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Biomedical subjects

T F Murray

Publications and source records attributed to T F Murray.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Purinergic modulation of the seizure threshold for pentylenetetrazol in the rat.

The effects of various metabolically-stable analogs of adenosine on the threshold for seizures in rats was determined by measuring the dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), infused through a tail vein, required to elicit a myoclonic jerk. The adenosine receptor agonists, 2-chloroadenosine (2-ClAdo), cyclohexyladenosine (CHA) and L- and D-phenylisopropyladenosine (L- and D-PIA), all produced dose-dependent elevations of the seizure threshold for pentylenetetrazol in rats. L-Phenylisopropyl-adenosine was the most potent analog of adenosine tested with a dose as small as 5 micrograms/kg (i.v.) producing a 23% increase in seizure threshold for pentylenetetrazol. The rank order of the potency of adenosine agonists in increasing the seizure threshold was L-PIA greater than 2-ClAdo greater than CHA greater than D-PIA, with L-PIA being 79 times more potent than D-PIA. In contrast to these effects, the adenosine receptor antagonist, theophylline, elicited a proconvulsant effect in doses from 15 to 60 mg/kg (i.p.). The effect of theophylline in reducing seizure threshold for pentylenetetrazol peaked at 30 mg/kg, a dose which reduced the seizure threshold by approx. 27%. Support for the involvement of recognition sites for adenosine in the observed modulation of seizure threshold was provided by the antagonism of the elevation of the seizure threshold for pentylenetetrazol induced by 2-ClAdo, by pretreatment with theophylline (5 mg/kg, i.v.). These findings provide support for the idea that endogenous adenosine may function as a regulator of seizure susceptibility.

2-Chloroadenosine↗
PubMed1985

Stereoselective L-[3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate-binding sites in nervous tissue of Aplysia californica: evidence for muscarinic receptors.

The muscarinic antagonist L-[3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (L-[3H]QNB) binds with a high affinity (Kd = 0.77 nM) to a single population of specific sites (Bmax = 47 fmol/mg of protein) in nervous tissue of the gastropod mollusc, Aplysia. The specific L-[3H]QNB binding is displaced stereoselectively by the enantiomers of benzetimide, dexetimide, and levetimide. The pharmacologically active enantiomer, dexetimide, is more potent than levetimide as an inhibitor of L-[3H]QNB binding. Moreover, the muscarinic cholinergic ligands, scopolamine, atropine, oxotremorine, and pilocarpine are effective inhibitors of the specific L-[3H]QNB binding, whereas nicotinic receptor antagonists, decamethonium and d-tubocurarine, are considerably less effective. These pharmacological characteristics of the L-[3H]QNB-binding site provide evidence for classical muscarinic receptors in Aplysia nervous tissue. The physiological relevance of the dexetimide-displaceable L-[3H]QNB-binding site was supported by the demonstration of the sensitivity of the specific binding to thermal denaturation. Specific binding of L-[3H]QNB was also detected in nervous tissue of another marine gastropod, Pleurobranchaea californica. The characteristics of the Aplysia L-[3H]QNB-binding site are in accordance with studies of numerous vertebrate and invertebrate tissues indicating that the muscarinic cholinergic receptor site has been highly conserved through evolution.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Interaction of dextrorotatory opioids with phencyclidine recognition sites in rat brain membranes.

The potencies of several dextrorotatory opioids, including four pairs of enantiomers, as inhibitors of specific [3H]PCP binding to rat brain synaptic membranes has been determined. Of the compounds tested unlabeled phencyclidine (PCP) was the most potent followed by (-)-cyclazocine greater than dextrorphan greater than (+) ketamine greater than (+) cyclazocine greater than (+)- SKF10 ,047 greater than levorphanol greater than dextromethorphan greater than (-) SKF10 ,047 greater than (-)-ketamine greater than (+/-) pentazocine and greater than (+/-) ethylketocyclazocine. The opiate mu receptor ligands, morphine, naloxone and naltrexone were virtually inactive as competitors of specific [3H]PCP binding. Unlike the stereostructural requirements for opiate mu receptors where activity resides predominantly in the levorotatory enantiomers, the present results support the contention that binding to the [3H]PCP labeled recognition site may reside in either the levorotatory or the dextrorotatory enantiomer. The specific binding of [3H]PCP which was defined as total binding minus that occurring in the presence of 10 microM dextrorphan was found to be of a high affinity, saturable, reversible and sensitive to thermal degradation. These results suggest that certain dextrorotatory morphinan derivatives may prove to be useful probes in further investigations of the molecular characteristics of the [3H]PCP binding site in brain membrane preparations.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Aging: effects on beta-carboline binding in hippocampal subfields.

