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Notes: Abstract: Previous reports indicate that oligodendrocytes express signaling systems activated by classical neurotransmitters. Several signaling systems linked to mobilization of intracellular calcium have been demonstrated, and some of these are developmentally lost in vitro and in vivo. The experiments described here use oligodendrocyte-neuron cocultures to examine the effects of neuronal contact on the expression of these signaling pathways. Neonatal rat cerebral oligodendrocytes in contact with dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurites responded to bath application of histamine, ATP, carbachol, glutamate, or bradykinin with increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Similar results were obtained in coculture with superior cervical ganglia neurons. Preventing neuronal contact by transection of DRG neurites significantly reduced the percentage of oligodendrocytes responsive to each ligand, with the exception of bradykinin responsiveness, which was unaffected. Oligodendroglia isolated from adult rat spinal cord were also examined for responsiveness to these neuroligands. Few isolated adult oligodendroglia were responsive to these ligands, and coculture with DRG neurons failed to restore responsiveness. Neuroligand responsiveness was not induced in oligodendrocytes maintained 8 days in purified culture before establishment of cocultures. A significant reduction in the number of neuroligand-responsive oligodendroglia was noted for histamine, carbachol, glutamate, and ATP after including tetrodotoxin for the final 6 days of coculture. These results suggest that both neuronal contact and neuronal activity contribute to the maintenance of functional neurotransmitter-activated signaling pathways coupled to mobilization of intracellular calcium in oligodendrocytes.

Notes: Abstract: Conventional secretory processing of the amyloid precursor protein is nonamyloidogenic, releasing carboxyl-terminus-truncated amyloid precursor protein derivatives while cleaving the amyloid β-peptide within its sequence. Alternative processing routes are potentially amyloidogenic, yielding the amyloid β-peptide segment intact. In continuous cell lines, secretory processing of the amyloid precursor protein is regulated by both protein kinase C and muscarinic receptor stimulation. However, the first and second messenger systems that regulate amyloid precursor protein release in central neurons are still under investigation. In the present investigation, we examined whether or not first and second messengers of cholinergic neurotransmission increase production of soluble derivatives of the amyloid precursor protein in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons. Activation of protein kinase C by the phorbol esters phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate increased production of the soluble form of the amyloid precursor protein dramatically. In contrast, activation of muscarinic receptors by oxotremorine-M or carbachol did not result in a significant increase in amyloid precursor protein release. Similarly, chemically induced depolarization using 35 mM KCI did not alter production of soluble amyloid precursor protein derivatives. Our data suggest that although protein kinase C stimulation plays an important role in regulating release of the amyloid precursor protein, cholinergic neurotransmission does not regulate its release in cultured rat cortical neurons.

Notes: Abstract: The joint, but not independent, activation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) and metabotropic glutamate receptors induces liberation of arachidonic acid from cultured mouse striatal neurones. We examined whether blocking AMPA receptor desensitisation with cyclothiazide would modify this response. Cyclothiazide strongly potentiated the combined AMPA/(1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD)-evoked release of arachidonic acid (EC50 of ∼7 µM) but did not modulate the basal, ACPD, or NMDA response. The enhanced liberation of arachidonic acid, observed in the presence of cyclothiazide, was due to the appearance of a genuine AMPA response that was independent of an associative activation of metabotropic receptors. The potentiated and nonpotentiated AMPA responses were inhibited by both competitive [2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulphamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline] and 2,3-benzodiazepine noncompetitive (GYKI 53655 and GYKI 52466) receptor antagonists. Cyclothiazide was equally effective at potentiating the AMPA response in either the presence or absence of glucose, suggesting that the increased glutamate-evoked arachidonic acid release observed in these cells under conditions of glucose deprivation is not due to reduced AMPA receptor desensitisation. The enhanced liberation of arachidonic acid measured in the presence of cyclothiazide appeared to result from a large (fourfold) elevation of the AMPA-induced increase in intracellular calcium level. Therefore, an AMPA-evoked mobilisation of arachidonic acid could potentially contribute to non-NMDA receptor-mediated neurotoxicity, which has been observed in neuronal cells in the presence of cyclothiazide.

Notes: Abstract: Axonal transport of microtubule-associated protein τ was studied in the motor fibers of the rat sciatic nerve 1–4 weeks after labeling of the spinal cord with [35S]methionine. As 60–70% of low molecular weight τ in this system was found to be insoluble in 1% Triton-containing buffer, labeled proteins in 6-mm consecutive nerve segments were first separated into Triton-soluble and insoluble fractions. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with anti-tau antibody confirmed the presence of τ among labeled, transported proteins in both fractions. Isoform composition of labeled τ was similar to that of bulk axonal τ, the most acidic species with apparent molecular mass of 66 kDa being the major component. Transport profiles obtained by measuring radioactivities associated with this major isoform showed that soluble and insoluble τ were transported at different rates. Insoluble τ, which contained the majority of τ-associated radioactivity, was transported at 1.7 mm/day in slow component a (SCa), whereas soluble τ was transported faster, at 3 mm/day, corresponding to the rate of slow component b (SCb). Cotransport of insoluble τ with insoluble tubulin in SCa suggests its association with stable microtubules.

Notes: Abstract: Correlation among in vivo glutamine synthetase (GS) activity, brain ammonia and glutamine concentrations, and severity of encephalopathy was examined in hyperammonemic rats to obtain quantitative information on the capacity of GS to control these metabolites implicated in the etiology of hepatic encephalopathy. Awake rats were observed for neurobehavioral impairments after ammonium acetate infusion to attain a steady-state blood ammonia concentration of 0.9 (group A) or 1.3 µmol/g (group B). As encephalopathy progressed from grade III to IV, brain ammonia concentration increased from 1.9 to 3.3 µmol/g and then decreased to 1.3 µmol/g on recovery to grade III. In contrast, brain glutamine concentration was 26, 23, and 21 µmol/g, respectively. NH4+-infused rats pretreated with l-methionine dl-sulfoximine reached grade IV when brain ammonia and glutamine concentrations were 3.0 and 5.5 µmol/g, respectively; severity of encephalopathy correlates with brain ammonia, but not glutamine. In vivo GS activity, measured by NMR, was 6.8 ± 0.7 µmol/h/g for group A and 6.2 ± 0.6 µmol/h/g for group B. Hence, the in vivo activity, shown previously to increase with blood ammonia over a range of 0.4–0.64 µmol/g, approaches saturation at blood ammonia 〉0.9 µmol/g. This is likely to be the major cause of the observed accumulation of brain ammonia and the onset of grade IV encephalopathy.

Notes: Abstract: H2O2 and free radical-mediated oxidative stresses have been implicated in mediating amyloid β(1–40) [Aβ(1–40)] neurotoxicity to cultured neurons. In this study, we confirm that addition of the H2O2-scavenging enzyme catalase protects neurons in culture against Aβ-mediated toxicity; however, it does so by a mechanism that does not involve its ability to scavenge H2O2. Aβ-mediated elevation in intracellular H2O2 production is suppressed by addition of a potent H2O2 scavenger without any significant neuroprotection. Three intracellular biochemical markers of H2O2-mediated oxidative stress were unchanged by Aβ treatment: (a) glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, (b) hexose monophosphate shunt activity, and (c) glucose oxidation via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Ionspray mass spectra of Aβ in the incubation medium indicated that Aβ itself is an unlikely source of reactive oxygen species. In this study we demonstrate that intracellular ATP concentration is compromised during the first 24-h exposure of neurons to Aβ. Our results challenge a pivotal role for H2O2 generation in mediating Aβ toxicity, and we suggest that impairment of energy homeostasis may be a more significant early factor in the neurodegenerative process.

Notes: Abstract: The effect of replacement of extracellular Na+ with N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMG) on P2 receptor signaling pathways was investigated in dibutyryl cyclic AMP-differentiated NG108-15 cells. Benzoylbenzoic ATP (BzATP) dose-dependently increased the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) with an EC50 value of 230 µM. Replacement of Na+ with NMG as well as removal of Mg2+ from the bathing buffer potentiated ethidium bromide uptake, [Ca2+]i increase, and 45Ca2+ uptake in response to ATP or BzATP. In contrast, in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+ to limit the amount of ATP4−, replacement of Na+ with NMG had no effect on the ATP-induced [Ca2+]i increase but caused a markedly larger [Ca2+]i increase when the calculated concentration of ATP4− was 〉10 µM. The calculated EC50 value for ATP4− stimulation of the [Ca2+]i increase was 23 µM in NG108-15 cells. In vascular smooth muscle cells, intracellular Ca2+ release was the major pathway for the ATP-induced [Ca2+]i increase; both removal of Mg2+ and replacement of Na+ with NMG did not affect the action of ATP. These data suggest that ATP4−-promoted pores are antagonized by Na+ and Mg2+ in dibutyryl cyclic AMP-differentiated NG108-15 cells.

Notes: Abstract: Chains of lumbar sympathetic ganglia from 15-day-old chicken embryos were incubated for 4 h at 36°C in a bicarbonate-buffered salt solution equilibrated with 5% CO2-95% O2. Glucose (1–10 mM), lactate (1–10 mM), [U-14C]glucose, [1-14C]glucose, [6-14C]glucose, and [U-14C]lactate were added as needed. 14CO2 output was measured continuously by counting the radioactivity in gas that had passed through the incubation chamber. Lactate reduced the output of CO2 from [U-14C]glucose, and glucose reduced that from [U-14C]lactate. When using uniformly labeled substrates in the presence of 5.5 mM glucose, the output of CO2 from lactate exceeded that from glucose when the lactate concentration was 〉2 mM. The combined outputs at each concentration tested were greater than those from either substrate alone. The 14CO2 output from [1-14C]glucose always exceeded that from [6-14C]glucose, indicating activity of the hexose monophosphate shunt. Lactate reduced both of these outputs, with the maximum difference between them during incubation remaining constant as the lactate concentration was increased, suggesting that lactate may not affect the shunt. Modeling revealed many details of lactate metabolism as a function of its concentration. Addition of a blood-brain barrier to the model suggested that lactate can be a significant metabolite for brain during hyperlactemia, especially at the high levels reached physiologically during exercise.

Notes: Abstract: The metabolic precursors and cerebral compartmentation of the augmented GABA pool induced by vigabatrin, an irreversible inhibitor of GABA transaminase, have been investigated by 13C NMR. Adult rats receiving rat chow ad libitum were given either drinking water only or drinking water containing 2.5 g/L vigabatrin for 7 days. Both groups of animals were infused either with [1,2-13C2]acetate (15 µmol/min/100 g body weight), an exclusive precursor of GABA formation through the glial glutamine pathway, or with [1,2-13C2]glucose (15 µmol/min/100 g body weight), a substrate that can produce GABA through the glial glutamine pathway or by direct metabolism in the neurons. The brains were frozen in situ, extracted with perchloric acid, and analyzed by 13C NMR. In vigabatrin-treated animals [13C]glutamine, a common intermediate for [13C]GABA synthesis from glucose or acetate, was accumulated to similar amounts during infusions with [1,2-13C2]glucose or [1,2-13C2]acetate. However, [13C]GABA accumulation was sevenfold higher during [1,2-13C2]glucose infusions or twofold higher during [1,2-13C2]acetate infusions. These results show that the direct pathway of GABA formation by neuronal metabolism of glucose predominates over the alternative pathway through glial glutamine. Near-equilibrium relationships of the aminotransferases of GABA and aspartate imply that the observed [13C]GABA accumulation occurs initially in the neuronal compartment.

Notes: Abstract: Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) type II is induced in many cell types in response to cytokines or endotoxin. The duration of type II NOS mRNA expression in astroglial cells and macrophages in vitro is brief, even in the continuous presence of inducers, and their removal dramatically accelerates mRNA decay. Addition of cycloheximide, in the presence or absence of actinomycin D, protected the mRNA from degradation. Whereas type II NOS mRNA was partially stabilized by actinomycin D, manganese superoxide dismutase mRNA was almost completely stabilized. This suggests that type II NOS mRNA stability is regulated via transcription- as well as translation-dependent processes and that the effect of actinomycin D is mRNA specific.

Notes: Abstract: A polyclonal antibody for the NMDA receptor subunit NR2D has been developed that identifies an ∼160-kDa band on immunoblots from NR2D transfected cells and CNS tissues. No cross-reactivity is seen with other NMDA receptor subunits. The NR2D receptor subunit is N-glycosylated in both brain and transfected cells. Transfected cells expressing NR2D are immunofluorescently labeled, whereas untransfected cells or cells transfected with other NMDA receptor subunit cDNAs are not. Similarly, the NR2D subunit is selectively and quantitatively immunoprecipitated, whereas the NR1, NR2A, or NR2B subunit is not. The relative densities of the NR2D subunit in nine areas of postnatal day 7 and adult rat brains have been determined by quantitative immunoblotting. NR2D was expressed at highest levels in the thalamus, midbrain, medulla, and spinal cord, whereas intermediate levels of this subunit were found in the cortex and hippocampus. Low or undetectable levels were seen in the olfactory bulb, striatum, and cerebellum. Following a peak after the first week of birth, NR2D protein levels decreased by about twofold in adulthood in all rat brain regions examined. More complete ontogenic profiles were determined for the diencephalon, telencephalon, and spinal cord where similar ontogenic patterns were seen. NR2D protein is present at high levels at embryonic stages of development, rises to a peak at postnatal day 7, and decreases but remains measurable during late postnatal life. This study demonstrates the generation and characterization of an antibody selective for the NR2D NMDA receptor subunit as well as a determination of the distribution and ontogenic profile of this subunit in rat brain. The results suggest that native NMDA receptors containing the NR2D subunit may have functional roles not only in the young brain but also in adult brain.

