Significant leucopenia, predominantly the result of a large reduction in lymphocyte concentration, was observed in rainbow trout exposed to 301 pg1-I copper for 24h. A strong trend ( P = 0.085) toward reduced erythrocyte concentration was also apparent. The pattern of haematological change after chronic exposure (1 18 pg I-' copper for 16 weeks) was substantially different. With the exception of a significant increase in neutrophil concentration (neutrophilia), all blood cell concentrations had returned to control levels.

In this article, studies on the disposition of amitriptyline after administration of a single dose, as well as following long term administration are reviewed. While long term studies showed bias towards a higher mean apparent oral clearance, studies in normal subjects nevertheless indicated a higher apparent oral clearance than that calculated from steady-state concentrations in depressed patients. Methodological issues could account for some of the discrepancies in mean values of the pharmacokinetic parameters of amitriptyline. Broad individual variability in the elimination rate of amitriptyline has been confirmed but could not be attributed to the clinical characteristics of the subjects.

The saturable mechanism of tyrosine (TYR) uptake by the membrane of red blood cells incubated at 37 °C has been studied in normal subjects and psychiatric patients. This uptake is markedly inhibited by incubation at 0 °C, and weakly inhibited by iodoacetic acid and ouabain. The uptake of TYR is significantly lower in unipolar- and bipolar-depressed patients, and significantly higher in schizophrenics compared to normal controls. These results indicate a possible disturbance of functional capacity of membrane transport in some psychiatric diseases.

No abstract

The hypothesis for this therapeutic use of delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) was based on several animal studies conducted by Tissot. He showed that morphine, alcohol, pentobarbital as well as DSIP, when injected directly into the bulbo-mesencephalo-thalamic recruiting system, induced slow-wave sleep with numerous spindles. In all cases, this effect was reversed by Naloxone. Thus, it has been postulated that DSIP possesses an agonistic activity on opiate receptors and might be of value in the treatment of withdrawal syndromes. Therefore, DSIP was administered intravenously to 107 inpatients presenting with symptoms of alcohol (n = 47) or opiate (n = 60) withdrawal. The assessment of effect was based on the clinical evaluation by the physician and the nursing staff. Approximately 13% of the patients from the first and 22% from the second group did not fulfil the requirements for the evaluation of treatment. In, respectively, 97 and 87% of opiate and alcohol addicts, the clinical symptoms and signs disappeared after DSIP administration or improved markedly and rapidly. Anxiety, however, was slower to decrease. On the average, the clinical symptomatology had a more prolonged course and a higher number of DSIP injections were required for opiate addicts than for alcoholics. Tolerance to the DSIP treatment was good, aside from headaches reported by a few patients.