Autoactive peptides act at three distinct receptors to depolarize the bag cell neurons of Aplysia

1994 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. J. Loechner ◽  
L. K. Kaczmarek
Keyword(s):  
Afferent Input ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Small Peptides ◽  
Alpha Beta ◽  
Bag Cell Neurons ◽  
Electrophysiological Effects

1. In response to brief stimulation of an afferent input the bag cell neurons of Aplysia depolarize by 15-20 mV and generate an afterdischarge that, in vitro, lasts for approximately 30 min. During the discharge these neurons secrete three small peptides [bag cell peptides (BCPs)], Ala-Pro-Arg-Leu-Arg-Phe-Tyr-Ser-Leu (alpha-BCP), Arg-Leu-Arg-Phe-His (beta-BCP), and Arg-Leu-Arg-Phe-Asp (gamma-BCP), that share a common core sequence and that have electrophysiological effects on the bag cell neurons themselves. We have now studied the action of these three peptides on bag cell neurons isolated in culture. All three peptides were found to be capable of producing a depolarization of these cells. 2. The ability of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-BCP to induce a depolarization in isolated bag cell neurons exhibits a seasonal variability. The response to the peptides is maximal from early summer through late fall and parallels the frequency of egg-laying in vivo. 3. The depolarization induced by alpha-, beta-, and gamma-BCP desensitizes with repeated application of peptide. Desensitization of the response to one peptide does not, however, prevent the response to application of one of the other two peptides. This suggests that separate autoreceptor populations exist for alpha-, beta-, and gamma-BCP. 4. As reported previously, desensitization of the depolarizing response to the peptides was also observed after preincubation of intact clusters of bag cell neurons with a high concentration of all three peptides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

scholarly journals Current Knowledge on Functionality and Potential Therapeutic Uses of Donkey Milk

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1382
Author(s):  
Mina Martini ◽  
Iolanda Altomonte ◽  
Domenico Tricò ◽  
Riccardo Lapenta ◽  
Federica Salari
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Saturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Cow Milk ◽  
Donkey Milk ◽  
Alpha Linolenic Acid ◽  
High Concentration

The increase of knowledge on the composition of donkey milk has revealed marked similarities to human milk, which led to a growing number of investigations focused on testing the potential effects of donkey milk in vitro and in vivo. This paper examines the scientific evidence regarding the beneficial effects of donkey milk on human health. Most clinical studies report a tolerability of donkey milk in 82.6–98.5% of infants with cow milk protein allergies. The average protein content of donkey milk is about 18 g/L. Caseins, which are main allergenic components of milk, are less represented compared to cow milk (56% of the total protein in donkey vs. 80% in cow milk). Donkey milk is well accepted by children due to its high concentration of lactose (about 60 g/L). Immunomodulatory properties have been reported in one study in humans and in several animal models. Donkey milk also seems to modulate the intestinal microbiota, enhance antioxidant defense mechanisms and detoxifying enzymes activities, reduce hyperglycemia and normalize dyslipidemia. Donkey milk has lower calorie and fat content compared with other milks used in human nutrition (fat ranges from 0.20% to 1.7%) and a more favourable fatty acid profile, being low in saturated fatty acids (3.02 g/L) and high in alpha-linolenic acid (about 7.25 g/100 g of fat). Until now, the beneficial properties of donkey milk have been mostly related to whey proteins, among which β-lactoglobulin is the most represented (6.06 g/L), followed by α-lactalbumin (about 2 g/L) and lysozyme (1.07 g/L). So far, the health functionality of donkey milk has been tested almost exclusively on animal models. Furthermore, in vitro studies have described inhibitory action against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. From the literature review emerges the need for new randomized clinical trials on humans to provide stronger evidence of the potential beneficial health effects of donkey milk, which could lead to new applications as an adjuvant in the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases, malnutrition, and aging.

Reproduction in Aplysia californica: correlations between egg laying in vivo and egg release in vitro

1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2163-2166 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Edward Dudek ◽  
Amd Bonnie Soutar ◽  
Stephen S. Tobe
Keyword(s):  
Aplysia Californica ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Previous Episode ◽  
Laboratory Conditions ◽  
Release In Vitro

Aspects of egg laying by isolated Aplysia californica and egg release from ovotestis fragments were compared under laboratory conditions. The volume of eggs laid per episode increased as a function of time since the previous episode of egg laying. Egg output in vivo and egg release in vitro were maximal in autumn and minimal in spring, but a factor in the parietovisceral ganglion evoked egg release from ovotestis fragments throughout the year. These data are consistent with previous studies which have suggested that the effects of season and egg-laying history on egg laying involve substantial changes in the ovotestis.

scholarly journals Alpha/Beta and Gamma Interferons Are Induced by Infection with Noncytopathic Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus In Vivo

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 923-927 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Charleston ◽  
L. S. Brackenbury ◽  
B. V. Carr ◽  
M. D. Fray ◽  
J. C. Hope ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Bovine Viral Diarrhea ◽  
Diarrhea Virus ◽  
Viral Diarrhea ◽  
Alpha Beta ◽  
Interferon Responses ◽  
Viral Diarrhea Virus

ABSTRACT In contrast to the results of previous in vitro studies, experimental infection of calves with noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus (ncpBVDV) was found to induce strong alpha/beta and gamma interferon responses in gnotobiotic animals. These responses were associated with depressed levels of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) in serum. The results of this study indicate that the immunosuppression caused by ncpBVDV is not associated with low interferon responses or elevated levels of TGF-β.