Notes: Abstract: Expression of the neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) receptor (TrkC) and the effects of NT-3 on signal transduction were investigated in highly enriched populations of embryonic rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons grown in bilaminar cultures. PCR analysis revealed that the predominant trkC isoform is K1, which lacks an insert in the kinase domain. Polyclonal TrkC-specific antibodies stained 〉90% of the neurons and revealed a single ∼145-kDa protein in immunoblots of extracts from adult hippocampus and pyramidal neuron cultures. Addition of NT-3 (50 mg/ml) to these cultures induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of TrkC but not TrkB, as determined by anti-phosphotyrosine staining of immunoprecipitates; thus, all the effects of NT-3 are mediated through TrkC. NT-3 also increased the tyrosine phosphorylation of 42-, 44-, 49-, 55-, 95-, and 145-kDa proteins; the pattern induced by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was similar but not identical to that induced by NT-3, suggesting that subtle differences may exist in signaling by TrkB and TrkC receptors. Immunoprecipitation of p21ras from 32P-prelabeled cells showed that NT-3 increased the level of the GTP-bound form of the protein threefold over the control within 5 min. Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity was maximally elevated by NT-3 within 2 min and then returned slowly toward baseline over the next 60 min. Tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-γ increased rapidly after NT-3, suggesting that this enzyme becomes activated. Consistent with this, the neurotrophin rapidly increased protein kinase C activity as well as intracellular Ca2+ levels. The effects of both NT-3 and BDNF on Ca2+ levels were attenuated in Ca2+-free medium, suggesting that both neurotrophins increase Ca2+ flux across the plasma membrane as well as release from internal stores. NT-3 also increased c-Fos expression in 〉80% of the cells; the effect peaked at 30 minand declined to baseline by 120 min. Despite the activation of ras-MAP kinase and phosphoinositide signaling pathways, neither NT-3 nor BDNF alone or in combination could sustain hippocampal pyramidal neurons deprived of glial support. We conclude that in this system NT-3 and BDNF do not appear to be acting as classical “neurotrophic” factors and that activation of the MAP kinase pathway is insufficient for the promotion of neuronal survival.

Notes: Abstract: The presence of P-glycoprotein in the cell plasma membrane limits the penetration of many cytotoxic substances into cells that express the gene product. There is considerable evidence also to indicate that P-glycoprotein is expressed as part of the normal blood-brain barrier in the luminal membranes of the cerebral capillary endothelial cells, where it presumably performs a protective function for the brain. This report describes the functional expression of P-glycoprotein in an immortalised cell line, RBE4, derived from rat cerebral capillary endothelial cells. The expression of P-glycoprotein is demonstrated by western immunoblotting and by immunogold and fluorescent staining with monoclonal antibodies. The cellular accumulation of [3H]colchicine and [3H]vinblastine is investigated and shown to be enhanced by the presence of azidothymidine, chlorpromazine, verapamil, cyclosporin A, and PSC 833 ([3′-keto-Bmt1]-[Val2]-cyclosporin) at 50 or 100 µM concentration. It is concluded that the RBE4 cell line is a valuable tool for investigating the mechanisms of P-glycoprotein activity both in the blood-brain barrier and in multidrug resistance in general.

Notes: Abstract: We have previously shown, using qualitative approaches, that oligodendroglial precursors are more readily damaged by free radicals than are astrocytes. In the present investigation we quantified the oxidative stress experienced by the cells using oxidation of dichlorofluorescin diacetate to dichlorofluorescein as a measure of oxidative stress; furthermore, we have delineated the physiological bases of the difference in susceptibility to oxidative stress found between oligodendroglial precursors and astrocytes. We demonstrate that (a) oligodendroglial precursors under normal culture conditions are under six times as much oxidative stress as astrocytes, (b) oxidative stress experienced by oligodendroglial precursors increases sixfold when exposed to 140 mW/m2 of blue light, whereas astrocytic oxidative stress only doubles, (c) astrocytes have a three times higher concentration of GSH than oligodendroglial precursors, (d) oligodendroglial precursors have 〉20 times higher iron content than do astrocytes, and (e) oxidative stress in oligodendroglial precursors can be prevented either by chelating intracellular free iron or by raising intracellular GSH levels to astrocytic values. We conclude that GSH plays a central role in preventing free radical-mediated damage in glia.

Notes: Abstract: Through the use of a screening strategy designed to isolate novel cDNAs encoding proteins concerned with pituitary secretion in Xenopus laevis, we discovered clone X7365, which encodes a transmembrane protein with a signal peptide, two follistatin modules, a unique epidermal growth factor domain, and a short cytoplasmic region. RNA expression analyses indicated that the X7365 transcript is enriched in neuroendocrine tissues. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that, in addition to being expressed in the optic tectum and in astrocytes in the optic nerve, the X7365 protein is concentrated in a discrete population of hypothalamic magnocellular neurons. Axons projecting to the median eminence and the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary were also immunopositive, suggesting that X7365 functions in the regulation of magnocellular neurosecretion.

Notes: Abstract: Vigabatrin is a novel antiepileptic drug designed to control seizures by raising brain γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations. Seizure control is not improved significantly when the daily dose is increased beyond 50 mg/kg. Serial, in vivo measurements of GABA levels in human occipital lobe were made using 1H NMR spectroscopy before and after the start of vigabatrin treatment. We used a 2.1-T magnetic resonance imagerspectrometer and an 8-cm surface coil to examine serially a 14-cm3 volume in the occipital lobe of 26 patients with complex partial seizures. Brain GABA content increased following the start of vigabatrin treatment up to a daily dose of 60 mg/kg. Additional increases in dose failed to increase brain GABA content further. GABA synthesis may decrease with sustained elevations of human brain GABA levels. Starting vigabatrin treatment reduced seizure frequency by 〉50%, from six to seven per month to three. Improved seizure control was not associated with further increases of vigabatrin dose. Increased brain GABA concentration was associated with improved seizure control. Starting vigabatrin treatment improved seizure control twofold when GABA levels increased above 1.8 mmol/kg. Further increases in brain GABA content above 2.5 mmol/kg provided less protection. Measuring occipital lobe GABA concentrations may predict improved seizure control when using antiepileptic drugs designed to increase brain GABA levels.

Notes: Abstract: Neuropeptides have been shown to play a critical role in adaptational processes, probably by long-term modulation of neuronal pathways. It could therefore be interesting to study behavioral changes induced by chronic local stimulation of neuropeptide receptors. With this aim poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres loaded with a highly potent, peptidase-resistant, cholecystokinin (CCK)-B-selective CCK peptidomimetic agonist (pBC 264) were prepared by a water in oil in water emulsion solvent evaporation method and stereotaxically implanted into the anterior part of the rat nucleus accumbens. Two different kinds of loaded polymeric microspheres differing only by the stabilizing agent [ovalbumin (OVA) or Pluronic F 68] added to the inner emulsion were used. The histological and behavioral studies done 24 h and 8 days after implantation of nonloaded microspheres in the nucleus accumbens indicated that the microspheres were well tolerated. The in vivo release of the selective CCK-B agonist pBC 264 (associated with a tracer dose of [3H]pBC 264) from microspheres prepared with OVA was very fast (92% after 6 h), whereas only 26% (88 pmol) of pBC 264 was released from the formulation with Pluronic F 68 after 24 h. Eight days after implantation 36% of pBC 264 had diffused from the microspheres, and 8% (∼30 pmol) was still present in the brain concentrated around the site of administration. In all cases the released material was found to correspond to intact pBC 264, thus demonstrating the possibility of obtaining a slow controlled release of peptide in vivo. This method opens up interesting perspectives to study the long-term effects of neuropeptides.

Notes: Abstract: Our previous studies have implicated perlecan, a specific heparan sulfate proteoglycan, in the pathogenesis of fibrillar β-amyloid protein (Aβ) accumulation and persistence in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. In the present investigation, we determined if perlecan mRNA was present in rodent and human brain tissue and whether perlecan persistence in Aβ amyloid deposits in AD hippocampus may be partly due to increased perlecan expression and/or decreased perlecan degradation. To detect and to quantify low-abundance perlecan mRNA in rodent and postmortem human brain tissue, regions of perlecan domain I (503 and 366 bp) containing the unique heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan attachment sites were analyzed by reverse transcription (RT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Perlecan mRNA was detected in rodent brain, kidney, and liver and in human AD and normal aged frontal cortex. Different-size transcripts of perlecan domain I were found, suggesting the existence of alternatively spliced variants of perlecan or closely related gene products. Quantitative competitive RT-PCR using a mutant perlecan domain I internal standard was used to determine perlecan mRNA levels in total RNA isolated from the hippocampus of 10 AD (mean ± SEM duration of illness, 11.3 ± 1.4 years) and 10 normal aged controls. No significant difference in perlecan mRNA levels from the hippocampus of AD (1.12 ± 0.29 amol/500 ng of total RNA) versus normal aged controls (1.09 ± 0.30 amol/500 ng of total RNA) was found, indicating that perlecan expression remained at steady-state levels. These results therefore suggest that perlecan persistence in Aβ-amyloid deposits in late-stage AD may be primarily due to decreased perlecan degradation and removal.

Notes: Abstract: We have previously shown that a recombinant carboxyl-terminal 105-amino-acid fragment (CT105) of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) induced strong non-selective inward currents in Xenopus oocytes. Here we investigated the toxic effect of CT105 peptide on the cultured mammalian cells. The CT105 peptide induced a significant lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from cultured rat cortical neurons and PC12 cells in a concentration (from 10 µM)- and time (from 48 h)-dependent manner. The toxic effect of CT105 was more potent than that of any fragments of amyloid β protein (Aβ). However, CT105 peptide did not affect the viability of U251 human glioblastoma cells. In contrast to CT105, Aβ increased LDH release only slightly even at 50 µM but significantly inhibited 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction at submicromolar concentrations. Among the various neuroprotective drugs tested, only cholesterol, which alters membrane fluidity, could attenuate the cytotoxicity of CT105 significantly. The CT105 peptide formed multiple self-aggregates on solubilization. Pretreatment with a sublethal concentration of CT105 did not significantly alter the susceptibility of cells to hydrogen peroxide and glutamate. Endogenous CT peptides were found not only in the cell lysates but also in the conditioned medium of PC12 cells. These results imply that CT peptide can directly attack the cell membrane probably by making pores or nonselective ion channels, whereas Aβ impairs the intracellular metabolic pathway first. Thus, it is thought that both CT and Aβ, which are formed during the processing of APP, may participate in the neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease by different mechanisms.

Notes: Abstract: Nitric oxide may regulate cellular respiration by competition with oxygen at mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase. Using an astrocyte-derived cell line, we have compared the mechanism of action of the nitric oxide-generating compound Roussin's black salt with that of sodium nitroprusside on cellular oxygen consumption. Intense light exposure induced the release of large quantities of nitric oxide from both of the donor compounds. However, in room light only Roussin's black salt generated low levels of the radical. Simultaneous measurement of oxygen consumption and of nitric oxide production demonstrated that sodium nitroprusside only had inhibitory actions when exposed to intense light (nitric oxide release), whereas Roussin's black salt had inhibitory actions in room light. Extracellular haemoglobin did not prevent the inhibition of respiration rate induced by Roussin's black salt even though stimulation of nitric oxide release on light exposure was markedly reduced. Preincubation of cells with Roussin's black salt and subsequent measurement of levels of light-liberated nitric oxide demonstrated that the compound was rapidly internalised. The uptake of sodium nitroprusside was minimal. These data suggest that, in contrast to sodium nitroprusside, the cellular internalisation of Roussin's black salt allows site-directed nitric oxide release and very effective inhibition of cellular respiration.

Notes: Abstract: The effects of CNS axotomy on glutamate transporter and glutamate receptor expression were evaluated in adult rats following unilateral fimbria-fornix transections. The septum and hippocampus were collected at 3, 7, 14, and 30 days postlesion. Homogenates were immunoblotted by using antibodies directed against glutamate transporters (GLT-1, GLAST, and EAAC1) and glutamate receptors (GluR1, GluR2/3, GluR6/7, and NMDAR1), and they were assayed for glutamate transport by d-[3H]aspartate binding. GLT-1 was decreased at 7 and 14 days postlesion within the ipsilateral septum and at 7 days postlesion in the hippocampus. GLAST was decreased within the ipsilateral septum and hippocampus at 7 and 14 days postlesion. No postlesion alterations in EAAC1 immunoreactivity were observed. d-[3H]Aspartate binding was decreased at 7, 14, and 30 days postlesion within the ipsilateral septum and 14 days postlesion in the hippocampus. GluR2/3 expression was down-regulated at 30 days postlesion within the ipsilateral septum, whereas GluR1, GluR6/7, and NMDAR1 immunoreactivity was unchanged. In addition, no alterations in glutamate receptor expression were detected within hippocampal homogenates. This study demonstrates a selective down-regulation of primarily glial, and not neuronal, glutamate transporters and a delayed, subtype-specific down-regulation of septal GluR2/3 receptor expression after regional deafferentation within the CNS.

