Effects of Oxygen Depletion on Norepinephrine- and Carbachol-Stimulated Phosphoinositide Turnover in Rat Brain Slices

We examined the effects of in vitro anoxia and in vivo hypoxia (8% O2/92% N2) on norepinephrine (NE)- and carbachol-stimulated phosphoinositide (PI) turnover in rat brain slices. The formation of 3H-labeled polyPI in cortical slices was impaired by in vitro anoxia and fully restored by reoxygenation. Accumulation of 3H-labeled myo-inositol phosphates (3H-IPs) stimulated by 10(-5) M NE was significantly reduced by anoxia (control at 60 min, 1,217 +/- 86 cpm/mg of protein; anoxia for 60 min, 651 +/- 82 cpm/mg; mean +/- SEM; n = 5; p less than 0.01), and reoxygenation following anoxia resulted in overshooting of the accumulation (control at 120 min, 1,302 +/- 70 cpm/mg; anoxia for 50 min plus oxygenation for 70 min, 1,790 +/- 126 cpm/mg; n = 5; p less than 0.01). The underlying mechanisms for the two phenomena--the decrease caused by anoxia and the overshooting caused by reoxygenation following anoxia--seemed to be completely different because of the following observations. (a) Although the suppression of NE-stimulated accumulation at low O2 tensions was also observed in Ca2+-free medium, the overshooting in response to reoxygenation was not. (b) Carbachol-stimulated accumulation was significantly reduced by anoxia and was restored by reoxygenation only to control levels. Thus, the postanoxic overshooting in accumulation of 3H-IPs seems to be a specific response to NE. (c) The decrease observed at low O2 tensions was due to a decrease in Emax value, whereas the postanoxic overshooting was due to a decrease in EC50 value.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Mass measurements of inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate in rat cerebral cortex slices using a radioreceptor assay: effects of neurotransmitters and depolarization

The specific binding of [3H] and [32P]Ins(1,4,5)P3 to a particulate preparation of bovine adrenal cortex has been used as a radioreceptor assay to determine the concentration of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in agonist- and depolarization-stimulated rat cerebral cortex slices. The resting concentration of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in slices that had been preincubated in a physiological medium was 18.8 +/- 2.6 pmol/mg prot. Carbachol evoked a rapid and dose-related increase in the concentration of Ins(1,4,5)P3. Maximal stimulation (80%) was already seen at the earliest point (10 sec) examined and was maintained for at least 5 min. The EC50 for carbachol was 75 +/- 17 microM and the response was totally suppressed by the muscarinic antagonist atropine. A direct comparison in the same slices was made between mass determinations and [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 and [3H]Ins(1,3,4)P3 accumulation determined by h.p.l.c. Although an identical time course was observed for cold and radiolabelled Ins(1,4,5)P3, the greater stimulation of [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 may indicate changes in specific radioactivity. Of a variety of other receptor agonists studied, only the glutamate receptor agonist quisqualate, and noradrenaline significantly increased the mass of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in cerebral cortical slices. However, depolarizing concentrations of K+ were as effective as carbachol at elevating this second messenger.     

Activation of Excitatory Amino Acid Receptors Cannot Alone Account for Anoxia-Induced Impairment of Protein Synthesis in Rat Hippocampal Slices

We have investigated the contribution of excitatory amino acid receptor activation to the inhibition of protein synthesis observed after anoxia in rat hippocampal slices. Protein synthesis was assessed in normoxic medium by measuring the incorporation of [14C]lysine into perchloric acid-insoluble tissue extracts. Protein synthesis was impaired after anoxia; the extent of inhibition was dependent on the duration of anoxia and on the time allowed for postanoxic recovery. There was a similar impairment under normoxic conditions when the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor channel was activated by removing Mg2+ and adding NMDA. This was prevented by noncompetitive antagonists of the NMDA receptor channel (MK-801, phencyclidine, and N-allylnormetazocine). In contrast, incubation with the NMDA antagonists failed to prevent the protein synthesis inhibition caused by anoxia, although it moderately facilitated the postanoxic recovery. Protein synthesis was also impaired under normoxic conditions after incubation with quisqualate and kainate, agonists of non-NMDA glutamate receptors. This impairment was prevented by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, an antagonist of these receptors. Although 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione alone failed to prevent anoxic damage, when used in combination with an NMDA antagonist it did partially enhance the later recovery of protein synthesis. These results indicate that the activation of excitatory amino acid receptors cannot alone account for anoxia-induced impairment of protein synthesis in rat hippocampal slices.     