The centriolar complex isolated from starfish spermatozoa

1981 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kuriyama ◽  
H. Kanatani
Keyword(s):  
Gradient Centrifugation ◽  
Sucrose Density Gradient ◽  
Microtubule Assembly ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Microtubule Organization ◽  
Sucrose Density Gradient Centrifugation ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Distal Centriole

Centrioles from spermatozoa of the starfish, Asterina pectinifera, were isolated and partially purified by solubilization of chromatin followed by sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. The ultrastructure of the isolated centriolar complex was investigated in whole mount preparations by electron microscopy. The complex unit was composed of a pair of centrioles and a pericentriolar structure, which associated with the distal end of the distal centriole by 9 spoke-like satellites extending radially to a marginal ring. Each satellite bifurcated at a dense node forming 2 fan-like shapes with a periodic striated pattern. The tubular structure of the centrioles easily disintegrated, leaving the pericentriolar structure or axonemal microtubules intact. The distal centriole in a spermatozoon served as an initiating site for flagellar microtubule assembly; that is, a number of “9 + 2′ axonemal tubules were observed adhering just beneath the distal end of the basal body. In experiments in vitro, polymerization of microtubule proteins purified from porcine brain was initiated by the structure at the ends of both proximal and distal centrioles, but not from the satellites or the marginal ring. Also, few if any microtubules were formed from the sides of each centriole, even in the presence of a high concentration of exogenous tubulin. On the other hand, centrioles of spermatozoa, when they were in mature ooplasm, could initiate the formation of sperm asters by microtubules. Therefore, centrioles in spermatozoa seem to be able to initiate microtubules in a 2 ways. A possible explanation of the difference between the 2 types of microtubule organization in vivo, i.e. in the sperm cell itself and in the ooplasm, it discussed.

Novel Self-Micro Emulsifying Drug Delivery System for safe intra muscular delivery with improved pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subheet Kumar Jain ◽  
Neha Panchal ◽  
Amrinder Singh ◽  
Shubham Thakur ◽  
Navid Reza Shahtaghi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Drug Delivery System ◽  
Delivery System ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Diclofenac Sodium ◽  
Physical Stability ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
High Concentration

Background: Diclofenac sodium (DS) injection is widely used in the management of acute or chronic pain and inflammatory diseases. It incorporates 20 % w/v Transcutol-P as a solubilizer to make the stable injectable formulation. However, the use of Transcutol-P in high concentration leads to adverse effects such as severe nephrotoxicity, etc. Some advancements resulted in the formulation of an aqueous based injectable but that too used benzyl alcohol reported to be toxic for human use. Objective: To develop an injectable self-micro emulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) as a novel carrier of DS for prompt release with better safety and efficacy. Methods: A solubility study was performed with different surfactants and co-surfactants. The conventional stirring method was employed for the formulation of SMEDDS. Detailed in vitro characterization was done for different quality control parameters. In vivo studies were performed using Wistar rats for pharmacokinetic evaluation, toxicological analysis, and analgesic activity. Results: The optimized formulation exhibited good physical stability, ideal globule size (156±0.4 nm), quick release, better therapeutics, and safety, increase in LD50 (221.9 mg/kg) to that of the commercial counterpart (109.9 mg/kg). Further, pre-treatment with optimized formulation reduced the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema by 88±1.2 % after 4 h, compared to 77±1.6 % inhibition with commercial DS formulation. Moreover, optimized formulation significantly (p<0.05) inhibited the pain sensation in the acetic-acid induced writhing test in mice compared to its commercial equivalent with a better pharmacokinetic profile. Conclusion: The above findings confirmed that liquid SMEDDS could be a successful carrier for the safe and effective delivery of DS

A spectrin-like protein from mouse brain membranes: phosphorylation of the 235,000-dalton subunit

1984 ◽  
Vol 247 (1) ◽  
pp. C61-C73 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Goodman ◽  
I. S. Zagon ◽  
C. F. Whitfield ◽  
L. A. Casoria ◽  
S. B. Shohet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Brain ◽  
Beta Subunit ◽  
Beta Subunits ◽  
Mouse Erythrocyte ◽  
Alpha Beta ◽  
Beta 2 ◽  
Independent Protein ◽  
Brain Spectrin

A mouse brain spectrin-like protein, which was an immunoreactive analogue of erythrocyte spectrin, has been isolated from demyelinated membranes. This spectrin analogue was a 10.5 S, 972,000 molecular weight (Mr) (alpha beta)2 tetramer containing subunits of 240,000 (alpha) and 235,000 (beta) Mr. We demonstrated that in vivo only the 235,000 Mr beta subunit of the mouse brain spectrin-like protein was phosphorylated, which was an analogous situation to mouse erythrocyte spectrin in which only the 220,000 Mr beta subunit was phosphorylated. Incubation of isolated membrane fractions with [gamma-32P]ATP +/- adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) indicated that mouse brain spectrin-like protein, mouse erythrocyte spectrin, and human erythrocyte spectrin's beta subunits were all phosphorylated in vitro by membrane-associated cAMP-independent protein kinases.

