Cyproheptadine metabolites inhibit proinsulin and insulin biosynthesis and insulin release in isolated rat pancreatic islets

The contribution of drug metabolites to cyproheptadine (CPH)-induced alterations in endocrine pancreatic -cells was investigated by examining the inhibitory activity of CPH and its biotransformation products, desmethylcyproheptadine (DMCPH), CPH-epoxide and DMCPH-epoxide, on hormone biosynthesis and secretion in pancreatic islets isolated from 50-day-old rats. Measurement of (pro)insulin (proinsulin and insulin) synthesis using incorporation of ³H-leucine showed that DMCPH-epoxide, DMCPH and CPH-epoxide were 22, 10 and 4 times, respectively, more potent than CPH in inhibiting hormone synthesis. The biosynthesis of (pro)insulin was also inhibited by CPH and DMCPH-epoxide in islets isolated from 21-day-old rat fetuses. The inhibitory action of CPH and its metabolites was apparently specific for (pro)insulin, and the synthesis of other islet proteins was not affected. Other experiments showed the metabolites of CPH were active in inhibiting glucose-stimulated insulin secretion but were less potent than the parent drug in producing this effect. CPH and its structurally related metabolites, therefore, have differential inhibitory activities on insulin synthesis and release. The observation that CPH metabolites have higher potency than CPH to inhibit (pro)insulin synthesis, when considered with published reports on the disposition of the drug in rats, indicate that CPH metabolites, particularly DMCPH-epoxide, are primarily responsible for the insulin depletion observed when the parent compound is given to fetal and adult animals.Abbreviations CPH cyproheptadine - CPH-epoxide cyproheptadine-10-11-epoxide - DMCPH desmethylcyproheptadine - DMCPH-epoxide desmethylcyproheptadine-10,11-epoxide - HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography - KBB Krebs biocarbonate buffer Recipient of a Society of Toxicology Predoctoral Research Fellowship.Present address: Department of Biochemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.     

Interaction of cyproheptadine hydrochloride with human serum albumin using spectroscopy and molecular modeling methods

The interaction between cyproheptadine hydrochloride (CYP) and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and molecular modeling at a physiological pH (7.40). Fluorescence of HSA was quenched remarkably by CYP and the quenching mechanism was considered as static quenching since it formed a complex. The association constants K_a and number of binding sites n were calculated at different temperatures. According to Förster's theory of non‐radiation energy transfer, the distance r between donor (human serum albumin) and acceptor (cyproheptadine hydrochloride) was obtained. The effect of common ions on the binding constant was also investigated. The effect of CYP on the conformation of HSA was analyzed using FT‐IR, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and 3D fluorescence spectra. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH and ΔS were calculated to be ?14.37 kJ mol^?1 and 38.03 J mol^?1 K^?1, respectively, which suggested that hydrophobic forces played a major role in stabilizing the HSA‐CYP complex. In addition, examination of molecular modeling indicated that CYP could bind to site I of HSA and that hydrophobic interaction was the major acting force, which was in agreement with binding mode studies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

5—羟色胺对大鼠下丘脑脑薄片室旁核神经元自发电活动的作用

在20个下丘脑脑片上,用玻璃微电极细胞外记录了46个室旁核神经元的自发放电单位,观察了5-羟色胺对它们的作用。当薄片用含5-羟色胺(10~(-6)mol/L)的人工脑脊液灌流后,有16个单位放电频率明显增加,反应的潜伏期为1.21±1.21 min。这种反应可被5-羟色胺的阻断剂噻庚啶所阻断。3个单位放电频率明显减少,27个单位无明显反应。实验结果表明约1/3的下丘脑室旁核神经元能被5-羟色胺所激活。     

