used to test the involvement of .OH in several animal models of human disease.

Action of uric acid, allopurinol and oxypurinol on the myeloperoxidase-derived oxidant hypochlorous acid.

Both oxypurinol and uric acid react with the myeloperoxidase-derived oxidant hypochlorous acid at physiological pH, and they can protect the elastase-inhibitory capacity of human alpha 1-antiprotease against inactivation by hypochlorous acid. Allopurinol does not protect alpha 1-antiprotease, possibly because the redox potential of allopurinol at physiological pH is too positive to permit oxidation by hypochlorous acid.