Biomedical subjects

R Miledi

Publications and source records attributed to R Miledi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1995

Effects of serotonergic agents on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

In Xenopus oocytes expressing neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAcChoRs), made up of alpha 2 and beta 4 subunits, acetylcholine (AcCho) elicited ionic membrane currents (AcCho currents) that were modulated by serotonergic agents. Both agonists and antagonists specific for various serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) receptor subtypes interacted directly with alpha 2 beta 4 nAcChoRs: 5HT, (+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin, methysergide, spiperone, and ketanserin reversibly reduced the amplitude of AcCho currents and accelerated their decay. The AcCho-current time course decayed with two exponential functions. In the presence of 5HT, the fast time constant of current decay (tau f) was not greatly modified, but the slow time constant (tau s) was reduced. With AcCho and 5HT both at 100 microM, tau s was reduced from 140 s to 85 s. The order of potency for inhibition of AcCho current amplitudes was (+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin > methysergide > spiperone > ketanserin > 5HT. The inhibition was voltage-dependent but the magnitude of the voltage dependence for the different blockers did not correspond to their blocking potency: e.g., the block with spiperone was stronger than with 5HT, but it was less voltage-dependent. Our results suggest that serotonergic agents block neuronal nAcChoRs in a noncompetitive manner, similar to the block of muscle nAcChoR by curare and other substances. These results show that neuronal nAcChoR channels that have been activated by their specific neurotransmitter may be modulated by nonspecific neurotransmitters and their antagonists. These effects may help to better understand brain functions as well as the mode of action of the many serotonergic agents that are used in medical practice.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Xenopus Gq alpha subunit activates the phosphatidylinositol pathway in Xenopus oocytes but does not consistently induce oocyte maturation.

We cloned the Xenopus laevis form of Gq alpha subunit to study its effects on oocyte maturation. Injection of Xenopus Gq alpha mRNA into stage 6 oocytes activated the phospholipase C/phosphatidylinositol pathway. The oocyte membrane became permeable to calcium ions and was able to generate transient inward currents (T(in)), due to the opening of Ca(2+)-dependent Cl- channels. The T(in) amplitude developed over several hours and disappeared by 24 hr. Diacylglycerol levels were found to parallel the appearance and disappearance of the T(in). The concurrent decline of T(in) values and diacylglycerol was not due to a failure in the synthesis of Gq alpha protein, which was produced continuously for > 24 hr. After Xenopus Gq alpha mRNA injection, germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) was variable (0-100%) in stage 6 oocytes, whereas none of the stage 4 oocytes underwent GVBD. In contrast, stage 6 oocytes injected with mRNA encoding the Go alpha G protein consistently underwent GVBD but did not acquire T(in). Our results show that activation of phospholipase C is not an absolute requisite for the induction of maturation, although in oocytes of some frogs phospholipase C activation can trigger a pathway to GVBD.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Osmo-dependent Cl- currents activated by cyclic AMP in follicle-enclosed Xenopus oocytes.

The role of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in generating the osmo-dependent slow inward membrane currents (S(in)) elicited by activation of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) or acetylcholine (ACh) receptors was studied in voltage-clamped, follicle-enclosed oocytes of Xenopus laevis (follicles). Forskolin (FSK) also generated S(in) currents, and in low concentrations it potentiated the S(in) currents elicited by FSH but not those elicited by ACh. Moreover, intra-oocyte injections of cAMP elicited similar slow inward currents (cAMP-S(in)) that: (i) were carried mainly by chloride ions; (ii) were abolished by defolliculating the oocytes; and (iii) were dependent on the osmolarity of the external medium. Compared with the Ca(2+)-dependent chloride channels that are located in the oocyte membrane; the cAMP-activated S(in) channels were less permeable to I- and Br-, and their current-voltage relation did not rectify strongly at negative potentials. Generation of cAMP-S(in) desensitized the FSH-S(in) currents, but did not have effects on both the S(in) and the fast chloride current (F(in)) specifically elicited by ACh. Furthermore, follicular phospholipase C activation through stimulation of angiotensin II (AII) receptors failed to generate the current responses elicited by ACh. We conclude that cAMP acts as a potent second messenger in generating the osmo-dependent Cl- currents elicited by FSH but not those elicited by ACh. The mechanisms underlying the ACh responses remain unknown. The osmo-dependent chloride channels activated by cAMP may play a role in the control of volume of the follicular cells-oocyte complex.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Cationic modulation of rho 1-type gamma-aminobutyrate receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

