Neurotensin decreases high affinity [3H]-ouabain binding to cerebral cortex membranes

Previous work from this laboratory showed the ability of neurotensin to inhibit synaptosomal membrane Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity, the effect being blocked by SR 48692, a non-peptidic antagonist for high affinity neurotensin receptor (NTS1) [López Ordieres and Rodríguez de Lores Arnaiz 2000; 2001]. To further study neurotensin interaction with Na(+), K(+)-ATPase, peptide effect on high affinity [(3)H]-ouabain binding was studied in cerebral cortex membranes. It was observed that neurotensin modified binding in a dose-dependent manner, leading to 80% decrease with 1 × 10(-4)M concentration. On the other hand, the single addition of 1 × 10(-6)M, 1 × 10(-5)M and 1 × 10(-4)M SR 48692 (Sanofi-Aventis, U.S., Inc.) decreased [(3)H]-ouabain binding (in %) to 87 ± 16; 74 ± 16 and 34 ± 17, respectively. Simultaneous addition of neurotensin and SR 48692 led to additive or synergic effects. Partial NTS2 agonist levocabastine inhibited [(3)H]-ouabain binding likewise. Saturation assays followed by Scatchard analyses showed that neurotensin increased K(d) value whereas failed to modify B(max) value, indicating a competitive type interaction of the peptide at Na(+), K(+)-ATPase ouabain site. At variance, SR 48692 decreased B(max) value whereas it did not modify K(d) value. [(3)H]-ouabain binding was also studied in cerebral cortex membranes obtained from rats injected i. p. 30 min earlier with 100 μg and 250 μg/kg SR 48692. It was observed that the 250 μg/kg SR 48692 dose led to 19% decrease in basal [(3)H]-ouabain binding. After SR 48692 treatments, addition of 1 × 10(-6)M led to additive or synergic effect. Results suggested that [(3)H]-ouabain binding inhibition by neurotensin hardly involves NTS1 receptor.     

High affinity stereospecific binding of [3H] cocaine in striatum and its relationship to the dopamine transporter

A high affinity (KD 35 nM) binding site for [3H]cocaine is detected in rat brain striatum present at 2-3 pmol/mg protein of synaptic membranes. This binding is displaced by cocaine analogues with the same rank order as their inhibition of [3H]dopamine ([3H]DA) uptake into striatal synaptosomes (r = 0.99), paralleling the order of their central stimulant activity. The potent DA uptake inhibitors nomifensine, mazindol, and benztropine are more potent inhibitors of this high affinity [3H]cocaine binding than desipramine and imipramine. Cathinone and amphetamine, which are more potent central stimulants than cocaine, displace the high affinity [3H]cocaine binding stereospecifically, but with lower potency (IC50 approximately equal to 1 microM) than does cocaine. It is suggested that the DA transporter in striatum is the putative "cocaine receptor." Binding of [3H]cocaine, measured in 10 mM Na2HPO4-0.32 M sucrose, pH 7.4 buffer, is inhibited by physiologic concentrations of Na+ and K+ and by biogenic amines. DA and Na+ reduce the affinity of the putative "cocaine receptor" for [3H]cocaine without changing the Bmax, suggesting that inhibition may be competitive. However, TRIS reduces [3H]cocaine binding noncompetitively while Na+ potentiates it in TRIS buffer. Binding of [3H]mazindol is inhibited competitively by cocaine. In phosphate-sucrose buffer, cocaine and mazindol are equally potent in inhibiting [3H]mazindol binding, but in TRIS-NaCl buffer cocaine has 10 times lower potency. It is suggested that the cocaine receptor in the striatum may be an allosteric protein with mazindol and cocaine binding to overlapping sites, while Na+ and DA are allosteric modulators, which stabilize a lower affinity state for cocaine.     

