Similarities in the action of Ro 60-0175, a 5-HT2C receptor agonist, and d-fenfluramine on feeding patterns in the rat

RATIONALE: Activation of 5-HT2C receptors is thought to enhance satiety and to mediate the action of the prototypical anorectic drug d-fenfluramine. OBJECTIVE: Four experiments investigated the role of the 5-HT2C receptor in the modulation of feeding by comparison of the effects of the putative selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist Ro 60-0175 and d-fenfluramine on feeding behaviour. METHODS: Microstructural analyses of meal patterning and drinking of a palatable solution were made over a range of drug doses administered to male Lister hooded rats. RESULTS: Ro 60-0175 increased the latency to the first meal (3 mg/kg) and reduced meal size (1 mg/kg). d-Fenfluramine (1 mg/kg) produced a similar behavioural pattern, but 3 mg/kg produced a more profound hypophagia that persisted for 10-12 h. Ro 60-0175 (1, 3 mg/kg) and d-fenfluramine (1.5 mg/kg) reduced ingestion of a palatable glucose/saccharin solution, by a reduction in the number of bouts of licking, with little effect on the size of individual bouts. d-Fenfluramine-induced hypophagia (2.1 mg/kg) was challenged by the administration of the selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB 242084 (1, 3 mg/kg) in the meal patterning paradigm. SB 242084 significantly attenuated the decrease in feeding rate and increase in latency to feed produced by d-fenfluramine, but had no effect on the fenfluramine-induced reduction in meal size. A similar pattern of results was obtained when Ro 60-0175-induced hypophagia (3 mg/kg) was challenged by SB 242084 (1, 3 mg/kg). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that Ro 60-0175 is a useful probe of the importance of 5-HT2C activation in the control of food intake and support the hypothesis that activation of 5-HT2C receptors is a critical aspect of the hypophagic action of d-fenfluramine. The 5-HT2C receptor may prove to be a useful target in the development of clinically effective drugs for the treatment of obesity.     

SB431542对矽肺纤维化大鼠肺组织α-SMA和E-cadherin表达的影响

目的探讨转化生长因子β(TGF-β)特异性受体抑制剂SB431542对矽肺纤维化大鼠肺组织中α-平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-SMA)和钙黏蛋白(E-cadherin)表达的影响及其机制的研究。方法 40只健康雄性SD大鼠随机分为4组,每组10只。依次为:生理盐水对照组,矽肺模型组,SB431542抑制剂组和SB431542抑制剂对照组。除生理盐水对照组外,其余三组采用非暴露气管注入法一次性气管内注入游离二氧化硅(SiO₂)粉尘50 mg,生理盐水对照组大鼠注入等量的生理盐水。SB431542抑制剂组于染尘第7、30天腹腔注射(5 mg/kg)SB431542,SB431542抑制剂对照组采用同样的方式注入等量的抑制剂助溶剂。染尘60天后取材,苏木素-伊红(HE)染色镜下观察肺组织的形态改变,实时荧光定量PCR(Realtime qPCR)法检测肺组织中α-SMA和E-cadherin mRNA表达水平,蛋白免疫印记(Western blot)法检测肺组织中α-SMA和E-cadherin蛋白表达水平。各组间基因和蛋白表达水平比较采用单因素方差分析(ANOVA),组间两两比...     

Optimization of Compound Ranking for Structure‐Based Virtual Ligand Screening Using an Established FRED–Surflex Consensus Approach

The use of multiple target conformers has been applied successfully in virtual screening campaigns; however, a study on how to best combine scores for multiple targets in a hierarchic method that combines rigid and flexible docking is not available. In this study, we used a data set of 59 479 compounds to screen multiple conformers of four distinct protein targets to obtain an adapted and optimized combination of an established hierarchic method that employs the programs FRED and Surflex. Our study was extended and verified by application of our protocol to ten different data sets from the directory of useful decoys (DUD). We quantitated overall method performance in ensemble docking and compared several consensus scoring methods to improve the enrichment during virtual ligand screening. We conclude that one of the methods used, which employs a consensus weighted scoring of multiple target conformers, performs consistently better than methods that do not include such consensus scoring. For optimal overall performance in ensemble docking, it is advisable to first calculate a consensus of FRED results and use this consensus as a sub‐data set for Surflex screening. Furthermore, we identified an optimal method for each of the chosen targets and propose how to optimize the enrichment for any target.     

