Psychotropic drug

About: Psychotropic drug is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2309 publications have been published within this topic receiving 54070 citations.

Interactions of chlorpromazine with milk proteins.

Abstract: The mode and nature of the binding of chlorpromazine (CPZ), a psychotropic drug, with milk proteins--alpha-lactalbumin (with substantial amounts of alpha-helix, beta-sheet and random coil), alpha-lactoglobulin (a major beta-sheeted protein) and alphas-casein (a random coiled protein) have been studied spectrofluorometrically and spectropolarimetrically. The binding affinity of CPZ for unfolded proteins is comparatively less than that of folded proteins although the number of binding sites is smaller in the latter case, due to the greater extent of binding of CPZ for folded proteins. Thermodynamic analysis reveals that CPZ binds to alpha-lactalbumin and alphas-casein in an endothermic (deltaH degrees is positive) and hydrophobic manner but with beta-lactoglobulin in an exothermic (deltaH degrees is negative) manner. Far UV Circular dichroic studies reveal that CPZ increases the secondary structure of the major beta-sheeted protein, beta-lactoglobulin possibly by increasing the relative contact orders (non-local contacts) within the residues. On the other hand, for proteins possessing random coil, it increases the unfolded state of the protein. CPZ does not affect local contacts in alpha-helix when its interaction is compared with a major alpha-helical protein, myoglobin.

Testing Antipsychotic Drug Effects with Operant Behavioral Techniques

Abstract: Operant techniques offer one of the best possible controls of behavior. Depending on the pattern of reinforcement the animals produce characteristic patterns of responding (Ferster and Skinner, 1957). As these patterns have been found highly reproducible in different species (even in man), schedule controlled behavior is a phenomenon of great generality; and it is on these patterns that the critical behavioral effects of drugs depend upon (Kelleher and Morse, 1968, 1969). That is why especially operant procedures can uniquely provide very stable and reproducible baselines for drug studies, and it also explains the broad use of these techniques in drug testing, even if they require a lot of time and effort (Cook and Sepinwall, 1976a; Dews, 1978). The specifity of behavioral changes and the sensitivity to drugs is a further advantage of operant procedures (Cook and Kelleher, 1963), as is the possibility of testing drug effects on the behavior of an intact living system (Cook and Sepinwall, 1976b).

Diazepam: Kinetic profiles in various brain areas, plasma and erythrocytes after chronic administration in the rat

Abstract: The regional distribution of diazepam (DZP) was established in eleven discrete brain areas in the rat afteri.m. chronic treatment (15 days; 5 mg/kg/day). In addition, the kinetic profiles of this drug were investigated in plasma, eryhtrocytes, and three CNS regions (nucleus caudatus, hippocampus, and cerebellum) upon which the pharmacokinetic study was focused. The modifications occuring in plasma-protein binding and erythrocytes binding were reported. In the CNS, the DZP was rapidly distributed; its concentrations and its kinetic profiles were not uniform in the different brain areas studied. The highest amount of DZP was noted in the hypothalamus, while nucleus caudatus and colliculi also presented important DZP levels. Concerning the kinetic parameters after chronic administration, an increase in the elimination half-life time value in central and peripheral compartments, as compared to values reported after acute administration, was observed. The study of cerebral DZP levels as compared with those in the erythrocytes or in plasma suggests a linear correlation in the three CNS areas investigated. These experimental results demonstrate the interest of such studies for psychotropic drug monitoring.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors causing variability in response to neuroleptic drugs.

Abstract: When a new psychotropic drug is introduced on the market with claims that it acts more specifically than the previous ones this has to be proven - not just in in vitro receptor binding systems and animal experiments - but also in patients. That can only be done by properly designed clinical studies.