Background: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been indicated against experimental seizures, but with relatively inconclusive results. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether NAC exerts a dose-dependent anticonvulsant effect and to determine NAC safe therapeutic dose range and its muscle-relaxant activity in both acute and chronic uses.Methods: Following intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of N...

1. In guinea-pig and canine airway smooth muscle, there is reduced beta-adrenoceptor agonist sensitivity in tissues pre-contracted with muscarinic agonists when compared to tissues pre-contracted with other spasmogens, such as histamine or leukotriene D4. This reduced sensitivity may be the result of an interaction between muscarinic receptors and beta-adrenoceptors. In this study the effects o...

The purpose of this study was to characterize the role of M2 muscarinic receptors in inhibiting relaxant effects of drugs that stimulate cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation in the guinea pig ileum. We investigated the ability of oxotremorine-M (oxo-M) to inhibit cAMP accumulation in the presence of agonists that stimulate adenylyl cyclase in other cells and tissues. Appreciable stimulation of cAMP (...

The possible role of endothelium in the vascular responses to vasodilator drugs was studied in relation to experimental hypertension. Short ring segments of the thoracic aorta and femoral artery were removed from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive WistarKyoto (WKY) rats. They were rubbed on the intimal surface to destruct endothelial cells or unrubbed, and bathed in Krebs-bi...

Serum potassium changes with direct E.C.T. and with modified E.C.T., given under three anaesthetic (thiopentone, diazepam and propanidid) and relaxant (suxamethonium) combinations were studied in 25 patients. Ten patients each, undergoing minor surgical procedures, acted as controls for these three combinations. Modified E.C.T. caused a rise in scram potassium, which, being highest at 3 minutes...