[3H]Clonidine binding to rat hippocampal membranes

Alpha adrenergic receptor subtypes in rat hippocampal membranes were studied, using [³H]clonidine as the radioactive ligand. On the basis of competitive binding studies, using the selective antagonist-prazosin, WB-4101, and yohimbine, [³H] clonidine appeared to bind to a population of presynaptic sites that are pharmacologically similar to receptors previously classified as alpha₂. A computerized model that linearized and produced the best possible fit to the experimental data points indicated that [³H]clonidine binds to a single population of receptors possessing equal affinity for the ligand. Binding data also indicated that rat hippocampus contains significantly fewer [³H]clonidine binding sites than rat cortex.     

Anomalous binding of [3 H] N-methyl-quinuclidinyl benzilate methyl chloride to human lymphocyte muscarinic receptors

Using the muscarinic cholinergic ligand [³ H] N-methyl quinuclidinyl benzilate methyl chloride ([³ H] NM-QNB), we demonstrated that intact, viable human lymphocytes posses specific muscarinic binding sites. Equilibrium binding studies show that muscarinic acethylcholine receptor are devided into two subtype; high affinity (Ms) and low affinity types (Mw) for the ligand.     

Solubilization and characterization of [3H]Imipramine and [3H]Paroxetine binding sites from calf striatum

The serotonin (5-HT) transporter from calf striatum cerebral membranes was solubilized with digitonin and characterized by gel exclusion chromatography. [³H]Imipramine and [³H]paroxetine were utilized as markers for labeling it.³H-imipramine labels a high- and a low-affinity site on striaturn membranes, whereas it binds to a single high-affinity site on the solubilized fraction. [³H]Paroxetine binds with the same affinity to a single site on both membranes and solubilized preparations. After gel exclusion chromatography of the solubilizate both [³H]imipramine and [³H]paroxetine bind on an identical fraction of 205 kDa molecular weight, with a similar maximum number of binding sites (Bmax). Our results suggest that both³H-imipramine and [³H]paroxetine bind to a common site on the 5-HT transporter.     

Changes in [3H]-ouabain and [3H]-neurotensin binding to rat cerebral cortex membranes after administration of antipsychotic drugs haloperidol and clozapine

Evidences indicate the relationship between neurotensinergic and dopaminergic systems. Neurotensin inhibits synaptosomal membrane Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity, an effect blocked by SR 48692, antagonist for high affinity neurotensin receptor (NTS1) type. Assays of high affinity [³H]-ouabain binding (to analyze K⁺ site of Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase) show that in vitro addition of neurotensin decreases binding. Herein potential interaction between NTS1 receptor, dopaminergic D2 receptor and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase was studied. To test the involvement of dopaminergic D2 receptors in [³H]-ouabain binding inhibition by neurotensin, Wistar rats were administered i.p.with antipsychotic drugs haloperidol (2 mg/kg) and clozapine (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg). Animals were sacrificed 18 h later, cerebral cortices harvested, membrane fractions prepared and high affinity [³H]-ouabain binding assayed in the absence or presence of neurotensin at a 10 micromolar concentration. No differences versus controls for basal binding or for binding inhibition by neurotensin were recorded, except after 10 mg/kg clozapine. Rats were administered with neurotensin (3, 10 y 30 μg, i.c.v.) and 60 min later, animals were sacrificed, cerebral cortices harvested and processed to obtain membrane fractions for high affinity [³H]-ouabain binding assays. Results showed a slight but statistically significant decrease in binding with the 30 μg neurotensin dose. To analyze the interaction between dopaminergic D2 and NTS1 receptors, [³H]-neurotensin binding to cortical membranes from rats injected with haloperidol (2 mg/kg, i.p.) or clozapine (10 mg/kg) was assayed. Saturation curves and Scatchard transformation showed that the only statistically significant change occurred in Bmax after haloperidol administration. Hill number was close to the unit in all cases. Results indicated that typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs differentially modulate the interaction between neurotensin and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase. At the same time, support the notion of an interaction among dopaminergic and neurotensinergic systems and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase at central synapses.     

