INTRODUCTION Myasthenia gravis (MG), a rare neuromuscular disease, is often initially treated using acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Patients who do not respond adequately depend on the use of corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive medication, but these may have serious side effects. Clinical observations suggest that ephedrine can diminish, postpone or even prevent the need for immunosuppr...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The beta-2 adrenergic receptor gene has several polymorphisms. Recent studies have demonstrated the clinical importance of the latter. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of the Arg16Gli polymorphism on the incidence of arterial hypotension and ephedrine use in pregnant patients submitted to subarachnoid block for Cesarean section. METHOD...

To compare the mechanisms underlying mechanical responses to ephedrine and Ephedra herb, a main component of Kakkon-to, in isolated male and female rabbit urinary bladder and urethral strips, responses of isolated strips to the agents were recorded in organ bath systems. Ephedrine and Ephedra herb relaxed the female urinary bladder to the similar extent. These relaxations are reversed to contra...

A new oriented method using a diazonium salt reaction was developed for linking β2-adrenoceptor (β2-AR) on the surface of macroporous silica gel. Stationary phase containing the immobilised receptor was used to investigate the interaction between β2-AR and ephedrine plus pseudoephedrine by zonal elution. The isotherms of the two drugs best fit the Langmuir model. Only one type of binding site w...

Arterial blood pressure was recorded directly in 11 normotensive subjects, in 11 patients with essential hypertension and in 10 patients with renovascular hypertension. The pressor response to intravenous injections of norepinephrine, tyramine, angiotensin and ephedrine was compared in these three groups. An infusion of angiotensin was then given and the pressor response to injections of norepi...

BACKGROUND A decreased lumbosacral subarachnoidal space volume is a major factor in the cephalad intrathecal spread of local anesthetics in term parturients and their subarachnoidal space is decreased due to the compressive effect of huge uteri. Therefore, they show a higher level of sensory block and hypotensive episodes. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the symphysis-fundal...

INTRODUCTION During brain tumour surgery, vasopressor drugs are commonly administered to increase mean arterial blood pressure with the aim of maintaining sufficient cerebral perfusion pressure. Studies of the commonly used vasopressors show that brain oxygen saturation is reduced after phenylephrine administration, but unaltered by ephedrine administration. These findings may be explained by d...