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Biomedical subjects

J R Kambam

Publications and source records attributed to J R Kambam.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Nimodipine reduces the toxicity of intravenous bupivacaine in rats.

We examined nimodipine modification of bupivacaine toxicity in anesthetized male rats. Three minutes after pretreatment, group 1 (n = 11), group 3 (n = 10), and their respective control groups (n = 11 and n = 9) received intravenous bupivacaine LD50 (median lethal dose). After pretreatment, group 2 (n = 10), group 4 (n = 8), and their respective control groups (n = 10 and n = 8) received intravenous bupivacaine LD90 (90% lethal dose). Pretreatment was 200 micrograms/kg intravenous nimodipine in groups 1 and 2 and 500 micrograms/kg in groups 3 and 4. Control animals were pretreated with intravenous saline solution. Data were analyzed by chi 2-analysis and analysis of variance. Survival increased after 200 micrograms/kg nimodipine (P less than 0.05). In group 1, 9 (81%) of 11 survived compared with control animals (4 [36%] of 11). In group 2, 8 (80%) of 10 survived compared with control animals (2 [20%] of 10). Survival was not increased after 500-micrograms/kg nimodipine pretreatment. In group 3, 2 (22%) of 9 survived compared with control animals (4 [40%] of 10). In group 4, 4 (50%) of 8 survived compared with control animals (2 [25%] of 8). We conclude that nimodipine pretreatment with 200 micrograms/kg protects against fatal toxicity from LD50 and LD90 bupivacaine, but 500 micrograms/kg does not.

Animals

Cimetidine-carbaryl interaction in humans: evidence for an active metabolite of carbaryl.

The influence of cimetidine on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic response to the insecticide carbaryl has been investigated in isolated human erythrocytes (red blood cells; RBC) and after oral administration of 1 mg/kg carbaryl to four normal subjects in the absence or presence of cimetidine (300 mg, 8/hr for 3 days). Carbaryl induced a concentration-dependent reduction of isolated RBC acetylcholinesterase activity requiring 1 microgram/ml to achieve 20% inhibition. Cimetidine also induced a dose-dependent inhibition of RBC acetylcholinesterase activity, but at 40-fold higher concentrations. At high concentrations, cimetidine was additive to carbaryl-induced inhibition of RBC acetylcholinesterase, but exhibited no effect at the therapeutically relevant concentrations (10 micrograms/ml). After oral carbaryl administration to normal subjects, plasma concentrations rapidly rose to a peak, then declined with a half-life of 0.79 +/- 0.47 hr. Oral carbaryl clearance was 5.4 +/- 2.0 l/min. Peak plasma carbaryl concentrations were associated with 27% inhibition of RBC acetylcholinesterase activity, and the concentration associated with a reduction of RBC acetylcholinesterase activity of 20% was 0.02 microgram/ml. The terminal half-life for the dynamic response was 2.6 +/- 1.5 hr. After pretreatment with cimetidine, peak plasma carbaryl concentrations doubled and clearance was reduced (to 2.5 +/- 1.5 l/min) (P less than .05). However, half-life remained unchanged. Despite increased carbaryl levels, the maximum inhibition of RBC acetylcholinesterase activity was significantly reduced, and the concentration of carbaryl required to achieve 20% inhibition of RBC acetylcholinesterase activity was increased to approximately 0.5 microgram/ml. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that carbaryl is metabolized by drug-metabolizing enzymes that can be inhibited by cimetidine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetylcholinesterase

Inhibition of pseudocholinesterase activity protects from cocaine-induced cardiorespiratory toxicity in rats.

