PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

O Pratt

Publications and source records attributed to O Pratt.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

The influence of brain acetaldehyde on oxidative status, dopamine metabolism and visual discrimination task.

The toxic effect of acetaldehyde on brain oxidative capacity and dopamine metabolism has been investigated in rat brains after a single intraperitoneal injection of acetaldehyde (5 mmol/kg) and the results compared with those from chronically ethanol fed rats. Acetaldehyde was present in rat brain 120 hr after a single dose of acetaldehyde, confirming that it is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Brain catalase increased significantly after acetaldehyde or chronic ethanol administration although there were no other significant changes in the total brain activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase or glutathione reductase. Dopamine turnover was increased in both experimental groups. The acute dose of acetaldehyde reduced the ability of the rats to relearn a computer visual discrimination task.

Acetaldehyde↗

Changes in plasma amino acid patterns in chronic alcoholic patients during ethanol withdrawal syndrome: their clinical implications.

Changes or imbalances in plasma amino acid patterns during withdrawal from ethanol were recorded in six randomly selected male chronic alcoholic patients (age range 23-47 years). Duration of drinking ranged from 4-15 years and their average daily amount of ethanol intake was more than 100G. Plasma amino acids (taurine, threonine, serine, glutamate, glutamine, proline, glycine, alanine, cysteine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, histidine, tryptophan, ornithine, lysine and arginine) were estimated by autoanalyzer in all patients on admission before starting conventional detoxification therapy for ethanol withdrawal syndrome, and during therapy on day 3 and day 6. On admission, there was a statistically significant rise in the plasma levels of almost all aminoacids, particularly glutamate, glutamine, phenylalanine, proline, glycine, methionine, cysteine, lysine, tyrosine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, serine, threonine, alanine and arginine (in comparison to those of normal controls) in five out of six patients. During the following six days of treatment and total abstinence, the pattern of plasma aminoacid levels did not change significantly despite considerable clinical improvement. Plasma tryptophan levels were undetectable in all patients on admission, day 3 and also on day 6 except in one patient with lesser amount and shorter duration of drinking, the levels just returned to within normal range only on day 6. Plasma levels of histidine and taurine were found to be slightly lower than normal.

Adult↗