Molecular characterisation of cloned bradykinin B1 receptors from rat and human.

This report describes the characterisation of cloned rat and human bradykinin B1 receptors in African green monkey kidney fibroblast (Cos-7) cells. A ligand binding assay with [3H]des-Arg10-kallidin was used to compare their pharmacology with respect to known bradykinin B1 and B2 receptor ligands. In addition, the pharmacology of T-kinin and its' derivative des-Arg11-T-kinin was investigated. The cloned rat receptor had a similar pharmacology to that of the recently described mouse receptor and differs from that described for the human receptor. The rat receptor had a higher affinity for des-Arg11-T-kinin than the human receptor. These differences in pharmacological properties may relate to the presence of T-kinin, bradykinin and their des-Arg derivatives as the major physiological peptides in rat and the predominance of kallidin and its derivatives in human. We confirm that the rat bradykinin B1 receptor gene is organised in a two exon structure and differs from the human gene which has a three exon structure and we further examine the inducible expression of this gene in a wide range of tissues using Northern blotting.

The role of glutamine in the immune system and in intestinal function in catabolic states.

Glutamine is designated a non-essential amino acid: however, evidence is accumulating that glutamine becomes essential when catabolic conditions prevail.It has been established that glutamine is an important fuel for lymphocytes and macrophages, even when resting. Plasma and muscle glutamine concentrations are decreased after trauma such as burns, major surgery, and in sepsis. The effectiveness of the immune system is decreased after trauma: this may be due, in part, to the decrease in plasma glutamine concentrations.Most studies on sepsis in humans have shown plasma glutamine concentrations to bedecreased: this may be due to an increased rate of utilization of glutamine by lymphocytes and macrophages during proliferation or phagocytosis. In contrast, several studies on rats showincreased plasma glutamine levels in sepsis. A species difference in the way in which glutamine is metabolised could be the main reason for the conflicting results. Other contributory factors could be diurnal variation and timing of sample collection.A substantial amount of dietary glutamine is taken up by intestinal cells. When the supply of glutamine via the diet is decreased, glutamine is taken up from the circulation by the intestine. In total parenteral nutrition (TPN) sepsis can sometimes occur because the gut is "rested", leading to villous atrophy and increased gut mucosal barrier permeability. There is now a move towards the use of enteral nutrition in preference to TPN. Provision of exogenous glutamine has had beneficial effects in humans and animals, particularly in improving intestinal function. The safety and efficacy of glutamine administration to humans is discussed in detail.

The effects of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factors I and II on glutamine metabolism by skeletal muscle of the rat in vitro.

Soleus muscle preparations of the rat were incubated in the presence of growth hormone, IGF-I or IGF-II. Growth hormone (10 and 100 ng/ml) increased, but IGF-I and IGF-II were without effect on the concentration of glutamine in soleus muscle. Growth hormone was without effect on the rate of release of glutamine from muscle. In contrast, the rate of release of glutamine was decreased in the presence of IGF-I (750 ng/ml) and increased in the presence of IGF-II (250 and 750 ng/ml). Growth hormone and the IGFs may therefore play an important role in the control of glutamine metabolism by skeletal muscle.

The effect of insulin-like growth factor II on glucose uptake and metabolism in rat skeletal muscle in vitro.

The effect of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) on the rates of lactate formation, glycogen synthesis and glucose transport in the presence of a range of concentrations of insulin were investigated using an isolated preparation of rat skeletal muscle. IGF II, at a concentration of 65 ng/ml, caused a small but significant increase in the rates of these processes at a basal physiological insulin concentration (10 muunits/ml), but was without effect in the presence of 1, 100, 1000 or 10,000 muunits of insulin/ml. Hence IGF II increased the insulin sensitivity of this tissue. This effect was removed if the incubation medium was supplemented with an equimolar concentration of IGF binding protein 1 (BP1). It is suggested that changes in the concentration of IGF II and/or BP1 may regulate glucose uptake and metabolism in skeletal muscle and have physiological significance in the control of blood glucose level.

The inhibition of T-lymphocyte proliferation by fatty acids is via an eicosanoid-independent mechanism.

Eicosanoids, in particular prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are potent inhibitors of a number of immune responses, including lymphocyte proliferation. We have previously shown that fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), inhibit mitogen-stimulated proliferation of lymphocytes. One mechanism by which fatty acids could exert their inhibitory effect is via modulation of eicosanoid synthesis. This possibility was investigated in the present study. PGE2 concentrations in the medium taken from lymphocytes cultured in the presence of a range of different fatty acids did not correlate with the inhibitory effects of the fatty acids upon lymphocyte proliferation. Although PGE2 at concentrations above 10 nM caused inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation, PGE2 at the concentration measured in lymphocyte culture medium (0.3-4 nM) was not inhibitory. PGE3 did not inhibit lymphocyte proliferation, except at high concentrations (greater than 250 nM). The maximal inhibition of proliferation caused by PGE2 or PGE3 was less than the inhibition caused by each of the fatty acids except myristic or palmitic acids. Inclusion of inhibitors of phospholipase A2, cyclo-oxygenase or lipoxygenase in the culture medium did not prevent the fatty acids from exerting their inhibitory effect on lymphocyte proliferation. The eicosanoids present in lymph node cell cultures originate from macrophages rather than lymphocytes. Depletion of macrophages from the cell preparation by adherence did not prevent fatty acids from inhibiting proliferation. Proliferation of thoracic duct lymphocytes, which are devoid of macrophages, is inhibited by fatty acids to a similar extent as proliferation of lymph node lymphocytes. These observations provide convincing evidence that the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation by fatty acids is independent of the production of eicosanoids. Therefore, other mechanisms must be investigated if the effect of fatty acids upon lymphocyte proliferation is to be understood at a biochemical level.

