Comparison of the Effects of Some Anorectic Drugs on Platelet and Brain 5-Hydroxy-Tryptamine (5 HT) in Rats

1975 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Roncaglioni ◽  
W. Buczko ◽  
R. Samanin ◽  
G. de Gaetano ◽  
S. Garattini

A number of anorectic drugs have been studied for their effects on the uptake and release of 5 HT in platelets and on the levels of brain 5 HT and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5HIAA) in the rat. Platelet studies have been performed in vitro, whereas brain levels have been measured after drug administration. Phentermine (α-dimethylphenylethylamine), die-thylpropion (2-diethylamino propiophenone) and d-amphetamine sulphate showed no effect on the above parameters. Mazindol (5(p-chlorophenyl)-2-5-dihydro-3H-imidazo-(2-1-α)isoindol-5-01) inhibited 5HT uptake by platelets, but neither induced release of 5HT from platelets nor modified 5HT or 5HIAA levels in the brain. Both d-fenfluramine H-Cl and 4-chloroamphetamine-HCl inhibited 5HT uptake by platelets, induced release of platelet-bound 5HT and lowered brain 5HT and 5HIAA levels. S 922 (trifluoro-methylphenyl(benzoyloxy)ethylamino-2-propane), a congener of fenfluramine, was inactive as an inhibitor of 5 HT uptake, was a weak releaser of 5 HT from platelets but effectively reduced 5HT and 5HIAA levels in the brain. This drug is rapidly metabolized in vivo to form fenfluramine.The in vivo effects of anorectic drugs on brain 5 HT levels seem therefore correlated with the capacity of these drugs to release in vitro 5 HT from platelets rather than with their in vitro inhibitory activity on platelet 5HT uptake.Supported by Grants 1ST. 73-00400-04 and H. 73-00218-31 of the Italian Research Council (C.N.R.).

Author(s):  
Paolo Mannella ◽  
Tommaso Simoncini ◽  
Andrea Riccardo Genazzani

AbstractSex steroids are known to regulate brain function and their role is so important that several diseases are strictly correlated with the onset of menopause when estrogen-progesterone deficiency makes neural cells much more vulnerable to toxic stimuli. Although in the past years several scientists have focused their studies on in vitro and in vivo effects of sex steroids on the brain, we are still far from complete knowledge. Indeed, contrasting results from large clinical trials have made the entire issue much more complicated. Currently we know that protective effects exerted by sex steroids depend on several factors among which the dose, the health of the cells and the type of molecule being used. In this review, we present an overview of the direct and indirect effects of estrogen and progesterone on the brain with specific focus on the molecular mechanisms by which these molecules act on neural cells.


1992 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 501-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Lyos ◽  
William E. Winter ◽  
Charles M. Henley

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, is important in development and regeneration. We hypothesize that aminoglycoside inhibition of ODC mediates developmental hypersensitivity to aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Kanamycin effects on ODC activity (decarboxylation of ornithine) in vitro were determined in the postmitochondriai fraction of cochlear and renal homogenates from 11-day-old rats. Kanamycin inhibited cochlear and renal ODC by an uncompetitive mechanism. For the cochlear enzyme, the inhibitor constant (Ki) for kanamycin was 99 ± 25 (μmol/L; for the renal enzyme, the Ki = 1.5 ± 0.1 mmol/L. In vivo effects of kanamycin on cochlear, renal, brain ODC activity were determined in rats treated with kanamycin (400 mg/kg/day, intramuscularly) or saline during postnatal days 11 through 20, the hypersensitive period for ototoxicity. Rats were killed on postnatal days 12,14,16, and 20 and ODC was assayed. Kanamycin significantly inhibited ODC in the lateral wall-organ of Corti and kidney (ANOVA α = 0.05), but had no effect on cochlear nerve and no consistent inhibitory effect in the brain. These results suggest that ODC is a potential target of kanamycin in susceptible tissues and may be a contributing factor in developmental sensitivity to the drug by inhibiting repair and developmental processes mediated by ODC.


Author(s):  
Beverly E. Maleeff ◽  
Timothy K. Hart ◽  
Stephen J. Wood ◽  
Ronald Wetzel

Alzheimer's disease is characterized post-mortem in part by abnormal extracellular neuritic plaques found in brain tissue. There appears to be a correlation between the severity of Alzheimer's dementia in vivo and the number of plaques found in particular areas of the brain. These plaques are known to be the deposition sites of fibrils of the protein β-amyloid. It is thought that if the assembly of these plaques could be inhibited, the severity of the disease would be decreased. The peptide fragment Aβ, a precursor of the p-amyloid protein, has a 40 amino acid sequence, and has been shown to be toxic to neuronal cells in culture after an aging process of several days. This toxicity corresponds to the kinetics of in vitro amyloid fibril formation. In this study, we report the biochemical and ultrastructural effects of pH and the inhibitory agent hexadecyl-N-methylpiperidinium (HMP) bromide, one of a class of ionic micellar detergents known to be capable of solubilizing hydrophobic peptides, on the in vitro assembly of the peptide fragment Aβ.


