The Administration of an α-MSH Analogue Reduces the Serum Release of IL-1α and TNFα Induced by the Injection of a Sublethal Dose of Lipopolysaccharides in the BALB/c Mouse

The injection of α-MSH or of one of its analogues ([Nle₄-D.Phe₇] α-MSH_4–10) reduced, in vivo, the release of two cytokines (IL-1α and TNFα) involved in inflammation. The inflammatory state was induced in BALB/c mice by intraperitoneal injection of a sublethal dose of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The assay of these cytokines by ELISA showed a reduction of 20% with α-MSH and between 30 and 60% with the α-MSH analogue. The α-MSH or the analogue was administered in one of two ways: intravenously or subcutaneously. The most efficient method seemed to be the subcutaneous one because it improved the activity 10,000 times more than the intravenous method. Moreover, the analogue induced a regression of mortality in the animals treated by the intravenous method. Our results show that α-MSH and one of its analogues inhibit IL-1α and TNFα, and can be used as anti-inflammatory molecules.     

Asymmetric synthesis and receptor activity of chiral simplified resiniferatoxin (sRTX) analogues as transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ligands

The chiral isomers of the two potent simplified RTX-based vanilloids, compounds 2 and 3, were synthesized employing highly enantioselective PTC alkylation and evaluated as hTRPV1 ligands. The analysis indicated that the R-isomer was the eutomer in binding affinity and functional activity. The agonism of compound 2R was comparable to that of RTX. Docking analysis of the chiral isomers of 3 suggested the basis for its stereospecific activity and the binding mode of 3R.     

Stimulatory Effect of the D2 Antagonist Sulpiride on Glucose Utilization in Dopaminergic Regions of Rat Brain

Local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) was measured, using the quantitative autoradiographic [14C]2-deoxy-D-glucose method, in 56 brain regions of 3-month-old, awake Fischer-344 rats, after intraperitoneal administration of sulpiride (SULP) 100 mg/kg. SULP, an "atypical" neuroleptic, is a selective antagonist of D2 dopamine receptors. LCGU was reduced in a few nondopaminergic regions at 1 h after drug administration. Thereafter, SULP progressively elevated LCGU in many other regions. At 3 h, LCGU was elevated in 23% of the regions examined, most of which are related to the CNS dopaminergic system (caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, lateral habenula, median eminence, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus). Increases of LCGU were observed also in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, lateral geniculate, and inferior olive. These effects of SULP on LCGU differ from the effects of the "typical" neuroleptic haloperidol, which produces widespread decreases in LCGU in the rat brain. Selective actions on different subpopulations of dopamine receptors may explain the different effects of the two neuroleptics on brain metabolism, which correspond to their different clinical and behavioral actions.     

电针大鼠的血清中淋巴细胞转化抑制因子的作用机制分析

本室以前的工作表明:电针(2H_z,3V,30min/d)刺激 SD 大鼠双侧足三里-三阴交,5d后,大鼠血清中产生出淋巴细胞转化抑制因子,本工作对此抑制因子的作用机制进行了初步研究,主要结果如下:(1)电针大鼠的血清不仅显著抑制 Con A 刺激的小鼠淋巴结 T 淋巴细胞转化,还可显著抑制 Con A 刺激的小鼠胸腺细胞和脾脏 T 淋巴细胞转化;同时也发现电针大鼠的血清能显著抑制脂多糖(LPS)刺激的小鼠淋巴结 B 淋巴细胞转化。提示此淋巴细胞转化抑制因子对不同淋巴器官及不同类型的淋巴细胞无选择性作用。(2)将电针大鼠的血清同小鼠淋巴结细胞培养1h,电针大鼠的血清就可显著抑制 Con A 刺激的 T 淋巴细胞转化;将小鼠淋巴结细胞同 Con A 预培养30min,电针大鼠的血清的抑制作用便消失,提示电针大鼠血清中淋巴细胞转化抑制因子作用于 Con A 刺激 T 淋巴细胞活化的早期阶段,同时也排除了此抑制因子的细胞毒作用。(3)电针大鼠的血清显著抑制蛋白激酶 C(PKC)激活剂 PMA和 PMA 加 ca~(2+)通道 A23187刺激的小鼠淋巴结细胞转化,提示淋巴细胞转化抑制因子通过抑制 PKC 的活性或抑制 PKC 介导的细胞活化通路,抑制有丝分裂原刺激的淋巴细胞转化。     

Local anesthetic action of phentolamine on insect mechanoreceptors

1. The effect of phentolamine on the response properties of insect mechanoreceptors and on the conduction in their axons was examined using electrophysiological techniques. 2. Phentolamine blocked conduction of action potentials along axons, an effect which exhibited 3 characteristics typical of local anesthetics: the effect was frequency-dependent, reversible and varied for nerves with different diameters. 3. The concentration of phentolamine required to block axonal conduction (1-2 x 10(-3) M) was significantly higher than that required to abolish the response of receptors to mechanical stimulation (3-5 x 10(-4) M). 4. All mechanoreceptors that were examined in Locusta migratoria and Periplaneta americana were inactivated by phentolamine (Table 1). The type I receptors (chordotonal, campaniform and hair sensilla) were inactivated within 5-15 min following phentolamine application. The only type II receptor examined (forewing stretch-receptor) underwent a phase of repetitive discharge before being inactivated. 5. Tolazoline and metoclopramide inactivated, like phentolamine, mechanoreceptors at lower concentrations than necessary to block axonal conduction. However, yohimbine and chlorpromazine inactivated mechanoreceptors and blocked axonal conduction at similar concentrations. 6. These findings suggest that phentolamine affects sense-organ specific ionic processes that are more sensitive to the drug than the ionic processes along the axons.     

