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Schistosoma mansoni: effects of serotonin and serotonin receptor antagonists on motility and length of primary sporocysts in vitro.

The effects of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) on in vitro transformed primary sporocysts of Schistosoma mansoni were investigated. Serotonin treatment significantly increased parasite motility (percentage of motile sporocysts) and length at concentrations as low as 1 microM. These effects were mimicked by the 5-HT agonist tryptamine, albeit with 10- to 100-fold less potency. The effects of 10 microM 5-HT on sporocyst motility were observed within 15 min posttreatment and on parasite length by 6 h posttreatment, and both effects were stable for up to 48 h. Receptor antagonists with varying affinities for defined vertebrate neurotransmitter receptor subtypes were examined for their effects on parasite behavior in the absence and presence of 10 microM 5-HT. In the absence of 5-HT, only methiothepin significantly inhibited normal parasite growth after 48 h of incubation. In the presence of 10 microM 5-HT, the serotonin receptor antagonists mianserin, ketanserin (both at 100 microM), and methiothepin (at 10 microM) significantly inhibited 5-HT-induced lengthening of primary sporocysts, while 3-tropanyl-indole-3-carboxylate and chlorpromazine had no significant effect. The effects of these same drugs on parasite motility were also examined. In the absence of 5-HT, 10 microM chlorpromazine increased parasite motility, while the other antagonists had no effect. When sporocysts were treated with 10 microM 5-HT for 2 h in the continued presence of antagonist, 100 microM mianserin, ketanserin, 3-tropanyl-indole-3-carboxylate, and 10 microM methiothepin inhibited 5-HT induced increases in parasite motility, while 10 microM chlorpromazine had no effect. These results show that primary sporocysts of S. mansoni exhibit behavioral responses to serotonin much like adult stages of this parasite. Furthermore, these responses appear to be mediated via receptors with pharmacological similarities to those previously described in adult worms.

Analysis of Variance↗

Electroencephalographic studies on the development of tolerance and cross tolerance to mescaline in the rat.

Recordings of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and the electromyogram (EMG) were collected continuously from rats equipped with permanent cortical and temporalis muscle electrodes. Automatic injections of mescaline were administered through indwelling i.p. cannulas at an initial dose of 30 mg/kg every 6 hrs for the first 2 days. This dose was then increased to 60 mg/kg 6 hr which was given for the duration of the study. The initial injections of the mescaline induced an immediate desynchronization of the EEG and behavioral arousal of the rat, which endured for 2-3 hrs. After this time, slow wave (SW) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep episodes reappeared, with the return of regular alternations of the sleep-wakefulness cycle. Upon continued administration of the drug, partial tolerance to the arousal effects of mescaline developed, which was reflected by a gradual reduction in the latencies to onset of SW sleep and REM sleep. Rats rendered tolerant to mescaline in this manner were found to be cross tolerant to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and N,N-diethyl-tryptamine (DET). In contrast, cross tolerance did not occur to amphetamine, which exerts similar arousal and EEG desynchronizing effects. These results agree with physiological and behavioral studies of tolerance and cross tolerance among hallucinogens and support the usefulness of the EEG as a quantitative indicator of central nervous system function.

Amphetamine↗

Hallucinogenic agents as discriminative stimuli: a correlation with serotonin receptor affinities.

A choice between two levers in an operant chamber was used to train 24 rats, under a variable-interval 15 s schedule of sweetened milk reinforcement, to discriminate a hallucinogenic (psychotomimetic) agent, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-OMe DMT), from saline administration. The 5-OMe DMT stimulus generalized in a dose-related manner to each of 14 tryptamine related analogs. With the exception of one compound, the effective dose for the 5-OMe DMT response correlated highly (r = -0.86) with 5-HT receptor affinity (as determined using an isolated rat fundus preparation).

Animals↗

Properties of monoamine oxidase in control and Lesch-Nyhan fibroblasts.

