An evaluation of pharmacology curricula in Australian science and health-related degree programs

Background: Pharmacology is a biomedical discipline taught in basic science and professional degree programs. In order to provide information that would facilitate pharmacology curricula to be refined and developed, and approaches to teaching to be updated, a national survey was undertaken in Australia that investigated pharmacology course content, teaching and summative assessment methods. Methods: Twenty-two institutions participated in a purpose-built online questionnaire, which enabled an evaluation of 147 courses taught in 10 different degrees. To enable comparison, degrees were grouped into four major degree programs, namely science, pharmacy, medicine and nursing. The pharmacology content was then classified into 16 lecture themes, with 2-21 lecture topics identified per theme. The resultant data were analysed for similarities and differences in pharmacology curricula across the degree programs. Results: While all lecture themes were taught across degree programs, curriculum content differed with respect to the breadth and hours of coverage. Overall, lecture themes were taught most broadly in medicine and with greatest coverage in pharmacy. Reflecting a more traditional approach, lectures were a dominant teaching method (at least 90% of courses). Sixty-three percent of science courses provided practical classes but such sessions occurred much less frequently in other degree programs, while tutorials were much more common in pharmacy degree programs (70%). Notably, problem-based learning was common across medical programs. Considerable diversity was found in the types of summative assessment tasks employed. In science courses the most common form of in-semester assessment was practical reports, whereas in other programs pen-and-paper quizzes predominated. End-of-semester assessment contributed 50-80% to overall assessment across degree programs. Conclusion: The similarity in lecture themes taught across the four different degree programs shows that common knowledge- and competency-based learning outcomes can be defined for pharmacology. The authors contend that it is the differences in breadth and coverage of material for each lecture theme, and the differing teaching modes and assessment that characterise particular degree programs. Adoption of pharmacology knowledge-based learning outcomes that could be tailored to suit individual degree programs would better facilitate the sharing of expertise and teaching practice than the current model where pharmacology curricula are degree-specific.Hilary Lloyd, Tina Hinton, Shane Bullock, Anna-Marie Babey, Elizabeth Davis, Lynette Fernandes, Joanne Hart, Ian Musgrave and James Zioga

Loss of anti-contractile effect of perivascular adipose tissue in offspring of obese rats

RATIONALE: Maternal obesity pre-programmes offspring to develop obesity and associated cardiovascular disease. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) exerts an anti-contractile effect on the vasculature, which is reduced in hypertension and obesity. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether maternal obesity pre-programmes offspring to develop PVAT dysfunction in later life. METHODS: Female Sprague–Dawley rats were fed a diet containing 10% (control) or 45% fat (high fat diet, HFD) for 12 weeks prior to mating and during pregnancy and lactation. Male offspring were killed at 12 or 24 weeks of age and tension in PVAT-intact or -denuded mesenteric artery segments was measured isometrically. Concentration–response curves were constructed to U46619 and norepinephrine. RESULTS: Only 24-week-old HFD offspring were hypertensive (P<0.0001), although the anti-contractile effect of PVAT was lost in vessels from HFD offspring of each age. Inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthase with 100 μM l-NMMA attenuated the anti-contractile effect of PVAT and increased contractility of PVAT-denuded arteries (P<0.05, P<0.0001). The increase in contraction was smaller in PVAT-intact than PVAT-denuded vessels from 12-week-old HFD offspring, suggesting decreased PVAT-derived NO and release of a contractile factor (P<0.07). An additional, NO-independent effect of PVAT was evident only in norepinephrine-contracted vessels. Activation of AMP-activated kinase (with 10 μM A769662) was anti-contractile in PVAT-denuded (P<0.0001) and -intact (P<0.01) vessels and was due solely to NO in controls; the AMPK effect was similar in HFD offspring vessels (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively) but was partially NO-independent. CONCLUSIONS: The diminished anti-contractile effects of PVAT in offspring of HFD dams are primarily due to release of a PVAT-derived contractile factor and reduced NO bioavailability

Acute reduction of serum 8-iso-PGF2-alpha and advanced oxidation protein products in vivo by a polyphenol-rich beverage; a pilot clinical study with phytochemical and in vitro antioxidant characterization

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Measuring the effects of the acute intake of natural products on human biomarker concentrations, such as those related to oxidation and inflammation, can be an advantageous strategy for early clinical research on an ingredient or product.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>31 total healthy subjects were randomized in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, acute pilot study with post-hoc subgroup analysis on 20 of the subjects. The study examined the effects of a single dose of a polyphenol-rich beverage (PRB), commercially marketed as "SoZo^®", on serum anti-inflammatory and antioxidant markers. In addition, phytochemical analyses of PRB, and <it>in vitro </it>antioxidant capacity were also performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At 1 hour post-intake, serum values for 8-iso-PGF2-alpha and advanced oxidation protein products decreased significantly by 40% and 39%, respectively. Additionally, there was a trend toward decreased C-reactive protein, and increased nitric oxide levels. Both placebo and PRB treatment resulted in statistically significant increases in hydroxyl radical antioxidant capacity (HORAC) compared to baseline; PRB showed a higher percent change (55-75% versus 23-74% in placebo group), but the two groups did not differ significantly from each other.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>PRB produced statistically significant changes in several blood biomarkers related to antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects. Future studies are justified to verify results and test for cumulative effects of repeated intakes of PRB. The study demonstrates the potential utility of acute biomarker measurements for evaluating antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects of natural products.</p

Influence of stimulation parameters on the release of adenosine, lactate and CO2 from contracting dog gracilis muscle