A study was made of the effects of di- and trivalent cations on homomeric rho 1-type gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA rho 1) receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes after injection of mRNA coding for the GABA rho 1 subunit. GABA elicited large currents with a Kd approximately 1 microM. The properties of these GABA rho 1 receptors were similar to those of native bicuculline-resistant GABA receptors expressed by retinal mRNA. GABA rho 1 currents showed very little desensitization, were blocked by picrotoxin but not by bicuculline, and were not modulated by barbiturates, benzodiazepines, or beta-carbolines. Zn2+ reversibly decreased GABA rho 1 responses (IC50 = 22 microM). Other divalent cations were also tested and their rank order of potency was: Zn2+ approximately Ni2+ approximately Cu2+ >> Cd2+, whereas Ba2+, Co2+, Sr2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ showed little or no effect. In contrast, La3+ reversibly potentiated the GABA currents mediated by homomeric GABA rho 1 receptors, with an EC50 = 135 microM and a maximal potentiation of about 100% (GABA, 1 microM; La3+, 1 mM). Other lanthanides showed similar effects (Lu3+ > Eu3+ > Tb3+ > Gd3+ > Er3% > Nd3+ > La3+ > Ce3+). Thus, GABA rho 1 receptors contain sites for cationic recognition, and in particular, Zn2+ may play a role during synaptic transmission in the retina.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Expression of neurotransmitter receptors and Ca2+ channels in the adult fornix and optic nerve.

Using Xenopus oocytes, we have investigated the presence of mRNA coding for neurotransmitter receptors and channels in the adult bovine fornix and optic nerve. Oocytes injected with mRNA from either area, expressed comparable levels of functional receptors to several neurotransmitters, including glutamate and angiotensin II, as well as voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. Glutamate receptors were mainly of the AMPA/kainate type and were expressed in astrocyte cultures from the regions studied, suggesting that the receptors are present at least in this type of glial cells in vivo. These results show that the white matter areas in the adult brain express receptors and channels. These molecules may play an important role in the transfer of information between axons and glial cells.

Angiotensin II↗

PubMed1994

Glutamate receptors in astrocytic end-feet.

Glial cells in the mammalian central nervous system, like neurons, possess glutamate receptors suggesting that neuronal-glial communication via neurotransmitters is an important component of brain function. In the bovine corpus callosum, GLUR-1, an alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4 isoxazolepropionate (AMPA)/kainate receptor subtype, is a major type of glutamate receptor. It is distributed along astrocytic processes and it is particularly abundant in the end-feet and the glial fibers surrounding the capillaries. This close spatial relationship between GLUR-1 receptors in astrocytes and endothelial cells suggests that these receptors may be activated by glutamate transported across the blood-brain barrier and thus regulate the barrier itself by ensuing astrocyte-endothelial cell interactions.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Properties of angiotensin II receptors in glial cells from the adult corpus callosum.

The existence and the properties of angiotensin II receptors in the adult bovine and human corpus callosum (CC) were investigated by using Xenopus oocytes and primary glial cell cultures. In oocytes injected with CC mRNA, angiotensin II elicited oscillatory Cl- currents due to activation of the inositol phosphate/Ca(2+)-receptor-channel coupling system. The receptors expressed in oocytes and in CC cultures were pharmacologically similar to the AT1 receptor type as assayed by binding. Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization studies in sections from CC and in glial cultures revealed that the receptors were molecularly related to the AT1 receptor and that they were present in astrocytes. In these cells, activation of the receptors with angiotensin II increased de novo DNA synthesis, promoted the release of aldosterone, and induced c-Fos expression. These findings indicate that CC astrocytes possess functional AT1 receptors that participate in various physiological processes.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed1994

Electrophysiological properties of newborn and adult rat spinal cord glycine receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

