PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Simmet

Publications and source records attributed to T Simmet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Effects of cyclooxygenase inhibitors on ex vivo cysteinyl-leukotriene production by whole human blood allowed to clot spontaneously. Comparison to stimulated blood.

In ex vivo experiments we have investigated the effects of single oral administrations of aspirin (100 or 1000 mg) or ibuprofen (200 or 1200 mg) on the formation of immunoreactive thromboxane (TX) B2 and cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) by whole human blood in vitro. Whole human blood was allowed to clot spontaneously and in addition, in the presence of the chemotactic tripeptide f-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP, 1 microM), or the non-physiological ionophore A 23187 (10 microM). Oral pretreatment with aspirin or ibuprofen led to dose-dependent inhibition of the TXB2 production in the presence of any of the stimuli used. After drug pretreatment the cysteinyl-LT production was not significantly enhanced in blood stimulated with FMLP or allowed to clot spontaneously as compared to values prior to oral drug administration. However, pronounced inhibition of the cyclooxygenase pathway was accompanied by an enhanced cysteinyl-LT formation when ionophore A 23187 was used as a stimulus. This could also be shown in experiments where the cyclooxygenase inhibitors were added in vitro. The higher oral dose of aspirin reduced the ex vivo cysteinyl-LT production in spontaneously clotting blood. By reverse phase HPLC immunoreactive cysteinyl-LT were characterized as a mixture of LTD4 and LTE4 as well as small amounts of LTC4. The data show that in the presence of therapeutic cyclooxygenase inhibitors no enhanced formation of cysteinyl-LT occurs in human blood in vitro after physiological stimuli such as contact activation of the clotting cascade or FMLP.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Release of endothelin in the oleic acid-induced respiratory distress syndrome in rats.

Rats injected intravenously with oleic acid developed pulmonary edema leading to hypoxia and hypercarbia. These changes were accompanied by an increase in immunoreactive endothelin (ir-ET) in plasma as early as 15 min after injection. At 45 min after injection plasma levels peaked at 114 +/- 19 pg/ml plasma (n = 8) and reached basal levels again after 240 min. In contrast, much larger amounts of ir-ET were found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, with a peak at 120 min (2878 +/- 258 pg/lung, n = 7) preceding the maximum hypoxia observed at 180 min. In both plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples ir-ET was characterized by reverse-phase HPLC as a mixture consisting mainly of ET-1 and smaller amounts of big ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3. In light of the biological effects of ET, the data suggest that these peptides might be of pathophysiological significance in this model of adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Effect of 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), NG-nitro-L-arginine (NNA) and NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA) on isolated anaphylactic guinea-pig hearts.

In isolated perfused ovalbumin-sensitized guinea-pig hearts modulating effects of nitric oxide (NO) on cardiac function and eicosanoid release were investigated. While the NO-donor SIN-1 exhibited a protective effect during cardiac anaphylaxis, inhibition of NO biosynthesis by NNA or NMMA aggravated anaphylactic changes of cardiac functions. Exogenous and endogenous NO seems to functionally antagonize the effects of vasoconstrictor mediators released during the anaphylactic reaction. In addition, inhibition of cysteinyl-leukotriene (cys-LT) release could contribute to the protective effect of SIN-1 observed.

Anaphylaxis↗
PubMed1992

Release of eicosanoids and endothelin in an experimental model of adult respiratory distress syndrome.

In an experimental model of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) we have investigated the release of several vasoactive mediators since the rapid and severe increase in pulmonary arterial pressure is known to be a key feature in this condition. Intravenous injection of oleic acid (OA) into rats resulted in the development of a syndrome similar to ARDS characterized by severe hypoxia. As early as 15 min after OA injection elevated levels of 11-deoxy-15-keto-13,14-dihydro-11,16-cyclo-prostaglandin (PG) E2 (DKH2-cyclo-PGE2) as an indicator of endogenous PGE2 formation could be observed. Similarly, elevated levels of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT), determined as immunoreactive (ir) LTE4, and ir-endothelin (ET) could be detected. These mediators were found to be elevated in plasma samples for at least 3 h. In addition, rather large amounts of ir-ET could be detected in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples between 1 h and 3 h. Thus, it seems possible that cysteinyl-LT and peptides of the ET family, both known for their vasoactivity, might be involved in the pathophysiological process of ARDS.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Effect of 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) and NG-nitro-L-arginine (NNA) on isolated perfused anaphylactic guinea-pig hearts.

