Facilitation by arachidonic acid of acetylcholine release from the rat hippocampus

We investigated the effect of arachidonic acid (AA) on the release of [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) from the rat hippocampus. AA (3-30 microM) increased the basal tritium outflow and the field-electrically evoked release of [3H]ACh from hippocampal slices in a concentration-dependent manner. AA (30 microM) produced a 69+/-7% facilitation of the evoked and a 36+/-3% facilitation of basal tritium outflow. The effect of AA (30 microM) on the evoked tritium release was prevented by bovine serum albumin (BSA, 1%), which quenches AA, and was unaffected by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (100 microM), and the lipooxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (50 microM). Phospholipase A2 (PLA2, 2 U/ml), an enzyme that releases AA from the sn-2 position of phospholipids, mimicked the facilitatory effect of AA on the evoked tritium release (86+/-14% facilitation), an effect prevented by BSA (1%). The PLA2 activator, melittin (1 microM), enhanced the evoked tritium release by 98+/-11%, an effect prevented by the PLA2 inhibitor, arachidonyl trifluromethylketone (AACOCF3, 20 microM), and by BSA (1%). AA (30 microM), but not arachidic acid (30 microM), also facilitated (72+/-9%) the veratridine (10 microM)-evoked [3H]ACh release from superfused hippocampal synaptosomes, whereas PLA2 (2 U/ml) and melittin (1 microM) caused a lower facilitation (46+/-1% and 38+/-5%, respectively). The present results show that both exogenously added and endogenously produced AA increase the evoked release of [3H]ACh from rat hippocampal nerve terminals. Since muscarinic activation triggers AA production and we now observed that AA enhances ACh release, it is proposed that AA may act as a facilitatory retrograde messenger in hippocampal cholinergic muscarinic transmission as it has been proposed to act in glutamatergic transmission.     

Kainate receptors coupled to G(i)/G(o) proteins in the rat hippocampus.

Kainate receptors are a subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors, permeable to cations and thus expected to have an excitatory depolarizing action on neurons. However, kainate receptor activation inhibits gamma-aminobutyric acid release in the hippocampus through activation of protein kinase C in a pertussis toxin-dependent manner, suggesting a coupling of kainate receptors to G proteins. Thus, we directly investigated the G protein coupling of kainate receptors in the rat hippocampus by using a selective kainate receptor agonist, [(3)H](2S,4R)-4-methylglutamate ([(3)H]MGA). [(3)H]MGA bound to a single site to hippocampal membranes with a K(D) value of 32 nM and a B(max) value of 1024 fmol/mg protein. This binding likely represents kainate receptors because it was displaced by domoate (K(i) = 4 nM), kainate (K(i) = 11 nM), and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (K(i) = 1.4 microM), but not by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (K(i) > 10 microM), (RS)-alpha-methyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (K(i) > 10 microM), or (+/-)-1-aminocyclopentane-trans-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (K(i) > 10 microM). Guanylylimidodiphosphate (30 microM), which uncouples all G protein-coupled receptors, shifted to the right the saturation curve of [(3)H]MGA (K(D) = 133 nM). This effect was mimicked by pretreatment of hippocampal membranes with modifiers of G(i)/G(o) proteins [30 microM N-ethylmaleimide (K(D) = 98 nM) or 25 microgram/ml pertussis toxin (K(D) = 95 nM)] but not by a modifier of G(s) proteins [50 microgram/ml cholera toxin (K(D) = 32 nM)]. Treatment of solubilized hippocampal membranes with pertussis toxin (25 microgram/ml) decreased [(3)H]MGA affinity (K(D) = 105-113 nM), which was recovered by reconstitution of these pretreated solubilized hippocampal membranes with G(i)/G(o) proteins (K(D) = 41-76 nM). These results indicate that hippocampal kainate receptors are coupled to G(i)/G(o) proteins.     

Pharmacological evaluation of ricinine, a central nervous system stimulant isolated from Ricinus communis.

The extract of the pericarp of castor bean (Ricinus communis) showed some typical central nervous system stimulant effects when administered to mice. The animals became exophthalmic, presented tremors and clonic seizures and died a few minutes after receiving larger doses of the extract. At lower doses the extract improved memory consolidation and showed some neuroleptic-like properties, such as a decrease in exploratory behavior and catalepsy. The memory-improving effect and the seizure-eliciting properties of the extract were also observed with the administration of ricinine, a neutral alkaloid isolated from the extract. However, the neuroleptic-like properties of the extract were not observed with ricinine. As the therapeutic index of ricinine is of the order of 200, the compound may be considered as a promising cognition-enhancing drug that may be used for the treatment of human amnesias.     

Evidence for high-affinity binding sites for the adenosine A2A receptor agonist [3H] CGS 21680 in the rat hippocampus and cerebral cortex that are different from striatal A2A receptors