p38 MAPK在大鼠局灶性脑缺血再灌注损伤中的作用

目的探讨p38 MAPK在大鼠脑缺血再灌注损伤中的作用及可能机制。方法雄性SD大鼠随机分为5组:空白对照组、假手术组、缺血再灌注组、给药组及溶媒组。除对照组及假手术组外各组采用线栓法建立大鼠大脑中动脉缺血再灌注损伤模型。给药组和溶媒组分别侧脑室注射p38 MAPK特异性抑制剂SB202190及1%DMSO。每组分别进行行为学评分和检测Bcl-2、Bax表达的变化。结果①行为学结果:空白对照组及假手术组,缺血再灌注后24 h大鼠神经功能评分降低,给药组大鼠神经功能评分高于缺血再灌注组,有统计学差异(P<0.01)。②免疫印迹检测结果:空白对照组及假手术组可见少量Bcl-2、Bax蛋白表达,两组间无统计学差异(P>0.05);缺血再灌注组再灌注后24 h可见Bcl-2表达减少,但与空白对照组及假手术组相比无统计学差异(P>0.05),而再灌注后24 h可见Bax蛋白表达明显增加,与空白对照组及假手术组相比有统计学差异(P<0.05);给药组与缺血再灌注组相比再灌注后24 h可见Bax蛋白表达明显减少(P<0.05),而Bcl-2蛋白表达明显增加(P<0.05)。结论抑制p38 MAPK激活可以减轻大鼠脑缺血再灌注时的脑神经元的凋亡。     

The p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, abrogates ischaemic preconditioning in rat heart but timing of administration is critical

There is debate concerning the involvement of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the mediation of ischaemic preconditioning. Pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK with SB203580 has been reported to block preconditioning in some studies but not in others. We hypothesised that this divergence could be due to differences in the timing of inhibitor administration. Isolated rat hearts were perfused in the Langendorff mode and subjected to 35 min regional ischaemia followed by 120 min reperfusion. Hearts were then double stained with Evans' blue and triphenyltetrazolium chloride to determine risk (R) and infarct zones (I), expressed as I/R% ratios. Preconditioned hearts were subjected to 2 times 5 min global ischaemia with 10 min intervening reperfusion. SB203580 10 μ M was perfused either during the preconditioning protocol (PC+SB-early), just prior to and during the first 15 min of the lethal ischaemia (PC+SB-late) or prior to regional ischaemia in the absence of preconditioning. Ischaemic preconditioning significantly limited infarct size (I/R 38.9 ± 3.0% in control vs 13.4 ± 2.4%, P < 0.01). In the PC+SB-early group, preconditioning was still fully protective (I/R% 14.6 ± 1.0). However, in the PC+SB-late group, SB203580 completely blocked the protection afforded by preconditioning (I/R% 33.6 ± 4.4%, P < 0.01 vs 13.4 ± 2.4% in preconditioned hearts, p < 0.05). SB203580 alone did not affect infarct size when given prior to and during regional ischaemia (I/R 36.2 ± 2.7%). These histological data are corroborated by a significant increase in p38 MAPK activation in the preconditioned hearts during sustained ischaemia in comparison with the controls. In conclusion the activation of p38 MAPK during lethal ischaemia, but not during the ischaemic preconditioning protocol, is essential for the mediation of protection and may resolve some of the earlier controversy surrounding the use of SB203580 in preconditioning studies. Received: 28 June 2000, Returned for revision: 21 July 2000, Revision received: 9 August 2000, Accepted: 13 September 2000     

Radioiodinated SB 207710 as a radioligand in vivo: imaging of brain 5-HT4 receptors with SPET

