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Biomedical subjects

R Oishi

Publications and source records attributed to R Oishi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

GAP-43 gene expression is increased in anterior horn cells of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), neuronal loss and axonal degeneration occur in motor neurons. Although there is limited axonal regeneration, surviving motor neurons send collateral sprouts to denervated muscle fibers. GAP-43, a protein enriched in growth cones and synaptic terminals, is thought to have a role in axonal elongation and synaptogenesis. GAP-43 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was evaluated in ALS spinal cords using Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization to assess whether surviving neurons can mount an appropriate response to injury. There was a two- to four-fold increase in GAP-43 mRNA in ALS that localized to the anterior horn cells. The increase in GAP-43 mRNA indicates that the mechanism which leads to degeneration in ALS does not compromise the neuron's capacity for vigorous expression of growth-associated proteins.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Inhibition of histamine turnover by 8-OH-DPAT, buspirone and 5-hydroxytryptophan in the mouse and rat brain.

The effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor agonists on histamine turnover in mouse and rat brains were examined. The histamine turnover rate was estimated from the accumulation of tele-methylhistamine 90 min after i.p. injection of pargyline (65 mg/kg). In whole mouse brains, the histamine turnover was significantly inhibited by the 5-HT1A agonists, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (greater than 0.5 mg/kg) and buspirone (greater than 2 mg/kg) injected s.c. 10 min before pargyline treatment. 5-hydroxytryptophan (20 mg/kg) also significantly inhibited histamine turnover. Injections of the 5-HT1B agonist m-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (10 and 20 mg/kg) or the 5-HT2 agonist (1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (1, 2 and 5 mg/kg), however, did not affect histamine turnover. The inhibitory effect of 8-OH-DPAT (1 mg/kg) on histamine turnover was significantly antagonized (by 40%) by pindolol (20 mg/kg) and slightly antagonized (by 29%) by spiperone (10 mg/kg), while methysergide (20 mg/kg) and ketanserin (10 mg/kg) demonstrated no antagonistic effects. 8-OH-DPAT (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) also showed an inhibiting effect on histamine turnover in various regions of rat brains. Although the extent of inhibition was slightly larger in the striatum and cerebral cortex, there was no marked regional difference. These results suggest that histaminergic activity in the brain is regulated by 5-HT1A receptors.

5-Hydroxytryptophan

Effect of long-term cigarette smoke exposure on locomotor activity and brain monoamine levels in rats.

Rats were chronically exposed to cigarette smoke for 20 min twice daily using a smoking machine. On days 1, 4, and 14, locomotor activity and rearing were measured for 15 min in an open-field apparatus. On day 1, exposure to cigarette smoke increased locomotor activity and rearing in the latter half of the observation period. This effect became more pronounced on days 4 and 14. Chronic cigarette smoke exposures for 21 days significantly decreased the norepinephrine levels in the hypothalamus, thalamus, and pons-medulla, but not the levels of dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, or their metabolites. These results suggest that repeated cigarette smoke exposure increasingly stimulates locomotor activity and rearing and affects norepinephrine metabolism, especially in the brainstem.

Animals

Direct evidence for increased continuous histamine release in the striatum of conscious freely moving rats produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Extracellular histamine in the stratum of conscious freely moving rats collected by intracerebral microdialysis 1 day after implantation of a U-shaped dialysis probe was measured by HPLC coupled with postcolumn o-phthalaldehyde derivatization fluorometry. The basal fractional histamine outputs were almost constant from 1 to 7 h after the start of perfusion (5.9-8.4 pg/30 min). Depolarization by perfusion with a high K+ (100 mM)-containing medium produced a significant (124%) increase and neuronal blockade by perfusion with a tetrodotoxin (1 microM)-containing medium resulted in a 68% reduction in the histamine output. The histamine output was markedly reduced by intraperitoneal injection of alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (100 mg/kg), an irreversible inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase, or (R)-alpha-methylhistamine (5 mg/kg), a potent and specific H3-receptor agonist. After middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion, the histamine output gradually increased, and reached four times the control value 8 h later. When rats were pretreated with metoprine (10 mg/kg), a histamine N-methyltransferase inhibitor, there was no significant difference in the histamine output between the MCA-occluded and the sham-operated groups during the first 3.5 h after the operation, but the histamine output gradually increased thereafter in the MCA-occluded group. In rats treated with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine, MCA occlusion failed to cause an increase in the histamine output. These results demonstrate that MCA occlusion induces a long-lasting increase in neuronal histamine release in the rat striatum.

