scholarly journals Rat duodenal motility in vitro: Prokinetic effects of DL-homocysteine thiolactone and modulation of nitric oxide mediated inhibition

2013 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 1323-1330
Author(s):  
Marija Stojanovic ◽  
Lj. Scepanovic ◽  
D. Mitrovic ◽  
V. Scepanovic ◽  
T. Stojanovic ◽  
...  

Homocysteine is a significant but modifiable risk factor for vascular diseases. As gastrointestinal smooth musculature is similar to blood vessel muscles, we investigated how elevated homocysteine levels affect nitric oxide-mediated neurotransmission in the gut. There is accumulated evidence that a dysfunction of NO neurons in the myenteric plexus may cause various diseases in the gastrointestinal tract such as achalasia, diabetic gastroparesis and infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effects of homocysteine on NO-mediated responses in vitro, and to examine the effects of DL-homocysteine thiolactone on the spontaneous motility of rat duodenum and nitrergic neurotransmission. DL-homocysteine thiolactone concentration of 10 ?mol/L leads to the immediate increase in tone, amplitude and frequency of spontaneous movements in isolated rat duodenum. L-NAME (30 ?mol/L) leads to an increase in basal tone, amplitude and frequency of spontaneous contractions. The relaxations induced by EFS were significantly reduced in duodenal segments incubated in DL-homocysteine thiolactone compared with the control group. EFS-induced relaxations were inhibited by L-NAME in both experimental and control groups. These results suggest that a high level of homocysteine causes an important impairment of non-adrenergic non-cholinergic innervation of the rat duodenum.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maibam Beebina Chanu ◽  
Biseshwori Thongam ◽  
Khumukcham Nongalleima ◽  
Hans Raj Bhat ◽  
Surajit Kumar Ghosh ◽  
...  

Background: Quercus serrata Murray leaves have been used traditionally in the treatment of diabetes, dysmenorrhoea, inflammation and urinary tract infection. So, far no study had been reported on the toxicological profile and antioxidant properties of the plant. Objective: The present study was aimed to investigate the in-vivo toxicological profile and in-vitro antioxidant activities of the methanolic extract of standardized Quercus serrata leaves. Methods: Per-oral sub-acute toxicity study was performed in rats using three dose levels (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg b.w.) of the extract for 28-days. Control group received gum acacia suspended in water. Bodyweight was measured weekly. Biochemical parameters were analysed using the serum, the blood-cell count was done using whole blood. Pathological changes were also checked in highly perfused tissues. Further, in-vitro reducing power assay, nitric oxide scavenging assay, DPPH free-radical scavenging assay were performed to check the antioxidant activity of the extract. Results: There were no significant alterations in the blood-cell count and biochemical parameters analysed in the treatment group when compared with the normal control. Histopathology study of liver, kidney, pancreas, heart and brain revealed normal cellular architecture in the treatment groups alike the control group animals. Quercus serrata also showed a significant reduction of DPPH with IC50 4.48±0.254 µg/mL, in-vitro reducing power activity with IC50121.65±0.320 µg/mL and nitric oxide scavenging activity IC50 106.43±0.338 µg/mL. Conclusion: The above study showed that standardized methanolic extract of Quercus serrata leaves was safe after subacute oral administration in rats and has good antioxidant potential.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (suppl 2) ◽  
pp. 74-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wagner Carlucci ◽  
Reginaldo Ceneviva ◽  
Sérgio Henrique Ferreira ◽  
Orlando Castro de Silva

PURPOSE: To assess in vitro the correlation between the number of neurons and the sensitivity to cholinergic drugs and acetylcholinesterase activity in chagasic patients. METHODS: A 3x1 cm strip of the muscle layer of the anterior part of the stomach, always close to the angular incisure, was removed from 10 chronic chagasic patients (6 men) submitted to megaesophagus or megacolon surgery and from 10 non-chagasic patients (4 men) submitted to other types of surgery (control group), aged on average 52.3 and 50.1 years, respectively, for histological and pharmacological studies. The action of cholinergic drugs was investigated in isolated preparations according to the superfusion method of Ferreira and Costa, and acetylcholinesterase activity was determined by the method of Ellman. For neuron count, the strips were cut into 8 µm sections according to the method standardized by Alcântara. RESULTS: There was a difference in number of neurons between the chagasic (5,6) and control (7,3) groups. Acetylcholinesterase activity, in moles of hydrolyzed substrate per minute per gram tissue, was reduced in chagasic patients (4,32) compared to the controls (7,30). No hypersensitivity of the gastric musculature to cholinergic drugs was detected, with a reduced maximum response to carbachol and betanechol in the chagasic group. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of neurons in the myenteric plexus of the stomach of chronic chagasic patients can be demonstrated even in the absence of clinical chagasic gastropathy. The hypersensitivity of the gastric musculature to cholinergic drugs probably depends on intense denervation. The reduced acetylcholinesterase activity demonstrates the involvement of the cholinergic innervation in the stomach of chronic chagasic patients. There was no correlation between number of neurons, sensitivity to cholinergic drugs and acetylcholinesterase activity in the gastric musculature of chagasic and non-chagasic patients.


