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Biomedical subjects

A Gecse

Publications and source records attributed to A Gecse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Prostanoid synthesis in the cerebral blood vessels of asphyxiated piglets.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of asphyxia-reventilation and hyperoxia on the cerebral blood perfusion and prostanoid production of the brain arteries and microvessels in piglets. After 10 min of asphyxia, animals were ventilated with room air, or with 100% O2. Following 4 hours of recovery, the brains were perfused, cerebral arteries were removed and microvessels were isolated from the cortex. The microvessels and the arteries were incubated with 1-14C-arachidonic acid, and the 1-14C-prostanoids were then separated by means of overpressure thin-layer chromatography and were quantitatively determined. Under control conditions, the synthesis of dilatory prostanoids dominated the arachidonate cascade both in the microvessels and in the arteries. Asphyxia and reventilation with room air did not modify the prostanoid production. O2 ventilation greatly affected the prostanoid synthesis of the microvessels, with an enhancement of PGD2 up to 247 +/- 27%. In the arteries, the production of PGI2 and of PGE2 was elevated to 272 +/- 15% and to 148 +/- 13%, respectively. These findings indicate that O2 ventilation after asphyxia substantially increases the extent of prostanoid synthesis in the cerebral blood vessels.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

The effects of valproate on the arachidonic acid metabolism of rat brain microvessels and of platelets.

Long-term administration of the antiepileptic drug valproate can induce hematologic, hepatic and endocrine abnormalities and morphologic alterations in the brain capillaries and glial cells. Valproate elicits bone marrow suppression, reducing the number of red blood cells and platelets, and causes platelet functional abnormalities. Various data suggest that more than one mechanism of valproate-associated toxicity may exist, but the pathomechanism of cell function alterations elicited by valproate has not yet been elucidated. The reported ex vivo experiments were designed to investigate the effects of valproate on the arachidonic acid cascade of rat brain capillaries and platelets. Valproate was administered (300 mg/kg body weight/day) in the drinking water to male Wistar rats for 2 weeks. Isolated platelets and brain microvessels were labelled with [14C]arachidonic acid and the released [14C]eicosanoids were separated by overpressure thin-layer chromatography and determined quantitatively by liquid scintillation counting. Valproate treatment reduced the synthesis of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products in rat platelets. In brain microvessels valproate stimulated the synthesis of lipoxygenase metabolites and attenuated the cyclooxygenase pathway. Modifications of the arachidonate cascade in platelets and brain microvessels may contribute to the cell function alterations caused by valproate.

12-Hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic Acid↗
PubMed2000

Platelet arachidonate cascade of migraineurs in the interictal phase.

Morphological and functional alterations of platelets in migraineurs may be linked to the development of migraine. We examined the eicosanoid synthesis of platelets of untreated female migraineurs in a headache-free period and compared it to that of age- and blood group-matched healthy female volunteers. In the platelets of headache-free migraineurs significantly less amounts of anti-aggregatory prostaglandin D2 and prostacyclin, as well as of 12-L-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid (a potent endogenous inducer of endothelial prostacyclin production) were produced, while the synthesis of platelet aggregatory thromboxane did not differ when compared to that of healthy women. These results suggest that the platelet eicosanoids of migraineurs in the headache-free period might promote the development of cellular, vascular and neurological events inducing headache.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Vasoactive substances produced by cultured rat brain endothelial cells.

The vasoactive substances synthesized by primary cultures of rat brain endothelial cells were investigated and compared to those from two, immortalized cell lines, RBE4 and GP8. The vasoactivity of endothelium-derived substances was measured on isolated canine coronary artery. Vascular tone was significantly decreased by both primary and GP8, but not by RBE4 cells. Indomethacin pretreatment of primary and GP8 cells turned vasorelaxation into contraction while N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine pretreatment decreased the vasorelaxation induced by primary, but not by GP8 cells. Eicosanoid production was determined after incubation with [14C]arachidonic acid. The predominant vasoactive eicosanoid was prostaglandin E2 in both primary and GP8 cells. RBE4 cells synthetized mainly prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2 and significantly less prostaglandin E2 than did either primary or GP8 cells. The capacity of cerebral endothelium to regulate vascular tone by production of dilator and constrictor substances can be preserved under certain circumstances in immortalized cell lines.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide on the cyclooxygenase pathway of rat platelets and on platelet aggregation.

