Library

Notes: Abstract: We have examined the binding of the adenosine agonist radioligands [3H]N6-cyclohexyladenosine ([3H]CHA) and [3H]5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine ([3H]NECA) to membranes prepared from postmortem human pineal glands. The results showed that the A-1-specific ligand CHA did not bind to membranes. By contrast, [3H]NECA, a nonselective A- 1/A-2 ligand, gave 68% specific binding of the total binding. This specific binding was nearly insensitive to the TV-ethylmaleimide pretreatment method. To characterize this binding, we used cyclopentyladenosine (50 nM). Under those conditions [3H]NECA binding at 30°C was rapid and reversible; the KD determined from the kinetic studies was 141 nM. In postmortem human pineal gland, the rank order of potency of adenosine analogues and drugs competing with [3H]NECA showed the specificity for an A-2 receptor: NECA 〉 2-chloroadenosine 〉 l-N6(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine 〉 8-phenyltheophylline 〉 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine 〉 caffeine. Guanylylimidodiphosphate (100 μM) induced a decrease in the affinity of [3H]NECA, a result suggesting the involvement of a G protein mechanism in the coupling of the adenosine receptor to other components of the receptor complex. Scatchard analysis revealed one class of binding sites for [3H]NECA with KD and Bmax ranging from 175 to 268 nM and 11.0 to 14.1 pmol/mg protein, respectively. The binding of [3H]NECA was not affected by age, sex, or postmortem delay. [3H]NECA should be a useful tool to assess brain A-2 receptor density in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Notes: Abstract: The autoradiographic method with l-[35S]methionine was used to determine the effects of an n-3 fatty acid deficiency on brain protein synthesis. Brain protein synthesis was significantly increased (from 50 to 150%) in 45 of the 52 brain structures studied in n-3 fatty acid-deficient rats as compared with control animals. Biochemical analysis confirmed the increase in overall rate of protein synthesis in brain as a whole.

Notes: Abstract: The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible formation of hepoxilin A3 in the rat pineal gland and to study the potential physiological role for this compound in this tissue. Incubation of homogenates of rat pineal glands with arachidonic acid (66 μM) led to the appearance of hepoxilin A3 (HxA3) analyzed as its stable trihydroxy derivative, trioxilin A3 by gas chromatography in both the electron impact and negative ion chemical ionization modes. Endogenous formation of HxA3 is estimated to be 1.43 ± 0.66 ng//μg of protein. This amount is not modified when the tissue is boiled (2.07 ± 0.66 ng/μg of protein). However, the formation of this compound was stimulated to 21.26 ±5.82 ng/μg of protein when exogenous arachidonic acid was added to the homogenate. Addition of the dual cyclooxygenase/lipoxygenase inhibitor BW 755C (10 /μg) resulted in a partial blockade of hepoxilin formation. Using [1-14C] H×A3, we demonstrated that the pineal gland contained hepoxilin epoxide hydrolase, which hydrolyzed HxA3 into trioxilin A3. This hydrolysis was inhibited by 1 μmol/L of 3, 3, 3-trichloropropene-1, 2-oxide. In a separate study, HxA3 in the presence of 3, 3, 3-trichloropropene-1, 2-oxide to block the hydrolysis of HxA3 decreased the production of cyclic AMP in cultured organ rat pineals after stimulation with 5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine, an A1/A2 adenosine receptor agonist. This effect is stereospecific because the (8S)-enantiomer is more active in decreasing cyclic AMP production (−88.7%) than the (8R)-enantiomer. This is the first demonstration of the presence, metabolism, and action of HxA3 in the rat pineal gland.

Notes: Abstract: The autoradiographic method with [14C]-docosahexaenoic acid ([14C]22:6 n-3) was used to determine whether a diet deficient in n-3 fatty acids, inducing a decrease in 22:6 n-3 circulating level, was associated with changes in local rates of phospholipid synthesis in the rat brain. As compared with rats fed a normal diet (peanut plus rapeseed oil), a n-3 fatty acid deficiency [peanut oil group (P group)] induced a generalized decrease (−35 to −76%) of 22:6 n-3 incorporation rates into phospholipids in all the regions examined. This effect was confirmed by using [3H]22:6 n-3 infusion by biochemical analysis and quantifications corrected for the contribution of docosahexaenoate derived from lipid store recycling to the unesterified pool, taken as the precursor pool for phospholipid synthesis in the whole brain. In normal or n-3 fatty acid-deficient rats, the values of the brain-to-plasma 22:6 n-3 specific activity ratio (Ψ) were similar (0.03), indicating that a considerable endogenous source of 22:6 n-3 (97%), likely derived from phospholipid degradation, dilutes the specific activity of the tracer coming from plasma. Using the specific activity of 22:6 n-3 in plasma instead of brain would thus lead to a gross underestimation of the rate of phospholipid synthesis. The results also demonstrate that the pattern of 14C or 3H distribution in brain lipids was not modified by the n-3 fatty acid-deficient diet. The major lipids labeled were phospholipids, particularly phosphatidylethanolamine. Nevertheless, the unesterified 22:6 n-3 concentrations in plasma and brain were significantly reduced (eight- and threefold, respectively) in the P group. In addition, the proportion of 22:6 n-3 in the brain total lipid fraction, total phospholipids, and phosphatidylcholine, -ethanolamine, and -serine was significantly decreased in n-3 fatty acid-deficient rats. This was partially compensated for by an increase in the 22:5 n-6 level. These results are discussed in relation to the limitation of 22:6 n-3 use to quantify, by the quantitative autoradiographic method, changes in local rates of phospholipid synthesis in rat brain.