安定减低家兔膈神经放电幅度的机制分析

本实验室曾经报道静脉注射安定对于清醒、麻痹、人工呼吸的家兔具有减低膈神经放电幅度、加快呼吸频率,缩短吸气时程(T_I)和呼气时程(T_E),降低动脉血压等作用。本工作在35只家兔中进一步分析了某些药物对安定的这些作用的影响。GABA 降低膈神经放电幅度和动脉血压,这与安定的作用相同,但 GABA 延长T_I、T_E和减慢呼吸频率,与安定的作用相反。事先用氨基酸脱羧酶抑制剂异烟肼处理,或用 GABA 受体拮抗剂印防己毒素处理,可阻遏安定减低膈神经放电幅度的作用。在事先用印防己毒素处理的家兔中,可见安定缩短 T_IT_E的作用不受影响。异烟肼或印防己毒素还能部分对抗安定的降压效应。阿片受体拮抗剂纳洛酮和5-HT 受体拮抗剂赛庚啶都不能阻遏安定降低膈神经放电幅度和动脉血压的作用。上述结果提示安定降低膈神经放电幅度的作用可能通过 GABA 这一中间环节,而内啡肽和5-HT可能不起重要作用。安定的降压作用需要有内源性 GABA 参与才得以持续较长时间,在减少GABA 或阻断 GABA 受体后,安定只有短暂的降压作用。     

刺激中缝背核对视交叉上核光敏神经元单位放电的影响

本实验观察刺激中缝背核对大鼠视交叉上核光敏神经元单位放电的影响,并进行药理学分析。结果表明,刺激ＤＲ能明显抑制ＳＣＮ神经元光诱发放电,这种抑制作用能被单胺氧化酶抑制剂优降宁增强,能被５－ＨＴ合成抑制剂对氯苯丙氨酸减弱,还能被５－ＨＴ受体拮抗剂赛庚啶阻断。结果提示,５－ＨＴ参与了刺激ＤＲ对ＳＣＮ光敏神经元放电的抑制。     

家兔脊髓背半部下行抑制通路中递质作用的补充观察

用玻璃微电极记录了麻痹而清醒的家兔束旁核单位对腓总神经强电流刺激发生的痛敏放电,看到此放电可被已在 L_1—L_2水平切断的脊髓背半部外周端的电流刺激所抑制。在14个可被脊髓刺激明显抑制的痛敏单位中,此脊髓刺激效应在8个单位可因静脉注射酚妥拉明而阻断,其余6个单位则基本不受酚妥拉明注射的影响。进一步观察表明,在8个酚妥拉明有阻断作用的单位,其中7个单位在注射赛庚啶时不表现阻断作用;而在6个酚妥拉明不起阻断作用的单位,注射纳洛酮也不能阻断其脊髓刺激效应。由于我们在过去的工作中已经证明,凡是酚妥拉明有阻断作用的单位注射纳洛酮也都表现出阻断作用,而酚妥拉明无阻断作用的单位对注射赛庚啶却有阻断作用。因而本组实验结果支持我们已提出的推论,即在家兔脊髓背半部下行抑制通路中至少包含两类纤维,一类以内源性吗啡和去甲肾上腺素为递质或调制物,另一类以5-羟色胺为递质。     

单胺类受体阻断剂和纳洛酮对家兔脊髓下行性抑制作用的影响

实验在27只麻痹的清醒家兔上进行。用玻璃微电极记录丘脑束旁核单位对腓总神经伤害性刺激发生的痛敏放电情况。这种痛敏放电活动均能无例外地被模拟的下行性抑制、即用弱电流刺激分离的脊髓背侧1/2外周端所抑制。在27个单位中,静注α-肾上腺能受体阻断剂酚妥拉明后,有16个单位的脊髓刺激的抑制效应被明显削弱,11个单位的脊髓刺激效应基本无变化。在5个酚妥拉明有效的单位,待药物作用消失之后,其脊髓刺激效应均能被纳洛酮所阻断。在5个脊髓刺激效应不受酚妥拉明影响的单位,静注5-羟色胺受体阻断剂賽庚啶后,有4个单位的脊髓刺激效应被明显削弱;而另外一个单位的脊髓刺激效应依然存在。以上实验结果提示,经由脊髓背侧下行、在脊髓水平对痛信号进行调制的下行通路可能主要包括两类纤维系统,一类以去甲肾上腺素(通过α受体发挥作用)和内源性吗啡样物质为递质或/和调制物,另一类则以-5羟色胺为递质。这两类纤维可能分别影响不同的脊髓背角上行投射神经元。     

