Significance of the 19-kDa hemolymph protein HP19 for the development of the rice moth Corcyra cephalonica: morphological and biochemical effects caused by antibody application

The hemolymph protein HP19 of the rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica, mediates the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E)-dependent acid phosphatase (ACP) activity at a nongenomic level. Affinity-purified polyclonal antibody against HP19 (alphaHP19-IgG) was used in the present study to understand the role of HP19 during the postembryonic development of Corcyra. In the in vitro studies, HP19 action was blocked either by immuno-precipitation using alphaHP19-IgG, prior to its addition to the fat body culture or by the addition of the antibody directly to the culture, along with 20E and hemolymph containing HP19. The alphaHP19-IgG blocked the HP19-mediated 20E-dependent ACP activation. In the in vivo studies, the alphaHP19-IgG was injected into the fully developed last (final/Vth) instar larvae of Corcyra, to complex the HP19 in vivo, in order to block the action of HP19. The injection of alphaHP19-IgG resulted in defective development of larvae, which grew either into non-viable larvae or larval-pupal/pupal-adult intermediates relative to the effect of pre-immune IgG injected controls. The present study shows that HP19 plays an important role in controlling the metamorphosis of Corcyra by regulating the 20E-dependent ACP activity. Coupled with the earlier findings, the ecdysteroid hormone regulates this action at a nongenomic level.     

Steroid hormone receptor signaling in tumorigenesis

Excessive activation of the hormone signaling pathways is implicated in several disorders of the target tissues, with cancer being one of the most serious fallouts. Steroid hormone receptors are key proteins through which steroid hormones convey their signals to the cells. Deregulated activity of the hormone receptors due to their altered activation; stability or sub-cellular localization is heavily implicated in the onset and progress of cancers. The role played by estrogen and its receptors in breast cancer remains the most thoroughly investigated steroid-dependent cancer system till date. Choosing it as an example, we have summarized the molecular mechanisms underlying the action of the estrogen receptors (ERs) in manifesting the effects of the estrogens in the cells. A special emphasis is placed on the molecular mechanism of their functionality, role of the coactivator proteins, and the reasons for the deregulated signaling. The therapeutic approaches resulting from the mechanistic study of the ER action and their efficacies are also discussed.     

The roles of membrane estrogen receptor subtypes in modulating dopamine transporters in PC-12 cells

The effects of 17β-estradiol (E₂) on dopamine (DA) transport could explain gender and life-stage differences in the incidence of some neurological disorders. We tested the effects of E₂ at physiological concentrations on DA efflux in nerve growth factor-differentiated rat pheochromocytoma cells that express estrogen receptors (ER) α, ERβ, and G-protein coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), and DA transporter (DAT). DAT efflux was determined as the transporter-specific loss of ³H-DA from pre-loaded cells; a 9–15 min 10⁻⁹ M E₂ treatment caused maximal DA efflux. Such rapid estrogenic action suggests a non-genomic response, and an E₂-dendrimer conjugate (limited to non-nuclear actions) caused DA efflux within 5 min. Efflux dose–responses for E₂ were non-monotonic, also characteristic of non-genomic estrogenic actions. ERα siRNA knockdown abolished E₂-mediated DA efflux, while ERβ knockdown did not, and GPR30 knockdown increased E₂-mediated DA efflux (suggesting GPR30 is inhibitory). Use of ER-selective agonists/antagonists demonstrated that ERα is the predominant mediator of E₂-mediated DA efflux, with inhibitory contributions from GPR30 and ERβ. E₂ also caused trafficking of ERα to the plasma membrane, trafficking of ERβ away from the plasma membrane, and unchanged membrane GPR30 levels. Therefore, ERα is largely responsible for non-genomic estrogenic effects on DAT activity.     

甾体激素对C6细胞摄取甘氨酸的快速作用

目的 :探讨甾体激素对C6细胞摄取甘氨酸快速作用的非基因组织机制。方法 :应用液体闪烁技术 ,通过检测C6细胞在加入了甾体激素和 /或其它试剂后摄入标记甘氨酸量的改变 ,确定甾体激素的作用。结果 :C6细胞高亲合力的甘氨酸依赖于钠离子和氯离子。皮质酮 ,孕酮 ,地塞米松可快速抑制这种摄取 ,雌二醇 ,脱氧皮质酮无显著的抑制作用 ,表明甾体激素作用有特异性。皮质酮的作用在 10 4 -8～ 10 -6 mmol/L范围内效应与浓度成正相关。皮质酮偶联牛血清蛋白后作用依然存在。RU38486 能部分阻断皮质酮的效应。细胞外液钙离子缺乏时皮质酮的作用基本消失。结论 :虽然皮质酮 ,孕酮 ,地塞米松神经胶质细胞和神经元摄取甘氨酸的快速作用不一样 ,但均是非基因组机制。     

