Effects of the beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol on tyrosine and tryptophan in plasma and brain of the rat

The beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, clenbuterol (initially 5 mg/kg), was found to significantly reduce plasma tyrosine and raise brain tryptophan levels (P less than 0.01). By comparison, decreases in plasma tryptophan and increases in brain tyrosine were small and often nonsignificant. Amino acid levels measured in different brain regions revealed that the elevations were similar among the cerebellum, striatum, and cortex. These effects were partially blocked by propanolol but not by atenolol. The ED50 was estimated from dose-response curves to be about 0.05 mg/kg for both the decrease in plasma tyrosine and the increase in brain tryptophan. The effects of low doses of clenbuterol were prevented completely by propranolol. Peripheral organs displayed strikingly different patterns of change in amino acid concentrations. Only the spleen had any accumulation of tryptophan, but that was much less than in brain. In contrast, tyrosine and tryptophan were decreased in heart and unaltered in liver; tyrosine was decreased in lung. The elevation in brain tryptophan levels was attenuated by the beta 2-antagonist, ICI 118,551, but not by the beta 1-antagonist, betaxolol; but the reduction in plasma tyrosine was unaffected by either drug. The serotonin antagonist, methysergide, failed to block the effects of clenbuterol. We conclude that changes in amino acid concentrations produced by clenbuterol are mediated by beta 2-adrenoceptor stimulation. Although the increases in brain tyrosine and tryptophan were similar to increases in the plasma ratios of these amino acids to the sum of the other large neutral amino acids competing for transport into the brain, the disparity between the effects of ICI 118,551 in brain and plasma suggests that clenbuterol may also have a direct action in brain to regulate levels of aromatic amino acids. Since clenbuterol has been purported to have an antidepressant effect and since other antidepressants also increase brain tryptophan, this may be a common feature of antidepressant drug action.     

芳香族氨基酸对沼泽红假单胞菌合成CoQ10的影响

CoQ10具有呼吸链电子传递者、抗氧化性、调控基因表达等多种生理生化功能.目前不仅用作药物也用作食品添加剂.微生物发酵法是当前生产CoQ10的主要方法.在细菌中,芳香族氨基酸和CoQ10的苯核环都是通过莽草酸途径合成;它们在生物体中各自的合成存在着相互调控作用.本试验通过在培养过程中添加芳香族氨基酸来考察了其对沼泽红假单胞菌J001合成CoQ10的影响.结果表明:当色氨酸添加量≥15 mg/L时对CoQ10的合成具有强列的抑制作用;苯丙氨酸添加量≥50mg/L时对CoQ10的合成具有一定的抑制作用但当添加量≥75mg/L后对CoQ10的合成变为一定的促进作用;酪氨酸添加量为75～175 mg/L时对CoQ10的合成具有一定的促进作用,但当添加量≥200 mg/L后对CoQ10的合成变为一定的抑制作用.当添加苯丙氨酸100 mg/L+酪氨酸150mg/L时,CoQ10含量达最高(25.6±1.3 mg CoQ10/g干细胞),比不添加对照提高52.2%.以上结果说明:该菌株CoQ10的合成受到3种芳香族氨基酸的调控,3-脱氧-D-阿拉伯己酮糖-7-磷酸合成酶是同工酶系统并主要受色氨酸调控,无色氨酸培养基及在培养期间添加适量的苯丙氨酸与酪氨酸对该菌株合成CoQl.有利.     

Drugs altering insulin secretion: effects on plasma and brain concentrations of aromatic amino acids and on brain 5-hydroxytryptamine turnover.

1 An investigation was made into the effects of drugs which alter insulin secretion on the concentrations of tryptophan and other aromatic amino acids in plasma and brain and on 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in brain. Drugs used were streptozotocin, propranolol, tolbutamide and phentolamine. 2 Tolbutamide and phentolamine increased the plasma insulin concentrations by 100% and 300% respectively but with little effect on the brain/plasma ratios for the aromatic amino acids. Previously propranolol was found to decrease plasma insulin by 50% without altering the above ratios. The ratios were decreased by streptozotocin but only when plasma insulin fell by more than 50%. 3 Phentolamine and propranolol did not alter the brain/plasma ratios for the aromatic amino acids in streptozotocin-treated rats. 4 The results suggest that only large changes of insulin secretion e.g. those associated with food intake or aminophylline injection are likely to alter appreciably the brain/plasma ratios for the aromatic amino acids. 5 Tolbutamide displaced tryptophan from its binding to plasma albumin and increased brain 5-HIAA probably by inhibiting 5-HIAA efflux from brain. The other drugs did not alter brain 5-HT or 5-HIAA concentrations.     

