We have carried out a comparative study of caffeine sensitivity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of fast and slow normal human fibers chemically skinned. Human slow-fiber SR is more sensitive to caffeine than fast fiber SR; however, it releases less calcium and at a lower rate than the SR of fast fibers when exposed to threshold concentrations of caffeine. These results indicate that the SR calcium release mechanisms of SR of fast and slow human fibers are homologous but not identical. An increased sensitivity of SR to caffeine is found in both fast and slow fibers from human malignant hyperthermia muscle. However, fast fibers seem to be the most affected, since their caffeine threshold for contraction is very close to that of slow fibers.

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The effects of subcutaneous doses of morphine and verapamil on respiratory and cardiovascular parameters have been assessed in conscious rats. Verapamil (10 mg kg-1) was injected simultaneously with morphine (16 mg kg-1) or at 10, 30, or 60 min before morphine administration. Morphine induced respiratory depression, as indicated by marked hypercapnia, hypoxia and acidosis, and caused marked tachycardia. Although morphine produced only a minor and inconsistent (but statistically significant, P less than 0.01) reduction of mean arterial blood pressure, morphine potentiated verapamil-induced hypotension. Verapamil suppressed morphine-induced hypercapnia only when injected simultaneously with morphine. Verapamil alone did not affect arterial blood gases or pH, but decreased heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure. Verapamil attenuated and delayed the maximum positive chronotropic effects of morphine at all times tested. Antagonism by verapamil of respiratory depression and tachycardia produced by morphine was unrelated to morphine levels in plasma. Thus, the explanation of verapamil-morphine interactions on respiration and cardiovascular function is not pharmacokinetic.

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We report a case of a 30-year-old man with algodystrophy of the left knee, who had complete recovery after 6-week treatment with ozoneoxygen autohemotherapy.