Allopurinol
Effect of allopurinol on hypoxia-induced modification of the NMDA receptor in newborn piglets.

Marro PJ, Andersen CB, Mishra OP, Delivoria-Papadopoulos M.

Department of Pediatrics, Maine Medical Center, Portland 04102-3134, USA.

The present study tests the hypothesis that pretreatment with allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, will prevent modification of the NMDA receptor during cerebral hypoxia in newborn piglets. Eighteen newborn piglets were studied. Six normoxic control animals were compared to six untreated hypoxic and six allopurinol (20 mg/kg i.v.) pretreated hypoxic piglets. Cerebral hypoxia was induced by lowering the FiO2 to 0.05-0.07 for 1 hour and tissue hypoxia was confirmed biochemically by the measurement of ATP and phosphocreatine. Brain cell membrane Na+,K+-ATPase activity was determined to assess membrane function. Na+,K+-ATPase activity was decreased from control in both the untreated and treated hypoxic animals (46.0+/-1.0 vs 37.9+/-2.5 and 37.3+/-1.4 micromol Pi/mg protein/hr, respectively, p < 0.05). [3H]MK-801 binding was determined as an index of NMDA receptor modification. The receptor density (Bmax) in the untreated hypoxic group was decreased compared to normoxic control (1.09+/-0.17 vs 0.68+/-0.22 pmol/mg protein, p < 0.01). The dissociation constant (Kd) was also decreased in the untreated group (10.0+/-2.0 vs 4.9+/-1.4 nM, p < 0.01), indicating an increase in receptor affinity. However, in the allopurinol treated hypoxic group, the Bmax (1.27+/-0.09 pmol/mg protein) was similar to normoxic control and the Kd (8.1+/-1.2 nM, p < 0.05) was significantly higher than in the untreated hypoxic group. The data show that the administration of allopurinol prior to hypoxia prevents hypoxia-induced modification of the NMDA receptor-ion channel binding characteristics, despite neuronal membrane dysfunction. By preventing NMDA receptor-ion channel modification, allopurinol may produce a neuromodulatory effect during hypoxia and attenuate NMDA receptor mediated excitotoxicity.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10492526&dopt=Abstract allopurinol Zyloprim



Allopurinol
The influence of allopurinol on kidney haemodynamic and excretory responses to renal ischaemia in anaesthetized rats.

Hestin D, Johns EJ.

Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT.

1. This study examined the impact of allopurinol on the renal functional responses to a 30 min period of ischaemia in anaesthetized rats. 2. Immediately on reperfusion, blood pressure rose transiently, while renal blood flow remained stable throughout at control values. Glomerular filtration rate was decreased by some 90% over the first and 80% over the sixth hour (P<0.001). 3. Allopurinol, 50 or 100 mg kg-1, had no effect on the blood pressure or renal blood flow responses over the 6 h reperfusion period but glomerular filtration decreased by 60% initially, and to less than 30% of basal at 6 h. 4. Urine flow and absolute sodium excretion increased 2 - 3 fold in the first 2 h but decreased thereafter. Fractional sodium excretion was 30 times higher for the first 2 h but decreased reaching some 10 fold higher at 6 h. In the presence of allopurinol, urine flow and absolute sodium excretion increased by 5 - 6 fold in the first 2 h, and fell by half by 6 h which was greater than in the vehicle group (P<0.01). Fractional sodium excretion increased 20 fold in the allopurinol animals in the first 2 h period, but fell at a faster rate (P<0.01) than in untreated rats. 5. Potassium excretion decreased (P<0.05) by one half for the 6 h reperfusion period but in the allopurinol animals it was minimally altered. 6. Allopurinol largely ameliorated the decrease in kidney haemodynamic and excretory function following an ischeamic period for the initial few hours of reperfusion.

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Allopurinol
Combination allopurinol and antimony treatment versus antimony alone and allopurinol alone in the treatment of canine leishmaniasis (96 cases).

Denerolle P, Bourdoiseau G.