Several data suggest that pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is involved in the regulation of local circulation. One possible role of PACAP in the regulation of circulation is that, it may modify the cyclooxygenase pathway of the arachidonate cascade in platelets. Our study was designed to study the effect of PACAP on the cyclooxygenase pathway of rat platelets and on platelet aggregation. PACAP (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) significantly inhibited the cyclooxygenase pathway of platelets, mostly the thromboxane synthesis. Pretreatment with a PACAP receptor antagonist, PACAP(6-38), or with an inhibitor of protein kinase A, H-89, shows that the effects of PACAP on the cyclooxygenase pathway were diminished. In the aggregation studies, PACAP inhibited both the arachidonic acid-induced and the thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. It can be concluded that PACAP inhibits the cyclooxygenase pathway of rat platelets via a specific PACAP receptor-activated, cAMP-dependent pathway, and these effects of PACAP are involved in the inhibition of platelet aggregation.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide inhibits the cyclooxygenase pathway of rat cerebral microvessels.

The presence of nerve endings containing pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) around cerebral microvessels suggests that these peptides have regulatory roles in the cerebral microcirculation. Prostanoids synthesized by the cerebrovascular endothelium have a determining role in the regulation of the brain circulation. In the present study, the effects of PACAP and VIP on the cyclooxygenase pathway of cerebral microvessels were investigated. The isolated microvessels were incubated with 1-14C-arachidonic acid and different concentrations of the peptides. The prostanoids formed were separated by means of overpressure thin-layer chromatography, and were quantitatively determined by liquid scintillation. Higher concentrations (10-7 and 10-6 mol L-1) of PACAP significantly inhibited the activity of the cyclooxygenase pathway, whereas VIP had no significant effect on it. As regards the cyclooxygenase metabolites, the syntheses of thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin D2 were inhibited significantly. PACAP and VIP are known to increase the intracellular cAMP level in the cerebral microvessels and in the present experiments the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89 attenuated the effect of PACAP on prostanoid synthesis. It is concluded that the cyclooxygenase pathway of rat cerebral microvessels is more sensitive to PACAP than to VIP. The inhibitory effect of PACAP on prostanoid synthesis is mediated via a cAMP-dependent pathway. By inhibiting the formation of vasoactive prostanoids, PACAP can decrease the vasoreactivity of the microvessels.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1999

Valproate treatment and platelet function: the role of arachidonate metabolites.

PURPOSE: Valproate (VPA) is an extensively used drug in the therapy of epilepsies. One of the most frequently reported side effects of VPA is hemorrhagic diathesis. Some authors emphasized the decreased platelet count as the basis of VPA-induced hemorrhagic diathesis, but some reports suggested that a significant proportion of patients with normal platelet count may still have an altered platelet function. The mechanism of the VPA-induced platelet dysfunction has not yet been elucidated. A determining element of platelet functions is the arachidonate cascade. Present ex vivo experiments were designed to determine whether a relation exists between the incidence of hemostasis caused by VPA and the effect of this drug on the arachidonate cascade of platelets. METHODS: Platelets were isolated from patients receiving long-term VPA treatment (serum level, 36.04+/-16.12 microg/ml; n = 10) or carbamazepine (CBZ) treatment (serum level, 5.24+/-2.67 microg/ml; n = 10) and were labeled with [14C]arachidonic acid. (CBZ-treated patients were chosen as a control group, because CBZ causes blood dyscrasias similar to those elicited by VPA, but there has been no report that CBZ induces a platelet dysfunction.) The 14C-eicosanoids were separated by means of overpressure thin-layer chromatography and determined quantitatively by liquid scintillation. RESULTS: Even when the mean plasma concentration of the drug was low, VPA treatment reduced the activity of the arachidonate cascade in platelets. VPA effectively inhibited the cyclooxygenase pathway and the synthesis of the strong platelet aggregator thromboxane A2. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of the platelet arachidonate cascade may contribute to the platelet-function alterations caused by VPA.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Platelet eicosanoids and the effect of captopril in blood pressure regulation.

We investigated the eicosanoid synthesis of platelets of Wistar and of Okamoto spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and the effect of captopril in vitro, using [14C]arachidonic acid as a tracer substrate and chromatographic determination. Lipoxygenase activity was elevated, while the formation of cyclooxygenase products was reduced in SHR platelets, compared to those of Wistar rats. This difference might play a role in the pathomechanism of hypertension in SHR. In SHR with lower blood pressure, captopril reduced thromboxane synthesis, while in SHR with higher blood pressure thromboxane synthesis was unchanged, but the synthesis of prostaglandin D2, a potent vasodilator, and of 12-L-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid, a stimulator of endothelial prostacyclin formation, was increased. We may conclude that, in spite of the missing angiotensin converting enzyme in platelets, a direct effect on platelet eicosanoid synthesis could contribute to the blood pressure decreasing effect of captopril.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed1996

The effect of bradykinin and substance P on the arachidonate cascade of platelets.