High affinity binding of [3H] cocaine to rat liver microsomes

[3H]Cocaine bound reversibly, with high affinity (KD 2.3 +/- 1.1 nM) and stereospecificity to rat liver microsomes. Little binding was detected in the lysosomal, mitochondrial and nuclear fractions. The binding kinetics were slow (T1/2 for association, 6 min and for dissociation 17 min), and the kinetically calculated KD was 2 nM. Induction of mixed function oxidases by phenobarbital did not produce significant change in [3H]cocaine binding. On the other hand, chronic administration of cocaine reduced [3H]cocaine binding drastically. Neither treatment affected the affinity of the liver binding protein for cocaine. Microsomes from mouse and human livers had less cocaine-binding protein and lower affinity for cocaine than those from rat liver. Binding of [3H]cocaine to rat liver microsomes was insensitive to monovalent cations and greater than 10 fold less sensitive to biogenic amines than the cocaine receptor in rat striatum. However, the liver protein had higher affinity for cocaine and metabolites except for norcocaine. Amine uptake inhibitors displaced [3H]cocaine binding to liver with a different rank order of potency than their displacement of [3H]cocaine binding to striatum. This high affinity [3H]cocaine binding protein in liver is not likely to be a monooxygenase, but may have a role in cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity.     

5-Aminolevulinic acid inhibits [3H]muscimol binding to human and rat brain synaptic membranes

The interaction of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) with GABA_A receptors has been proposed to underlie the neurological dysfunctions of ALA-accumulating disorders, such as acute intermittent porphyria. The effects of ALA on [³H]muscimol binding to human and rat cerebral cortical membranes were compared. ALA (0.1–10 mM) significantly inhibited the binding of [³H]muscimol (12 nM), with a similar potency in rat and human membranes (IC₅₀ = 199 vs. 228 M, respectively). Kinetical analysis revealed that ALA (1 mM) significantly increased the Kd and decreased the Bmax of [³H]muscimol to both rat (100 and 50%, respectively) and human (200 and 40%, respectively) membranes, indicating a mixed-type inhibition. The similarity in the potency and mechanism of the ALA-induced inhibition of muscimol binding in rat and human membranes indicate that rat studies are useful to evaluate the neurotoxic properties of ALA towards the human GABAergic system, and may help to understand the pathophysiology of porphyria.     

Differential interactions of muscarinic drugs with binding sites of [3H]pirenzepine and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate in rat brain tissue

Some atypical muscarinic drugs were compared with classical drugs with respect to inhibition of specific binding of [3H]pirenzepine ([3H]PZ) and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) to membrane preparations of rat brain. The interactions of the agonists McN-A343 and carbachol with [3H]QNB at muscarinic sites in brain stem preparations were differently modulated in the presence of an excess of PZ. Moreover, McN-A343 exhibited a preferential affinity for [3H]PZ sites in whole brain membranes whereas carbachol bound with high affinity to [3H]QNB sites in brain stem preparations. Various muscarinic agonists and antagonists displayed different affinity patterns in the [3H]PZ and [3H]QNB binding. These data are indicative of two populations of pharmacologically distinguishable binding sites and support the concept of muscarinic receptor heterogeneity in rat brain.     

Increased binding of [3H]GABA to striatal membranes following ischemia

Sodium-independent binding of [3H]gamma-aminobutyric acid ([3H]GABA) to membranes prepared from ischemic-damaged rat striatum was studied by kinetic and time-course analysis. Three days after 40 min of ischemia, [3H]GABA binding increased fourfold over control values. Scatchard analysis of the binding showed that ischemia significantly increased the affinity (KD) and the total number of binding sites (Bmax) for the high-affinity GABA receptor. These results support the conclusion that transient forebrain ischemia damages striatal GABAergic neurons.     

Effect of dithiol chelating agents on [3H]MK-801 and [3H]glutamate binding to synaptic plasma membranes

