Interaction between prolactin and catecholamines on hypothalamic GnRH release in vitro

1996 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
A E Calogero ◽  
N Burrello ◽  
A M Ossino ◽  
R F A Weber ◽  
R D'Agata

Abstract Brain catecholamines have been implicated in the regulation of gonadotrophin release. It has been recently reported that noradrenaline (NA), applied within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, suppresses the pulsatile release of LH in the rat through a corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH)-dependent mechanism. Prolactin (PRL) is also able to suppress hypothalamic GnRH release following activation of the CRH-releasing neurone. Given that PRL stimulates the release of NA from hypothalamic explants and that NA stimulates the release of hypothalamic CRH, we hypothesized that this neurotransmitter may be involved in the intrahypothalamic neuroendocrine circuit mediating the inhibitory effects of PRL on GnRH release. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of PRL on GnRH release in the presence of α- or β-adrenergic receptor antagonists using a static hypothalamic organ culture system which enabled us to evaluate immunoreactive GnRH (iGnRH) release from individually incubated, longitudinally halved hypothalami. As previously shown, PRL at a concentration of 100 nm inhibited basal iGnRH release by about 35%. Phentolamine, a non-selective α-adrenergic receptor antagonist, prazosin, an α1-receptor antagonist, and yohimbine, an α2-receptor antagonist, overcame the inhibitory effect of PRL on iGnRH release in a concentration-dependent fashion. In contrast, propranolol, a non-selective β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, atenolol, a β1-receptor antagonist, and ICI-118,551, a β2-receptor antagonist, had no effect. None of these compounds had any effect on basal iGnRH release. These findings suggested that an α-adrenergic mechanism is involved in the suppressive effects of PRL on GnRH release. Since the activation of α-adrenergic receptors increases hypothalamic CRH release, we evaluated whether PRL stimulates CRH release via an α-adrenergic mechanism. PRL stimulated basal CRH release by about twofold and this effect was inhibited by phentolamine in a concentration-dependent fashion. In conclusion, α-, but not β-, adrenergic receptors mediate the inhibitory effects of PRL on GnRH release in vitro. We speculate that, at least under these experimental conditions, PRL inhibits GnRH release through an α-adrenergic mechanism which activates the CRH-secreting neurone. Journal of Endocrinology (1996) 151, 269–275

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (05) ◽  
pp. 1385-1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Vezza ◽  
Domenico Spina ◽  
Ronald J Tallarida ◽  
Malevika Nathan ◽  
Clive P Page ◽  
...  

SummaryPicotamide is a dual thromboxane (Tx) A2 receptor antagonist/Tx synthase inhibitor although some observations suggest an anti-vasoconstrictor effect independent of TxA2 inhibition/antagonism. The aim of our study was to assess whether picotamide antagonises vascular contractions induced by different vasoactive substances in vitro. Picotamide inhibited competitively the contraction of rabbit aortic rings induced by the TxA2 mimetic U46619 (pA2 = 3.59) but also the contractions induced by phenylephrine (pA2 = 3.93) and serotonin (5-HT) (pA2 = 5.81) although in a not competitive way. Picotamide did not inhibit potassium-induced contractions, thus excluding aspecific effects on vascular smooth muscle. Picotamide inhibited 5-HT-induced platelet aggregation in vitro with an IC50 (212 μM) similar to that found when other aggregating stimuli are used, but it did not affect shape change (IC50> 1 mM) suggesting that the effects of picotamide can not be ascribed to 5-HT2-receptor antagonism; in the same experimental conditions neither a Tx-receptor antagonist (BM13.177) nor a dual Tx-receptor antagonist/synthase inhibitor (ridogrel) affected 5-HT-induced platelet responses.Our studies demonstrate that picotamide exerts antivasoconstrictor and platelet inhibitory effects unrelated to TxA2 antagonism. This activity may contribute to the anti-thrombotic/anti-ischaemic effects of the drug in vivo.


1989 ◽  
Vol 61 (02) ◽  
pp. 254-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret L Rand ◽  
Peter L Gross ◽  
Donna M Jakowec ◽  
Marian A Packham ◽  
J Fraser Mustard

SummaryEthanol, at physiologically tolerable concentrations, inhibits platelet responses to low concentrations of collagen or thrombin, but does not inhibit responses of washed rabbit platelets stimulated with high concentrations of ADP, collagen, or thrombin. However, when platelet responses to high concentrations of collagen or thrombin had been partially inhibited by prostacyclin (PGI2), ethanol had additional inhibitory effects on aggregation and secretion. These effects were also observed with aspirin- treated platelets stimulated with thrombin. Ethanol had no further inhibitory effect on aggregation of platelets stimulated with ADP, or the combination of ADP and epinephrine. Thus, the inhibitory effects of ethanol on platelet responses in the presence of PGI2 were very similar to its inhibitory effects in the absence of PGI2, when platelets were stimulated with lower concentrations of collagen or thrombin. Ethanol did not appear to exert its inhibitory effects by increasing cyclic AMP above basal levels and the additional inhibitory effects of ethanol in the presence of PGI2 did not appear to be brought about by further increases in platelet cyclic AMP levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicky Mody ◽  
Joanna Ho ◽  
Savannah Wills ◽  
Ahmed Mawri ◽  
Latasha Lawson ◽  
...  

