Adverse reactions to furazolidone and other drugs. A comparative review.

Furazolidone is a synthetic nitrofuran with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial action and has been widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal infections. This article reviews the adverse reactions to furazolidone reported in the world literature. Of 10,443 adults and children who were treated with the drug, approximately 8.3% (864) experienced such reactions. Because some of these patients had more than 1 adverse reaction, 1178 reactions were reported in these studies. Nausea with vomiting, the commonest adverse reaction, was reported by 51% of the 864 patients who experienced adverse reactions. The authors compare the adverse reactions to furazolidone with those reported for other antimicrobial and antiprotozoal drugs that are frequently used to treat gastrointestinal infections.

Participacion del calcio en la inhibicion in vitro de la contractilidad del utero de la rata producida por androgenos y metabolitos de la progesterona. / Participation of calcium on the in vitro inhibition of rat uterine contractility induced by androgens and progesterone metabolites

El efecto relajante de las dosis efectivas 50 de androgenos y progestinas sobre las contracciones in vitro del utero de la rata fue prevenido por la administracion previa de Ca2+ o antagonizada por la adicion posterior de este ion. En todos los casos el Ca2+ fue efectivo para antagonizar el efecto inhibitorio de los esteroides. Sin embargo, con la pregnanolona el calcio fue un poco menos potente para revertir la relajacion, a pesar de que la concentracion del esteroide en este caso fue la menor. El analisis matematico usando la ecuacion de Hanes-Woolf para el estudio cinetico de la interacion entre el ion y las hormonas. Los resultados apoyan la idea de que los esteroides podrian ejercer su efecto relajante sobre la contractilidad uterina disminuyendo la permeabilidad de la membrana al ion calcio

In vitro effects of androgens upon the spontaneous rat uterine contractility.

The effectiveness of ring A reduced (5 alpha and 5 beta) testosterone (T) derivatives upon the rat uterus spontaneous contractility was tested in vitro. Compounds with the 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha reduced configuration, such as androsterone and androstanediol, and one 5 beta reduced (5 beta-dihydrotestosterone) elicited a remarkable inhibitory effect upon the myometrial activity. Although steroids with 5 beta reduction were less potent than 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha reduced compounds for depressing the myometrial activity, they were somewhat more potent than T, DHEA, androstenedione and the remaining 5 alpha reduced compounds tested. Therefore, T could act as a "prehormone", accounting for the maintenance of the physiological myometrial activity through its 5-reduced derivatives.

In vitro inhibition of rat uterine contractility induced by 5 alpha and 5 beta progestins.

Ten natural progestins were evaluated for their capacity to inhibit the in vitro motility of rat's uterus. Progestins with their ring A reduced in the 5 beta position were significantly more potent than delta 4-3 keto and 5 alpha reduced progestins. These last progestins were ineffective to inhibit uterine motility excepting 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one which was slightly less effective than progesterone. The potency of the progestins to inhibit uterine motility was related to their capacity to induce membrane stabilization. The data indicates that 5 beta, but not 5 alpha reduction of progesterone, may be important for regulating myometrial activity.

[Pharmacodynamics of alcoholic and aqueous extracts from the Casimiroa edulis seed]. / Farmacodinamia de los extractos alcohólico y acuoso de la semilla de Casimiroa edulis.

The hypnotic properties of leaves and seed of Casimiroa edulis (zapote blanco) a tropical fruit, are well known. In the present investigation, pharmacological studies on aqueous and alcoholic extracts were carried out in dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs, using different experimental models. The action of the extracts upon blood pressure, cardiac activity, respiration rate, muscular tone, electroencephalographic activity, sleep and other parameters were studied too. In addition to, studies upon isolated human, cat, rabbit and guinea pig tissues gave information about the extracts effect on smooth muscle activity. It was found that both aqueous and alcoholic extract of the seed of zapote blanco produced marked hypotension in all animal species, which was followed by a sleep-like stage. Also a definitive oxitocic effect in vivo and in vitro was demonstrated suggesting the presence of a potent uterus constricting substance.