1. In an investigation of antiulcer potential of various antidepressants it was observed that trimipramine, nomifensine and mianserin (10 mg/kg i.p. 60 min prior) offered protection, against restraint stress (18 hour), aspirin (225 mg/kg, p.o. 4 hrs prior) and piroxicam (10 mg/kg i.p. 2 hrs prior) induced gastric ulcers. Iprindole, however, failed to offer significant protection. 2. Decrease in gastric mucosal sialic acid and hydroxyproline content, decrease in thymic and spienic weight and depletion of adrenal ascorbic acid on account of restraint stress were found to improve only with pretreatment with trimipramine, but not with iprindole. 3. Antiulcer effect of trimipramine, nomifensine and mianserin is likely to be on account of their property of increasing central norephtephrine which in turn improves gastric function.

1. Comparative evaluation of enfenamic acid and few NSAID was done on biochemical parameters like blood sugar and uric acid and on baematological parameters like clotting time, platelet count, euglobulin clot lysis time and plsma fibrinogen content in rabbits. 2. Aspirin and ibuprofen per se induced hyperglycemia while tolmetin and indometbacin produced hypoglycaemic response.However, with enfenamic acid, hypoglycaemlc resposne was more marked in higher doses. Aspirin and tolmetin exhibited significant hypouricaemic effect, enfenamic acid and ibuprofen were less potent in this respect. 3. Thrombocytopenia and decrease in coagulation time was observed with aspirin, indometbacin, tolmetin and ibuprofen However, enfenamic acid failed to affect these para-meters. 4. Our study showed increased plasma fibrinogen content and euglobulin clot lysis time with aspirin, tolmetin and indomethacin while ibuprofen produced an increase in plasma fibrinogen content and had no effect on euglobulin clot lysis time; enfenamic acid had no effect on both the parameters.

1. Quercetin produced dose dependent increase in force of contraction in isolated frog and rabbit heart preparations with simultaneous decrease in heart rate. 2. The dose dependent inotropic responses of quercetin were significantly inhibited by propranolol and practolol. Theophylline potentlated and imidazole attenuated the responses to quercetin significantly. 3. Quercetin responses were altered by changes in calcium chloride/sodium chloride/ potassium chloride concentrations In the perfusion fluid. 4. Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), significantly inhibited the responses to querce tin. 5. The results suggest that quercetio induced positive inotropic effects are probably due to an increase in the availability of intracellular calcium.

1. The present investigation was undertaken to study the effects of chronic lead toxicity on the sensitivity of rat anococcygeus muscle to various agonists. 2. Treatment of rats with lead acetate (6.5 mg/kg/day, i,p. for 21 days) resulted in significant elevation of blood level and ( -aminolevulnic acid in urine ( ( -ALA-U). 3. The anococcygeus muscle isolated from lead treated rats exhibited supersensitivity to noradrenaline, dopamine, carbachol and 5-hydroxytryptamine. 4. Deprivation of Cat-t from the bathing medium did not alter significantly the responses to these agonists, however the supersensitivity was completely abolished in anococcy-geus muscle preparations obtained from lead treated animals. 5. The supersensitivity to these agonists was maintained in lead treated preparations bathed in medium containing high Ca++. 6. Ca Cl2 produced a dose depeodent contraction in the presence of sub-threshold dose of various agonists. These responses were significantly increased in lead treated preparations. 7. Our data indicate that chronic lead toxicity produces supersensitivity to various agonists in rat anococcygeus muscle.The mechanism of this supersensitivity may be related to an increased availability of calcium and/or increased sensitivity to the calcium of the tissues.

1. The present investigation was undertaken to study the influence of diabetes mellitus on digozin levels in patients with congestive cardiac failure. 2. Serum digoxin levels were found to be significantly higher in diabetics (1.35 ( 0.2 ng/ml) as compared to nondiabetics (0.4 ( 0.04 ng/ml), with higher values in female patients as compared to males. 3. There was a correlation (r=0.5) between increase in digoxin levels andincrease in glycosylated haemoglobin value. 4. It is suggested that dosage regimes of the glycoside should be redesigned in diabetic patients to reduce the digoxin morbidity and mortality.

1. The effect of scoparone on catecholamine content of adrenal glands, spleen, brain and intestinal tissues of rats was investigated. 2. A single oral dose of scoparone (100 mg/kg-1) produced reduction of catecholamine content of adrenal glands and spleen without affecting that of brain, heart and small intestines. 3. On repeated oral administration also, it lowered the catecholamine content of the adrenal glands but not that of brain. 4. The catecholamine lowering effect appeared within 6h, and was maximum at 24 h. The hypotensive and tranquillosedative effects of scoparone appeared within 15-20 min after oral administration and lasted for 4-6 h.The pharmacological effects of scoparone, therefore, appear to be independent of its catecholamine depleting action.

1. A non-paralysing dose of d-tubocurarine (25 (g/kg) caused quicker onset of hind limb paralysis of a long duration in rats pretreated with imipramine (15,30 mg/kg). Pretreatment with imipramine (10,15,30 mg/kg) in rabbits reduced the minimum effective head drop dose of d-tubocurarine. 2. Potentiating effect persisted upto 24 h, and total recovery from the effect appeared after 48 h, of imipramine (30 mg/kg) pretreatment, 3. It is suggested that the potentiation of the action of d-tubocurarine by imipramine may be of clinical importance, in patients receiving imipramine.

1. Intraperitoneal diazepam (0.75-2.0 mg/kg) produced significant anticonvulsant effect in albino mice against pentylenetetrazol (80 mg/kg, SC) induced convulsions. 2. Pretreatment with thiosemicarbazide (5 mglkg, ip, 1 h), reduced the anticonvulsant effect of a sub-maximal dose of diazepam (1 mg/kg, ip, 2 h) whereas sodium valproate and muscimol (0,2 mg/kg, ip, 0.5 h) enhanced the effect of subanticonvulsant dose of diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, ip, 2 h) indicating the role of endogenous GABA in the effect of diazepam. 3. Biochemical studies also showed an increrse in cerebral cortical level of GABA in diazepam (1 mg/kg, ip, 2 h) or sodium valproate and diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, ip, 2 h) pretreated animals. Thiosemicarbazide pretreatment prevented the enhancement of cerebral cortical GABA level by diazepam (1 mg/kg, ip, 2 h).

1. Analysis of drugs dispensed in four pharmacies of North Goa reveals that of the total 2456 drugs, 75.45 % were prescribed drugs whereas the remainder 24.55% comprised of OTC drugs. 2. Tonics, antibiotics and analgesics formed the highest percentage of prescribed drugs whereas tonics, analgesics and locally acting drugs formed the higbest percentage among OTC drugs. 3. Brand names were more prevalent than generic names. 4. Many drug combinations fulfilled the criteria of desirable drug interactions. No adverse drug interactions were obvious in any of the prescriptions together with the tendency of limited prescribing.