Depolarization and Agonist-Stimulated Changes in Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate and Inositol 1,3,4,5-Tetrakisphosphate Mass Accumulation in Rat Cerebral Cortex

Muscarinic receptor stimulation or depolarization with elevated extracellular K+ induced rapid and sustained increases in mass accumulations of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and myo-inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4,5)P4] in cerebral cortex slices. Synergistic but transient responses of both inositol polyphosphate second messengers were observed when slices were stimulated with carbachol under depolarizing conditions; this synergy was observed as an increase in the maximal responsiveness, with no significant change in EC50 values for carbachol. Omission of buffer Ca2+ ([Ca2+]e 10-20 microM) reduced basal Ins(1,4,5)P3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 concentrations; the relative stimulatory effects of muscarinic receptor stimulation were maintained, but the effects of depolarization were markedly attenuated under these conditions. A component of the response to depolarization appeared to be indirectly mediated by the release of acetylcholine, because the K(+)-evoked increase in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 was enhanced by the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine, and was partially attenuated by atropine. An additive suppression by nitrendipine suggests that entry of Ca2+ through L-type Ca2+ channels may serve to accelerate phosphorylation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 by 3-kinase. Norepinephrine did not significantly increase Ins(1,4,5)P3 or Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 accumulation; however, in the presence of depolarizing K+, norepinephrine caused a dramatic increase in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 mass accumulation. In contrast, the excitatory amino acid quisqualate caused significant increases in the mass accumulations of both inositol polyphosphates measured, with no further increase being observed under depolarizing conditions. The results are discussed with respect to the interactive effects of agonist and depolarization stimuli on inositol polyphosphate accumulation which might more accurately reflect the conditions pertaining in vivo.     

Prenatal ethanol exposure reduces the effects of excitatory amino acids in the rat hippocampus

Chronic alcohol ingestion during pregnancy can lead to the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a disorder marked by learning disabilities. A rat model of FAS was used by introducing pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats to a liquid diet containing 35% ethanol-derived calories (E), while a second group was pair-fed an isocaloric liquid diet without ethanol (P). A third group of pregnant dams received ad libitum lab chow (C). At parturition, pups from the E and P groups were cross-fostered by C mothers and all groups received lab chow. During adulthood, male offspring were sacrificed and hippocampal and prefrontal cortical slices were prelabeled with [3H] inositol. Phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis was determined by measuring the accumulation of [3H]inositol phosphates in the presence of LiCl in response to activation of various excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors. In hippocampal slices, ibotenate- and quisqualate-induced PI hydrolysis was reduced in E compared to P and C animals. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) on carbachol-induced PI hydrolysis, evident in P and C animals, was completely abolished in the hippocampus of E animals. In contrast, in the prefrontal cerebral cortex, this inhibitory effect of NMDA prevailed even in the E animals. The evidence suggest that prenatal ethanol exposure alters the activity of EAA receptors in the hippocampal generation of 2nd messengers.     

Transient accumulation of inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate in response to alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation in adult cardiac myocytes

To investigate the response to catecholamine stimulation of adult cardiac myocytes and the metabolism of inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate (1,4,5-IP3) and inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate (IP4), we have employed a procedure developed in our laboratory to directly measure the mass of inositol phosphates after separation of individual isomers of inositol phosphates by high performance liquid chromatography. Control, unstimulated myocytes, contained low levels of inositol (1,4)-bisphosphate (1,4-IP2), inositol (1,3)-bisphosphate (1,3-IP2), inositol (3,4)-bisphosphate (3,4-IP2), inositol (1,3,4)-trisphosphate (1,3,4-IP3), 1,4,5-IP3 and IP4. Stimulation with norepinephrine for 30 seconds produced peak 1,4,5-IP3 and IP4 levels which rapidly returned to basal values by 60 seconds of norepinephrine stimulation. 1,4-IP2, 1,3-IP2 and 1,3,4-IP3 were increased markedly but only after stimulation with norepinephrine for 60 seconds. These results indicate a rapid yet transient increase in 1,4,5-IP3 and IP4 in response to norepinephrine stimulation and are the first quantitative measurements of the isomers of inositol phosphates in cardiac tissue.     