AbstractEmerging outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a major threat to public health. The morbidity is increasing due to lack of SARS-CoV-2 specific drugs. Herein, we have identified potential drugs that target the 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro), the main protease that is pivotal for the replication of SARS-CoV-2. Computational molecular modeling was used to screen 3987 FDA approved drugs, and 47 drugs were selected to study their inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV-2 specific 3CLpro enzyme in vitro. Our results indicate that boceprevir, ombitasvir, paritaprevir, tipranavir, ivermectin, and micafungin exhibited inhibitory effect towards 3CLpro enzymatic activity. The 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation studies showed that ivermectin may require homodimeric form of 3CLpro enzyme for its inhibitory activity. In summary, these molecules could be useful to develop highly specific therapeutically viable drugs to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 replication either alone or in combination with drugs specific for other SARS-CoV-2 viral targets.


2002 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 1938-1947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Zhen Pan ◽  
De-Pei Li ◽  
Hui-Lin Pan

Activation of spinal α2-adrenergic receptors by the descending noradrenergic system and α2-adrenergic agonists produces analgesia. However, the sites and mechanisms of the analgesic action of spinally administered α2-adrenergic receptor agonists such as clonidine are not fully known. The dorsal horn neurons in the outer zone of lamina II (lamina IIo) are important for processing nociceptive information from C-fiber primary afferents. In the present study, we tested a hypothesis that activation of presynaptic α2-adrenergic receptors by clonidine inhibits the excitatory synaptic input to lamina IIo neurons. Whole cell voltage-clamp recordings were performed on visualized lamina IIo neurons in the spinal cord slice of rats. The miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) were recorded in the presence of tetrodotoxin, bicuculline, and strychnine. The evoked EPSCs were obtained by electrical stimulation of the dorsal root entry zone or the attached dorsal root. Both mEPSCs and evoked EPSCs were abolished by application of 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione. Clonidine (10 μM) significantly decreased the frequency of mEPSCs from 5.8 ± 0.9 to 2.7 ± 0.6 Hz (means ± SE) without altering the amplitude and the decay time constant of mEPSCs in 25 of 27 lamina IIo neurons. Yohimbine (2 μM, an α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist), but not prazosin (2 μM, an α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist), blocked the inhibitory effect of clonidine on the mEPSCs. Clonidine (1–20 μM, n = 8) also significantly attenuated the peak amplitude of evoked EPSCs in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of clonidine on evoked EPSCs was abolished in the presence of yohimbine ( n = 5). These data suggest that clonidine inhibits the excitatory synaptic input to lamina IIo neurons through activation of α2-adrenergic receptors located on the glutamatergic afferent terminals. Presynaptic inhibition of glutamate release from primary afferents onto lamina IIoneurons likely plays an important role in the analgesic action produced by activation of the descending noradrenergic system and α2-adrenergic agonists.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Jana ◽  
Jarosław Całka

AbstractUterine inflammation is a very common and serious condition in domestic animals. To development and progression of this pathology often lead disturbances in myometrial contractility. Participation of β1-, β2- and β3-adrenergic receptors (ARs) in noradrenaline (NA)-influenced contractility of the pig inflamed uterus was studied. The gilts of SAL- and E.coli-treated groups were administered saline or E.coli suspension into the uterine horns, respectively. Laparotomy was only done in the CON group. Compared to the period before NA administration, this neurotransmitter reduced the tension, amplitude and frequency in uterine strips of the CON and SAL groups. In the E.coli group, NA decreased the amplitude and frequency, and these parameters were lower than in other groups. In the CON, SAL and E.coli groups, β1- and β3-ARs antagonists in more cases did not significantly change and partly eliminated NA inhibitory effect on amplitude and frequency, as compared to NA action alone. In turn, β2-ARs antagonist completely abolished NA relaxatory effect on these parameters in three groups. Summarizing, NA decreases the contractile amplitude and frequency of pig inflamed uterus via all β-ARs subtypes, however, β2-ARs have the greatest importance. Given this, pharmacological modulation of particular β-ARs subtypes can be used to increase inflamed uterus contractility.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 493
Author(s):  
 Chung-Yu Chen ◽  
Chien-Rung Chen ◽  
Chiao-Nan Chen ◽  
Paulus S. Wang ◽  
Toby Mündel ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the amphetamine effects on progesterone and estradiol production in rat granulosa cells and the underlying cellular regulatory mechanisms. Freshly dispersed rat granulosa cells were cultured with various test drugs in the presence of amphetamine, and the estradiol/progesterone production and the cytosolic cAMP level were measured. Additionally, the cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) were measured to examine the role of Ca2+ influx in the presence of amphetamine. Amphetamine in vitro inhibited both basal and porcine follicle-stimulating hormone-stimulated estradiol/progesterone release, and amphetamine significantly decreased steroidogenic enzyme activities. Adding 8-Bromo-cAMP did not recover the inhibitory effects of amphetamine on progesterone and estradiol release. H89 significantly decreased progesterone and estradiol basal release but failed to enhance a further amphetamine inhibitory effect. Amphetamine was capable of further suppressing the release of estradiol release under the presence of nifedipine. Pretreatment with the amphetamine for 2 h decreased the basal [Ca2+]i and prostaglandin F2α-stimulated increase of [Ca2+]i. Amphetamine inhibits progesterone and estradiol secretion in rat granulosa cells through a mechanism involving decreased PKA-downstream steroidogenic enzyme activity and L-type Ca2+ channels. Our current findings show that it is necessary to study the possibility of amphetamine perturbing reproduction in females.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1301
Author(s):  
Yun Xiong ◽  
Ken Ng ◽  
Pangzhen Zhang ◽  
Robyn Dorothy Warner ◽  
Shuibao Shen ◽  
...  

