Inhibition of bronchoconstriction by pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP 1-27) in guinea-pigs in vivo.

1. We studied the inhibitory effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP 1-27) on the increase in total pulmonary resistance (RL) caused either by allergen or histamine in anaesthetized, ventilated guinea-pigs. 2. PACAP 1-27 given via i.v. infusion (0.045-4.5 nmol kg-1 min-1) dose-dependently reduced the increase in RL caused by inhaled ovalbumin and histamine. At the highest dose, PACAP 1-27 prevented the increase in RL caused by ovalbumin and histamine completely. Infusion of PACAP 1-27 and the beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, salbutamol (0.045-4.5 nmol kg-1 min-1) inhibited the increase in RL similarly, but salbutamol increased the heart rate more than PACAP 1-27. 3. PACAP 1-27 and salbutamol given via inhaled aerosol (0.1 mM, 20 breaths) significantly reduced the increase in RL caused by histamine infused i.v., whereas aerosolised sterile saline did not. Both PACAP 1-27 and salbutamol caused bronchodilator effects within 1 min of drug inhalation and these effects remained throughout the 20 min of study. 4. Because PACAP 1-27 produced significant bronchodilatation and rapid onset of sustained action in vivo and without pronounced cardiovascular side effects, we conclude that this peptide may have therapeutic potential as a bronchodilator.     

Substance P-immunoreactive sensory axons in the rat respiratory tract: a quantitative study of their distribution and role in neurogenic inflammation.

Substance P is one of the peptides released from sensory nerves that mediate "neurogenic inflammation." Although substance P-immunoreactive (SP-IR) axons are known to be present within the mucosa of the respiratory tract, the relative extent of the innervation of various components of the mucosa is not known. Therefore, we determined the distribution and number of SP-IR axons in the rat trachea and bronchi, by using immunohistochemistry on tissue whole mounts. Specifically, we sought to learn whether these axons directly innervate the postcapillary venules involved in neurogenic plasma extravasation, the arterioles involved in neurogenic vasodilatation, and the airway smooth muscle involved in bronchoconstriction in pathogen-free, adult male F344 rats. We found that 90% of the SP-IR axons were single axons, usually having varicosities. Eighty-five percent of these were in the epithelium, 6% innervated arterioles, and the remainder elsewhere in the lamina propria. Only 10% of the mediator-sensitive postcapillary venules (i.e., venules labeled with Monastral blue pigment after challenge with capsaicin or substance P) were within 10 microns of SP-IR axons. SP-IR axons were more than 10 times as frequent in the smooth muscle of the distal bronchi as in the trachea. Capsaicin pretreatment (168 mg/kg over 7 days) reduced the number of SP-IR axons in the trachea by 96%, which is consistent with their being sensory. Unilateral vagotomy reduced the number of SP-IR axons bilaterally in the trachea and ipsilaterally in the main stem bronchus. Using an antibody to Protein Gene Product 9.5 as a nonspecific marker for all nerves in the trachea, we determined that SP-IR axons constituted 90% of the axons in the epithelium, 32% of the axons on arterioles, and only 4% of the axons in the smooth muscle. We conclude that most SP-IR nerves in the trachea are sensory axons and most of these axons end in the epithelium. SP-IR axons innervate mucosal arterioles, but few innervate postcapillary venules. Therefore, the mechanism by which sensory axons evoke plasma extravasation from these venules is likely to involve the diffusion of the peptide or a secondary mediator from the epithelium or from the arterioles upstream.     

Neutral endopeptidase modulates tachykinin-induced increase in vascular permeability in guinea pig skin

To determine the regulatory role of neutral endopeptidase (NEP) in the tachykinin-induced increase in vascular permeability, we examined the effects of NEP inhibitors and of other protease inhibitors on plasma extravasation induced by intradermal injection of substance P, neurokinin A, and neurokinin B in guinea pig skin. The three tachykinins induced plasma extravasation in concentration-dependent fashions. A significant NEP activity was found to be present in the guinea pig skin. The tachykinin-induced responses were increased by the NEP inhibitors phosphoramidon and thiorphan. However, other protease inhibitors, including a kininase II inhibitor, did not affect the response. We conclude that NEP modulates the tachykinin-induced increase in vascular permeability in the skin.     

Hepatic pathology in vitamin A toxicity

This paper documents a case of vitamin A toxicity presenting with splenomegaly and ascites. The light microscopic, electron microscopic, and fluorescent findings are described in detail. The principal histopathologic finding was marked perisinusoidal fibrosis. The role of Ito cells in the storage of lipid-soluble vitamins and their subsequent transformation to fibroblasts producing collagen are discussed.     

Preferential VH/V lambda pairings occur in the available B cell repertoire of adult BALB/c mice.

To gain insights into the composition of the B cell repertoire, we have investigated VH gene family expression associated with individual light chains. For this purpose, we have examined the use of 12 VH gene families in a large collection of hybridomas expressing one of the four lambda light chains [lambda 1 (V1J1), lambda 2 (V2J2 and V x J2) and lambda 3 (V1J3)]. Our results show that the distribution of the VH families is very different from one lambda subtype to another. This suggests that a few substitutions between VL regions are sufficient to generate very different associated repertoires by strong selection mechanisms. Moreover, we assume that the global VH expression pattern is not random but rather composed of many preferential VH/VL associations.