Autocatalytic activities of intron 5 of the cob gene of yeast mitochondria

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 2562-2571
Author(s):  
S Partono ◽  
A S Lewin
Keyword(s):  
Group I Introns ◽  
Yeast Mitochondria ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Functional Protein ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Group I ◽  
Intron Boundary ◽  
Monovalent Ion

The terminal intron of the mitochondrial cob gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can undergo autocatalytic splicing in vitro. Efficient splicing of this intron required a high concentration of monovalent ion (1 M). We found that at a high salt concentration this intron was very active and performed many of the reactions described for other group I introns. The rate of the splicing reaction was dependent on the choice of the monovalent ion; the reaction intermediate, the intron-3' exon molecule, accumulated in NH4Cl but not in KCl. In addition, the intron was more reactive in KCl, accumulating in two different circular forms: one cyclized at the 5' intron boundary and the other at 236 nucleotides from the 5' end. These circular forms were able to undergo the opening and recyclization reactions previously described for the Tetrahymena rRNA intron. Cleavage of the 5' exon-intron boundary by the addition of GTP did not require the 3' terminus of the intron and the downstream exon. An anomalous guanosine addition at the 3' exon and at the middle of the intron was also detected. Hence, this intron, which requires a functional protein to splice in vivo, demonstrated a full spectrum of characteristic reactions in the absence of proteins.

scholarly journals Brain Delivery of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone via a Novel Prodrug Approach

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katalin Prokai-Tatrai ◽  
Daniel L. De La Cruz ◽  
Vien Nguyen ◽  
Benjamin P. Ross ◽  
Istvan Toth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Homogenate ◽  
Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Metabolic Stability ◽  
Antidepressant Effect ◽  
Brain Delivery ◽  
Small Peptides ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Membrane Affinity

Using thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) as a model, we explored whether synergistic combination of lipoamino acid(s) and a linker cleaved by prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) can be used as a promoiety for prodrug design for the preferential brain delivery of the peptide. A representative prodrug based on this design principle was synthesized, and its membrane affinity and in vitro metabolic stability, with or without the presence of a POP inhibitor, were studied. The in vivo formation of TRH from the prodrug construct was probed by utilizing the antidepressant effect of the peptide, as well as its ability to increase acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis and release. We found that the prototype prodrug showed excellent membrane affinity and greatly increased metabolic stability in mouse blood and brain homogenate compared to the parent peptide, yet a POP inhibitor completely prevented prodrug metabolism in brain homogenate. In vivo, administration of the prodrug triggered antidepressant-like effect, and microdialysis sampling showed greatly increased ACh release that was also antagonized upon a POP inhibitor treatment. Altogether, the obtained promising exploratory data warrant further investigations on the utility of the prodrug approach introduced here for brain-enhanced delivery of small peptides with neurotherapeutic potential.

scholarly journals Odor-Driven Activity in the Olfactory Cortex of an In Vitro Isolated Guinea Pig Whole Brain With Olfactory Epithelium

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 670-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Ishikawa ◽  
Takaaki Sato ◽  
Akira Shimizu ◽  
Ken-Ichiro Tsutsui ◽  
Marco de Curtis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Olfactory Epithelium ◽  
Afferent Input ◽  
Initial Component ◽  
Induced Response ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Olfactory Neural Network ◽  
The Brain

We developed a new technique to isolate a whole guinea pig brain with an intact olfactory epithelium (OE) that enables us to access the ventral surface of the brain including olfactory areas with ease during natural odor stimulation. We applied odorants to OE and confirmed that odor-induced local field potentials (LFPs) could be induced in olfactory areas. In the olfactory bulb (OB) and the piriform cortex (PC), odor-induced LFPs consisted of a phasic initial component followed by a fast activity oscillation in the beta range (20 Hz). To understand the neural mechanisms of odor-induced responses especially in the anterior PC, we analyzed odor-induced LFPs, together with unit activity data. We confirmed that the initial component of odor-induced response has a characteristic temporal pattern, generated by a relatively weak direct afferent input, followed by an intra-cortical associative response, which was associated with a phasic inhibition. The beta oscillation might be formed by the repetition of these network activities. These electrophysiological data were consistent with the results of previous studies that used slice or in vivo preparations, suggesting that the olfactory neural network and activities of the brain are preserved in our new in vitro preparation. This study provides the basis for clarifying the sequence of neural activities underlying odor information processing in the brain in vitro following natural olfactory stimulation.

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