Biomedical subjects

D Jerusalinsky

Publications and source records attributed to D Jerusalinsky.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

Differential cholinergic and non-cholinergic actions of acetylcholinesterase in the substantia nigra revealed by fasciculin-induced inhibition.

The effects of the peptide fasciculin (FAS), a potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) have been examined, following unilateral microinfusion, on tissue levels of monoamines in the rat substantia nigra and concomitant circling behaviour. Although FAS inhibited 87% of total AChE, the levels of dopamine and its metabolites remained unchanged. Furthermore, the treatment induced modest contraversive rotation which was markedly enhanced in the presence of a systemic challenge with apomorphine. This behavioural effect of FAS was partially reversed by systemically administered atropine. Any possible interaction of FAS with nigral dopamine systems was further investigated by testing the peptide in animals that five days earlier had undergone a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion of the SN such that dopamine and AChE were significantly but not completely reduced. In a majority of these animals, FAS treatment caused a reversal of the lesion induced ipsiversive rotation, ie restored contraversive rotation. It is concluded that in the SN, FAS can have biochemical and behavioural actions independent of local dopamine systems and linked to cholinergic transmission. In addition, treatment with FAS in the substantia nigra also reveals the possible existence of at least two distinct pools of AChE with, respectively, non-cholinergic and cholinergic actions.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

PubMed1992

Neurotransmitter receptors involved in post-training memory processing by the amygdala, medial septum, and hippocampus of the rat.

Rats were trained and tested in habituation to a novel environment and step-down inhibitory avoidance. Immediately after training in each task the animals received intra-amygdala, intraseptal, or intrahippocampal micro-injections of agonists and antagonists of various neurotransmitter receptors. In the habitation task, intrahippocampal, but not intra-amygdala or intraseptal administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist aminophosphornopentanoic acid (AP5, 5.0 micrograms) or of the muscarinic receptor antagonist, scopolamine (2.0 micrograms) caused amnesia and the indirect antagonist of GABA-A receptors, picrotoxin (0.08 microgram), caused retrograde facilitation. Intrahippocampal administration of the respective agonists, glutamate, oxotremorine, and muscimol, had effects of their own opposite to those of the blockers, and norepinephrine (0.3 microgram) caused memory facilitation. In the avoidance task, results obtained with drug infusions given into the three structures were very similar: in all cases, AP5, scopolamine, and muscimol were amnestic, and glutamate, oxotremorine, norepinephrine, and picrotoxin caused memory facilitation. In addition, also in the three structures, picrotoxin counteracted the amnestic effect of AP5 and/or scopolamine and the beta-adrenoceptor blocker, timolol (0.3 microgram), while ineffective on its own, attenuated all the effects of picrotoxin. The results suggest that similar synaptic mechanisms in the amygdala, medial septum, and hippocampus are involved in memory consolidation: NMDA, muscarinic, and beta-noradrenergic receptors stimulate and GABA-A receptors inhibit this process, and beta-noradrenergic receptors modulate the GABAergic synapses. In the avoidance task these mechanisms operate in the three structures: in habituation only those in the hippocampus are operative. Possibly in each structure these mechanisms regulate, if not actually consolidate, a different aspect, component, or form of memory.

Amygdala↗

PubMed1992

Amnesia by post-training infusion of glutamate receptor antagonists into the amygdala, hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex.

The blockers of glutamate receptors, aminophosphonovaleric acid (AP5) (5.0 micrograms) and cyano-nitroquinoxaline-dione (CNQX) (0.5 microgram), were infused bilaterally into the amygdala, dorsal hippocampus, or entorhinal cortex of rats through indwelling cannulae 0, 90, 180, or 360 min after step-down inhibitory avoidance training. Animals were tested for retention 24 h after training. In the amygdala or hippocampus, AP5 was amnestic when given 0 min after training and CNQX was amnestic when given 0, 90, or 180 min after training. In the entorhinal cortex, AP5 was amnestic when given 90 or 180 min after training and CNQX had no effect. The results suggest that a phenomenon sensitive first to AP5 and then to CNQX in the amygdala and hippocampus, probably long-term potentiation (LTP), is crucial to post-training memory processing. LTP in these two structures could underlie their role in memory consolidation and could explain the late involvement of the entorhinal cortex in post-training memory processing.

