Mildred A. Donlon

Radiation-induced alterations in prostaglandin excretion in the rat

Dose-related alterations in the levels of prostaglandins (PGF2 alpha and PGE) and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) were observed in the urine of unanesthetized rats following whole-body gamma radiation. Exposure doses of 100 and 900 rads resulted in significant changes in urinary levels of these cyclooxygenase products. These findings suggest the potential use of radioimmunoassay measurement of urinary prostaglandins and thromboxane as a noninvasive indicator of radiation exposure.

Plasma histamine and hemodynamic responses following administration of nalbuphine and morphine.

A comparative study of plasma histamine levels following administration or morphine and nalbuphine in pentobarbital anesthetized dogs was performed. Two concentrations, 3 mg/kg and 0.3 mg/kg of these drugs were investigated. High dose morphine caused an immediate marked increase in plasma histamine from 5.0±0.4 to 340±72 ng/ml. Simultaneous with this increase in plasma histamine was a marked decrease in mean arterial blood pressure within the first minute. In contrast significant alterations in plasma histamine levels were not observed with high or low doses of nalbuphine. A low dose of morphine (0.3 mg/kg) did not increase plasma histamine levels. Heart rate was not changed by any drug treatment. The use of compound 48/80 a specific mast cell degranulating agent allowed for the identification of a specific pool of mast cells capable of responding to morphine.In vitro exposure of purified dog leukocytes to high doses of morphine did not result in histamine release. These results indicate that nalbuphine does not increase plasma histamine, while morphine does, and that the source of the increase in plasma histamine is from tissue mast cells.

Early kinetics of Ca2+ fluxes and histamine release in rat mast cells stimulated with compound 48/80.

The kinetics of Ca2+ uptake and efflux have been measured in rat peritoneal mast cells stimulated with compound 48/80 using rapid mixing and a silicone oil centrifugation technique. Responses at one-second time intervals were resolved beginning as early as three seconds after initial stimulation. The results clearly demonstrate that Ca2+ uptake occurs after the initiation of histamine release. Ca2+ efflux occurs simultaneously with histamine release. The implications of these findings are discussed and the technique is described.

A characterization of beta-adrenergic receptors on cellular and perigranular membranes of rat peritoneal mast cells

Beta-adrenergic receptors were characterized by measuring the specific binding of 3H-dihydroalprenolol (DHA) on intact isolated rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) and on perigranular membranes derived from purified RPMC granules. The specific binding of 3H-DHA reaches an equilibrium within 30 min at 5 degrees C and is linear with cell number. Scatchard analysis reveals two populations of binding sites on intact cells: with KD = 10.6 +/- 2.6 and 129 +/- 4.7 nM and Bmax of 186 +/- 38 and 1200 +/- 415 fmol/10(6) cells, respectively. Each cell contains 120 X 10(3) high-affinity binding sites and 720 X 10(3) low-affinity binding sites. There appears to be neither alpha-adrenergic nor muscarinic cholinergic receptors on the RPMC. Specific binding of 3H-DHA also occurred to isolated granules with perigranular membranes. The binding was saturable with a single population of binding sites with an affinity (KD) of 7.0 +/- 0.45 nM. Maximum binding (Bmax) was calculated at 56.6 +/- 1.9 fmol/10(9) granules. Subfractionation of granule components demonstrated that the specific binding sites appear to be localized exclusively on the perigranular membrane.

WR-2721 Inhibition of Radiation-induced Prostaglandin Excretion in Rats

Pre-irradiation administration of the radioprotectant drug WR-2721 to rats resulted in a significant reduction in radiation-induced increases in excretion rates of prostaglandins (PGE and PGF2 alpha) and thromboxane (TxB2). In animals not irradiated. WR-2721 did not significantly alter these excretion rates. Dramatic reductions in the levels of urinary PGE and TxB2 were observed following exposure to 9.0 Gy of whole-body, unilateral gamma-radiation in WR-2721-treated animals, whereas changes in PGF2 alpha levels were less pronounced. Radiation-induced diuresis was also significantly depressed in animals given WR-2721 before irradiation. Reduced prostaglandin excretion rates may reflect the general radioprotective capacity of the chemoprotector WR-2721 on the release of prostaglandins from radiation-damaged tissue. The decrease in diuresis may be related to the observed prostaglandin decreases.

The effect of calmodulin on histamine release in the rat peritoneal mast cell

To investigate the role of the Ca2+-binding protein calmodulin on histamine release in the rat peritoneal mast cell, we exposed cells to exogenous calmodulin in the presence of a variety of histamine secretagogues. Histamine release stimulated by compound 48/80, polymyxin B and ionophore A23187 was inhibited while concanavalin A-stimulated release was not affected. Calmodulin in the presence of the secretagogues did not affect cell viability and calmodulin alone had no effect on histamine release. No direct interaction between calmodulin and the secretagogues was observed. Exogenous calmodulin does not appear to be incorporated into the cell. The inhibition of histamine release by calmodulin can be explained as a labile interaction between the protein and the cell that requires externally-bound Ca2+. These experiments demonstrate the use of exogenous calmodulin as a probe in the study of the mechanism of histamine release.

