ABSTRACT
Since Magnus Huss introduced the diagnosis of 'chronic alcoholism' into medical literature in 1849, two unsolved problems concerning classification have remained: (1) Differentiation between problem drinkers and chronic alcoholics fluctuates, whereby the cut point of differentiation between abuse and addiction remains differently defined by different authors. Some authors view alcohol-induced damage as a building-stone of diagnosis of chronic alcoholism whereas other authors define these damages as illnesses developed as a consequence of chronic alcohol intake. This fact is also mirrored in the different definitions of chronic alcoholism by different classification systems, like ICD-9, DMS-III or DMS-III-R. Valid and reliable questionnaires, like the Munich Alcoholism Test or the Problem Drinking Scale did not succeed in solving this problem of definition, either. (2) The fact that chronic alcoholics are sick--in the sense of a biological-medical approach--is undoubted. Our research group was able to prove that chronic alcoholic patients metabolize methanol in a different way from that of healthy persons. The biological, sociological and psychopathological heterogeneity of this illness has been stressed for more than a century. A prospective long-term study carried out over 4-7 years has led to the development of a new typology in chronic alcoholism that is able to differentiate subgroups of chronic alcoholic patients cross-sectionally in a clinical, biochemical and neurophysiological way. Diagnosis according to this typology qualitatively differentiates patients in many spheres other than drinking behavior. These subgroups also require correspondingly modified therapeutic strategies.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism/classification , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Alcoholism/diagnosis , Alcoholism/psychology , Follow-Up Studies , HumansSubject(s)
Fluorescamine , L Cells , Spiro Compounds , Animals , Autoanalysis , Fluorescence , Fluorometry , MiceABSTRACT
Sulfonylureas which are chemically related to glibenclamide, and glibornuride were tested in the system of isolated islets of Langerhans. Glibenclamide as well as glibenclamide analogues stimulated secretion of insulin within the first 30 min after addition to the medium. Stimulation of insulin secretion by glibornuride occurred from 60 to 90 min after addition of the agent. The results are discussed on the basis of physicochemical properties of the substances.
Subject(s)
Insulin/metabolism , Islets of Langerhans/drug effects , Sulfonylurea Compounds/pharmacology , Animals , Glyburide/pharmacology , In Vitro Techniques , Insulin Secretion , Islets of Langerhans/metabolism , Male , Rats , Stimulation, Chemical , Time Factors , Tolbutamide/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Different methods for homogenization of cells of Streptomyces hydrogenans, for extraction of nucleic acids and for fractionation of the RNA and DNA obtained were critically examined. The only way to prepare high molecular weight rapidly labelled RNA and polysomes was to grind freeze-dried cells together with kieselguhr with a mortar and pestle. The best results for extraction of nucleic acids from the cell homogenate were obtained in the presence of diethyl pyrocarbonate (diethyl oxydiformate), yielding nucleic acids of considerable purity in a minimal amount of time. The best resolution of extracted nucleic acids was achieved by electrophoresis in 2% agarose acrylamide gels. This technique proved that during the cell homogenization and extraction procedure the bulk of nucliec acids was not degraded to low molecular weight material. An improved device for the registration of the profile of the absorption after gel electrophoresis is described.