Animals

A highly sensitive assay for histamine using ion-pair HPLC coupled with postcolumn fluorescent derivatization: its application to biological specimens.

A simple and highly sensitive method for the determination of histamine (HA) was developed using ion-pair, reversed-phase HPLC coupled with postcolumn o-phthalaldehyde derivatization fluorometry, and it was applied to the unpurified extracts of human and rat plasma, and brains of rats and mice. The HA concentrations both in the plasma and brains determined by the present method were well consistent with the values obtained by cation-exchange HPLC with postcolumn fluorescent derivatization currently in use. The present method was more advantageous than the assay using cation-exchange HPLC: (1) it was three to four times more sensitive (the detection limit was 0.5 pg of HA), and (2) it enabled the measurement of HA in samples containing (R)alpha-methylhistamine, a potent and specific H3-receptor agonist, which could not be separated from HA by cation-exchange chromatography. Using the present method coupled with intracerebral microdialysis, we found in the rat hypothalamus that (R)alpha-methylhistamine (5 mg/kg i.p.) markedly decreased the extracellular concentration of HA with a maximal effect (83% reduction) during 30-60 min after injection, suggesting that most of HA in the microdialysate fraction is neuronal in origin.

Animals

Effects of standard cigarette smoke and nicotine-reduced cigarette smoke on plasma concentrations of indomethacin administered orally to rats.

The influence of acute exposures to standard (ST) and nicotine-reduced (NR) cigarette smokes on the plasma concentration of orally administered indomethacin (IM, 5 mg/kg) was investigated in rats. IM plasma concentrations in the ST- and NR-groups were lower than those in the non-smoking control group, while the lowered effect in the NR-group was slightly weaker than in the ST-group. These results suggest that the plasma concentrations of IM administered orally are lowered by the acute exposure of cigarette smoke, and this influence may be attributed largely to constituents other than nicotine in the cigarette smoke as well as slightly attributable to nicotine.

Administration, Oral

In vivo and in vitro release of indomethacin from water-soluble and fatty base suppositories.

The plasma concentration of indomethacin was measured after the rectal administration of water-soluble and fatty base suppositories in rats. The results were compared with the in vitro indomethacin release from suppositories determined by Paddle method using three different types of membranes: cellulose membrane, artificial sausage membrane and natural sausage membrane. The plasma concentrations of indomethacin during the first 4h after the rectal administration were higher in rats that received water-soluble base suppositories than in those that received fatty base types. When either a cellulose membrane or an artificial sausage membrane of cow protein was used in the Paddle method, the amount of indomethacin released from fatty base suppositories was significantly higher than that from water-soluble base ones. However, the results were reversed when a natural sausage membrane of pig colon was used. The discrepancy in the in vitro experiments using water-soluble base suppositories seemed to be due to the difference of pore size of membrane used. Careful consideration should be given to the membrane used in the Paddle method especially when this method is employed to examine the release of poorly soluble drugs like indomethacin in both water-soluble and fatty base suppositories.

Animals

Feeding-induced increase in the extracellular concentration of histamine in rat hypothalamus as measured by in vivo microdialysis.

The extracellular concentration of histamine (HA) in the hypothalamus of conscious and freely moving rats was measured by in vivo microdialysis and the effects of fasting and feeding on the HA concentration were examined. In non-fasted rats, the basal HA concentration was almost constant from 11.00 to 17.00 h on the day following implantation of the dialysis probe, the mean value being 11.1 pg/30 min. No significant change in the HA concentration was observed in rats deprived of food for 24 h. In 24-h fasted rats, feeding for 15 min produced a transient and significant increase in the HA concentration. These results suggest that histaminergic activity in the rat hypothalamus increases during feeding.

Animals

In vivo effects of some histamine H1-receptor antagonists on monoamine metabolism in the mouse brain.

