A.L. Willis

Progressive supranuclear palsy (Steele et al.) has a characteristic pattern of dementia: (1) forgetfulness, (2) slowing of thought processes, (3) emotional or personality changes (apathy or depression with occasional outbursts of irritability), and (4) impaired ability to manipulate acquired knowledge. In many neurological disease states associated with subcortical pathology a similar pattern of dementia exists. The neurobehavioural changes of progressive supranuclear palsy thus typify a clinical pattern which may be referred to as subcortical dementia. The subcortical dementias have a striking clinical resemblance to the dementia which occurs after bifrontal lobe disease. However, the subcortical dementias can be clearly distinguished clinically from cortical dementias, other than frontal dementias. We propose as a tentative hypothesis that there may be common pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the subcortical dementias-in particular, disturbances of timing and activation. There are immediate practical implications of this hypothesis: drugs which have an effect on subcortical timing and activating mechanisms may be useful in the treatment of subcortical dementias.

1. The effects of intradermally injected prostaglandins (PGs) E(1), E(2), F(1alpha) and F(2alpha) have been examined in the rat and in man.2. PGE(1) and PGE(2) caused an increase in local vascular permeability in rat skin; their potency was comparable with that of other putative mediators of inflammation (histamine, bradykinin, and 5-hydroxytryptamine), but PGF(1alpha) and PGF(2alpha) were only slightly active even at a dose of 1 mug.3. Prior administration of mepyramine and methysergide, or depletion of skin mast cell amines with compound 48/80, indicated that PGE(2) exerted its permeability effect in the rat by a release of mast cell amines.4. Nanogramme doses of PGE(1) and PGE(2) or microgramme doses of PGF(1alpha) and PGF(2alpha) injected intradermally into the human forearm induced weal and flare responses.5. It is concluded that prostaglandins E(1) and E(2) can act as intermediates in the production of hyperaemia and oedema resulting from cell damage in the rat and man.

Journal Article Parallel assay of prostaglandin-like activity in rat inflammatory exudate by means of cascade superfusion Get access A L Willis A L Willis Department of Pharmacology, Lilly Research Centre Ltd., Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, Surrey, England Department of Pharmacology, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.2, England. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Volume 21, Issue 2, February 1969, Pages 126–128, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-7158.1969.tb08213.x Published: 12 April 2011 Article history Received: 20 November 1968 Published: 12 April 2011

Journal Article Nutritional and Pharmacological Factors in Eicosanoid Biology Get access A.L. Willis, Ph D A.L. Willis, Ph D Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Nutrition Reviews, Volume 39, Issue 8, August 1981, Pages 289–301, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.1981.tb06794.x Published: 01 August 1981