1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
J De Crée ◽  
H Geukens ◽  
H Demoen ◽  
H Verhaegen

Red blood cell (RBC) filtration in platelet rich plasma (PRP) and platelet poor plasma (PPP) was equally decreased (p < 0.0001) in 120 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as compared to a control group. In a double-blind experiment 2 groups of 30 patients with AMI received an acute oral dose of 60 mg of ketanserin, a serotonin (5-HT) antagonist at 5-HT2-receptors, or placebo. Ketanserin treatment improved RBC filtration in PRP with an average increase of 30%. A similar experiment using PPP showed a significant increase of 10%. Filtration of plasma improved after ketanserin treatment in PRP, but not in PPP. Cross-exchange experiments showed the ketanserin-induced improvement of RBC filtration in PRP and PPP to be also plasmadependent. 5-HT in vitro at 10−9M deteriorated RBC filtration in PPP (p < 0.05), and ketanserin in vitro at 10−7M counteracted this phenomenon (p < 0.001). Finally we found that the effect of a subacute treatment with ketanserin on the filtration of RBC Suspensions, enriched with a constant amount of white blood cells (WBC), was more pronounced than on control RBC suspensions of patients with AMI.These results indicate that the impaired RBC filtration, reported in vascular diseases may be dependent on a subtle interaction between platelets, WBC, RBC and plasma. Treatment with ketanserin is capable to interrupt this vicious circle of rheological disturbances at different levels, first of all, by improving RBC deformability, but also by counteracting the platelet mediated effects on RBC and by favourably influencing the physical properties of WBC and so preventing clogging phenomena. Serotonin probably plays a pivotal role in these cascade of events and therapy with ketanserin might be of clinical value in diseases where microcirculatory flow is compromised.


2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 292
Author(s):  
K. R. L. Schwarz ◽  
T. H. C. de Bem ◽  
T. T. Zampieri ◽  
P. R. Adona ◽  
C. L. V. Leal

Nitric oxide (NO) is a chemical messenger detected in several cell types such as endothelial cells, neurons, and macrophages, exerting varied functions including vasodilatation, neurotransmission, and cell death induction. NO is generated by the activity of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which has been detected in several organs and tissues including the reproductive system. The aim of the present study was to assess the dose-response effect of N-omega-nitro-l-arginine-methyl ester (l-NAME), an NOS inhibitor, on in vitro nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of bovine oocytes. Slaughterhouse ovaries were collected and their follicles (2–6 mm) were aspirated to obtain cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs). Increasing l-NAME concentrations (0, 10-7, 10-5, 10-4, and 10-3 M) were added to IVM medium (TCM-199, supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, 0.5 �g mL-1 FSH, 5.0 �g mL-1 LH, 0.2 mM pyruvate, and 10 mg mL-1 gentamicin); oocytes were cultured for 22 h. Nuclear maturation was assessed by propidium iodide staining (10 �g mL-1). For IVF, frozen–thawed semen prepared by Percoll gradient was used. Sperm cells were co-cultured with the oocytes at a final concentration of 2 � 106 sperm cells mL-1 in TALP-IVF medium supplemented with 2 �M penicillamine, 1 �M hypotaurine, 250 �M epinephrine, and 20 �g mL-1 heparin. After 20 h, presumptive zygotes were partially denuded and transferred to IVC medium (TCM-199 supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, 2.0 mM pyruvate, and 10 mg mL-1 gentamicin). All cultures were at 38.5�C under 5% CO2 in air and maximum humidity. Cytoplasmic maturation was assessed by blastocyst development rates on Day 7. DNA fragmentation was assessed on Day 8 embryos by TUNEL (In Situ–Cell Death Detection kit, fluorescein; Roche Diagnostica Brasil, Sao Paulo, Brazil). Data were analyzed by ANOVA using the GLM procedure (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA), and means were compared by Duncan test at a 5% level. After IVM, the control group (0 M l-NAME) showed a greater number of oocytes in metaphase II (MII: 95.8 � 3.7%; P &lt; 0.05), whereas the groups cultured with l-NAME had lower MII rates (78–82%; P &lt; 0.05), irrespective of concentration (P &gt; 0.05). Many oocytes remained in metaphase I (MI: 18–22%). Cleavage rates at 48 h IVC was not affected (77–88%; P &gt; 0.05). Blastocyst rates (34.0 � 7.2% to 41.5 � 4.8%; P &gt; 0.05) and total cell numbers (151 to 174) were also unaffected by NO inhibition by l-NAME. However, the number of TUNEL-positive cells was lower in the control group (1.4 � 4.7; P &lt; 0.05) than in the treated groups (2.7 � 4.8 to 4.4 � 6.4; P &gt; 0.05). In conclusion, NO synthesis inhibition in oocytes during IVM reduces nuclear maturation, particularly during MI–MII transition, and increases apoptosis in blastocysts, suggesting that NO may be involved in oocyte maturation and apoptosis protection.