Monoamine oxidase activity of the A type was measured in homogenates of cultured human skin fibroblasts. Twenty-four control lines had activities ranging over fifty-fold with an apparent bimodal distribution. Activity in fibroblasts from 20 patients with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome fell in the low portion of the normal distribution with a mean activity about 50% that of the control mean (p < 0.05). In a subgroup of control and Lesch-Nyhan lines with levels of enzyme activity from 0.9 to 179 pmol/min/mg protein, monoamine oxidase was similar with respect to apparent Km for tryptamine, thermal stability at 56 C, and sensitivity to clorgyline. Thus the lower mean levels of activity observed in the Lesch-Nyhan as compared to control fibroblasts were not associated with other altered properties of the enzyme. The bimodal distribution of enzyme activity suggests that a genetic polymorphism for monoamine oxidase may control levels of activity expressed in fibroblasts.

Adolescent↗

Comparison of serotonin and 5-methoxytryptamine immunoreactivity in rat raphe nuclei.

We studied the immunoreactivity of 5-methoxytryptamine (MT) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT) in the raphe region of rats using specific polyclonal antibodies and the peroxidase/anti-peroxidase (PAP) technique. Overall, the patterns of the specific staining for these two antibodies were found to be the same in this region of the rat brain. The staining reaction was considerably less intense for MT than for HT. Specificity tests were performed using HT, MT and tryptamine (T) conjugates at concentrations of 5 X 10(-8) M for antibodies to HT and 2.5 X 10(-9) M for antibodies to MT. Although the distribution of HT-like and MT-like immunoreactivity broadly overlapped, the results obtained from adsorption-specificity tests confirmed the presence of specific MT staining in the rat raphe.

5-Methoxytryptamine↗

On the method of Glenner for the histochemical demonstration of the monoamine oxidase (MAO).

The method of Glenner et al. for the histochemical demonstration of MAO activity was studied by means of scanning microdensitometry and discrete measurement of optical density (lambda=590 nm) of the liver and brain tissues sections. The experiments indicated that: (1) The optimal time of incubation (the thickness of sections is 15 mum) is 60-90 min. (2) The histochemical reaction proceeds with the following substrates: dopamine, noradrenalin, serotonin, and tryptamine. (3) Iproniazid is the best inhibitor for preincubation whereas for simultaneous inhibition the substrate semicarbazide is better. (4) The incubation under the anaerobic conditions caused a considerable decrease of the stain intensity of the sections. We consider these data to indicate that both the aldehydes and acids formed under oxidation may take part in direct reduction of NBT to diformazan. (5) The histochemical reaction for MAO without substrates testifies to the presence of endogenous amines or other redox reactions leading to the reduction of NBT.

Animals↗

Pharmacological studies on frozen stored canine saphenous veins and basilar arteries.

Canine saphenous veins were either placed in Krebs-Henseleit solution and stored for 24 h at +4 degrees C, or immersed in FCS (fetal calf serum) containing 1.8 mol/l DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide), slowly frozen to -70 degrees C and stored for 4 weeks at -70 degrees C or -190 degrees C. Canine basilar arteries were either stored in Krebs-Henseleit solution for 24 h at +4 degrees C or slowly frozen and stored for 3 months in FCS plus 1.8 mol/l DMSO at -70 degrees C. Subsequent pharmacological investigations revealed a considerable attenuation of the contractile force of frozen-stored vessels but the evidence suggests that there may be a very good preservation of the main biochemical properties, such as monoamine oxidase activity, endogenous prostaglandin synthesis and uptake1 mechanisms in veins stored at -190 degrees C and there is an excellent correlation of the pD2 values for various tryptamine derivatives on canine basilar arteries stored for 3 months at -70 degrees C with those calculated on fresh preparations. It is concluded that freezing isolated blood vessels may be considered an effective means of preserving and storing vascular tissues for pharmacological investigations.

Animals↗

Effects of chronic brofaromine administration on biogenic amines including sulphatoxymelatonin and acid metabolites in patients with bulimia nervosa.

