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Biomedical subjects

R W Fuller

Publications and source records attributed to R W Fuller.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Contrasting effects of prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha on sensitivity of the human cough reflex.

Prostaglandins have been shown to influence the sensitivity of the cough reflex. To investigate putative mechanisms of this, we examined the effects of inhaled prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) and F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) on human cough responses elicited by two challenges, low chloride solution and capsaicin, which may activate different neural pathways. Baseline cough challenges were followed after 2 h by five breaths of PGE2, PGF2 alpha, or citric acid as a control. Cough challenges were repeated after 1 min. Potentiation of capsaicin responses occurred after PGE2 (median increase 2 coughs/min, range 0-7, P less than 0.01) and PGF2 alpha (median increase 8 coughs/min, range -3 to 27, P less than 0.01) compared with control. The effect of PGF2 alpha was greater (P less than 0.05) than that of PGE2. Potentiation of low chloride responses also occurred after PGF2 alpha (median increase 7 coughs/2 min, range -1 to 19, P less than 0.01), but effects of PGE2 were insignificant against this challenge (median change -1 coughs/2 min, range -4 to 13). These data suggest that PGE2 and PGF2 alpha have different effects on the sensitivity of the human cough reflex, which may be relevant during airway disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Urinary leukotriene E4 excretion in exercise-induced asthma.

Recent evidence suggests that the cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4) may be important in the pathogenesis of exercise-induced asthma. To evaluate the role of these mediators further, nine asthmatic subjects with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction were studied on two occasions. On visit 1, subjects performed 6 min of treadmill exercise; the mean maximal percent fall in FEV1 was 38.0 +/- 5.3%. On visit 2, maximal bronchoconstriction observed after exercise was matched with aerosolized methacholine. Urine was collected in two 90-min fractions (0-90 and 90-180 min) after challenges and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-radioimmunoassay for LTE4. There were no significant differences in urinary LTE4 excretion between exercise and methacholine challenges for the periods 0-90 min (16.9 +/- 5.4 vs. 20.4 +/- 4.2 ng/mmol urinary creatinine), 90-180 min (24.9 +/- 8.2 vs. 20.1 +/- 5.5), or 0-180 min (21.5 +/- 6.5 vs. 18.8 +/- 4.1). Thus in contrast to allergen-induced bronchoconstriction, there is little evidence for enhanced cysteinyl-leukotriene generation in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction as assessed by urinary LTE4. If local release and subsequent participation of functionally active cysteinyl-leukotrienes in the pathways that ultimately lead to bronchoconstriction after exercise challenge do occur, these are of insufficient magnitude to perturb urinary LTE4 excretion.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Greater effect of inhaled budesonide on adenosine 5'-monophosphate-induced than on sodium-metabisulfite-induced bronchoconstriction in asthma.

Inhaled glucocorticosteroids (GCS) decrease airway responsiveness (AR) in asthma by mechanisms that may involve suppressing airway inflammation and a reduction in the number of inflammatory cells in the airways. To investigate the functional response to a reduction in airway inflammatory cells in asthma, we studied the effects of inhaled budesonide on AR to three different bronchial challenges, adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), which primarily activates mast cells; methacholine (MCh), a direct stimulus, and sodium metabisulfite (MBS), a neural stimulus. In a double-blind randomized crossover manner, with a washout period of 28 days, 12 subjects with mild asthma underwent inhalation challenge with doubling increments of MCh, MBS, and AMP before and after 14 days of treatment with budesonide 0.8 mg twice daily from a multidose dry-powder delivery system (Turbohaler) or matched placebo. Treatment with budesonide reduced AR to MCh and MBS to a similar degree, displacing the dose-response curve of each agonist to the right by 1.17 (95% confidence intervals, 0.34 to 2.00) and 1.06 (0.34 to 1.78) doubling dilutions, respectively, when compared with placebo (p less than 0.01). Budesonide caused an additional and significantly greater reduction in AR to AMP, displacing the dose-response curve to the right by 2.92 (2.12 to 3.72) doubling dilutions when compared with placebo (p less than 0.001) and to the other challenges (p less than 0.01). We conclude that budesonide reduces AR to MCh and MBS by an action common to the effects of both direct and neural stimuli on airway smooth muscle contraction. The greater reduction in AR to AMP suggests that budesonide may have an additional action by reducing airway mast cell numbers and/or function.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1992

In vivo and in vitro effects of glucocorticosteroids on arachidonic acid metabolism and monocyte function in nonasthmatic humans.