Effects of pentobarbital and diazepam on rat plasma amino acid patterns

Summary Intraperitoneal injections with pentobarbital and diazepam caused an increase in the concentration of most plasma amino acids in rat. In contrast, tryptophan was significantly decreased after treatment with pentobarbital. The tyrosine level showed no change and was thus actually reduced after pentobarbital treatment in relation to the total pool of large neutral amino acids. The possibility should be considered that these changes in plasma amino acid patterns may lead to reduced transport of e.g. tryptophan and tyrosine into the brain, which in turn might retard the synthesis of monoaminergic neurotransmitters. The transport and action of several aromatic amino acids used as therapetic agents may also be influenced.     

Dipeptides as inhibitors of the gelation of sickle hemoglobin

To examine in detail a class of peptides that inhibit the polymerization of deoxyhemoglobin S, we assayed the L-amino acids and 22 dipeptides for their effect on deoxyhemoglobin S solubility. Of the amino acids, the aromatics (phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) significantly increased deoxyhemoglobin S solubility, as did high concentration of arginine. Combinations of the hydrophobic (specifically the aromatic) amino acids with a hydrophilic amino acid, such as arginine or lysine, resulted in dipeptides which were much more soluble than the hydrophobic or aromatic amino acid alone, and also inhibited polymerization. Furthermore, samples of deoxyhemoglobin S at 26 to 27 g/dl containing some of these dipeptides such as Arg-Trp, Arg-Phe, and Lys-Trp in excess of 50 to 100 mM did not polymerize, indicating a 1.4- to 1.6-fold increase in deoxyhemoglobin S solubility. The enhancement of polymerization, i.e., decrease in deoxyhemoglobin S solubility, observed by the addition of aspartic acid, glycine, or lysine was observed or was reduced in the dipeptides containing these hydrophilic amino acids combined with hydrophobic amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine, or the aromatic amino acids). The effects of these dipeptides on deoxyhemoglobin S solubility were mostly linear with concentration. However, the changes in deoxyhemoglobin S solubility by addition of a dipeptide was not simply the sum of the effects observed with the individual amino acids as exemplified by the differential effect of reversing the dipeptide sequence (e.g., Arg-Phe and Phe-Arg, or Arg-Tyr and Tyr-Arg). These data provide further evidence as to the stereospecific nature of this class of noncovalent inhibitors of deoxyhemoglobin S polymerization.     

偏振荧光光度法同时测定氨基酸注射液及动、植物浸出液中酪氨酸、色氨酸的研究

酪氨酸、色氨酸和苯丙氨酸具有荧光,本文使用互相垂直的偏振片有效地消除了苯丙氨酸的干扰和溶剂散射光的影响;附加滤光片,进一步提高了酪氨酸与色氨酸荧光测定的选择性。线性范围分别为0.02～12.0mg·L^-1(酪氨酸)与0.01～2.5mg·L^-1(色氨酸)。此法可直接用于氨基酸注射液和动、植物浸出液中游离酪氨酸、色氨酸的分析,结果满意。     

Approaches to the synthesis of retro-inverso peptides

Partial retro-inverso modification of biologically active peptides is described as a topochemical alteration of the backbone to prevent enzymatic degradation. The preparation of gem-diaminoalkyl residues from peptide amides using the reagent [bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo] benzene (TIB) is discussed. Treatment of N-t-butyloxycarbonyl tyrosine and N-t-butyloxycarbonyl tryptophan with this reagent led to decomposition of the protected amino acids. Protecting the tyrosine and tryptophan residues by t-butyl ether and Nⁱⁿ-formyl groups, respectively, prevented decomposition and led to good yields of the desired products. Racemic 2-alkylmalonyl diastereomers were found to be separable by HPLC. The chiral stability of peptides containing optically active malonyl residues was investigated under simulated physiological conditions. Synthetic considerations for the incorporation of gem-diaminoalkyl and 2-alkylmalonyl residues into larger peptides to yield partially modified retro-inverso peptide analogs are presented.     

