Participation of the cholinergic system in ameliorating effect of vasopressin fragment by group I metabotropic glutamate-receptor blockade.

The effect of [pGlu4,Cyt6,Arg8]-vasopressin fragment 4-9 (AVP4-9) on group I metabotropic glutamate (mGlu1) receptor antagonist-induced memory deficits was studied using 8-arm radial maze performance with 4 arms baited. In addition, the participation of the cholinergic system in the ameliorating effect of AVP4-9 on mGlu1 receptor antagonist-induced memory deficits was also investigated. Intrahippocampal injection of (R,S)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid (AIDA), an mGlu1-receptor antagonist, significantly increased total error, reference memory error, and working memory error at a dose of 20 nmol/side. AVP4-9 (0.1 and 1.0 microg/kg, s.c.) showed a significant ameliorative effect on AIDA-induced memory deficits. Improvement of AIDA-induced memory deficit in response to AVP4-9 treatment was significantly antagonized by scopolamine (5 nmol/side) but not by mecamylamine (200 nmol/side) at a dose that caused no effect on performance when injected separately. These findings indicate that the ameliorating effect of AVP4-9 on AIDA-induced memory deficit may be closely associated with the muscarinic receptor.

Hypolipidemic and antioxidant activity of the novel acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor KY-455 in rabbits and hamsters.

The hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of N-(4,6-dimethyl-1-pentylindolin-7-yl)-2,2-dimethylpropanamide (CAS 178469-71-1, KY-455), a novel acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor, were examined in hyperlipidemic rabbits and normolipidemic hamsters. KY-455 inhibited rabbit intestinal, hepatic, macrophage and adrenal ACAT with IC50 values of 0.4, 0.9, 2.9 and 4.1 micromol/l, respectively. KY-455 also inhibited rabbit plasma and LDL-peroxidation (IC50: 0.4 and 1.7 micromol/l, respectively). In rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet, treatment with KY-455 (30 mg/kg/day) for 8 days markedly lowered serum esterified, free, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and hepatic esterified cholesterol levels. KY-455 tended to inhibit ex vivo hepatic ACAT activity 5 h after the final administration. KY-455 also inhibited ex vivo peroxidation of plasma lipids 1 and 5 h after the final administration in rabbits. In normolipidemic hamsters fed a regular diet, treatment with KY-455 (30 mg/kg, twice a day) for 4 days significantly reduced serum esterified, free and LDL-cholesterol, and hepatic esterified and free cholesterol levels. A single administration of KY-455 (30 mg/kg) significantly inhibited ex vivo hepatic ACAT activity in hamsters. In conclusion, KY-455 showed in vitro inhibitory effects on LDL-peroxidation and macrophage ACAT activity at similar concentrations, and in vivo hypolipidemic and ex vivo antioxidative effects at the same dose. Long-term administration of KY-455 is expected to prevent the progress of atherosclerosis by lowering plasma lipid levels, inhibiting both LDL-oxidation and accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages.

Role of intracellular Ca2+ in endothelium-dependent contraction and relaxation of rabbit intrapulmonary arteries.

We examined whether Ca(2+) mobilizers induce endothelium-dependent contraction and relaxation (EDC and EDR) in isolated rabbit intrapulmonary arteries. Ionomycin (10(-7) M) and A-23187 (10(-7) M), both Ca(2+) ionophores, and thapsigargin (10(-6) M), an endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor, caused a contraction in the non-contracted preparations, and a transient relaxation followed by a transient contraction and sustained relaxation in the precontracted preparations. Endothelium-removal abolished the contraction and transient relaxation (EDC and EDR) but not sustained relaxation (endothelium-independent relaxation, EIR). In the noncontracted preparations, ionomycin-induced EDC was significantly attenuated by quinacrine (10(-5) M), manoalide (10(-6) M), both phospholipase A(2) inhibitors, indomethacin (10(-5) M) and aspirin (10(-4) M), both COX inhibitors, and ozagrel (10(-5) M), a TXA(2) synthetase inhibitor. In the precontracted arteries, EDR was markedly reduced by L-NAME (10(-4) M), a NOS inhibitor, and methylene blue (10(-6) M), a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, and was enhanced by indomethacin, aspirin and ozagrel, probably due to inhibition of EDC. ZM230487, a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, had no effect on EDR. EIR was not affected by L-NAME, indomethacin or ZM230487. Arachidonic acid (10(-6) M) evoked EDC sensitive to indomethacin and ozagrel. L-Arginine (10(-3) M) caused EDR sensitive to L-NAME in the ionomycin-stimulated preparations. In conclusion, Ca(2+) mobilizers cause EDC and EDR via production of TXA(2) and NO, respectively.