Glucocorticosteroids are used as anti-inflammatory agents in a range of diseases, however, their mechanism of action is unknown. Recently, inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism has been suggested as one possible mechanism of action. A series of experiments were undertaken in nonasthmatic humans to examine the effects of oral prednisolone and dexamethasone and inhaled budesonide on the excretion of the urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4), an established marker of total body leukotriene generation in vivo. In addition, the effect of the drugs on the in vitro and ex-vivo function of monocytes was examined. In vitro dexamethasone greater than 10(-8) M inhibited the thromboxane A2 (TxA2) release from human monocytes, an effect which recovered within 24 h. In vivo, neither inhaled budesonide (1.6 mg.day-1 for 7 days), nor a standard therapeutic dose of oral prednisolone (30 mg.day-1 for 3 days), nor high doses of oral dexamethasone (8 mg.day-1 for 2 days) altered the excretion of urinary LTE4, despite the latter completely suppressing endogenous cortisol production. The ex-vivo zymosan stimulated release of TxA2 release from monocytes was not altered by the standard dose prednisolone, but was reduced by high dose dexamethasone and inhaled budesonide. This study shows that high doses of systemic steroids have little effect on arachidonic acid metabolism in normal nonasthmatic humans. Inhaled budesonide, however, does reduce arachidonic acid metabolism in circulating monocytes, presumably by affecting these cells during their passage through the lung.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1992

The involvement of serotonin in regulation of pituitary-adrenocortical function.

Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion from the anterior pituitary gland influences glucocorticoid secretion from the adrenal cortex and in turn is controlled mainly by corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) release from the hypothalamus. CRF-containing neurons projecting from the paraventricular nucleus to the median eminence, which are involved in controlling pituitary-adrenocortical function, receive synaptic input from serotonin neurons projecting from the midbrain raphe nuclei. Serotonin stimulates the release of bio- or immunoassayable CRF from isolated rat hypothalamus in vitro. Corticosterone, ACTH, and CRF release in vivo is increased in rats by drugs that enhance serotonin function, including serotonin precursors, serotonin uptake inhibitors, serotonin releasers, and direct-acting serotonin agonists. Among the multiple serotonin receptors that exist in brain, at least two--5HT1A and 5HT2 or 5HT1C receptors--seem to mediate activation of pituitary-adrenocortical function. The physiological role of this stimulatory serotonergic influence on pituitary-adrenocortical function is still not well understood, but serotonin may play a role in circadian rhythmicity of adrenocortical secretion and in the activation of pituitary-adrenocortical function by certain types of stress. Measurement of ACTH or cortisol levels in humans after administration of a direct- or indirect-acting serotonin agonist provides one means of probing the functional state of brain serotonergic systems in disease or after drug treatment.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1992

Neuroendocrine evidence for antagonism of serotonin and dopamine receptors by olanzapine (LY170053), an antipsychotic drug candidate.

Olanzapine, 2-methyl-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-10H-thieno[2,3-B] [1,5]benzodiazepine (LY170053), antagonized the quipazine-induced elevation of serum corticosterone concentration in rats with an ED50 value of 0.57 mg/kg i.p. LY170053 was less potent in antagonizing the pergolide-induced elevation of serum corticosterone concentration in rats, and increases in corticosterone elicited by olanzapine alone at higher doses complicated the precise estimate of an ED50 value, which was approximately 3 mg/kg. These relative potencies in blocking quipazine and pergolide effects are taken as indices of antagonism of serotonin 5HT2 and of dopamine D2 receptors, respectively. Olanzapine is more potent than clozapine in blocking 5HT2 and D2 receptors, and its ability to block these receptors supports its possible usefulness as an antipsychotic drug.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of L-5-hydroxytryptophan and L-5-hydroxytryptophan inosinate as agents for increasing brain serotonin formation in rats.

The effects of L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5HTP) and L-5HTP inosinate injection on brain 5-hydroxyindoles in rats were compared. L-5HTP and L-5HTP inosinate caused indistinguishable dose-dependent increases in 5HTP and 5HIAA (5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid) but not serotonin concentrations in whole brain at 1 hr in rats. Our results do not substantiate a previous claim that L-5HTP inosinate is superior to L-5HTP itself in increasing brain serotonin formation.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMed1992

Basic advances in serotonin pharmacology.