Selectivity and affinity determinants for ligand binding to the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases

Hydroxylation of the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan is carried out by a family of non-heme iron and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) dependent enzymes, i.e. the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases (AAHs). The reactions catalyzed by these enzymes are important for biomedicine and their mutant forms in humans are associated with phenylketonuria (phenylalanine hydroxylase), Parkinson's disease and DOPA-responsive dystonia (tyrosine hydroxylase), and possibly neuropsychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders (tryptophan hydroxylase 1 and 2). We attempt to rationalize current knowledge about substrate and inhibitor specificity based on the three-dimensional structures of the enzymes and their complexes with substrates, cofactors and inhibitors. In addition, further insights on the selectivity and affinity determinants for ligand binding in the AAHs were obtained from molecular interaction field (MIF) analysis. We applied this computational structural approach to a rational analysis of structural differences at the active sites of the enzymes, a strategy that can help in the design of novel selective ligands for each AAH.     

Mutational analysis of a blood coagulation factor VIII‐binding peptide

Abstract: A peptide screened from a combinatorial peptide library with the sequence EYKSWEYC performed best as a ligand for affinity chromatography of human blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). With this peptide immobilized on monolithic CIM columns via epoxy groups we were able to capture FVIII from diluted plasma. Rational substitution of amino acids by spot synthesis revealed that lysine and cysteine can be exchanged for almost all other proteinogenic amino acids without loss of affinity to FVIII. This offers the possibility of site‐specific attachment via either one of these residues or the N‐ or C‐terminus. The aliphatic positions O₅ (tryptophan) and O₇ (tyrosine), together with the charged position O₆ (glutamic acid), seem to form the core of the binding unit. In the positions with aliphatic amino acids, substitution by tyrosine or phenylalanine, and in the positions with charged amino acids, substitution by aspartic acid or lysine, preserved the affinity to FVIII. The functionality of the selected peptides was confirmed by affinity chromatography. Selective binding and elution could be achieved.     

Effect of d-amphetamine on tryptophan and other aromatic amino acids in brain.

The investigation examined the mechanism of the increase in brain tryptophan concentration of rats treated with d-amphetamine. Certain well recognised influences upon brain tryptophan have been excluded as responsible. Thus, the effect is not associated with changes in the plasma concentrations of NEFA or free tryptophan. It is probably not due to a tryptophan-specific mechanism, because amphetamine increases the ratio of brain/plasma concentrations not only of tryptophan but also of tyrosine and phenylalanine. The concentration ratios for liver/plasma also rose, as did the liver tryptophan concentration, but these changes were less striking than for brain. Both alpha- and beta-adrenergic blocking drugs opposed the changes in brain, but in different ways. Thus, after treatment of rats with phentolamine, amphetamine decreased the plasma concentrations of the three aromatic amino acids; however, as the brain concentrations were little altered, the brain/plasma concentration ratios rose. Propranolol (and the dopamine blocker pimozide) opposed the increases of the ratios, so that the brain concentrations again altered little. The increased brain/plasma ratios resulting from the administration of amphetamine were associated with hyperthermia. Propranolol, pimozide and the diabetogenic drug streptozotocin opposed the changes in both plasma and brain; phentolamine affected neither. Despite the increase in brain tryptophan caused by amphetamine this drug had relatively little concurrent effect on 5HT synthesis. Experiments with adrenergic blockers suggest that the small rise of plasma insulin after the injection of amphetamine into rats did not cause the brain changes; these are probably a consequence of hyperthermia. The findings with streptozotocin suggest that the hyperthermic effect of amphetamine is manifested only in states of normal insulin secretion.     

利福霉素B产生菌─—地中海诺卡氏菌的推理选育

利福霉素Ｂ的生物合成受芳香族氨基酸（Ｔｒｐ、Ｔｙｒ、Ｐｈｅ）的反馈抑制。用紫外线处理Ｎ．ｍｅｄｉｔｅｒｒａｎｅｉＸＣ－１０２菌丝悬浮液后，并在含０．１％芳香族氨基酸的琼脂平板上分离芳香族氨基酸抗性变种。结果表明，芳香族氨基酸抗性变种的发酵效价高于自然分离株和紫外线诱变株；色氨酸抗性变种（Ｔｒｐｒ）的发酵效价又高于酪氨酸抗性变种（Ｔｙｒｒ）和苯丙氨酸抗性变种（Ｐｈｅｒ）；０．５％Ｔｒｐｒ变种比０．１％Ｔｒｐｒ变种更高产。其中０．５％Ｔｒｐｒ变种ＸＣ－５４０的生产能力较出发菌株ＸＣ－１０２增加４２．１６％。传代试验表明ＸＣ－５４０的遗传特性稳定，在７ｍ３罐做发酵放大，与出发菌株相比，发酵效价和发酵指数分别提高５１．１１％和５１．０２％。     

