Showing papers in "Trends in Pharmacological Sciences in 1988"

TL;DR: It is suggested that adenosine may depress transmitter release in several ways and that the relative importance of these presynaptic actions may vary between nerve terminals.

TL;DR: Nigel Cook deals with some of these new developments in the field of K + channel pharmacology and the extension of these findings to the clinical situation.

TL;DR: A review of the available evidence indicates that α 2 -adrenoceptors are not a homogeneous class of receptors, but can be subdivided into several subtypes based on their pharmacological characteristics.

TL;DR: Domenico Regoli and colleagues describe how new selective agonists developed have been successfully used in vitro to characterize the responses of peripheral organs to neurokinins, and in vivo to elucidate possible physiological roles of the neurokinin system.

TL;DR: A sequence of events, evoked by anti-cancer therapies, are suggested, which could form the basis for further experimental investigation of the neuropharmacology of vomiting.

TL;DR: Partial sequence deduced from the cDNA suggests that this 5-HT receptor has structural similarities with other receptors coupled to G proteins, and aspects and evidence that 5- HT 1C receptors may indeed be different from5-HT 2 receptors are reviewed.

TL;DR: Randal Skidgel reviews more recent findings that have expanded the possible roles for this type of carboxypeptidase to include participation in the processing of peptide hormone precursors and in the regulation of the receptor specificity of active peptides.

TL;DR: The genetic and biochemical data indicating that P-glycoprotein is a major component of an energy-dependent efflux system antagonized by specific agents that prevent binding of cytotoxic drugs to this protein are discussed.

TL;DR: There is also evidence that acetylcholine, in addition to acting on postjunctional receptors to fulfil its transmitter role, also acts on pre-junctive nicotinic autoreceptors to facilitate mobilization of the transmitter as discussed by the authors.

TL;DR: Frank Tortella reviews the proconvulsant/anticonvulsant pharmacology of opioid peptides, the evidence for their involvement in postictal mechanisms, and the possible existence in the CNS of an endogenous enticonVulsant substance with opioid peptide-like characteristics.

TL;DR: A systematic review of the properties of IL-1, it receptor and its possible pharmacological value finds interleukins have excited great interest as pharmacological agents.

TL;DR: The mode of action of permissive hormones is analyzed using the hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase system as a model in tandem with the many new advances made in the understanding of the individual components of the system.

TL;DR: Simon Croft reports that the advances in the understanding of the biochemistry and metabolism of the Leishmania parasite, the efforts to screen available drugs and the use of new drug delivery systems have produced promising leads and some limited but notable new therapies.

TL;DR: The current state of development of each approach is reviewed, with examples that serve to illustrate the potential impact of these advances on the understanding of molecular recognition and development of future, novel therapeutic agents.

TL;DR: Animal models of anticonvulsant tolerance have been developed which correlate well with the clinical observations and also suggest that benodiazepines differ in their intrinsic tolerance-inducing potential, which may signal a resurgence of interest in the possible use of particular bendiazepines in the prophylaxis of epilepsy.

TL;DR: Arthur Hancock and colleagues outline procedures to ascertain compliance to this criterion and to transform data such that inappropriate conclusions are avoided.

TL;DR: Five 1,4-dihydropyridines have been shown to increase, instead of decrease, Ca 2+ influx into cells, resulting in a variety of pharmacological effects, but none of the compounds is suitable for clinical development.

TL;DR: Subtypes of muscarinic receptor have recently been shown to exist in the airways of several species, including humans, and the possible role of these subtypes of receptor is discussed.

TL;DR: New biochemical findings on the site of action of cocaine and its effects on dopamine systems support a role of dopamine reuptake inhibition in cocaine addiction, but the exact mechanism of interaction between the cocaine binding site and the dopamine transporter remains to be determined.

TL;DR: Increasing evidence is reviewed that the platelet has fundamental physiological roles in natural defence mechanisms and as a source of growth factors that may have pathological counterparts when platelets are activated inappropriately.

TL;DR: The chemical rules governing this process which have been extensively investigated in the last few years are described, and why the occurrence of activation via glutathione conjugation can now be predicted fairly accurately are explained.

TL;DR: It is concluded that δ-opioid receptors can be pharmacologically activated to initiate antinociception, suggesting the existence of an alternative mechanism for pain relief which may be of significant clinical importance.

TL;DR: The structural features which present DNA as an attractive target for drug design, and the possible characteristics of drugs that react with DNA to produce a predetermined biochemical response are described.