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Biomedical subjects

A Undén

Publications and source records attributed to A Undén.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Interleukin-1 in adrenal chromaffin cells.

Interleukin-1, first identified as a macrophage factor of importance in infections and inflammation, is a protein with properties of an endogenous pyrogene and lymphocyte activating factor. Occurrence of interleukin-1-like immunoreactivity was demonstrated in the noradrenergic chromaffin cells of the rat and mouse adrenal gland by means of two antisera raised against synthetic peptides corresponding to the amino acid sequences 169-194 and 201-215 of the murine interleukin-1 precursor protein. These antisera also inhibited stimulation of interleukin-2 receptor expression by purified human interleukin-1. Reserpine, which is known to deplete catecholamines, also caused release of the interleukin-1-like immunoreactive material. The interleukin-1 content of the rat adrenal medulla was estimated by radioimmunoassay, and if released the adrenal interleukin-1 pool may result in plasma interleukin-1 levels of about 10(-12). The interleukin-1-immunoreactive material obtained from the rat adrenal gland was characterized as a trypsin-sensitive protein with a molecular weight in the range of 13,000-19,000. This protein fraction stimulated interleukin-2 receptor expression on human T-cells as earlier shown for interleukin-1.

Adrenal Medulla↗

N-terminal galanin-(1-16) fragment is an agonist at the hippocampal galanin receptor.

The galanin N-terminal fragment [galanin-(1-16)] has been prepared by solid-phase synthesis and by enzymic cleavage of galanin by endoproteinase Asp-N. This peptide fragment displaced 125I-labeled galanin in receptor autoradiography experiments on rat forebrain and spinal cord and in equilibrium binding experiments from high-affinity binding sites in the ventral hippocampus with an IC50 of approximately 3 nM. In tissue slices of the same brain area, galanin-(1-16), similarly to galanin, inhibited the muscarinic agonist-stimulated breakdown of inositol phospholipids. Upon intracerebroventricular administration, galanin-(1-16) (10 micrograms/15 microliters) also inhibited the scopolamine (0.3 mg/kg, s.c.)-evoked release of acetylcholine, as studied in vivo by microdialysis. Substitution of [L-Trp2] for [D-Trp2] resulted in a 500-fold loss in affinity as compared with galanin-(1-16). It is concluded that, in the ventral hippocampus, the N-terminal galanin fragment [galanin-(1-16)] is recognized by the galanin receptors controlling acetylcholine release and muscarinic agonist-stimulated inositol phospholipid breakdown as a high-affinity agonist and that amino acid residue [Trp2] plays an important role in the receptor-ligand interactions.

Animals↗

Use of synthetic peptides to map antigenic sites of Bordetella pertussis toxin subunit S1.

We synthesized six peptides (15-22 amino acids) from the amino acid sequence of the S1 subunit of pertussis toxin. The antigenicity of the polypeptides was investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, in which the polypeptides coupled to bovine serum albumin were used as coating antigens. The polypeptides were examined as antigens for reaction with pre- and postvaccination sera from infants receiving either a Bordetella pertussis whole-cell vaccine or a vaccine containing pertussis toxoid. An elevated serum titer was noted upon vaccination with both types of vaccines when bovine serum albumin conjugates of five synthetic peptides were used as antigens. Similarly, mice immunized with whole-cell pertussis vaccine showed an elevated titer against all five peptides that were reactive with human sera. Thus, we identified five peptide sequences of S1 against which, in two species, antibodies are formed upon exposure of these species to whole cells of B. pertussis.

Animals↗

Neuropeptide Y receptors and the inhibition of adenylate cyclase in the human frontal and temporal cortex.

The presence of a single class of high affinity, saturable binding sites for [3H]neuropeptide Y (NPY) was demonstrated in membranes from human frontal and temporal cortex. The specific binding of [3H]NPY was sensitive to guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) and guanylyl-imidodiphosphate (GMPP(NH)P; 100 microM) which lowered the total binding capacity (Bmax) value (35 +/- 2 fmol/mg in the frontal cortex and 82 +/- 3 fmol/mg in the temporal cortex) by 50%. GTP and GMPP(NH)P did not affect the dissociation constant (Kd) value which was 0.25 +/- 0.03 nM in a frontal cortex sample and 0.76 +/- 0.06 nM in the sample from the temporal cortex. The affinity and GTP sensitivity of the [3H]NPY binding to human brain membranes parallels that found in the rat brain. It was demonstrated that occupancy of NPY receptors by NPY (1 microM) inhibits the basal and forskolin (10 microM)-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity by 18-30% in a crude membrane preparation from human frontal cortex.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

BM-5, a centrally active partial muscarinic agonist with low tremorogenic activity. In vivo and in vitro studies.

