LEVELS OF NOREPINEPHRINE AND DOPAMINE IN MOUSE BRAIN REGIONS FOLLOWING MICROWAVE INACTIVATION-RAPID POST-MORTEM DEGRADATION OF STRIATAL DOPAMINE IN DECAPITATED ANIMALS

—The effects of 2 methods of killing on norepinephrine and dopamine in mouse brain regions were examined. One method utilized decapitation, while the other method utilized heating with microwave irradiation concentrated on the head. The norepinephrine and dopamine contents of the cerebellum, medulla-pons, midbrain, diencephalon, hippocampus, corpus striatum, and cerebral cortex were determined by methods using liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Dopamine content in striatum was also quantitated by the method of gas chromatography with mass fragmentography. A significantly lower value for decapitated animals, as compared to the microwave heated group, was found only for dopamine exclusively in the striatum. Activities of the enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase, DO PA decarboxylase, monoamine oxidase, and catechol-o-methyltransferase in the striatum were also examined. These enzymes were totally inactivated by the microwave heating, except catechol-o-methyltransferase which was decreased approx 80%. These results support either (1) the existence of a substantial pool of dopamine in the striatum with a very rapid turnover rate or (2) a decapitation-related release and destruction of striatal dopamine. Measurements of 3-methoxytyramine in the striatum exhibit post-mortem increases corresponding to the decreases of dopamine. Use of the rapid tissue enzyme inactivation technique suggests that in vivo levels of this O-methylated dopamine metabolite are an order of magnitude lower than the results normally obtained after killing by decapitation.     

ALTERATIONS IN BRAIN OCTOPAMINE AND BRAIN TYROSINE FOLLOWING PORTACAVAL ANASTOMOSIS IN RATS

Abstract— Following portacaval anastomosis in the rat, plasma and brain tyrosine are markedly elevated, although brain tyrosine is increased to a significantly greater degree than plasma tyrosine. Both plasma and brain tyrosine as well as brain octopamine correlated well with a presumed index of impaired hepatic function, the ratio of liver weight to body weight in shunted rats. A significant positive correlation was observed between brain octopamine and brain tyrosine. The significance of these findings to the etiology and treatment of clinical hepatic encephalopathy is discussed.     

LEVELS OF 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE, DOPAMINE AND NOREPINEPHRINE IN WHOLE BRAIN OF RABBITS IN CHRONIC MANGANESE TOXICITY

Abstract— The levels of 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine and norepinephrine were estimated in whole brain of rabbits inoculated intratracheally with manganese dioxide (400 mg). Twenty one and 58 per cent lowering in the concentrations of dopamine and norepinephrine, respectively, were observed as compared to that of controls, the concentration of 5-HT was found to be unaltered.     

DIFFERENT TURNOVER RATES OF BRAIN RIBOSOMAL RIBONUCLEIC ACIDS IN MALE AND FEMALE RATS

Abstract— Following a single intracranial injection of [5-³H]orotic acid, the decay dynamics were determined for rRNAs of whole brain in male and female Wistar-inbred albino rats aged 2.5-3.5 months. The turnover rate for male brain rRNAs was significantly lower than in females (mean half-lives being, respectively, 12.2 ± 2.2 (S.D.M.) days, and 7.4 ± 1.3 days in four regression measurements). This difference was apparently not related to the turnover rate of acid-soluble brain nucleotides, which turned over much faster and at a similar rate in rats of both sexes; it also could not be connected with brain levels of rRNAs or DNAs, which were quite similar For males and females. The results are discussed in terms of possible sex hormone determination of brain RNA metabolic patterns especially in males.     

ELECTROSHOCK-INDUCED SEIZURES AND THE TURNOVER OF BRAIN PROTEIN IN THE RAT

Abstract— A total of ten electroshock seizures (two seizures per day) were induced in rats beginning 3 days after an injection of [U-¹⁴C]glucose. Despite the intense stimulation, the labelling of the protein and nucleic acid fractions in the brains of convulsed animals decreased only slightly and not significantly. During the first 2 days after administration of [¹⁴C]glucose to untreated animals, there was a slight decrease in the specific activity of protein-bound glutamic acid relative to that of aspartic acid and the total protein fraction, suggesting the presence of a protein with a high content of glutamic acid and a rapid turnover.     