Notes: Abstract: Characteristics of the transport of the nitric oxide synthase substrate l-arginine and its inhibitor, NG-nitro-l-arginine (l-NOARG), into rat cerebellar synaptosomes were studied. Uptake of both l-arginine and l-NOARG was linear with increasing amount of protein (up to 40 µg) and time of incubation (up to 5 min) at 37°C. Uptake of both compounds reached a steady state by 20 min. Maximal uptake of l-NOARG (650 pmol/mg of protein) was three to four times higher than that of l-arginine (170 pmol/mg of protein). l-NOARG uptake showed biphasic kinetics (Km 1 = 0.72 mM, Vmax 1 = 0.98 nmol/min/mg of protein; Km 2 = 2.57 mM, Vmax 2 = 16.25 nmol/min/mg of protein). l-Arginine uptake was monophasic with a Km of 106 µM and a Vmax of 0.33 nmol/min/mg of protein. l-NOARG uptake was selectively inhibited by l-NOARG, NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, and branched-chain and aromatic amino acids. l-Alanine and l-serine also inhibited l-NOARG uptake but with less potency. Uptake of l-arginine was selectively inhibited by NG-monomethyl-l-arginine acetate and basic amino acids. These studies suggest that in rat cerebellar synaptosomes, l-NOARG is transported by the neutral amino acid carrier systems T and L with high affinity, whereas l-arginine is transported by the basic amino acid carrier system y+ with high affinity. These data indicate that the concentration of competing amino acids is an important factor in determining the rates of uptake of l-NOARG and l-arginine into synaptosomes and, in this way, may control the activity of nitric oxide synthase.

Notes: Abstract: A severe reduction of the in vivo cerebral glucose consumption rate is generally found in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In postmortem studies changes in the activities of key regulatory glycolytic enzymes, including 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK), have been reported in Alzheimer's disease brains, but the results obtained so far are inconsistent and controversial. We reevaluated the activity of PFK in brain tissue from clinically and neuropathologically confirmed cases of Alzheimer's disease using optimized tissue disintegration and assay methods and determined the PFK isozyme pattern. PFK activity in brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease was significantly increased in frontal and temporal cortex and unchanged in the other brain areas studied when compared with control brains. All three PFK isozymes were detected in each of the brain areas studied. In brains of Alzheimer's disease patients the level of the C-type PFK was slightly reduced at the expense of the M- and L-type subunits. The data presented do not support the results of other groups, which reported up to a 90% reduction of PFK activity in Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, the data presented clearly rule out the suggestion that changes of PFK activity might be one of the causes for the reduced glucose consumption in Alzheimer's disease brains.

Notes: Abstract: We examined the axonal transport of actin and its monomer binding proteins, actin depolymerizing factor, cofilin, and profilin, in the chicken sciatic nerve following injection of [35S]methionine into the lumbar spinal cord. At intervals up to 20 days after injection, nerves were cut into 1-cm segments and separated into Triton X-100-soluble and particulate fractions. Actin and its binding proteins were then isolated by affinity chromatography on DNase I-Sepharose and by one- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Fluorographic analysis showed that the specific activity of soluble actin was two to three times that of its particulate form and that soluble actin, cofilin, actin depolymerizing factor, and profilin were transported at similar rates in slow component b of axonal flow. Our data strongly support the view that the mobile form of actin in slow transport is soluble and that a substantial amount of this actin may travel as a complex with actin depolymerizing factor, cofilin, and profilin. Along labeled nerves the specific activity of the unphosphorylated form of actin depolymerizing factor, which binds actin, was not significantly different from that of its “inactive” phosphorylated form. This constancy in specific activity suggests that continuous inactivation and reactivation of actin depolymerizing factor occur during transport, which could contribute to the exchange of soluble actin with the filamentous actin pool.

Notes: Abstract: That many cells express more than one connexin (Cx) led us to examine whether Cxs other than Cx32 are expressed in the PNS. In addition to Cx32 mRNA, Cx43 and Cx26 mRNAs were detected in rat sciatic nerve by northern blot analysis. Cx43 mRNA, but not Cx26 mRNA, was expressed in both the primary Schwann cell culture and immortalized Schwann cell line (T93). The steady-state levels of the Cx43 mRNA in the primary Schwann cell culture increased 2.0-fold with 100 µM forskolin, whereas that of P0 increased 7.0-fold. Immunoreactivity to Cx43 was detected on western blots of cultured Schwann cells, T93 cells, and sciatic nerves but not on blots of PNS myelin. Immunohistochemical study using human peripheral nerves revealed that anti-Cx43 antibody stained cytoplasm around nucleus of Schwann cells but not myelin, confirming western blot results. Although P0 expression was markedly decreased by crush injury of the sciatic nerves, Cx43 expression showed no apparent change. Developmental profiles showed that Cx43 expression in the sciatic nerve increased rapidly after birth, peaked at about postnatal day 6, and then decreased gradually to a low level. In adult rats, the Cx43 mRNA value was much lower than that of Cx32. These findings suggest that Cx43 is localized in Schwann cell bodies and that, compared with P0, its expression is less influenced by axonal contact and cyclic AMP levels. The high expression on postnatal day 6 indicates that Cx43 may be related to PNS myelination. Cx43 is another gap junction, but its function appears to differ from that of Cx32, as judged by the differences in their localization and developmental profiles.

Notes: Abstract: Polysialylated neurons, located at the inner border of the dentate granule cell layer, have been demonstrated to exhibit time-dependent change in their frequency at 10–12 h following training in the Morris water maze, a spatial learning paradigm. Such a change was not observed in animals required to locate a visible platform or in those rendered amnesic with scopolamine. This frequency response was capable of rapid reactivation following further training stimuli in a manner that was independent of circadian influence. These learning-associated modulations in neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) polysialylation state did not increase in magnitude despite improved performance, suggesting their activation is required for processing information rather than contributing to previously stored, task-associated memory. An increase in NCAM polysialylation appears to be a universal learning response to both spatial and nonspatial paradigms as similar time-dependent changes occurred following training in a one-trial, step-through, passive avoidance response subsequent to water maze training.

Notes: Abstract: ICER (inducible cyclic AMP early repressor), a member of the cyclic AMP response element (CRE) modulator (CREM) family of transcription factors, is a powerful repressor of cyclic AMP-mediated transactivation. Our studies characterize the regulation of ICER in C6 glioma cells and investigate its role in repressing transcription of the β1-adrenergic receptor (β1AR) gene. Incubation with isoproterenol (100 nM) results in a rapid induction in levels of mRNA for ICER and its splice variant ICERγ, with maximal induction occurring after 2 h of treatment. Incubation with isoproterenol also increased levels of CREM isoforms within 1 h; this was unexpected given previous reports that these isoforms are not rapidly induced. Increased expression of ICER and CREM was accompanied by induction of two CRE-binding complexes. The presence of ICER in these two CRE-binding complexes is demonstrated by their disruption with CREM antibody and by their comigration with recombinant ICER. Because the time course for isoproterenol induction of ICER mRNA and CRE binding corresponds to that for down-regulation of β1AR mRNA levels in C6 glioma cells, the influence of ICER on β1AR transcription was directly examined. Coexpression of ICER significantly decreased transcriptional activity of a rat β1AR promoter-luciferase reporter construct that contains a CRE. In contrast, coexpression of ICER did not influence two truncated rat β1AR promoter constructs that lack the CRE site. These data demonstrate that ICER can interact at the β1AR promoter to repress transcription.

Notes: Abstract: Recent studies have pointed to membrane-bound guanylyl cyclases (GCs) type A and type B in the rat pineal gland, which augment levels of cyclic GMP (cGMP) in response to atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). The present report demonstrates for the first time the expression of CNP in the bovine pineal gland. The CNP prohormone transcript (unlike prepro-ANP) was found by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR in bovine pineal extracts. CNP immunoreactivity (ir) was revealed in a subpopulation of pinealocytes in situ and in nearly all pinealocytes in culture. Electron microscopic immunohistochemical investigations showed the presence of CNP-ir in cytoplasmic vesicles, providing evidence for the potential secretion of this peptide by pineal cells. Furthermore, the CNP receptor (GC-B) and GC-A (receptor for ANP and BNP) were identified by RT-PCR. Although melatonin secretion was unaffected, natriuretic peptides were able to elevate markedly cGMP production in cultured bovine pinealocytes with a rank order of potency of CNP 〉 BNP = ANP. These findings describe a tissue CNP system in the bovine pineal gland and suggest that CNP may be a local auto- or paracrine modulator of pineal function.

Notes: Abstract: Confocal microscopy was used to assess internal calcium level changes in response to presynaptic receptor activation in individual, isolated nerve terminals (synaptosomes) from rat corpus striatum, focusing, in particular, on the serotonin 5-HT3 receptor, a ligand-gated ion channel. The 5-HT3 receptor agonist-induced calcium level changes in individual synaptosomes were compared with responses evoked by K+ depolarization. Using the fluorescent dye fluo-3 to measure relative changes in internal free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), K+-induced depolarization resulted in variable but rapid increases in apparent [Ca2+]i among the individual terminals, with some synaptosomes displaying large transient [Ca2+]i peaks of varying size (two- to 12-fold over basal levels) followed by an apparent plateau phase, whereas others displayed only a rise to a sustained plateau level of [Ca2+]i (two- to 2.5-fold over basal levels). Agonist activation of 5-HT3 receptors induced slow increases in [Ca2+]i (rise time, 15–20 s) in a subset (∼5%) of corpus striatal synaptosomes, with the increases (averaging 2.2-fold over basal) being dependent on Ca2+ entry and inhibited by millimolar external Mg2+. We conclude that significant increases in brain nerve terminal Ca2+, rivaling that found in response to excitation by depolarization but having distinct kinetic properties, can therefore result from the activation of presynaptic ligand-gated ion channels.

Notes: Abstract: [3H]Ryanodine binding to, as well as functions of, ryanodine receptor intracellular Ca2+ release channel complexes are modulated by several adenosine-based compounds. In this study, we determined the effects of endogenous compounds termed diadenosine polyphosphates (ApnAs; n = 2–6 phosphate groups) on [3H]ryanodine binding to membranes prepared from rat brain and skeletal and cardiac muscle. Under low ionic strength buffer conditions, [3H]ryanodine binding to brain membranes was significantly increased by 171% with 333 µMP1,P5-di(adenosine-5′) pentaphosphate (Ap5A) and by 209% with the same concentration of the metabolism-resistant ATP analogue βγ-methyleneadenosine 5′-triphosphate (AMP-PCP) compared with control values for [3H]ryanodine binding of 9.6 ± 1.8 fmol/mg of protein. Dose-related increases in [3H]ryanodine binding were observed for all five ApnAs tested [P1,P2-di(adenosine-5′) pyrophosphate (Ap2A), P1,P3-di(adenosine-5′) triphosphate (Ap3A), P1,P4-di(adenosine-5′) tetraphosphate (Ap4A), Ap5A, and P1,P6-di(adenosine-5′) hexaphosphate (Ap6A)] as well as AMP-PCP; oxidized salts of ApnAs stimulated [3H]ryanodine binding to a greater degree than did nonoxidized ApnAs. The apparent rank order for the capacity of these agents to increase [3H]-ryanodine binding was oxidized Ap4A = oxidized Ap5A 〉 oxidized Ap3A 〉 Ap6A 〉 AMP-PCP 〉 Ap5A 〉 Ap2A. Addition of the approximate EC50 dose of oxidized Ap4A (37 µM) increased the affinity (KD) of ryanodine receptors from 34 ± 7 to 12 ± 2 nM; the apparent binding site density (Bmax) was not significantly different from control values of 107 ± 33 fmol/mg of protein. Increases in [3H]-ryanodine binding by either oxidized Ap4A or nonoxidized Ap5A were not further enhanced by coincubation with AMP-PCP, which suggests a similar site of action for the ApnAs and AMP-PCP. [3H]Ryanodine binding to skeletal and cardiac muscle membranes was enhanced by addition of oxidized Ap4A, Ap5A, and AMP-PCP. Oxidized Ap4A increased the specific binding by ninefold in skeletal muscle and by threefold in cardiac muscle. These results suggest that ApnAs, at physiologically relevant concentrations, may serve as endogenous modulators of ryanodine receptor-gated Ca2+ release channels.

Notes: Abstract: Molecular biological findings have indicated that the affinity and the density of presynaptic serotonin transporters may be subject to adaptive regulation, but the physiological conditions that may act to trigger such changes are presently unknown. By means of [3H]paroxetine binding to rat cortical membranes, we studied the influence of two physiological variables that are clearly associated with altered serotonergic activity—circadian rhythm and semistarvation—on KD and Bmax values of the serotonin transporter of the rat frontal cortex. No circadian fluctuations of both parameters were observed. Also, semistarvation (50% reduction of normal voluntary food intake) for 2 days had no effect on either KD or Bmax values of cortical [3H]paroxetine binding. Food restriction for either 7 days or 2 weeks, however, resulted in a significant, ∼30%, reduction of the density of cortical serotonin transporters with unchanged transporter affinity. These findings indicate that long-term changes in the density of cortical serotonin transporters can be induced by long-lasting alterations of certain environmental variables. Because the duration and the radius of action of presynaptically released serotonin are governed by the efficiency of the reuptake mechanism, such adaptive changes of serotonin transporter density must be expected to cause long-term alterations of the modulatory impact of the central serotonin system on certain brain functions.