The modulating effects of exogenous and endogenous nitric oxide (NO) on the cardiac anaphylactic reaction and eicosanoid release were investigated in isolated perfused sensitized guinea-pig hearts using 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), the active metabolite of molsidomine, as NO-donor and NG-nitro-L-arginine (NNA) as an inhibitor of NO biosynthesis. Infusion of SIN-1 (final concentrations in the perfusates 0.3 or 1.0 mmol/l) elevated coronary flow under basal conditions as well as during cardiac anaphylaxis, while NNA (0.1 mmol/l) decreased basal coronary flow and aggravated the anaphylactic coronary constriction. Both drugs did not modify the characteristic biphasic profile of the coronary constriction after antigen challenge with an initial more severe phase followed by a less pronounced long-lasting flow reduction. Neither SIN-1 nor NNA affected spontaneous heart rate. However, while NNA tended to prolong the duration of antigen-induced arrhythmias, SIN-1 (1 mmol/l) had an inhibitory effect. This protection might be related to the increased coronary flow in the presence of SIN-1. SIN-1 inhibited anaphylactic release of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) and 6-keto-prostaglandin (PG) F1 alpha, but did not influence thromboxane (TX) B2 release. On the other hand, NNA (0.1 mmol/l) inhibited anaphylactic release of TXB2, but had only marginal effects on the release of cysteinyl-LT and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. The results suggest that exogenous and endogenous NO functionally antagonize the effects of vasoconstrictor mediators released after antigen challenge. Additional effects of high concentrations of SIN-1 and NNA on antigen-induced eicosanoid release could modulate the vascular actions of these drugs during cardiac anaphylaxis.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1992

Effect of prostaglandin E2 and 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) on arachidonic acid metabolism in fMLP-stimulated rat neutrophils and on thrombin-induced human platelet aggregation.

The effects of prostaglandin (PG) E2 and the nitric oxide (NO) donor SIN-1 on leukotriene (LT) release from formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) (100 nM)-stimulated rat peritoneal neutrophils (RPN) and on thrombin-induced aggregation of washed human platelets were investigated. Both PGE2 (1-100 nM) and SIN-1 (30-300 microM) inhibited release of LTB4 and cysteinyl-LT from RPN in a concentration-dependent manner. The combined effects of PGE2 and SIN-1 were not greater than expected by summation. On the other hand, the inhibitory effect of SIN-1 (0.5 or 1.0 microM) on platelet aggregation was potentiated by PGE2 (0.3-5 microM) in a concentration-dependent manner, while PGE2 alone in the concentrations used had only marginal effects. The results suggest differential regulation of platelet and leukocyte functions by the mediators PGE2 and NO, which could be relevant for various physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Immunoreactive leukotriene C4 levels in CSF of MS patients.

Using a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay levels of leukotriene (LT)C4-like material were estimated in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in comparison to control patients with or without inflammatory processes in the central nervous system (CNS). Levels of LTC4-like material were significantly elevated (p less than 0.01) in CSF from patients with inflammatory diseases such as meningitis, polyradiculitis or meningoencephalitis (57 +/- 53 pg/ml, n = 16) as compared to those from control patients without inflammatory or immunological CNS diseases (21 +/- 16 pg/ml, n = 42). By contrast, LTC4-like material was 16 +/- 7 pg/ml in first manifestations of MS (n = 7). 21 +/- 16 pg/ml in remitting-relapsing MS (n = 15) and 10 +/- 6 pg/ml in chronic progressive MS (n = 8). These results argue against a significant pathophysiological role of cysteinyl-LT in MS.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Thromboxane and cysteinyl-leukotriene formation are differentially activated in spontaneously clotting whole human blood in vitro.