下丘脑室旁核加压素能神经元参与电针刺激对实验性内脏痛的抑制

本实验采用内脏痛的实验模型,探讨室旁核中的加压素在针刺抑制内脏痛中的作用。实验结果如下:(1)大鼠在在射酒石酸锑钾(0.1％,10ml/kg,i.p.)后,出现可定量的扭体反应,能作为观察内脏痛的客观指标。(2)电针对内脏痛有抑制效应,即具有镇痛作用。(3)电刺激室旁核,能加强电针对内脏痛的抑制效应,损毁室旁核,则此抑制效应基本消失。(4)脑室注射加压素抗血清(14μl)或加压素拮抗剂[d(CH_2)_5Tyr(Me)-AVP,500ng/5μl]都能明显减弱电针的抑制效应。(5)腹腔注射加压素拮抗剂(10μg/kg),不能翻转电针的抑制效应。上述实验结果表明,下丘脑室旁核的加压素能神经元参与了电针刺激对实验性内脏痛的抑制。     

Replacement of lysine-181 by aspartic acid in the third transmembrane region of endothelin type B receptor reduces its affinity to endothelin peptides and sarafotoxin 6c without affecting G protein coupling.

A conserved aspartic acid residue in the third transmembrane region of many of the G protein-coupled receptors has been shown to play a role in ligand binding. In the case of endothelin receptors, however, a lysine residue replaces this conserved aspartic acid residue. To access the importance of this residue in ligand binding, we have replaced it with an aspartic acid in the rat endothelin type B (ETb) receptor by PCR mediated mutagenesis. The binding characteristics and functional properties of both the wild type and mutant receptors were determined in COS-7 cells transiently expressing the cloned receptor cDNAs. Using 125I-ET-1 as the radioactive peptide ligand in displacement binding studies, the wild type receptor displayed a typical non-isopeptide-selective binding profile with similar IC50 values (0.2-0.6 nM) for all three endothelin peptides (ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3) and sarafotoxin 6c (SRTX 6c). Interestingly, the mutant receptor showed an increase in IC50 values for ET-1 (5 nM), ET-2 (27 nM), and ET-3 (127 nM) but displayed a much larger increase in IC50 value for SRTX 6c (> 10 uM). The lysine mutant receptor still elicited full inositol phosphate (IP) turnover responses in the presence of saturating concentrations of endothelins (10 nM of ET-1, 100 nM of ET-2, or 1 uM of ET-3), indicating that the mutation (K181D) did not affect the coupling of mutant receptor to the appropriate G protein. These results demonstrate that lysine-181 on the receptor is important for binding ET peptides; however, it is required for binding the ETb selective agonist-SRTX 6c.     

Glycine Antagonists Structurally Related to 4,5,6,7-Tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol Inhibit Binding of [3H]Strychnine to Rat Brain Membranes

[3H]Strychnine binding to rat pons + medulla membranes was used as a measure of glycine receptors or glycine receptor-coupled chloride channels in vitro. A series of compounds structurally related to 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP), which previously were shown to antagonize glycine responses in cat spinal cord, inhibited [3H]strychnine binding in micromolar concentrations. The most potent of these glycine antagonists, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-isoxazolo[3,4-d]azepin-3-ol (iso-THAZ), was also the most potent inhibitor of [3H]strychnine binding, with a Ki of 1,400 nM. The Ki value for strychnine was 7.0 nM, whereas the Ki value for the mixed gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)/glycine antagonist 3 alpha-hydroxy-16-imino-5 beta-17-aza-androstan-11-one (RU 5135) was only 4.6 nM. Sodium chloride (1,000 mM) enhanced the affinity of strychnine, brucine, isostrychnine, and the nonselective GABA antagonist pitrazepin for [3H]strychnine binding sites, whereas the affinities of glycine, beta-alanine, and taurine were reduced. These sodium chloride shifts, however, were not predictive of antagonist or agonist properties, since the sodium chloride shift for the glycine antagonist iso-THAZ and of the other THIP-related antagonists were similar to those of the glycine-like agonists. The various sodium chloride shifts show that different groups of ligands bind to glycine receptor sites in different ways.     

钙通道阻断剂异搏定对缺氧性肺动脉高压形成的影响

为考察Ca~( )在缺氧性肺动脉高压形成中的作用,我们观察了钙通道阻断剂异搏定对慢性连续性缺氧大鼠肺动脉压及左右心功能的影响。将动物置于模拟海拔5000m高原的低压舱内,腹腔注射异搏定,剂量为4mg/kg BW,每日两次。实验结果表明:异搏定可以减弱缺氧15天所引起的肺动脉压升高和右心功能加强的程度,对颈动脉压及左心功能无明显影响,提示Ca~( )的跨膜内流是构成缺氧性肺动脉高压形成的重要基础之一。我们还比较了异搏定对缺氧持续时间不同(15天、10天、5天)的大鼠肺循环的影响,并讨论了异搏定发生作用的机制。