5-HT对弓状核神经元的直接兴奋作用和通过GABA能局部神经元实现的抑制作用

用大鼠离体灌流脑片的细胞外单一神经元电生理记录技术,观察了5－HT对弓状核神经元自发放电的影响。结果表明：（1）在随机选取的149个神经元中,有33个（22．2％）可被5－HT兴奋,82个（55．0％）被抑制,其余34个（22．8％）出现双相反应或不出现反应;（2）用低Ca^2 -高Mg^2 人工脑脊液替换正常人工脑脊液后,5－HT引起的兴奋效应仍可出现,但5－HT引起的抑制效应不再出现;（3）5－HT受体的非选择性拮抗剂cyproheptadine对5－HT引起的兴奋或抑制都有阻断作用;（4）用GABA受体拮抗剂bicuculline(Bic)可以阻断5－HT引起的抑制作用。据此推测：（1）5－HT的兴奋效应对低Ca^2 环境不敏感,因而是5－HT直接作用于所记录细胞的结果;（2）5－HT的抑制效应对低C a^2 敏感,并可被Bic所阻断,因而－HT可能是兴奋了局部GABA能中间神经元,后者再通过释放GABA抑制了所记录的神经元。     

刺激PAG对C纤维传入诱发皮层电反应的影响

电刺激中脑导水管周围灰质(Periaqueductal Gray,PAG)对 C 类纤维传入引起的体感皮层诱发电位(C-CEP)和脊髓背表面电位(C-SSP)均有明显的抑制作用,对前者的作用更大。在脊髓背表面滴加赛庚啶后,刺激 PAG 对 C-SSP 的抑制变得不明显,表明 PAG下行抑制通路被阻断;但刺激 PAG 对 C-CEP 抑制仍明显,仅稍减小。提示 PAG 除了通过下行通路以外,可能还通过上行通路抑制 C-CEP。在脊髓背表面滴加赛庚啶后,静脉注射纳洛酮和赛庚啶可明显减弱电刺激 PAG 对 C-CEP 的抑制作用,提示内源性阿片样物质和5-羟色胺可能是上行抑制通路中主要的神经递质。     

5－羟色胺对大鼠下丘脑脑片弓状核神经元自发电活动的影响

在７４张大鼠下丘脑脑片上,用玻璃微电极记录到弓状核自发放电单位１７６个,其放电形式有三种：慢不规则型（１１９个,６７．６％）;快连续型（４６个,２６．１％）;位相型（１１个,６．３％）。５－ＨＴ（１０－６ｍｏｌ／Ｌ,３ｍｉｎ）对不同形式放电单位的作用均以抑制为主：对部分慢不规则单位（９／１１９）则表现为先抑制后兴奋的双相性反应,对少数神经元有兴奋作用。１２个被５－ＨＴ抑制的单位,其抑制作用不能被噻庚啶（ＣＨＤ,１０－５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ）阻断,４个被５－ＨＴ抑制的的单位中,其抑制作用可被二甲基麦角新碱（ＭＳＧ１０－６ｍｏｌ／Ｌ）部分或完全阻断。７个被５－ＨＴ抑制的单位,其中４个单位中,５－ＨＴ的抑制作用可被特异性５－ＨＴ１Ａ受体阻断剂Ｐｉｎｄｏｂｉｎｄ－５－ＨＴ１Ａ部分阻断;但另外３个单位的阻断效果不明显。上述结果表明：５－ＨＴ对弓状核不同形式放电单位的作用均以抑制为主,其作用可能是通过５－羟色胺（５－ＨＴ１）受体介导的,部分还可能是通过５－ＨＴ１Ａ受体介导的。