The fucose-sulfate glycoconjugate that induces an acrosome reaction in spermatozoa stimulates inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate accumulation

The hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol may generate multiple second messengers, including inositol phosphates, 1,2-diacylglycerol, arachidonic acid, and phosphatidic acid. Here, we describe for the first time in spermatozoa that accumulation of one of these potential second messengers, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (1,4,5-IP3), can be stimulated by the fucose-sulfate glycoconjugate (FSG) that induces an acrosome reaction. Sea urchin spermatozoa were labeled with myo-[3H]inositol and incubated with FSG. The amount of [3H]1,4,5-IP3 obtained from FSG-treated cells was up to 10 times that from untreated cells. Increases in the amount of [3H]1,4,5-IP3 were detected within 30 s after addition of FSG (2.5-fold) and were highest at 2 min after addition. Previously, it was shown that FSG induces Ca2+-dependent increases in cyclic AMP concentrations (Kopf, G. S., and Garbers, D. L. (1980) Biol. Reprod. 22, 1118-1126). Increases in [3H]1,4,5-IP3 accumulation caused by FSG were also dependent on extracellular Ca2+. The Ca2+ channel blockers, verapamil and nifedipine, inhibited increases in both [3H]1,4,5-IP3 and cyclic AMP, and the addition of concentrations of extracellular Ca2+ higher than 9.6 mM could reduce the inhibition. When spermatozoa were incubated in Ca2+-free seawater, FSG-induced increases in [3H]1,4,5-IP3 and cyclic AMP concentrations were blocked; addition of extracellular Ca2+ restored the responses. Other treatments that result in the induction of an acrosome reaction, including the addition of monovalent cation H+ exchangers, nigericin and gramicidin S, and incubation in seawater at alkaline pH (pH 8.8), also stimulated accumulation of [3H]1,4,5-IP3 and cyclic AMP.     

Guanine Nucleotides Inhibit cAMP Accumulation Induced by Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Activation

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) have been shown to modulate adenylate cyclase activity via G-proteins. In the present study we report similar results to the previously observed in the literature, showing that glutamate and the metabotropic agonists, 1S,3R-ACPD or quisqualate induced cAMP accumulation in hippocampal slices of young rats. Moreover, guanine nucleotides GTP, GDP or GMP, inhibited the glutamate-induced cAMP accumulation. By measuring LDH activity in the buffer surrounding the slices, we showed that the integrity of the slices was maintained, indicating that the effect of guanine nucleotides was extracellular. GMP, GDP-S or Gpp(NH)p abolished quisqualate-induced cAMP accumulation. GDP-S or Gpp(NH)p but not GMP inhibited 1S,3R-ACPD-induced cAMP accumulation. The response evoked by glutamate was also abolished by the mGluR antagonists: L-AP3 abolished glutamate-induced cAMP accumulation in a dose-dependent manner and MCPG was effective only at the 2 mM dose. DNQX was ineffective. We are reporting here, an inhibition induced by guanine nucleotides, via an extracellular site (s), similar to the observed with classical glutamate antagonists on a cellular response evoked by mGluR agonists.     

Formation and metabolism of [3H]inositol phosphates in AR42J pancreatoma cells. Substance P-induced Ca2+ mobilization in the apparent absence of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase activity

After 2 days of incubation of AR42J pancreatoma cells with 400 microM [3H]inositol, the specific radioactivity of [3H]phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and the specific radioactivity of [3H]inositol were similar, indicating that isotopic equilibrium had been achieved. The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (1,4,5-IP3) level in cells was estimated to be approximately 2 microM and was increased by substance P receptor activation to about 25 microM. HPLC analysis of [3H]inositol phosphates indicated that only 1,4,5-IP3, inositol 1,4-bisphosphate, and inositol 4-monophosphate were increased upon receptor activation. There was no increase in inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (1,3,4,5-IP4), or in any of its metabolites. Incubation of [3H]1,4,5-IP3 with a cell homogenate did not result in the formation of [3H]1,3,4,5-IP4. Therefore, it appears that 1,4,5-IP3 3-kinase is either not present or not functional under these assay conditions. Substance P increased cytosolic calcium levels in fura-2-loaded cells from about 600 nM to 2.5 microM. This increase in Ca2+ was partially attenuated in the absence of extracellular calcium, indicating that in AR42J cells, substance P stimulation appears to activate calcium signaling through both Ca2+ entry and intracellular Ca2+ release. These modes of Ca2+ mobilization occur without an increase in 1,3,4,5-IP4 or any of its metabolites.     

