B. A. Umarova

Receptors of the PAR Family as a Link between Blood Coagulation and Inflammation

Blood coagulation plays a key role among numerous mediating systems that are activated in inflammation. Receptors of the PAR family serve as sensors of serine proteinases of the blood clotting system in the target cells involved in inflammation.Activation of PAR-1 by thrombin and of PAR-2 by factor Xa leads to a rapid expression and exposure on the membrane of endothelial cells of both adhesive proteins that mediate an acute inflammatory reaction and of the tissue factor that initiates the blood coagulation cascade. Certain other receptors (EPR-1, thrombomodulin, etc.), which can modulate responses of the cells activated by proteinases through PAR receptors, are also involved in the association of coagulation and inflammation together with the receptors of the PAR family. The presence of PAR receptors on mast cells is responsible for their reactivity to thrombin and factor Xa and defines their contribution to the association of inflammation and blood clotting processes.

Therapeutic effects of glyprolines (PGP, GP, and PG) in rats with stress-induced behavioral disorders

Experiments on male outbred albino rats showed that stress (10-min swimming) increased anxiety and inhibited orientation and exploratory activities. Poststress (15 min after the end of swimming) intranasal administration of peptides Pro-Gly-Pro and Gly-Pro in a dose of 3.7 µmol/kg prevented stress-induced behavioral disorders. This effect persisted for 3 h.

Activation of rat mast cells upon stimulation of protease-activated receptor (PAR-1)

In vivo experiments on the model of wound healing showed that thrombin and thrombin receptor agonist TRAP-6 stimulated heparin secretion by mast cells in rat subcutaneous fat: the saturation of mast cells with heparin decreased, while degranulation and granulolysis increased.In vitro studies showed that TRAP-6 caused a dose-dependent release of β-hexosaminidase from peritoneal mast cells. TRAP-6 also induced heparin release from these cells and inhibition of amidase activity of thrombin. Heparin released from mast cells had low anticoagulant activity. These data suggest that activation of mast cells with thrombin is mediated by PAR-1.

Effects of glyprolines on stress-induced behavioral disorders in rats.

We report here studies on the antistress protective actions of three peptides of the glyproline family: Pro-Gly-Pro, Pro-Gly, and Gly-Pro. Stress (10 min forced swimming) evoked typical changes in the behavioral activity of rats in the elevated cross maze and hole board tests, providing evidence of a significant increase in anxiety and a decrease in the level of orientational-investigative activity. Prior (15 min before stress) i.p. administration of Pro-Gly-Pro and Gly-Pro at a dose of 3.7 μM/kg significantly decreased the stress-induced behavioral abnormalities. This demonstrates the possibility that peptides Pro-Gly-Pro and Gly-Pro may affect CNS structures involved in forming the body’s responses to stress-inducing factors. Peptide Pro-Gly, at an equimolar dose, had no marked protective effect and only slightly decreased the stress-induced abnormalities in the behavior of rats.

Effect of peptide Pro-Gly-Pro on stress-induced behavioral changes in rats.

Tripeptide PGP in a dose of 1 mg/kg had a correcting effect on behavioral disorders in rats induced by stress exposure (forced swimming). PGP prevented the increase in anxiety and decrease in orientation and exploratory activity. Our results suggest that the effect of this peptide is realized via central nervous structures involved in organisms response to stress factors.

The role of protective effects of proline-containing peptides (PGP, PG, and GP) in contractile dysfunction of mesenteric lymphatic vessels in rats with experimental acute peritonitis.

The development of acute peritonitis in rats induced by intraperitoneal injection of thioglycollate was accompanied by a decrease in contractile function of mesenteric lymphatic vessels and impaired response to norepinephrine. Administration of proline-containing peptides after induction of inflammation significantly decreased the severity of these disorders. Our results attest to the possibility of using peptides for the correction of mesenteric microcirculatory disturbances during inflammation.

Glyprolines and Semax Prevent Stress-Induced Microcirculatory Disturbances in the Mesentery

One-hour immobilization stress considerably disturbed microcirculation in the mesentery: blood flow in small mesenteric vessels decreased or stopped and numerous hemorrhages appeared. Lymphatic vessels lost spontaneous activity and did not respond to norepinephrine. Administration of Semax and glyprolines 1 h before stress decreased the severity of stress-induced microcirculatory disturbances. PGP and GP were most effective in this respect.

Secretory Activity of Mast Cell during Stress: Effect of Prolyl-Glycyl-Proline and Semax

Stress increased secretory activity of mast cells in the mesentery and subcutaneous fat of rats. Intraperitoneal injection of Semax and prolyl-glycyl-proline in doses of 0.05 and 1 mg/kg, respectively, 1 h before stress abolished this effect. The test preparations did not modulate secretory activity of mast cells in unstressed animals. Semax and prolyl-glycyl-proline in vitro prevented activation of mast cells with synacten and acetylcholine. The stabilizing effect of peptides on mast cells probably determines their antiulcer activity.

The effect of PGP on β-hexosaminidase and histamine secretion in rat peritoneal mast cells in vitro

The investigation of the effect of peptide prolyl-glycyl-proline (PGP) on β-hexosaminidase and histamine secretion by mast cells in primary culture has shown that incubation of mast cells with PGP (6 × 10−5 M) before their activation by synacten significantly decreased the amount of secreted histamine and β-hexosaminidase in comparison with the action of synacten only. The peptide in investigated concentration had no influence on the level of spontaneous secretion. Incubation of cells with PGP did not prevent their activation by compound 48/80. Therefore, PGP can have a direct effect on isolated rat mast cells in vitro and diminish their secretory activity under activation by synacten.

Peptide correction of disorders in rat mesenteric microcirculatory system during inflammation.

PGP peptide had a protective effect in contractile dysfunction of the rat mesenteric lymph vessels under conditions of inflammation, irrespective of the time of its injection (before or after inflammatory agent). The preventive effect of this peptide is largely determined by its capacity to prevent mast cells activation. PGP injected 2 h after induction of inflammation did not inhibit secretory activity of mast cells, which suggests other mechanisms of its therapeutic action.