Glutamine synthetase regulation by dexamethasone,RU486, and compound A in astrocytes derived from aged mouse cerebral hemispheres is mediated via glucocorticoid receptor

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Glucocorticoids (GCs) regulate astrocyte function, while glutamine synthetase (GS), an enzyme highly expressed in astrocytes, is one of the most remarkable...     

Differential responsiveness of late passage C-6 glial cells and advanced passages of astrocytes derived from aged mouse cerebral hemispheres to cytokines and growth factor: Glutamine synthetase activity

In this study, we were interested to compare the responsiveness to growth factors, NGF, b-FGF and EGF and cytokines, IL1β, and TNF-α, in late passages (74–79) C6 glial cells committed astrocytes and astrocytes of advanced passages (26–28) in cultures derived from aged mouse cerebral hemispheres (MACH). Cultures were grown in either DMEM or chemically defined medium (CDM/TIPS) in order to test the effects of growth factors or cytokines. The activity of glutamine synthetase (GS), a marker for astrocytes, was used as a test parameter. We found that treatment with growth factors increased GS activity in both glial cell culture systems with the exception of EGF in C-6 glial cells. Treatment with cytokines markedly decreased GS activity in the late passage C6 glial cells whereas only TNF-α had a similar effect on MACH astrocytes. In view of the generally opposite effects of growth factors and cytokines on GS activity, we-speculate that these molecules which are also endogenously present in glial cells may play a role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis.     

Two classes of ouabain receptors in chick ventricular cardiac cells and their relation to (Na+,K+)-ATPase inhibition, intracellular Na+ accumulation, Ca2+ influx, and cardiotonic effect

The biochemical and pharmacological properties of the (Na+,K+)-ATPase have been studied at different stages of chick embryonic heart development in ovo and under cell culture conditions. The results show the existence of two families of ouabain binding sites: a low affinity binding site with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 2-6 microM for the ouabain-receptor complex and a high affinity binding site with a Kd of 26-48 nM. Levels of high affinity sites gradually decrease during cardiac ontogenesis to reach a plateau near 14 days of development. Conversely the number of low affinity binding sites is essentially invariant between 5 days and hatching. Cultured cardiac cells display the same binding characteristics as those found in intact ventricles. Inhibition of 86Rb+ uptake in cultured cardiac cells and an increase in intracellular Na+ concentration, due to (Na+,K+)-ATPase blockade, occur in a ouabain concentration range corresponding to the saturation of the low affinity ouabain site. Ouabain-stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake increases in parallel with the increase in the intracellular Na+ concentration. It is suppressed in Na+-free medium or when Na+ is replaced by Li+ suggesting that the increase is due to the indirect activation of the Na+/Ca2+ exchange system in the plasma membrane. Dose-response curves for the inotropic effects of ouabain on papillary muscle and on ventricular cells in culture indicate that the development of the cardiotonic properties is parallel to the saturation of the low affinity binding site for ouabain. Therefore, inhibition of the cardiac (Na+,K+)-ATPase corresponding to low affinity ouabain binding sites seems to be responsible for both the cardiotonic and cardiotoxic effects of the drug.     

Ontogenic appearance of Ca2+ channels characterized as binding sites for nitrendipine during development of nervous, skeletal and cardiac muscle systems in the rat

The appearance of specific receptors for the Ca2+ channel antagonist nitrendipine has been followed during the fetal and post-natal development of rat brain without cerebellum, cerebellum, skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. The number of nitrendipine receptors is low at the fetal stage and increases drastically during post-natal development of brain, cerebellum, skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. The time course of this increase is different for each type of tissue studied. No significant change in receptor ligand dissociation constant (Kd) can be detected over the development period studied. The results are discussed in relation with the known properties of the differentiation process in the four types of excitable tissues studied.     

Ontogenic appearance of Na+ channels characterized as high affinity binding sites for tetrodotoxin during development of the rat nervous and skeletal muscle systems

The appearance of the voltage-dependent Na+ channel during the fetal and post-natal development of rat brain, cerebellum and skeletal muscle has been followed using a highly radiolabelled derivative of tetrodotoxin. The number of Na+ channels is low at the fetal stage and increases drastically during post-natal development. The time-course of this increase is different in brain, cerebellum and skeletal muscle. Changes in affinity of the Na+ channel for tetrodotoxin occur during brain and cerebellum development. The results are discussed in relation with the maturation of the three types of excitable tissues.     