We studied the effect of inhibition of pseudocholinesterase by a specific pseudocholinesterase inhibitor, tetraisopropyl pyrophosphoramide (ISO-OMPA) on the cardiorespiratory toxicity of intravenously injected cocaine in rats. Group 1 rats received ISO-OMPA subcutaneously, whereas group 2 rats received saline placebo subcutaneously. Thirty minutes later, rats were anesthetized with 40 mg/kg of sodium pentobarbital intraperitoneally and were then given 10 mg/kg (least toxic dose) cocaine intravenously. Thirty minutes after the first injection of cocaine, about half of the rats that survived from each group were given 12 mg/kg cocaine (low toxic dose) intravenously, and the other half was given 13.5 mg/kg cocaine (high toxic dose) intravenously. Five minutes after each injection, rats were classified as either survivors or fatalities. In group 1 (ISO-OMPA treated), five of 29 (17%) rats that received 10 mg/kg cocaine, two of 11 (19%) that received 12 mg/kg cocaine, and three of 13 (24%) that received 13.5 mg/kg cocaine died of cardiorespiratory toxicity. In group 2 (saline treated), two of 29 (7%) that received 10 mg/kg cocaine, six of 12 (50%) that received 12 mg/kg cocaine, and 10 of 15 (67%) that received 13.5 mg/kg cocaine died of cardiorespiratory toxicity (p less than 0.03). Pseudocholinesterase activity (mean +/- SEM) of groups 1 and 2 were 0.6 +/- 0.2 and 7.3 +/- 0.7 units, respectively (p less than 0.01). Our results show that rats with lower pseudocholinesterase activity had lower fatality rates than rats with higher pseudocholinesterase activity.

Animals

The effects of neurokinin A, neurokinin B, and eledoisin on substance P analysis.

Commercial sources for neuropeptide radioimmunoassays have made this sensitive tool available to clinical investigators for monitoring the potential involvement of neuropeptides in pain modulation. We measured substance P-like immunoreactivity in the plasma, saliva, and pericardial fluid of subjects with and without pain (chronic and acute) to determine if substance P levels are altered. Some recent studies have suggested that substance P in various body fluids may be a correlate of chronic pain. To test this correlation it is important to ensure that the assay is measuring what it was designed to measure. Therefore, the influence of three tachykinins on the analysis of substance P concentrations was assessed with a commercially available radioimmunoassay kit. A small (approximately 2 to 6%), apparently nonspecific elevation in measured substance P was found when alpha-neurokinin, beta-neurokinin, or eledoisin was incubated with substance P and its antibody. Our results also indicate an apparent specific affinity of the substance P antibody for alpha-neurokinin (above 1,000 pg/ml) and beta-neurokinin (above 5,000 pg/ml). Substance P levels in the body fluids we tested ranged from 0.47 to 62.88 pg/mg protein (47.4 to 230.8 pg/ml). Levels of the tested tachykinins have not been determined in body fluids. If alpha-neurokinin or beta-neurokinin is found to be present in high concentrations in these fluids, this commercially available substance P kit may overestimate substance P levels. The concentrations of tachykinins necessary to interfere specifically with the assay are 10- to 100-fold higher than substance P in body fluids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angina Pectoris

Propranolol pretreatment reduces cardiorespiratory toxicity due to plain, but not epinephrine-containing, intravenous bupivacaine in rats.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pretreatment with propranolol on the cardio-respiratory toxicity of bupivacaine, either plain or with epinephrine 1:200,000 (5 micrograms.ml-1) added. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats, anaesthetized with intraperitoneal pentobarbital, were divided into four groups. Groups I and III were pretreated with iv propranolol 150 micrograms.kg-1, and Groups II and IV received iv NS as a placebo. Three minutes later, rats in Groups I and II received plain 0.5% bupivacaine, 4 mg.kg-1, and Groups III and IV received 4 mg.kg-1 of 0.5% bupivacaine with epinephrine, 5 micrograms.ml-1 iv. Five of eight rats pretreated with propranolol survived (Group I), compared with uniform fatality with NS pretreatment (Group II) (P less than 0.05). Addition of epinephrine to the bupivacaine eliminated the protective effect of propranolol. All rats pretreated with propranolol (Group III) or NS (Group IV) died when given bupivacaine with epinephrine. In conclusion, acute propranolol pretreatment reduced the fatal cardiotoxicity due to iv bupivacaine in male Sprague Dawley rats, but the addition of epinephrine 5 micrograms.ml-1 to bupivacaine eliminated the protective effect of propranolol.

Animals

Pancuronium, vecuronium, and d-tubocurarine inhibit and succinylcholine stimulates choline acetyltransferase activity.