Clinique veterinaire, La Seyne/Mer, France.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome for dogs with leishmaniasis that were treated with 3 different protocols: combined treatment with antimony and allopurinol, antimony alone, or allopurinol alone. Ninety-six dogs included in this study were determined to have leishmaniasis on the basis of (1) clinical features, (2) identification of the parasite in smears of lymph node, bone marrow aspirates, or skin biopsies, and (3) specific immunofluorescent assay. Three groups of dogs were defined: 45 dogs (group 1) were treated with antimony (100 mg/kg s.c. q24h) given concurrently for 1 month with allopurinol (15 mg/kg p.o. q12h), and then allopurinol alone for 8 months at the same dosage; 40 dogs (group 2) were treated with antimony alone according to the manufacturer's instructions (200 mg/kg s.c. q24h at 2-day intervals for 3-6 months); and 11 dogs (group 3) were treated with allopurinol alone (15 mg/kg p.o. q12h for 1-20 months). Information concerning signalment, history, physical examination findings, serologic testing and number of dogs becoming seronegative, outcome for each treated dog (clinical cure versus failure), and long-term survival were recorded. The numbers of the clinical cures versus failures were significantly different among the 3 groups (chi2 = 17.77, P < .001), between groups 1 and 2 (chi2 = 8.02, P < .01), between groups 2 and 3 (chi2 = 11.00, P < .01), and between groups 1 and 3 (chi2 = 16.52, P < .001). No significant difference between groups 1 and 2 was noted in the type of failure (relapse or death), serologic test results, and number of survival years (chi2 = 2.79, P > .05). The results of the present study indicate that antimony in combination with allopurinol produces better results than antimony alone or allopurinol alone for the treatment of the canine leishmaniasis. With combination treatment, duration of treatment with antimony is shorter and long-term administration of allopurinol is well tolerated.

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Allopurinol
Participation of xanthine-xanthine oxidase system and neutrophils in development of acute gastric mucosal lesions in rats with a single treatment of compound 48/80, a mast cell degranulator.

Ohta Y, Kobayashi T, Ishiguro I.

Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.

The participation of xanthine-xanthine oxidase and neutrophils in the development of acute gastric mucosal lesions was examined in rats injected once with compound 48/80, a mast cell degranulator. Gastric mucosal lesions appeared 0.5 hr after compound 48/80 injection and developed at 3 hr. The formation of gastric mucosal lesions at 0.5 hr after compound 48/80 injection was prevented by pretreatment with anti-neutrophil antiserum and NPC 14686, an antiinflammatory agent, but not with allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. The development of gastric mucosal lesions at 3 hr after compound 48/80 injection was prevented by pretreatment with anti-neutrophil antiserum, NPC 14686, or allopurinol. Increases in the activities of gastric mucosal xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase, an index of neutrophil infiltration, and the content of lipid peroxide occurred 0.5 hr after compound 48/80 injection, and these increases were enhanced at 3 hr. The increases in gastric mucosal myeloperoxidase activity and lipid peroxide content at 0.5 hr after compound 48/80 injection were attenuated by pretreatment with anti-neutrophil antiserum and NPC 14686, while only the increase in gastric mucosal xanthine oxidase activity at the same time point was arrested by allopurinol pretreatment. The increases in gastric mucosal xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase activities and lipid peroxide content at 3 hr after compound 48/80 treatment were attenuated by pretreatment with anti-neutrophil antiserum, NPC 14686, or allopurinol. When compound 48/80-injected rats were treated with allopurinol at 0.5 hr after compound 48/80 injection, the progression of gastric mucosal lesions at 3 hr after the injection was almost completely prevented with inhibition of the increases in gastric mucosal xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase activities and lipid peroxide content. These results indicate that in rats with a single compound 48/80 treatment neutrophils infiltrated into the gastric mucosa participated in the development of acute gastric mucosal lesions and that the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system in the gastric mucosa participated in the progression rather than the formation of the gastric mucosal lesions.

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Allopurinol
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of allopurinol in elderly and young subjects.