The binding of the adenosine A_2A receptor selective agonist 2-[4-(2-p-carboxyethyl) phenylamino]-5-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (CGS 21680) to the rat hippocampal and cerebral cortical membranes was studied and compared with that to striatal membranes. [³H] CGS 21680, in the concentration range tested (0.2–200 nM), bound to a single site with a K _d of 58 nM and a B _max of 353 fmol/mg protein in the hippocampus, and with a K _d of 58 nM and a B _max of 264 fmol/mg protein in the cortex; in the striatum, the single high-affinity [³H] CGS 21680 binding site had a K _d of 17 nM and a B _max of 419 fmol/mg protein. Both guanylylimidodiphosphate (100 M) and Na⁺ (100 mM) reduced the affinity of [³H] CGS 21680 binding in the striatum by half and virtually abolished [³H] CGS 21680 binding in the hippocampus and cortex. The displacement curves of [³H] CGS 21680 binding with 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX), N ⁶-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA), 5-N-ethyl-carboxamidoadenosine (NECA) and 2-chloroadenosine (CADO) were biphasic in the hippocampus and cortex as well as in the striatum. The predominant [³H]CGS 21680 binding site in the striatum (80%) had a pharmacological profile compatible with A_2A receptors and was also present in the hippocampus and cortex, representing 10–25% of [³H]CGS 21680 binding. The predominant [³H]CGS 21680 binding site in the hippocampus and cortex had a pharmacological profile distinct from A_2A receptors: the relative potency order of adenosine antagonists DPCPX, 1,3-dipropyl8-{4-[(2-aminoethyl)amino]carbonylmethyloxyphenyl} xanthine (XAC), 8-(3-chlorostyryl) caffeine (CSC), and (E)-1,3-dipropyl-8-(3,4-dimethoxystyryl)-methylxanthine (KF 17,837) as displacers of [³H] CGS 21680 (5 nM) binding in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex was DPCPX > XAC CSC KF 17,837, and the relative potency order of adenosine agonists CHA, NECA, CADO, 2-[(2-aminoethylamino)carbonylethylphenylethylamino]-5-N-ethylcar-boxamidoadenosine (APEC), and 2-phenylaminoadenosine (CV 1808) was CHA NECA CADO > APEC CV1808 > CGS 21680. In the presence of DPCPX (20 nM), [³H] CGS 21680 (0.2-200 nM) bound to a site (A_2A-like) with a K _d of 20 nM and a B _max of 56 fmol/mg protein in the hippocampus and with a K _d of 22 nM and a B _max of 63 fmol/mg protein in the cortex. In the presence of CSC (200 nM), [³H]CGS 21680 (0.2–200 nM) bound to a second high-affinity site with a K _d of 97 nM and a B _max of 255 fmol/mg protein in the hippocampus and with a K _d of 112 nM and a B _max of 221 fmol/mg protein in the cortex. Two pharmacologically distinct [³H]CGS 21680 binding sites were found in synaptosomal membranes of the hippocampus and cortex and in the striatum, one corresponding to A_2A receptors and the other to the second high-affinity [³H]CGS 21680 binding site. In contrast, the pharmacology of [³H]CHA binding was similar in synaptosomal membranes of the three brain areas. The present results establish the existence of at least two high-affinity [³H]CGS 21680 binding sites in the CNS and demonstrate that the [³H]CGS 21680 binding site predominant in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex has different binding characteristics from the classic A_2A adenosine receptor, which predominates in the striatum.     

Role of mesenchymal-epithelial interactions in mammary gland development

The mammary gland is a hormone-target organ derived from epidermis and develops as a result of reciprocal mesenchymal-epithelial interactions. The induction of mammary differentiation from indifferent epidermal cells by mammary mesenchyme implies induction of the complement of hormone receptors characteristic of normal mammary epithelium in cells of the epidermis. Considering the facts that mammary epithelial differentiation is induced by mammary mesenchyme and that certain aspects of hormone response (androgen-induced mammary regression) are inextricably linked to mesenchymal-epithelial interactions, it is evident that the biology of the mammary gland arises from and is maintained via cell-cell interactions. As a corollary, perturbation of stromal-epithelial interactions in adulthood may play a role in mammary carcinogenesis and in turn may provide opportunities for differentiation therapy.     

Effects of transforming growth factor beta-1 and all-trans-retinoic acid on androgen-induced development of neonatal mouse bulbourethral glands in vitro

Effects of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) and all-trans-retinoic acid (All-trans-RA) on development of bulbourethral glands (BUGs) of neonatal mice were investigated in vitro. BUGs from 0-day-old male mice were cultured for 6 days in serum-free, chemically defined medium containing transferrin and bovine serum albumin, supplemented with 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT; 10-8 M) and insulin (10 microg/mL) alone or in combination. Prior to culture, BUGs from 0-day-old mice consisted of a simple epithelial rudiment encapsulated by mesenchyme. Epithelial growth and ductal branching occurred in BUGs cultured in medium containing DHT and insulin or DHT alone, but epithelial branching did not occur in BUGs cultured in the presence of insulin alone. Addition of TGF-beta1 at concentrations of > 5 ng/mL (0.2 x 10-9 M) to medium containing both insulin and DHT, inhibited the expected increase in overall size of BUGs, epithelial area and ductal branching in a dose-dependent manner. TGF-beta1 also decreased [3H]-thymidine labelling indices of both epithelium and mesenchyme. TGF-beta1 at 10 ng/mL elicited these inhibitory effects on BUGs cultured in medium containing DHT alone. Addition of All-trans-RA (10-8 to 10-6 M) to the medium containing DHT plus insulin, or DHT alone did not exert significant effects on either overall size of BUGs or epithelial growth and ductal branching. All-trans-RA at 10-6 M decreased the [3H]-thymidine labelling index of mesenchyme of BUGs cultured in medium with DHT plus insulin or DHT alone, but did not decrease the [3H]-thymidine labelling index of epithelium. The present results indicate that TGF-beta1 inhibits androgen-induced epithelial and mesenchymal growth as well as epithelial morphogenesis of BUGs from neonatal mice. Such an inhibitory effect of TGF-beta1 is not mimicked by All-trans-RA at physiological concentrations.