Vitamin A (VA) fortification of rice for developing countries has been attempted by formulating a synthetic rice grain containing VA (called Ultraricea) to be used as a premix with ordinary rice. VA was stabilized with a combination of tocopherol, ascorbic acid and saturated lipids in the formulation. Washing stability of VA was 100%. Cooking stability was greater than 80% retention of VA. AH+ of VA degradation ranged from 4 to 34 kcal/mole depending on Aw and formulation. Entropies ranged from 11 to -79 cal/mol-deg. AG$ was unchanged averaging 29 kcal/mol. The best tm s for VA were >1 year. Successful stabilization of VA has enabled this premix to be used in clinical and pilot field fortification studies in the Philippines.
Amitraz (N'-[2,4-dimethylphenyl]-N-[(2,4-dimethylphenyl)imino]-N- methylmethanimidamide) is a formamidine insecticide/acaricide that increases plasma glucose and decreases plasma insulin concentrations in dogs when applied topically. Because amitraz activates alpha 2-adrenoceptors in numerous tissues, in this study we used rats as a model to determine whether these effects of amitraz are mediated by alpha 2-adrenoceptors. The i.v. injection of amitraz (0.1, 0.3, and 1 mg/kg) followed by i.v. glucose injection (1 g/kg) induced a dose-dependent glucose intolerance characterized by hypoinsulinemia. At 1 mg/kg, amitraz completely blocked the insulin release induced by i.v. glucose administration. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine (1 mg/kg, i.v.) prevented the effects of amitraz, but the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (0.3 mg/kg, i.v.) did not. The results suggested that one mechanism by which amitraz prolongs glucose-induced hyperglycemia is via inhibition of insulin release and this effect is mediated by alpha 2-adrenoceptors.
The effects of xylazine on porcine myometrial contractility were studied in vitro using uterine strips to determine the alpha 2-adrenergic influences during the diestrous stage of the estrous cycle. Xylazine (10(-8)-10(-5) M) caused a dose-dependent increase in the amplitude of myometrial contractility. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists idazoxan and yohimbine (10(-8)-10(-6) M) blocked the effects of xylazine in a dose-dependent manner. Yohimbine was approximately 10 times more potent than idazoxan in this regard. In contrast, an alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) did not block the xylazine-induced increase in myometrial contractility, but a higher dose of prazosin (10(-5) M) did reduce the effects of xylazine. When the porcine uterine strips were pretreated with Ca2(+)-free Tyrod's solution or verapamil, a Ca2+ channel blocker, the effects of xylazine on myometrial contractility were completely abolished, whereas those of carbachol were only moderately reduced. The results suggest that the xylazine-induced myometrial contractility is mediated by alpha 2-adrenoceptors and that this effect is mediated, at least in part, by Ca2+ channels, whereas the effect of carbachol is attributed to an increase in both Ca2+ entry and release of Ca2+ from intracellular pools.
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