Histamine H3 receptor-mediated inhibition of noradrenaline release in pig retina discs

Summary Discs of pig retina were preincubated with ³H-noradrenaline, ³H-dopamine or ³H-serotonin and then superfused. Electrical field stimulation increased the outflow of tritium from discs preincubated with ³H-noradrenaline or ³H-dopamine, but no from discs preincubated with ³H-serotonin. The tritium content at the end of superfusion was similar in discs preincubated with ³H-noradrenaline or ³H-dopamine but about tenfold lower in discs preincubated with ³H-serotonin. The tritium content in discs preincubated with ³H-noradrenaline was markedly reduced when desipramine was present during preincubation but was not affected by selective inhibitors of dopamine and serotonin uptake. The tritium content in discs preincubated with 3Hdopamine and ³H-serotonin, in contrast, was reduced or tended to be reduced by a selective dopamine and serotonin uptake inhibitor, respectively.The electrically evoked overflow of tritium from discs preincubated with ³H-noradrenaline was abolished by tetrodotoxin or omission of Ca²⁺. In discs superfused with desipramine, the electrically evoked overflow was enhanced by phentolamine but not affected by histamine. When both desipramine and phentolamine were present in the superfusion medium, histamine inhibited the evoked overflow (pIC₁₅ 6.85). This effect was mimicked by the histamine H₃ receptor agonist R-(–)--methylhistamine as well as by its S-(+)-enantiomer (pIC₁₅ 7.85 and 5.30, respectively) but not by the H₁ receptor agonist 2-(2-thiazolyl)ethylamine and the H₂ receptor agonist dimaprit (each 10 mol/l). The inhibitory effect of histamine was abolished by the H₃ receptor antagonist thioperamide 0.32 mol/l and attenuated by impromidine 3.2 mol/l but not affected by the H₁ receptor antagonist dimetindene 3.2 mol/l and the H₂ receptor antagonist ranitidine 10 mol/l.The results suggest that, in the pig retina, noradrenaline is taken up into, and released from, noradrenergic neurones (most likely vascular postganglionic sympathetic nerve fibres, less probably tissue-specific noradrenergic neurones of the retina) and that noradrenaline release is subject to modulation via H₃ receptors and probably also a-adrenoceptors.Send offprint requests to E. Schlicker at the above address     

鄂西山区1592例成人泌尿系统疾病(USD)调查分析

本文对鄂西自治州一市二县三所医院近八年来(1980年元月～1987年12月)成人USD住院患者1592例的构成比作了回顾性调查分析.结果表明:USD患者占同期住院总人数的3.90%,其常见病种依次为尿路结石,尿路感染,慢性肾炎.急性肾炎、肾结核,慢性肾衰和肾病综合征;上尿路结石病人数有逐年上升趋势,且右侧显著高于左侧(P<0.001);慢性肾衰的病人数每隔1～2年有突然增高现象,1987年比1980年增加了四倍;急性肾炎和肾结核占有较大比例,肾结核为慢性肾衰病因的第三位.这些均为本组USD的临床流行病学特点.作者对各常见病种的特点进行了讨论.     

The preferential inhibition of α1- over β-adrenoceptor-mediated positive inotropic effect by organic calcium antagonists in the rabbit papillary muscle

Summary Experiments were carried out to elucidate the mechanism that the positive inotropic effect mediated by ₁-adrenoceptors is more susceptible to organic calcium antagonists than the -adrenoceptor-mediated effect. Verapamil and diltiazem displaced the specific binding of [³H]prazosin to the membrane fraction derived from the rabbit ventricular myocardium, verapamil being about 70 times more potent than diltiazem. Nifedipine did not displace the binding. While these compounds suppressed the positive inotropic effect mediated via _l-adrenoceptors in ₁- concentration-dependent manner, there was no correlation between the potency of the compounds to displace the [³H]prazosin binding and to inhibit the -mediated positive inotropic effect. The relative potency of three calcium antagonists to decrease the basal force of contraction and the al-mediated effect (of the same extent as compared to basal force of contraction) was consistent to each other. The positive inotropic effect mediated by -adrenoceptors was inhibited much less, and was enhanced by low concentrations of organic calcium antagonists. The differential action of calcium antagonists on the - and -mediated positive inotropic effect was mimicked by lowering the extracellular calcium concentration to 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 of that in normal Krebs-Henseleit solution (2.5 mmol/l). These results indicate that the ₁-adrenoceptor blocking activity does not play an essential role for the preferential inhibition of -mediated positive inotropic effect by organic calcium antagonists. Difference in the subcellular mechanism involved in mobilization of intracellular Ca²⁺ subsequent to ₁-and -adrenoceptor activation may be responsible for the differential inhibitory action of calcium antagonists in the rabbit heart. Send offprint requests to M. Endoh at the above address     