We have previously demonstrated that clotting of whole human blood in vitro not only triggers the production of thromboxane (TX) B2 but is also accompanied by formation of 5-lipoxygenase-derived cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT). In order to further characterize the mechanisms leading to activation of the cysteinyl-LT production, we have now investigated the effects of thrombin on cysteinyl-LT as well as TXB2 formation in whole human blood. Addition of exogenous human alpha-thrombin (0.1 - 3.0 U/ml) to whole human blood incubated in vitro led to a concentration- and time-dependently increased release of TXB2 into the serum samples. The serum contents of cysteinyl-LT were, however, not significantly affected. Inactivation of endogenously generated thrombin by inhibitors such as recombinant hirudin (HBW 023, 0.43 - 1.43 microM) or the peptidyl chloromethyl ketone, D-Phe-Pro-Arg-CH2Cl (1.0 - 100 microM) concentration- and time-dependently inhibited the release of TXB2 into the serum or plasma samples. In contrast, however, serum contents of cysteinyl-LT remained unchanged. The identity of immunoreactive material was confirmed by thin-layer chromatography of immunoreactive TXB2 and by reversed phase HPLC of immunoreactive cysteinyl-LT. As expected, washed human platelets stimulated with alpha-thrombin were identified as the major source of TXB2 generation but purified monocytes were also found to release some TXB2 upon alpha-thrombin stimulation. Release of TXB2 by isolated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was negligible in the presence of this stimulus. None of the cells which are known to possess 5-lipoxygenase activity such as PMN or monocytes did release neither cysteinyl-LT nor LTB4 upon stimulation with human alpha-thrombin up to 10 U/ml. These data demonstrate that TXB2 production and cysteinyl-LT formation are differentially activated in spontaneously clotting whole human blood in vitro, the former being dependent on endogenously generated thrombin the latter being dependent on a stimulus yet to be identified.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

On the relation between cerebral cysteinyl-leukotriene formation and epileptic seizures.

In gerbils pentylenetetrazole- or handling-induced seizures were accompanied by cerebral formation of small amounts of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) but large amounts of prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha. By contrast, in rats injected with pentylenetetrazole or bicuculline very large amounts of PGF2 alpha but no cysteinyl-LT could be detected in the brain tissues. The data indicate that at least in rats the extensive neuronal activity during tonic-clonic convulsions is not necessarily sufficient for the activation of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway. Apparently important species differences do exist.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Effect of platelet-activating factor on porcine pulmonary blood vessels in vitro.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) induced contractions of porcine pulmonary vein strips in a concentration-dependent manner, while porcine pulmonary artery strips were unresponsive. Exposure to the specific PAF-antagonists WEB 2086 or BN 52021 antagonized the contractile responses of pulmonary vein strips. Cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) and thromboxane (TX) B2 were not detected in the bath fluid after stimulation with PAF suggesting that these eicosanoids as well as their precursors are not mediators of PAF-induced contractions of porcine pulmonary vein strips. Furthermore, PAF had no significant effect on 6-keto-prostaglandin (PG) F1a release and flurbiprofen did not affect the PAF response, while it inhibited the release of 6-keto-PGF1a. This indicates that PGI2 or any other cyclooxygenase product is unlikely to modulate or mediate the PAF response. Incubation experiments with fragments of pulmonary vascular tissues demonstrated spontaneous release of small amounts of cysteinyl-LT, TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1a, which was significantly increased during incubation in the presence of ionophore A23187. While these results demonstrate the synthesizing capacity of the porcine pulmonary vascular tissues for various eicosanoids, PAF failed to stimulate eicosanoid release under these experimental conditions. We conclude that PAF causes contractions of porcine pulmonary vein strips, which are not mediated by cysteinyl-LT or cyclooxygenase products of arachidonate metabolism. The specific contractile effect of PAF on pulmonary veins, but not arteries, could contribute to the disturbances of the pulmonary circulation observed after injection of PAF or release of endogenous PAF, e.g. after administration of endotoxin.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1991

Effect of carbenoxolone on the biological activity of nitric oxide: relation to gastroprotection.