The in vivo effects of four H1-antagonists, diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, mepyramine, and promethazine, on the metabolism of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were investigated in the whole mouse brain. Diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine had no significant effect on levels of NA, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG), DA, and 5-HT, but they significantly decreased levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). In particular chlorpheniramine markedly decreased 5-HIAA levels at doses as low as 1 mg/kg, i.p. Mepyramine significantly decreased 5-HIAA levels but not those of other substances. High doses of promethazine significantly decreased NA levels but markedly increased those of MHPG, DOPAC, HVA, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA. The DA reduction induced by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (alpha-MT) was significantly inhibited by diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, and promethazine, but the alpha-MT-induced NA decrease was significantly enhanced by promethazine. The 5-HIAA accumulations induced by probenecid were significantly inhibited by chlorpheniramine and mepyramine. These results suggest: (1) Diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine inhibit the turnover of both DA and 5-HT by blocking their neuronal uptake. (2) Promethazine and mepyramine inhibit DA and 5-HT turnover, respectively, as a result of the inhibition of the uptake mechanism. (3) Promethazine increases NA turnover by enhancing NA release. The discriminative effects of these drugs on the monoamine systems may be related to some differences in their CNS actions.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid

Effect of cigarette smoke on pharmacokinetics of oral, intrarectal, or intravenous indomethacin in rats.

The effect of cigarette smoke exposure on the pharmacokinetics of indomethacin administered orally, intravenously or intrarectally was investigated in rats. When cigarette smoke exposure was performed for 10 min using a Hamburg II smoking machine immediately after the oral administration of indomethacin (5 mg/kg), the plasma indomethacin concentration was significantly lowered during the first 2 h after administration. However, there was no significant difference in plasma indomethacin concentration between the cigarette smoke-exposed and nonexposed control rats thereafter. Cigarette smoke exposure caused a significant decrease in the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 4 h (AUC0-4) and a prolongation of the time to reach the maximum concentration (tmax). The plasma level of O-desmethyl-indomethacin (a major metabolite) was not significantly changed by cigarette smoke. When indomethacin (5 mg/kg) was administered to rats intravenously or intrarectally, cigarette smoke exposure did not have any influence on the pharmacokinetics of indomethacin or 0-desmethyl-indomethacin. The pharmacokinetic effect of cigarette smoke on orally administered indomethacin was mimicked by the subcutaneous injection of nicotine at 0.3 mg/kg but not at 0.1 mg/kg. These results suggest that acute exposure to cigarette smoke decreases the plasma concentration of indomethacin when it is administered orally but not intrarectally or intravenously.

Administration, Oral

Influence of footshock stress on pharmacokinetics of nicorandil in rats.

The influence of footshock stress on the pharmacokinetics of nicorandil was examined in rats. In the group exposed to a 30-min period of footshock immediately after the oral administration of nicorandil (10 mg/kg), plasma nicorandil levels were markedly lower than those in the control group 30-120 min after administration. Plasma levels after the subcutaneous injection of nicorandil (5 mg/kg) were also slightly but significantly lower in stressed rats than in control rats. When footshock was applied from 60 min after oral administration or 30 min after subcutaneous injection (the time when the plasma nicorandil level was maximum), it also significantly decreased the plasma levels thereafter. Furthermore, footshock applied immediately after intravenous injection of nicorandil (3 mg/kg) significantly decreased the plasma levels 30-60 min after injection. Plasma levels of N-(2-hydroxyethyl) nicotinamide, one of the main metabolites of nicorandil, were slightly increased 30 min after the intravenous injection of nicorandil (10 mg/kg) by footshock. Nicorandil levels in the heart, kidney, and skin were significantly lower in the stressed rats similar to the change in the plasma level, but levels in the muscle, liver, and thymus showed no significant difference. The urinary excretion of nicorandil tended to be higher in the stressed rats. These results suggest that footshock stress affects not only the absorption of nicorandil but also its distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Absorption

Characterization of histamine release from the rat hypothalamus as measured by in vivo microdialysis.