The properties of glycine receptors (GlyRs) from newborn and adult rat spinal cord were studied in Xenopus oocytes injected with whole mRNA or the heavy (H) or light (L) mRNA fractions encoding their respective GlyRs. Mean open times and conductances of channels gated by H- or L-GlyRs were determined by noise analysis or voltage jumps. We found that adult H- and L-GlyRs opened channels that differed in their mean open time but had the same channel conductance. Both H- and L-GlyRs gated Cl- currents that displayed a similarly strong outward rectification. Nevertheless, single channels of adult H- and L-GlyRs did not rectify and their mean open times were only slightly altered by voltage. It follows that the outward rectification of adult GlyRs is due mainly to a reduction in the number of open channels. In contrast to H-GlyRs, whose characteristics seem to remain essentially unchanged with age, L-GlyRs from newborn and adult rats have different properties. Channels of newborn L-GlyRs have a higher conductance, longer open time, and greater voltage dependency than those from the adult. Interestingly, properties of newborn GlyRs expressed by whole mRNA were markedly different from those encoded by newborn or adult L or H mRNA. These results demonstrate that the functional heterogeneity of GlyRs is developmentally regulated.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1994

Lysophosphatidic acid possesses dual action in cell proliferation.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) induces mitogenic responses in cultured fibroblasts through a pertussis toxin-sensitive signaling pathway. In contrast, we have shown that LPA inhibits the proliferation of Sp2/0-Ag14 myeloma cells. To resolve this apparent controversy, LPA-elicited responses in cell proliferation and the underlying second messenger mechanisms were compared in Sp2/0-Ag14 myeloma and NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. The antimitogenic response was not elicited by micromolar concentrations of phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylglycerol, or diacylglycerol. In NIH 3T3 and Sp2 cells, LPA elicited an increase in inositol trisphosphate and a subsequent transient increase in free cytoplasmic Ca2+. Unlike the mitogenic response in NIH 3T3 cells, the antimitogenic effect was not affected by pertussis toxin; on the contrary, it was accompanied by an increase in cAMP. In Sp2 cells, cAMP analogs, forskolin, and isobutylmethylxanthine inhibited cell proliferation and enhanced LPA action in an additive manner, suggesting that an LPA-elicited increase in cAMP-mediated signaling was responsible for the antimitogenic response. In addition to the mitogenic response in fibroblasts and the antimitogenic response in tumor cell lines, there are some cell types (Jurkat T-cell lymphoma and primary astrocytes) in which LPA is ineffective in altering cell proliferation. The cell-type-specific dual action of LPA suggests that this endogenous lipid mediator when released from activated cells might play an important role as a regulator, rather than a ubiquitous inducer, of cell proliferation.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1994

Effects of fenamates and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on rat brain GABAA receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

Xenopus oocytes injected with poly(A)+ RNA from rat cerebral cortex express functional gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors with electrical properties and pharmacology similar to those of receptors studied in situ. Fenamates, a class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), had a dual effect on GABA-activated membrane current responses. Currents elicited by low concentrations of GABA were potentiated, whereas currents elicited by high concentrations of GABA were inhibited. The levels of the two effects varied among fenamates. For example, 10 microM mefanamic acid potentiated 10 microM GABA responses by approximately 300% (EC50 approximately 5 microM) and inhibited maximal responses by 30% (IC50 approximately 30 microM). In contrast, 10 microM niflumic acid potentiated 10 microM GABA responses by only 30% (EC50 approximately 10 microM) and inhibited maximal responses by 60% (IC50 approximately 7 microM). Preliminary structure-activity studies suggested that modulatory activity is dependent on the preferred conformations of fenamate molecules and on specific phenyl-ring substitutions. Thirteen other NSAIDs (all prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors) were likewise assayed for effects on GABA-activated currents. Of these, only the salicyclic acid diflunisal induced comparable potentiation and inhibition. Our experiments raise two interesting possibilities: that fenamates could serve as lead structures in the development of novel GABAA receptor modulators and that fenamates might affect GABAA receptor function at a normal clinical dosage.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

mRNAs coding for neurotransmitter receptors in rabbit and rat visual areas.