Notes: Abstract: The administration of tryptophan (Trp)-free amino acid mixtures to depressed patients responding to serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) worsens their clinical state. This procedure reduces Trp availability to brain and thus impairs 5-HT synthesis. We have examined the influence of Trp depletion on extracellular 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations in the rat brain using in vivo microdialysis. The treatment with the SSRI fluvoxamine significantly increased 5-HT content in dialysates from frontal cortex, as compared with control rats (10.2 ± 2.7 vs. 3.1 ± 0.4 fmol per fraction), whereas 5-HIAA was unaffected. Food deprivation for 20 h reduced dialysate 5-HT content to almost control values in fluvoxamine-treated rats (10.2 ± 2.7 vs. 4.3 ± 0.6 fmol per fraction) but did not alter dialysate 5-HIAA content (7.8 ± 0.4 vs. 7.2 ± 0.5 pmol per fraction). The administration of Trp-free amino acid mixtures to fluvoxamine-treated rats significantly attenuated the release of 5-HT in frontal cortex (∼50%) and, to a lesser extent, in the midbrain raphe nuclei. This effect was more marked in rats not deprived from food before the experiments (67% reduction of dialysate 5-HT content in frontal cortex) and was absent in control rats (treated with saline). In contrast, dialysate 5-HIAA was markedly affected by Trp depletion in all groups, including controls (65–75% reductions). These data show that the administration of an amino acid mixture with the same composition and dose (in milligrams per kilogram of body weight) as those inducing a severe mood impairment in depressed patients reduces 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations in brain dialysates. The reduction of 5-HT release, however, occurs only in animals previously treated with the antidepressant fluvoxamine for 2 weeks, which would be consistent with a marked reduction of 5-HT-mediated transmission in treated depressed patients but not in healthy controls.

Notes: Abstract: Our previous studies have demonstrated that modification of superoxide dismutase (SOD) with the naturally occurring polyamines—putrescine (PUT), spermidine, and spermine—dramatically increases the permeability-coefficient surface area (PS) product at the blood-brain barrier and blood-nerve barrier after parenteral administration. Because of this increased permeability, the efficient delivery of polyamine-modified SOD (pSOD) across these barriers may enhance its therapeutic usefulness in treating ischemic neuronal degeneration, neurodegenerative disease, or even aging as an important antioxidant therapeutic strategy. Because PUT-SOD had the highest PS values, SOD was modified in the present experiments by activating carboxylic acid groups to the reactive ester with water-soluble carbodiimide and then reacted with PUT as the nucleophilic reagent. Preservation of SOD enzyme activity while maximizing the permeability was accomplished by adjusting the ionization of the protein carboxylic acid with pH. Both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing analyses demonstrated graded conversion of SOD to its polyamine-modified derivative when performed at different pH. Although modification at pH 4.7 resulted in only 6.6% retained SOD activity and the highest PS value (43.35 ± 3.81 × 10−6 ml/g/s for the hippocampus), modification at pH 5.7 resulted in 50.1% retained activity with a PS value of 24.48 ± 1.30 × 10−6 ml/g/s for nerve endoneurium and 21.95 ± 1.62 × 10−6 ml/g/s for hippocampus. This contrasts with a PS of 1.8–3.2 × 10−6 ml/g/s for native SOD in nerve and various brain regions. Reaction conditions are therefore defined that titrate enzyme activity of PUT-SOD with PS changes in the intact animal after intravenous administration. These studies will allow an evaluation of the therapeutic usefulness of pSOD in animal models of neuronal degeneration.

Notes: Abstract: Phospholipase D activity of rat brain neuronal nuclei, measured with exogenous phosphatidylcholine as substrate, was characterized. The measured activity of neuronal nuclei was at least 36-fold greater than the activity in glia nuclei. The pH optimum was 6.5, and unsaturated but not saturated fatty acids stimulated the enzyme. The optimal concentration of sodium oleate for stimulation of the enzyme activity was 1.2 mM in the presence of 0.75 mM phosphatidylcholine. This phospholipase D activity was cation independent. In the absence of NaF, used as a phosphatidic acid phosphatase inhibitor, the principal product was diglyceride; whereas in the presence of NaF, the principal product was phosphatidic acid. The phospholipase D, in addition to having hydrolytic activity, was able to catalyze a transphosphatidylation reaction. Maximum phosphatidylethanol formation was seen with 0.2–0.3 M ethanol. GTPγS, ATPγS, BeF2, AIF3, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylethanol inhibited the neuronal nuclei phospholipase D activity. The addition of the cytosolic fraction of brain, liver, kidney, spleen, and heart to the incubation mixtures resulted in inhibition of the phospholipase D activity. Phospholipase D activity was detectable in nuclei prepared from rat kidney, spleen, heart, and liver.

Notes: Abstract: A readily soluble 5′-nucleotidase was purified 1,800-fold from rat brain 105,000-g supernatant. The enzyme showed similarity to the 5′-nucleotidase ectoenzyme of plasma membranes. It exhibited a low Km for AMP, which was preferred over IMP as substrate. It was inhibited by free ATP and ADP and by α,β-methylene ADP. The enzyme appeared to be a glycoprotein on the basis of its interaction with concanavalin A. It contained a phosphatidylinositol moiety because treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C increased its hydrophilicity. A single subunit of Mr = 54,300 ± 800 was observed, which is appreciably smaller than published values for the 5′-nucleotidase ectoenzyme or for other low-Km“soluble” 5′-nucleotidases. The soluble 5′-nucleotidase showed an elution profile on AMP-Sepharose affinity chromatography or on Mono Q ion-exchange chromatography different from that of the brain ectoenzyme. Forty-two percent of the soluble 5′-nucleotidase in brain 105,000-g supernatant did not bind to a Mono Q ion-exchange column because of its interaction with a soluble factor. This factor could be removed by chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose. The factor had the novel property of increasing the sensitivity of the purified soluble 5′-nucleotidase toward the inhibitor ATP by 20-fold. This factor was also able to increase the inhibition of brain 5′-nucleotidase ectoenzyme by ATP.

Notes: Abstract: Awake adult male rats were infused intravenously with [3H]arachidonic acid for 5 min, with or without prior administration of an M1 cholinergic agonist, arecoline (15 mg/kg i.p.). Methylatropine was also administered (4 mg/kg s.c.) to control and arecoline-treated animals. At 15 min postinfusion, the animals were killed, brains were removed and frozen, and subcellular fractions were obtained from homogenates of whole brain. Total radioactivity and radioactivity in various lipid classes were determined for each fraction following normalization for exposure by use of a unidirectional incorporation coefficient, k⋆brain. In control animals, incorporation was greatest in synaptosomal and microsomal fractions, accounting for 50 and 30% of total label incorporated into membrane lipids, respectively. Arecoline increased incorporation in these two fractions by up to 400% but did not increase incorporation into the myelin, mitochondrial, or cytosolic fractions. Of the incorporated radioactivity, 50–80% was in phospholipid in microsomal and synaptosomal fractions, indicating that phospholipid is the major lipid affected by cholinergic stimulation. These results demonstrate that plasma [3H]arachidonic acid is preferentially incorporated into phospholipids of synaptosomal and microsomal fractions of rat brain. Cholinergic stimulation increases incorporation into these fractions, likely by activation of phospholipase A2 and/or C in association with acyltransferase activity. Thus, intravenously infused radiolabeled arachidonic acid can be used to examine synapse-mediated changes in brain phospholipid metabolism in vivo.

Notes: Abstract: The β-amyloid precursor protein undergoes a physiological cleavage by α-secretase that leads to the release of a secreted C-terminally truncated fragment called APPα and likely concomitantly reduces the formation of the amyloidogenic Aβ peptide. Here we demonstrate that APPα secretion is increased by the protein kinase A (PKA) effectors 8-bromo cyclic AMP and forskolin in human embryonic kidney cells (HK293), and that this can be prevented by a proteasome inhibitor. Furthermore, we establish that PKA effectors but not protein kinase C agonists increase the chymotrypsin-like activity and phosphorylation state of the proteasome in vitro and in vivo in HK293 cells. Altogether, this report demonstrates that the α-secretase pathway is under the control of PKA in human cells and that the proteasome likely contributes, either directly or through yet unknown intermediates, to the PKA-stimulated APPα secretion in human cells.

Notes: Abstract: Involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in the release of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was examined in Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mRNA from rat cerebellum, as compared with findings in slices of rat cerebellum. The mRNA-injected oocytes preloaded with [3H]GABA showed spontaneous release of [3H]GABA, ∼0.5% of GABA content per 1 min. Stimulation with either Ca2+ ionophore (A23187) or a high K+ concentration increased the release of [3H]GABA from slices of rat deep cerebellar nucleus and mRNA-injected oocytes but not from noninjected and water-injected oocytes. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (10–300 nM) but not 4α-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (300 nM) potentiated the A23187-stimulated release of [3H]GABA from slices and from mRNA-injected oocytes, in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, machinery associated with release processes of GABA can be expressed in oocytes by injecting rat cerebellar mRNA, and PKC participates in GABA release from the functionally expressed GABAergic nerve terminals.

Notes: Abstract: The central histaminergic action on ischemia-induced neuronal damage was examined by evaluating the histological outcome and the direct current (DC) potential shift in the hippocampal CA1 region in gerbils. An intracerebroventricular administration of histamine (10–100 nmol) improved the delayed ischemic damage in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells produced by 3 min of transient forebrain ischemia. A high dose (75 nmol) of mepyramine, an H1 antagonist, aggravated ischemia-induced neuronal damage, but not a low dose (0.75 nmol). Administration of cimetidine (4 nmol) and ranitidine (3 nmol), H2 antagonists, aggravated the neuronal damage. An injection of histamine (100 nmol) prolonged the onset time of the ischemia-induced sudden shift in the extracellular DC potential (anoxic depolarization; AD) to 133% of that in control animals. Administration of mepyramine (75 nmol) did not markedly change the AD, whereas injections of cimetidine (40 nmol) and ranitidine (3 nmol) reduced the onset latency to 47 and 45%, respectively. These findings suggest that the central H2 action serves to protect neurons by delaying the onset of AD in gerbils.

Notes: Abstract: A bioluminescent GABA assay is described. The principle of the procedure is based on the action of GABASE (GABA-aminotransferase plus succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase), coupled to the detection of succinic semialdehyde and NADH, using Photobacterium luciferase. The method was used for monitoring GABA release from depolarized brain slices.

Notes: Abstract: One purpose of clinical neurochemistry has been to indicate “activities” of catecholamine systems, by assaying levels of the effector compounds or their metabolites in body fluids such as plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, or microdialysate. This review discusses a new purpose: relating specific catecholaminergic phenotypes to neurogenetic disorders. Distinctive catecholamine patterns in several neurogenetic conditions reflect enzyme deficiencies as direct or indirect effects of gene mutations. These neurochemical patterns can provide potentially important clues to the diagnosis, treatment, and pathophysiology of neurogenetic disorders. Linking genetic abnormalities with molecular mechanisms and clinical manifestations of disease represents a useful new direction in clinical neurochemistry.

Notes: Abstract: Nerve growth factor (NGF) induces persistent p42 and p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity in sympathetic neurones in parallel to its survival-promoting activity. To investigate whether these MAPK activities are necessary for NGF-induced survival, we have inhibited NGF-stimulated p42/p44 MAPK activity over extended periods using the compound 2-(2′-amino-3′-methoxyphenyl)-oxanaphthalen-4-one (PD98059). Despite attaining up to 95% inhibition of p42/p44 MAPK activity in cultures treated with NGF and PD98059, neuronal survival is maintained undiminished, although a decrease in the density of the neuritic network is observed. Because p21Ras activity is essential for NGF-induced survival, we conclude that p21Ras-linked activities other than p42 and p44 MAPKs are responsible for mediating NGF-dependent survival of rat sympathetic neurones.

Notes: Abstract: To investigate substance P (SP) receptors on an established human astrocytoma cell line (U-87 MG), [3H][Sar9,Met(O2)11]-SP, a selective SP receptor agonist, was used to identify and characterize the cell membrane binding sites for SP. SP receptor mRNA was examined by solution hybridization analysis, and the existence of SP binding protein on the surface of membranes was evaluated by flow cytometry using an anti-SP binding protein antibody. In U-87 MG and U-373 MG RNA preparations, transcripts were identified that corresponded to both mature and partially spliced receptor forms. In U-87 MG cell membrane-enriched preparations, the binding of [3H][Sar9,Met(O2)11]-SP was found to be time and cell number dependent, specific, saturable, and of high affinity. Equilibrium binding analysis revealed a single class of binding sites with an apparent KD of 1.15 ± 0.15 nM and aBmax of 108 ± 9.8 fmol/mg of protein. [3H][Sar9,Met(O2)11]-SP binding was basically not influenced by addition of mono (Na+, Li+) or divalent (Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+) cations; only high doses of divalent cations decreased the binding. GTP and guanylyl-5′-imidodiphosphate, but not GDP and GMP, reduced the Bmax without changing the affinity of [3H][Sar9,Met(O2)11]-SP. We also examined the effects of pretreatment with three lectins [concanavalin A (con A), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA)] to determine the nature of carbohydrate chains on the U-87 MG cell. Of three lectins analyzed for effects on agonist binding, WGA and LCA had an inhibitory effect, whereas con A was ineffective. These results suggest that SP receptors on the human astrocytoma cell line U-87 MG have either a biantennary complex-type or a high mannose-type of carbohydrate chain and may be regulated by GTP-binding protein(s).