Several advances in serotonin pharmacology have implications for psychiatry. The introduction of selective inhibitors of serotonin uptake into clinical use has established more firmly the relevance of brain serotonin neurons to depressive illness and is permitting an exploration of other therapeutic consequences of amplifying serotonergic function. A recent major advance in basic pharmacology has been the definition and characterization of multiple serotonin receptor subtypes in brain. Highly selective agonists and antagonists at these receptor subtypes are being developed as candidate drugs for therapy and as pharmacologic probes for assessing functionality of brain serotonin neurons in disease. Improved pharmacologic specificity will provide better tools for eliciting measurable responses mediated by brain serotonin receptors and for imaging key presynaptic and postsynaptic constituents of serotonin neuronal systems. Advances in serotonin pharmacology should therefore expand our understanding of serotonin's roles as a brain neurotransmitter in health and disease and lead to improved therapeutic agents.

Brain↗
PubMed1992

Phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils does not induce macrophage release of thromboxane B2.

Senescent human neutrophils undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis), leading to their recognition and phagocytosis by mature macrophages. At inflamed sites in vivo these processes may represent a neutrophil removal mechanism with the potential to limit the histotoxic capacity of these cells. Phagocytosis can provoke marked proinflammatory responses by macrophages. A macrophage proinflammatory response to the ingestion of apoptotic neutrophils would limit the efficacy of this neutrophil removal mechanism as a component of inflammatory resolution. In the present study we examined two macrophage proinflammatory responses; secretion of the granule enzyme N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and release of the membrane lipid-derived inflammatory mediator thromboxane A2 (TxA2, measured as TxB2). By contrast with the marked release of NAG and TxB2 elicited by phagocytosis of control particles (opsonised zymosan and immunoglobulin G-coated erythrocytes), macrophage ingestion of apoptotic neutrophils resulted in minimal release of NAG and no release of TxB2; indeed, there was a small depression of TxB2 release that was not due to a toxic effect of neutrophil uptake because macrophages ingesting apoptotic neutrophils retained marked TxB2 responses to subsequent stimulation with opsonised zymosan. Furthermore, there was significant TxB2 release in response to macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils that had been coated with opsonic serum, demonstrating that the lack of macrophage response was determined by the mechanism of recognition rather than the properties of the apoptotic particle itself. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that macrophage clearance of senscent neutrophils undergoing apoptosis is an injury-limiting mechanism that favors resolution rather than persistence of the inflammatory response and are consistent with observations that the waves of apoptotic cell removal seen in embryological removal and thymic involution do not trigger an inflammatory response.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1992

Comparative brain levels of phenylpropanolamine and amphetamine in rats.

The CNS penetration by phenylpropanolamine (PPA) [(+/-)-norephedrine] was examined and compared to that of (+/-)-amphetamine in the rat. Brain and blood levels of the drugs were measured 1 hr after injection of 0.025, 0.05 or 0.1 mmol/kg doses. Brain levels of both drugs were proportional to dose and were several-fold higher than blood levels. Phenylpropanolamine levels in brain and brain:blood concentration ratios were only slightly lower than those of amphetamine at equimolar doses. The results suggest that phenylpropanolamine penetrates the blood:brain barrier almost as well as amphetamine and that different central actions of the two drugs are probably related to pharmacodynamic differences since they could not be accounted for by the small differences in drug concentrations in brain.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed1992

Sensitivity of the cough reflex in patients with chronic cough.

Cough may occur in association with excess bronchial secretions and may, therefore, be productive. However, in a proportion of patients the cough is non-productive and a possible association with an enhanced response of the cough reflex has been postulated. Using the irritant capsaicin, the sensitivity of the cough reflex was measured in 363 individuals. A questionnaire was used to divide subjects into three groups: Group A) non-coughing controls; Group B) subjects with non-productive cough; and Group C) subjects with productive cough. The group means (+/- 99% confidence interval (CI)) of the log capsaicin concentration causing two or more coughs (C2) for groups A, B, C were 0.98 (+/- 0.08), 0.64 (+/- 0.09) and 1.04 (+/- 0.23), respectively. The log capsaicin concentration causing five or more coughs (C5) for groups A, B, C were 1.78 (+/- 0.1), 1.16 (+/- 0.12) and 1.54 (+/- 0.25), respectively. Group B was significantly more sensitive to inhaled capsaicin than the other groups (p less than 0.01). No significant difference was observed between groups A and C. Some differences were found when subgroups were examined within groups B and C. In group B, patients with post-nasal drip were found to have a normal sensitivity of the cough reflex and were, therefore, different from the remainder of patients with non-productive cough. In group C, patients with bronchiectasis and current infection showed an increase in the sensitivity of their cough reflex. It is concluded that cough can occur in association with either excess mucus production leading to productive cough or an increase in the sensitivity of the cough reflex, possibly leading to non-productive cough.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1992

Supersensitization of the oral response to SKF 38393 in neonatal 6-OHDA-lesioned rats is mediated through a serotonin system.