Several peptide receptors are expressed on the surface of platelets, including B1 and NK1, through which Bk and SP might influence platelet functions including their arachidonate cascade. The metabolites of the arachidonate cascade might play a regulatory role in the inter- and intracellular functions of platelets. Platelets were separated from fresh rat blood by differential centrifugation. Platelets (10(8) ml-1 in each sample) were preincubated with Bk or SP. The arachidonate cascade was investigated with [1-14C]arachidonic acid, as tracer substrate. The synthesised [14C]eicosanoids were isolated and quantitatively determined. Bradykinin elicited a biphasic dose-response curve in the formation of the vasoconstrictor and platelet aggregating thromboxane A2 (TxA2). Bk both inhibited (10(-8) mol/l), and elevated (10(-6) mol/l) the synthesis of TxA2 in the thrombocytes. The 12-HETE synthesis was inhibited by Bk (10(-8), 10(-7), 10(-5) mol/l); 12-HETE is an endogenous regulator of prostacyclin synthesis. The formation of 12-HETE in platelets was stimulated by SP (10(-11), 10(-9), 10(-8) mol/l). The synthesis of TxA2 in platelets was either attenuated (10(-12) mol/l), or stimulated (10(-9) mol/l) by SP. According to our observations Bk and SP might play a regulatory role in the activation or deactivation of platelets.

12-Hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic Acid↗
PubMed1992

Dietary manipulation with high marine fish oil intake of fatty acid composition and arachidonic acid metabolism in rat cerebral microvessels.

Male weanling Wistar rats were maintained on one of two semisynthetic diets, differing only in the type of oil used: (i) 10% by weight marine fish oil (MFO group) containing 20% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 17% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or (ii) 10% by weight sunflower oil (SFO group). The control group was kept on standard diet for 4 weeks. Blood-free microvessels were isolated from brain cortex by a rapid micromethod, and their fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography. It was found that the proportion of n-3 fatty acids (including EPA and DHA) increased significantly in the microvessels of the MFO group, accompanied by a decrease of the n-6 fatty acid series. The changes in fatty acid composition of endothelial cells were not significant in the SFO group in comparison to the control. The amounts of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase metabolites were determined. Dietary fish oil decreased the percentage of total products of arachidonate by 50%, while the SFO diet had no effect on it. The amount of lipoxygenase products in the MFO group decreased significantly from 16931 +/- 3131 dpm to 6399 +/- 357 dpm/300 mg wet weight of brain. Significantly less PGF-1 alpha, PGF-2 alpha and 12-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid (HHT) were found in the capillaries of MFO treated animals, in comparison to the SFO group. The ratios of vasoconstrictor and vasodilator metabolites of arachidonate cascade were not modified by the diets. Our results suggest that fish oil diet reduces the arachidonate cascade in cerebral microvessels. This effect may explain for the efficiency of n-3 fatty acids in vascular diseases.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1992

Captopril as a modifier of the arachidonate cascade of rat platelets.

The lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonate cascade in the platelets of spontaneously hypertensive rats has been found to be significantly higher than in normotensive animals. Repeated oral administration of Captopril (in drinking water - 200 mg/100 ml) for 14 days resulted in an elevation in the activity of arachidonate cascade in the platelets of treated rats. At the same time the Captopril treatment induced the formation of 12-hydroxy-heptadecatrienoic acid (12-HHT), which molecule is known to be a potent prostacyclin (PGI2) releaser and/or synthesis inducer. PGI2 is one of the most potent vasodilatator molecule in living organisms. The in vitro experiments in rat platelets suggest, that very low doses of Captopril (10(-12) to 10(-10) M) result in a significantly elevated 12-HHT synthesis. Captopril might act through the 12-HHT--PGI2 mechanism, resulting in blood pressure reduction. The lipoxygenase pathway of platelets, the formation of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), was significantly elevated in vitro in the presence of low dose of Captopril (10(-11) and 10(-10) M).

12-Hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic Acid↗
PubMed1989

The effect of bradykinin and its fragments on the arachidonate cascade of brain microvessels.

The lipoxygenase pathway dominated the arachidonate cascade in the microvessels isolated from cerebral cortical microvessels of male rats. Bradykinin significantly reduced the lipoxygenase pathway and the synthesis of PGD2 in the microvessels of rats. The synthesis of vasoconstrictor cyclooxygenase metabolites was stimulated with Ser-Pro-Phe-Arg tetrapeptide in the cerebral capillaries while the Phe-Arg dipeptide stimulated the release of arachidonate metabolites. The arachidonate cascade was shifted to the cyclooxygenase pathway with angiotensin III in cerebral microvessels. Kallikrein stimulated the lipoxygenase pathway and the synthesis of vasoconstrictor cyclooxygenase metabolites.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1988

The effects of somatostatin on the arachidonate cascade of platelets.