1993 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 1255-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Nowicky ◽  
L. J. Bindman

1. Nitric oxide has been implicated in the production of long-term depression (LTD) in the cerebellum and in the production of long-term potentiation (LTP) and LTD in the hippocampus. We now provide evidence of its involvement in the induction of long-term synaptic potentiation in in vitro slices in the cerebral cortex of the rat. 2. Intracellular recordings were made from layer V neurons in the medial frontal cortex, and excitatory synaptic potentials (EPSPs) were evoked by electrical stimulation of layers II/III. Tetanic stimulation of this pathway may induce LTD or LTP or no change at these synapses. First we established experimental conditions under which a long lasting potentiation could be induced with a high incidence (> 60%), namely perfusion of slices with 1 microM bicuculline methiodide, second the use of increased shock duration in the tetanic conditioning stimuli, third and most important the addition of QX-314 to the microelectrode to reduce potassium conductances. Because the potentiation of the mean EPSP slope was significantly greater than the control at 40-min postconditioning, but was declining throughout this period, we refer to it for brevity as LTP, but strictly class it as an LTP-like phenomenon. 3. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor interfered with the production of LTP. In the control group of neurons (n = 13) the mean depolarizing slope of the EPSP at 30-min post-conditioning was 142.7 +/- 2% (mean +/- SE) of the prestimulation control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (6) ◽  
pp. H2066-H2075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guohao Dai ◽  
Olga Tsukurov ◽  
Michael Chen ◽  
Jonathan P. Gertler ◽  
Roger D. Kamm

External pneumatic compression (EPC) is effective in preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and is thought to alter endothelial thromboresistant properties. We investigated the effect of EPC on changes in nitric oxide (NO), a critical mediator in the regulation of vasomotor and platelet function. An in vitro cell culture system was developed to simulate flow and vessel collapse conditions under EPC. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and subjected to tube compression (C), pulsatile flow (F), or a combination of the two (FC). NO production and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA expression were measured. The data demonstrate that in the F and FC groups, there is a rapid release of NO followed by a sustained increase. NO production levels in the F and FC groups were almost identical, whereas the C group produced the same low amount of NO as the control group. Conditions F and FC also upregulate eNOS mRNA expression by a factor of 2.08 ± 0.25 and 2.11 ± 0.21, respectively, at 6 h. Experiments with different modes of EPC show that NO production and eNOS mRNA expression respond to different time cycles of compression. These results implicate enhanced NO release as a potentially important factor in the prevention of DVT.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 516-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianchun Huang ◽  
Xudong Zhang ◽  
Feizhang Qin ◽  
Yingxin Li ◽  
Xiaoqun Duan ◽  
...  

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that Millettia pulchra flavonoids (MPF) exhibit protective effects on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MI/RI) in isolated rat hearts and show anti-oxidative, anti-hypoxic and anti-stress properties. Methods: In this study, the cardioprotective effects of MPF on myocardial ischemia and its underlying mechanisms were investigated by a hypoxia/ reoxygenation (H/R) injury model in vitro and a rat MI/RI model in vivo. Results: We found that the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activities were decreased in the MPF pretreatment group, whereas the activities of constructional nitric oxide synthase (cNOS), total nitric oxide synthase (tNOS), Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase were significantly increased. In addition, the cardiocytes were denser in the MPF groups than in the control group. The mortality rate and apoptosis rate of cardiocytes were significantly decreased. Furthermore, pretreatment with MPF in vivo significantly improved the hemodynamics, decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) abundance, increased the activities of plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and decreased the expression of the Bax protein and ratio Bax/Bc1-2 ration. Conclusions: These results suggest that MPF is an attractive protective substance in myocardial ischemia due to its negative effects on heart rate and ionotropy, reduction of myocardial oxidative damage and modulation of gene expression associated with apoptosis.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (2) ◽  
pp. H710-H716 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Yang ◽  
E. P. Silldorff ◽  
T. L. Pallone

To examine their responsiveness to norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh), outer medullary descending vasa recta (OMDVR) have been dissected from vascular bundles of the rat and perfused in vitro. Abluminal application of NE produced graded vasoconstriction in a concentration range of 10(-9)-10(-6) M. When applied with NE, ACh at concentrations of 10(-8)-10(-5) M dilated NE-preconstricted OMDVR. In contrast, ACh applied in the absence of NE caused vasoconstriction. ACh-induced vasodilation was blocked by addition of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 2 x 10(-4) M). L-NNA in the absence of ACh enhanced NE-induced vasoconstriction. Supraphysiological (10(-3) M) L-arginine (L-Arg) reversed the effects of L-NNA, and abluminal application of L-NNA alone resulted in OMDVR vasoconstriction. At concentrations of 10(-6)-10(-3) M, abluminal application of L-Arg produced graded vasodilation of NE-constricted OMDVR. These results suggest that adrenergic and cholinergic innervation could influence OMDVR vasomotor tone to modulate total and regional blood flow to the renal medulla. The data also favor a role for the activity of constitutively expressed nitric oxide synthase to modulate OMDVR vasoactivity.


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