1. The interactions between carbenoxolone and nitric oxide (NO) were examined by investigating their effects on human platelet aggregation, on rat aortic strips precontracted by phenylephrine and on protection of rat gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced injury. 2. Carbenoxolone (100-300 microM) caused a significant and concentration-dependent potentiation of rat peritoneal neutrophil (RPN)- 3-morpholino-syndnonimine (SIN-1)- or iloprost-induced inhibition of platelet aggregation. Higher concentrations (500 microM) of carbenoxolone alone markedly inhibited platelet aggregation. Pretreatment with carbenoxolone (100-300 microM) antagonized the reversal of the RPN- or SIN-1-induced antiaggregatory effect by oxyhaemoglobin (10 microM). 3. Rat aortic strips with intact endothelium precontracted by phenylephrine (0.1-0.3 microM) were relaxed by carbenoxolone (100-300 microM) in a concentration-dependent manner. Relaxations were abolished by mechanical removal of the endothelium or by incubation with methylene blue (10 microM) or NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 100 microM). Sodium nitroprusside (10 nM)-induced relaxations of endothelium-denuded rat aortic strips were potentiated by carbenoxolone (100 microM). . The carbenoxolone (200 mg kg-1, p.o.)-induced gastroprotection against ethanol was antagonized by L-NNA (5-40 mg kg-1) in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment of rats with indomethacin (10 mg kg-1, s.c.) increased the effect of L-NNA. 5. The results suggest that the activity of carbenoxolone in the experimental systems tested is due to phosphodiesterase inhibition, although radical scavenging properties of the drug could contribute to some of the effects observed. In the rat gastric mucosa both increased prostaglandin levels and effects on the NO system could contribute to the protective action of carbenoxolone.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Cysteinyl-leukotriene production during limbic seizures triggered by kainic acid.

In rats kainic acid-induced seizures were accompanied by time-dependent cerebral cysteinyl-leukotriene (LT) and prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha formation. Cysteinyl-LT were identified in the rat brain tissue extracts by their immunoreactive properties and their retention times upon reversed phase HPLC profiling. In perfused blood-free brain tissue contents of LTC4-like material were significantly elevated in cortex, hippocampus, midbrain and hypothalamus at 3 h after kainic acid injection. PGF2 alpha tissue contents were significantly elevated in all brain areas studied with very large amounts in the hippocampus and smaller amounts in the cortex. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin significantly inhibited formation of PGF2 alpha in whole brain tissue while leaving unaffected the production of cysteinyl-LT. A dose of indomethacin which nearly completely inhibited cyclooxygenase activity as monitored by cerebral PGF2 alpha contents also tended to aggravate behavioral changes and significantly increased the mortality. Phenidone, a lipoxygenase inhibitor, significantly and dose-dependently inhibited formation of cysteinyl-LT but did not significantly affect PGF2 alpha formation. Seizure activity tended to be attenuated by a higher dose of this compound. Dexamethasone which supposedly inhibits phospholipase A2 activity by induction of lipocortins, did not significantly reduce either cysteinyl-LT or PGF2 alpha biosynthesis. Flunarizine, trifluoperazine and diazepines protected a certain percentage of animals from kainic acid-induced seizures. In rats in which seizures occurred in spite of pretreatment with these compounds, the eicosanoid formation was not inhibited but in the case of flunarizine was even found to be somewhat enhanced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Identification and characterization of cysteinyl-leukotriene formation in tissue slices from human intracranial tumors: evidence for their biosynthesis under in vivo conditions.

In previous studies, it had been shown that human gray and white matter tissue slices have the capacity to synthesize large amounts of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (cysteinyl-LT) in vitro. This study was initiated to investigate cysteinyl-LT formation by tissue slices from intracranial tumors in comparison with cyclooxygenase products such as prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha and thromboxane (TX) B2. Tissue slices from meningiomas and astrocytomas were found to release large amounts of cysteinyl-LT spontaneously and even higher amounts after ionophore A 23187 stimulation, which could not be accounted for by blood possibly remaining in the tissue slices. Cysteinyl-LT were identified by their immunoreactive characteristics, their biological activity in the guinea pig ileum bioassay, and their retention time on reversed-phase HPLC. With increasing malignancy, astrocytomas were shown to have an increasing biosynthetic capacity for cysteinyl-LT and TXB2 in vitro. In comparison with meningioma patients, malignant astrocytoma patients had an enhanced urinary excretion of LTE4, the major urinary metabolite of cysteinyl-LT in humans, which dropped in level within 7 days after operation by 79%. A correlation exists between the in vivo cysteinyl-LT production in patients with malignant astrocytomas and that observed under basal conditions in the tissue slices in vitro. The results provide evidence that in malignant astrocytoma patients, the tumor tissue produces large amounts of cysteinyl-LT, which may be detected in the patients' urine.