To study possible interactions between dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) neurochemical systems in the D-1 supersensitized induction of oral activity in neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats, the effects of a series of 5-HT agonists and antagonists were determined. At 3 days after birth rats were treated with desipramine HCl (20 mg/kg i.p., base form, 1 hr) and 6-OHDA HBr (100 micrograms, salt form, in each lateral ventricle). Rats were observed individually as adults, once a minute every 10 min over a 1-hr period after challenge with a DA or 5-HT receptor agonist. The respective 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B agonists, (+/-)-8-hydroxydipropylaminotetralin (0.50 mg/kg s.c.) and CGS 12066B maleate (7-trifluoromethyl-4(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-pyrrolo[1, 2-alquinoxaline], 1:2 maleate salt; 3.0 mg/kg i.p.), did not increase oral activity. The mixed 5-HT1C and 5-HT2 receptor agonist, m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP), produced a slight increase in oral activity in control rats and a marked increase in oral activity in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. In the 6-OHDA group the peak effect of 76.5 +/- 4.1 oral movements occurred with an m-CPP 2-HCl dose of 4.0 mg/kg. Pindolol (1.0 mg/kg i.p.), ketanserin tartrate (5 mg/kg i.p.) and MDL-72222 (3-tropanyl-3,5-dichlorobenzoate; 10 mg/kg s.c.), antagonists with high affinity for 5-HT1A,1B, 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors, respectively, did not attenuate m-CPP actions. However, mianserin HCl (1.0 mg/kg s.c.), an antagonist with high affinity for 5-HT1C and 5-HT2 receptors, attenuated the oral response to m-CPP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗
PubMed1992

Preclinical studies on LY237733, a potent and selective serotonergic antagonist.

8B-N-cyclohexyl-6-methyl-1(1-methylethyl)ergoline-8-carboxamide (LY237733) is an ergoline with potent and highly selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) antagonist activity. The in vitro radioligand displacement studies showed that LY237733 has a preferential affinity for 5-HT1c and 5-HT2 receptors compared to other monoaminergic receptors. This characteristic is shared with other previously described ergoline 5-HT antagonists, such as LY53857 and sergolexole. In parallel ligand displacement assays, LY237733 had a similar potency to sergolexole. LY237733 was equipotent to sergolexole, but slightly less potent than LY53857 in the antagonism of 5-HT-induced elevation in blood pressure and quipazine-induced elevation in corticosterone levels, which are considered to be measures of 5-HT2 and possibly 5-HT1c antagonist activity. LY237733 failed to antagonize pergolide or 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin-induced elevations in serum corticosterone levels, indicating selectivity for the 5-HT1c/2 receptor, relative to 5-HT1a and D2 dopaminergic receptors. The only in vivo response that could be detected after administration of LY237733 alone in doses less than 1 mg/kg was the amplification of male rat sexual behavior. LY237733 was 10 to 100 times more potent than LY53857 or sergolexole in augmenting sexual responses of male rats with different levels of sexual response capacity. LY237733 has a much longer serum half-life than sergolexole. These studies have provided the pre-clinical rationale to evaluate the effects of this compound in the treatment of sexual disorders such as psychogenic erectile dysfunction, and other therapeutic indications for a 5-HT2 antagonist, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and migraine.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric assay to measure urinary N tau-methylhistamine excretion in man.

An assay has been developed for N tau-methylhistamine, a major metabolite of the autocoid histamine, based on gas chromatography-electron-capture negative-ion chemical ionisation mass spectrometry. N tau-Methylhistamine was extracted from urine by cation-exchange chromatography and converted to its di-(3,5-bistrifluoromethylbenzoyl) derivative. The latter has good chromatographic properties and gives a negative-ion mass spectrum with the molecular ion (M., m/z 605) as base peak. A commercially available trideuterated analogue of N tau-methylhistamine was used as internal standard. Basal urinary excretion of N tau-methylhistamine in five normal subjects was found to be 0.21 +/- 0.05 mumol/h (289 +/- 74 mumol/mol of creatinine). This value was not significantly altered in these subjects following the infusion of a subpharmacological dose of histamine. In eight atopic volunteers, basal urinary excretion of N tau-methylhistamine was also not significantly changed following challenge with inhaled allergen.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

NMDA receptor antagonists suppress behaviors but not norepinephrine turnover or locus coeruleus unit activity induced by opiate withdrawal.

