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Biomedical subjects

B Hamprecht

Publications and source records attributed to B Hamprecht.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Immunocytochemical characterization of neuron-rich rat brain primary cultures: calbindin D28K as marker of a neuronal subpopulation.

The function in neurons of the vitamin D-dependent calcium ion-binding-protein of 28 kDa mol. wt., calbindin D28K, is unknown. In order to find a simple system for studying the function of this protein, neuron-rich primary cultures derived from brains of 16-day-old rat embryos were analyzed for the presence of calbindin D28K by immunocytochemical mono- and double-labelling techniques. The studies were carried out between the 5th and 23rd day after seeding. In contrast to the neuronal marker neuron-specific enolase which was found in nearly all cells in the culture, calbindin D28K was expressed only in a subpopulation of neurons. Calbindin D28K-positive cells were intensely stained in their cell bodies and were also stained in their processes. Astroglial cells identified by the presence of the processes. Astroglial cells identified by the presence of the specific marker glial fibrillary acidic protein did not express calbindin D28K. Therefore, calbindin D28K is a useful marker for defining a neuronal subpopulation in neuron-rich primary cultures. Such cultures may be employed as a tool in searching for function(s) of calbindin D28K.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Purification and characterization of sorbitol dehydrogenase from bovine brain.

Sorbitol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.14) was isolated from bovine brain and purified 3,000-fold to apparent homogeneity, as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 36 units/mg of protein; a molecular weight of 39,000 for each of the four identical subunits and 155,000 for the intact enzyme were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel exclusion chromatography, respectively. The presence of one Zn2+ per subunit was confirmed by atom absorption spectroscopy; inactivation of the enzyme by metal-chelating agents points to the essential role that Zn2+ plays in the catalytically competent enzyme. The enzyme is also inactivated by thiol-blocking reagents; with respect to inactivation by sodium pyrophosphate, sorbitol dehydrogenase is different from closely related alcohol dehydrogenase.

Aldehyde Reductase↗
PubMed1989

Creatine transport in cultured cells of rat and mouse brain.

Astroglia-rich cultures derived from brains of newborn rats or mice use a transport system for the uptake of creatine. The uptake system is saturable, Na+-dependent, and highly specific for creatine and Na+. Kinetic studies on rat cells revealed a Km value for creatine of 45 microM, a Vmax of 17 nmol x h-1 x (mg of protein)-1, and a Km value of 55 mM for Na+. The carrier is competitively inhibited by guanidinopropionate (Ki = 15 microM). No such transport system was found in neuron-rich primary cultures from embryonic rat brain. It is hypothesized that creatine transport is an astroglial rather than a neuronal function.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Elevation by atrial natriuretic factors of cyclic GMP levels in astroglia-rich cultures from murine brain.

Atrial natriuretic factors, peptide hormones originally found in the heart, slowly but strongly elevate the level of cyclic GMP in primary astrocyte-rich cultures derived from brains of newborn rats or mice but not in neuron-rich cultures prepared from embryonic rat brain. In the absence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, a plateau level of cyclic GMP is obtained within 10 min. In the presence of the inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, the concentration of cyclic GMP continues to rise, even after 30 min. The elevation of the level of cyclic GMP in response to atrial natriuretic factor is much more pronounced in the rat cultures than the mouse cultures. Even at peptide concentrations of 1 microM, plateaus of the concentration-response curves are not yet reached. The potencies of the active peptides vary over a range of approximately 1.5 orders of magnitude, with atriopeptins II and III and auriculin A being the most potent ones. These results suggest (a) that atrial natriuretic factors may regulate functions of glial cells, most likely of astrocytes, in brain and (b) that such cultures may be useful tools in defining such astroglial functions.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1989

Regulation by dibutyryl cyclic AMP of carnosine synthesis in astroglia-rich primary cultures kept in serum-free medium.

The synthesis of carnosine (beta-Ala-His) by astroglia-rich primary cultures was much higher if the cells were cultivated in Ham's nutrient mixture F-12 than if they were grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium. Carnosine synthesis was not affected by the presence of insulin, transferrin, phorbol myristate acetate, or dexamethasone. However, dibutyryl cyclic AMP and other agents that can, directly or indirectly, activate cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases strongly lower the rate of carnosine synthesis. The depression of carnosine synthesis was dependent on the concentration of dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The effect was maximal (approximately 80% inhibition) in cultures preincubated with 1 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP for 4 days. The adenylate cyclase activator forskolin, the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, and 8-bromo-cyclic AMP caused the same depression as dibutyryl cyclic AMP, whereas neither butyrate nor dibutyryl cyclic GMP elicited any effect.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1989

Characteristics of sorbitol uptake in rat glial primary cultures.