Minimal α1- and α2-adrenoceptor-mediated coronary vasoconstriction in the anaesthetized swine

Summary -Adrenoceptor-mediated coronary vasoconstriction contributes to the initiation and aggravation of experimental and clinical myocardial ischaemia. However, the extent of ₁- and ₂-adrenoceptor-mediated constriction has not been characterized in the porcine coronary circulation despite the frequent use of this experimental model.Fifteen swine were anaesthetized with either -chloralose, enflurane or isoflurane to determine the amount of -adrenoceptor-mediated coronary constriction elicited by either the selective ₁-adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine or the selective ₂-adrenoceptor agonist azepexole. The left anterior descending coronary artery was cannulated and perfused by an external pump delivering constant blood flow from the carotid artery. Following bilateral cervical vagotomy and ß-adrenoceptor blockade with propranolol (2 mg kg^–1), graded dosages of either one of the -adrenoceptor agonists (9–45 g kg^–1 min^–1) were infused into the coronary perfusion line while coronary arterial pressure (CAP) was measured through a distal side arm of the cannula to detect changes in coronary vascular resistance. Infusion of the -adrenoceptor agonists was terminated when systemic arterial pressure increased. Sonomicrometers were used to measure anterior left ventricular wall thickening for the assessment of regional contractile function. During methoxamine infusion, no increase in vascular resistance was observed during -chloralose, enflurane or isoflurane anaesthesia, whereas the infusion of azepexole increased CAP from 103 ± 31 mmHg to 120 ± 35 mmHg (-chloralose), from 101 ± 16 mmHg to 122 ± 11 mmHg (enflurane) and from 84 ± 20 mmHg to 94 ± 19 mmHg (isoflurane), respectively. In four additional swine anaesthetized with enflurane, the intracoronary infusion of the full catecholamine agonist noradrenaline in the presence of propranolol (6 mg kg^–1) increased CAP from 98 ± 10 to 105 ± 10 mmHg prior to an increase in regional left ventricular function or systemic arterial pressure.These results indicate that there are no ₁- and relatively little ₂-adrenoceptor-mediated coronary constrictive effects in swine. Furthermore, neither -adrenoceptor agonist produced any detectable change in regional myocardial contractile function, regardless of the anaesthesia used.Supported by the German Research Foundation (He 1320/3-2). Dr. Guth is the recipient of a scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation. Send offprint requests to G. Heusch at the above address     

Depression of drug metabolizing activity in the human liver by interferon-α

Summary The depressant effect of interferon- on drug metabolizing activity in the liver has been investigated in 12 patients with chronic active hepatitis B. 7-methoxy-coumarin (7-MC) O-demethylase and 7-ethoxycoumarin (7-EC) O-deethylase, in specimens obtained by liver biopsy, were measured before and after interferon treatment. 7-MC and 7-EC O-dealkylase activity were significantly reduced after interferon treatment, from 13.4 to 9.24 nmol·g^–1 liver·min^–1, and from 3.22 to 2.16 nmol·g^–1 liver·min^–1, respectively. The magnitude of the fall varied widely between individual patients. The study provides the first direct evidence that interferon- can impair the activity of drug metabolizing enzymes in the human liver.     

The Liposome as a Model Membrane in Correlations of Partitioning with α-Adrenoceptor Agonist Activities

The apparent partition coefficients of a group of imidazoline -adrenoceptor agonists in liposome/buffer systems (K_m) and in the n-octanol/buffer system (P) have been compared in quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSAR) employing biological activities and receptor binding affinities. A parabolic relationship between log K _m and log P was found, and log K _m was greater than log P for all liposome compositions. In liposomes, log K _m decreased in the order, negatively charged > neutral > positively charged. Overall, hyper- and hypotensive activities of these drugs correlated better with log K _m than with log P; however, poor correlations were obtained between partition coefficients and in vitro binding affinities. Linear correlations of log K _m with hypotensive activities were obtained with negatively charged liposomes, whereas correlations with hypertensive activities were obtained using positively charged liposomes. Multiple regressions of biological activities with binding affinities showed positive correlations with hypotensive but not hypertensive activities with or without the inclusion of log K _m or log P. Thus, the liposome represents a more selective model membrane system than a bulk oil phase for predicting the biological activities of imidazoline -adrenoceptor agonists.     

