The ‘mauve factor’ of schizophrenia and porphyria, 5-hydroxyhaemopyrrole lactam,has low pharmacological potency on guinea-pig ileum

Summary 5-Hydroxyhaemopyrrole lactam, the mauve factor reported in the urine of schizophrenics and porphyrics was found to inhibit electrically-stimulated contractions of guinea-pig ileum only at high concentrations (ID₅₀=8.5 mM). This low potency makes it unlikely that the compound can account for neurotoxic effects in human porphyria.We thank the Wellcome Trust for a grant.     

Anticoccidial riboflavine antagonists

Summary 4 types of riboflavine antagonists have broad-spectrum activity in poultry coccidiosis. 5-Deazariboflavine is most effective. 10-Benzyl analogs of riboflavine control intestinal species of coccidia.     

Depression by ethionine of phosphorylating oxidation in hepatic mitochondria

Induction of hepatic steatosis and suppression of hepatic ATP levels, protein synthesis and gluconeogenesis subsequent to administration of ethionine may be consequences of interference by this compound with mitochondrial phosphorylation of ADP. The mitochondrial dysfunction is not a direct action of ethionine on the organelle.     

Molecular superdelocalizability. A correlation with diamagnetic susceptibility

Summary Diamagnetic susceptibilities of 44 divers aromatic molecules were successfully predicted from molecular superdelocalizabilities calculated from Hückel molecular orbital theory.