Notes: Abstract: To examine the role of the C terminal tail in H2 receptor regulation, three cDNAs, encoding truncated histamine H2 receptor mutants (H2T295, H2T307, and H2T341), were constructed and stably transfected in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The amino acids before position 307 appear to be necessary for proper receptor transport or folding, as no detectable H2 receptor binding of the H2T295 was observed after transfection. Truncation of the C terminal tail by 51 amino acids (H2T307) did not affect the binding properties of H2 antagonists and histamine or histamine-induced signaling. Yet, removal of 17 amino acids generated a mutant receptor (H2T341), which was able to form a ternary complex but was unable to fully activate the Gs protein on histamine exposure. Agonist-induced but not the cyclic AMP-dependent H2 receptor down-regulation was more profound for the H2T307 receptor, indicating that different structural elements of the H2 receptor protein are involved in the cyclic AMP-dependent and independent pathways of H2 receptor down-regulation. Taken together, in this study we identified regions in the C terminal tail of the H2 receptor that act as positive and/or negative signals in H2 receptor signaling and down-regulation.

Notes: Abstract: RNase protection assays were used in a comparative analysis of the quantities of mRNA for five “calcium-sensitive” (types I, III, V, VI, and VIII) adenylyl cyclases and one “calcium-insensitive” (type II) adenylyl cyclase in mouse cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and nucleus accumbens. The mRNA levels for type V adenylyl cyclase were dominant in the nucleus accumbens. Type V adenylyl cyclase mRNA was also found in the cerebral cortex and at low levels in the cerebellum. Type I adenylyl cyclase mRNA was the major form in the cerebellum with 15–50-fold higher levels compared with other adenylyl cyclase mRNAs. Type I adenylyl cyclase mRNA was also the most prominent adenylyl cyclase mRNA in the cerebral cortex, although the mRNA levels of other adenylyl cyclase forms were more comparable to those of the type I enzyme in this brain area. The mRNA levels for adenylyl cyclase types II, III, VI, and VIII were intermediate to low depending on the brain area. Cell membranes from the nucleus accumbens demonstrated adenylyl cyclase activity that was synergistically activated by concomitant addition of GTP and forskolin to assay mixtures, reflecting a characteristic of type V adenylyl cyclase protein. Calcium/calmodulin stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in membranes from all three brain areas. However, synergistic activation of adenylyl cyclase activity by GTP and calcium/calmodulin was noted only with cortical membranes, and this characteristic may reflect the presence of type VIII adenylyl cyclase mRNA in the cortex. Although mRNA for type VIII adenylyl cyclase was almost equivalent in the cortex and cerebellum, the lack of a synergistic effect of GTP plus calcium/calmodulin on the cerebellar enzyme activity may be a result of the significant dominance of type I adenylyl cyclase mRNA (and protein) in the cerebellum. In general, the mRNA levels for the various adenylyl cyclases were predictive of the regulatory characteristics of adenylyl cyclase activity in membranes of the brain areas studied.

Notes: Abstract: We have investigated the serial changes in the transcription and translation of the rat glucose transporter (GLUT) 1 and 3 genes after 3 h of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion followed by reperfusion. Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization study were performed to determine the chronological change and regional expression. In the ipsilateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA) cortex, GLUT1 mRNA expression was increased at 12 h (11.6-fold) of reperfusion, and its expression was detected not only in vascular endothelial cells but also in neurons. At 48 h of reperfusion, GLUT3 mRNA expression was increased in the ipsilateral ACA (8.6-fold) and in the contralateral MCA cortex (9.1-fold). Immunohistochemical study failed to show GLUT1 protein synthesis in neurons in the ipsilateral ACA cortex. The immunoreactivity of GLUT3 protein was increased in neurons in ipsilateral ACA cortex and contralateral MCA cortex. Our results suggest that the expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3 is controlled differently after transient focal ischemic conditions. Furthermore, the postischemic localizations of both GLUT1 and GLUT3 expressions may be altered from the normal physiological expression pattern, which may be of importance in investigating postischemic cell function.

Notes: Abstract: Because σ receptors are richly concentrated in the rat pineal gland, the present study was performed to investigate their possible role in the modulation of melatonin production. To this purpose, we assessed in vivo the effects of the σ-receptor ligands 1,3-di(2-tolyl)guanidine and (+)-N-allylnormetazocine on the rat pineal gland activity during either the daytime or the nighttime. Compared with vehicle, 1,3-di(2-tolyl)guanidine and (+)-N-allylnormetazocine potentiated the enhancement of N-acetyltransferase activity and pineal melatonin content induced by isoproterenol administration during the daytime, whereas they did not affect the diurnal basal biosynthetic activity of the gland. Conversely, at night, 1,3-di(2-tolyl)guanidine and (+)-N-allylnormetazocine enhanced significantly the physiological increases in both pineal N-acetyltransferase activity and melatonin levels. This enhancement was prevented by pretreatment with rimcazole, a specific σ-receptor antagonist. These findings suggest that, in rats, the activation of pineal σ-receptor sites does not affect the biosynthetic activity of the pineal gland during daytime, whereas it pontentiates the production of melatonin when the gland is noradrenergically stimulated either by isoproterenol administration or by the endogenously released norepinephrine at nighttime.

Notes: Abstract: In Alzheimer's disease (AD), one of the cardinal neuropathological signs is deposition of amyloid, primarily consisting of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). Structural variants of AD-associated Aβ peptides have been difficult to purify by high-resolution chromatographic techniques. We therefore developed a novel chromatographic protocol, enabling high-resolution reverse-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) purification of Aβ variants displaying very small structural differences. By using a combination of size-exclusion chromatography and the novel RPLC protocol, Aβ peptides extracted from AD amyloid were purified and subsequently characterized. Structural analysis by microsequencing and electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry revealed that the RPLC system resolved a complex mixture of Aβ variants terminating at either residue 40 or 42. Aβ variants differing by as little as one amino acid residue could be purified rapidly to apparent homogeneity. The resolution of the system was further illustrated by its ability to separate structural isomers of Aβ1–40. The present chromatography system might provide further insight into the role of N-terminally and posttranslationally modified Aβ variants, because each variant can now be studied individually.

Notes: Abstract: Recent work indicates an important role for excitatory amino acids in behavioral sensitization to amphetamine. We therefore examined, using in vivo microdialysis in awake rats, the effects of amphetamine on efflux of glutamate, aspartate, and serine in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens, brain regions important for the initiation and expression of amphetamine sensitization, respectively. Water-pretreated and amphetamine-pretreated rats were compared to determine if sensitization altered such effects. In both brain regions, Ca2+-dependent efflux of glutamate accounted for ∼20% of basal glutamate efflux. A challenge injection of water or 2.5 mg/kg of amphetamine did not significantly alter glutamate, aspartate, or serine efflux in the ventral tegmental area or nucleus accumbens of water- or amphetamine-pretreated rats. However, 5 mg/kg of amphetamine produced a gradual increase in glutamate efflux in both regions that did not reverse, was observed in both water- and amphetamine-pretreated rats, and was prevented by haloperidol. Although increased glutamate efflux occurred with too great a delay to mediate acute behavioral responses to amphetamine, it is possible that repeated augmentation of glutamate efflux during repeated amphetamine administration results in compensatory changes in levels of excitatory amino acid receptors in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens that contribute to development or expression of amphetamine sensitization.

Notes: Abstract: Specific binding of [3H]granisetron was examined to serotonin 5-HT3 receptors in synaptosomal membranes of rat cerebral cortex between 1 and 37°C. Displacing potencies were determined for 5-HT3 antagonists (granisetron, ondansetron, tropisetron, and d-tubocurarine) and agonists (5-hydroxytryptamine, 2-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, phenylbiguanide, m-chlorophenylbiguanide, and SR 57227A). Displacing potencies of the agonists decreased with decreasing temperature. In contrast, displacing potencies of all antagonists increased with decreasing temperature, whereas those of tropisetron and d-tubocurarine passed a maximum. Scatchard analysis of [3H]granisetron binding resulted in KD values lower than the IC50 values of granisetron and a decreasing number of binding sites at higher temperatures. It can be reconciled with temperature-dependent agonist and antagonist states of 5-HT3 receptors. A semiquantitative thermodynamic analysis was based on displacing potencies. The distinct patterns for the signs of entropy, enthalpy, and heat capacity changes on binding can be reconciled with ionic interactions for agonists and hydrophobic interactions for antagonists. The distinctive differences in these thermodynamic parameters exceed those for GABAA and glycine receptor-ionophore complexes.

Notes: Abstract: The effects of GABA on the kinetics of tert-[35S]butylbicyclophosphorothionate ([35S]TBPS) binding to the convulsant site of GABAA receptors were studied in membrane suspensions from the cerebral cortex of newborn (1-day-old) and adult (90-day-old) rats. TBPS dissociation was biphasic in neonates and adults, indicating that more than one interconvertible state of [35S]TBPS binding sites may be present in the cerebral cortex. In the absence of GABA, the fast (t1/2, 11 min) and slow (t1/2, 77 min) components of TBPS dissociation in newborn rats were approximately fourfold slower than in adults. The acceleration of the dissociation rates caused by 2 µM GABA, however, was more robust in neonates than in adults (six- to ninefold vs. twofold increase, respectively). Moreover, the dissociation rates of TBPS in membranes preincubated with 2 µM GABA (dissociation started by adding 40 µM picrotoxin) were two- to fourfold slower than in membranes preincubated without GABA (dissociation started by adding 40 µM picrotoxin plus 2 µM GABA). Taken together, these results suggest that (1) the closed state of GABAA receptors is associated with a more effective steric barrier for the binding of TBPS in neonates compared with adults, (2) GABA produces a larger acceleration of the binding kinetics of TBPS in neonates than in adults, and (3) long incubations with GABA may cause receptor desensitization, which in turn slows down the dissociation rates of TBPS.

Notes: Abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin family, regulates survival and apoptosis of several neuronal populations. These effects are initiated by high-affinity membrane receptors displaying tyrosine kinase activity (trk). However, the intracellular pathways and genetic mechanisms associated with these receptors are largely unknown. Here we show that BDNF stimulates AP1 binding activity in primary cerebellar neurons. This binding corresponds to a functional complex as it is associated with the induction of AP1-dependent transactivation. Application of AP1 partner mRNAs shows an increase in levels of c-fos and c-jun mRNAs after BDNF treatment, resulting from an induction of their promoters. The cis-acting elements by which BDNF stimulates c-fos transcription were further studied. We show that BDNF impinges on multiple regulatory elements, including the serum-responsive element, Fos AP1-like element, and cyclic AMP (cAMP)-responsive element (CRE) sequences. The latter was stimulated without any detectable increase in cAMP or Ca2+ levels. To confirm that BDNF induces c-fos transcription independently of the protein kinase A/cAMP pathway, we transfected a dominant inhibitory mutant of the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A. The overexpression of this mutant does not affect the c-fos promoter transactivation by BDNF. In summary, we show that BDNF stimulates AP1- and CRE-dependent transcription through a mechanism that is distinct from the cAMP- and Ca2+-dependent pathways in CNS neurons.

Notes: Abstract: To investigate the role of the retinoblastoma protein pRB in neuronal differentiation, we have measured the accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRB in PC12 cells stimulated by nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF induced the accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRB within 30 min and the level peaked after 12 h. Viral Kiras, cyclic AMP (cAMP), and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) also induced the hypophosphorylation of pRB, but epidermal growth factor and interleukin-6 did not. The extent of hypophosphorylation of pRB correlated well with the capacity of these factors to stimulate neurite outgrowth. The constitutively activated Ras induced persistent shift of the phosphorylation state of pRB toward hypophosphorylation. A dominant negative form of cHa-Ras suppressed significantly induction of the hypophosphorylation of pRB by NGF, but not by cAMP. Taken together, these results suggest that the hypophosphorylation of pRB triggered by NGF is mediated by a Ras-dependent pathway. Furthermore, microinjection of a monoclonal antibody specific for the hypophosphorylated form of pRB blocked the neurite outgrowth initiated by NGF. These results suggest a crucial role of pRB in withdrawal of cells from the cell cycle and in neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.

Notes: Abstract: In astrocytes, thrombin and thrombin receptor-activating activating peptide (TRAP-14), a 14-amino-acid agonist of the proteolytic activating receptor for thrombin (PART), significantly increased cell division as assessed by [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA (EC50 = 1 nM and +650% at 100 nM for thrombin; EC50 = 3 µM and +600% at 100 µM for TRAP-14) and nerve growth factor (NGF) secretion (approximately twofold at 100 nM thrombin or 100 µM TRAP-14). The [3H]thymidine incorporation was prevented by protein kinase C inhibitors (staurosporine and H7) or by down-regulation of this enzyme by chronic exposure of astrocytes to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Thrombin-induced NGF secretion was completely inhibited by protein kinase C inhibitors. Treatment with PMA stimulated NGF secretion 19-fold, and this effect was not further enhanced by thrombin. These data suggest an absolute requirement of protein kinase C activity for thrombin-induced NGF secretion and cell division. Pretreatment of astrocytes with pertussis toxin (PTX) reduced thrombin- and TRAP-14-induced DNA synthesis. PART activation caused a decrease in forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation. PTX treatment prevented the inhibitory effect of PART activation on cyclic AMP accumulation, suggesting that a PTX-sensitive G protein, such as Gi or Go, is involved in thrombin-induced cell division. In contrast, thrombin-induced NGF secretion was not inhibited by PTX. Finally, the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A partially but significantly prevented thrombin- and TRAP-14-induced cell division but was without effect on NGF secretion. Taken together, these results demonstrate that, in astrocytes, PART(s)-triggered cell division or NGF secretion is mediated by distinct transduction mechanisms.