Amnesia, Retrograde↗

PubMed1992

Two polypeptides from Dendroaspis angusticeps venom selectively inhibit the binding of central muscarinic cholinergic receptor ligands.

Two new polypeptides were isolated and purified from the venom of the snake Dendroaspis angusticeps, which also contains other neuroactive peptides such as Dendrotoxins and Fasciculins. The amino acid composition of the peptides was determined and the first 10 amino acids from the MTX2 N-terminal fragment were sequenced. The so-called muscarinic toxins (MTX1 and MTX2) have been shown to inhibit the specific binding of [3H]QNB (0.15 nM), [3H]PZ (2.5 nM) and [3H]oxoM (2 nM) to bovine cerebral cortex membranes by 60, 88 and 82% respectively. In contrast, they caused only a 30% blockade of the [3H]QNB specific binding to similar membrane preparations from the brainstem. The Hill number for the [3H]PZ binding inhibition by the putative muscarinic toxin MTX2 was 0.95 suggesting homogeneity in the behaviour of the sites involved. The data from [3H]oxoM binding gave a Hill number of 0.83. The decreases in the specific binding involved increases in KD for the three different ligands (8-fold for [3H]QNB, 4-fold for [3H]PZ and 3.5-fold for [3H]oxoM) without significant changes in Bmax, except for a slight decrease in the [3H]oxoM binding sites (-19%); such results suggest that there may be a competitive inhibition between the MTXs and these ligands. The Ki for MTX2/[3H]PZ was 22.58 +/- 3.52 nM; for MTX2/[3H]oxoM, 144.9 +/- 21.07 nM and for MTX2/[3H]QNB, 134.98 +/- 18.35 nM. The labelling of MTX2 with 125I allowed direct demonstration of specific and saturable binding to bovine cerebral cortex synaptosomal membranes. In conclusion, the results reported in this study strongly support the hypotheses that the two polypeptides isolated from D. angusticeps venom selectively inhibit specific ligand binding to central muscarinic receptors, in a competitive manner at least for the antagonist [3H]PZ and that the MTX2 specifically binds to a central site that is suggested to be a muscarinic receptor of the M1 subtype.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1991

Habituation and inhibitory avoidance training alter brain regional levels of benzodiazepine-like molecules and are affected by intracerebral flumazenil microinjection.

The effects of habituation and inhibitory avoidance training on the rat brain regional levels of benzodiazepine (BZD)-like molecules and on central type BZD binding sites were examined. BZD-like immunoreactivity was decreased by 26-50% in the amygdala, cerebral cortex and septum of rats sacrificed immediately after stepping-down from the platform of an inhibitory avoidance apparatus (non-trained group) as compared to naive controls. Rats submitted to a second step-down session 20 h later (habituated group) have significantly lower BZD-like immunoreactivity in the septum (-60%) as compared to non-trained animals. Rats exposed to an inhibitory avoidance training, i.e. stepping-down and receiving a footshock (trained group), showed a significant reduction in the content of BZD-like molecules in cerebral cortex (-44%), amygdala (-68%), septum (-80%) and hippocampus (-82%) as compared to non-trained rats. In addition, the density of central type BZD binding sites was slightly increased in the hippocampus and septum of trained rats. No changes were observed in the apparent dissociation constant. No changes were observed in parallel measurements of [3H]-L-quinuclidinyl benzylate binding constants at cholinergic muscarinic binding sites. The immediate posttraining intrahippocampal bilateral injection of the central type BZD receptor antagonist flumazenil (10 nmol/hippocampus), enhanced the retention of habituation but not when injected in the amygdala or septum. In contrast, retention of the inhibitory avoidance task was significantly increased by flumazenil administered bilaterally into any of the 3 brain structures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1991

The effect of flumazenil on acquisition, retention, and retrieval of spatial information.

