Biomedical subjects

R R Reinhardt

Publications and source records attributed to R R Reinhardt.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

Insulin-like growth factors cross the blood-brain barrier.

Although evidence exists that insulin may cross the blood-brain barrier, little is known about the ability of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and -II) to cross this barrier. In the present studies, equimolar concentrations of equal specific activity 125I-labeled IGF-I, IGF-II, or insulin were infused into the carotid artery of anesthetized adult rats. The perfusions were carried out for 3 min in the presence or absence of excess unlabeled ligand or insulin, with three or more animals in each group. Immediately after the perfusion, brains were frozen and sectioned for autoradiography. All ligands were detected in choroid plexus, median eminence, and blood vessels, but [125I]IGF-I and -II were also prominently localized in brain parenchyma. Densitometric analysis of film autoradiographs (28-day exposure for all ligands) revealed that radiolabeled IGFs, especially IGF-I, were significantly more abundant throughout the forebrain than [125I]insulin, especially in the paraventricular nucleus, where [125I]IGF-I was 10-fold and [125I]IGF-II was 5-fold more abundant than [125I]insulin. The difference in [125I]IGF-I vs. [125I]insulin accumulation was confirmed by parallel measurements of radioactivity in anatomically matched brain sections using a gamma-spectrometer. The uptake of radiolabeled IGF-I, IGF-II, and insulin by brain parenchyma and vasculature was completely inhibited by excess (1,000-fold) unlabeled ligand; however, insulin (10,000-fold excess) did not completely abolish [125I]IGF-I and -II accumulation. Microscopic evaluation of nuclear emulsion-coated brain sections revealed that radioactivity associated with [125I]IGF-I and -II perfusions was selectively concentrated in capillaries and medium-sized parenchymal cells in the paraventricular nucleus and, to a lesser extent, the supraoptic nucleus and anterior nucleus of the thalamus, whereas in other brain regions the radioligands were mostly bound to capillaries. These results suggest that radiolabeled IGF-I and -II bind to brain capillaries and cross the blood-brain barrier into brain parenchyma more readily than radiolabeled insulin.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Adenosine inhibits choline kinase activity and decreases the phosphorylation of choline in striatal synaptosomes.

The main objective of these studies was to determine whether adenosine inhibits choline kinase in rat striata, leading to a decreased incorporation of choline into phosphorylcholine, a mechanism that may mediate seizure-induced increases in the levels of free choline in brain. Incubation of particulate and soluble fractions of striatal synaptosomes with adenosine or its metabolically stable analogues significantly inhibited enzyme activity. The inhibition was noncompetitive versus choline and competitive versus MgATP. Inhibitor constants for adenosine, 2-chloroadenosine, and 2',5'-dideoxyadenosine at the MgATP site were 94, 49, and 207 microM, respectively; these values were less than the Michaelis constant for MgATP (340 microM). To determine whether adenosine altered the phosphorylation of choline in an intact preparation, synaptosomes were incubated with [3H]choline in the presence or absence of adenosine or its analogues and the amount of [3H]-phosphorylcholine formed from the [3H]choline taken up was measured. All compounds tested significantly reduced the synthesis of [3H]phosphorylcholine. Results suggest that following seizures or hypoxia, when levels of adenosine increase and the concentration of ATP decreases, inhibition of choline phosphorylation may be manifest, resulting in increased levels of free choline in brain.

2-Chloroadenosine↗

PubMed1985

Cardiac cholinergic muscarinic receptors: changes in multiple affinity forms with down-regulation.

The isolated working rat heart exhibits dynamic changes in the cholinergic muscarinic receptor in response to perfusion with the acetylcholine congener methacholine. For example, perfusion with 4 microM methacholine for 2.5 hr mediates a statistically significant and reversible 10 to 15% decrease in receptor content in right atrium and left atrium and ventricle. The muscarinic receptor exhibits a single affinity state for antagonists but multiple affinity states for receptor agonists. When agonist 3H-antagonist competition experiments are performed, the concentration dependence of displacement by agonists is flattened and extends over more than 2 log units. From such curves, it is difficult to extract values for the relative proportions of the multiple receptors or their KD values by inspection. We have developed a procedure for plotting the competition curves so that the KD values and proportion of multiple receptor forms can be estimated graphically. We determined these more accurately by computer using a nonlinear least-squares analysis. After perfusion of methacholine for 1 hr, there were increases in the KD of the low and high affinity forms of the receptor in the right and left atria. After 2.5 hr of perfusion, the KD of the high-affinity form increased further in the left atrium. In the right atrium, the two affinity states were converted into a single state of low affinity. Although there was a significant decrease in the amount of receptor in left ventricle, there were no changes in the KD values or proportions of the two states. All changes in receptor reversed during an additional 2.5 hr of perfusion without methacholine.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Kinetic mechanism of choline kinase from rat striata.