左旋千金藤啶碱对不同脑区DA更新率的影响

应用ＨＰＬＣ－ＥＣＤ测定ＤＡ更新率（ＤＯＰＡＣ／ＤＡ）,证明（－）ＳＰＤ对黑质－纹状体、中脑－边缘系统、下丘脑－垂体ＤＡ神经系统的ＤＡ含量影响不明显,却显著增加ＤＯＰＡＣ含量,并显著加强这些脑区的ＤＡ更新率,这可能是通过末梢的ＤＡ自身受体实现的。但（－）ＳＰＤ既不显著影响中脑－前额叶和中脑－扣带回的ＤＡ含量,也不影响其中ＤＯＰＡＣ含量,表明它不影响这些脑区ＤＡ更新率。这可能是由于皮层ＤＡ系统神经末     

自发性高血压大鼠中枢血管紧张素Ⅱ的变化对中枢肾上腺素和去甲肾上腺素含量的影响

自发性高血压大鼠中枢肾上腺能递质含量异常,然其原因仍不清楚。本工作发现:12周龄易卒中型自发性高血压大鼠(SHRSP)脑桥,下丘脑后部、尾核中去甲肾上腺素(NE)含量及延髓、下丘脑前部,下丘脑后部中肾上腺素(E)含量均高于同龄 Wista Kyoto 大鼠(WKY),SHRSP 中枢 AⅡ含量亦明显高于同龄 WKY;向8周龄 SHRSP 和 WKY 侧脑室慢性灌注巯甲丙脯氨酸,不仅降低动脉血压及各脑区AⅡ含量,亦使中枢 NE 及 E 水平下降,但巯甲丙脯氨酸对 SHRSP 的影响远较对 WKY 明显。结果提示:SHRSP 中枢肾上腺能递质含量增加可能与 SHRSP 中枢 AⅡ量含量升高以及 SHRSP 中枢 AⅡ对中枢肾上腺能递质的促释放调节机制明显易化有关。     

去甲肾上腺素在大鼠缰核引起的心血管效应及其机制

在乌拉坦麻醉的大鼠,研究了去甲肾上腺素(NE)在缰核(Hb)引起的心血管效应及其机制。Hb内微量注射NE使平均动脉压和心率呈剂量依赖性增加。用α受体阻断剂酚妥拉明预处理Hb,可明显减弱NE在Hb引起的心血管效应,但β受体阻断剂心得安或生理盐水不引起任何影响。Hb内微量注射海人酸使平均动脉压和心率明显增加,但Hb内微量注射利多卡因则不能引起明显的心血管效应。上述结果表明,Hb内NE在调节心血管活动中起重要作用,而这种效应可能是通过激活α受体使Hb兴奋的结果。     

自发性高血压大鼠中枢去甲肾上腺素与血管紧张素Ⅱ的含量及相互关系

用荧光分光与放射免疫法,分别测定自发性高血压大鼠(SHR)与正常血压 WKY:大鼠脑内不同部位的去甲肾上腺素(NE)与血管紧张素Ⅱ(AⅠ)的含量。用尾筒法测量清醒大鼠尾动脉压。结果发现第8周龄 SHR 的血压及延脑、脑桥、下丘脑与尾核 NE 与 A Ⅱ含量和同龄WKY 相比,无明显差异。第12周龄以后,SHR 的血压逐渐升高,至20周龄时不再升高,维持在接近16周龄时的水平。可是 WKY 的血压无明显变化。在血压升高的早期与后期SHR 延脑、脑桥、下丘脑及尾核内 AⅡ含量显著高于 WKY,但 NE 的含量变化却不同,在早期与 WKY 有明显差异,而在高血压的后期无明显差异。提示在 SHR 高血压的早期 NE与 A Ⅱ均起作用,而在后期只 A Ⅱ起作用。向 SHR 侧脑室分别注射 Captopril 与6-OHDA,均引起血压下降,延脑与下丘脑内 AⅡ与 NE 含量均下降,两者表现同向关系。SHR 脑内AⅡ与 NE 这种同向变化在高血压的发生中可能起重要作用。     

ISOLATION AND RADIOENZYMIC ESTIMATION OF PICOGRAM QUANTITIES OF DOPAMINE AND NOREPINEPHRINE IN BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES

Abstract— A method was developed to measure small amounts of dopamine or norepincphrine in biological samples. It was based on the radioenzymic assay originally described by E ngelman et al. (1968) and improved by other workers: dopamine and norepinephrine are O -methylated by catechol- O - methyl-transferase in the presence of [³H] S -adenosylmethioniiie as la belled methyl donor. O -Methylated derivatives are extracted and estimated. The optimal conditions for the O -methylation and the extractions were determined. The most important improvement in the method consisted in the selective isolation of catecholamines on microcolumns of alumina under conditions that allowed their subsequent enzymic assay. The assay described can thus be used on any size of biological sample. The assay was not affected by the prescnce of various agents (tissue extracts, CSF salts and particularly calcium, drugs etc.) which were shown to interfere with the O -methylation process, and it allowed the measurement of quantities of dopamine and norepinephrine as low as 0.15 and 0.1 pmol respectively, whatever the origin of the sample (CSF superfusates, cerebral tissue).     