Ethanol-induced increase in brain concentrations of administered neutral amino acids

Summary Ethanol 2 g kg^–1 i.p. to rat increased the concentrations in the brain of administered large neutral amino acids (tyrosine, tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan and -methyldopa). We have previously found a similar effect of ethanol on administered l-Dopa, resulting in increased brain/plasma ratios of dopa. Since large neutral amino acids are known to compete with each other for the carrier-mediated transport into the brain we suggest that the increased concentrations of the administered amino acids in the brain are at least partly the consequence of the ethanol-induced decrease in plasma amino acids observed previously.     

Use of intrinsic fluorescence to follow the denaturation of vicilin,a storage protein from Vicia faba

Excitation of native vicilin protein at 274 nm resulted in a single emission peak at 304 nm attributed to tyrosine fluorescence. Changes in the quantum yield of the tyrosine fluorescence with addition of both urea and guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) were only significant at intermediate denaturant concentrations, and not suitable for assessment of conformational change. Emission spectra for the tryptophan residues were obtained by excitation of the vicilin at 295 nm. The wavelength of maximum tryptophan emission shifted from 347 to 353 nm with the addition of denaturants (2.0 M GdnHCl or 3.0 M urea). At higher concentrations of denaturant, the quantum yield values for tryptophan also increased, reflecting a gradual change in the conformation of vicilin. The degree of polarization for both tyrosine and tryptophan fluorescence decreased significantly at denaturant concentrations slightly above those at which the protein showed the first signs of unfolding. This was further indication of a variety of conformational states for vicilin with increasing levels of denaturant.     

Beta-adrenergic regulation of amine precursor amino acid transport across the blood-brain barrier.

Beta-Adrenoceptor agonists were administered i.p. into rats and amino acid levels in brain and plasma were then determined to assess the effects on transport across the blood-brain barrier. Isoproterenol (10 mumol/kg) caused significant increases in aromatic amino acid (tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan) levels in cerebral cortex and decreases in almost all amino acid concentrations in plasma. This effect of isoproterenol on brain tyrosine level was dose-dependent with an ED50 of 0.25 mumol/kg. Salbutamol (beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, 10 mumol/kg) showed similar effects, but dobutamine (beta 1-adrenoceptor agonist, 50 mumol/kg) failed to increase brain amino acid levels. When 1-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA, 100 mumol/kg) was i.p. loaded, beta-adrenoceptor agonists promoted the transport of L-DOPA into brain without increasing the clearance rate of plasma L-DOPA. Moreover, significant increases in dopamine and its metabolites were observed in rat brain. These findings suggest that the transport of aromatic amino acids across the blood-brain barrier may be regulated through beta 2-adrenoceptors and that co-administration of beta 2-adrenoceptor agonists with L-DOPA may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of L-DOPA.     

Changes in brain tryptophan and tyrosine following acute and chronic morphine administration

Morphine increased brain concentrations of tryptophan and tyrosine 1–2 hr after administration in a dose-dependent manner in male rats. Concentrations of these amino acids in blood serum decreased 30–45 min post-injection and then rose towards control values. The rise in brain amino acids was antagonized by pretreatment with naloxone. In addicted rats there was only a slight increase in brain tryptophan and no increase in tyrosine. Thirty minutes after naloxone-precipitated withdrawal, tryptophan and tyrosine concentrations were elevated in brain, in contrast to the decline in these amino acids seen after naloxone administration in acutely morphinized rats.These results support the hypothesis that the elevated turnover of brain monoamines induced by morphine administration is related to increased availability of precursor amino acids in morphinized animals.     

Isoprenaline increases brain concentrations of administered l-dopa and l-tryptophan in the rat

A small dose of isoprenaline or saline was administered intraperitoneally to rats 20 min before the administration of one of the amino acids l-dopa or l-tryptophan. Isoprenaline caused a marked increase in the brain concentration of the administered amino acid. Isoprenaline has previously been shown to cause a decrease in at least some of those plasma amino acids which compete with l-dopa and tryptophan for carrier-mediated transport into the brain. The effect of isoprenaline on the concentrations of dopa and tryptophan in the brain is suggested to be at least partly caused by a change in the relationship between endogeneous and administered amino acids. It is also possible that a direct effect of isoprenaline on the blood-brain barrier transport system contributes to the effect.The reported finding might be of clinical interest in view of the therapeutic importance of aromatic amino acids with a central site of action.     