1. The addition of adenosine, CO2 and lactate to the venous blood draining an isolated constant-flow perfused gracilis muscle was studied in anaesthetized and artificially ventilated dogs during twitch and tetanic contractions. 2. Venous adenosine concentration increased from 154 ± 33 nM (mean ± S.E.M.) to 279 ± 121 or 280 ± 125 nM after 10 min of 1.5 or 3 Hz twitch contractions and to 240 ± 120 or 276 ± 139 nM after 10 min of 1 or 5 s tetani occurring at 0.1 Hz. Twitch contractions at 0.1 or 0.5 Hz for 10 min did not significantly elevate venous adenosine. 3. Venous lactate concentration was significantly increased after 10 min of 1.5 or 3 Hz twitches or 5 s tetani at 0.1 Hz. There was a good correlation (r = 0.70; P < 0.001) between venous adenosine and lactate concentrations. 4. Venous partial pressure of CO2 (P(CO2)) was significantly elevated after 10 min of 1.5 or 3 Hz twitch contractions or 1 or 5 s tetani at 0.1 Hz. There was also a good correlation (r = 0.58; P < 0.001) between venous adenosine concentration and P(CO2). 5. Venous partial pressure Of O2 (P(O2)) decreased during all contractions except those at 0.1 Hz, but the oxygen cost per unit of tension x time was similar during every pattern of stimulation, and the percentage of the total energy production achieved by anaerobic means during muscle contractions did not exceed that at rest, indicating that there had been no limitation to the oxygen supply. Venous P(O2) was poorly correlated with venous adenosine concentration (r = 0.28), but quite well correlated with venous lactate concentration (r = 0.53; P < 0.001). If the indirect influence of P(O2) on venous adenosine concentration via an increase in lactate concentration was eliminated by partial correlation, then the coefficient for the relationship between venous adenosine concentration and venous P(O2) became 0.15. 6. There was a significant correlation between the venous adenosine concentration and the venous pH (r = 0.53; P < 0.001). If the influence of oxygenation on venous adenosine and pH was eliminated by partial correlation, the coefficient for the relationship between venous adenosine and pH increased to 0.95. 7. These data support a role for pH in the control of adenosine release from skeletal muscle, and confirm that the amounts of lactate released during muscle contractions were large enough to have caused the adenosine release. Adenosine output did not appear to be directly related to muscle oxygenation, but an indirect association whereby oxygen lack stimulated lactate production, and lactate in turn stimulated azdenosine production remains possible.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

The relationship between adenosine, lactate and carbon dioxide release from contracting skeletal muscle in anaesthetized dogs

This free journal suppl. entitled: Proceedings of the Physiological Society, 18‐20 July 1991, Cambridge MeetingSession - Communications: Part 3link_to_OA_fulltex

Mechanism of action of prostaglandin E2 in the dog skeletal muscle circulation

Objective. To determine whether prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) influences the dog skeletal muscle circulation by a direction on the vascular smooth muscle or via pre- or post-synaptic modulation of sympathetic neurotransmission. Methods. In 18 anaesthetised dogs, a gracilis muscle was vascularly isolated and perfused at constant flow. Sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone on the muscles was reflexly controlled by alterations to the pressure at which the isolated carotid sinuses were perfused. The effects of PGE2 injection into the muscle were compared at low carotid sinus pressure, high carotid sinus pressure, and following denervation of the muscle, with or without noradrenaline infusion. Results. At all levels of sympathetic tone, PGE2 produced significantly more vasodilation than the saline vehicle. However, at a carotid sinus pressure of 46.0 ± 2.3 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa), PGE2 caused a decrease in femoral arterial perfusion pressure of 52.6 ± 7.1 mmHg, which was significantly greater than the response at a carotid sinus pressure of 208.5 ± 3.7 (33.6 ± 4.2 mmHg decrease) or following denervation (25.6 ± 3.7 mmHg decrease). In a separate group of denervated muscles, PGE2 caused a similar decrease in perfusion pressure in the presence or absence of a noradrenaline infusion. Conclusions. PGE2 appears to cause vasodilation through two separate mechanisms: one mechanism involves presynaptic inhibition of sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone, while the other is independent of the sympathetic nervous system, and is therefore presumably a direct action on the vascular smooth muscle or endothelium. Under our experimental conditions, both mechanisms contributed equally to the vasodilation.link_to_OA_fulltex

Endothelial m, and m3 muscarinic receptor subtypes mediate acetylcholine - induced relaxation in rat tail artery

The relaxation, by acetylchohne (ACh), of an agonist (eg phenylephnne: PE)-induced contraction is an accepted method for identifying a functional endothelmm in vascular tissues. The muscannic receptor subtype that mediates ACh-mduced relaxation varies from tissue to tissue and has not been identified in the ventral rat tail artery (RTA) We, therefore, investigated the receptor subtypes that are involved in ACh- induced relaxation of the RTA Perfused (2.5ml/min) segments (proximal third) of ventral RTAs from male SD-rats (300-350g) precontracted with PE (luM) were exposed to (a) graded concentrations of ACh in the presence or absence of muscannic receptor antagonists (pirenzepine (Pnz) for MI or 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpipendine methiodide (4-DAMP) for M.) and (b): graded concentrations of a muscannic antagonist in the presence or absence of ACh Endothelium was either left intact or denuded with saponin or functionally inactivated with nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) ACh-induced relaxation was observed only in endothelmm- intact preparations but not in saponin- or L-NAME- treated preparations. Pnz or 4-DAMP alone had no effect on PE- induced contraction in all the preparations but in the presence of ACh Pnz or 4-DAMP con cent ration- dependently reversed ACh- induced relaxation in endothehummtact RTAs This was not observed in any of the saponin- or L-NAME-treated artenes It is concluded that endotheha! MI and Mi muscarimc receptors are involved in ACh- induced relaxation of the RTA.link_to_subscribed_fulltex