The Na+ channel in mammalian cardiac cells. Two kinds of tetrodotoxin receptors in rat heart membranes

The properties of interaction of both tetrodotoxin (TTX) and tritiated ethylenediamine tetrodotoxin [3H] en-TTX) were studied in rat heart membranes at different stages of development and in cultured cells. Studies by electrophysiology and by 22Na+ flux measurements on cardiac cultured cells indicate that the functional form of the Na+ channel is of low affinity for TTX (250-700 nM). Binding experiments (bioassay and [3H]en-TTX binding) on cultured cardiac cells from newborn rats indicate the presence of both high and low affinity binding sites for TTX with dissociation constants (Kd) of 1.6 and 135 nM, respectively. On homogenates of hearts taken just after birth, [3H]en-TTX binding reveals no high affinity binding site for TTX but the presence of a low affinity binding site with a Kd of 125 nM. This result was confirmed by kinetic studies and competition experiments. Conversely, binding studies on homogenates and extensively purified membranes from adult ventricles reveal the presence of both high and low affinity binding sites for TTX with Kd values of 1.5 and 170 nM, respectively. The maximum binding capacity for the low affinity binding sites is 45 times higher than that of the high affinity binding sites. High affinity sites do not exist at the fetal stage or at birth, but after 5 days their number gradually increases to reach a maximum level around 45 days after birth. Conversely, the number of low affinity binding sites is essentially invariant between birth and adulthood. Monolayers of cardiac cells from hearts at 2 days after birth which have no high affinity TTX-binding sites in vivo develop both high and low affinity binding sites for TTX in vitro. The results presented here are the first direct demonstration of the coexistence in rat heart plasma membrane of two families of binding sites for TTX.     

Comparative changes of levels of nitrendipine Ca2+ channels, of tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ channels and of ouabain-sensitive (Na+ + K+)-ATPase following denervation of rat and chick skeletal muscle

Three major ion transport systems, the nitrendipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels, the tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ channel and the ouabain-sensitive (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, have been studied in skeletal muscle from rat and chick after chronic denervation. It is shown that the situation found for the Ca2+ channel differs dramatically from that found for the Na+ channel and the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and that regulation of the nitrendipine-sensitive Ca2+ channel in denervated muscle also differs widely from that of the tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ channel and the ouabain-sensitive (Na+ + K+)-ATPase which show a quite similar evolution.     

Differentiation of receptor sites for [3H]nitrendipine in chick hearts and physiological relation to the slow Ca2+ channel and to excitation-contraction coupling

The properties of interaction of the Ca2+ channel antagonist [3H]nitrendipine have been investigated in chick hearts at various stages of in ovo and post-natal development and in cultured cells. The dissociation constant of the [3H]nitrendipine-receptor complex is between 0.4 nM and 0.5 nM for intact ventricle and cultured cells. [3H]Nitrendipine binding is antagonized by nitrendipine analogs. The order of efficacy of the different dihydropyridine molecules is nitrendipine greater than nimodipine greater than nifedipine greater than nisoldipine with Kd values ranging from 0.5 to 4 nM. Inhibition of [3H]nitrendipine binding by other antiarrhythmic molecules like amiodarone, F13004 and bepridil was observed. Half-maximum inhibitions (K0.5) were found for verapamil and D600 at concentrations between 0.23 and 0.26 microM. The potency of organic Ca2+ blockers to depress by 50% the maximum amplitude of spontaneous beating of heart cells is closely related to K0.5 values obtained from [3H]nitrendipine binding experiments. Electrophysiological results indicate that the slow channel is insensitive to nitrendipine at the younger stage of development (3-day-old) whereas, in adult like cells, nitrendipine (50 nM) abolished both slow action potential due to the slow Ca2+ channel and contraction. The maximum binding capacity for [3H]nitrendipine is found to increase during development of the embryonic heart from 40 fmol/mg protein at day 3 to 100 fmol/mg protein at day 14, to stay relatively stable until day 18. Then the number of sites increases rapidly to reach a second plateau at 210 fmol/mg protein on day 4 after hatching. Treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine results in 35% increase in [3H]nitrendipine binding, whereas reserpine treatment is without effect. Developmental properties of nitrendipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels have been compared with those of tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ channels and muscarinic receptors. These results indicate that nitrendipine receptors exist at the early stage of development (3-day-old-hearts) but that they do not correspond to functional slow Ca2+ channels, that in ovo development corresponds both to an increase of the number of [3H]nitrendipine receptors and to the transformation of silent Ca2+ channels into functional Ca2+ channels, and that there is a regulation of the level nitrendipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels by innervation.     

Polyadenylate polymerase activity in stationary and growing cell cultures

Soluble polyadenylic acid (poly(A] polymerase content of stationary and growing cell populations from a variety of cell lines was determined. Cell populations from stationary cultures presented poly(A) polymerase values with a mean of 31 +/- 12 enzyme units/mg protein. The mean value for growing cell populations were 62 +/- 18 enzyme units per mg protein. A statistically significant difference was found between stationary and growing cell populations from the variety of cell lines examined (p less than 0.1). The observed differences in poly(A) polymerase levels persisted after fractionation of the crude extracts and revealed two molecular forms of enzyme activity with a net charge difference in stationary and growing cell cultures.