GLP-1(7-36)amide binding in skeletal muscle membranes from streptozotocin diabetic rats

A higher specific binding of GLP-1(7–36)amide is found in skeletal muscle plasma membranes from adult streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus model) and from neonatal STZ-treated rats (non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus model), as compared to that in normal controls; no apparent change in the affinity was observed, that indicating the presence in both diabetic models of an increased number of high affinity binding sites for the peptide. The maximal specific GLP-1(7–16)amide binding in the non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus model was found to be significantly higher than that in the insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus model. As GLP-1(7–36)amide exerts a glycogenic effect in the rat skeletal muscle, the present data suggest that the action of the peptide in the muscle glucose metabolism may be increased in states of insulin deficiency accompanied or not by insulin resistance.     

L-Cysteine Increases Glucose Uptake in Mouse Soleus Muscle and SH-SY5Y Cells

Previous investigation demonstrated the potential of L-cysteine (L-Cys) at high concentrations to cause hypoglycemia in mice totally deprived of insulin. For further elucidation of the glucose-lowering mechanism, glucose uptake and quantity of glucose transporters (GLUTs 3 and 4) in mouse soleus muscle and C2C12 muscle cells, as well as in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, were investigated. A marked enhancement of glucose uptake was demonstrated, peaking at 5.0 mM L-Cys in soleus muscle (P < 0.05) and SH-SY5Y cells (P < 0.001), respectively. In contrast, glucose uptake was not affected in the C2C12 muscle cells. Kinetic analysis of the SH-SY5Y glucose uptake showed a 2.5-fold increase in maximum transport velocity compared with controls (P < 0.001). In addition, both GLUT3 and GLUT4 levels were increased following exposure to L-Cys. Our findings point to a possible hypoglycemic effect of L-Cys.     

支气管哮喘大鼠气道重塑中气道平滑肌细胞凋亡及地塞米松的干预作用

目的 观察支气管哮喘(简称哮喘)大鼠气道重塑中气道平滑肌细胞(airway smoothmuscle cells,ASMC)凋亡及地塞米松对ASMC凋亡的影响.方法 将清洁级雄性SD大鼠按随机数字表法分为正常对照组、哮喘组和地塞米松干预组,每组12只.以卵蛋白致敏和激发的方法制备大鼠慢性哮喘模型.用脱氧核糖核苷酸末端转移酶(TdT酶)介导的dUTP切口末端标记法(TUNEL法)检测ASMC凋亡并计算凋亡指数.用免疫组织化学和原位杂交法分别检测气道平滑肌Bcl-2、Bax蛋白及其mRNA的表达情况.经SPSS 11.5软件进行统计学分析,实验数据用x±s表示.多组间比较采用方差分析,多组样本均数两两比较,两变量的相关程度采用直线相关分析.结果 (1)对照组、哮喘组和干预组大鼠ASMC的凋亡指数分别为:0.201±0.022、0.030±0.016和0.118±0.043;(2)对照组、哮喘组和干预组大鼠气道平滑肌层Bcl-2蛋白表达的吸光度值分别为0.060±0.012、0.112±0.028和0.080±0.010,Bcl-2 mRNA表达的吸光度值分别为0.065±0.019、0.157±0.019和0.099±0.029;(3)对照组、哮喘组和干预组大鼠气道平滑肌层Bax蛋白表达的吸光度值为0.120±0.020、0.062±0.012和0.093±0.010,Bax mRNA表达的吸光度值分别为0.155±0.025、0.074±0.019和0.118±0.031;(4)相关分析结果显示,ASMC的凋亡指数与气道平滑肌厚度以及Bcl-2蛋白的相对含量呈显著负相关(r值分别为-0.860、-0.783,P<0.01);ASMC的凋亡指数与气道平滑肌Bax蛋白相对含量呈正相关(r=0.837,P<0.01).结论 ASMC凋亡的减少可能参与了哮喘气道重塑过程;地塞米松可以增加促凋亡蛋白Box的表达,同时减少抑凋亡蛋白Bcl-2的表达,从而增加ASMC的凋亡.     

API0134对血管平滑肌细胞增殖和血小板源生长因子B链、碱性纤维母细胞生长因子及相关癌基因表达的影响

为探讨API0134防治冠状动脉粥样硬化和腔内成形术后再狭窄的作用机制，采用内皮素诱导建立培养的血管平滑肌细胞增殖模型，用氚标胸腺嘧啶脱氧核苷掺入法、流式细胞术、免疫细胞化学检测及Northernblot方法，观察了API0134对血管平滑肌细胞增殖的作用及对血小板源生长因子B链、碱性纤维母细胞生长因子及其相关癌基因C－sis和C－mpc表达的影响。结果发现，API0134能逆转内皮素所致的氚标胸腺嘧啶脱氧核苷掺入量增多（对照组为499±92，内皮素组为617±98，API0134组为506±102），阻止血管平滑肌细胞由静止期（G0／G1期；对照组为72％，内皮素组为50％，API0134组为60％）进入DNA合成期（S期；三组分别为26％、36％和30％）和有丝分裂期（G2／M期，三组分别为2％、14％和4％），并能逆转内皮素引起的血小板源生长因子B链、碱性纤维母细胞生长因子抗原、c－sis和c－mpc的mRNA表达增强。提示API0134有抑制血管平滑肌细胞增殖的作用，这种作用与生长因子及癌基因调控的分子生物学机制有关。     