The effect of flumazenil, a benzodiazepine-receptor antagonist, was evaluated in a spatial-reference memory procedure in a water maze. Flumazenil (1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 mg/kg, ip) did not modify acquisition of spatial information. Retention was similar between control and experimental rats 24 h after the training phase, as all groups showed bias to the target quadrant in a free swim trial. However, 10 days later, only flumazenil-injected rats (3.0 mg/kg) showed bias to the target quadrant. Flumazenil did not affect retrieval of spatial information in a group of well-trained rats. These results suggest that a benzodiazepine-receptor mediated endogenous mechanism is activated during learning of spatial tasks and that its blockade facilitates retention of spatial information.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Memory modulation by brain benzodiazepines.

1. Recent evidence indicates that post-training memory processes are down-regulated by benzodiazepine/GABA-A systems in the amygdala, septum and hippocampus. Habituation and avoidance learning are accompanied by a decrease of benzodiazepine-like immunoreactivity in the three structures, explainable by a release of benzodiazepines. Immediate post-training microinjection of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil into the hippocampus enhances retention of habituation. The post-training administration of flumazenil into any of the three structures enhances retention of avoidance learning. 2. The mode of operation of these systems was studied in detail in the amygdala using avoidance paradigms. The release of endogenous benzodiazepines during and particularly after training enhances sensitivity of local GABA-A receptors to muscimol, activation of the GABA-A receptors opens chloride channels that can be selectively blocked by picrotoxin and by Ro5-4864. Training enhances, and flumazenil reduces, sensitivity of the amygdala to the amnestic effect of locally injected muscimol by a factor of 100. Post-training intra-amygdala administration of picrotoxin or Ro5-4864 enhances retention. 3. These findings suggest that the endogenous benzodiazepine/GABA-A mechanisms that down-regulate memory in the amygdala, septum and hippocampus are activated in response to the anxiety and/or stress associated with each task. Memory lability which occurs in the post-training period and characterizes consolidation would thus be a consequence of the brain's response to anxiety or stress.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Neurochemical and behavioral correlates of unilateral striatal acetylcholinesterase inhibition by fasciculin in rats.

Fasciculin 2 (FAS) an anticholinesterase peptide isolated from the venom of the Green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) was injected into the right striatum of albino rats (1.5 micrograms total amount). The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was 86 and 60% 24 h and 7 days after FAS injection, respectively. The treatment with apomorphine (APO) (2 mg/kg s.c.) 24 h after FAS provoked a moderate circling towards the lesioned side that was reverted by atropine (30 mg/kg i.p.). The same dose of APO 7 days after FAS, provoked an inconstant contralateral circling. Neither dopamine nor serotonin nor their metabolites were significantly affected 24 h or 7 days after FAS injection. Radioligand binding assays of dopamine, muscarinic and benzodiazepine receptors only showed a decrease of the density of the muscarinic ones 7 days after FAS. These results are interpreted as showing that the changes provoked by FAS would be compensated but the system would remain in an unsteady state only demonstrable after pharmacological challenge. The chronic down-regulation of muscarinic receptors would compensate the increased cholinergic activity and would therefore block its behavioral expression.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMed1989

Increase of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the rat submandibular glands after parasympathectomy and repeated administration of haloperidol.

1. The mechanisms of the supersensitivity to cholinergic drugs after chronic haloperidol was studied in normal and parasympathectomized submandibular glands of the rats. 2. Both parasympathectomy and haloperidol treatment for 7 days (2 mg/kg/day, i.p.) increased the sialogogue response of the glands to methacholine, a cholinomimetic drug. 3. Both denervation and haloperidol administration induce up-regulation of the muscarinic receptors as expressed per gram of the tissue. 4. Haloperidol causes no further increase in sensitivity than denervation alone. 5. These data demonstrate that secretory supersensitivity to cholinergic drugs in the rat submandibular glands, after chronic haloperidol and parasympathectomy is related to an increase in muscarinic cholinergic receptors.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

An [3H]oxotremorine binding method reveals regulatory changes by guanine nucleotides in cholinergic muscarinic receptors of cerebral cortex.