Effects of changes in cell volume on the rates of glutamine and alanine release from rat skeletal muscle in vitro.

The effect of changes in cell volume on the rates of release of glutamine and alanine from muscle and on the concentrations of these amino acids in muscle were investigated by using an isolated preparation of rat skeletal muscle incubated in the presence of hypo- and hyper-osmotic media. Changes in cell volume were associated with changes in the rates of release of glutamine and alanine from muscle: incubation in hypo-osmotic medium decreased the rates of release of glutamine and alanine, and incubation in hyperosmotic medium increased these rates. These changes were rapidly reversed by a change in osmoticity of the medium. Despite marked changes in cell volume, the concentrations of these amino acids in muscle were maintained. It is suggested that cell volume may play a role in the regulation of amino acid metabolism in skeletal muscle.

Effect of fatty acids on the proliferation of concanavalin A-stimulated rat lymph node lymphocytes.

1. The effect of a range of fatty acids upon concanavalin A-stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation into rat lymphocytes was investigated. 2. All fatty acids tested inhibited the response to mitogen but the extent of the inhibition was dependent upon the fatty acid concentration used, the time of addition of fatty acid and the duration of exposure of the cells to fatty acid. 3. All fatty acids were inhibitory at concentrations of 50 microM or above; at lower concentrations some were inhibitory and some were stimulatory. Above 50 microM the inhibitory effect was concentration dependent; the greater the fatty acid concentration, the greater the inhibition. 4. The longer the lymphocytes were exposed to the fatty acid the greater was the inhibitory effect. This was true if the fatty acids were added at the same time as the mitogenic stimulus or if they were added before or after the stimulus. Some fatty acids maintained their inhibitory effect when added 24 or 48 hr after the mitogenic stimulus. 5. Generally unsaturated fatty acids were more inhibitory than saturated fatty acids; the greatest inhibition of proliferation was caused by eicosapentaenoate and arachidonate and the least inhibition by myristate and palmitate. 6. Inhibition was greater in the absence of serum. 7. Inhibition by unsaturated fatty acids could be partially or totally relieved by addition in combination with myristate or palmitate, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of fatty acids may be due to alteration of membrane fluidity caused by an imbalance of fatty acids presented to the cells. 8. PGE2 levels were similar in the medium of cells grown in the presence of fatty acids with varying inhibitory effects, indicating that PGE2 production is not the sole mechanism of suppression of the proliferative response. 9. Although the mechanism by which fatty acids exert their effect remains to be determined, these results indicate that lymphocyte proliferation and so an immune response could be influenced by dietary lipid manipulation.

Effects of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism on glutamine metabolism by skeletal muscle of the rat.

1. The effects of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism on the concentrations of glutamine and other amino acids in the muscle and plasma and on the rates of glutamine and alanine release from incubated isolated stripped soleus muscle of the rat were investigated. 2. Hyperthyroidism decreased the concentration of glutamine in soleus muscle but was without effect on that in the gastrocnemius muscle or in the plasma. Hyperthyroidism also increased markedly the rate of release of glutamine from the incubated soleus muscle. 3. Hypothyroidism decreased the concentrations of glutamine in the gastrocnemius muscle and plasma but was without effect on that in soleus muscle. Hypothyroidism also decreased markedly the rate of glutamine release from the incubated soleus muscle. 4. Thyroid status was found to have marked effects on the rate of glutamine release by skeletal muscle per se, and may be important in the control of this process in both physiological and pathological conditions.

Novel cell lines display properties of nociceptive sensory neurons.

Hybrid cell lines derived from neonatal rat dorsal root ganglia neurons fused with the mouse neuroblastoma N18Tg2 exhibit sensory neuron-like properties not displayed by the parental neuroblastoma. These properties include an inward (depolarizing) current with a conductance increase in response to activation of a bradykinin receptor, an inward (depolarizing) current with a conductance increase in response to the sensory excitotoxin capsaicin, the expression of sensory neuropeptides (substance P, CGRP and somatostatin), the expression of phosphatidylinositol-anchored molecules including adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily that can be regulated in serum-free culture by nerve growth factor (N-CAM, F-3 and Thy-1), and low permissivity to herpes simplex virus infection. These lines thus provide appropriate models for the study of mechanisms involved in nociceptor activation and the regulation of expression of sensory-neuron specific markers including neuropeptides.

Experimental activation of ascidian eggs.

The effects of the ionophore A23187 on the activation of the eggs of Ascidia malaca have been studied. No common external ion in the sea water is found to be essential for the activation but lanthanum and manganese inhibit the response. These observations support the interpretation that activation of these eggs results from changes in free intracellular calcium levels. This has led to the prediction of two other activating treatments, namely high external calcium and addition of theophylline.