The effects of the nondepolarizing muscle relaxants (NDMR), pancuronium, vecuronium, and d-tubocurarine and a depolarizing muscle relaxant, succinylcholine, were studied on choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity. A radiochemical assay was used in the determination of ChAT activity using purified placental enzyme. Pancuronium at concentrations of 10(-7) M, 10(-6) M, 10(-5) M, 10(-4) M, and 10(-3) M inhibited ChAT activity by 3, 10, 15, 40 and 85 per cent, respectively; vecuronium at concentrations of 10(-6) M, 10(-5) M, 10(-4) M, and 10(-3) M inhibited ChAT activity by 5, 10, 26 and 57 per cent, respectively; d-tubocurarine at concentrations of 10(-6) M, 10(-5) M, 10(-4) M, and 10(-3) M inhibited ChAT activity by 0, 4, 12.5 and 29 per cent, respectively; whereas succinylcholine at concentrations of 10(-7) M, 10(-6) M, 10(-5) M, and 10(-4) M activated ChAT activity by 8, 10, 1, and 2 per cent, respectively. Even though our present data demonstrated a significant dose-dependent inhibitory effect on ChAT activity by pancuronium, vecuronium and d-tubocurarine, it is unlikely that this inhibitory effect will contribute to the mechanism of action of NDMR. Our data, however, may suggest an additional mechanism for the phenomena of tetanic and train-of-four fades that are seen following the administration of nondepolarizing muscle relaxants.

Carbon Radioisotopes

In vitro effects of fluoride and bromide on pseudocholinesterase and acetylcholinesterase activities.

The in vitro effects of two metabolites of inhalational anaesthetics, fluoride and bromide, on pseudocholinesterase (PCHE) and acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) activities in the blood samples of seven healthy patients were studied. The PCHE and ACHE activities were determined by kinetic spectrophotometric methods. Fluoride at the levels achieved with clinical concentrations of enflurane and sevoflurane (25-75 microM.L-1) inhibited PCHE activity by 28-65 per cent (P less than 0.01) and ACHE activity by less than five per cent (P greater than 0.05). Bromide at the levels achieved with clinical concentrations of inhalational anaesthetics had no significant effect on either PCHE or ACHE activity. We recommend caution when succinylcholine and/or ester type local anaesthetics are used in the immediate postoperative period following enflurane or sevoflurane anaesthesia. We also recommend that blood drawing for PCHE activity be delayed at least until 24 hr following enflurane or sevoflurane anaesthesia.

Acetylcholinesterase

Nicardipine reduces the cardio-respiratory toxicity of intravenously administered bupivacaine in rats.

The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of intravenous (IV) nicardipine pretreatment (30 micrograms.kg-1), given three minutes before an IV bolus of bupivacaine to determine its effect on the incidence of fatal bupivacaine cardio-respiratory toxicity in adult male Sprague Dawley rats anaesthetized with intraperitoneal pentobarbital. Fifty rats were divided into four groups. Groups I and II (n = 10 each) received 3.5 mg.kg-1 0.5 per cent bupivacaine and Groups III and IV (n = 15 each) received 5.0 mg.kg-1, 0.5 per cent bupivacaine. Groups I and III received pretreatment with normal saline before bupivacaine, whereas Groups II and IV were given pretreatment with nicardipine, 30 mg.kg-1. There was no difference in the incidence of survival between the nicardipine pretreatment group and the saline placebo pretreatment group given 3.5 mg.kg-1, 0.5 per cent bupivacaine (no fatalities in either group). However, there was significant protection by nicardipine pretreatment in the group given 5 mg.kg-1, 0.5 per cent bupivacaine (13 of 15 survived, compared with only 4 of 15 in the saline pretreatment group, P less than 0.001). In conclusion, our data demonstrate that in rats given 0.5 per cent bupivacaine, 5 mg.kg-1, nicardipine pretreatment protected against fatal cardio-respiratory toxicity.

Analysis of Variance

Immunoreactive substance P is decreased in saliva of patients with chronic back pain syndromes.

Substance P, a neuropeptide associated with pain perception, is widely distributed in the central nervous system and is decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid of chronic pain patients as compared with that of healthy human volunteers. In this study, we have demonstrated the presence of immunoreactive substance P in saliva and further, that both saliva and plasma levels of immunoreactive substance P are lower in patients with chronic low back pain than in healthy human volunteers. To our knowledge, this is the first time that substance P has been identified in human saliva. These findings, together with the noninvasive nature of saliva collection, suggest that substance P in saliva may be useful as an alternative neurochemical correlate of chronic low back pain when collection of cerebrospinal fluid and plasma samples for substance P analysis is unacceptable or inappropriate.