A rapid, reliable filtration method for [3H]oxotremorine binding to membranes of the cerebral cortex that allows the direct study of regulation by guanine nucleotides of muscarinic receptors was developed. [3H]Oxotremorine binds to cerebral cortex membranes with high affinity (KD, 1.9 nM) and low capacity (Bmax, 187 pmol/g protein). These sites, which represent only about 18% of those labeled with [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate, constitute a population of GTP-sensitive binding sites. Association and dissociation binding experiments revealed a similar value of KD (2.3 nM). Displacement studies with 1-4000 nM oxotremorine showed the existence of a second binding site of low affinity (KD, 1.2 microM) and large capacity (Bmax, 1904 pmol/g protein). Gpp(NH)p, added in vitro, produced a striking inhibition of [3H]oxotremorine binding with an IC 50 of 0.3 microM. Saturation assays, in the presence of 0.5 microM Gpp(NH)p, revealed a non-competitive inhibition of the binding with little change in affinity. These results are discussed from the viewpoint of conflicting reports in the literature about guanine nucleotide regulation of muscarinic receptors in reconstituted systems and membranes from different tissues.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Selective increase of alpha 1-adrenoceptors and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in rat cerebral cortex after chronic haloperidol.

The effect of chronic administration of haloperidol on alpha 1-, alpha 2-, and beta-adrenoceptors, cholinergic muscarinic, GABAA and benzodiazepine receptors in the cerebral cortex of the rat was investigated. Doses of 0.3 and 2 mg/kg of haloperidol during 7 days increased markedly the density of alpha 1-adrenoceptors without changes in affinity. The alpha 2- and beta-adrenoceptors were not modified after neuroleptic administration. The number of muscarinic receptors were also increased after haloperidol treatment (2 mg/kg/day). However, the GABAA and benzodiazepine binding sites remained unchanged. In the brainstem an increment in the alpha 1-, but not the beta-adrenoceptors was observed. The well known increase in the dopamine receptors in the striatum was confirmed. These observations demonstrate a multireceptor effect of haloperidol in the cerebral cortex.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Effect of chronic administration of haloperidol on secretory response mediated by cholinergic receptors in rat submandibular glands.

Administration of haloperidol influences peripheral non-dopaminergic receptors. The sialagogue response of the submandibular glands of the rats to methacholine was enhanced by chronic administration of haloperidol. The binding of [3H]QNB to muscarinic receptors in the submandibular glands was not changed by chronic haloperidol. The supersensitivity of postsynaptic cholinergic receptors to drugs in haloperidol treated rats is not related to changes in the number or affinity of such receptors. This paper confirmed the sialagogue supersensitivity to adrenergic drugs related to an increase in alpha 1-adrenoceptors in the submandibular glands of haloperidol injected rats.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Cholinergic muscarinic receptors in rat cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and cerebellum undergo rapid and reversible changes after acute stress.

Rats, submitted to forced swimming for a period of 15 min (stress), were killed immediately, 60 min or 24 h thereafter. There was an initial decrease in [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate specific binding in membranes of cerebral cortex (-27%) that returned to normal levels after 60 min. In basal ganglia (striatum and globus pallidus) there was a significant decrease (-14%) in Bmax after 60 min that recovered at 24 h. In cerebellum, an increase in [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding occurred at 60 min (+41%) which was reversed at 24 h. In all cases there were no changes in affinity. These results are discussed in relation to the possible mechanisms that could be involved in the rapid, reversible and selective changes of cholinergic muscarinic receptors in response to acute stress.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1983

Lesion of forebrain nuclei reveals possible presynaptic cholinergic muscarinic receptors in rat cerebral cortex.

In rats, three days after unilateral lesion of magnocellular basal forebrain nuclei, binding of L-[3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate, and acetylcholinesterase activity decreased significantly in the ipsilateral and, to a lesser extent, in the contralateral cerebral cortex. This result suggests the existence of presynaptic muscarinic receptors in the cortical projections of these nuclei. After 14 days, the binding increased on both sides while the level of acetylcholinesterase activity remained low. These findings suggest that deafferentation causes ultimately an increase in postsynaptic receptors.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMed1982

Localization of hippocampal muscarinic receptors after kainic acid lesion of CA3 and fimbria-fornix transection.