肝郁证T、B淋巴细胞活性改变及疏肝治疗影响的实验研究

为探讨肝郁证机特异性免疫应答的变化及疏肝治疗的影响,采用夹尾应激加肾上腺素注射法复制肝郁证模型,观察分别代表细胞免疫与体液免疫功能的T、B淋巴细胞活性变化、血液IgG、IgM的水平及疏肝解郁基本方剂柴胡疏肝散对它们的影响,结果肝郁证模型大鼠T、B淋巴细胞转化率显著升高,IgM水平显著降低,通过灌服柴胡疏肝散可明显预防前者的升高,而对后者的降低无明显影响,认为肝郁证淋巴细胞活性增强,IgM水平降低,疏肝治疗通过降低淋巴细胞活性而发挥作用。     

靶序列三链DNA对质粒pBR322的Amp^r基因表达的抑制

利用ＣａＣｌ２法成功地将寡核苷酸导入大肠杆菌ＪＭ１０９细胞。质粒ｐＢＲ３２２转化结果表明,寡革酸片段５’－ＡＧＣＧＧＧＡＡＴＡＡＧＧＧＡＡ－３’在转化前（或后）与靶序列结合均能抑制β－内酰胺酶基因的表达,细菌生长受到抑制。体外聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳结果表明,该片段能与靶序列形成三链结构。这些结果表明多聚嘌呤寡核苷酸是通过与靶序列形成三链ＤＮＡ来抑制β－内酰胺酶基因的表达。     

Detection of allelic loss within the β1-interferon gene in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia using differential PCR

Summary Deletion of the short arm of chromosome 9p involving the 1-interferon (IFN) gene has been implicated in the process of malignant transformation in lymphomas and acute lymphoblastic leukemias. Since cytogenetic analysis is frequently unsuccessful in clinical samples, we used a recently described differential PCR technique to detect losses within the 1-IFN gene in 86 acute leukemias. Using differential PCR, no 1-IFN deletion was detected in 44 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and eight control samples. However, five of 42 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) probes (12%) exhibited loss of the 1-IFN gene (three common ALL, two T-ALL). Cytogenetic analysis was performed independently in three of these five cases and revealed abnormalities of chromosome 9p in two samples. Two of five T-ALL cases exhibited a loss within the 1-IFN gene, compared with 3/29 c-ALLs, suggesting a predominance of IFN gene loss in T-ALLs. These data indicate that PCR can be used for rapid detection of gene dosage phenomena in clinical leukemia samples.     

Memantine,amantadine, and L-deprenyl potentiate the action of L-DOPA in monoamine-depleted rats

Summary Some treatments used for Parkinson's disease attenuate locomotor depression in rats treated with reserpine and -methyl-p-tyrosine. In the present study memantine (2.5, 5.0mg/kg), amantadine (10, 20mg/kg) (both uncompetitive NMDA antagonists), and L-deprenyl (1.0, 5.0 mg/kg; MAO-B inhibitor) were tested for possible synergistic interactions with the dopamine agonists: bromocriptine (2.5, 5.0mg/kg) and L-DOPA (50, 100mg/kg, + benserazide, 100 mg/kg). At higher doses, memantine (10 mg/kg), amantadine (40 mg/kg), bromocriptine (5 and 10mg/kg) and L-DOPA (100, 200mg/kg) but not L-deprenyl (up to 10 mg/kg) produced a pronounced increase in locomotor activity when given alone. The combination of memantine, amantadine and L-deprenyl with bromocriptine did not result in synergism of action and, at best, an additive effect was seen. On the other hand the combination of these agents with L-DOPA produced a pronounced synergistic effect. Hence, the clinical observation that coadministration of L-DOPA with either memantine or amantadine results in enhancement of their action is also reflected in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. Such a combination therapy should allow the use of lower doses of both drugs which may reduce the occurrence of side effects and may also be predicted to have additional benefits related to the neuroprotective properties of memantine, amantadine, and L-deprenyl.