The release of endogenous histamine (HA) from the hypothalamus of anesthetized rats was measured by in vivo microdialysis coupled with HPLC with fluorescence detection. Freshly prepared Ringer's solution was perfused at a rate of 1 microliter/min immediately after insertion of a dialysis probe into the medial hypothalamus, and brain perfusates were collected every 30 min into microtubes containing 0.2 M perchloric acid. The basal HA output was almost constant between 30 min and 7 h after the start of perfusion, with the mean value being 7.1 pg/30 min. Thus, the extracellular HA concentration was assumed to be 7.8 nM, by a calculation from in vitro recovery through the dialysis membrane. Perfusion with a high K+ (100 mM)-containing medium increased the HA output by 170% in the presence of Ca2+. Systemic administration of either thioperamide (5 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective H3 receptor antagonist, or metoprine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), an inhibitor of HA-N-methyltransferase, caused an approximately twofold increase in the HA output 30-60 min after treatment. The combined treatment with thioperamide and metoprine produced a marked increase (650%) in the HA output. The HA output decreased by approximately 70% 4-5 h after treatment with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH; 100 mg/kg, i.p.), an inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase. Furthermore, the effect of combined treatment with thioperamide and metoprine was no longer observed in alpha-FMH-treated rats. These results suggest that both HA-N-methyltransferase and H3 autoreceptors are involved in maintaining a constant level of extracellular HA and that their blockade effectively results in a higher activity level of the endogenous histaminergic system in the CNS.

Animals

Changes in the metabolism of histamine and monoamines after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats.

Changes in the levels of histamine, monoamines, and their metabolites in the cerebral cortex and striatum after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats were examined. The water content of the ipsilateral brain regions gradually increased after occlusion. In the ischemic side, 1 h after occlusion, the cortical norepinephrine and striatal 5-hydroxy-tryptamine levels significantly decreased, and striatal 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid levels markedly increased. In contrast, the levels of histamine and tele-methylhistamine in either brain region gradually increased and the changes became pronounced and statistically significant 6-12 h after induction of ischemia. The striatal histamine and tele-methylhistamine reached levels three- and twofold higher, respectively, than those of the contralateral side. In rats treated with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine 1 h before induction of ischemia, elevation of histamine and tele-methylhistamine was not observed. The elevated histamine level in the ipsilateral straitum at 9 h after occlusion was further significantly increased by the treatment with metoprine, an inhibitor of histamine-N-methyltransferase. These results suggest that the histaminergic activity in the brain is gradually enhanced by cerebral ischemia.

Amines

Endothelin-1 inhibits AVP-stimulated osmotic water permeability in rat inner medullary collecting duct.

Endothelin causes diuresis despite an accompanying decrease in glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow. Binding sites for endothelin are located not only in glomeruli but also in the inner medulla, possibly in inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCD). To determine whether endothelin has a direct tubular effect, effects of endothelin on water and urea transport were investigated using isolated microperfusion of rat IMCD segments in vitro. Endothelin, at 10(-10) and 10(-8) M, reversibly inhibited 10(-11) M arginine vasopressin (AVP)-stimulated osmotic water permeability (Pf) by 18 and 24%, respectively. Endothelin (10(-8) M) also inhibited Pf by 23% in the presence of a much higher dose of AVP (10(-9) M), whereas endothelin had no effect on Pf in the absence of AVP. On the other hand, 10(-8) M endothelin did not inhibit Pf stimulated by 10(-3) M dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). Endothelin had no inhibitory effect on AVP-stimulated urea permeability. These data suggest that endothelin can cause diuresis by inhibiting AVP-stimulated Pf in IMCD and that the site of action is previous to cAMP generation.

Animals

9-Amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine is a potent inhibitor of histamine N-methyltransferase.

The effect of 9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine (THA) on histamine N-methyltransferase (HMT), an enzyme catalyzing the methylation of histamine to form tele-methylhistamine in the brain, was studied in vitro using a partially purified enzyme preparation from bovine brain and in vivo in the mouse brain. THA inhibited the HMT activity in competitive and non-competitive mixed type manners with respect to histamine. The Ki and Ki' values were 75 nM and 1.2 microM, respectively. The IC50 values for THA, 9-aminoacridine and physostigmine in the inhibition of HMT determined at fixed concentrations of histamine (20 microM) and S-adenosylmethionine (50 microM) were 0.2, 0.37 and 20 microM, respectively. Neostigmine exhibited only 15% inhibition even at a concentration of 100 microM. THA (2-10 mg/kg, s.c.) dose-dependently inhibited HMT in the mouse brain. The inhibition of HMT by THA (10 mg/kg) was marked at 30 and 60 min after treatment, but disappeared by 120 min after. THA (10 mg/kg) significantly increased the histamine level and decreased the tele-methylhistamine level in the mouse brain. These results indicate that THA is a potent inhibitor of HMT.

Animals

Influence of storage temperature on indomethacin release from fatty-base suppositories in vitro and in vivo.

