Resiniferatoxin hampers the nocifensive response of Caenorhabditis elegans to noxious heat, and pathway analysis revealed that the Wnt signaling pathway is involved

Resiniferatoxin (RTX) is a metabolite extracted from Euphorbia resinifera. RTX is a potent capsaicin analog with specific biological activities resulting from its agonist activity with the transient receptor potential channel vanilloid subfamily member 1 (TRPV1). RTX has been examined as a pain reliever, and more recently, investigated for its ability to desensitize cardiac sensory fibers expressing TRPV1 to improve chronic heart failure (CHF) outcomes using validated animal models. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) expresses orthologs of vanilloid receptors activated by capsaicin, producing antinociceptive effects. Thus, we used C. elegans to characterize the antinociceptive properties and performed proteomic profiling to uncover specific signaling networks. After exposure to RTX, wild-type (N2) and mutant C. elegans were placed on petri dishes divided into quadrants for heat stimulation. The thermal avoidance index was used to phenotype each tested C. elegans experimental group. The data revealed for the first time that RTX can hamper the nocifensive response of C. elegans to noxious heat. The effect was reversed 6 h after RTX exposure. Additionally, we identified the RTX target, the C. elegans transient receptor potential channel OCR-3. The proteomics and pathway enrichment analysis results suggest that Wnt signaling is triggered by the agonistic effects of RTX on C. elegans vanilloid receptors.

Participation of bradykinin, cannabinoid, and vanilloid receptors in the infarct-limiting effect of adaptation to normobaric hypoxia

Известно, что при хронической умеренной гипоксии формируется неспецифическая резистентность миокарда к повреждению при ишемии и следующей за ней реперфузии. Однако рецепторные механизмы формирования подобной устойчивости исследованы недостаточно. Цель исследования - изучение участия брадикининовых, каннабиноидных и ванилоидных рецепторов (TRPV1-каналов) в реализации инфаркт-лимитирующего эффекта хронической нормобарической гипоксии. Методика. Исследование выполнено на самцах крыс Вистар адаптированных к гипоксии, для чего животных подвергали непрерывной нормобарической гипоксии (ННГ) в течение 21 сут при 12% pO2, 0,3% pCO2. У крыс воспроизводили коронароокклюзию наложением лигатуры на левую нисходящую коронарную артерию в ее верхней трети на 45 мин. Реперфузию осуществляли путем освобождения лигатуры с визуальным контролем возобновления коронарного кровообращения по гиперемии ишемизированной области. Продолжительность реперфузии 2 ч. Для выявления зоны риска лигатуру вновь затягивали и в аорту вводили 5%-й раствор перманганата калия. Участок миокарда, не подвергшийся ишемии, окрашивался, неокрашенный участок являлся зоной риска. Срезы левого желудочка толщиной 2 мм окрашивали 1% раствором 2,3,5-трифенилтетразолия (37 °С, 30 мин). Размер зоны некроза и зоны риска определяли планиметрически с помощью программы Ellipse 2.02 (ViDiTo, Чешская республика). Для ингибирования каннабиноидных СВ1-рецепторов и СВ2-рецепторов использовали соответственно их селективные антагонисты римонабант (1 мг/кг) и AM630 (2,5 мг/кг); селективный антагонист HOE140 (50 мкг/кг) применяли для инактивации брадикининовых B2-рецепторов, капсазепин (3 мг/кг) - ванилоидных рецепторов (TRPV1-каналов). Все антагонисты вводили за 15 мин до коронароокклюзии. Результаты. Показано, что размер некротического повреждения миокарда у крыс адаптированных к гипоксии составляет 33% процента от размера зоны риска (53% у неадаптированных), что свидетельствует о выраженном инфаркт-лимитирующем эффекте. Этот эффект не проявлялся при ингибировании B2-брадикинировых рецепторов. Блокада каннабиноидных или ванилоидных рецепторов не влияла на инфаркт-лимитирующее действие ННГ. Следовательно, инфаркт-лимитирующий эффект ННГ зависит от активации брадикининовых B2-рецепторов, адаптационное повышение толерантности сердца к ишемии/реперфузии не зависит от каннабиноидных или ванилоидных рецепторов. Заключение. Брадикининовые рецепторы можно рассматривать в качестве одного из ключевых механизмов формирования инфаркт-лимитирующего действия ННГ. Учитывая данные о важной роли опиоидных рецепторов в кардиопротекции при ННГ, можно говорить о реализации инфаркт-лимитирующего эффекта хронической гипоксии через Gi/o-протеин-сопряженные опиоидные и брадикининовые рецепторы. Каннабиноидные рецепторы и TRPV1-каналы не участвуют в инфаркт-лимитирующем действии адаптации к нормобарической гипоксии. Aim. Chronic moderate hypoxia is known to induce nonspecific myocardial resistance to ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, receptor-mediated mechanisms of this resistance are understudied. The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of bradykinin, cannabinoid, and vanilloid (TRPV1 channel) receptors in development of the infarction-limiting effect of chronic normobaric hypoxia (CNH). Methods. The study was performed on male Wistar rats exposed to CNH at 12% pO2 and 0.3% pCO2 for 21 days. Coronary occlusion was induced by ligation of the left descending coronary artery at the upper third of the artery for 45 min, which was followed by 2-h reperfusion produced by releasing the ligature under visual control of the recovery of coronary blood flow by hyperemia of the ischemic area. For detection of the area at risk, the ligature was tightened again, and 5% potassium permanganate solution was infused into the aorta to stain the nonischemic myocardial area. 2-mm sections of the left ventricle were stained with 1% solution of 2,3,4-triphenyl tetrazolium (37 oC, 30 min). Necrotic area and area at risk were measured planimetrically with the tEllipse 2.02 (ViDiTo, Czech Republic) software. Cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors were inhibited with their respective antagonists, rimonabant (1 mg/kg) and AM630 (2.5 mg/kg); bradykinin B2 receptors were inactivated with the selective antagonist HOE140 (50 μg/kg); and vanilloid receptors (TRPV1 channels) were inhibited with capsazepine (3 mg/kg). All antagonists were administered 15 minutes prior to coronary occlusion. Results. The size of necrotic area was 33% of the area at risk in rats adapted to hypoxia vs. 53% in non-adapted rats. This infarct-limiting effect of adaptation to hypoxia was abolished by inhibition of B2-bradykinin receptors. Blockade of cannabinoid or vanilloid receptors did not change the infarct-limiting effect of CNH. Therefore, the infarction-limiting effect of CNH depends on activation of bradykinin B2 receptors but not of cannabinoid or vanilloid receptors. Conclusion. Activation of bradykinin receptors can be considered a key mechanism of the infarct-limiting effect of CNH. Since opioid receptors are known to play an important role in CNH cardioprotection, the infarct-limiting effect of CNH may be mediated by Gi/o-coupled opioid and bradykinin receptors. Cannabinoid receptors and TRV1-channels do not contribute to the infarct-limiting effect of adaptation to normobaric hypoxia.