Turnheim K, Krivanek P, Oberbauer R.

Department of Pharmacology, University of Vienna. klaus.turnheim univie.ac.at

AIMS: The prevalence of hyperuricaemia and gout increases with age as does the incidence of adverse effects to allopurinol, the major uric acid lowering drug. The present study was performed to compare the disposition and effects of allopurinol and its active metabolite oxipurinol in elderly and young subjects without major health problems. METHODS: Ten elderly (age range 71-93 years) and nine young subjects (24-35 years) received an oral dose of 200 mg allopurinol in an open, single dose, cross sectional design. Four of these individuals were additionally dosed with 200 mg allopurinol intravenously. Plasma and urine concentrations of allopurinol, oxipurinol, hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid were measured by h. p.l.c. RESULTS: Total clearance of allopurinol was not different in elderly (15.7+/-3.8 ml min-1 kg-1, mean+/-s.e. mean) and young subjects (15.7+/-2.1), whereas total clearance of oxipurinol was significantly reduced in the aged (0.24+/-0.03) compared with young controls (0.37+/-0.05) as was the distribution volume of oxipurinol (0.60+/-0.09 and 0.84+/-0.07 l kg-1, respectively). Oxipurinol was eliminated primarily by the kidneys, allopurinol by metabolism. Fractional peroral bioavailability of allopurinol was 0.81+/-0.16 (n=4, two elderly and two young subjects). Although maximal plasma concentrations of oxipurinol were significantly higher in elderly (5. 63+/-0.83 microgram ml-1 ) than in young persons (3.75+/-0.25) as was the area under the oxipurinol plasma concentration-time curve, AUC (260+/-46 and 166+/-23 microgram ml-1 h, respectively), the pharmacodynamic effect of oxipurinol was smaller in elderly than young subjects (time-dependent decrease of plasma uric acid 83+/-30 microgram ml-1 h in elderly compared with 176+/-21 in young controls). Oxipurinol increased the renal clearance of xanthine, suggesting inhibition of tubular xanthine reabsorption by oxipurinol. CONCLUSIONS: Although allopurinol elimination is not reduced in the aged, that of its active metabolite oxipurinol is because of an age-dependent decline in renal function. Xanthine oxidase inhibition by oxipurinol appears to be reduced in old age. In addition to its uricostatic action, oxipurinol has a xanthinuric effect which is also diminished in the elderly.

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Allopurinol
Effects of allopurinol, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine and S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine on the degradation of adenosine 5'-triphosphate in the rat colon muscularis mucosae.

Tennant JP, Callaghan F, Turner C, Hourani SM.

School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

The effects on ATP breakdown of some modulators of adenosine transport or metabolism were studied in the rat colon muscularis mucosae, a tissue which contracts to ATP and is thought to contain P2Y1 receptors. The compounds tested were the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol, the adenosine deaminase inhibitor erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA) and the adenosine uptake blocker S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine (NBTI). The degradation of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) (100 microM) and the appearance of metabolites was followed by high pressure liquid chromatography during incubation of isolated tissue preparations alone or in the presence of the drugs, following preincubation with the drugs for 1 h. In the absence of drugs ATP was rapidly degraded by the rat colon muscularis mucosae with a half-life of 6.1 +/- 0.7 min, the major breakdown product being inosine rather than adenosine. Allopurinol (1 microM) and NBTI (10 microM) had no effect on the rate of breakdown of ATP or on the pattern of metabolites produced. EHNA (1 or 10 microM) also had no effect on the half-life of ATP, but in the presence of EHNA (1 microM) the rate of production of inosine was significantly reduced and some adenosine was detected, while in the presence of 10 microm EHNA the production of inosine was abolished and adenosine became the final breakdown product. These results indicate that allopurinol (1 microM) and NBTI (10 microM) have no detectable effect on extracellular purine metabolism in this tissue, and that the build-up of adenosine produced by treatment with EHNA does not have a feedback effect on ATP breakdown.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10589973&dopt=Abstract allopurinol Zyloprim