Brofaromine, a selective and reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) was given to 19 women while 17 received placebo for 8 weeks. All met DSM III-R criteria for bulimia nervosa, a psychiatric disorder in which uncontrolled overeating episodes are accompanied by purging activities and extreme concerns about body shape and weight. The following indices were measured: plasma and urinary phenylacetic acid (PAA), homovanillic acid (HVA), vanillylmandellic acid (VMA); plasma tryptamine (T), beta phenylethylamine (PE), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s). PE levels remained the same but T showed a trend toward elevation over time. Twenty-four hour levels of urinary aMT6s in BN patients were higher at week 4 when compared to baseline and week 8. There was a significant reduction in plasma VMA and HVA over time during treatment with brofaromine and both plasma HVA and VMA were significantly lower for the brofaromine group compared to placebo at week 4. Plasma 5-HIAA was significantly higher for the brofaromine group after 8 weeks when compared to placebo. Urinary VMA decreased significantly from baseline to week 4 with a partial elevation at 8 weeks. Urinary VMA was also significantly lower in patients on brofaromine at week 4. This study verifies that brofaromine complies with predicted MAO-A inhibiting patterns in a clinical population.

Adolescent↗

Histochemical detection of monoamine oxidase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities in the Syrian hamster Harderian glands: existence of a sexual dimorphism.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) and alcohol dehydrogenase (AD) activities were studied histochemically in the Syrian hamster Harderian gland using tryptamine as substrate and Nitroblue Tetrazolium as the final electron acceptor. No dark: light-related changes were observed. Male type I secretory cells showed an intense MAO reaction. Female type I cells exhibited a moderate MAO activity. Both male and female glands showed a moderate/intense AD-positive reaction. Male type II cells were lacking MAO and AD activities. MAO activity found in the hamster Harderian glands corresponded mainly to MAO type A since treatment with chlorgyline (0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 mM) totally inhibited it. The possible role of these two enzymes in Harderian gland indolalkylamine metabolism is discussed.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Histochemical characterization of monoamine oxidase in ependyma of rat hypothalamus.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity has been demonstrated histochemically in rat hypothalamic ependyma using the sulphate-tetrazolium and coupled peroxidatic techniques with tryptamine, tyramine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and benzylamine as substrates. Both methods were applied to cryostat sections with and without exposure to selective amine oxidase inhibitors, including the selective A-MAO inhibitor clorgyline, and the B-MAO inhibitor deprenyl. Our results show that both cuboidal-columnar and tanycyte ependyma contain one or more forms of MAO not generally present in the hypothalamus. It is suggested that ependymal MAO may form an amine-barrier system modulating the movement and effect within the hypothalamus of specific cerebrospinal fluid or blood monoamines.

Animals↗

Pharmacological evidence for a selective antidopaminergic action of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid.

D-Amphetamine (Amph) and p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) induced dose-dependent increases in oropharyngeal myocloniform twitch activity (MTA) in rats anesthetized with urethane. In doses of 80-120 mg/kg, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) blocked Amph-induced MTA. The blockade was readily surmountable. Pretreatment with reserpine markedly enhanced the myoclonigenic effect of Amph and rendered it insensitive blockade by GHB, 160 mg/kg. PCA and tryptamine also effectively stimulated MTA, but unlike Amph were antagonized by low doses of the serotonin (5-HT) antagonist methysergide. In doses which blocked Amph, GHB failed to antagonize the myoclonigenic effect of PCA. It is concluded that: (a) the actions of Amph and PCA on MTA is less sensitive to GHB blockade than DA-mediated MTA; and (c) the GHB-Amph antagonism may be of a functional nature, i.e. result from a depression of the firing activity of DA neurons produced by GHB. Since reserpinization abolished the GHB effect on Amph-induced MTA, the functional integrity of granular DA binding and releasing mechanisms appears to be a pre-requisite for the antagonism between GHB and Amph.

Animals↗

Studies on serotonin binding proteins of nerve ending membranes.

Synaptic membranes were isolated from rat brain homogenates by differential and density gradient centrifugation. Membrane proteins were solubilized by detergent buffer and assayed for serotonin-binding activity by adsorption of free 5-HT on charcoal. When the membrane extract was incubated with serotonin at +4 degrees C for various times, equilibrium was reached within 10 min. With increasing serotonin concentrations the specific part of binding was saturable whereas the non-specific part increased linear with the total 5-HT added. Kinetic analysis of the data revealed two different classes of binding sites with the apparent dissociation constants Kd1 = 5.3X10(-7) M and Kd2 = 1.1X10-5 M. The disociation reaction followed first order kinetics in two steps. The first step was very rapid, the second step proceeded with a half life time t1/2 of 16 min and a dissociation rate constant of k-1 = 7.2X10(-4) s-1. the binding was sensitive to heat and SH-blocking reagents and displaceable by serotonin in excess, d-LSD, and to a lower extent by 5-methoxytryptamine and tryptamine. The significance and localization of the binding sites at the membrane are discussed.