Levels of mRNAs encoding neurotransmitter receptors in the visual cortex, lateral geniculate nucleus, and superior colliculus of the rabbit and rat, and properties of the receptors expressed, were studied using Xenopus laevis oocytes. mRNA extracted from these areas was injected into the oocytes, which then acquired functional receptors. Electrical recordings of neurotransmitter-induced membrane currents reflect the relative amounts of mRNAs encoding the corresponding receptors. Receptors to gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), kainate, glutamate, and serotonin exhibited uniformly high levels of expression, whereas expression of receptors to glycine and N-methyl-D-aspartate was uniformly low. In contrast, the expression of receptors to acetylcholine and substance P was highly non-uniform. Expression of acetylcholine receptors was high in oocytes injected with mRNA from the visual cortex, low for the lateral geniculate nucleus, and very low or absent for the superior colliculus. Conversely, the currents elicited by substance P were large in oocytes injected with superior colliculus mRNA, but were small or absent in oocytes injected with mRNAs from the other regions. Immunohistochemical analysis, at the light and electron microscopic levels, was used to localize choline acetyltransferase, the acetylcholine-synthesizing enzyme, and substance P-containing synaptic boutons in the three visual areas. Their presence closely paralleled the potency of mRNAs coding for acetylcholine and substance P receptors. The ability of rat mRNA, from each visual area, to induce neurotransmitter receptors was similar to that observed in the corresponding rabbit mRNAs. In addition to the marked differential distribution of mRNA encoding neurotransmitter receptors in the visual system, our findings reveal the probable existence of as yet uncharacterized receptors, whose new molecular forms may be revealed by further study. Our results also provide the basic information required for subsequent studies on the effect of monocular deprivation on the expression of neurotransmitter receptors in the visual system.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Neurotransmitter receptors and voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels encoded by mRNA from the adult corpus callosum.

The presence of mRNAs encoding neurotransmitter receptors and voltage-gated channels in the adult human and bovine corpus callosum was investigated using Xenopus oocytes. Oocytes injected with mRNA extracted from the corpus callosum expressed functional receptors to glutamate, acetylcholine, and serotonin, and also voltage-operated Ca2+ channels, all with similar properties in the two species studied. Acetylcholine and serotonin elicited oscillatory Cl- currents due to activation of the inositol phosphate-Ca2+ receptor-channel coupling system. Glutamate and its analogs N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainate, quisqualate, and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) induced smooth currents. The non-NMDA responses showed a strong inward rectification at positive potentials and were potently blocked by 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, as observed for the AMPA/kainate glutamate receptors GLUR1 and GLUR3. Furthermore, in situ hybridization experiments showed that GLUR1 and GLUR3 mRNAs are present in corpus callosum cells that were labeled with antiserum to glial fibrillary acid protein and that, in primary cell cultures, had the morphology of type 2 astrocytes. These results indicate that glial cells in the adult corpus callosum possess mRNA encoding functional neurotransmitter receptors and Ca2+ channels. These molecules may provide a mechanism for glial-neuronal interactions.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Blockage of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by 5-hydroxytryptamine.

The action of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) channels was investigated in mouse myotubes, human cloned TE671/RD cells, and Xenopus laevis oocytes. The decay of the ACh-activated whole-cell currents was reversibly accelerated in the presence of 5HT (10(-5) to 10(-3) M), in a dose-dependent manner. 5HT also reduced the size and accelerated the decay of currents elicited by ACh in Xenopus oocytes injected with mRNA extracted from C2 myotubes or Torpedo electroplaques, or oocytes injected with cloned mouse muscle AChR subunit mRNAs. The effect of 5HT was promptly reversed after washout, or by depolarizing the oocyte beyond -10 mV. In patch-clamp recordings from myotubes, bath-application of 5HT did not exert an indirect influence on the ACh-activated channels within the patch membrane. In contrast, when the patch membrane was exposed to 5HT (10(-6) M), ACh unit responses appeared as bursts of short pulses. It is concluded that the regulation of ACh responses by 5HT results from a fast noncompetitive blocking action of nAChR-channels. These results show that ligand-gated channels, activated by their specific neurotransmitter, may be regulated by a different neurotransmitter through a direct action on the receptor molecule.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Novel Cl- currents elicited by follicle stimulating hormone and acetylcholine in follicle-enclosed Xenopus oocytes.