Development of tolerance to the plasma amino acid-decreasing effect of ethanol in the rat.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for one month with daily intraperitoneal injections of ethanol (2 g kg-1), or saline. After this pretreatment, animals from each group were given acute doses of ethanol (2 g kg-1) or saline. Plasma amino acid concentrations and brain tyrosine, tryptophan, dopamine, 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations were measured in samples collected 1 h after the injections. Acute administration of ethanol induced a dramatic fall in the concentrations of 18 out of 20 plasma amino acids in animals pretreated with saline. In animals chronically pretreated with ethanol this decrease was much smaller. Furthermore, the decrease was significantly lower for 6 of the measured amino acids in the chronic ethanol group compared with the saline-treated control group. Tolerance to the plasma amino acid decreasing effect of ethanol had thus developed. This acquired tolerance might be explained by both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic mechanisms. Chronic administration of ethanol induced increased concentrations of tyrosine and dopamine in the brain, probably due to increased transport of tyrosine into the brain caused by an increase in the ratio of tyrosine to large neutral amino acids in plasma.     

Interaction of aromatic amino acids with gossypol

The aromatic amino acids L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine and L-phenylalanine complex with gossypol at pH 7.6, resulting in negative CD bands at 424–426 nm and 300 nm and a positive band at 355 nm. The association constant and free energy change for complex formation have been calculated from the amplitude of the CD band at 420 nm. The interaction is weak. The association constant for complex formation increases with the hydrophobicity of amino acid. The effect of additives on the reaction has also been determined.     

Dependence of 5-HT and catecholamine synthesis on concentrations of precursor amino-acids in rat brain

Summary The short-term influence of varying concentrations of the precursors tryptophan and tyrosine on the formation of 5-hydroxytryptophan and Dopa, respectively, in three different rat-brain regions was investigated. The concentrations of the precursors were either increased by the intraperitoneal administration of the respective precursor or decreased by loading with large neutral amino acids competing with the precursors for the same carrier mechanisms.The formation of 5-hydroxytryptophan was found to depend on the level of tryptophan in the brain in a manner predicted from published kinetic data, except when large doses of non-precursor amino acids had been given (>300 mg/kg). In the latter case the hydroxylation of tryptophan was less rapid than expected. The apparent K _m of tryptophan hydroxylase calculated from these data was about 25 M, which is in reasonably good agreement with earlier published in-vitro and in-vivo data.The formation of Dopa likewise depended on the level of the precursor tyrosine in a predictable manner, in this case without any anomalous results after large doses of non-precursor amino acids. The apparent K _m of tyrosine hydroxylase was calculated from these invivo observations to be about 25 M, which is in fairly close agreement with published in-vitro data.It is concluded that under normal conditions tryptophan hydroxylase in the rat brain is about half-saturated with its amino-acid substrate, whereas tyrosine hydroxylase appears to be about 75% saturated.     

An amino acid mixture deficient in phenylalanine and tyrosine reduces cerebrospinal fluid catecholamine metabolites and alcohol consumption in vervet monkeys

 An amino acid mixture devoid of tryptophan, given orally, was previously shown to reduce cerebrospinal fluid levels of tryptophan and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in vervet monkeys, as compared to a control mixture containing all essential amino acids. In the present study, we tested the possibility that a similar amino acid mixture containing tryptophan, but devoid of phenylalanine and tyrosine (the amino acid precursors of catecholamine neurotransmitters), would influence dopamine and noradrenaline metabolism. Five hours after the administration of this mixture to vervet monkeys, cerebrospinal fluid levels of homovanillic acid and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene glycol were reduced by 27.4% and 26.9%, respectively. Both effects were statistically significant. Plasma tyrosine (-30%) and the ratio of tyrosine to the sum of other large neutral amino acids (ΣLNAA) were also significantly reduced. The behavioral efficacy of phenylalanine/tyrosine depletion was compared with that of tryptophan depletion in a primate model of voluntary alcohol consumption. All three drinks lowered alcohol consumption, but the effects of the tryptophan-deficient amino acid mixture were not different from those of the balanced amino acid control. The phenylalanine/tyrosine-deficient drink differentially lowered alcohol consumption, consistent with other data in this species and elsewhere implicating dopamine in the rewarding effects of alcohol. Received: 14 January 1997 / Final version: 10 September 1997