Characterization of an 11,000-dalton beta-bungarotoxin: binding and enzyme activity on rat brain synaptosomal membranes.

The binding and phospholipase A2 activity of an 11,000-dalton beta-bungarotoxin, isolated from Bungarus multicincutus venom, have been characterized using rat brain subcellular fractions as substrates. 125I-labeled beta-bungarotoxin binds rapidly (k = 0.14 min-1 and 0.11 min-1), saturably (Vmax = 130.1 +/- 5.0 fmoles/mg and 128.2 +/- 7.1) fmoles/mg), and with high affinity (apparent Kd = 0.8 +/- 0.1 nM and 0.7 +/- 0.1 nM) to rat brain mitochondria and synaptosomal membranes, respectively, but not to myelin. The binding to synaptosomal membranes is inhibited by divalent cations and by pretreatment with trypsin. The binding results suggest that the toxin binds to specific protein receptor sites on presynpatic membranes. The 11,000-dalton toxin rapidly hydrolyzes synaptosomal membrane phospholipids to lysophosphatides and manifests relative substrate specificity in the order phosphatidyl ethanolamine greater than phosphatidyl choline greater than phosphatidyl serine. These results indicate that the 11,000-dalton beta-bungarotoxin is a phospholipase A2 and can use presynaptic membrane phospholipids as substrates. The binding, phospholipase activity and other biological properties of the 11,000-dalton toxin are contrasted with those of the beta-bungarotoxin found in highest concentration in the venom (the 22,000-dalton beta-bungarotoxin), and the two toxins are shown to have qualitatively similar properties. Finally the results are shown to support the hypothesis that beta-bungarotoxins act in a two-step fashion to inhibit transmitter release: first, by binding to a protein receptor site on the presynatic membrane associated with Ca2+ entry, and second, by perturbing through enzymatic hydrolyses the phospholipid matrix of the membrane and thereby causing an increase in passive Ca2+ permeability.

Adenyl cyclase activity of mouse liver membranes after incubation with endotoxin and epinephrine

Adenyl cyclase activity in isolated mouse liver cell membranes was stimulated two-fold by endotoxin. Furthermore, endotoxin inhibited epinephrine induction of adenyl cyclase activity, apparently through interruption of the phospholipid moiety of the enzyme complex.

Evidence for a dopamine receptor antibody.

Summary Electrophysiological and biochemical studies have shown that the vertebrate neuronal somatic cell hybrid TCX11 expresses receptors for dopamine. Antiserum was produced in an effort to obtain an antibody to this dopamine receptor. Decomplemented antiserum reversibly blocked the electrophysiological dopamine response in TCX11. Two methods of purification yielded fractions which antagonized the response. The antiserum antagonized [ 3 H]-dopamine binding and the dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase in rat caudate homogenates. Dopamine responses were selectively blocked in the molluse Aplysia . These results suggest the presence of an antibody effective in altering dopamine receptor activity.

Purification and biochemical characterization of an 11 000-dalton β-bungarotoxin

Abstract The chromatographic separation and biochemical characterization of a β-bungarotoxin is described. This toxin is isolated as the most basic eluting protein of Bungarus multicinctus venom when separated by column chromatography on CM-Sephadex C-25. The protein migrated as a single band on pH 4.3 and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of this toxin was estimated to be 10 000 ± 1000 by analytical sedimentation analysis. This value was consistent with the electrophoretic mobility of the toxin in SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The amino acid composition of this 11 000-dalton β-bungarotoxin was similar to that of the 22 000-dalton β-bungarotoxin previously reported (Lee et al. (1972) J. Chromatogr. 72, 71–82; Kelly, R.B. and Brown, III, F.R. (1974) J. Neurobiol. 5, 135–150; Kondo et al. (1978) J. Biochem. Tokyo 83, 91–99), suggesting that the 11 000-dalton toxin may be one of the polypeptide chains of the large toxin. The 11 000-dalton β-bungarotoxin was toxic to mice when injected intravenously. Animals that received lethal doses exhibited hyperexcitability followed by ataxia, convulsions, and death. The minimum lethal dose was 0.12 μg/g body weight. This β-bungarotoxin exhibited Ca2+-dependent phospholipase A activity comparable to that of the 22 000-dalton β-bungarotoxin. The enzyme exhibited phospholipid substrate specificity in the rank order of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol. The enzyme activity was destroyed by boiling for 3 min at pH 8.6. In addition, an enzymatically inactive quantity of the 11 000-dalton toxin, equivalent to five times the minimum lethal dose of enzymatically active toxin, was not lethal when injected into mice. To test whether phospholipase A activity is responsible for lethality, bee venom phospholipase A2 was injected into mice at similar and greater concentrations with no toxic effect. Thus, while phospholipase A activity may be required for the lethal effect of the 11 000-dalton β-bungarotoxin, the specificity of action of the toxin is not determined by its enzyme activity.