The kinetic mechanism of choline kinase associated with both the cytosolic and membrane fractions of synaptosomes isolated from rat striata was studied. The velocity of choline kinase was measured using various concentrations of MgATP at several concentrations of uncomplexed Mg2+ and a single concentration of choline. This experiment was repeated using different concentrations of choline. Analysis of these data according to a terreactant mechanism indicates that MgATP binds in rapid equilibrium prior to Mg2+, but the binding of MgATP and choline is random. Product inhibition by phosphorylcholine was noncompetitive versus both choline and MgATP. Hemicholinium-3 (HC-3), an analog of choline and competitive inhibitor of the sodium-dependent high affinity choline transport system, was noncompetitive versus choline and uncompetitive versus MgATP at high levels of Mg2+. However, when the concentration of Mg2+ was decreased below the KMg2 +, HC-3 was noncompetitive versus MgATP. Thiocholine, another analog of choline, gave slope-linear intercept hyperbolic inhibition versus choline. Mg-5'-adenylyl imidodiphosphate, an analog of MgATP, was competitive versus MgATP and noncompetitive versus choline. Virtually identical results were obtained using either soluble or particulate forms of choline kinase from rat striata. All data are consistent with the mechanism suggested by initial velocity studies alone and additionally suggest that the release of MgADP is slow, occurs last, and may limit the overall rate of the reaction.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1983

Evidence for membrane-associated choline kinase activity in rat striatum.

The distribution of choline kinase (EC 2.7.1.32) activity was investigated in subcellular fractions of rat striatum. Enzyme activity in the crude mitochondrial fraction, determined after dissolution in Triton X-100, was 5.90 mumol/g initial wet weight/h. When a crude mitochondrial preparation was hypoosmotically shocked and fractionated, followed by the addition of Triton X-100, choline kinase activity in the soluble and particulate fractions was 4.58 and 1.40 mumol/g initial wet weight/h, respectively. Enzyme activity in the particulate fraction was not detected in the absence of Triton X-100 or in the presence of NaCl (up to 1.5 M). Subcellular enzyme markers indicated that the membrane-associated activity was not attributable to mitochondrial or microsomal contamination. Kinetic analysis of the activity of soluble and membrane-solubilized choline kinase indicated Km values of 0.74 mM and 0.68 mM, respectively. Results indicate that choline kinase activity may be measured in both the soluble and the particulate fractions of rat striatum, the latter most likely involving enzyme associated with membrane through hydrophobic or covalent interactions. The specific function of the membrane-associated enzyme has not yet been determined.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1983

Methacholine-induced decrease in the cholinergic muscarinic receptor content in the perfused working rat heart.

The regulation of the muscarinic receptor by the agonist methacholine was investigated in the perfused working rat heart. After 2.5 hr of perfusion with 4 microM methacholine, the number of (-)-[3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites was significantly reduced (10-18%) in the right and left atria and left ventricle when compared with controls (2.5 hr of perfusion in the absence of methacholine). Scatchard analysis revealed that there was no change in the apparent dissociation constant for quinuclidinyl benzilate. Furthermore, when hearts were perfused for 2.5 hr with methacholine in the presence of (-)-scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, no significant loss of receptor was observed. After perfusing with methacholine for 2.5 hr followed by 2.5 hr in the absence of agonist, the number of quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites returned to control levels. These results suggest that agonist-induced receptor decreases or down regulation requires receptor activation and not just simple receptor occupancy. This decrease, moreover, is reversible. The perfused working rat heart represents a physiological system in which the mechanisms of muscarinic receptor regulation can be studied.

Animals↗