Uptake of [U-14C]sorbitol was studied in astrogliarich rat primary cultures. Initial rate of sorbitol uptake is proportional to sorbitol concentration between 20 microM and 400 mM. Sorbitol transport is not inhibited by glucose, fructose, and a variety of structurally related polyols, or by cytochalasin B, an inhibitor of glucose transport. Phloretin, phlorizin, filipin, and n-hexanol, all compounds that alter the properties of biological membranes, and the sulfhydryl reagent p-chloromercuribenzoate inhibit sorbitol uptake to various degrees. Variation in the concentrations of extracellular Na+ and K+ does not affect transfer of sorbitol across the cell membrane. It is concluded that sorbitol is taken up into glial cells by a diffusion process, not involving a carrier and probably not through the lipid bilayer, but through a proteinaceous channel-like structure.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Characterization of a substance P receptor activating a cation permeability in neuronal cell lines.

Substance P at micromolar concentrations enhances the uptake of [14C]guanidinium in neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells, an effect which most likely indicates activation of Na+ permeability. The substance P receptor was characterized pharmacologically. Analogues of substance P with D-amino acids e.g. spantide, and substance P-methyl ester were similarly active. Substance P (free acid), fragments of the substance P precursor, and substance P-(1-9) displayed no activity. This indicates the importance of the hydrophobic C-terminal for stimulation of the hybrid cells. The potency was reduced with decreasing length the of C-terminal fragments. However, the substance P antagonists [D-Pro4,D-Trp7,9,Nle11]substance P-(4-11) and [D-Pro4,D-Trp7,9,10]substance P-(4-11) showed substantially greater activity than substance P-(4-11). Substance P-(6-11) (i.e. H-Arg-DTrp-MePhe-DTrp-Leu-Met-NH2) behaved as a mixed agonist-antagonist. At concentrations higher than 10 microM, it inhibited the stimulation exerted by substance P. No other peptides of the tachykinin family (neurokinins A and B, physalaemin, eledoisin, kassinin) nor the synthetic analogues with specificity for certain receptor subtypes ([pGlu6,Pro9]substance P-(6-11), DiMe-C7, i.e. [pGlu5,MePhe8,Sar9]substance P-(5-11) and senktide, i.e. N-succinyl-[Asp6,MePhe8]substance P-(6-11) had any effect on guanidinium uptake in the hybrid cells. Hence, the substance P site with low affinity on the hybrid cells does not fit into the usual classification of tachykinin receptors but resembles the site that modulates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on chromaffin cells.

Glioma↗
PubMed1987

Angiotensin evokes in polyploid rat glioma cells hyperpolarization-depolarization responses and cross-desensitization with bradykinin.

Angiotensins I, II and III induced a hyperpolarizing response of up to 1 min duration followed by a depolarizing response of up to 4 min when applied by pressure pulses or iontophoresis to polyploid rat glioma cells C6-4-2. The hyperpolarization (depolarization) was associated with a 50% decrease (no measurable change) in membrane resistance. The reversal potential (ca.-90 mV) of the hyperpolarization most likely points to an increase K+ conductance. Cells desensitized to angiotensins on application of high doses of either angiotensins or bradykinin.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1987

Atrial natriuretic polypeptide hormones induce membrane potential responses in cultured rat glioma cells.

Atrial natriuretic hormones (ANHs) applied to polyploid rat glioma cells induced hyperpolarizations of about 30 s duration, followed by depolarizations lasting 1-2 min. Repeated applications of the peptide resulted in desensitization. The reversal potential of -87 mV at an extracellular K+ concentration of 5 mM and the decrease of membrane resistance during the hyperpolarization indicate that K+ channels were activated by ANH. In these cells the fluorescence signal of 2-[(2-bis[carboxymethyl]amino-5-methylphenoxy)-methyl]-6-methoxy-8-bis [carboxymethyl]aminoquinoline (quin2) was not affected by ANH suggesting that ANH did not change the cytosolic Ca2+-activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Peptide uptake by astroglia-rich brain cultures.

