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Biomedical subjects

K J Bernstein

Publications and source records attributed to K J Bernstein.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Fentanyl delivery from an electrotransport system: delivery is a function of total current, not duration of current.

This open-label, parallel study of 28 men was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of fentanyl delivered by the E-TRANS (fentanyl) electrotransport transdermal system (ALZA Corporation, Palo Alto, CA). The E-TRANS (fentanyl) system provided electrically assisted, transdermal, continuous delivery of fentanyl. Treatments consisted of no current (group A); a constant current of 100 microA for 26 hours plus 4 additional doses at varying currents for varying times during hour 25 (groups B, C, D); a constant current of 100 microA for 26 hours plus 4 additional doses at 1,200 microA over 2.5 minutes during hour 1 (group E); or 500 microA for 0.5 hours and 100 microA for 3.5 hours (group F). No fentanyl was detected in serum when no current had been applied. Mean serum fentanyl concentrations were similar regardless of current duration during hour 25 (treatments B, C, D). Increases in mean serum fentanyl concentrations were significantly lower during additional dosing for treatment E compared with treatments B, C, and D. Serum fentanyl concentrations sufficient for analgesia (1-3 ng/mL) were attained in treatments using the E-TRANS (fentanyl) system with basal current of 100 microA for 26 hours. There were no safety issues after treatment with E-TRANS (fentanyl) system with concurrent opioid antagonist (naltrexone) administration. The only adverse event requiring treatment was a headache (n = 1). The majority of subjects had no or barely perceptible erythema at the application site 24 hours after system removal. Application of E-TRANS (fentanyl) resulted in therapeutically significant serum fentanyl concentrations over a range of applied currents. Overall serum fentanyl concentrations were higher when the skin had been primed by constant-current fentanyl delivery.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Effect of halothane on rat liver adenylate cyclase: role of cytosol components.

Halothane, in a number of tissues, alters the activity of adenylate cyclase, the enzyme that catalyzes the formation of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate, an important intracellular regulator. The present studies demonstrate that in rat liver whole homogenates, basal and glucagon-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity is increased by halothane. In isolated rat liver membranes, halothane does not increase basal activity and it decreases activity stimulated by glucagon. Suspension of membranes in the cytosol fraction restores the halothane-induced increase of basal and glucagon-stimulated activity. When cytosol denatured by trypsin or heat was used, the halothane-induced increase in glucagon-stimulated activity was lost, but the increase of basal activity was still observed. Suspension of membranes in albumin solution restored the effect of halothane on basal activity only. These results suggest that presence of heat-labile proteins in the cytosol fraction that modulate the halothane interaction with rat liver adenylate cyclase.

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗

Halothane inhibition of canine myocardial adenylate cyclase--modulation by endogenous factors.

We have hypothesized that the halothane-induced depression of myocardial contractility can be explained, at least in part, by halothane's depression of adenylate cyclase, previously demonstrated in whole homogenates of myocardial tissue. Canine myocardial sarcolemmal membranes, which contain the adenylate cyclase of myocardial cells, were separated from other cellular constituents. Halothane did not depress catecholamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in this preparation. Reconstitution of the sarcolemmal membrane preparation with a 100,000 X g adenylate cyclase-free supernatant restored the depressant effect of halothane on adenylate cyclase stimulated by guanosine triphosphate (GTP) 100 microM alone (-55%, P less than 0.01) or in combination with l-isoproterenol 1 microM (-38%, P less than 0.05) or 2.5 microM (-40%, P less than 0.01). Dilution of the supernatant to half-strength decreased the magnitude of the halothane-induced depression of adenylate cyclase activity to 19% (P less than 0.01); at one-quarter dilution, the effect was no longer significant. This study demonstrates the presence of endogenous modulators of the action of halothane on canine myocardial adenylate cyclase that can be reversibly separated from the adenylate cyclase complex.

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗

Halothane effect on beta-adrenergic receptors in canine myocardium.

Halothane depresses the inotropic state of the heart, possibly by decreasing the rate of formation of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) through depression of the activity of adenylate cyclase, the cAMP-generating enzyme. As catecholamines regulate the inotropic state and adenylate cyclase activity by binding to myocardial beta-adrenergic receptors, the effect of halothane on binding to these receptors was studied to determine whether this was a site of halothane effect. Beta-adrenergic binding was measured at binding equilibrium in vitro in a canine myocardial membrane preparation in the absence and presence of halothane, 3 to 5 vol%, using as the radioligand 3H-dihydroalprenolol (3H-DHA), a beta-adrenergic antagonist with high affinity and radioactivity. In addition, the effect of halothane on the binding of l-isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, was measured by displacement of 3H-DHA. The results indicate that halothane has no effect on either the affinity of canine myocardial beta-adrenergic receptors for 3H-DHA or l-isoproterenol, nor does it alter the number of available receptors at binding equilibrium.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