The CA1 and CA4/area dentata subfields of the hippocampus in young, mature and old rats were examined for age-related change in propyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (PrCC) binding. 3H-PrCC bound with high affinity (Kd = 0.82 nM) to one binding site when ethyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate was used to delineate specific binding. An age dependent change in the maximum number of 3H-PrCC binding sites in the CA1 and CA4/area dentate subfields of the hippocampus were assessed by using a saturating (6 nM) concentration of 3H-PrCC. Although 3H-PrCC specific binding at a saturating concentration (6 nM) was significantly less in both the CA1 and CA4/area dentata subfields of the senescent rat, the magnitude of the decrease was greater in the CA1 region. In addition, the affinity of the 3H-PrCC binding site in both subfields probably did not vary significantly with age. Therefore, the CA1 and CA4/area dentate of the rat hippocampus may not only lose BZ1 receptors or the BZ1 receptor conformation with age, but the severity of receptor or receptor conformation loss varies with the subfield.

Aging↗
PubMed1984

Human skeletal muscle fiber type adaptability to various workloads.

Muscle biopsy specimens were removed from the vastus lateralis muscles of three groups of human subjects: controls, weight lifters, and distance runners. The runners proved to be a unique group with respect to the variables measured (low body weight and percentage body fat, and high VO2 max). Additionally, a histochemical analysis of the biopsy specimens revealed that the runners had a significantly higher percentage of fiber types I and IIC than either the controls or the weight lifters. Using a cryostatic retrieval method, each of the fibers identified histochemically was then analyzed morphometrically using electron microscopy. The results of volume-percent mitochondria demonstrated a strong relationship between the ATPase activity and oxidative potential of the fiber types for all three groups such that the oxidative activity would be ranked I greater than IIA greater than IIB. Irrespective of fiber type, there were significant differences between the groups with regard to muscle-fiber mitochondrial (runners greater than lifters greater than controls) and lipid content (runners greater than controls greater than lifters). The lifters had a significantly greater content of mitochondria than the controls, which may suggest that inactivity rather than the lifting exercise contributes to a low volume-percent mitochondria and a high percentage of type IIB fibers.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1983

A comparison of the analgesic activities of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP) and 6-chloro-2[1-piperazinyl]pyrazine (MK 212).

Both the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) mimetic, THIP (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol and the serotonergic agonist, MK 212 (6-chloro-2[ 1-piperazinyl ]pyrazine) are effective analgesic agents in the mouse hot plate assay. Naltrexone, however, fails to reverse the analgesia elicited by either compound. Acute injection of THIP potentiates the morphine analgesia and chronic administration of THIP produces a functional tolerance to its analgesic effects. MK 212 antagonizes the analgesia induced by either morphine or THIP. These results support the postulate that GABAergic and serotonergic synapses represent two synaptic mechanisms which participate in the modulation of pain threshold in a manner that is independent from opioid receptors. Moreover, GABA and serotonin appear to be able to modulate opioid-mediated analgesia in an opposing manner with GABAergic mechanisms facilitating and serotonergic mechanisms inhibiting morphine-induced antinociception.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1983

[3H]-imipramine binding sites in fawn-hooded rats.

The existence of high-affinity [3H]-imipramine recognition sites was demonstrated in membranes prepared from the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and platelets obtained from fawn-hooded rats. The Bmax and Kd values for [3H]-imipramine binding to cerebral cortical membranes were virtually identical to those obtained with cortical membrane preparations of Sprague-Dawley rats. An NBR strain of rats, genetically related to fawn-hooded rats, was found to have significantly higher levels of [3H]-imipramine binding sites in cerebral cortical membranes when compared to fawn-hooded and Sprague-Dawley rats. All four strains of rats examined possessed extremely high densities of [3H]-imipramine binding sites in a purified platelet membrane fraction. These results do not support the finding of others that the cerebral cortex and platelets of fawn-hooded rats are virtually devoid of [3H]-imipramine binding sites.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Muscle fiber composition and blood ammonia levels after intense exercise in humans.

The relationship between fiber type composition and the increase in blood ammonia was examined following a maximal O2 consumption (VO2max) test. Muscle biopsies were taken from the middle portion of the vastus lateralis for determination of fiber type percentages. Two subject groups were selected on the basis of a high (HST) or low (LST) percentage of slow-twitch fibers and compared for blood ammonia and lactate levels after exercise at work loads of approximately 85 and 110% of VO2max. An inverse relationship was found between the percentage of slow-twitch fibers and the increase in blood ammonia. Blood ammonia increased after exercise at both 85 and 110% of VO2max. However, the increase was twofold greater for the LST group following the 110% work effort. The increases in blood ammonia and lactate were positively correlated for both groups following exercise. The results suggest that the proportion of slow-twitch fibers plays an important role in determining the magnitude of the increase in blood ammonia after intense exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Effect of a 42.2-km footrace and subsequent rest or exercise on muscle glycogen and enzymes.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of running a marathon and subsequent rest or exercise during a 7-day recovery period on muscle glycogen, glycogen synthase, hexokinase, and the activity of hexose monophosphate pathway enzymes. Ten well-trained runners were randomly assigned to either a postmarathon rest or exercise group. The rest group (n = 5) performed no physical activity, whereas the exercise group ran at their highest tolerable volitional intensity for 20-45 min during the recovery period. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the gastrocnemius before and after the marathon and 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after the marathon. Muscle glycogen was supercompensated before the marathon (196 mmol glucosyl units kg wet tissue wt-1, mmol X kg-1) and was reduced to 25 mmol X kg-1 after the marathon. Seven days later it was 141 and 109 mmol X kg-1 in the rest and exercise groups, respectively. Measurement of glycogen synthase activity ratio indicated an active enzyme only immediately postmarathon, whereas measurement of glycogen synthase fractional velocity and relative velocity indicated an active enzyme immediately postmarathon and 1 day postmarathon. Hexokinase activity was significantly elevated immediately after the marathon and remained elevated through 5 days postmarathon. The activities of the hexose monophosphate pathway enzymes declined steadily during the experimental period and were significantly reduced 5 and 7 days postmarathon. Low-intensity exercise during the recovery week did not significantly differentiate the exercise group from the rest group.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Neuronal location of N6-cyclohexyl[3H]adenosine binding sites in rat and guinea-pig brain.