Glutamate stimulates the phosphorylation of glial fibrillary acidic protein in slices of immature rat hippocampus via a metabotropic receptor

Phosphorylation of the astrocyte cell marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in hippocampal slices from immature rats (10–16 days postnatal) was strongly stimulated by glutamate in the presence of Ca²⁺. This effect apparently occurred via a metabotropic receptor since the specific agonist of metabotropic glutamate receptors, 1S,3R-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1S,3R-ACPD), stimulated GFAP phosphorylation by 173% whilst the mixed agonists, ibotenate and quisqualate, stimulated to a lesser extent. Ionotropic agonists were mainly ineffective. The action of 1S,3R-ACPD was blocked by (+)-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid ( -AP₃) a specific antagonist of the metabotropic glutamate receptor coupled to the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides and was reduced by 70% by preincubation of the slices with pertussis toxin. In contrast to these results with immature animals glutamate had little or no effect on the phosphorylation of GFAP in hippocampal slices from adult rats.     

Excitatory Amino Acid-Induced Formation of Inositol Phosphates in Guinea-Pig Cerebral Cortical Slices: Involvement of Ionotropic or Metabotropic Receptors?

In cerebral cortical slices from the guinea-pig, quinoxalinedione derivatives antagonised the generation of 3H-inositol phosphates evoked by the excitatory amino acids quisqualate and DL-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxalone propionic acid but were without effect on the trans-DL-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid and L-glutamate responses. Omission of calcium from the medium reduced the accumulation of 3H-inositol phosphates induced by incubation with trans-DL-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (incubation for 45 min) by greater than 50%, whereas the responses to L-glutamate and the two other amino acid analogues were reduced by approximately 20%. Generation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate over a 30-s period by treatment with quisqualate, trans-DL-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentane-dicarboxylic acid, KCl, and carbachol was abolished in the presence of nominally calcium-free medium. L-Glutamate induced a large, rapid increase in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate mass (more than three-fold), which was, however, unaffected by omission of calcium from the medium. These results indicate that of the excitatory amino acids tested, only L-glutamate may be classed as a metabotropic receptor agonist in guinea-pig cerebral cortical slices with respect to generation of inositol phosphates. The other agents appear to stimulate accumulation of inositol phosphates, at least in part through some mechanism requiring the presence of extracellular Ca2+, presumably Ca2+ entry.     

Activation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in the Hippocampus Increases Cyclic AMP Accumulation

The selective metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist trans-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (trans-ACPD) stimulates phosphoinositide hydrolysis and elicits several physiological responses in rat hippocampal slices. However, recent studies suggest that the physiological effects of trans-ACPD in the hippocampus are mediated by activation of a receptor that is distinct from the phosphoinositide hydrolysis-linked receptor. Previous experiments indicate that cyclic AMP mimics many of the physiological effects of trans-ACPD in hippocampal slices. Furthermore, recent cloning and biochemistry experiments indicate that multiple metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes exist, some of which are coupled to yet unidentified effector systems. Thus, we performed a series of experiments to test the hypothesis that ACPD increases cyclic AMP levels in hippocampal slices. We report that 1S,3R- and 1S,3S-ACPD (but not 1R,3S-ACPD) induce a concentration-dependent increase in cyclic AMP accumulation in hippocampal slices. This effect was blocked by the metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist L-2-amino-3-phosphonoproprionic acid but not by selective antagonists of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Furthermore, our results suggest that 1S,3R-ACPD-stimulated increases in cyclic AMP accumulation are not secondary to increases in cell firing or to activation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis.     