Uptake of carnosine has been investigated in astroglia-rich primary cultures derived from brains of newborn mice. It could be demonstrated that carnosine is not degraded by these cells but rapidly taken up in an energy- and sodium-dependent process. Uptake and release of carnosine by these cells were found to be mediated by a saturable, high-affinity transport system with apparent kinetic constants of Km = 50 microM and Vmax = 22.7 nmol X h-1 X mg protein-1. Uptake of carnosine is strongly inhibited by other dipeptides as well as by various oligopeptides, e.g., Leu-enkephalin. However, uptake of the radiolabeled tripeptide D-Ala-L-Ala-L-Ala was not observed. Radiolabeled Leu-enkephalin also did not accumulate intracellularly, even if degradation of the peptide was prevented by use of peptidase inhibitors. These results suggest that uptake of carnosine is catalyzed by a dipeptide-specific transport system with broad substrate specificity. With neuronal cells in primary culture, uptake of carnosine or other peptides was not observed.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1987

Na+-dependent transport of taurine by membrane vesicles of neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells.

The transport of taurine into membrane vesicles prepared from neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells 108CC5 was studied. A great part of the taurine uptake by the membrane preparation is due to the transport into an osmotically sensitive space of membrane vesicles. Taurine uptake by membrane vesicles is an active transport driven by the concentration gradient of Na+ across the membrane (outside concentration greater than inside). The Km value of 36 microM for Na+-dependent taurine uptake indicates a high-affinity transport system. The rate of taurine transport by the membrane vesicles is enhanced by the K+ gradient (inside concentration greater than outside) and the K+ ionophore valinomycin. Taurine transport is inhibited by several structural analogs of taurine: hypotaurine, beta-alanine, and taurocyamine. All these results indicate that the taurine transport system of the membrane vesicles displays properties almost identical to those of intact neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The regulatory influence of bradykinin and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate on the membrane potential in neural cell lines.

The effect of bradykinin on membrane potential, level of cyclic nucleotides and of cytosolic Ca2+-activity was determined in neural cell lines. Bradykinin induced a transient hyperpolarization followed by a depolarization in mouse neuroblastoma x rat glioma hybrid cells and in polyploid rat glioma cells. The reversal potential of the hyperpolarizing response depended on the extracellular K+ concentration. The K+ channel blockers, Ba2+, quinidine, and 4-aminopyridine, inhibited the response to bradykinin. This suggests that the hyperpolarization of ca. 1 min duration, which was accompanied by a decreased input resistance, is due to activation of K+ channels. Upon addition of bradykinin to the cells the cytosolic Ca2+-activity increased transiently. Ca2+ was involved in the induction of the hyperpolarization by bradykinin, since both removal of extracellular Ca2+ and injection of EGTA into the cells suppressed the membrane potential response. Bradykinin induced the formation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), an agent known to release Ca2+ from intracellular stores, and stimulated the uptake of 45Ca2+ into the cells. Therefore the increased level of intracellular Ca2+ activating the K+ conductance could be due to two components: release from intracellular pools and uptake. IP3 seems to be involved in the membrane potential response, because intracellular injection of either IP3 or Ca2+ into the glioma cells elicited a hyperpolarizing response which resembled that after application of bradykinin and was also susceptible to the K+ channel blocking agents listed above. However, the formation of cyclic GMP by bradykinin apparently plays no role in the membrane potential effect of bradykinin.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Immunocytochemical characterization of neuron-rich primary cultures of embryonic rat brain cells by established neuronal and glial markers and by monospecific antisera against cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases and the synaptic vesicle protein synapsin I.