The acute and chronic effects of the centrally active oxotremorine analog, BM-5, [N-methyl-N-(1-methyl-4-pyrrolidino-2-butynyl)-acetamide] were examined in rats and mice. In vivo studies in mice and rats indicated that this compound is a partial muscarinic agonist with large regional differences in its efficacy: BM-5 produced low tremor in doses which evoke full salivary response. The maximal tremor response to BM-5 was much smaller than that produced by oxotremorine, while the maximal salivary response to BM-5 was greater than that evoked by oxotremorine. The tremor response to BM-5 was bell-shaped, the peak dose being around 2 mg/kg. In contrast, the salivary response increased with increasing doses of BM-5. The apparent muscarinic antagonist properties of higher doses of BM-5 were specific to the striatum in which BM-5 (0.05-10 mg/kg) caused significant decreases in the level of acetylcholine while these levels were unaltered in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and brainstem. Pretreatment of rats with BM-5 (5 mg/kg) also prevented the increase in striatal acetylcholine induced by oxotremorine (0.75 mg/kg). Chronic treatment of mice with BM-5 (0.2-2 mg/kg) for 14 days also showed that BM-5 at higher doses, behaved as an antagonist, since it caused supersensitivity to oxotremorine on the tremor response. In addition, the number of receptor sites, as measured by binding of 3H-3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (3H-3-QNB), was increased in the striatum while no similar increase was observed in other brain areas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetylcholine↗

Neuropeptide Y receptor in the rat brain.

The specific binding of the chloramine-T iodinated neuropeptide Y (125I-NPY) to membranes from rat cerebral cortex was investigated using equilibrium binding and kinetic methods. The equilibrium binding of 125I-NPY at 37 degrees C was characterized by a Kd value of 0.38 nM. The receptor densities in the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and cerebellum were 0.45 pmol/mg, 0.47 pmol/mg and 0.04 pmol/mg protein respectively. The binding site for 125I-NPY was sensitive to treatment with proteolytic enzymes and thiol reagents. The binding showed a sharp optimum at pH 7-7.7 and was inhibited by increasing concentrations of Mg2+.

Animals↗

Regulation of neuropeptide Y (NPY) binding by guanine nucleotides in the rat cerebral cortex.

In the presence of GTP, GDP, GMPP(NH)P, GMPP(CH2)P, GMPP(S)P but not in the presence of GMP, cGMP or ATP, the high affinity binding of neuropeptide Y (NPY) was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. GTP (0.1 mM) diminished the maximal binding capacity for 125I-labelled NPY by 40% without any change in the equilibrium dissociation constant of the receptor 125I-labelled NPY complex.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

Orthovanadate induces loss of muscarinic cholinergic binding sites.

In homogenates of corpus striatum from rats, incubated in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (2 mM) (45 min, 37 degrees C), a loss (approx. 50%) of muscarinic cholinergic binding sites could be detected using a 3H-3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate (3H-3-QNB) binding assay. We found that only vanadium-contaminated ATP induced loss of muscarinic binding sites. Orthovanadate (1 mM) alone in the absence of ATP induced loss (approx. 60%) of binding sites just as "vanadium-ATP" did.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Postmortem changes in binding to the muscarinic receptor from human cerebral cortex.

The effects of storage at 4 degrees C on the antagonist and agonist binding properties of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor from fresh surgical and frozen autopsy samples from human cerebral cortex were studied. The number of L-[3H]3-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites and their affinities were stable up to 51 h, both when stored as pieces of intact nonfrozen tissue and as a homogenate. The agonist binding properties as measured by the ability of the muscarinic agonist carbachol to compete with L-[3H]3-quinuclidinyl benzilate were also stable up to 51 h when the tissue was stored in the form of pieces. The affinity for carbachol decreased when the tissue was stored as a homogenate. The frozen autopsy samples showed no significant differences in binding properties in comparison with fresh neurosurgical tissue.

Aged↗

Presynaptic antagonist-postsynaptic agonist at muscarinic cholinergic synapses. N-methyl-N-(1-methyl-4-pyrrolidino-2-butynyl)acetamide.

A muscarinic cholinergic ligand, N-methyl-N-(1-methyl-4-pyrrolidino-2-butynyl)-acetamide (Compound BM-5), was shown to act simultaneously as a presynaptic antagonist and as a postsynaptic agonist at peripheral and central muscarinic synapses. In the presence of eserine it enhanced release of [3H]acetylcholine evoked by electrical stimulation in the guinea pig ileum longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparation. It also enhanced the release of [3H]acetylcholine evoked by potassium (25 mM) from rat hippocampal slices. It contracted the ileum and stimulated the synthesis of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate in rat hippocampal slices and in human lymphocytes in a manner similar to the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine. This effect of BM-5 could be blocked by atropine.

Acetylcholine↗

Pre- and postsynaptic muscarinic receptors in surgical samples from human cerebral cortex.

The present study was carried out using fresh surgical material from human cerebral cortex of patients who were not medicated with atropine or other drugs known to affect the cholinergic system. The concentration of [3H]L-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites was 0.45 /+- 0.05 pmol/mg protein and the Kd-value of the receptor-[3H]L-QNB-complex was 0.038 /+- 0.005 nM. Agonist binding was studied by varying the concentration of carbamylcholine (10(-8) to 10(-2) M) in the presence of a constant concentration (0.2nM) of [3H]L-quinuclidinyl benzilate. The data revealed the existence of two populations of binding sites for carbamylcholine with different affinities and capacities. Presynaptic muscarinic receptors were studied in slices of the cerebral cortex, which were loaded with [3H]choline. The muscarinic antagonist, atropine (10(-6) and 10(-7) M) acting at the presynaptic muscarinic receptors enhanced the release of [3H] acetylcholine. It was also shown that muscarinic stimulation leads to elevation of cyclic GMP levels in the human cerebral cortical slices.

Acetylcholine↗