Cellular Mechanisms of Protection by Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors During Anoxia and Nitric Oxide Toxicity

Abstract: Metabotropic glutamate receptors, nitric oxide (NO), and the signal transduction pathways of protein kinase C (PKC) and protein kinase A (PKA) can independently alter ischemic-induced neuronal cell death. We therefore examined whether the protective effects of metabotropic glutamate receptors during anoxia and NO toxicity were mediated through the cellular pathways of PKC or PKA in primary hippocampal neurons. Pretreatment with the metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists (±)-1-aminocyclopentane- trans -1,3-dicarboxylic acid, (1 S ,3 R )-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1 S ,3 R -ACPD), and l (+)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid ( l -AP4) 1 h before anoxia or NO exposure increased hippocampal neuronal cell survival from ∼30 to 70%. In addition, posttreatment with 1 S ,3 R -ACPD or l -AP4 up to 6 h following an insult attenuated anoxic- or NO-induced neurodegeneration. In contrast, treatment with l -(+)-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid, an antagonist of the metabotropic glutamate receptor, did not significantly alter neuronal survival during anoxia or NO exposure. Protection by the ACPD-sensitive metabotropic receptors, such as the subtypes mGluR1α, mGluR2, and mGluR5, appears to be dependent on the modulation of PKC activity. In contrast, l -AP4-sensitive metabotropic glutamate receptors, such as the subtype mGluR4, may increase neuronal survival through PKA rather than PKC. Thus, activation of specific metabotropic glutamate receptors is protective during anoxia and NO toxicity, but the signal transduction pathways mediating protection differ among the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes.     

Effects of excitatory amino acids on inositol phosphate accumulation in slices of the cerebral cortex of young and aged rats

The effects of glutamate, NMDA and quisqualate on carbachol-and norepinephrine-elicited formation of inositol phosphate (IP) were evaluated in slices prepared from the cerebral cortex of 3-and 24-month Sprague-Dawley rats. Glutamate, NMDA, and quisqualate antagonized the IP response to carbachol in a concentration-dependent fashion. This antagonism was more pronounced in aged than in young rats, both for glutamate (IC5O 0.114 and 0.210 mM) and NMDA (IC5O 0.0029 and 0.127 mM), but not for quisqualate. Glutamate (but not NMDA) also antagonized in a concentration-dependent fashion the IP response to norepinephrine, IC50s were 0.061 and 0.126 mM for aged and young rats, respectively; quisqualate had an inhibitory effect only at 1 mM concentration in the two age-groups, while in aged rats some stimulatory effect was present at 0.1 mM concentration. Glutamate, NMDA and quisqualate (1 mM) did not affect basal IP accumulation in either young or aged rats; quisqualate, however, at 0.1 mM concentration had some stimulatory effect, more pronounced in aged rats. This effect was probably responsible for the biphasic effect of quisqualate in this age-group. The most important finding consists of the demonstration of an age-related increase in the inhibitory effects of NMDA on carbachol-induced IP accumulation. This implies an altered modulation of cholinergic post-receptor mechanisms by glutamatergic mechanisms.     

Multiple sources of 1,2-diacylglycerol in isolated rat pancreatic acini stimulated by cholecystokinin. Involvement of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate and phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis

Changes in the cellular content of 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) in isolated rat pancreatic acini in response to agonist stimulation were studied using a sensitive mass assay. When acini were stimulated by 10 nM COOH-terminal cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK8), the increase in DAG was biphasic, consisting of an early peak at 5 s and a second, larger, gradual increase that was maximal by 15 min. The basal level of DAG in acini was 1.04 nmol/mg of protein, which was increased to 1.24 nmol/mg of protein at 5 s and 2.76 nmol/mg of protein at 30 min. In comparison, the increase in DAG stimulated by 30 pM CCK8, a submaximal concentration for amylase release, was monophasic, increasing without an early peak but sustained to 60 min. Other Ca2+-mobilizing secretagogues such as carbamylcholine and bombesin increased DAG in acini, whereas vasoactive intestinal peptide, which acts to increase cAMP, had no effect. Phorbol ester and Ca2+ ionophore also stimulated DAG production. Analysis of the mass level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (1,4,5-IP3) showed that the generation of 1,4,5-IP3 stimulated by 10 nM CCK8 peaked at 5 s, a finding consistent with the early peak of DAG. The basal level was 4.7 pmol/mg of protein, which was increased to 144.6 pmol/mg of protein at 5 s by 10 nM CCK8. The levels of 1,4,5-IP3 then returned toward basal in contrast to the gradual and sustained increase of DAG. The dose dependencies of 1,4,5-IP3 and DAG formation at 5 s with respect to CCK8 were almost identical. This suggests that phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis is a major source of the early increase in DAG but not of the sustained increase in DAG. Therefore, a possible contribution of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis to DAG formation was examined utilizing acini prelabeled with [3H]choline. CCK8 (1 nM) maximally increased [3H]choline metabolite release by 133% of control at 30 min. Separation of these metabolites by thin layer chromatography showed that the products of CCK8-stimulated release were almost entirely phosphorylcholine, indicating the activation of a phospholipase C specific for phosphatidylcholine. By comparison, 1 nM CCK8 stimulated [3H]ethanolamine metabolite release from [3H]ethanolamine-labeled acini by only 22% of control. These data suggest that CCK stimulates both phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis; the latter may contribute to the sustained generation of DAG and hence the maintained activation of protein kinase C.     

