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Biomedical subjects

A N Davison

Publications and source records attributed to A N Davison.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Biochemical assessment of serotonergic and cholinergic dysfunction and cerebral atrophy in Alzheimer's disease.

Markers of serotonin synapses in entire temporal lobe and frontal and temporal neocortex were examined for changes in Alzheimer's disease by use of both neurosurgical and autopsy samples. Uptake of [3H]serotonin, binding of [3H]imipramine, and content of indolamines were all significantly reduced, indicating that serotonin nerve terminals are affected. Binding of [3H]serotonin was also reduced, whereas that of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate, [3H]muscimol, and [3H]dihydroalprenolol were unaltered. When the Alzheimer's samples were subdivided according to age, the reduction in [3H]serotonin binding was a feature of only autopsy samples from younger patients. In contrast, presynaptic cholinergic activity was reduced in all groups of Alzheimer's samples, including neurosurgical specimens. Five markers, thought to reflect cerebral atrophy, cytoplasm, nerve cell membrane, and neuronal perikarya were measured in the entire temporal lobe. In Alzheimer's disease the reductions (mean 25%, range 20-35%) were thought to be too large to be due only to loss of structures associated with the presumed cholinergic perikarya in the basal forebrain and monoamine neurones in the brain stem.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1982

Stimulation of acetylcholine synthesis by blockade of presynaptic muscarinic inhibitory autoreceptors: observations in rat and human brain preparations and comparison with the effect of choline.

The central presynaptic muscarinic inhibitory autoreceptor has been monitored by measuring the effects of muscarinic agents on acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis by rat and human neocortical tissue prisms. Quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB), the antimuscarinic which of 20 tested caused the most marked stimulation of ACh synthesis in rat, significantly increased ACh synthesis in human prisms over a range or concentrations of 0.1 microM-10 microM. This data provides the first evidence that human brain contains presynaptic muscarinic receptors. However, the most marked effect of QNB was to increase synthesis to only 112% of control (value without drug) which was much less than in rat (to 140% of control). ACh synthesis is reduced to 50% of control in neocortex from Alzheimer patients so none of the antimuscarinics tested seem to be potentially capable of appreciably reversing this deficit. A high concentration of choline (10 mM) stimulated synthesis in rat prisms to about the same extent as QNB. Moreover, the ACh precursor was at least as effective in stimulating synthesis in human prisms (including those from a patient with Alzheimer's disease). This suggests that an elevated intracellular concentration of choline is likely to be much more effective than an antimuscarinic agent in stimulating synthesis in Alzheimer brain.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1982

Immunosuppression by cyclosporin A of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

Cyclosporin A (CsA), an immunosuppressant which acts selectively on antigen-responding T cells, was tried in the treatment of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). The drug was highly effective in preventing the appearance of clinical and pathological signs of EAE in rats, guinea pigs and monkeys. Treatment of the established disease also reduced the incidence and severity of symptoms, and significantly reduced the number of inflammatory lesions in the central nervous system.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Effects of Cd2+, Mn2+, and Al3+ on rat brain synaptosomal uptake of noradrenaline and serotonin.

Cd2+, Mn2+, and Al3+ inhibited synaptosomal amine uptake in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. In the absence of Ca2+, the rank order of inhibition of noradrenaline uptake was: Cd2+ (IC50 = 250 microM) greater than Al3+ (IC50 = 430 microM) greater than Mn2+ (IC50 = 1.50 mM), the IC50 being the concentration of metal ions that gave rise to 50% inhibition of uptake. In the presence of 1 mM Ca2+, the rank order of inhibition of uptake was: Al3+ (IC50 = 330 microM) greater than Cd2+ (IC50 = 540 microM) greater than (IC50 = 1.5 mM). The rank order of inhibition of serotonin uptake without Ca2+ was: Al3+ (IC50 = 370 microM) greater than Cd2+ (IC50 = 610 microM) greater than Mn2+ (IC50 = 3.4 mM) and the rank order in the presence of 1 mM Ca2+ was: Al3+ (IC50 = 290 microM) greater than Cd2+ (IC50 = 1.5 mM) greater than Mn2+ (IC50 = 4.0 mM). Ca2+, at 1 mM, definitely antagonized the inhibitory actions of Cd2+ on noradrenaline and serotonin uptake. Al3+ stimulated noradrenaline uptake at concentrations around 20-250 microM but inhibited this uptake at concentrations exceeding 300 microM in a dose-related fashion. Ca2+, at 1 mM, enhanced both the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of Al3+. Ca2+ also enhanced the inhibitory actions of Al3+ on serotonin uptake. These results, in conjunction with those we have previously published, suggest that Cd2+, Mn2+, and Al3+ exert differential and selective effects on the structure and function of synaptosomal membranes.