Animals↗

Monoamine oxidase inhibition by the MAO-A inhibitors brofaromine and clorgyline in healthy volunteers.

The present study compared the extent and duration of MAO inhibition by the selective and reversible MAO-A inhibitor brofaromine with the selective and irreversible MAO-A inhibitor clorgyline using amine pressor tests and excretion of urinary amine metabolites (MHPG, tryptamine). The pharmacological characterization of clorgyline as an irreversible and brofaromine as a reversible MAO-A inhibitor in clinically effective doses was confirmed in humans.

Administration, Oral↗

[Tryptophan-load in progressive scleroderma (author's transl)].

This presentation describes effects of oral tryptophan loading (5.0 g DL) on tryptophan metabolism in healthy subjects (n = 10) and persons with progressive scleroderma. N1-methylnicotinamide (N1MN), 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3 HAA), kynurine (KN), tryptamin (TA), xantheurenic acid (XA) were determinated. Alterations of tryptophan metabolism were evaluated by 24 h urinary excretions of the following metabolites: 5-hydroxy indolacetic acid (5 HAA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The pathological pathways were discussed, especially the way and influence of serotonine.

3-Hydroxyanthranilic Acid↗

Comparative study of the sensitivity of acetylcholinesterases and cholinesterases from animal and bacterial sources to inhibition by serotonin and its derivatives.

Serotonin was found to inhibit human erythrocyte and electric-eel acetylcholinesterase activities. The serotonin amino group, free of negative charges in its vicinity and its hydroxyl group, were important for the inhibition. Serotonin precursors and several related compounds had little or no effect. Human plasma cholinesterase was also inhibited by serotonin and tryptamine. In contrast to these animal enzymes, the cholinesterase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was refractory to serotonin and its derivatives under the same experimental conditions.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Intestinal monoamine oxidase: does it have a role in histamine catabolism?

The importance of intestinal diamine oxidase in histamine catabolism was proved in several series of experiments. However, intestinal monoamine oxidase might also be involved in histamine degradation either by direct deamination or by the deamination of methylated products. The soluble fraction of intestinal monoamine oxidase was purified and tested for the properties and substrate specificity by three different methods which are described in detail. Using 0.15 M phosphate buffer the optimum pH was 7.4--7.6. The Km values for serotonin and tyramine were 0.2 and 0.3 X 10(-3) M. The most favoured substrates of the enzyme were tyramine, tryptamine and serotonin, but it was not possible to classify the enzyme as a type A or B monoamine oxidase only by its substrate specificity. Histamine and ring methylated derivatives were not attacked by intestinal monoamine oxidase. This means that in the intestinal mucosa by the oxidative pathway of histamine is completely catalysed by diamine oxidase.

Animals↗

Monoamine oxidase A-inhibiting components of urinary tribulin: purification and identification.

The endogenous monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory activity, termed tribulin, contains several components. We have previously identified one of them, isatin, which is a selective inhibitor of MAO B. In the present study we have purified several further components of human urinary tribulin which act as selective inhibitors of MAO A. They have been identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as ethyl indole-3-acetate (and/or methyl indole-3-propionate), methyl indole-3-acetate and ethyl 4-hydroxyphenylacetate. IC50 values for MAO A were found to be 44 microM (105 microM for methyl indole-3-propionate), 88 microM and 120 microM, respectively, whilst those for MAO B were each greater than 1 mM. The artificial formation of these esters was excluded by carrying the parent acids, from which they are presumably synthesized, through the purification procedure. As tribulin output is increased during stress or anxiety, these results point to a possible role for tryptamine and tyramine pathways in such disorders.

Blood Platelets↗