Single-photon emission tomography (SPET) and positron emission tomography (PET), when coupled to suitable radioligands, are uniquely powerful for investigating the status of neurotransmitter receptors in vivo. The serotonin subtype-4 (5-HT₄) receptor has discrete and very similar distributions in rodent and primate brain. This receptor population may play a role in normal cognition and memory and is perhaps perturbed in some neuropsychiatric disorders. SB 207710 [(1-butyl-4-piperidinylmethyl)-8-amino-7-iodo-1,4-benzodioxan-5-carboxylate] is a selective high-affinity antagonist at 5-HT₄ receptors. We explored radioiodinated SB 207710 as a possible radioligand for imaging 5-HT₄ receptors in vivo. Rats were injected intravenously with iodine-125 labelled SB 207710, euthanised at known times and dissected to establish radioactivity content in brain tissues. Radioactivity entered brain but cleared rapidly and to a high extent from blood and plasma. Between 45 and 75 min after injection, the ratios of radioactivity concentration in each of 12 selected brain tissues to that in receptor-poor cerebellum correlated with previous measures of 5-HT₄ receptor density distribution in vitro. The highest ratio was about 3.4 in striatum. SB 207710 was labelled with iodine-123 by an iododestannylation procedure. A cynomolgus monkey was injected intravenously with [¹²³I]SB 207710 and examined by SPET. Maximal whole brain uptake of radioactivity was 2.3% of the injected dose at 18 min after radioligand injection. Brain images acquired between 9 and 90 min showed high radioactivity uptake in 5-HT₄ receptor-rich regions, such as striatum, and low uptake in receptor-poor cerebellum. At 169 min the ratio of radioactivity concentration in striatum to that in cerebellum was 4.0. In a second SPET experiment, the cynomolgus monkey was pretreated with a selective 5-HT₄ receptor antagonist, SB 204070, at 20 min before [¹²³I]SB 207710 injection. Radioactivity in all brain regions was reduced almost to the level in cerebellum by 176 min after radioligand injection. These findings show that [¹²³I]SB 207710 is an effective radioligand for imaging brain 5-HT₄ receptors in vivo.For preliminary accounts of this work, see Pike VW et al., J Nucl Med 1998; 39 (Suppl):185; Eur J Nucl Med 1999; 26:991.     

鞘内注射p38 MAPK抑制剂对神经病理性疼痛大鼠脊髓背角脑源性神经营养因子表达的影响

目的 观察鞘内注射p38 MAPK抑制剂SB203580对坐骨神经压缩性损伤(CCI)神经病理性疼痛大鼠的镇痛效果及脊髓背角p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(p38 MAPK)、脑源性神经营养因子(BDNF)的表达,探讨大鼠神经病理性疼痛可能的发生机制。 方法 30只SD雄性大鼠随机分为3组(n=10):假手术组、对照组(CCI组)、SB203580组(CCI术前30 min及术后第1~3天鞘内注射SB203580,剂量为0.1 ml/kg)。于CCI术前2 h以及术后第4~14天测定大鼠右足机械痛阈值;术后第14天取损伤侧腰段脊髓,采用免疫组化方法观察脊髓背角p38 MAPK及BDNF的表达。结果 与术前相比,假手术组术后机械痛阈值差异无统计学意义,对照组、SB203580组在CCI术后机械痛阈值明显降低(P<0.05);与假手术组相比,CCI术后,对照组、SB203580组机械痛阈值明显降低(P<0.05);与对照组相比,CCI术后第4~14天SB203580组机械痛阈值明显升高(P<0.05)。与假手术组相比,对照组、SB203580组脊髓背角p38 MAPK表达及BDNF释放明显增加(P<0.05);与对照组相比,SB203580组损伤侧脊髓背角p38 MAPK表达及BDNF释放明显降低(P<0.05)。结论 鞘内注射p38 MAPK抑制剂可能通过降低损伤侧脊髓背角p38 MAPK表达,抑制BDNF释放,从而缓解CCI大鼠慢性神经病理性疼痛。     

The hypocretin–orexin system regulates cocaine self‐administration via actions on the mesolimbic dopamine system

Recent evidence suggests that the hypocretin–orexin system participates in the regulation of reinforcement processes. The current studies examined the extent to which hypocretin neurotransmission regulates behavioral and neurochemical responses to cocaine, and behavioral responses to food reinforcement. These studies used a combination of fixed ratio, discrete trials, progressive ratio and threshold self‐administration procedures to assess whether the hypocretin 1 receptor antagonist, SB‐334867, reduces cocaine self‐administration in rats. Progressive ratio sucrose self‐administration procedures were also used to assess the extent to which SB‐334867 reduces responding to a natural reinforcer in food‐restricted and food‐sated rats. Additionally, these studies used microdialysis and in vivo voltammetry in rats to examine whether SB‐334867 attenuates the effects of cocaine on dopamine signaling within the nucleus accumbens core. Furthermore, in vitro voltammetry was used to examine whether hypocretin knockout mice display attenuated dopamine responses to cocaine. Results indicate that when SB‐334867 was administered peripherally or within the ventral tegmental area, it reduced the motivation to self‐administer cocaine and attenuated cocaine‐induced enhancement of dopamine signaling. SB‐334867 also reduced the motivation to self‐administer sucrose in food‐sated but not food‐restricted rats. Finally, hypocretin knockout mice displayed altered baseline dopamine signaling and reduced dopamine responses to cocaine. Combined, these studies suggest that hypocretin neurotransmission participates in reinforcement processes, likely through modulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system. Additionally, the current observations suggest that the hypocretin system may provide a target for pharmacotherapies to treat cocaine addiction.