糖皮质激素非基因组效应及其信号转导机制

糖皮质激素具有多种重要的生理和药理作用,其经典作用途径为“基因组机制”,通过调节基因转录发挥作用.近年来,其“非基因组机制”在生理和药理学方面的作用越来越受重视.在这一作用途径中,可能有多种受体、激酶、信号分子的参与,“基因组机制”和“非基因组机制”间还可能存在交互调节,对非基因组机制进行深入研究有利于糖皮质激素的临床合理应用.     

糖皮质激素快速抑制气道平滑肌游离钙升高与磷脂酶C活性的关系

目的:本实验通过对平滑肌细胞行GCs快速预处理,拟证实糖皮质激素对平滑肌细胞内[Ca2+]i浓度升高有快速抑制作用,并初步探讨该现象的可能分子机制。方法:原代培养的大鼠平滑肌细胞,应用Fura-2/AM显微荧光检测技术,检测肌细胞内[Ca2+]i在受到激动剂刺激后的浓度变化;比较不同浓度地塞米松预处理后10min与对照组之间游离钙上升情况的区别。用Western blot方法,分析气道平滑肌细胞内抑制型磷脂酶C(phospho-PLCβ-ser1105)含量的变化。设立RU486及CHX对照组,排除基因组作用在该反应中的影响。结果:GCs温浴10min,能够明显降低乙酰胆碱引起的ASMCs细胞内[Ca2+]i峰值。并能够明显上调ASMCs内抑制型PLC含量。这些反应不受RU486和CHX影响。结论:GCs能够通过非基因组作用快速抑制刺激物引起的气道平滑肌的收缩反应,这一效应的实现可能是通过抑制PLC分子活性,使其下游的[Ca2+]i浓度降低实现的。     

Testosterone rapidly reduces anxiety in male house mice (Mus musculus)

Eight experiments supported the hypotheses that reflexive testosterone release by male mice during sexual encounters reduces male anxiety (operationally defined in terms of behavior on an elevated plus-maze) and that this anxiolysis is mediated by the conversion of testosterone to neurosteroids that interact with GABA(A) receptors. In Experiment 1, a 10-min exposure to opposite-sex conspecifics significantly reduced both male and female anxiety 20 min later (as indexed by increased open-arm time on an elevated plus-maze) compared to control mice not receiving this exposure. In contrast, locomotor activity (as indexed by enclosed-arm entries on the elevated plus-maze) was not significantly affected. The remaining experiments examined only male behavior. In Experiment 2, exposure to female urine alone was anxiolytic while locomotor activity was not significantly affected. Thus, urinary pheromones of female mice likely initiated the events leading to the male anxiolysis. In phase 1 of Experiment 3, sc injections of 500 microg of testosterone significantly reduced anxiety 30 min later while locomotor activity was not significantly affected. Thus, testosterone elevations were associated with reduced male anxiety and the time course consistent with a nongenomic, or very rapid genomic, mechanism of testosterone action. In phase 2 of Experiment 3, the anxiolytic effect of testosterone was dose dependent with a 250 microg sc injection required. Thus, testosterone levels likely must be well above baseline levels (i.e., in the range induced by pulsatile release) in order to induce anxiolysis. In Experiment 4, a high dosage of 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone was more anxiolytic than a high dosage of estradiol benzoate, suggesting that testosterone action may require 5alpha-reduction. In Experiments 5 and 6, 3alpha,5alpha-reduced neurosteroid metabolites of testosterone (androsterone and 3alpha-androstandione) were both anxiolytic at a lower dosage (100 microg/sc injection) than testosterone, supporting the notion that testosterone is converted into neurosteroid metabolites for anxiolytic activity. Experiments 7 and 8 found that either picrotoxin or bicucculine, noncompetitive and competitive antagonists of the GABA(A) receptor, respectively, blocked the anxiolytic effects of testosterone. However, conclusions from these 2 experiments must be tempered by the reduction in locomotor activity that was also seen. The possible brain locations of testosterone action as well as the possible adaptive significance of this anxiolytic response are discussed.