New insights on P2X purinoceptors

Significant advances in understanding of P_2X purinoceptor pharmacology have been made in the last few years. The limitations of nucleotide agonists as drug tools have now been amply demonstrated. Fortunately, inhibitors of the degrading ecto-ATPase enzymes are becoming available and it has become apparent that the complete removal of all divalent cations can be used experimentally in some systems to prevent nucleotide breakdown. Despite these issues, convincing evidence for P_2X receptor heterogeneity, from data with agonists, has recently been reported.A number of new antagonists at P_2X purinoceptors have also recently been described which to some degree appear to be more specific and useful than earlier antagonists like suramin. It is now apparent that suramin is a poor antagonist of ATP in many tissues because it potently inhibits ATPase activity at similar concentrations to those at which it blocks the P_2X purinoceptor.Advances in the use of radiolabelled nucleotides as radioligands for binding studies has allowed the demonstration of P_2X purinoceptors in a variety of tissues throughout the body including the brain. These studies have also provided evidence for receptor heterogeneity. Excitingly, two P_2X purinoceptor genes have been cloned but operational studies suggest that more than two types exist. The cloning studies have also demonstrated a unique structure for the P_2X purinoceptor which differentiates it from all other ligand-gated ion channel receptors. Further studies on P_2X purinoceptor operation and structure are needed to help resolve controversies alluded to regarding the characterization and classification of nucleotide receptors. Hopefully such studies will also lead to a better understanding of the physiological and pathological importance of ATP and its activation of P_2X purinoceptors. This will require the identification of better drug tools, in particular antagonists which may also provide the basis for novel therapeutic agents.     

Differential Stimulation of Noradrenaline Release by Reversal of the Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger and Depolarization in Chromaffin Cells

We compared the effectiveness of Ca²⁺ entering by Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange with that of Ca²⁺ entering by channels produced by membrane depolarization with K⁺ in inducing catecholamine release from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. The Ca²⁺ influx through the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger was promoted by reversing the normal inward gradient of Na⁺ by preincubating the cells with ouabain to increase the intracellular Na⁺ and then removing Na⁺ from the external medium. In this way we were able to increase the cytosolic free Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_c) by Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange to 325 ± 14 nM, which was similar to the rise in [Ca²⁺]_c observed upon depolarization with 35 mM K⁺ of cells not treated with ouabain. After incubating the cells with ouabain, K⁺ depolarization raised the [Ca²⁺]_c to 398 ± 31 nM, and the recovery of [Ca²⁺]_c to resting levels was significantly slower. Reversal of the Na⁺ gradient caused an −6-fold increase in the release of noradrenaline or adrenaline, whereas K⁺ depolarization induced a 12-fold increase in noradrenaline release but only a 9-fold increase in adrenaline release. The ratio of noradrenaline to adrenaline release was 1.24 ± 0.23 upon reversal of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange, whereas it was 1.83 ± 0.19 for K⁺ depolarization. Reversal of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange appeared to be as efficient as membrane depolarization in inducing adrenaline release, in that the relation of [Ca²⁺]_c to adrenaline release was the same in both cases. In contrast, we found that for the same average [Ca²⁺]_c, the Ca²⁺ influx through voltage-gated channels was much more efficient than the Ca²⁺ entering through the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger in inducing noradrenaline release from chromaffin ceils. This greater effectiveness of membrane depolarization in stimulating noradrenaline release suggests that there is a pool of noradrenaline vesicles which is more accessible to Ca²⁺ entering through voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels than to Ca²⁺ entering through the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger, whereas the adrenaline vesicles do not distinguish between the source of Ca²⁺.     

NIFEDIPINE BLOCKS ACTH AND CORTISOL RELEASE IN MAN

1. The present study investigated the effect of prior administration of nifedipine on AVP-induced ACTH release in seven normal volunteers. Three protocols were used: 20 mg oral nifedipine; 0.14 pressor units intramuscular (i.m.) per kg bodyweight aqueous AVP; oral nifedipine plus i.m. AVP 90 min later. Plasma ACTH and cortisol were measured at intervals for 2.5 h during each test. 2. The mean peak plasma ACTH and cortisol levels and the mean peak changes from basal in these levels were significantly lower in the nifedipine/AVP test than in the AVP alone test. The integrated area under the cortisol time curve was significantly lower for the nifedipine/AVP test than that for the AVP test alone. Nifedipine alone caused no changes in ACTH or cortisol. 3. Acute administration of oral nifedipine caused an inhibition of AVP-stimulated ACTH and cortisol release in normal humans. This effect may be due to blockade of plasma membrane calcium channels normally activated during AVP stimulation of pituitary corticotrophs.     