Aluminum↗
PubMed1982

Production of [14C]acetylcholine and [14C]carbon dioxide from [U-14C]glucose in tissue prisms from aging rat brain.

Production of [14C]acetylcholine and 14CO2 was examined by using tissue prisms from neocortex, hippocampus, and striatum from rats aged approximately 5 months, 13 months, and 27 months. [14C]Acetylcholine synthesis in the striatum showed highly significant decreases with age for measurements in the presence of both 5 mM- and 31 mM-K+, contrasting with the lack of significant change in 14CO2 production in this region. The neocortex and hippocampus showed only small changes, especially when comparison was made between 13-month and senescent animals. Measurements of the release of [14C]acetylcholine and influence of atropine on this release confirmed the relative stability with age of the cholinergic system in the neocortex.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1982

The effects of chronic manganese chloride treatment expressed as age-dependent, transient changes in rat brain synaptosomal uptake of amines.

As a result of chronic manganese treatment of rats from conception onwards, a decrease was observed in the uptake of dopamine, but not of noradrenaline or serotonin, by synaptosomes isolated from hypothalamus, striatum, and midbrain and in choline uptake by hypothalamic synaptosomes obtained from 70-90-day-old animals. In 100-120-day-old manganese-treated rats the only difference observed was increased choline uptake by striatal synaptosomes. All comparisons were with age-matched controls. These results, which are consistent with views of a dopaminergic and cholinergic involvement in manganese encephalopathy, point out that changes in these systems are observable only at specific times during manganese intoxication.

Aging↗
PubMed1982

Cyclosporin A inhibits ganglioside-stimulated lymphocyte rosette formation in multiple sclerosis.

Brain gangliosides have been found to stimulate active lymphocyte rosette formation in patients with multiple sclerosis during an active phase of the illness. On antigenic stimulation, a soluble factor is released which enhances active rosette formation. These reactions do not occur in multiple sclerosis patients during remission, in other neurological diseases or in controls that we have tested. More than one antigen may act on sensitized lymphocytes. The ganglioside-mediated response of lymphocytes from multiple sclerosis patients is blocked in vitro by Cyclosporin A.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

[14C]acetylcholine synthesis and [14C]carbon dioxide production from [U-14C]glucose by tissue prisms from human neocortex.

1. [14C]Acetylcholine synthesis and 14CO2 production from [U-14C]glucose has been measured in tissue prism preparations from human neocortex. 2. Electron micrographs of prisms from human and rat neocortex show that both contain intact synaptic endings with evenly-distributed vesicles and normal-appearing mitochondria, but only poorly preserved cell body structure. 3. Synthesis of [14C]acetylcholine in prisms from rat neocortex is similar to estimates for turnover in vivo. Synthesis in prisms from human neocortex is 18% of that in rat tissue and 64% of that in tissue from baboon neocortex for incubations performed in 31 mM-K+. 4. Investigations of prisms prepared from rat brains stored at 37 degrees C after death revealed that synthesis of [14C]acetylcholine in the presence of 31 mM-K+ was greatly decreased within 30 min of post-mortem incubation, whereas synthesis at 5 mM-K+ and production of 14CO2 at both K+ concentrations were only significantly affected after longer periods. Changes were similar in neocortex and striatum. Thus human autopsy material is unlikely to be suitable for use with this system. 5. Investigations using animal models suggest that [14C]acetylcholine synthesis and 14CO2 production are not affected by surgical or anaesthetic procedures. 6. Neither [14C]acetylcholine synthesis nor 14CO2 production in human prisms was significantly changed with age between 15 and 68 years. 7. Samples from patients with the dementing condition Alzheimer's disease showed a significant decrease in [14C]acetylcholine synthesis to 47% of normal samples and a significant increase of 39% in production of 14CO2.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1981

Selective inhibition of L-glutamate and gammaaminobutyrate transport in nerve ending particles by aluminium, manganese, and cadmium chloride.