1979 ◽  
Vol 41 (03) ◽  
pp. 465-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia R Stelzer ◽  
Thomas S Burns ◽  
Robert N Saunders

SummaryThe relationship between the effects of suloctidil in vivo as an antiplatelet agent and in vitro as a modifier of platelet serotonin (5-HT) parameters was investigated. Suloctidil was found to be effective in reducing platelet aggregates formation in the retired breeder rat as determined using the platelet aggregate ratio method (PAR) with an ED50 of 16.1 mg/kg 24 hours post administration. In contrast to the hypothesis that 5-HT depletion is involved in the anti-aggregatory mechanism of suloctidil, no correlation was found between platelet 5- HT content and this antiplatelet activity. Reduction of platelet 5-HT content required multiple injections of high doses (100 mg/kg/day) of suloctidil. Suloctidil administration for 8 days at 100 mg/kg/day, which lowered platelet 5-HT content by 50%, resulted in no permanent effect on ex vivo platelet 5-HT uptake or thrombin-induced release, nor alteration in the plasma 5-HT level. However, these platelets exhibited a short-lived, significant increase in percent leakage of 5-HT after 30 minutes of incubation. Therefore, suloctidil treatment at high doses may with time result in platelet 5-HT depletion, however this effect is probably not related to the primary anti-aggregatory activity of the drug.


1972 ◽  
Vol 28 (03) ◽  
pp. 351-358
Author(s):  
A.J Baillie ◽  
A. K Sim

SummaryThe activity of several synthetic compounds, rated from good to poor (or inactive) fibrinolytic activators, has been assessed by two different commonly-used in vitro methods. Compounds shown to be active over a narrow concentration range in the hanging clot test were shown to be inhibitors of plasmin and trypsin in the casein-olytic test. The inhibitory activity of these compounds was shown to increase with increasing substrate concentration and apparent activity in the hanging clot test. Possible explanations and relevance of these observations are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-245
Author(s):  
Gang Wang ◽  
Junjie Wang ◽  
Rui Guan

Background: Owing to the rich anticancer properties of flavonoids, there is a need for their incorporation into drug delivery vehicles like nanomicelles for safe delivery of the drug into the brain tumor microenvironment. Objective: This study, therefore, aimed to prepare the phospholipid-based Labrasol/Pluronic F68 modified nano micelles loaded with flavonoids (Nano-flavonoids) for the delivery of the drug to the target brain tumor. Methods: Myricetin, quercetin and fisetin were selected as the initial drugs to evaluate the biodistribution and acute toxicity of the drug delivery vehicles in rats with implanted C6 glioma tumors after oral administration, while the uptake, retention, release in human intestinal Caco-2 cells and the effect on the brain endothelial barrier were investigated in Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HBMECs). Results: The results demonstrated that nano-flavonoids loaded with myricetin showed more evenly distributed targeting tissues and enhanced anti-tumor efficiency in vivo without significant cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cells and alteration in the Trans Epithelial Electric Resistance (TEER). There was no pathological evidence of renal, hepatic or other organs dysfunction after the administration of nanoflavonoids, which showed no significant influence on cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cells. Conclusion: In conclusion, Labrasol/F68-NMs loaded with MYR and quercetin could enhance antiglioma effect in vitro and in vivo, which may be better tools for medical therapy, while the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nano-flavonoids may ensure optimal therapeutic benefits.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reem Habib Mohamad Ali Ahmad ◽  
Marc Fakhoury ◽  
Nada Lawand

: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of neurons leading to cognitive and memory decay. The main signs of AD include the irregular extracellular accumulation of amyloidbeta (Aβ) protein in the brain and the hyper-phosphorylation of tau protein inside neurons. Changes in Aβ expression or aggregation are considered key factors in the pathophysiology of sporadic and early-onset AD and correlate with the cognitive decline seen in patients with AD. Despite decades of research, current approaches in the treatment of AD are only symptomatic in nature and are not effective in slowing or reversing the course of the disease. Encouragingly, recent evidence revealed that exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) can delay the development of AD and improve memory. This review paper discusses findings from in vitro and in vivo studies that investigate the link between EMF and AD at the cellular and behavioural level, and highlights the potential benefits of EMF as an innovative approach for the treatment of AD.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 17-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franco Borsini

AbstractMyriad difficulties exist in analyzing the pharmacology of the serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor. The receptor may demonstrate a different activity depending on the tissue or species used for analysis, the agent used, laboratory conditions, and differences between in vitro and in vivo effects of compounds. Affinity for 5-HT receptors also varies widely, presenting difficulties in drawing definitive conclusions on affinity values for various compounds. At least two possibilities exist to explain the diversity of pharmacology of 5-HT receptors. First, it is possible that different 5-HT1A receptor subtypes exist. Second, the 5-HT1A receptors may play a far more complex role than previously believed.


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