Abstract
Heroin (O,O’-diacetylmorphine) at concentrations of 30-60 mM prevents the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, and inhibits protein and nucleic acid synthesis by 40-50% and glucose oxidation by 25-35%; the same concentrations have negligible effect on amino acid incorporation in a system in vitro containing ribosomes and sap from the same cells. In this concentration range heroin increases the rate of accumulation in the free amino acid "pool" of aspartate, glutamate, and alanine, inhibits the accumulation of lysine and proline, and has no effect on the accumulation of five other amino acids tested. Levorphanol (l-3-hydroxy-N-methylmorphinan) and levallorphan (l-N-allyl-3-hydroxymorphinan) show a pattern of effects similar to that of heroin and are approximately 10 times more effective on a molar basis.
- Copyright ©, 1970, by Academic Press Inc.
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