Voltage-clamp techniques were used to study the membrane currents elicited by follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and acetylcholine (ACh) in follicle-enclosed oocytes of Xenopus laevis (follicles). Both agonists caused complex responses that were more evident when the follicles were in hypotonic Ringer solution (HR; 190.4 mosM). In this medium, currents activated by FSH regularly showed three phases whereas currents activated by ACh displayed three to six phases. At a holding potential of -60 mV, FSH, and ACh responses involved combinations of inward and outward currents. Both FSH and ACh responses included a slow smooth inward component that was associated with an increase in membrane conductance, mainly to Cl- (S(in)). This current was strongly dependent on the osmolarity of the external solution: an increase in osmolarity of the HR solution of 18-20 mosM caused a 50% decrease in S(in). In contrast, a fast and transient Cl- current (F(in)) specifically elicited by ACh was not dependent on osmolarity. Both, F(in) and S(in) currents required the presence of follicular cells, since defolliculation using three different methods abolished all the response to FSH and at least four components of the ACh responses. The membrane channels carrying F(in) and oscillatory Cl- currents elicited by stimulation of ACh or serum receptors, were much more permeable to I- and Br- than Cl-, whereas S(in) channels were equally permeable to these anions. Unlike the oscillatory Cl- currents generated in the oocyte itself, S(in) and F(in) currents in follicle-enclosed oocytes were not abolished by chelation of intracellular Ca2+, either with EGTA or BAPTA, which suggests that intracellular Ca2+ does not play a critical role in the activation of these currents. Our experiments show that S(in) and F(in) currents are quite distinct from the previously characterized oscillatory Cl- responses of oocytes. Moreover, the results strongly suggest that the FSH and ACh receptors, the Cl- channels mediating the F(in) and S(in) currents, together with the necessary elements for their activation, are all located in the follicular cells and not in the oocyte. Many aspects of follicular cell physiology in Xenopus laevis, and other species, are regulated by hormones and neurotransmitters, including FSH and ACh. The follicular Cl- currents described in this paper may play an important role in the follicular cell-oocyte development.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1993

Expression of neurotransmitter receptors by mRNAs from neurons developing in vitro: a Xenopus oocyte expression study.

Poly(A)+ mRNA was extracted from cultures of neurons isolated from mouse embryonic day 14 cerebral cortex and injected into Xenopus oocytes. This led to the expression of receptors for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, kainate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, and quisqualate. Northern blot analysis of poly(A)+ mRNA from the cultured neurons with a GluR1 cDNA probe revealed the presence of three hybridization bands with estimated mRNA sizes of 5.1, 4.0, and 3.1 kb, respectively. The development of mRNAs coding for neurotransmitter receptors was investigated by isolating mRNA from neurons cultured for 2, 8, and 14 days in vitro and injecting it into Xenopus oocytes. The amplitude of membrane currents elicited by the transmitters gave a measure of the relative amounts of the different mRNAs. The size of the responses to kainate, aspartate (together with glycine), glutamate, acetylcholine, GABA, serotonin, and glycine increased with the time of culture in vitro. However, in contrast to all other agonist-induced currents, the current induced by glycine failed to increase further from 8 to 14 days in culture. It is concluded that the time course of receptor development in cortical neurons in vitro is similar to the development in vivo.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Characterization of bicuculline/baclofen-insensitive (rho-like) gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. II. Pharmacology of gamma-aminobutyric acidA and gamma-aminobutyric acidB receptor agonists and antagonists.