多巴胺(DA)和去甲肾上腺素(NE)在文昌鱼神经系统和性腺中的免疫细胞化学定位

用免疫细胞化学ABC法对多巴胺（DA）和去甲肾上腺素（ＮＥ）的文昌鱼神经系统和性腺中进行定位研究。免疫反应结果显示：ＤＡ和ＮＥ免疫阳性神经细胞广泛分布在文昌鱼端脑后部、中脑前部和中部以及脊髓,我们还观察到,在文昌鱼漏斗部也有ＤＡ免疫阳性神经细胞及其纤维;在中脑中部,ＮＥ免疫阳性神经细胞及其纤维与另一个神经细胞相接触。此餐,文昌鱼精巢和卵巢中也存在ＤＡ和ＮＥ免疫阳性物,研究结果表明,ＤＡ和ＮＥ可有像在鱼类中那样,参与调节文昌鱼哈氏窝上皮细胞的分泌活动以及性腺发育。     

HIGH AFFINITY CHOLINE TRANSPORT IN GUINEA PIG BRAIN AND THE EFFECT OF NOREPINEPHRINE

—The influence of 1-norepinephrine on the accumulation of [¹⁴C]choline by nuclei-free homogenates and synaptosomes of guinea-pig brain was studied. Kinetic analysis of choline accumulation by guinea-pig brain resulted in both high and low affinity Michaelis constants. Norepinephrine stimulated the high affinity choline transport process but not the low and the magnitude of its stimulation in 3 different brain regions was correlated with the choline acetyltransferase activity of those regions. Depletion of norepinephrine from the brainstem by pretreatment with the catecholamine depleter alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine significantly decreased the maximal velocity of choline transport. Both the alpha adrenergic receptor blocker phentolamine and the beta adrenergic receptor blocker propranalol inhibited norepinephrine induced stimulation of choline transport. Cocaine stimulated choline transport at low concentrations and pretreatment of animals with reserpine significantly antagonized cocaine's stimulation of choline transport. The results suggest that endogenous norepinephrine may modify the high affinity choline transport process in guinea-pig brain.     

SHR和SD鼠脑梗塞后外侧皮质细胞的代谢变化

运用酶组织化学方法结合计算机图像分析,对自发性高血压大鼠（ＳＨＲ）和正常血压的ＳＤ大鼠在大脑中动脉迅速阻断之后皮质细胞的代谢变化进行了比较观察。实验结果显示在缺血１５ｍｉｎ,皮质细胞的细胞色素Ｃ氧化酶（ＣＣＯ）和乳酸脱氢酶（ＬＤＨ）的活性即已发生变化,而且随缺血时间的延长而更加明显,ＳＨＲ酶活性的变化更为显著,提示ＳＨＲ皮质细胞对缺血缺氧更为敏感。     

IN VIVO METHYLATION AND TURNOVER OF RAT BRAIN HISTONES

Abstract— The turnover of the different histone components from brain nuclei was studied after the administration of l -[³H]lysine and l -[¹⁴C-methyl]methionine to newborn rats. The radioactivities of the different histone subfractions as well as other proteins were determined over a 280-day period. Biphasic type decay curves (³H and ¹⁴C) were obtained for total brain histones and all the subfractions. From 6 to 40 days of age the half life of total brain histones was 19 days. After reaching brain maturity the half life was 132 days. The lysine rich histone (F₁) was found to turnover the fastest of all the histones, having half lives of 13 and 112 days, respectively. The decay curve for the slightly lysine rich histones (F_2a2, F_2b) gave half lives of 25 days up to 40 days of age and 189 days after reaching brain maturity. The arginine rich histones (F_2a1, F₃) gave a half life of 32 days up to 40 days of age, while no turnover was observed after maturity. The turnover rates of the methyl groups and/or methionyl residues did not vary significantly from the turnover rates of the lysyl residues in the F₂ and F₃ histones. The lysine-rich histones did not contain significant amounts of methionyl residues or methyl groups.
Amino acid analysis of the brain histones revealed that about 3·6 per cent of the lysyl residues in the slightly lysine rich histones were methylated, mainly as ε-N-dimethyllysine. About 13 per cent of the lysyl residues in the arginine rich histones were methylated, mainly as ε-N-monomethyllysine and ε-N-dimethyllysine.     