Regulation of VEGF and bFGF mRNA expression and other proliferative compounds in skeletal muscle cells

The role of muscle contraction, prostanoids, nitric oxide and adenosine in the regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and endothelial cell proliferative compounds in skeletal muscle cell cultures was examined. VEGF and bFGF mRNA, protein release as well as the proliferative effect of extracellular medium was determined in non-stimulated and electro-stimulated rat and human skeletal muscle cells. In rat skeletal muscle cells these aspects were also determined after treatment with inhibitors and/or donors of nitric oxide (NO), prostanoids and adenosine. Electro-stimulation caused an elevation in the VEGF and bFGF mRNA levels of rat muscle cells by 33% and 43% (P < 0.05), respectively, and in human muscle cells VEGF mRNA was elevated by 24%. Medium from electro-stimulated human, but not rat muscle cells induced a 126% higher (P < 0.05) endothelial cell proliferation than medium from non-stimulated cells. Cyclooxygenase inhibition of rat muscle cells induced a 172% increase (P < 0.05) in VEGF mRNA and a 104% increase in the basal VEGF release. Treatment with the NO donor SNAP (0.5 M) decreased (P < 0.05) VEGF and bFGF mRNA by 42 and 38%, respectively. Medium from SNAP treated muscle cells induced a 45% lower (P < 0.05) proliferation of endothelial cells than control medium. Adenosine enhanced the basal VEGF release from muscle cells by 75% compared to control. The present data demonstrate that contractile activity, NO, adenosine and products of cyclooxygenase regulate the expression of VEGF and bFGF mRNA in skeletal muscle cells and that contractile activity and NO regulate endothelial cell proliferative compounds in muscle extracellular fluid.     

The necessity of using two parameters to describe isotonic shortening velocity of muscle tissues: the effect of various interventions upon initial shortening velocity (vi) and curvature (b)

Summary In skinned skeletal muscle fibers and skinned preparations of myocardium or smooth muscle, for all conditions studied, the length traces during isotonic shortening are always found to be significantly curved. It is demonstrated that the observed curvature is not simply due to inhomogeneities on the sarcomere level in striated muscle, damaged ends of the preparations, double overlap and collision of filaments, or depletion of MgATP during the period of isotonic shortening. It is shown that the velocity of shortening can be described by an exponential function: v=v_i exp (-b[SL_i-SL]) with SL_i: sarcomere length at the start of the release; SL: sarcomere length during isotonic shortening. Thus, instantaneous shortening velocity (v) is determined by two parameters: v_i, the initial shortening velocity for SL=SL_i, and b, a constant characterizing the decrease in velocity during isotonic shortening. Factors which affect isotonic shortening can do this by affecting v_i, or by changing b, or both. Therefore, when analysing the effects of interventions which affect instantaneous shortening velocity, these two possibilities have to be distinguished. Since curvature of the length traces might be caused by noncrossbridge components, only v_i, the initial speed of shortening, is a parameter which directly reflects kinetics of the cross-bridge cycle while instantaneous speed of shortening might also be affected by noncrossbridge factors.Analysing isotonic shortening in terms of v_i and b, the effects of ionic strength, free Ca⁺⁺ concentration, MgATP/MgADP ratio and temperature on unloaded isotonic shortening have been studied. For the conditions used, it can be shown that ionic strength and free Ca⁺⁺ concentration only affect b without significant effect on v_i, whereas MgATP/MgADP ratio and temperature affect both v_i and b. This means that of these factors only MgATP/MgADP ratio and temperature affect the crossbridge kinetics which determine the maximum speed of shortening while ionic strength and free Ca⁺⁺ concentration have no such effect within the experimental error.Dedicated to Prof. R. Jacob on the occasion of his 60th birthday.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: Br 849/1-1.     

