Henry M. Sarau

The central effects of a novel dopamine agonist

A new peripheral dopamine agonist which causes dopaminergic renal vasodilation, was tested for central dopaminergic activity. SK & F 38393 stimulated the dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase in homogenates of rat caudate, as a partial agonist, and caused contralateral rotation in rats with unilateral 6-OHDA lesions of substantia nigra. Rotation was shown to be due to a direct effect on supersensitive dopamine receptors. Stimulation of cAMP formation and rotation were blocked by dopamine antagonists. In contrast to other dopamine agonists, SK & F 38393 did not cause stereotypy, emesis or inhibition of prolactin release, nor did SK & F 38393 affect dopamine turnover. The results suggest that SK & F 38393 may selectively stimulate supersensitive central dopamine receptors in vivo or may activate only a certain subclass of dopamine receptors including the receptor in the renal vasculature and the adenylate cyclase coupled postsynaptic receptor in the caudate.

Differential attenuation of some effects of haloperidol in rats given scopolamine

In a series of pharmacological tests the ability of 0.6 mg/kg of the anticholinergic scopolamine to decrease the effectiveness of the neuroleptic heloperidol varied widely. Most severely attenuated was production of catalepsy followed in order of decreasing interference by inhibition of amphetamine-induced rotation, inhibition of amphetamine- or apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior, inhibition of conditioned avoidance responding and lastly attenuation of the haloperidol-induced increase in striatal HVA. By use of such a relatively low dose of scopolamine the behavioral effects of heloperidol were dissociated from effects on dopamine turnover in the striatum. If behavioral tests in animals can be related to the clinical effects of neuroleptic drugs, those effects of haloperidol severely reduced by scopolamine may be related to extrapyramidal effects.

The signal transduction system of the leukotriene D4 receptor

During the past several years, substantial progress in understanding the receptors and signal transduction processes for peptidyl leukotrienes has been reported. Receptors have been identified and characterized, the major steps in the signal transduction pathway have been described, and the genetic and epigenetic regulatory processes have been characterized. Very recent studies have defined the mechanisms by which LTE4 acts as a partial agonist at the LTD4 receptor. The cloning of the genes for the proteins involved in the major steps of the signalling process has also been initiated. Stanley Crooke and co-authors summarize this recent progress and present their current notions about the LTD4 receptor signalling process.

SK&F 86002: A structurally novel anti-inflammatory agent that inhibits lipoxygenase- and cyclooxygenase-mediated metabolism of arachidonic acid

The effects of SK&F 86002 [5-(4-pyridyl)-6 (4-fluorophenyl)-2,3-dihydroimidazo (2,1-b) thiazole] on the generation of eicosanoids in vitro and on inflammatory responses in vivo are described and compared to other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. SK&F 86002 inhibited prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) synthase activity (IC50 120 microM) as well as prostanoid production by rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) cells (IC50 70 microM) and its sonicate (IC50 100 microM) and human monocytes (IC50 1 microM). In addition, SK&F 86002 inhibited the generation of dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (diHETE) and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) by a high speed supernatant fraction of RBL-1 cells (IC50 10 microM). Cellular production of 5-lipoxygenase products was inhibited by SK&F 86002 as measured by leukotriene B4 (LTB4) generation from human neutrophils (IC50 20 microM), leukotriene C4 (LTC4) generation by human monocytes (IC50 20 microM), and 5-HETE production by RBL-1 cells (IC50 40 microM). The in vivo profile of anti-inflammatory activity of SK&F 86002 supports the dual inhibition of arachidonate metabolism as indicated by its activity in inflammation models that are insensitive to selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors. The responses of arachidonic-acid-induced edema in the mouse ear and rat paw, as well as the cell infiltration induced by carrageenan in the mouse peritoneum and by arachidonic acid in the rat air pouch, were inhibited by SK&F 86002 and phenidone but not by the selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors naproxen and indomethacin.

Molecular cloning and expression of the rat monocyte chemotactic protein-3 gene: a possible role in stroke.

