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Biomedical subjects

B Küffer

Publications and source records attributed to B Küffer.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Influence of the dosing frequency of parathyroid hormone-(1-38) on its anabolic effect in bone and on the balance of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

The effect of the frequency of administration of synthetic human parathyroid hormone fragment 1-38 [hPTH-(1-38)] on bone formation and on the balance of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium was investigated in 32 9-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats, using a randomly complete block design. Rats received subcutaneously during 14 days either the vehicle solution once a day or 50 micrograms hPTH-(1-38)/kg BW once a day at 8:00 a.m., twice a day at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. or three times a day at 8:00 a.m., 0:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. The balance study was performed during the last 48 h of the hPTH-(1-38) treatment schedule after which femora, tibiae, and lumbar vertebrae were removed for the determination of the dry weight, volume, and contents of Ca, P, Mg, hydroxyproline, and DNA. PTH treatment was associated with a significant increase of the apparent intestinal absorption of Ca, P, and Mg. Mean urinary Ca excretion augmented with the increase of the frequency of dosing. Urinary Ca excretion correlated negatively with the Ca apparent intestinal absorption and with the Ca content of the tibiae in the 2 groups with the highest frequency of dosing. The mean Ca, P, and Mg balances, the mean contents of bone Ca, P, and Mg and the mean bone dry weights were significantly increased with PTH treatment. In contrast to the mean volume of tibiae which was not affected by the PTH administration, the mean volume of the fifth lumbar vertebrae increased with the treatment. With the 2 times and 3 times daily treatments, mean hydroxyproline concentrations in the femora were significantly higher than the control values. An increase of the mean hydroxyproline content of the third lumbar vertebrae was evidenced with the 1 time and 2 times daily treatment, but the mean of the highest frequency of dosing was not different from that of the control group. The DNA content of femoral and of the fourth lumbar vertebrae significantly decreased with the frequency of dosing.

Animals↗

The scored tablet--a source of error in drug dosing?

To determine the weight deviation of scored tablets after breaking we took 100 tablets of each of 34 brands of commercially available antihypertensive drugs and broke them into two, using the scored line. We graded the weights of the tablet halves according to their deviation from the expected weight (1 = less than or equal to +/- 5%, 11 = +/- 6-10%, 111 = greater than or equal to +/- 10%). The brands were ranked by the proportion of tablet halves (n = 200) in each category. Only seven brands divided very accurately and 11 brands divided reasonably accurately. Despite the scored line the remainder were either moderately (n = 10) or absolutely (n = 6) unsuitable for breaking, by hand or otherwise. A high proportion of these tablet halves showed weight deviations of 6-10% or more than 10% when compared to the expected weight. These findings show that a great number of antihypertensive drugs do not break evenly despite a scored line. This leads to inaccuracy of dosage.

Antihypertensive Agents↗

The cholesterol content of the human erythrocyte influences calcium influx through the channel.

In order to study the influence of the cholesterol content on the calcium entry channel, the human red blood cell was used as a model system. The cholesterol to lecithin ratio (C/L ratio) of the membrane was modified experimentally by incubating the cells (15h, 25 degrees) with liposomes of defined C/L ratios. Subsequently, net 45Calcium-influx into the cell was measured by inhibiting the Ca-ejecting ATPase with vanadate. Additionally, the use of nitrendipine, a potent calcium channel inhibitor, during incubation allowed the determination of Ca-influx through the calcium channel. A positive correlation between the 45Ca++-influx and the molar C/L ratio of the membrane was found over a wide C/L range. A molar C/L ratio of 1.4 in the membrane increased calcium influx by 150 % compared to controls (molar C/L ratio = 0.8, calcium influx rate = 100 %), while a molar C/L ratio at less than 0.75 decreased calcium influx by 50 %. We conclude, that the cholesterol content of the membrane greatly influences the calcium channel and thus plays a pivotal role for the availability of calcium as a second messenger. These findings may provide a link between high plasma cholesterol and the development of atherosclerosis as well as enhanced platelet aggregability.

Calcium↗

Cholesterol and its oxidized derivatives modulate the calcium channel in human red blood cells.

The human red blood cell was used as a model system in order to study the effect of cholesterol and its medically important oxidized derivatives (OSC = oxidized sterol compounds) on the calcium entry channel. The calcium-ejecting adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) was inhibited by vanadate and the influx of 45Ca2-into the cells measured. The cells were loaded with OSC at concentrations between 0.075 and 1.5 micrograms OSC/10(7) cells. Two classes of OSC could be distinguished: one stimulating Ca2+ influx dose-dependently by almost 100% at maximum concentrations, the other inhibiting it dose-dependently by up to 80%. The calcium channel blocker nitrendipine inhibited influx by 70% at 15 microM. More than 90% of the total stimulation or inhibition was accounted for by an influence on the nitrendipine-inhibitable part of influx, i.e. the calcium channel. Cholesterol (incorporated using liposomes) had a stimulatory (+288%), cholesterol depletion an inhibitory effect on calcium influx (-18%). These results demonstrate that cholesterol and its oxidized derivatives modulate the calcium channel in a highly stereospecific manner and provide new insights into the mechanism of action and the atherogenic effect of these compounds.

Calcium↗