氯胺酮对离体大鼠心室肌细胞内向整流钾电流的影响

目的观察氯胺酮对离体大鼠心室肌细胞内向整流钾电流(I_(k1))的影响。方法酶解法分离大鼠心室肌细胞,采用全细胞膜片钳技术记录 I_(k1),观察100μmol/L 氯胺酮在不同钳制电压下以及不同浓度(50～5000μmol/L)氯胺酮在-120mV 钳制电压下对大鼠心室肌细胞 I_(k1)的影响。结果 100 μmol/L 氯胺酮抑制 I_(k1),但不改变 I_(k1)翻转电压以及电流-电压曲线的形状；I_(k1)灌流液冲洗后,I_(k1)能够完全恢复。保持电压-40mV、钳制电压-120mV 下5～5000μmol/L 氯胺酮呈浓度依赖性抑制 I_(k1)其 IC_(50)为(162.3±8.4)μmol/L。结论氯胺酮呈浓度依赖性抑制大鼠心室肌细胞 I_(k1),可能延长动作电位时程导致心率变慢。     

Measurement of cell impedance in frequency domain using discontinuous current clamp and white-noise-modulated current injection

A method is decribed for the determination of cellular input impedance of non-spiking neurones. The input impedance is important when cellular geometry and the effects of voltage-dependent channels are considered. Cells are impaled with a single glass microelectrod and current is injected using a time-sharing technique. The cell's impedance is measured by randomly modulating the injected current and calculating the impedance as a transfer function between current and recorded membrane voltage. Corresponding coherence functions can also be calculated for estimating the signal-to-noise ratio, and also linearity (i.e. possible activation of voltage-dependent conductances) of the membrane.     

胆结石对肝脏细胞钙稳态影响与调整的实验研究

用低蛋白饮食方法建立豚鼠胆色素结石模型，共设对照、致石、维生素Ｃ修复、丹参修复和对照修复等５组，规定时间内处死动物，用放射免疫、固相酶联免疫、生物化学等方法检测肝细胞内环—磷酸腺甙（ｃＡＭＰ）、环—磷酸鸟嘌呤（ｃＧＭＰ）、钙调素（ＣａＭ）、钙，三磷酸腺甙酶（Ｃａ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ）、磷酸化酶ａ等水平。致石组豚鼠肝脏细胞内ｃＡＭＰ和磷酸化酶ａ升高，而ｃＧＭＰ，ＣａＭ和Ｃａ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ下降，表明肝细胞钙稳态呈失调状态。维生素Ｃ和丹参可调整肝细胞的上述改变，说明维生素Ｃ和丹参具有维持肝细胞钙稳态的作用。     

Ion conductances of isolated cortical collecting duct cells

The study of ion conductances in the intact cortical collecting duct (CCD) with the patch-clamp method is rather difficult. An optimized method to isolate CCD cells from rat kidneys using an in vivo followed by an in vitro enzyme digestion is described. Individual CCD segments were collected after this digestion and incubated in EGTA-buffered medium. This procedure resulted in single cells or cell clusters. These freshly isolated CCD cells were studied with different modifications of the patch-clamp method. Membrane voltages measured in the cell-attached-nystatin configuration were –74 ±1mV (n=13) and –68±3 mV (n=22) in cells isolated from normal and mineralocorticoid-treated rats respectively. These values and those measured with the nystatin-perforated slow-whole-cell configuration (–79 ±1mV, n=23) are comparable to those measured in principal cells of isolated CCD segments. The cells hyperpolarized after the addition of amiloride and depolarized with the addition of adiuretin to the bath. The amiloride effect was enhanced when cells were isolated from deoxycorticosterone-acetate-treated rats. The cells were strongly depolarized upon elevation of the extracellular K⁺-concentration and did not demonstrate a measurable Cl^– conductance. A large-conductance K⁺ channel (174 pS, n=5, cell-attached, 145 mmol/l K⁺ in the pipette; 140 pS, n=12, cell-free, 3.6 mmol/l K⁺ in the bath) was seen. It had a very low activity on the cell, but a high open probability when excised into a solution with 1 mmol/l Ca²⁺ on the cytosolic side. More often a small-conductance K⁺ channel (36–52 pS, n=19, cell-attached; 30 pS, n=5, cell-free) with a high open probability was found on the cell. These freshly isolated cells seem to be a powerful preparation to study the properties and regulation of ion conductances of rat CCD with several electrophysiological methods. These freshly isolated CCD cells maintain the conductance properties known from principal cells of the intact CCD.     

Molecular Pharmacology of Topiramate: Managing Seizures and Preventing Migraine

Topiramate is a neuromodulatory compound with stabilizing properties that was initially introduced for the management of partial seizures. Topiramate has been demonstrated to modify several receptor-gated and voltage-sensitive ion channels, including voltage-activated Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ channels and non-NMDA receptors. These receptors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of both epilepsy and migraine. The pharmacological mechanisms of action for topiramate that may explain its antiepileptic and migraine preventive activities will be discussed in this review. In addition, the potential relationship between the molecular activities of topiramate and its efficacy in epilepsy and migraine prevention will be emphasized.     

不同类型精神分裂症患者脑脊液色氨酸及其与竞争性氨基酸比值对照研究

应用高压液相色谱（ＰＨＬＣ）对４２例阳性精神分裂症患者、２５例阴性精神分裂症患者及１０例健康正常对照组脑脊液中色氨酸（Ｔｒｙｔｏｐｈａｎ，ＴＲＰ）和酪氢酸（Ｔｙｒｏｓｉｎｅ，Ｔｙｒ）进行测试，其中ＴＲＰ／Ｔｙｒ被作为两者竞争指数，结果提示阳性、阴性精神分裂症患者脑脊液中Ｔｙｒ显著性降低，而ＴＲＰ则无显著性变化。但发现阳性精神分裂症患者的ＴＲＰ／Ｔｙｒ比值显著高于正常对照组，也显著高于阴性精神分裂症患者，本文结合ＴＲＰ／Ｔｙｒ的意义与价值进行了讨论。