AlCl3, MnCl2, and CdCl2 inhibited the rates of accumulation of [14C] L-glutamate and [3H] gammaaminobutyrate (GABA) in purified rat forebrain nerve-ending particles in a dose-dependent fashion. The concentrations that would give 50% inhibition (IC50) of GABA transport were 316 muM, 7.4 mM, and 1.4 mM, respectively. Ca2+ (1 mM) enhanced the inhibitory effect of Al3+ (IC50 decreased to 149 muM) but antagonized that of Mn2+ (IC50 = 10 mM) and Cd2+ (IC50 = 2.1 mM). For glutamate transport 1 mM Ca2+ changed the IC50 values from 299 to 224 micron for Al3+, 7.1 to 10 mM for Mn2+, and 2 to 3 mM for Cd2+. In contrast, the rates of accumulation of [14C] 2-deoxy-glucose and [3H] L-phenylalanine were mostly unaffected by these metal ions. The results indicate that Al3+, Mn2+, and Cd2+ exerted selective and differential effects on the transport systems of neurotransmitter substances in the synaptosomal membrane.

Aluminum↗
PubMed1980

Developmental changes in the protein and ribonucleic acid components of rat brain messenger ribonucleic acid-protein particles isolated from free polyribosomes by oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography.

A study has been made of the developmental changes that occur in the RNA and protein moieties of mRNA-protein particles isolated from newborn and adult rat forebrain free polyribosomes. mRNA-protein particles were isolated by oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography from salt-washed polyribosomes dissociated by puromycin/0.5 M-KCl treatment as two fractions (E1 and E2) by using Tris/HCl/NaCl eluting buffers containing respectively 25 and 50% (v/v) formamide. Isopycnic centrifugation on CsCl gradients showed that the newborn-derived fractions E1 and E2 has buoyant densities of 1.48--1.50 and 1.41--1.43 g/cm3. Adult-derived E1 and E2 fractions had corresponding values of 1.47 and 1.42 g/cm3. The pooled mRNA-protein particles from the E1 and E2 fractions after deproteinization with proteinase K sedimented with a mean size of approx. 18 S on a sucrose gradient containing 85% formamide with little differences between mRNA molecules from newborn and adult. The mean lengths of the poly(A) segments were similar, being about 130 nucleotides long. Distinct changes were found in the protein composition of the mRNA-protein particles. Fractions E1 and E2 from the newborn contained two major proteins of mol.wts. 74 000 and 52 000 with differences in the relative proportions in each fraction. In contrast, adult fractions E1 and E2 contained predominantly the larger protein. However, the adult fraction E2 contained a more heterogeneous population of minor bands of proteins, including that of mol.wt. 52 000. The findings are discussed briefly in relation to other changes in the developing brain.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Glucose metabolism and acetylcholine synthesis in relation to neuronal activity in Alzheimer's disease.

The metabolism of (U--14C) glucose and its incorporation into acetylcholine were determined in vitro in fresh cortical biopsy samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease and controls. Synthesis of 14C acetylcholine was significantly reduced (60% and 67% reduction under stimulated and resting conditions, respectively) without significant changes in the overall metabolism of glucose (as measured by 14CO2 production). Acetylcholine synthesis was directly related to the activity of choline acetyltransferase. The changes in cholinergic markers reflected the severity of psychological defects. Acetylcholine synthesis was not reduced in biopsy samples from patients suffering from presenile dementia with no histological evidence of Alzheimer's disease.

Acetylcholine↗