根田鼠大脑内去甲肾上腺素水平的昼夜节律及低氧作用

研究表明, 哺乳动物脑中去甲肾上腺素(Norepinephrine, NE) 作为一种植物性神经信息传递的经典递质, 表现为水平波动的昼夜节律行为(李思嘉. 1982. 生理科学进展13 (2) : 189) , 该变化可能与机体生理机能改变相关。在低氧应激下, 脑内N E 的更新率升高, 可对脑中各脑区功能起到协调作用。根田鼠是青藏高原金露梅灌丛的优势小哺乳动物, 本文研究在自然光照下, 根田鼠大脑内去甲肾上腺素(NE) 水平的昼夜节律, 以及在模拟低氧5 000 m 和7 000 m 高度条件下的含量变化情况。     

THE EFFECT OF FASTING ON THE METABOLISM OF 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE AND DOPAMINE IN THE BRAIN OF THE MOUSE

Abstract— The turnover of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the forebrain and of dopamine in the striatum was studied in mice fasted for 20 h. Such mice showed an increased tissue concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the forebrain and an increased accumulation of this acid after probenecid. Fasted mice also showed a higher concentration of homovanillic acid in the striatum than fed mice. However, the administration of probenecid produced a smaller increase in homovanillic acid concentration in fasted than in fed mice. The decay of dopamine following α-methyl- p -tyrosine was reduced in fasted mice at 2 h, but not at 1 h or 6 h after administration of the inhibitor. The possibility that fasting increases the activity of some dopaminergic neurones while decreasing the activity of others is considered. The existence of a pool of homovanillic acid at a site within the striatum where the probenecid-sensitive transport is not effective is postulated.     

EFFECT OF l-DOPA ON BRAIN CONCENTRATION OF DOPAMINE AND HOMOVANILLIC ACID IN RATS AFTER CHRONIC MANGANESE CHLORIDE ADMINISTRATION

Abstract— Rats chronically treated with a high oral load of MnCl₂ showed decreased concentrations of dopamine and HVA in brain. A return to normal values was observed after l -DOPA injections. This suggests a disturbance in catecholamine metabolism after chronic manganese administration possibly at the level of l -tyrosine hydroxylase.     

AMOUNTS AND TURNOVER RATES OF BRAIN PROTEINS IN MORPHINE-TOLERANT MICE

Abstract— Mice were injected intracerebrally with radioactive leucine 30 min before decapitation. A double-label technique was used; e.g. [³H]leucine in control, untreated mice and [¹⁴C]leucine in morphine-tolerant (dependent) mice. Proteins were extracted sequentially from mouse brain with aqueous buffer, Triton X-100, and sodium lauryl sulphate. Each extract was subjected to electrophoresis on discontinuous, porosity-gradient acrylamide gels. When the protein patterns from untreated, acutely morphinized mice were compared with those from morphine-tolerant (dependent) mice, we observed no differences in the amounts of protein or of radioactivity in any of the 55 discrete bands.     

PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE NUCLEOTIDES IN THE BRAIN OF NORMAL AND CONVULSANT RATS

Abstract— Purine and pyrimidine nucleotides were measured in the brain of normal and electroshocked rats after chromatographic separation on ion-exchange resin of mono-, di- and tri-phosphorylated derivatives.
CMP, IMP and NAD did not show any significant quantitative change. Adenine nucleotides showed an abrupt change followed by a rapid return to the control value. GTP was the only purine nucleotide exhibiting a relatively slow return to its starting concentration. The greatest percentage increase after electroshock was observed in UMP, which returned to its control value only after 5 min; UDPCoenzymes (i.e. UDPA plus UDPG) showed a relatively small drop during the development of the seizure and the slowest return to the base line; UTP showed a late transistory increase above the normal level after an initial drop associated with convulsant activity.
Tritiated uridine was injected intracisternally to investigate the turnover of pyrimidine nucleotides. UTP showed the highest specific radioactivity at the earliest time, followed by UMP, UDPCoenzymes and CMP. It was found that convulsant activity is associated with dramatic changes in the specific radioactivity of pyrimidine nucleotides.