Spatial Learning Potentiates the Stimulation of Phosphoinositide Hydrolysis by Excitatory Amino Acids in Rat Hippocampal Slices

Stimulation of phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis by excitatory amino acids (glutamate and ibotenate) or norepinephrine was potentiated in hippocampal slices from rats trained in an eight-arm radial maze, used as a test of spatial learning. No difference in basal or carbamylcholine-stimulated PI hydrolysis was found between control and trained animals. An increased PI response to excitatory amino acids and norepinephrine was not found in hippocampal slices prepared from animals trained in a shock conditioning avoidance test. These results suggest a possible involvement of specific glutamate receptors coupled with PI hydrolysis in the synaptic mechanisms underlying formation and/or storage of spatial memory.     

Inhibition of the Phospholipase C-Linked Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor by 2-Amino-3-Phosphonopropionate Is Dependent on Extracellular Calcium

D,L-2-Amino-3-phosphonopropionate (AP-3), a proposed metabotropic receptor antagonist, produced a concentration-dependent increase in the formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in rat hippocampal slices. The response was maximal at 1 mM and completely due to the L-isomer. D,L-AP-3 was half as efficacious as (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1S,3R-ACPD), a selective agonist of this receptor. The response produced by maximally effective concentrations of L-AP-3 and 1S,3R-ACPD together for 5 min was not significantly different from that produced by 1S,3R-ACPD alone. However, pretreatment for 40 min with either 1 mM L-AP-3 or D,L-AP-3 completely inhibited the response to 1S,3R-ACPD. This inhibition was long-lasting (wash-resistant) and was reversed by reduction of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration. Also, pretreatment for 40 min with 1S,3R-ACPD reduced, but did not completely block, the response to readdition of 1S,3R-ACPD. L-AP-3 (1 mM) also produced a stereoselective 2.3-fold increase in the efflux of glutamate from the hippocampal slices. These data suggest that incubation of hippocampal slices with AP-3 induces a time-dependent desensitization of the metabotropic response by a mechanism that is dependent on extracellular Ca2+. The possible roles of receptor occupancy and inhibition of glutamate uptake by AP-3 are also discussed.     

Regulation of inositol phosphate metabolism in chemoattractant-stimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Definition of distinct dephosphorylation pathways for IP3 isomers

The metabolism of the calcium mobilizing inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) isomer was studied in myo-[3H]inositol labeled, chemoattractant-stimulated human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), and in PMN lysates. It was determined that 1,4,5-IP3 is metabolized in vitro by two distinct pathways: 1) by sequential dephosphorylation to 1,4-IP2, 4-IP1, and inositol or 2) by ATP dependent conversion to 1,3,4,5-IP4, followed by dephosphorylation to form 1,3,4-IP3, 3,4-IP2, 3-IP1, and inositol. In PMNs stimulated with 0.1 microM N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe), 1,4-IP2, 1,4,5-IP3, and IP4, were elevated by 5 s; whereas production of 1,3,4-IP3, 3,4-IP2, and IP1 occurred only after an initial lag (approximately 15 s). The predominant IP1 isomer formed in fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated cells was 4-IP1. Production of 1,3,4-IP3 and 3,4-IP2 was markedly reduced (17 and 35% of control, respectively) in fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated cells pretreated to prevent a rise in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i). PMNs were also stimulated with leukotriene B4 (LTB4) since this agent is a poor activator of the respiratory burst compared to fMet-Leu-Phe. Peak levels (5 s) of 1,4,5-IP3 were equivalent after stimulation with 0.1 microM fMet-Leu-Phe versus 0.1 microM LTB4 (320 +/- 38% versus 378 +/- 38% of control values, respectively; n = 5); however, at 30 s, 1,4,5-IP3 remained elevated only in fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated cells. Similarly, elevation of [Ca2+]i was more prolonged in response to 0.1 microM fMet-Leu-Phe (greater than 3 min) versus LTB4 (1 min). Thus, signal transduction in PMNs may be modulated by both the duration of the initial 1,4,5-IP3 signal and by the metabolic pathway(s) utilized to convert this IP3 isomer to other, potentially active inositol phosphate products.     