The release of indomethacin from fatty-base suppositories, which had been stored at a low (4 degrees C) and a high (25-30 degrees C) temperature for about one month, was examined in vitro and in vivo. In the in vivo experiments, the plasma indomethacin levels after administration of suppositories stored at different temperatures were measured in conscious and anesthetized rats. In the in vitro release test using a dialysis cell method, much lower amounts of indomethacin were released from the suppositories stored at a high temperature than from those stored at a low temperature. The melting point of suppositories stored at a high temperature was higher by approximately 2 degrees C than those stored at a low temperature. In conscious rats, the plasma indomethacin levels attained after the intrarectal administration of suppositories stored at a high temperature were slightly lower than those after the animals were given suppositories stored at a low temperature, but the difference was significant only 30 min after administration. In anesthetized rats, the plasma indomethacin levels were markedly lower than those in conscious rats, and the influence of the storage temperature on the plasma indomethacin levels was clearly observed. These results suggest that in conscious rats many factors such as a locomotor hyperactivity and enhancement of gastrointestinal motility caused by the rectal administration mask the real character of suppositories. The in vitro and in vivo results show that the release of indomethacin from fatty-base suppositories stored at a high temperature is less than the release from those stored at a low temperature.

Animals

Effect of reserpine on histamine metabolism in the mouse brain.

The effect of reserpine on brain histamine (HA) metabolism in vivo was examined in mice. The level of tele-methylhistamine, a major metabolite of HA, was decreased dose-dependently by reserpine (1-5 mg/kg s.c.), whereas the HA level was unaffected. This effect was observed in all brain regions examined. The accumulation of tele-methylhistamine induced by pargyline (65 mg/kg i.p.), an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase, was inhibited to 19% of the control value 24 hr after the treatment with reserpine (5 mg/kg s.c.). However, the HA decrease induced by (S)-alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (50 mg/kg i.p.) a specific inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase, was not significantly affected by pretreatment with reserpine (5 mg/kg s.c.) 1 or 24 hr before. The HA increase induced by metoprine (10 mg/kg i.p.), an inhibitor of histamine-N-methyltransferase, or by L-histidine (0.5-1.5 g/kg i.p.) was inhibited markedly by pretreatment with reserpine. This effect was more marked when reserpine was administered 1 hr than 24 hr before. In addition, the L-histidine-induced increase in HA level was enhanced markedly by the simultaneous administration of metoprine in the control mice but not in the mice treated with reserpine 1 hr before L-histidine injection. From these results the following are suggested. 1) There may be both of reserpine-resistant and reserpine-sensitive HA pools in histaminergic nerve endings. 2) Most of the neuronal HA in the brain may be located in the former pool. 3) However, the capacity of the former pool may be limited and thus most of the increased HA by L-histidine and metoprine may be transferred into the latter pool.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Is monoamine turnover in the brain regulated by histamine H3 receptors?

To clarify whether monoamine neuron activity in the brain is regulated by histamine H3 receptors, the effects of a potent and selective H3 agonist, (R) alpha-methylhistamine and an antagonist, thioperamide, on monoamine metabolism were examined in the telencephalon, hypothalamus and brainstem of the rat and the whole mouse brain. Histamine turnover estimated from the pargyline-induced tele-methylhistamine accumulation decreased markedly with (R) alpha-methylhistamine administration (6.3 mg/kg i.p.) and increased with thioperamide administration (5 mg/kg i.p.) in all the brain regions examined. (R) alpha-Methylhistamine and thioperamide, at the doses tested, neither induced any significant changes in the levels of noradrenaline or 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid nor had any significant influence on the alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine-induced declines of the noradrenaline and dopamine levels in all the brain regions examined. However, thioperamide significantly decreased the dopamine level only in the rat telencephalon. In general, thioperamide increased 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)/5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) ratios and pargyline-induced 5-HT accumulation. However, (R) alpha-methylhistamine affected neither the 5-HT nor the 5-HIAA level. The pargyline-induced 5-HT accumulation was slightly enhanced by (R) alpha-methylhistamine in the whole mouse brain. The enhancement by thioperamide of pargyline-induced 5-HT accumulation was not inhibited by (R) alpha-methylhistamine. These results suggest that H3 receptors have no important roles in the regulation of monoaminergic activity in contrast with their regulatory function in histaminergic activity. In addition, thioperamide at high doses may enhance 5-HT turnover independently of H3 receptors.

Animals