N6-cyclohexyl[3H]adenosine, ([3H]CHA), was used to label adenosine A1 receptors in crude synaptic membranes prepared from rat and guinea pig brain. The density of [3H]CHA binding sites was highest in the rat hippocampus and cerebellum and in the guinea-pig hippocampus. A micro-dissection of coronal sections of guinea-pig hippocampus revealed that the specific binding capacity for [3H]CHA in area CA-1 was 20-30% higher than in area CA-3, dentate gyrus and subiculum. Selective neuronal lesions of serotonergic, noradrenergic and cholinergic afferents to the hippocampus failed to alter [3H]CHA binding to hippocampal membranes. These results suggest that [3H]CHA binding sites are not associated with axons or terminals of these neurones in the hippocampus. Intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid reduced the number of [3H]CHA recognition sites by 30% with no alteration in the affinity of [3H]CHA for these receptors. Thus, a significant portion of A1 receptors may be associated with intrinsic neurones of the hippocampus which do not appear to be innervated by noradrenergic, cholinergic or serotonergic axons.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1982

Inhibition of acetylcholine turnover rate in rat hippocampus and cortex by intraventricular injection of adenosine analogs.

The effects of i.c.v. administration of adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists on the turnover rate of acetylcholine (TRACh) in various areas of the rat brain were examined in an effort to better understand the role of adenosine as a neuromodulator or cotransmittr. TRACh was determined by gas chromatographic-mass fragmentographic analysis of the rate of deuterium incorporation into ACh and choline during a constant rate infusion of deuterated phosphorylcholine. The i.c.v. administration of the adenosine receptor agonist, 2-chloroadenosine (2-CIAdo), in a dose of 82 nmol failed to change the ACh or choline content of any of the brain areas examined. This dose of 2-CIAdo elicited significant reductions in the TRACh in both the hippocampus and frontal cortex, but not in the striatum. The extent of the TRACh reduction was 67 and 36% in hippocampus and cortex, respectively. This inhibition of TRACh elicited by 2-CIAdo was antagonized by pretreatment (i.c.v.) with theophylline (278 nmol), suggesting that an activation of adenosine receptors is operative in the action of 2-CIAdo. Further support for a participation of adenosine receptors in the action of 2-CIAdo was obtained by comparing the effects of the L- and D-isomers of phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA) on TRACh. The i.c.v. administration of L-PIA (65 nmol) elicited a 79% reduction in the TRACh in the hippocampus, whereas D-PIA (65 nmol i.c.v.) had no significant effect on hippocampal TRACh. This finding supports the view that these effects on TRACh may be mediated by adenosine A1 receptors, but not by A2 receptors, because the former, but not the latter, display marked stereoselectivity toward PIA. It also was demonstrated that intraseptal injections of L-PIA or theophylline failed to reduce the TRACh in the hippocampus, suggesting that adenosine receptors located in the septum are not operative in mediating the i.c.v. action of PIA.

2-Chloroadenosine↗
PubMed1981

The effect of phencyclidine on the turnover rate of acetylcholine in various regions of rat brain.

Although the mechanism of action of phencyclidine is poorly understood, an interaction of phencyclidine with central cholinergic systems has been proposed. To test this hypothesis directly, we investigated the effects of this compound on the turnover rate of acetylcholine (TRACh) in various areas of the rat brain. In doses of 14.3 to 114.4 mumol/kg (i.p.), phencyclidine increased the TRACh in the frontal cortex, parietal cortex and diencephalon when rats were sacrificed 30 min after drug treatment. In contrast, these doses of phencyclidine had no effect on the TRACh in the hippocampus or striatum. The increases in cortical and diencephalic TRACh were temporally correlated with the behavioral activity elicited by phencyclidine. A 7 day chronic treatment regimen (28.6 mumol/kd/day) provided no further evidence for tolerance development to the effects of phencyclidine on the TRACh in the frontal cortex or diencephalon. These results demonstrate that phencyclidine differentially affects cholinergic dynamics in various areas of the rat brain. The neurochemical profile of phencyclidine reported herein is similar to those previously described for central stimulants such as d-amphetamine, nomifensine and cocaine.

Acetylcholine↗