Back Pain

Epinephrine and phenylephrine increase cardiorespiratory toxicity of intravenously administered bupivacaine in rats.

We studied the effects of epinephrine and phenylephrine on the cardiorespiratory toxicity of intravenously injected bupivacaine in Sprague-Dawley rats. Our data show that both epinephrine and phenylephrine significantly increased cardiorespiratory toxicity of intravenously injected bupivacaine (P less than 0.007, X2 analyses with Yates' correction). Our data suggest that epinephrine or phenylephrine added to bupivacaine may be more toxic to cardiorespiratory systems than plain bupivacaine or epinephrine alone or phenylephrine alone when injected intravenously in rats.

Animals

Substance P, acetylcholinesterase, and beta-endorphin levels in the plasma and pericardial fluid of patients with and without angina pectoris.

We measured substance P-like immunoreactivity (SPLI), beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (BELI), acetylcholinesterase activity, and total protein content in pericardial fluid and plasma of patients with angina pectoris and patients with no angina pectoris. SPLI and BELI levels, acetylcholinesterase activity, and total protein content were determined by radioimmunoassay, a colorimetric method, and by the method of Lowry et al. (J Biol Chem 1951; 193:265-75), respectively. In the pericardial fluid, patients with angina had SPLI, BELI, acetylcholinesterase, and total protein values of 1.69 +/- 0.23 fmol/mg protein, 0.16 +/- 0.13 fmol/mg protein, 0.06 +/- 0.02 units, and 25.7 +/- 3.2 mg/ml, respectively. Patients with no angina had SPLI, BELI, acetylcholinesterase, and total protein values of 0.93 +/- 0.17 fmol/mg protein, 0.19 +/- 0.10 fmol/mg protein, 0.16 +/- 0.02 units, and 44.6 +/- 5.3 mg/ml, respectively. SPLI levels were significantly higher (p less than 0.03), and acetylcholinesterase (less than 0.002) and total protein content (less than 0.004) were significantly lower in the pericardial fluid of patients with angina when compared with those of patients with no angina. BELI levels were not significantly different between the two groups. In the plasma, no significant differences were found in SPLI, BELI, acetylcholinesterase, and total protein values between the two groups of patients. Patients with angina had SPLI, BELI, acetylcholinesterase, and total protein values of 0.47 +/- 0.26 fmol/mg protein, 0.06 +/- 0.06 fmol/mg protein, 0.29 +/- 0.15 units, and 68.2 +/- 8.7 mg/ml, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetylcholinesterase

Histamine 2 receptor blocker in the treatment of protamine related anaphylactoid reactions: two case reports.

Two case reports are described of acute anaphylactoid reactions following the administration of protamine to reverse the anticoagulation effect of heparin in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The administration of cimetidine seemed to reverse the anaphylactoid reaction after conventional treatment with epinephrine, H1 receptor blocker, and steroids had failed. We recommend that H2 receptor blockade be included with other drugs in the treatment of anaphylactoid reactions following protamine, and possibly after anaphylactoid reactions associated with other substances.

Adult

Intrapleural analgesia for post-thoracotomy pain and blood levels of bupivacaine following intrapleural injection.

An epidural type catheter was placed in the pleural space under direct vision before the closure of the chest in 24 patients who underwent thoracotomy for various types of lung or aortic surgery. All patients received intrapleural injections of 20 ml of 0.5 per cent bupivacaine with or without epinephrine as initial pain therapy. Patients also received subsequent doses of a similar volume of 0.375 per cent bupivacaine with epinephrine 1:200,000 up to four times a day for a maximum duration of seven days. Good pain relief was achieved in patients who underwent lateral and posterior thoracotomies. No pain relief was achieved in patients who underwent anterior thoracotomy or in patients in whom there was excessive bleeding in the pleural space. Bupivacaine blood concentrations were measured in 11 patients following the initial dose of 20 ml of 0.5 per cent bupivacaine (with epinephrine 1:200,000 in five of the 11 patients). The mean peak plasma concentration of bupivacaine when used with epinephrine was 0.32 +/- 0.02 microgram.ml-1. The mean peak plasma concentrations of bupivacaine when used without epinephrine was 1.28 +/- 0.48 microgram.ml-1. Our present data show that intrapleural analgesia is useful in the management of postoperative pain in patients who undergo thoracotomy. Our data also show that there is a significant decrease in peak plasma concentrations of bupivacaine when epinephrine is added to the solution (P less than 0.05).