Primary cell cultures derived from embryonic rat brain were characterized by immunocytochemical methods using established cell markers and monospecific antisera against cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases and the synaptic vesicle protein, synapsin I. The cultures contained predominantly neurons, few astroglial cells and no oligodendroglial cells, based on immunocytochemical studies of the distribution of neuron-specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein, myelin basic protein and galactocerebroside. Subsequently, the immunocytochemical localization of synapsin I, the cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase and the various subunits of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase was determined. Synapsin I, a substrate for both the cyclic AMP- and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, appeared particularly useful as a specific neuronal marker in primary cultures. Both immunocytochemical and immunoblotting techniques readily detected synapsin I in neuron-rich embryonic brain cultures, but indicated that synapsin I was absent from glia-rich primary cultures of newborn rat brain cells which lacked neurons. The intracellular localization of synapsin I in neurons changed markedly during the time of cell culture. In the first 10 days of cell culture, synapsin I appeared to be confined to neuronal cell bodies, whereas later it shifted to a patchy distribution in neuronal processes, perhaps indicating the transport of synapsin I in synaptic vesicles from the compartment of protein synthesis to its final synaptic location. Within neuron-rich embryonic cultures, the regulatory subunit (R-II) and the catalytic subunit (C) of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase appeared to be highly concentrated in neurons examined immunocytochemically. However, biochemical experiments demonstrated that R-II and C were also present in non-neuronal cell types of brain cell primary cultures. Cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase, a marker protein for cerebellar Purkinje cells and for smooth muscle cells, was not detected immunocytochemically in neuron-rich cultures of embryonic brain cells, suggesting that Purkinje cells and smooth muscle cells were either absent from or not sufficiently developed in these cultures.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Atrial natriuretic hormones raise the level of cyclic GMP in neural cell lines.

Atriopeptin III and related atrial natriuretic peptide hormones strongly elevate the level of cyclic GMP in three neural tumor cell lines. At peptide concentrations of 1 microM clear-cut plateaus of the dose-response curves are not yet reached. Atriopeptin III increases the intracellular concentration of cyclic GMP to a maximum in the course of 30-40 min. The effect of atriopeptin III on the cellular cyclic GMP level is independent of the concentration of extracellular Ca2+ and is not affected by the Ca2+ ionophore A23187. These results suggest (1) that atrial natriuretic hormones may play an important role in the nervous system, and (2) that cultured neural cells may be useful tools in the elucidation of the mechanisms of action of these hormones.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1985

Selective increase of R-I subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in glia-rich primary cultures upon treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP.

Levels of cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase and of the subunits (R-I, R-II and C) of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase were determined in two types of neural primary cell cultures that were either treated or not treated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Astroglia-rich cell cultures from newborn rat brain responded to exposure to dibutyryl cyclic AMP by a 2-3-fold increase in the level of R-I subunit, as demonstrated by two radioimmunological procedures, while the levels of the other subunits (R-II and C) and of cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase remained unaffected. In contrast, neuron-rich cell cultures from embryonic rat brain did not display such a change in the level of R-I subunit. Thus, the elevation in the level of R-I elicited by dibutyryl cyclic AMP in normal non-malignant neural cells in culture was restricted to glial rather than neuronal cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Bradykinin causes a transient rise of intracellular Ca2+-activity in cultured neural cells.

The concentration of intracellular free calcium ions was measured by spectrofluorometry in suspensions of quin2 loaded neural cell lines: neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells (clones 108CC15 and 108CC25) and polyploid rat glioma cells (clone C6-4-2). In these cells, bradykinin elicits a transient increase of the cytosolic Ca2+-activity in a dose-dependent manner (half-maximal effect at about 10 nM). The effect requires the presence of extracellular Ca2+. The time to peak is at most 10 s, the decay to the original level lasts 1 min and is followed by a period of 1-4 min during which Ca2+ activity is slightly below control value. Lys-bradykinin and Met-Lys-bradykinin evoke similar effects as bradykinin, but at concentrations 10 times lower. The cells desensitize upon repeated addition of bradykinin. Under the same conditions des-Arg1-bradykinin, des-Arg9-bradykinin, angiotensin II, substance P, apamin and histamine exerted no influence on the concentrations of free Ca2+. Similar to their effect in neural cell lines, bradykinin and Lys-bradykinin induce in primary astroglia-rich cultures from rat brain an increase in the concentration of cytosolic Ca2+ with the peak reached within 30 s and the decay to the original level lasting approximately 4 min. The significance of this effect of bradykinin on the cytosolic Ca2+-activity is discussed in relation to previous findings that bradykinin in the same cell lines induces a hyperpolarization, a rise of the cyclic GMP level and a breakdown of phosphoinositides.

Aminoquinolines↗