Poly(A)+ RNA from mammalian retina expresses bicuculline/baclofen-insensitive gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in Xenopus oocytes with properties similar to those of homooligomeric GABA rho 1 receptors. The pharmacological profile of these rho-like receptors was extended by measuring sensitivities to various GABAA and GABAB receptor ligands. For direct comparison the same compounds were also assayed with GABAA receptors expressed by rat brain RNA. The potency sequence for heterocyclic GABA analogues at the GABA rho-like receptors was GABA (1.3) > muscimol (2.3) > isoguvacine (100) (approximate EC50 in parentheses; all EC50 and Kb values given in microM). Both muscimol and isoguvacine were partial agonists at the rho-like receptors. 4,5,6,7-Tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (Kb congruent to 32), piperidine-4-sulfonic acid (Kb congruent to 85), and isonipecotic acid (Kb congruent to 1000) acted primarily as competitive antagonists, showing little or no activity as agonists. The sulfonic acid GABA analogue 3-aminopropanesulfonic acid was also a competitive antagonist (Kb congruent to 20). Conformationally restricted GABA analogues trans- and cis-4-aminocrotonic acid (TACA and CACA) were agonists at the rho-like receptors. TACA (EC50 congruent to 0.6) had twice the potency of GABA and was 125 times more potent than CACA (EC50 congruent to 75). Z-3-(Amidinothio)propenoic acid, an isothiouronium analogue of GABA, had little activity as an agonist but instead acted as a competitive antagonist (Kb congruent to 20). At concentrations of > 100 microM, bicuculline did have some weak competitive inhibitory effects on the GABA rho-like receptors (Kb congruent to 6000), but it was at least 5000 times more potent at GABAA receptors. Strychnine (Kb congruent to 70) and SR-95531 (Kb congruent to 35) also were competitive inhibitors of the rho-like receptors but were, respectively, 20 and 240 times more potent at GABAA receptors. The GABAB receptor ligands baclofen, phaclofen, and saclofen (1-100 microM) had no appreciable effects on the rho-like receptors. In contrast, 3-aminopropylphosphonic acid, the phosphonic acid analogue of GABA, acted as a competitive antagonist (Kb congruent to 10), and 3-aminopropylphosphinic acid and 3-aminopropyl(methyl)-phosphinic acid were moderately potent antagonists (Kb congruent to 1.7 and 0.8, respectively). delta-Aminovaleric acid was also an antagonist (Kb congruent to 20), whereas 4-aminobutylphosphonic acid, the phosphonic acid analogue of delta-aminovaleric acid, was only a weak inhibitor (Kb congruent to 600).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Lysophosphatidates bound to serum albumin activate membrane currents in Xenopus oocytes and neurite retraction in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells.

Serum contains a factor that co-purifies with albumin and causes neurite retraction in PC12 cells, inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells in vitro, and activates the phosphatidylinositol/Ca2+ second messenger system in Xenopus oocytes and other cells. The activity of serum albumin depends on several lysophospholipids bound to albumin. Thin layer chromatographic analysis of the lipids extracted by methanol from serum albumin revealed over a dozen components, several of which evoked oscillatory currents in oocytes. In contrast to serum albumin, most of these lipids were absent in plasma, which lacks the biological activity. The most abundant naturally occurring active component was identified as stearoyl-lysophosphatidic acid. Synthetically prepared lysophosphatidates reproduced the biological activities of the natural serum factor. Adding synthetic lysophosphatidates to inactive fatty acid-free albumin restored activity to the albumin, making the active factor nondialyzable against aqueous solvents and protecting against digestion by various lipases. Since the biologically active lysophosphatidates were produced during blood clotting, in the presence of platelets, and lysophosphatidates have been shown previously to activate platelets, we propose that lysophosphatidates may play an important role in linking platelet activation to receptor-mediated tissue regeneration.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Actions of dopamine and dopaminergic drugs on cloned serotonin receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

Using electrophysiological techniques, we studied interactions of dopamine and selected dopaminergic drugs with serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes by RNAs transcribed from cloned cDNAs. Oocytes showing strong expression of 5-HT1c and 5-HT2 receptors became weakly responsive to the neurotransmitter dopamine, which, like 5-HT, elicited Cl- currents through activation of the phosphatidylinositol/Ca2+ messenger pathway. The two types of 5-HT receptors showed similar sensitivity to dopamine; threshold responses were activated at concentrations as low as 1 microM. However, maximum dopamine responses were only 5-20% of maximum responses activated by 5-HT. The dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 was a potent agonist on 5-HT1c and 5-HT2 receptors. SCH 23390 elicited currents at concentrations as low as 1 nM, but maximum responses were again only 5-20% of those activated by 5-HT. Fenoldopam, a dopamine D1 receptor agonist, also interacted with 5-HT1c and 5-HT2 receptors, eliciting threshold responses between 10 and 20 nM. Our experiments raise the possibility that low micromolar concentrations of dopamine can cause weak activation and concomitant desensitization of serotoninergic systems in vivo and demonstrate that benzazepines can interact with 5-HT receptors at nanomolar concentrations.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