Mechanisms of α-Mangostin-Induced Antinociception in a Rodent Model

Objective: Elucidate the antinociceptive mechanisms of α-mangostin isolated from Garcinia malaccensis Linn. Methods: Male mice/rats ( n = 6/group) were used in this between-group study. To determine α-mangostin’s antinociceptive profile, animals were given α-mangostin orally (3, 30, or 100 mg/kg) 60 min before the start of the abdominal constriction or formalin tests. In the hot plate test, the noxious stimulus was applied before and 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 min after treatment with test solutions. Positive controls received 100 mg/kg acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; oral) or 5 mg/kg morphine (intraperitoneal injection) for the abdominal constriction and hot plate tests, respectively, and either ASA or morphine for the formalin test. Negative controls received vehicle only. To explore α-mangostin’s mechanisms of action, we performed (i) the hot plate test with naloxone (5 mg/kg) pretreatment to verify involvement of opioid receptors; (ii) the abdominal constriction test with 20 mg/kg l-arginine, NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl esters (l-NAME), methylene blue (MB), l-arginine plus l-NAME, or l-arginine plus MB or 10 mg/kg glibenclamide pretreatment to verify involvement of the l-arginine/nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and K+-ATP pathways; and (iii) the paw-licking test using capsaicin (1.6 μg capsaicin/paw), glutamate (10 μmol glutamate/paw), or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 0.05 µg/paw) to verify involvement of vanilloid receptors, the glutamatergic system, and protein kinase C (PKC). Results: α-mangostin significantly inhibited nociception ( p < .05) in all models. Only naloxone, l-arginine, methylene blue, PMA, and glibenclamide affected α-mangostin antinociception significantly ( p < .05). Conclusion: α-mangostin exhibits peripheral and central antinociception through modulation of opioid and vanilloid receptors, the glutamatergic system, and the l-arginine/NO/cGMP/PKC/K+-ATP pathways.