Astrocytoma↗
PubMed1990

Characterization of cysteinyl-leukotriene formation in primary astroglial cell cultures.

The formation and composition of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) in primary astroglial cell cultures prepared from newborn rat brain has been studied. Small amounts of cysteinyl-LT determined in terms of LTC4-like material in the supernatants of the cultures, became detectable after stimulation of the cells with 10(-5) M ionophore A23187. Cysteinyl-LT formation increased with time, reaching about 600 pg (mg protein)-1 after 60 min incubation. In contrast, considerable thromboxane (TX) B2 synthesis was found at 5 min following A23187-stimulation (about 30 ng TXB2 (mg protein)-1). The synthesis of cysteinyl-LT was abolished by 5 x 10(-5) M nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). Irrespective of the duration of incubation, blockage of prostanoid synthesis by 10(-6) M indomethacin did not result in increased cysteinyl-LT production. Reversed phase HPLC combined with radioimmunological detection showed that, after 60 min incubation in the presence of A23187, LTC4 and LTD4 accounted for practically all the LTC4-like immunoreactive material in the supernatants of cell cultures. No significant amounts of LTE4 could be detected. The results show that astrocytes may contribute to brain LTC4 and LTD4 synthesis. However, the cellular site of cerebral LTE4 formation seems to be other than the astroglia.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Clotting of whole human blood induces cysteinyl-leukotriene formation.

Using radioimmunoassay techniques we studied the formation of the 5-lipoxygenase-derived cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) in comparison to the cyclooxygenase product thromboxane (TX) B2 in whole human blood allowed to clot at 37 degrees C in vitro. Spontaneous clotting resulted in a time-dependent release of smaller amounts of cysteinyl-LT as well as release of large amounts of TXB2 into the serum. Cysteinyl-LT were characterized by their immunoreactive behaviour and their biological activity in the guinea pig ileum bioassay, an effect which could be antagonized by the SRS-A antagonist FPL 55712 (0.38 microM). By reversed phase HPLC cysteinyl-LT in the serum were identified as a mixture of LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4. At 90 and 120 min part of the immunoreactive material consisted of the omega-oxidized metabolite 20-OH-LTE4. Almost complete inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity by indomethacin (2.8 microM) did not affect cysteinyl-LT formation by clotting whole human blood in vitro nor did activation of platelets by compounds such as the TX mimetic U 46619 (10 microM), platelet-activating factor (PAF, 1 microM) or thrombin (3 IU/ml). In contrast, the lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA, 10 microM), the Ca2+-chelating anticoagulants trisodium citrate (10 microM) and edetate disodium (EDTA, 5.4 mM) as well as the functionally unrelated heparin (20 IU/ml) significantly inhibited the formation of cysteinyl-LT as well as of TXB2. Thus, an event related to the process of clotting of whole human blood appears to be able to induce cysteinyl-LT formation in amounts which might be functionally relevant during thromboembolic events.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

H1-antihistamines and calmodulin antagonists inhibit the ionophore A23187-induced eicosanoid formation by human leukocytes.

The effects of the H1-antihistamines astemizole, oxatomide and pyrilamine, of the calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine and N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7), on the ionophore A23187 (5 mumol/l)-induced release of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) and thromboxane (TX) B2 from mixed human leukocytes were investigated in comparison to those of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin and the lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). In contrast to pyrilamine both astemizole and oxatomide inhibited the release of cysteinyl-LT and TXB2 with IC50 values between 4 and 23 mumol/l. Both astemizole and oxatomide were about twice as effective in inhibiting cysteinyl-LT release as compared to TXB2 release. Similar to astemizole and oxatomide the calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine and W-7 inhibited the eicosanoid release. W-7 was, however, clearly less effective and in contrast to trifluoperazine no difference was observed in its potency to inhibit cysteinyl-LT or TXB2 release. The H1-antihistamines, astemizole and oxatomide as well as the calmodulin antagonists did not cause intracellular retention of the eicosanoids tested. The reference compounds indomethacin and NDGA proved to be the most potent inhibitors. The results demonstrate that the therapeutic antihistamines astemizole and oxatomide as well as the classical calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine and W-7 are able to inhibit eicosanoid formation.

Astemizole↗