Notes: Abstract: The effect(s) of a prototypic intracellular Ca2+ antagonist, 8-(N,N-diethylamino)octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (TMB-8), on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity was investigated in primary cultures of mouse cerebellar granule cells. Glutamate evoked an increase in cytosolic free-Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]i) that was dependent on the extracellular concentration of Ca2+ ([Ca2+]o). In addition, this increase in [Ca2+]i correlated with a decrease in cell viability that was also dependent on [Ca2+]o. Glutamate-induced toxicity, quantified by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) staining, was shown to comprise two distinct components, an “early” Na+/Cl−-dependent component observed within minutes of glutamate exposure, and a “delayed” Ca2+-dependent component (ED50∼50 µM) that coincided with progressive degeneration of granule cells 4–24 h after a brief (5–15 min) exposure to 100 µM glutamate. Quantitative analysis of cell viability and morphological observations identify a “window” in which TMB-8 (at 〉100 µM) protects granule cells from the Ca2+-dependent, but not the Na+/Cl−-dependent, component of glutamate-induced neurotoxic damage, and furthermore, where TMB-8 inhibits glutamate-evoked increases in [Ca2+]i. These findings suggest that Ca2+ release from a TMB-8-sensitive intracellular store may be a necessary step in the onset of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in granule cells. However, these conclusions are compromised by additional observations that show that TMB-8 (1) exhibits intrinsic toxicity and (2) is able to reverse its initial inhibitory action on glutamate-evoked increases in [Ca2+]i and subsequently effect a pronounced time-dependent potentiation of glutamate responses. Dantrolene, another putative intracellular Ca2+ antagonist, was completely without effect in this system with regard to both glutamate-evoked increases in [Ca2+]i and glutamate-induced neurotoxicity.

Notes: Abstract: Inheritance of the ε4 allele of apolipoprotein (apo) E is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and with increased β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) deposition in the cortex. Apo E is a member of a family of exchangeable apos, characterized by the presence of amphipathic α-helical segments that allow these molecules to act as surfactants on the surface of lipoprotein particles. Two members of this family, apo E and apo J, have been shown to bind soluble Aβ, and both are associated with senile plaques in the AD cortex. We now have studied the pattern of brain apo expression and found that five members of this class are present: apo A-I, A-IV, D, E, and J. By contrast, apos A-II, B, and C-II were not detectable. Immunohistochemistry revealed that, in addition to apo E and apo J, apo A-I immunostained occasional senile plaques in AD cortex. Immunoblot analysis showed no difference in the relative amounts of any of these apos in tissue homogenates of frontal lobe from AD or control patients. Comparison by APO E genotype showed no differences in the amount of apo E in brain among APO E ε3/3, ε3/4, or ε4/4 individuals; however, a significant decrease in the amount of apo J was associated with the APO E ε4 allele. No differences in apo J levels were detected in CSF samples of AD subjects. We propose that several members of the exchangeable apo family may interact with Aβ deposits in senile plaques through common amphipathic α-helical domains. Competition among these molecules for binding of Aβ or Aβ aggregates may influence the deposition of Aβ in senile plaques.

Notes: Abstract: The distribution of a glycoprotein component of the muscle dystrophin complex, β-dystroglycan, has been determined in subcellular fractions of adult rat forebrain. The results show that β-dystroglycan is enriched in several membrane fractions, including synaptic membranes, but in marked contrast to dystrophin is not detectable in the postsynaptic density fraction. The antiserum also recognises a second molecular species of apparent molecular mass of 164 kDa which is highly enriched in the postsynaptic density fraction. Preabsorption of the antiserum with the antigen (a 22-mer peptide corresponding to the C-terminal sequence of rabbit skeletal muscle β-dystroglycan) abolished reactivity against both β-dystroglycan and the 164-kDa postsynaptic density-enriched protein, confirming that the two species are immunologically related. Enzymatic removal of N-linked oligosaccharide lowered the apparent molecular mass of β-dystroglycan by 3 kDa but did not alter the mass of the 164-kDa species.

Notes: Abstract: The response of plasminogen activator activity in the CNS to peripheral nerve axotomy was examined in vivo. After transection of the rat facial nerve, a transient increase in plasminogen activator activity was observed in the facial nucleus on the operated side with maximal activity 3–5 days after lesion. This activity was inhibited by the urokinase-specific inhibitor amiloride but not by antibodies against tissue plasminogen activator. The molecular mass of the induced form of plasminogen activator was estimated to be ∼48 kDa. An in vitro assay of plasminogen hydrolysis also demonstrated an increase in amiloride-sensitive plasminogen activator activity in facial nerve extracts following facial nerve axotomy. These data indicate that the plasminogen activator activity induced in the facial nucleus following axotomy of facial motoneurons is of the urokinase type. It is suggested that the urokinase-type plasminogen activator might play a role in the events accompanying injury and regeneration in the facial nucleus following motoneuron lesion.

Notes: Abstract: The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms by which retinal cells release endogenous amino acids in response to ascorbate/Fe2+-induced oxidative stress, as compared with chemical hypoxia or ischemia. In the absence of stimulation, oxidative stress increased the release of aspartate, glutamate, taurine, and GABA only when Ca2+ was present. Under hypoxia or ischemia, the release of aspartate, glutamate, glycine, alanine, taurine, and GABA increased mainly by a Ca2+-independent mechanism. The increased release observed in N-methyl-d-glucamine+ medium suggested the reversal of the Na+-dependent amino acid transporters. Upon oxidative stress, the release of aspartate, glutamate, and GABA, occurring through the reversal of the Na+-dependent transporters, was reduced by about 30%, although the release of taurine was enhanced. An increased release of [3H]arachidonic acid and free radicals seems to affect the Na+-dependent transporters for glutamate and GABA in oxidized cells. All cell treatments increased [Ca2+]i (1.5 to twofold), although no differences were observed in membrane depolarization. The energy charge of cells submitted to hypoxia or oxidative stress was not changed. However, ischemia highly potentiated the reduction of the energy charge, as compared with hypoglycemia or hypoxia alone. The present work is important for understanding the mechanisms of amino acid release that occur in vivo upon oxidative stress, hypoxia, or ischemia, frequently associated with the impairment of energy metabolism.

Notes: Abstract: The binding of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase isoform 1 (CNP1) to myelin and its association with cytoskeletal elements of the sheath have been characterized with in vitro synthesized polypeptides and purified myelin. We have previously shown that the cysteine residue present in the carboxy-terminal CXXX box of CNP1 is isoprenylated, and that both C15 farnesyl and C20 geranylgeranyl isoprenoids can serve as substrates for the modification. Here, we have mutated the CXXX box to obtain selectively farnesylated CNP1 or geranyl-geranylated CNP1 and found that these two modified forms of CNP1 behave identically in all of the assays performed. Isoprenylation is essential but not sufficient for the binding of in vitro synthesized CNP1 to purified myelin, because a control nonmyelin protein is isoprenylated, yet unable to bind to myelin. In our assay, membrane-bound CNP1 partitions quantitatively into the non-ionic detergent-insoluble phase of myelin, suggesting that CNP1 binds to cytoskeletal elements within myelin. However, isoprenylated CNP1 fails to bind to the cytoskeletal matrix isolated from myelin by detergent treatment, implying that both detergent-soluble and insoluble myelin components are involved in the binding of CNP1. A model for the interactions between CNP1 and myelin is presented, consistent with models proposed for other isoprenylated proteins.

Notes: Abstract: A 45Ca2+ influx assay has been used to investigate the pharmacology of stably expressed recombinant human NR1a/NR2A and NR1a/NR2B N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Inhibition of glutamate-stimulated 45Ca2+ influx by six glycine-site antagonists and inhibition of glycine-stimulated 45Ca2+ influx by five glutamate-site antagonists revealed no significant differences between affinity values obtained for NR1a/NR2A and NR1a/NR2B receptors. The polyamine site agonist spermine showed differential modulation of glutamate- and glycine-stimulated 45Ca2+ influx for recombinant NMDA receptors, inhibiting and stimulating 45Ca2+ influx into cells expressing NR1a/NR2A receptors (IC50 = 408 µM) and NR1a/NR2B receptors (EC50 = 37.3 µM), respectively. The antagonist ifenprodil was selective for NR1a/NR2B receptors (IC50 = 0.099 µM) compared with NR1a/NR2A receptors (IC50 = 164 µM). The effects of putative polyamine site antagonists, redox agents, ethanol, and Mg2+ and Zn2+ ions were also compared between NR1a/NR2A and NR1a/NR2B receptors. This study demonstrates the use of 45Ca2+ influx as a method for investigating the pharmacology of the numerous modulatory sites that regulate the function of recombinant human NMDA receptors stably expressed in L(tk-) cells.

Notes: Abstract: Cytoplasmic inclusion bodies that are accumulations of neurofilaments are the pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases and have been produced in transgenic mice by overexpression of mouse (NF-L and NF-M; light and medium chains, respectively) and human (NF-M and NF-H; medium and heavy chains, respectively) neurofilament subunits. This report describes a neuronal culture model in which human NF-L was overexpressed to produce cytoplasmic accumulations of neurofilaments within cell bodies concomitant with the collapse of the endogenous neurofilament network. Electron microscopy showed that, within accumulations, neurofilaments retained a filamentous structure. The culture model thus provides a novel system in which the effect on neurofilament accumulations of manipulating protein phosphorylation can be studied. Treatment of cells containing neurofilament accumulations with bisindolylmaleimide, a specific protein kinase C inhibitor, resulted in regeneration of the filamentous network; this effect was not due to a change in the level of transfected NF-L expression. These findings lend support to the suggestion that an impairment in the regulation of protein phosphorylation may lead to the accumulation of neurofilaments seen in neurodegenerative disease.

Notes: Abstract: Programmed cell death, the intrinsic form of apoptosis, plays an integral role in those neurodegenerative events associated with age-related neuropathology. Neurotrophins (NTs), such as nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and NT-3, are required for survival of certain neurons, and thus their clinical use to counteract age- and pathology-associated neurodegeneration has been suggested, although mechanistic descriptions for NT cell rescue from apoptosis are not definitive. Here we attempted to isolate the individual actions of high-affinity tyrosine kinase (Trk) receptors and p75NGFR, the common low-affinity NT receptor, in NT rescue of apoptotic PC12 cells. Our results showed that whereas inhibiting Trk receptor phosphorylation abolishes NGF rescue of serum-deprived PC12 cells from apoptosis, TrkA suppression with antisense oligonucleotides did not. Also, although BDNF did not rescue naive serumless PC12 cells, which lack the BDNF-specific TrkB receptor, it significantly increased survival of TrkA-suppressed serum-starved PC12 cells. These data confirm the hypothesis that binding of any NT to Trk-free p75NGFR-bearing cells blocks apoptosis but also suggest that if Trk receptors are expressed, prohibiting Trk phosphorylation also blocks NT-mediated rescue from apoptosis.

Notes: Abstract: This study was designed to determine the possible role of brain glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors in feeding behavior. In situ hybridization showed colocalization of the mRNAs for GLP-1 receptors, glucokinase, and GLUT-2 in the third ventricle wall and adjacent arcuate nucleus, median eminence, and supraoptic nucleus. These brain areas are considered to contain glucose-sensitive neurons mediating feeding behavior. Because GLP-1 receptors, GLUT-2, and glucokinase are proteins involved in the multistep process of glucose sensing in pancreatic β cells, the colocalization of specific GLP-1 receptors and glucose sensing-related proteins in hypothalamic neurons supports a role of this peptide in the hypothalamic regulation of macronutrient and water intake. This hypothesis was confirmed by analyzing the effects of both systemic and central administration of GLP-1 receptor ligands. Acute or subchronic intraperitoneal administration of GLP-1 (7–36) amide did not modify food and water intake, although a dose-dependent loss of body weight gain was observed 24 h after acute administration of the higher dose of the peptide. By contrast, the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of GLP-1 (7–36) amide produced a biphasic effect on food intake characterized by an increase in the amount of food intake after acute i.c.v. delivery of 100 ng of the peptide. There was a marked reduction of food ingestion with the 1,000 and 2,000 ng doses of the peptide, which also produced a significant decrease of water intake. These effects seemed to be specific because i.c.v. administration of GLP-1 (1–37), a peptide with lower biological activity than GLP-1 (7–36) amide, did not change feeding behavior in food-deprived animals. Exendin-4, when given by i.c.v. administration in a broad range of doses (0.2, 1, 5, 25, 100, and 500 ng), proved to be a potent agonist of GLP-1 (7–36) amide. It decreased, in a dose-dependent manner, both food and water intake, starting at the dose of 25 ng per injection. Pretreatment with an i.c.v. dose of a GLP-1 receptor antagonist [exendin (9–39); 2,500 ng] reversed the inhibitory effects of GLP-1 (7–36) amide (1,000 ng dose) and exendin-4 (25 ng dose) on food and water ingestion. These findings suggest that GLP-1 (7–36) amide may modulate both food and drink intake in the rat through a central mechanism.

