Nicotinic acid flushing after placebo and 975-mg oral doses of aspirin was assessed in 29 normal subjects over a range of nicotinic acid doses. Intensity of flushing was assessed by the change in malar thermal circulation index (delta MTCI). Aspirin pretreatment resulted in smaller delta MTCIs at the higher doses of nicotinic acid. At the lower doses the change in the index after pretreatments with both aspirin and placebo remained low, suggesting that very little flushing was provoked by these doses. These results are compatible with the proposed mediation by prostaglandins of the nicotinic acid-induced flush. According to the delta MCTI method, flushing is quantitatively characterized as a nonquantal, dose-response reaction of variable intensity.

Rates of protein synthesis were significantly lower in the cut soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles than in their uncut counterparts. Rates of protein degradation were significantly higher in cut soleus muscles, but not in cut extensor digitorum longus muscles as compared with their uncut controls. Concentrations of ATP and phosphocreatine were significantly lower in cut soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles after incubation in vitro in contrast with respective control uncut muscles. These data indicate that cutting of muscle fibres alters rates of protein synthesis and degradation, in addition to altering concentrations of high-energy phosphates. Since these findings stressed the importance of using intact muscles to study protein metabolism, additional studies were made on intact muscles in vitro. Stretched soleus muscles had higher concentrations of high-energy phosphates at the end of an incubation period than did unstretched muscles. However, the length of the soleus, extensor digitorum longus and diaphragm muscles during incubation did not affect rates of protein degradation.U

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