Diabetes is a global health challenge. Currently, an effective treatment for diabetes is to reduce the postprandial hyperglycaemia by inhibiting the carbohydrate hydrolysing enzymes in the digestive system. In this study, we investigated the in vitro α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory effects of free and bound phenolic extracts, from the bran and kernel fractions of five sorghum grain genotypes. The results showed that the inhibitory effect of sorghum phenolic extracts depended on the phenolic concentration and composition. Sorghum with higher phenolic contents generally had higher inhibitory activity. Among the tested extracts, the brown sorghum (IS131C)-bran-free extract (BR-bran-free, half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 18 ± 11 mg sorghum/mL) showed the strongest inhibition against α-glucosidase which was comparable to that of acarbose (IC50 = 1.39 ± 0.23 mg acarbose/mL). The red sorghum (Mr-Buster)-kernel-bound extract (RM-kernel-bound, IC50 = 160 ± 12 mg sorghum/mL) was the most potent in inhibiting α-amylase but was much weaker compared to acarbose (IC50 = 0.50 ± 0.03 mg acarbose/mL).


1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 1199-1204 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Armour

The augmentation of ventricular inotropism induced by electrical stimulation of acutely decentralized efferent sympathetic preganglionic axons was reduced, but still present, following administraiton of hexamethonium (10 mg/kg i.v.). While hexamethonium continued to be administered, the cardiac augmentations so induced were enhanced significantly following administration of the α-adrenergic receptor blocking agent, phentolamine myselate (1 mg/kg i.v.). Stimulation of the sympathetic efferent postganglionic axons in cardiopulmonary nerves induced cardiac augmentations that were unchanged following administration of these agents singly or together. The cardiac augmentations induced by stimulation of efferent preganglionic sympathetic axons were unchanged when phentolamine was administered alone. The augmentations of cardiac inotropism induced by efferent postganglionic sympathetic axonal stimulation were decreased following local administration of the β-adrenergic antagonist timolol into the ipsilateral stellate and middle cervical ganglia. Thereafter, these augmentations were unchanged following the subsequent intravenous administration of phentolamine. It is concluded that the activation of cardiac neurons in the stellate and middle cervical ganglia by stimulation of efferent preganglionic sympathetic axons can be modified by α-adrenergic receptors and that these effects are dependent upon β-adrenergic receptors, not nicotinic ones, in intrathoracic ganglia.Key words: α-adrenergic inotropism, sympathetic ganglia, hexamethonium, phentolamine.


1966 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 661-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Thompson

To demonstrate the phenomenon of homologous inhibition by clearly interpretable results in a readily reactive system, experiments were carried out to study the effect of chick whole eye extract on the development of the vesicular lens of the chick embryo in vitro. The heads of embryos of 11 through 13 somites were explanted onto nutrient medium diluted with varying amounts of the extract, and cultured for 30 hours. A total of 35 embryos exposed to concentrations of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4 (extract to medium) showed complete inhibition of lens vesicle formation. Of a total of 53 embryos on concentrations of 1:8, 1:16, 1:32, and 1:64, more than 50% showed inhibition of vesicle formation. The inhibitory effect disappeared at a concentration of 1:128. Control material exposed to some equivalent concentrations of nutrient medium – saline mixtures showed inhibition of vesicle formation in only 15% of 33 embryos. Of a total of 27 control embryos exposed to ventricular muscle extract, approximately one-third showed inhibition of vesicle formation at concentrations of 1:8 and 1:16, with the inhibitory effect disappearing at 1:32. The implications of this result are discussed. Other factors and control experiments are described and their value is assessed.


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