Bilateral intraventricular injections of 0.5 microgram of kainic acid were used to selectively destroy CA3 hippocampal pyramidal neurons, in an effort to clarify the possible localization of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the rat hippocampal formation. Thirty days after treatment, there was 43% decrease in the total number of [3H]L-QNB binding sites per hippocampus, with no change in affinity. Histological examination confirmed the selective loss of pyramidal neurons in subareas CA3a-b while other regions of the hippocampal formation were spared. The unilateral transection of the fimbria-fornix, done 14 days after kainic acid, produced a further reduction in binding in relation to control hippocampi (-57%). The results demonstrate that in the pyramidal cells of CA3 there is a high concentration of postsynaptic muscarinic receptors. However, the slight further decrease, found after fimbria-fornix transection, suggests the possible existence of a small population of presynaptic receptors that, hitherto, had only been demonstrated indirectly by physiological methods.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

Ontogenesis of muscarinic receptors and acetylcholinesterase activity in various areas of chick brain.

Muscarinic receptors, labeled with [3H]quinuclidinyl benzylate ([3H]QNB), and acetylcholinesterase activity were studied in five areas of the developing chick brain: (1) hyperstriatum and neostriatum, (2) paleostriatum, (3) optic lobes, (4) mesodiencephalon and (5) cerebellum. The protein content of these areas, expressed as mg/g tissue and total protein, was determined between day -10 and adulthood. Differences in both determinations were observed among the areas. The binding of [3H]QNB was expressed as density (fmol/mg protein) and total number of receptors (fmol/total protein) in the area. Considerable variations were observed among the areas. The cerebellum showed the lowest receptor density and a large decrease in density and total number of receptors in the adult, which may reflect a change in neuronal population. Acetylcholinesterase, in certain areas, accompanied the changes in receptor concentration, but the timing and rate of increase had special features in each case. The most striking one was the cerebellum, in which the enzyme increased steadily postnatally, while the muscarinic receptors dropped to very low values.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Modulatory effects of phosphatidylserine on the binding of muscarinic cholinergic receptor ligands. Studies in vitro and in vivo.

The modulation of the binding of muscarinic cholinergic receptor ligands by phosphatidylserine purified from bovine cerebral cortex (BC-PS) was examined in vitro and in vivo. The enrichment of bovine cerebral cortical synaptosomal membranes with BC-PS, using a fusion technique, produced a concentration-dependent decrease in the affinity (increase in Kd) of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzylate (3H-QNB) specific binding to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR), without changes in their maximal number (Bmax). Similar results were observed when [3H]oxotremorine (3H-OXO) was used to label a high affinity subpopulation of mAChR. On the other hand, preincubation of BC-PS liposomes with synaptosomal membranes in a nonoptimum fusion condition (at pH 7.4) did not alter the binding properties of both radioligands. Fusion experiments using a pure phosphatidylserine preparation from spinal cord revealed a similar decrement in the affinity of 3H-QNB specific binding. Five day's intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of 15 mg/kg of BC-PS liposomes in rats increased the maximal number of cerebral cortical binding sites for 3H-OXO. Scatchard analysis revealed no changes in the apparent dissociation constant. This modification is selective in relation to the neural structure studied. Thus, BC-PS treatment did not modify 3H-OXO binding in the hippocampal formation and cerebellum. In contrast, parallel experiments using the muscarinic antagonist 3H-QNB showed no alteration in the binding properties of mAChR. Five day's i.p. administration of 15 mg/kg/d of phosphatidylcholine from bovine cerebral cortex (BC-PC) liposomes produced quite similar results to those obtained with BC-PS. These results indicate that mAChR are under the modulatory action of phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC), and suggest that this endogenous phospholipids may play a regulatory role on the mAChR. The possible implications of these findings on the effects of PC or PS treatment in neurological disorders involving a decrease in central cholinergic functions are discussed.

Animals↗