Pretreatment with the non-competitive NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antagonist MK801 (0.5, 1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) suppressed the behavioral signs of withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats. However, the same doses of MK801 that suppressed morphine withdrawal also simultaneously produced phencyclidine (PCP)-like behaviors. Pretreatment with the competitive NMDA antagonist LY274614 (25, 50, 100 mg/kg i.p.) also suppressed the behavioral signs of withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats but did not produce PCP-like behavioral effects. Single unit recordings were made from noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) and, at doses that suppressed morphine withdrawal behaviors, neither MK801 nor LY274614 blocked the withdrawal-induced activation of LC neurons. Biochemical analysis indicated that, at the same behaviorally relevant doses, neither MK801 nor LY274614 blocked the withdrawal-induced increase in norepinephrine turnover in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, or hypothalamus. These results indicate that NMDA antagonists attenuate the behavioral signs of morphine withdrawal without blocking the withdrawal-induced increase in norepinephrine turnover or the withdrawal-induced increase in LC unit activity. In addition, non-competitive NMDA antagonists, like MK801, may not be useful to alleviate opiate withdrawal symptoms in man because of their PCP-like side effects. However, competitive NMDA antagonists, like LY274614, could be of great benefit for alleviating opiate withdrawal symptoms in man.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Effect of cysteinyl-leukotriene receptor antagonist ICI 204.219 on allergen-induced bronchoconstriction and airway hyperreactivity in atopic subjects.

The effects of a highly selective leukotriene D4 receptor antagonist, ICI 204.219, on allergen-induced bronchoconstriction and changes in airway reactivity were evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Ten atopic subjects were selected for the study on the basis of an immediate fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) of at least 15% and a least a doubling dose fall in their PC20-histamine (the concentration of histamine needed to reduce FEV1 by 20%) after antigen challenge. Baseline PC20-histamine was determined before the ingestion of a single oral 40 mg dose of ICI 204.219 or matched placebo. 2 h later subjects were challenged with aerosolised allergen; FEV1 was measured for the next 6 h then PC20-histamine was remeasured. Two subjects did not complete the study for reasons not related to the trial medication. ICI 204.219 significantly attenuated the early and late phase bronchoconstriction to inhaled allergen (mean treatment difference in area under the FEV1-time curves 2529 [95% Cl 1085-3972] delta %FEV1.min; p less than 0.005: and 3537 [528-6545] delta %FEV1.min; p less than 0.03) and suppressed the allergen-induced increase in non-specific bronchial reactivity (mean treatment difference 1.03 [0.34-1.71] doubling dilutions of histamine; p less than 0.01). These findings suggest that ICI 204.219 may be a disease-modifying agent in asthma. Further studies are under way to evaluate its clinical efficacy.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1991

Fluoxetine, a selective inhibitor of serotonin uptake.

In summary, fluoxetine is a highly selective serotonin uptake inhibitor in vitro and in vivo. The conformation of fluoxetine, which resembles that of sertraline and other serotonin uptake inhibitors, appears to be a key feature that enables its high affinity and selective interaction with the serotonin transporter. The para-trifluoromethyl substituent, however, is also a pivotal structural element. The molecular pharmacology of fluoxetine has been well-defined, and its in vivo pharmacological effects appear to be mediated almost exclusively by serotonin uptake inhibition. Its selectivity for the serotonin transporter, lack of affinity for neurotransmitter receptors, and retention of selectivity following metabolism to norfluoxetine make fluoxetine a useful tool to explore pharmacologically induced increases in serotonin neurotransmission. Fluoxetine has found a variety of therapeutic application. Its use in treating depression has been most extensively studied, but controlled clinical studies also suggest the drug may have a role in treating obesity and bulimia. Moreover, a variety of other psychiatric disorders may be treatable with this drug. Regardless of the outcome of these clinical trials, it is apparent that fluoxetine has found a useful niche in therapy, and can be used as a probe to determine the role of serotonin in modulating human pathophysiologies.

Animals↗