THE BARBITURATES

Barbiturates.

Comparative depression of several short acting barbiturates and spiro-barbiturates.

In an effort to develop new and possibly better types of barbiturates, suitable for intravenous use, a large number of spiro-barbiturates have been prepared by a ring closure on the 5-carbon atom of the barbituric acid and afforded for pharmacologic study. Spiro(2'-ethyl-3',5'-dimethyl cyclopentane) thio-barbituric acid appears to be the most promising product of a series of 50 analogues. Stoel...

Barbiturates and oxidative phosphorylation.

It has been claimed that barbiturates uncouple oxidative phosphorylations (Brody & Bain, 1954; Brody, 1955). These authors have demonstrated that during the oxidation of pyruvate by liver and brain mitochondria, phosphate uptake was lowered proportionately more than oxygen uptake. Support for the uncoupling theory was derived from certain similarities between the barbiturates and 2:4dinitrophen...

The identification of barbiturates by paper chromatography.

B ECAUSE barbiturates are relatively easily available and much used drugs, specimens from suspected cases of poisoning are frequently submitted to the laboratory for routine chemical examination. Since their urinary excretion begins early (because they are quickly absorbed), they can often be identified 1-2 hours after administration. The specimen of choice for examination is therefore the urin...

Barbiturates and serum calcium in the elderly.

In a retrospective study, based on a biochemical survey of people aged 65 and over in a general practice, subjects taking a barbiturate preparation for indications other than epilepsy had a significantly lower serum calcium concentration than did those taking nitrazepam or diazepam. Ordinary doses of barbiturate may adversely affect vitamin D metabolism in the elderly.