PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

O Manzoni

Publications and source records attributed to O Manzoni.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Both enantiomers of 1-aminocyclopentyl-1,3-dicarboxylate are full agonists of metabotropic glutamate receptors coupled to phospholipase C.

We tested the effects of two enantiomers of a glutamate analogue, (trans)-1-aminocyclopentyl-1,3-dicarboxylate (t-ACPD), in striatal and cerebellar neurons in primary culture, as well as in Xenopus oocytes injected with cerebellar rat RNA. In the presence of MK-801, to avoid N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation, and 3 microM tetrodotoxin, both enantiomers [(1R,3S)- and (1S,3R)-t-ACPD] stimulated inositol phosphate (InsP) formation both in striatal neurons after 9-11 days in vitro [EC50, 3.7 +/- 1.1 microM, three experiments, and 33 +/- 7.5 microM, three experiments; maximal stimulatory effects, 252 +/- 15%, 13 experiments, and 269 +/- 15% of basal InsP formation, 14 experiments, for (1R,3S)- and (1S,3R)-t-ACPD, respectively] and in cerebellar granule cells after 9-11 days in vitro [EC50, 50 +/- 18 microM, four experiments, and 307 +/- 92 microM, four experiments; maximal stimulatory effects, 401 +/- 71%, eight experiments, and 423 +/- 75% of basal InsP formation, eight experiments, for (1R,3S)- and (1S,3R)-t-ACPD, respectively]. These effects were not additive, indicating that both enantiomers acted at the same receptor molecule. When we monitored t-ACPD-induced increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) with fura-2 ratio-imaging, we found that both enantiomers could elicit similar increase in [Ca2+]i, in the presence of 1 microM MK-801 and 3 microM tetrodotoxin; these effects were also observed in the absence of external Ca2+. Moreover, in Xenopus oocytes injected with adult rat cerebellar RNA, both drugs elicited oscillatory increases of a Ca(2+)-dependent chloride conductance, with similar efficacy, with (1R,3S)-t-ACPD being the more potent isomer. These data are in contradiction to previous reports showing that, in "immature" cerebellar neurons and adult hippocampal slices, (1S,3R)-t-ACPD was either the only active enantiomer or a full agonist of metabotropic receptors, with (1R,3S)-t-ACPD being ineffective or a partial agonist. However, performing these experiments in immature (2-3 days in vitro) striatal or cerebellar neurons, we found that only (1S,3R)-t-ACPD was active in stimulating [Ca2+]i.

Animals↗

Establishment of a long-term primary culture of striatal neurons.

A new method of obtaining long-term primary cultures (lasting more than 8 weeks) of striatal neurons is described in this paper. The originality of the method consists of: (1) starting the culture for 3 days in a serum-free medium which allows attachment and neurite proliferation of neurons as well as the death of non-neuronal cells (mainly consisting of astrocytes); (2) introducing a limited amount of fetal calf serum (FCS) (2-5%) after 3 days in vitro (3 DIV), which likely provides optimal neuronal survival and attachment factors, and a limited amount of astrocyte proliferating factors. The period of introduction of serum, as well as the amount of serum introduced are critical factors. By phase contrast and transmission electron microscopy, we observed that neurons continued to develop neurite extensions, synaptic vesicles and synapse formations up to 50 DIV. Neuronal membranes, and synaptic contacts were particularly healthy up to 50 DIV. Interestingly, the number of astrocytes was constant between 30-50 DIV and limited to about 10%. We therefore obtained an equilibrium between neuronal and astrocyte differentiation and proliferation. It is likely that the small population of astrocytes, plus the low percentage of FCS added, provide essential factors for neuronal survival and differentiation, whereas a high density of differentiated neurons inhibited astrocyte cell proliferation. The clear-cut stability of these neuronal cultures goes in parallel with the stability of the pharmacological responses studied here: the coupling of carbachol and quisqualate receptors with the inositol phosphate production system. The culture method described here could be of particular interest to pursue biochemical, pharmacological and biological studies on neurons as well as on reciprocal interactions between neurons and astrocytes.

Animals↗

(trans)-1-amino-cyclopentyl-1,3-dicarboxylate stimulates quisqualate phosphoinositide-coupled receptors but not ionotropic glutamate receptors in striatal neurons and Xenopus oocytes.

The effects of a novel glutamate analogue, (trans)-1-amino-cyclopentyl-1,3-dicarboxylate (ACPD), have been tested in striatal neurons in primary culture and in Xenopus oocytes injected with rat brain RNA. Both systems have been previously shown to contain well characterized metabotropic receptors coupled to phospholipase C (Qp), as well as ionotropic glutamate receptors. In striatal neurons, ACPD stimulated inositol phosphate (InsP) accumulation (EC50 = 9.7 +/- 2.5 microM; maximal effect, 184.7 +/- 11.6% of basal accumulation). This effect of ACPD was likely to be mediated by Qp receptors, because maximal ACPD and quisqualate-induced InsP formation were not additive. In contrast, the effects of ACPD and norepinephrine on InsP formation were additive. ACPD-induced InsP formation was not antagonised by antagonists of muscarinic and alpha 1-adrenergic receptors (1 microM atropine and 0.1 microM prazosin, respectively). In Xenopus oocytes, ACPD and quisqualate induced an oscillatory increase of a Ca2(+)-dependent chloride conductance, which is characteristic of the activation of phospholipase C-coupled receptors in this model. The specificity of ACPD on Qp receptors was demonstrated by testing the effect of this drug on quisqualate/kainate as well as on N-methyl-D-aspartate ionotropic receptors. In striatal neurons, the activation of quisqualate/kainate and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors was tested by measurement of [3H]-gamma-aminobutyric acid release and by electrophysiological recordings using the patch-clamp technique. At concentrations as high as 1 mM, ACPD was inactive on these inotropic receptors, either as agonist or as antagonist. In conclusion, ACPD appeared to be a highly specific agonist of Qp receptors, with no activity on ionotropic glutamate receptors. It will be a useful drug to study the physiological properties of Qp receptors in vertebrate brains.

Amino Acids↗

The organization of prolactin-like-immunoreactive neurons in the rat central nervous system. Light- and electron-microscopic immunocytochemical studies.

The localization and distribution of prolactin-like-immunoreactive perikarya and nerve fibers in the rat central nervous system have been studied by a preembedding immunoperoxidase method using well-characterized specific immunsera to rat prolactin. Although the localization of labeled neuronal structures in a number of brain areas correlates with the data of previous immunocytochemical studies, we found prolactin-immunoreactive neurons in various regions not previously reported. In untreated animals, the highest concentrations of prolactin-fibers were observed: (i) in the external layers of the median eminence where they exhibited close contact with blood vessels, and (ii) in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and in the central nucleus of the amygdala where they closely surrounded unlabeled perikarya. Dense networks of finely varicose prolactin fibers were also observed in the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, in the subfornical organ, and in the dorsolateral regions of the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord. Lastly, a number of large, varicose, intensely immunoreactive fibers were found in the olfactory bulb, the cingulum, and the periventricular regions of the hypothalamus and central gray, whereas isolated fibers could be detected in the caudate nucleus and in the cerebral cortex. In animals treated with colchicine, prolactin-immunoreactive perikarya were essentially located within the periventricular and perifornical regions of the hypothalamus, and within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Although corticotropin (ACTH 17-39)-immunoreactive fibers could be detected in several regions found to contain prolactin fibers, the distribution and organization of both fiber types clearly differed in numerous brain regions, and the regions containing the corresponding perikarya did not overlap.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