Adult

Effect of maternal heme degradation on fetal carboxyhemoglobin concentration in pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Increased red cell destruction with consequent heme catabolism results in accumulation in carboxyhemoglobin in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Temporally associated with this is a significant shift in the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve to the left. In this study we assessed the relationship between carboxyhemoglobin concentration and oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve in simultaneously obtained maternal and fetal venous blood in which patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension were compared with normotensive patients. Maternal and fetal carboxyhemoglobins were significantly higher in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension than in control subjects. Fetal carboxyhemoglobin was significantly higher than maternal carboxyhemoglobin in both clinical groups. Furthermore, maternal and fetal oxyhemoglobin dissociation curves were significantly shifted to the left in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension compared with controls. The fetal-maternal gradient of carboxyhemoglobin was similar in both groups. The maternal-fetal gradient of oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve position was significantly reduced in pregnancy-induced hypertension. The concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin measured do not fully explain the magnitude of the shift in oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, but the data suggest a potential impact on fetal oxygenation in pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Carboxyhemoglobin

Pseudocholinesterase activity in human cerebrospinal fluid.

Pseudocholinesterase (PCHE) activity and dibucaine numbers (DN) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of 10 ASA physical status 1 and 2 patients were measured using a kinetic method. CSF had a mean PCHE activity of 0.018 +/- 0.013 unit/ml with a DN of 59 +/- 4. Whereas, PCHE activity and DN in the plasma were 0.960 +/- 0.12 units/ml and 84 +/- 3, respectively. We also measured PCHE activity and DN in the CSF and plasma of 4 patients in whom there was a recent history of intraventricular bleeding. These patients had a CSF PCHE activity of 0.340 +/- 0.07 units/ml (DN = 78 +/- 3) and a plasma PCHE activity of 0.950 +/- 0.10 units/ml (DN = 82 +/- 2). Our data show that there is a low activity of PCHE in CSF, 1/20-1/100th that of plasma. Our data also show that PCHE activity increased to 1/4 to 1/2 that of plasma in CSF of patients with bleeding into CSF.

Adult

Effect of sevoflurane on P50 and on measurement of oxygen tension.

Fresh samples of heparinized human blood from 10 healthy nonsmoking volunteers were used to study the effect of the inhaled anesthetic sevoflurane on the oxygen half-saturation pressure of hemoglobin (P50) and on polarographic measurements of oxygen tension at low values. Control samples had a baseline P50 of 26.9 +/- 0.2 mm Hg. When the blood samples were exposed to 1.75% (1 minimum alveolar concentration, MAC), 2.75%, and 3.5% (2 MAC) of sevoflurane, the P50 values were 27.0 +/- 0.5 mm Hg, 27.1 +/- 0.4 mm Hg, and 26.9 +/- 0.5 mm Hg, respectively. Our present data show that 1 to 2 MAC sevoflurane has no significant effect on P50 (P greater than 0.05). Our data also show that sevoflurane did not interfere with polarographic measurements of oxygen tension (P greater than 0.05). Other inhaled agents--halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane--do interfere with these measurements, and we cannot explain the difference.

Anesthesia, Inhalation

The inhibitory effect of metoclopramide on plasma cholinesterase activity.

The in vitro effect of metoclopramide on plasma cholinesterase (PCHE) activity was studied to investigate a mechanism for metoclopramide-induced prolongation of succinylcholine action. The mean PCHE of the control samples was 0.86 +/- 0.02 unit.ml-1. PCHE activity in the presence of metoclopramide, at concentrations of 0.05, 0.10, 0.50, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 micrograms.ml-1, was reduced to 0.78 +/- 0.02, 0.69 +/- 0.04, 0.50 +/- 0.03, 0.39 +/- 0.02, 0.24 +/- 0.01 and 0.15 +/- 0.01 unit.ml-1, respectively. Our data demonstrated that PCHE activity was significantly depressed by metoclopramide at all concentrations studied (p less than 0.001). Our data also show that the concentration of metoclopramide required to inhibit 50 per cent of PCHE activity (I50) was 0.8 micrograms.ml-1 (2.4 x 10(-6) M). We recommend caution when succinylcholine and or ester type local anaesthetics are administered to patients who are also receiving metoclopramide, especially in high doses.

Adult