Myocardial injury following endogenous catecholamine release in rabbits

Catecholamines (CAT) given in large doses produce cardiomyopathic changes in several animal species. This study was designed to determine if endogenous release can also induce cardiac injury. Rabbits were infused with doses of tyramine (TYR), ranging from 200 to 500 micrograms/min/kg, i.v. for 90 min. Arterial pressure and heart rate were measured, as were total CAT concentrations, blood gases, pH and glucose. Two days later the animals were killed and cardiac injury assessed using a histological scoring system. All data were compared with controls given saline. Initial CAT averaged 452 pg/ml, rose to 2890 pg/ml after starting TYR, 500 micrograms/min/kg, and remained elevated for the duration of infusion. Circulating CAT levels were a function of TYR dose, and bore a linear relationship to the histological score (P less than 0.001). Development of lesions was unaltered by beta 1 blockade with practolol, but sharply reduced by alpha blockade with phentolamine (P less than 0.01). Pretreatment with insulin also reduced lesion formation, but diabetic (alloxan) rabbits showed no greater CAT injury. It is concluded that endogenous release of CAT induces myocardial injury in the rabbit in a dose-dependent manner. This is unrelated to myocardial O2 demand, and microvascular pathology was absent. Activation of alpha adrenergic pathways is likely the dominant or exclusive mechanism.     

P2X受体对豚鼠胃窦环行肌自发性收缩运动的影响

目的:探讨P2X受体激动剂α,β-methylene ATP (α,β-MeATP)对豚鼠胃窦环行肌运动的影响及其离子通道机制.方法:采用EWG/B豚鼠,制备去黏膜胃窦环行肌条(10×1.5 mm),并将其固定于恒温灌流槽内(37℃),用碳酸氢钠缓冲液连续灌流并通氧(950 mL/L O_2,50 mL/L CO_2).利用SMUP-E生物信号处理系统记录胃窦平滑肌自发性收缩活动,Ⅱ型胶原酶消化法分离豚鼠胃窦环行肌单细胞,传统全细胞膜片钳技术记录急性分离的胃窦平滑肌细胞膜电位和离子电流,包括钙激活钾电流、延迟整流型钾电流及电压依赖性钙电流.结果:嘌呤能P2X受体激动剂α,β-MeATP明显抑制豚鼠胃窦环行肌自发性收缩,并有明显的量效倚赖关系:5,10,20,40,100μmol/Lα,β-MeATP作用下,环行肌收缩幅度分别由对照组的100%下降到90%±2%.81%±4%,68%±4%,59%±7%和29%±4%(P<0.05).用神经阻断剂Tetrodotoxin (TTX)预处理后,α,β-MeATP对胃窦环行肌自发性收缩的抑制作用仍不受影响;在传统全细胞膜片钳电流钳模式下,500μmol/Lα,β-MeATP不影响细胞膜电位,也对两种外向钾电流,即延迟整流型钾电流和钙激活钾电流没有影响;不同浓度的α,β-MeATP对电压依赖性钙电流没有影响.结论:P2X受体激动剂抑制豚鼠胃窦环行肌自发性收缩,其作用机制不依赖内在神经,也不依赖细胞膜离子通道以及膜电位改变.     

Functional assessment of neuronal cannabinoid receptors in the muscular layers of human ileum and colon

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The notion that specific receptors account for the ability of natural and synthetic cannabinoids to alter physiological functions, prompted this study aimed at assessing their functional presence in the human gut. METHODS: The effects have been studied of cannabinoids and selective antagonists of their receptors on chemically or electrically evoked contractions in preparations of human intestinal smooth muscle in vitro. RESULTS: Atropine prevented the contractions of longitudinal and circular muscle strips of ileum and colon induced by carbachol or electrical field stimulation; tetrodotoxin abolished only the latter which suggests they do involve activation of cholinergic neurons. The synthetic cannabinoid (+)WIN 55,212-2 had no effect on carbachol contractions, but in a concentration-dependent fashion prevented those elicited by electrical field stimulation - which were insensitive to the putative endogenous cannabinoid anandamide - more potently in longitudinal than in circular strips. The selective CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716, which had no effect in the absence of (+)WIN 55,212-2, competitively antagonised its inhibition of electrical field stimulation contractions, unlike the selective CB2 antagonist SR144528. CONCLUSIONS: Cannabinoid CB1 receptors are functionally present in the human ileum and colon; their pharmacological activation apparently results in inhibition of excitatory cholinergic pathways subserving smooth muscle contraction.     

Emodin ameliorates ovalbumin-induced airway remodeling in mice by suppressing airway smooth muscle cells proliferation

Increased number of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is a characteristic of airway remodeling in asthma. In this study we investigated whether emodin alleviated airway remodeling in a murine asthma model and reduced the proliferation of ASMCs in vitro. We provided in vivo evidence suggesting that intraperitoneal injection of emodin (20 mg/kg) 1 h prior to OVA challenge apparently alleviated the thickness of airway smooth muscle, the mass of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen deposition, epithelial damage, goblet cell hyperplasia, airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in lung tissue. Meanwhile, we found that emodin suppressed the activation of the Akt pathway in lung tissue of allergic mouse models. Additionally, we found that emodin inhibited cellular proliferation and Akt activation in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Furthermore, LY294002, an inhibitor for PI3K, abrogated serum-induced phosphorylation of Akt, and decreased the proliferation of ASMCs. These findings indicated that emodin alleviated ASMCs proliferation by inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathway in vivo and in vitro, which may provide a potential therapeutic option for airway smooth muscle remodeling in asthma.