Agonist-Stimulated Inositol Polyphosphate Formation in Cerebellum

The accumulation of inositol polyphosphates in the cerebellum in response to agonists has not been demonstrated. Guinea pig cerebellar slices prelabeled with [3H]inositol showed the following increases in response to 1 mM serotonin: At 15 s, there was a peak in 3H label in the second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3], decreasing to a lower level in about 1 min. The level of 3H label in the putative second-messenger inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4,5)P4] increased rapidly up to 60 s and increased slowly thereafter. The accumulation of 3H label in various inositol phosphate isomers at 10 min, when steady state was obtained, showed the following increases due to serotonin: inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4)P3], eight-fold; Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, 6.4-fold; Ins(1,4,5)P3, 75%; inositol 1,4-bisphosphate [Ins(1,4)P2], 0%; inositol 3,4-bisphosphate, 100%; inositol 1-phosphate/inositol 3-phosphate, 30%; and inositol 4-phosphate, 40%. [3H]Inositol 1,3-bisphosphate was not detected in controls, but it accounted for 7.2% of the total inositol bisphosphates formed in the serotonin-stimulated samples. The fact that serotonin did not increase the formation of Ins(1,4)P2 could be due to the fact that Ins(1,4)P2 is rapidly degraded or that Ins(1,4,5)P3 is metabolized primarily by Ins(1,4,5)P3-3'kinase to form Ins(1,3,4,5)P4. In the presence of pargyline (10 microM), [3H]Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 and [3H]Ins(1,3,4)P3 levels were increased, even at 1 microM serotonin. Ketanserin (7 microM) completely inhibited the serotonin effect, indicating stimulation of serotonin2 receptors. Quisqualic acid (100 microM) also increased the levels of [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3, [3H]Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, and [3H]Ins(1,3,4)P3, but the profile of these increases was different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Metabolism of synthetic inositol trisphosphate analogs

A series of synthetic analogs was employed to explore structure-activity relationships in the metabolism of the second messenger inositol trisphosphate (IP3) in vascular tissue. Cytosolic IP3-5-phosphatase activity was purified approximately 240-fold from bovine aorta. All synthetic analogs tested were apparent competitive inhibitors of the 5-phosphatase activity. The order of potency was DL-1,3,4,5-IP3 greater than D-1,4,5-IP3 greater than DL-1,3,4-IP3 greater than L-1,4,5-IP3 greater than 1,3,5-IP3 greater than DL-6-methoxy-1,4,5-IP3 greater than DL-2,4,5-IP3 greater than DL-1,2,4-cyclohexane-P3. The least potent analogs had Ki values only 11 times higher than the apparent Km of the substrate D-1,4,5-[3H]IP3. However, only three synthetic compounds, DL-1,3,4,5-IP4, D-1,4,5-IP3, and DL-2,4,5-IP3, could serve as substrates for the 5-phosphatase. IP3 kinase activity in the same tissue exhibited considerably more selectivity with respect to inhibition by IP3 analogs. D-1,4,5-IP3 was about 30 times more potent than DL-1,3,4,5-IP4 and 100-1000 times more potent than the other compounds tested. The function of the IP3 receptor was evaluated by measuring labeled calcium mobilization in permeabilized bovine aortic smooth muscle cells in culture. While all analogs tested were full agonists, vast differences in potency were observed. D-1,4,5-IP3 was about 30 times more potent than DL-2,4,5-IP3 and 100-2000 times more potent than the other analogs tested. The results suggest that IP3-5-phosphatase activity is relatively nonselective in the binding of inositol polyphosphates, while IP3 kinase activity and the IP3 receptor exhibit great selectivity in the recognition of these compounds.