Notes: Abstract: In the present study we describe an ELISA to quantify the light subunit of the neurofilament triplet protein (NFL) in CSF. The method was validated by measuring CSF NFL concentrations in healthy individuals and in two well-characterized groups of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The levels were increased in ALS (1,743 ± 1,661 ng/L; mean ± SD) and AD (346 ± 176 ng/L) compared with controls (138 ± 31 ng/L; p 〈 0.0001 for both). Within the ALS group, patients with lower motor neuron signs only had lower NFL levels (360 ± 237 ng/L) than those with signs of upper motor neuron disease (2,435 ± 1,633 ng/L) (p 〈 0.05). In a second study patients with miscellaneous neurodegenerative diseases were investigated (vascular dementia, olivopontocerebellar atrophy, normal pressure hydrocephalus, cerebral infarctions, and multiple sclerosis), and the CSF NFL level was found to be increased (665 ± 385 ng/L; p 〈 0.0001). NFL is a main structural protein of axons, and we suggest that CSF NFL can be used to monitor neurodegeneration in general, but particularly in ALS with involvement of the pyramidal tract.

Notes: Abstract: We measured changes in protease activity with aging, conducting assays of cathepsin D and calpain II activities and the rate of degradation of cytoskeletal proteins, preparing the enzymes and substrates from young and aged brains. Calpain preparations added to the young and to the aged substrates were standardized with casein as substrate so that age-related changes in calpain specificity and substrate susceptibility were measured. Several age-related differences were observed in substrate susceptibility and in enzyme activity. With respect to substrate, the neurofilament protein from young animals was somewhat more susceptible to calpain action than that from older animals. With respect to enzyme activity, calpain from aged brain cleaved neurofilament protein at a faster rate than did calpain from young. With neurofilaments, the most rapid breakdown usually occurred when enzyme from aged tissue was incubated with substrate from young. Kidney enzyme of aged rats incubated with neurofilament substrate of aged rats resulted in a more rapid breakdown than enzyme of young kidney incubated with substrate of young. The age dependence of tubulin breakdown was somewhat different from that of neurofilament breakdown. The most rapid breakdown usually occurred when using enzyme from young with tubulin from young. Incubation of neurofilament protein or tubulin with cathepsin D did not reveal any differences with aging. These studies suggest that an increase in enzyme activity observed previously during aging may also include changes in the properties of the enzyme (substrate specificity) and/or in the properties of their endogenous substrates (susceptibility to breakdown).

Notes: Abstract: The effect of hydrocephalus on cerebral energy metabolites and on intermediates of membrane phospholipid metabolism has been studied in H-Tx rats with inherited infantile hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalic rats and rats with shunts placed at 4–5 days or at 10 days after birth were subjected to magnetic resonance imaging in vivo before 21 days of age to determine the dimensions of the ventricles and cortex. At 21 days, the brains from the three groups of rats, together with age-matched control littermates, were frozen in situ, and chloroform/methanol extracts of cerebral cortex were prepared for high-resolution 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Hydrocephalus resulted in modest decreases in most metabolites quantified. Levels of phosphocreatine, ATP, and diphosphodiesters plus NAD were significantly reduced by 23–32%, and inorganic phosphate content was reduced but not significantly. Levels of the membrane phospholipid intermediates phosphorylethanolamine, glycerophosphorylethanolamine, and glycerophosphorylcholine were also significantly reduced by 30–33%, indicating changes in membrane metabolism. These general decreases are consistent with a loss of cell contents, possibly due to changes in dendrite structure in hydrocephalus. Rats shunt-treated at 4–5 days were similar to control rats for all energy metabolites, but those treated later at 10 days had reduced phosphocreatine and ATP levels. Shunt-treated rats also had reductions in levels of membrane phospholipids, some of which occurred in sham-operated rats. It is concluded that hydrocephalus leads to reductions in levels of energy metabolites and in levels of membrane phospholipids and that the changes in energy metabolites can be reversed by early, but not by later, shunt treatment.

Notes: Abstract: We used in vitro translation and antibodies against phosphoserine and the eukaryotic initiation factors eIF-4E, eIF-4G, and eIF-2α to examine the effects of global brain ischemia and reperfusion on translation initiation and its regulation in a rat model of 10 min of cardiac arrest followed by resuscitation and 90 min of reperfusion. Translation reactions were performed on postmitochondrial supernatants from brain homogenates with and without aurintricarboxylic acid to separate incorporation due to run-off from incorporation due to peptide synthesis initiated in vitro. The rate of leucine incorporation due to in vitro-initiated protein synthesis in normal forebrain homogenates was ∼0.4 fmol of leucine/min/µg of protein and was unaffected by 10 min of cardiac arrest, but 90 min of reperfusion reduced this rate 83%. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blots of these homogenates showed that neither 10 min of global brain ischemia nor 90 min of reperfusion induced significant alterations in the quantity or serine phosphorylation of eIF-4E. However, we observed in all 90-min-reperfused samples eIF-4G fragments that also bound eIF-4E. The amount of eIF-2α was not altered by ischemia or reperfusion, and immunoblotting after isoelectric focusing did not detect serine-phosphorylated eIF-2α in normal samples or in those obtained after ischemia without reperfusion. However, serine-phosphorylated eIF-2α was uniformly present after 90 min of reperfusion and represented 24 ± 3% of the eIF-2α in these samples. The serine phosphorylation of eIF-2α and partial fragmentation of eIF-4G observed after 90 min of reperfusion offer an explanation for the inhibition of protein synthesis.

Notes: Abstract: The protease inhibitor α1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) has been suggested to be involved in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increased levels of ACT have been found in serum and brains of AD patients, and ACT has been proposed to regulate β-amyloid fibril formation in vitro. To gain insight into the regulation of ACT in the brain, we investigated the signal transduction pathways involved in ACT gene expression and protein synthesis in the human astrocytoma cell line U373. This cell line has previously been shown to respond with strong ACT synthesis on stimulation with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα). Here, we describe that both IL-1β and TNFα activate the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) via production of reactive oxygen intermediates resulting in ACT expression. In addition, we show that neither protein kinase C nor protein kinase A is involved in IL-1β- or TNFα-induced ACT expression. These results suggest that activation of NF-κB may be one possible cause of increased ACT levels in AD and provide a basis for the development of drugs used for the modulation of inflammatory processes occurring in AD.

Notes: Abstract: Hyperoxia has been considered a model of free radical reactive oxygen species production in aging and age-related disorders. Previously, we studied the membrane protein alterations that occur during hyperoxia; we found that exposure of young animals to 24 h of hyperoxia provided the greatest degree of oxidation of cortical synaptosomal membrane proteins. We reasoned that free radical oxidation was involved in this protein oxidation. In accordance, in the current study we investigated the protective nature of two known free radical scavengers, N-tert-butyl-α-phenylnitrone (PBN) and 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (Tempol), against 24-h hyperoxia damage. The three techniques used in this study were electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) protein-specific spin labeling, assay of the activity of the oxidatively sensitive enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS), and measurement of protein carbonyl content. Before hyperoxia, gerbils received intraperitoneal injections of varying concentrations of either of the two free radical scavengers. After 30 min, the gerbils were exposed to 90–100% O2 for 24 h. For the spin labeling experiments, cortical synaptosomes were isolated from gerbils. The membrane proteins were spin labeled with the thiol-specific label MAL-6 (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-maleimidopiperidin-1-oxyl). As in our earlier study, the EPR spectral parameter of MAL-6-labeled membranes, the W/S ratio, decreased with hyperoxia (p 〈 0.00001). This effect was lessened significantly with administration of PBN (p 〈 0.0003) or Tempol (p 〈 0.00003). For the GS and protein carbonyl assays, cortical proteins were used. The activity of the GS decreased with hyperoxia (p 〈 0.000005), and this effect likewise was lessened with administration of PBN (p 〈 0.004) or Tempol (p 〈 0.002). The protein carbonyl content increased with hyperoxia (p 〈 0.0002), and there was a protective effect found with Tempol (p 〈 0.000001). The optimum doses for PBN and Tempol were 20 and 5 mg/kg, respectively. The results are discussed with reference to the use of free radical scavengers as potential antiaging agents.

Notes: Abstract: Preliminary evidence suggests adenosine, a neuromodulator, has neuroprotective properties during cerebral ischemia. It is unclear, however, if adenosine has glioprotective effects. We studied the effect of adenosine on cellular injury in astroglial cultures subjected to combined glucose-oxygen deprivation. Adenosine (100–1,000 µM) dramatically reduced astroglial injury, whereas the adenosine agonists 2-chloroadenosine (10 nM–100 µM), N6-cyclopentyladenosine (1 nM–10 µM), 5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (10 nM–100 µM), and N6-2-(4-aminophenyl)ethyladenosine (10 nM–100 µM) had no effect. Furthermore, the adenosine antagonists 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (1 nM–1 µM), xanthine amine congener (10 nM–10 µM), and 8-(p-sulfophenyl)-theophylline (10–300 µM) failed to reverse the protective effect of 200 µM adenosine. Next, adenosine degradation products were studied. Inosine proved to be glioprotective at concentrations nearly identical to those of adenosine, but hypoxanthine and ribose had no effect. The protective effect of 200 µM inosine was not reversed by 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline (10–300 µM). Adenosine deaminase (1 unit/ml) had no effect on protection produced by adenosine, whereas erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine hydrochloride (10 µM) reversed the protective effect of adenosine. Dipyridamole (4 µM) inhibited the protective effect of both adenosine and inosine. We conclude that adenosine dramatically decreases astroglial injury during combined glucose-oxygen deprivation and that this protective effect appears to be mediated by inosine.

Notes: Abstract: Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) metabolizes several neuroactive substrates, including exogenous compounds such as anesthetics, organic solvents, and muscle relaxants as well as endogenous substrates such as arachidonic acid. CYP2E1 and its mRNA were found to be expressed in the rat hippocampus, where the enzyme was localized mainly to the microsomal fraction. Chlorzoxazone (CZN), a CYP2E1 substrate, was 6-hydroxylated in hippocampal homogenates with a Km of 25.5 µM and a Vmax of 0.22 pmol/mg/min. CYP2E1 was also expressed in vitro in cortical glial cultures, where CYP2E1 mRNA levels were found to be 1,000-fold lower than in rat liver. Exposure of cortical glial cultures to 25 or 100 mM ethanol for 24 h caused a fourfold and sixfold increase, respectively, in the rate of CYP2E1-dependent 6-hydroxylation of CZN. After a continuous exposure to 100 mM ethanol for 48 or 72 h, however, the hydroxylation rate was down-regulated. Chlormethiazole, a potent inhibitor of hepatic CYP2E1 transcription, inhibited the ethanol-dependent induction of CYP2E1 by 50%. In vivo, acute ethanol treatment of rats (24 h, 3 g/kg) resulted in a 1.8-fold increase in the rate of CZN 6-hydroxylation in hippocampal homogenates. It is concluded that CYP2E1 is expressed and catalytically active in the rat CNS, and that CYP2E1 can be induced by a relatively low concentration of ethanol in cortical glial cultures. It is suggested that CYP2E1 substrates may be metabolically activated in situ in the CNS.

Notes: Abstract: Amyloid β protein (Aβ), which accumulates in the senile plaques in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, is cytotoxic to neurons. A modified 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, in which a yellow redox dye, MTT, is reduced to purple formazan, is very sensitive to the effect of Aβ. In primary hippocampal cultures, inhibition of MTT reduction starts within 2 h after the addition of low concentrations of Aβ and reaches a plateau in 12 h. This effect of Aβ is not blocked by Ca2+ channel blockers or in Ca2+-free medium. In contrast, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and trypan blue exclusion, which are indices of cell death, start 3 days after exposure to high concentrations of Aβ and are blocked by Ca2+ channel blockers such as Co2+, nicardipine, and diltiazem. When Aβ was washed out from the medium after 12 h, MTT reduction recovers and LDH release does not occur, suggesting that a long-lasting inhibition of the cellular redox system may be required to induce cell death. These observations demonstrate that Aβ toxicity consists of two phases—a Ca2+-independent early phase and a Ca2+-dependent late phase—and that the early phase may be required to induce the late phase.

Notes: Abstract: The in vivo presence of tryptophan hydroxylase activity in rat major cerebral arteries as well as the possible origin of the structure containing it were explored. Enzyme activity was appraised by accumulation of 5-hydroxytryptophan after inhibition of aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase. Decarboxylase inhibition evoked a significant increase in 5-hydroxytryptophan levels in rat cerebral arteries, striatum, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and plasma but had no effect on aorta. p-Chlorophenylalanine reduced 5-hydroxytryptophan accumulation in the cerebral vessels and brain nuclei, whereas α-methyltyrosine did not modify it except in hypothalamus, where it was enhanced. α-Methyltyrosine significantly reduced noradrenaline levels in cerebral arteries and l-dopa accumulation after inhibition of the decarboxylase in striatum. Dorsal raphe nucleus lesioning significantly diminished 5-hydroxytryptophan formation in cerebral arteries, striatum, and hypothalamus, without affecting it in hippocampus. Lesion of median raphe nucleus reduced 5-hydroxytryptophan accumulation in hippocampus and in hypothalamus but not in cerebral blood vessels or striatum. Superior cervical ganglia removal decreased noradrenaline levels in cerebral blood vessels without affecting 5-hydroxytryptophan accumulation. These results indicate the presence of a functionally active tryptophan hydroxylase in rat cerebral arteries associated with fibers originating from dorsal raphe nucleus. This supports that rat major cerebral arteries receive serotonergic innervation from central origin.