2,3-Dimercaptopropanol (BAL- British Anti-Lewesite) is a dithiol chelating agent used for the treatment of heavy metal poisoning, however, BAL can produce neurotoxic effects in a variety of situations. Based on the low therapeutic efficiency of BAL other dithiols were developed and DMSA (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) and DMPS (2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid) are becoming used for treatments of humans exposed to heavy metals. In the present investigation the effect of dithiols in the glutamatergic system was examined. The results showed that BAL inhibited [³H]MK-801 and [³H]glutamate binding in a concentration-dependent manner. At 100 M BAL and DMSA caused a significantly inhibition of [³H]MK-801 binding to brain membranes (p < 0.05 by Duncan's multiple range test). BAL at 100 M caused an inhibition of 40% on [³H]glutamate binding. DMPS and DMSA had no significant effect on [³H]glutamate binding. Dithiotreitol (DTT), abolished the inhibitory effect of BAL on [³H]MK-801 binding. The protection exerted by DTT suggests that BAL inhibit [³H]MK-801 binding by interacting with cysteinyl residues that are important for redox modulation of receptor responses. ZnCl₂ inhibited [³H]glutamate and [³H]MK-801 binding to brain synaptic membrane; nevertheless, the inhibitory effect was slight more accentuated for [³H]MK-801 than [³H]glutamate binding (p < 0.05). The inhibition caused by 10 M ZnCl₂ on [³H]MK-801 binding was attenuated by BAL. The findings present in this study may provide the evidence that BAL affect the glutamatergic system and these effects can contributed to explain, at least in part, why BAL, in contrast to DMPS and DMSA is neurotoxic.     

Purification of L-[3H]nicotine eliminates low affinity binding

Some studies of L-[3H]nicotine binding to rodent and human brain tissue have detected two binding sites as evidenced by nonlinear Scatchard plots. Evidence presented here indicates that the low affinity binding site is not stereospecific, is not inhibited by low concentrations of cholinergic agonists and is probably due to breakdown products of nicotine since purification of the L-[3H]nicotine eliminates the low affinity site.     

Characterization of alpha-adrenoceptor subtypes by [3H]prazosin and [3H]rauwolscine binding to canine venous smooth muscle membranes

Postsynaptic alpha-adrenoceptor subtypes were studied using [3H]prazosin and [3H]rauwolscine binding to plasmalemma-enriched microsomal fractions isolated from dog saphenous veins and mesenteric veins. Both radioligands showed saturable binding consistent with the presence of a single homogeneous binding site in each case, based on Scatchard analysis. The Kd values of [3H]prazosin and [3H]rauwolscine, calculated from kinetic studies were similar to those from equilibrium binding data in both venous muscle membranes. The microsomal membranes of dog saphenous vein and mesenteric vein contained about a fourfold higher density of the high affinity [3H]rauwolscine binding sites than those for [3H]prazosin binding. In competition studies, IC50 values for displacement of rauwolscine or prazosin suggested that the sites of interaction for the antagonists prazosin and rauwolscine were independent. Phenylephrine, a functionally selective alpha-adrenoceptor agonist, competed with a similar IC50 value for the specific binding sites of [3H]prazosin and [3H]rauwolscine; but B-HT 920, a functionally selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, competed for [3H]rauwolscine and [3H]prazosin binding with distinctly different IC50 values. Our data show the existence of two populations of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist binding sites in the plasma membranes of dog saphenous vein and mesenteric vein, and raise the question whether agonist selectively depends on different affinities or on differential efficacies at one or two sites.     

Circadian-phase-dependency in [3H]-dihydroalprenolol binding to rat heart ventricular membranes

Binding studies with the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist ligand [3H]-dihydroalprenolol ([3H]-DHA, spec. act, 90-102 Ci/mmol) were performed with ventricular membranes L-D-synchronized (L:0.7-19 hr, D:-07 hr) male rats, sacrificed either at 08 hr or at 20 hr. Saturation experiments with crude or washed and preincubated membranes revealed two affinity states of specific [3H]-DHA binding which were abolished after addition of the guanine nucleotide Gpp(NH)p. In crude membranes the apparent Bmax-value at 20 hr was about 40% higher than at 08 hr, in washed and preincubated membranes the nocturnal increase in the apparent Bmax-value was not observed. Pretreatment of rats with isoprenaline (50 mg/kg, i.p.) decreased and catecholamine depletion (reserpine plus inhibition of tyrosine-hydroxylase) increased Bmax-values in crude membranes. The circadian-stage-dependent and the drug-induced effects on the apparent number of beta-adrenoceptors are assumed to be due to circadian or drug-induced variations in the turnover of cardiac noradrenaline.