Notes: Abstract: The method previously developed for the measurement of rates of methionine incorporation into brain proteins assumed that methionine derived from protein degradation did not recycle into the precursor pool for protein synthesis and that the metabolism of methionine via the transmethylation pathway was negligible. To evaluate the degree of recycling, we have compared, under steady-state conditions, the specific activity of L-[35S]methionine in the tRNA-bound pool to that of plasma. The relative contribution of methionine from protein degradation to the precursor pool was 26%. Under the same conditions, the relative rate of methionine flux into the transmethylation cycle was estimated to be 10% of the rate of methionine incorporation into brain proteins. These results indicate the following: (a) there is significant recycling of unlabeled methionine derived from protein degradation in brain; and (b) the metabolism of methionine is directed mainly towards protein synthesis. At normal plasma amino acid levels, methionine is the amino acid which, to date, presents the lowest degree of dilution in the precursor pool for protein synthesis. L-[35S]-Methionine, therefore, presents radiobiochemical properties required to measure, with minimal underestimation, rates of brain protein synthesis in vivo.

Notes: We have examined the binding of the adenosine agonist radioligands [3H]cyclohexyIadenosine (3H]CHA), R-N6-[3H]phenylisopropyladenosine ([3H]R-PIA), and 5′-N-ethylcarboxamido[3H]adenosine ([3H]NECA) to membranes prepared from rat pineal gland. The results showed that the A-1-selective ligands (CHA and R-PIA) had ±10% specific binding. By contrast, [3H]NECA, a nonselective A-l/A-2 li-gand, gave 72% specific binding of the total binding. This specific binding was insensitive to cyclopentyladenosine (50 M) or R-PIA (50 μM). To characterize this binding, we sed the N-ethylmaleimide pretreatment method. Under these conditions, this binding was of high affinity with a KD of 51 ± 10 nM and an apparent Bmax of 1,060 ± 239 fmol/ mg of protein. Specific binding was unaffected by the presence of MgCl2 (10 mM) but was sensitive to guanylyliinidodi- phosphate (100 μM) (-25%), a result suggesting the involvement of an N-protein mechanism in the coupling of the adenosine receptor labeled by [3H]NECA to other components of the receptor complex. The rank of activity of adenosine analogues in displacing specific [3H]NECA binding was NECA ± 2-chloroadenosine ±S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine ± CHA. Binding was also displaced by 3-isobutyl-l-meth-ylxanthine (IC50= 23.6 μM). These findings are consistent with the selective labeling by [3H]NECA of an A-2-type adenosine receptor in rat pineal membranes.

Notes: Variations occurring in cortical nitric oxide (NO) release were analysed with a voltametric method in rats (i) placed in control conditions, (ii) while being paradoxical sleep deprived (PSD), or (iii) recovering from a PSD. Activities of neuronal (nNOS) and inducible (iNOS) NO-synthases as well as nNOS expression were also determined in several brain regions. In baseline conditions, circadian variations in nNOS expression and activity were maximal during the dark period and minimal during the light one for all the structures analysed (frontal cortex, pons and medulla). In the same way, cortical NO release occurred through a circadian rhythm exhibiting maxima and minima during dark and light periods, respectively. In the same experimental conditions, iNOS activity did not exhibit time-dependent changes. The correlative changes observed in baseline conditions between NO release, nNOS expression and activity within the frontal cortex were disrupted during PSD and subsequent recovery. Still again, iNOS activity remained unchanged. Results obtained point out that the tight coupling existing in control conditions between nNOS expression-activity and NO release is disrupted by a PSD and remains affected during the subsequent 24 h recovery. Their significance is discussed.

Notes: Abstract: Biochemical approaches were used in freely moving rats todetermine, under steady-state conditions, the brain/arterial plasma partitioncoefficients of L-tryptophan and α-[3H]methyl-L-tryptophan, from which the lumped constant for the α-methyl-L-tryptophan method of estimating the rate of brain serotonin synthesis is calculated. The lumped constants were significantly different in the various structures examined: 0.149 ± 0.003 in the raphe dorsalis, 0.103 ± 0.002 in the raphe centralis, 0.087 ± 0.003 in the reticular formation, and 0.62 ± 0.08 in the pineal gland. From these data we proposed a two-compartment model to calculate the rate of serotonin synthesis by quantitative autoradiography using a three-time point experiment. Rates of synthesis for the raphe dorsalis and the reticular formation (620 ± 57 and 80 ± 35 pmol/g of tissue/min, respectively) were similar to those measured simultaneously by biochemical means, but rates were 50% higher for the raphe centralis (568 ± 90 vs. 381 ± 31 pmol/g of tissue/min). The lack of dynamic equilibrium of the tracer between plasma and tissue pools may explain the discrepancy between the two methods. Our findings did not confirm previous data, indicating that the application of the autoradiographic method to measure the rate of brain serotonin synthesis using α-methyl-L-tryptophan as tracer has limitations.