Notes: Abstract: The anticonvulsant carbamazepine is an effective treatment both for epilepsy and for bipolar affective disorder, but the molecular mechanism(s) underlying its therapeutic effects have not been identified. We have found that carbamazepine exerts significant inhibitory effects on the cyclic AMP (cAMP) generating system. Within the clinical therapeutic range (∼50 µM), carbamazepine inhibited both basal and forskolin-stimulated cAMP production, without having any significant effects on phosphodiesterase activity. Carbamazepine also exerted its inhibitory effects on the cAMP generating system in pertussis toxin-treated cells, suggesting that the action of carbamazepine was likely mediated through an inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding protein-independent mechanism. A forskolin affinity purification column was used to purify adenylyl cyclases from rat cerebral cortex, and we found that carbamazepine inhibited both basal and forskolin-stimulated activity of purified adenylyl cyclase. We also investigated the effects of carbamazepine on the levels of the transcription factor, cAMP response element binding protein in the phosphorylated (active) state, and found that carbamazepine significantly inhibited forskolin-induced phosphorylation of the cAMP response element binding protein. The data indicate that carbamazepine inhibits adenylyl cyclase activity as well as the downstream effects of activation of adenylyl cyclase.

Notes: Abstract: Aromatase in the diencephalic neurons, the level of which increases transiently during the prenatal to neonatal period, has been suggested to be involved in control of sexual behavior and differentiation of the CNS. Effects of neurotransmitters on levels of aromatase mRNA in cultured neurons were investigated to determine factors regulating the developmental increase that occurs in level of fetal brain aromatase. The expression of aromatase in diencephalic neurons of fetal mice at embryonic day 13, cultured in vitro, was significantly affected by α1-adrenergic receptor ligands. Aromatase mRNA levels were higher in neurons treated with the α1-agonist phenylephrine than in control neurons, whereas prazosin, an α1-antagonist, suppressed this increase, and ligands for α2- or β-adrenergic receptors did not exert any influence. The profile of α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes during actual development in vivo suggested that the α1B subtype is in fact responsible for the signal transduction. Substance P, cholecystokinin, neurotensin, and brain natriuretic peptide also increased the level of expression along with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and dibutyryl-cyclic GMP, whereas forskolin and dibutyryl-cyclic AMP caused a decrease. These data indicate that stimulation via α1 (possibly α1B)-adrenergic receptors, as well as receptors of specific neuropeptides, controls the expression of aromatase in embryonic day 13 diencephalic neurons through activation of protein kinase C or G. β-Adrenergic receptors would not appear to participate in the regulation, judging from their developmental profile, although cyclic AMP might be a suppressive second messenger.

Notes: Abstract: β-Amyloid protein has been implicated as a potential causative agent in the neuropathology associated with Alzheimer's disease. This possibility is supported by observations that β-amyloid induces neuronal degeneration and astrocyte reactivity in vitro by as yet undefined mechanism(s). In this report, we present data demonstrating that the pathological effects of β-amyloid on cultured cells are modulated by activation of the thrombin receptor. At concentrations between 50 and 500 nM, thrombin pretreatment significantly attenuates neurotoxicity mediated by fibrillar aggregates of β1–42 and β25–35 peptides. In cultured astrocytes, the stellate morphology induced by β1–42 and β25–35 aggregates can be prevented and reversed by thrombin exposures between 10 pM and 1 µM. In contrast, thrombin potentiates rather than attenuates the β-amyloid-induced increased expression of basic fibroblast growth factor, suggesting that thrombin differentially modulates the effects of β-amyloid on astrocytes. Thrombin's effects on both neurons and astrocytes are mimicked by thrombin receptor-activating peptide and inhibited by two potent thrombin inhibitors, hirudin and protease nexin-1. These data provide both new insight into the signaling pathways underlying the cellular effects of β-amyloid and additional support for the role of thrombin as an important mediator of neuropathological events.

Notes: Abstract: To elucidate mechanisms regulating the production of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in the CNS, we analyzed the influence of a panel of cytokines on PDGF mRNA and protein levels in astrocyte-enriched cultures from the human embryonic brain and spinal cord. Using a specific ELISA, PDGF AB protein was detected in serum-free astrocyte supernatants and its levels were significantly increased after treatment of the cultures with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α); the largest increase was detected after combined treatment with the two cytokines. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) by itself had little or no effect but synergized with TGF-β1 in enhancing PDGF AB production. Supernatants from human astrocyte cultures stimulated the proliferation of rat oligodendrocyte progenitors, and most of the mitogenic activity could be accounted for by PDGF. By northern blot analysis, both PDGF A- and PDGF B-chain mRNAs were detected in untreated astrocytes. PDGF B-chain mRNA levels were increased by TGF-β1, TNF-α, TNF-α/TGF-β1, or IL-1β/TGF-β1, whereas PDGF A-chain mRNA levels were not consistently affected by cytokine treatments. These in vitro data indicate that TGF-β1, TNF-α, and IL-1β are able to stimulate astrocyte PDGF production. This cytokine network could play a role in CNS development and repair after injury or inflammation.

Notes: Abstract: δ-Opioids mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular stores in undifferentiated NG108-15 cells, but the mechanism involved remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the effect of [d-Pen2,5]enkephalin on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation in these cells. [d-Pen2,5]enkephalin caused a dose-dependent (EC50 = 3.1 nM) increase in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation (measured using a specific radioreceptor mass assay), which peaked (25.7 ± 1.2 pmol/mg of protein with 1 µM, n = 9) at 30 s and returned to basal levels (10.6 ± 0.9 pmol/mg of protein, n = 9) within 4–5 min. This response was fully naloxone (1 µM) reversible and pertussis toxin (100 ng/ml for 24 h) sensitive. Preincubation with Ni2+ (2.5 mM) or nifedipine (1 µM) had no effect on the [d-Pen2,5]enkephalin (1 µM)-induced inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate response, and K+ (80 mM) was unable to stimulate inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation, indicating Ca2+ influx-induced activation of phospholipase C is not involved. Preincubation with the protein kinase C inhibitor Ro 31-8220 (1 µM) enhanced, whereas acute exposure to phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (1 µM) abolished, the [d-Pen2,5]enkephalin (0.1 µM)-induced inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate response, suggesting protein kinase C exerts an autoinhibitory feedback action. [d-Pen2,5]Enkephalin also dose-dependently (EC50 = 2.8 nM) increased the intracellular [Ca2+], which was maximal (24 nM increase with 1 µM, n = 5) at 30 s. This close temporal and dose-response relationship strongly suggests that δ-opioid receptor-mediated increases in intracellular [Ca2+] results from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, in undifferentiated NG108-15 cells.

Notes: Abstract: The G proteins Gs and Gi1 appear to be capable of binding to tubulin specifically, and it has been suggested that such binding results in G protein activation via direct transfer of GTP. This study was undertaken to demonstrate that consequences of G protein activation by tubulin, i.e., stimulation or inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, were dependent on the G proteins expressed as well as unique aspects of the membrane or cytoskeleton in a given cell type. Membranes from rat C6 glioma cells, which express Gsα but not Giα1, responded to the addition of tubulin with a stable activation of adenylyl cyclase. Conversely, membranes from rat cerebral cortex, which contain both Gs and Gi1, responded to exogenous tubulin with a stable inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. Unlike C6 membranes, cerebral cortex membranes are richly endowed with tubulin, and antitubulin antibodies immunoprecipitated complexes of tubulin and Gi1 or Gs from detergent extracts of these membranes. Nearly 90% of the Gsα from Triton X-114 extracts coimmunoprecipitated with tubulin, suggesting that these proteins exist as a complex in the synaptic membrane. Such complexes may provide the framework for a G protein-cytoskeleton link that participates in the modulation of cellular signal transduction.

Notes: Abstract: Dystroglycan is encoded by a single gene and cleaved into two proteins, α- and β-dystroglycan, by posttranslational processing. The 120-kDa peripheral nerve isoform of α-dystroglycan binds laminin-2 comprised of the α2, β1, and γ1 chains. In congenital muscular dystrophy and dy mice deficient in laminin α2 chain, peripheral myelination is disturbed, suggesting a role for the dystroglycan-laminin interaction in peripheral myelinogenesis. To begin to test this hypothesis, we have characterized the dystroglycan-laminin interaction in peripheral nerve. We demonstrate that (1) α-dystroglycan is an extracellular peripheral membrane glycoprotein that links β-dystroglycan in the Schwann cell outer membrane with laminin-2 in the endoneurial basal lamina, and (2) dystrophin homologues Dp116 and utrophin are cytoskeletal proteins of the Schwann cell cytoplasm. We also present data that suggest a role for glycosylation of α-dystroglycan in the interaction with laminin.

Notes: Abstract: We investigated the rapid and slow effects of NaF on intracellular signaling systems such as Ca2+ homeostasis and cyclic GMP (cGMP) generation in rat glioma C6 cells, using the Ca2+-sensitive dye fura-2 and cGMP enzyme immunoassay. We found that the following: (a) NaF enhanced cGMP generation in a concentration-dependent manner. This enhancement was abolished by pretreatment with 100 µM BAPTA tetraacetoxymethyl ester or in the presence of W-7 in a concentration-dependent manner. NG-Monomethyl-l-arginine (NMMA), a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), also inhibited the NaF-induced generation of cGMP. These results suggest that NaF-induced cGMP generation occurs via a calcium/calmodulin- and NOS-dependent pathway. (b) The basal intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was transiently greater at 1 and 3 h after pretreatment with NaF. W-7 and W-13 antagonized the increase in [Ca2+]i, whereas NMMA had little effect. This suggests that the NaF-induced change in basal [Ca2+]i was mediated by a calmodulin-dependent pathway but was independent of a NOS-sensitive pathway. (c) The serotonin (5-HT)-induced intracellular mobilization of Ca2+ was reduced by pretreating the cells with NaF. The reduction in Ca2+ mobilization was antagonized by genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. W-7, W-5, and H-8 had no effect. Results suggest that NaF differentially regulates the cGMP generation, basal [Ca2+]i, and 5-HT2A receptor function in C6 glioma cells.

Notes: Abstract: Myelin vesicles, reconstituted liposomes with proteolipid protein (PLP), the main protein component of myelin, and electrophysiological patch-clamp are potentially powerful tools to study the role of myelin in functional ionic channels. However, technical difficulties in the vesiculation of myelin and the small size of the vesicles obtained do not permit the application of micropipettes for current recordings. From a suspension of purified myelin we have prepared oligolamellar vesicles (mean diameter of 144 nm) using the so-called French pressure system. From this preparation we obtained giant myelin vesicles ∼10 µm in mean diameter, using a dehydration-rehydration procedure. Qualitative analysis of proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed no significant loss of any component in these vesicles due to pressure, in comparison with non-vesiculated myelin. A way of preparing giant liposomes of ∼80–100 µm and proteoliposomes of ∼30 µm in mean diameter, using the same dehydration-rehydration procedure, is also reported. Reconstitution of purified PLP in giant liposomes was confirmed by fluorescent labeling of PLP and by fluorescence microscopy. The current recordings from these vesicles prove the validity of these methods and provide significant evidence of the existence of ionic channels in myelin membranes and the possibility that PLP functions as a channel. The physiological significance and characterization of these channels remain yet unresolved. These results have a special significance for elucidating the molecular role of myelin in the regulation of neural activity and in the brain ion microenvironment.

Notes: Abstract: We have identified two novel peptide toxins from molluscivorous Conus species that discriminate subtypes of high voltage-activated (HVA) calcium currents in molluscan neurons. The toxins were purified using assays on HVA calcium currents in the caudodorsal cells (CDCs) of the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The CDC HVA current consists of a rapidly inactivating, transient current that is relatively insensitive to dihydropyridines (DHPs) and a slowly inactivating, DHP-sensitive L-current. The novel toxins, designated ω-conotoxins PnVIA and PnVIB, completely and selectively block the transient HVA current in CDCs with little (PnVIA) or no (PnVIB) effect on the sustained L-type current. The block is rapid and completely reversible. It is noteworthy that both PnVIA and PnVIB reveal very steep dose dependences of the block, which may imply cooperativity in toxin action. The amino acid sequences of PnVIA (GCLEVDYFCGIPFANNGLCCSGNCVFVCTPQ) and of PnVIB (DDDCEPPGNFCGMIKIGPPCCSGWCFFACA) show very little homology to previously described ω-conotoxins, although both toxins share the typical ω-conotoxin cysteine framework but have an unusual high content of hydrophobic residues and net negative charge. These novel ω-conotoxins will facilitate selective analysis of the functions of HVA calcium channels and may enable the rational design of drugs that are selective for relevant subtypes.