Using the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) strategy for differential gene cloning, we identified the induced expression of a rat homologue to murine and human monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3) in ischemic brain. The 2.4-kilobase rat MCP-3 gene features high homology in gene structure and sequence to murine MCP-3. The temporal expression of MCP-3 mRNA was examined in brain tissue rendered ischemia by permanent or temporary occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). A marked increase in MCP-3 mRNA was observed 12 h post-ischemia, with 49-fold and 17-fold increase (n=4, p<0.01) over control in the permanent or temporary MCAO, respectively. Significant induction of MCP-3 in the ischemic cortex was sustained up to 5 days after ischemic injury. The profile of MCP-3 mRNA induction paralleled leukocyte infiltration and accumulation that occur after focal stroke, suggesting a role for MCP-3 in recruiting these inflammatory cells into the ischemic tissue. Molecular cloning of rat MCP-3 should provide a valuable tool, as demonstrated in the present work, for the investigation of MCP-3 expression and function in rat disease models.

Binding of a novel dopaminergic agonist radioligand [3H]-fenoldopam1 (SKF 82526) to D-1 receptors in rat striatum

Fenoldopam (SKF 82526), a dopamine agonist which exhibits D-1 receptor subtype selectivity, was evaluated as a radioligand for this receptor subtype. In saturation studies in rat striatal membrane preparations, [3H]-fenoldopam appeared to label a single binding site with a KD of 2.3 +/- 0.1 nM and a Bmax of 590 +/- 40 fmoles/mg protein. In competition binding experiments, binding was shown to be stereoselective, and rank ordering of affinities of dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic compounds closely correlated with potencies of these compounds in stimulating or inhibiting dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase (D-1) and in binding to D-1 sites labelled with the antagonist [3H]-cis-flupenthixol. The most potent competitors were the recently identified D-1 selective antagonists, SCH 23390 and SKF R-83566. [3H]-Fenoldopam was also used to assess agonist/D-1 receptor interactions. The results suggest that [3H]-fenoldopam is a useful and selective agonist radioligand for the D-1 receptor.

Comparison of central and peripheral alpha1-adrenoceptors

SummaryA series of alpha-adrenergic agonists and antagonists having diverse chemical structure was examined for both central and peripheral alpha1-adrenoceptor activity. The agonists tested included several novel aminotetralin derivatives which were potent and selective alpha1-agonists. Peripheral alpha1-activity was determined in the isolated rabbit ear artery; central alpha1-receptor affinity was measured as the ability to inhibit 3H-WB 4101 binding to rat brain homogenates. In the agonist series, an excellent correlation between peripheral alpha1-activity and central alpha1-affinity was obtained, providing that partial agonists were excluded. Likewise, the receptor dissociation constant for blockade of the peripheral alpha1-adrenoceptor correlated well with affinity for the central receptor for all of the alphaantagonists. These data support the conclusion that central and peripheral alpha1-adrenoceptors are similar or identical.

Dimethyleicosatrienoic acids: Inhibitors of the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme

Abstract Syntheses of 7,7- and 10,10-dimethyleicosa-5(Z),8(Z),11(Z)-trienoic acids ( 5 and 6 , which possess 5-lipoxygenase inhibitory activity, are described.

Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate inhibition of leukotriene D4-induced signal transduction was rapidly reversed by staurosporine

Activation of leukotriene D4 receptors results in phospholipase C-mediated breakdown of phosphatidylinositol and increases in intracellular Ca2+ in U-937 cells. Treatment (10 min) with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate blocked leukotriene D4-induced phosphatidylinositol metabolism and Ca2+ mobilization (IC50 = 0.2 nM). Treatment with 10 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate produced blockade which was complete within 1 min and no recovery was observed over 7 days. Addition of the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine (100 nM) to U-937 cells pretreated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate for 5 min or 24 hr resulted in a rapid reappearance of leukotriene D4-induced Ca2+ mobilization. Half of the response recovered within 2 min, with complete recovery in 20 min. Staurosporine produced a concentration-related recovery of signal transduction, with an EC50 of 30 nM. These data describe cells which have a novel response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in that the inhibition of leukotriene D4 signal transduction is persistent and yet rapidly reversed by staurosporine.

15-Acetylthioxy-furodysinin lactone, a potent LTB4 receptor partial agonist from a marine sponge of the genus Dysidea

Abstract A novel sesquiterpene thioacetate with high binding-affinity for the human leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4 ) receptor has been isolated from the sponge Dysidea sp. collected in Palau. The structure of the new compound was determined on the basis of spectral data and the compound was prepared semi-synthetically by photo-oxidation of the known metabolite, thiofurodysin acetate.