PubMed · 1718374
The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.
Explore connections, maps & timelines
T D Brown, H A Burris, K A Havlin, T J O'Rourke, G I Rodriguez, J G Wall, G R Weiss. 1991. New anticancer agents.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1718374/
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.
KEEP EXPLORING
Visual excitation in rhabdomeric photoreceptors is thought to be mediated by activation of a light-regulated phospholipase C (PLC) and the consequent hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate. Whereas much attention has been devoted to inositol trisphosphate (IP3) production and intracellular Ca2+ release, little is known about the possible role of the DAG branch in the generation of the light response. We have tested the effect of chemically distinct surrogates of DAG on isolated Lima photoreceptors. Application of the phorbol ester PMA (0.5-10 microM) or the alkaloid (-)-indolactam (20-100 microM) from a holding potential of -50 mV elicited an inward current, several hundred picoamperes in amplitude, accompanied by a pronounced increase in membrane conductance. The stereoisomers 4alpha-PMA and (+)-indolactam were both inactive, arguing for the specificity of the effects. Elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ by intracellular dialysis accelerated this current, whereas chelerythrine antagonized it, suggesting the involvement of PKC. The reversal potential of the membrane current induced by PKC activators was approximately +10 mV; replacement of extracellular Na with impermeant N-methyl-D-glucamine decreased its amplitude and shifted the reversal potential in the negative direction. Stimulation by PMA and (-)-indolactam was accompanied by a pronounced depression of light responsiveness; conversely, steady illumination reduced the size of the current elicited by these PKC activators. Taken together, these results support the notion that the DAG branch of the PLC cascade, in addition to its suggested participation in visual adaptation, may play a role in the activation of the photoresponse or a component thereof, probably in synergy with IP3-mediated Ca2+ release.
Association of the short-term memory of the gustatory conditioned stimulus (CS) with visceral malaise (unconditioned stimulus, US) in conditioned taste aversion (CTA) paradigm takes place in the parabrachial nuclei (PBN) of brainstem. In order to ascertain the role of protein-kinase C (PKC) during different phases of CTA acquisition and retrieval, four experimental series were carried out. In Experiment 1, 1 microl of 10 mM of PKC inhibitor chelerythrine prevented CTA acquisition when applied into PBN in the CS-US interval. In Experiment 2, the necessity of PKC activity in different phases of CTA acquisition was tested by prolonging the time interval between PBN administration of chelerythrine and i.p. LiCl. CTA acquisition was prevented when chelerythrine-induced blockade of PKC coincided with GSTM persistence but not with CTA consolidation. In Experiment 3, the interval between saccharin drinking and LiCl injection was prolonged to 120 min. Again, chelerythrine blockade of PKC activity prevented CTA formation when it interfered with GSTM persistence. In Experiment 4, the possibility that PKC activity is necessary also for CTA retrieval was tested by chelerythrine application into PBN 5 min before retrieval testing. In this case, the chelerythrine-induced PKC blockade did not impair CTA retrieval. It is concluded that PKC is important for GSTM formation and persistence but not for CTA consolidation or retrieval.
Two "reverse prenyl" hexahydropyrroloindole alkaloids, 5-N-acetylardeemin and 5-N-acetyl-8-demethylardeemin, were evaluated as reversal agents in cells exhibiting a multidrug resistant (MDR) phenotype. These ardeemins (i) reversed drug resistance to vinblastine (VBL) or to taxol as much as 700-fold at relatively noncytotoxic concentrations in vitro; (ii) as a single agent at high concentrations killed MDR cells more efficaciously than the respective parent wild-type cells; and (iii) exhibited strong synergistic effects with doxorubicin (DX) and VBL against the growth of MDR neoplastic cells, and to a lesser extent, of the parent wild-type cells. Mechanistic studies showed that photoaffinity labeling of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) with [3H] azidopine was competitively inhibited by the ardeemins. Resistance to DX in MDR-[Pgp+ and MDR-associated protein (MRP)+], MDR-Pgp+, lung resistance protein (LRP)+-expressing, and wild-type lung cancer cells were reversed 110- to 200-fold, 50- to 66-fold, 7- to 15-fold, and 0.9- to 3-fold, respectively, by 20 microM of the ardeemins. Moreover, these compounds increased the intracellular accumulation of VBL and markedly decreased its efflux. Finally, in vivo combination studies demonstrated that nontoxic doses of the ardeemins with DX significantly improved the chemotherapeutic effects in B6D2F1 mice bearing DX-resistant P388 leukemia, and nude mice bearing human MX-1 mammary carcinoma xenografts. The above features indicate that the ardeemins may have utility in the therapy of cancer.