Somatostatin (10(-9) M) significantly elevated the synthesis of thromboxane B2 in rat platelets. The transformation of arachidonic acid to active lipoxygenase metabolites was suppressed by somatostatin (10(-9) and 10(-8) M). The ratio of the lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase products was significantly reduced by the polypeptide (10(-9) and 10(-8) M) in rat platelets. Higher concentrations (10(-7), 10(-6) and 10(-5) M) of somatostatin did not modify the lipoxygenase pathway of the platelets. The synthesis of the vasoconstrictor - proaggregatory cyclooxygenase products was stimulated by the polypeptide (10(-9) and 10(-8) M), while the formation of vasodilatator - antiaggregatory cyclooxygenase metabolites was induced by higher concentrations of somatostatin (10(-7) and 10(-6) M). Somatostatin might act on the deacylation process of phospholipids, reducing the free arachidonic acid substrate level, resulting in a lower lipoxygenation rate in the platelets, which could be responsible for the increased formation of thromboxane. The contradictory results reported by others concerning the action of somatostatin on the platelet function might be explained by our results that the effect of somatostatin depends on the applied dose.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Arachidonate cascade in mesenteric blood vessels and platelets of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of the arachidonate cascade are investigated in vitro in the mesenteric arteries and in the platelets of Wistar normotensive and Okamoto spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats, using 1-14C arachidonic acid as substrate. The arachidonate cascade in the mesenteric arteries of both Wistar and Okamoto rats showed a sexual dependence. The lipoxygenase dominance in the mesenteric arteries increased almost in parallel with the blood pressure in female SH rats. The activities of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase were 4-12 times higher in female animals than in males. The lipoxygenase pathway dominated the arachidonate cascade in the platelets of both normotensive and hypertensive rats. The lipoxygenase pathway was more active in the platelets of SH animals than in the controls. Both in the mesenteric arteries and in the platelets, the arachidonate cascade might play some role in the pathogenesis of hypertension.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The action of peptides and proteases on the arachidonate cascade of human and rat platelets.

The arachidonate cascade of human or rat platelets were found to be modified by peptides (bradykinin, angiotensin I, angiotensin II, Asp1-Val5-angiotensin II-amide, somatostatin) and proteases (trypsin, kallikrein). The lipoxygenase pathway was not altered by angiotensin I, angiotensin II, trypsin and kallikrein, while the synthesis some of the cyclooxygenase products was selectively changed by these substances. Bradykinin and somatostatin resulted in an attenuated formation of 12-HPETE and 12-HETE - U shape dose response curve, at the same time the synthesis of cyclooxygenase metabolites was increased - bell shape dose response curve. Asp1-Val5-angiotensin II-amide increased the synthesis of lipoxygenase products and diminished the formation of TxB2. At the same time this peptide selectively induced the enzymatic release of PGD2 from platelets. These peptides and proteolytic enzymes might have physiologic significance in the "Ying-Yang" balance in one hand between lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase metabolites and on the other between the proaggregatory and antiaggregatory substances released from platelets.

Angiotensins↗
PubMed1986

[Effect of influenza virus infection on arachidonic acid cascade in mouse thrombocytes].

Prostaglandins (PGs) are essential for many physiological and pathological processes. As they are not stored in tissue, their presence and actions therefore result from de novo synthesis and release. Although platelets themselves appear to have the ability to synthesize TxA2, PGD2, arachidonic acid may also be metabolized in the lipoxygenase pathway in platelets, producing 12-hydroperoxy/12-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HPETE/12-HETE). CFLP mice were infected intranasally with A/H3N2/Hong Kong (1/68) influenza virus. Platelets were isolated from the control (saline treated) and infected mice 3-13 days after virus application. Platelets were isolated from the diluted arterial blood of the mice. Metabolites of arachidonate cascade were determined using 1-14C-arachidonic acid (2035 MBq/mM spec. act.) as substrate. All incubations were carried out in TC Medium 199 (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees C for 10 min. Radiolabelled products were separated and quantitatively determined. The synthesis of TxA2 in the platelets of animals was found to be significantly increased 7 days after the virus infection. The 12-hydroxy-heptadecatrienoic acid level was higher on the 10th and 13th days of infection, as were the products of the lipoxygenase pathway.

Animals↗