[Salivary nitrates. New perspectives concerning the physiological function of saliva]. / Les nitrates salivaires. Nouvellesperspectives concernant les fonctions physiologiques de la salive.

For many years, nitrate ions have been thought to be "toxic agents", but scientific reality seems very different. The source of nitrate ions is double: exogenous and endogenous, and the metabolism of nitrates is partly salivary. The strong concentration of nitrate ions in saliva has many beneficial physiological effects. Salivary nitrate has anti-infectious effects on the oral cavity and all along the digestive tract. They give cardiovascular protection, are instrumental in the adaptive relaxation of the stomach by acting on smooth stomach muscles and have a protective action on the gastric mucosa.

Contribution of endogenously formed arachidonic acid in the presynaptic facilitatory effects of NMDA and carbachol on dopamine release in the mouse striatum.

Arachidonic acid stimulated the release of [3H]-dopamine from striatal microdiscs in a concentration-dependent and partially calcium-dependent manner. Inhibitors of cytosolic and membrane-bound phospholipase A2 were used to determine whether endogenously formed arachidonic acid also contributes to the release of [3H]-DA (previously taken up in tissues or endogenously synthesized from [3H]-tyrosine) evoked by N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and carbachol alone or in combination. In the presence of magnesium, carbachol was found to remove the magnesium block of NMDA receptors and to facilitate the NMDA-evoked release of [3H]-DA from striatal microdiscs and synaptosomes. In addition, in the absence of magnesium, synergistic responses were induced by both agonists on microdiscs but not on synaptosomes. Responses induced by NMDA, carbachol or both agonists on microdiscs were reduced by phospholipase A2 inhibitors, the most striking effects being observed with mepacrine. Mepacrine was also shown to reduce the oxotremorine, but neither the nicotine- nor the potassium-evoked release of [3H]-DA. Tetrodotoxin decreased the release of [3H]-DA evoked by the co-application of NMDA and carbachol on microdiscs, but mepacrine still decreased this tetrodotoxin-resistant response. Similarly, mepacrine still decreased the release of [3H]-DA evoked by NMDA and carbachol on synaptosomes. Altogether, these results indicate that arachidonic acid which is formed in striatal neurons, and to a lesser extent in DA fibres, under stimulation of NMDA and muscarinic receptors, partially contributes to the presynaptic facilitation of DA release evoked by NMDA and carbachol.

Lack of autoreceptor-mediated inhibitory control of dopamine release in striatal synaptosomes of D2 receptor-deficient mice.

Mouse purified striatal synaptosomes were used to study the release of newly synthesised [3H]-dopamine ([3H]-DA) or of previously taken up [3H]-DA. Quinpirole (QP, 10 microM), a D2/D3 dopaminergic agonist, was found to reduce the release of newly synthesised [3H]-DA with a larger amplitude when 4-aminopyridine (100 microM) instead than veratridine (1 microM) or potassium (25 mM) was used to evoke DA release. Among the different D2/D3 dopaminergic agonists tested R(-)-propylnorapomorphine (NPA) and quinpirole were the most potent. These compounds reduced, in a concentration-dependent manner, the 4-aminopyridine-evoked release of [3H]-DA previously taken up by synaptosomes (50% maximal inhibition). In contrast, the D3 agonist PD-128,907 had little effect even when used at 100 nM. The QP (100 nM)-induced response was completely antagonised by sulpiride (1 microM). Strikingly, the NPA (100 nM) and PD-128,907 (100 nM)-evoked responses were completely suppressed in D2 receptor-deficient mice. This data strongly suggest that only D2 but not D3 receptors are involved in the autoreceptor-mediated inhibition of the evoked release of [3H]-DA. Interestingly, while amphetamine-induced release of [3H]-DA was not modified, a slight reduction of [3H]-DA efflux induced by the dopamine (DA) uptake inhibitor cocaine was observed in D2 receptor-deficient mice.

Direct and indirect presynaptic control of dopamine release by excitatory amino acids.

Dopamine (DA) release from nerve terminals of the nigrostriatal DA neurons not only depends on the activity of nigral DA cells but also on presynaptic regulation. Glutamatergic neurons of cortical origin play a prominent role in these presynaptic regulations. The direct glutamatergic presynaptic control of DA release is mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptors, located on DA nerve terminals. In addition, by acting on striatal target cells, these glutamatergic neurons contribute also to indirect regulations of DA release involving several transmitters such as GABA, acetylcholine and neuropeptides. Diffusible messengers such as nitric oxide (NO) or arachidonic acid (AA) which are particularly formed under the stimulation of NMDA receptors may also participate to the regulation of DA release. In the present study, it will be shown that the co-application of NMDA and carbachol synergistically increases the release of [3H]-DA and that this effect is reduced by mepacrine or 4-bromophenacylbromide (10(-7) M), two inhibitors of PLA2. Therefore endogenously released AA induced by the co-stimulation of NMDA and cholinergic receptors seems to be involved, at least partly, in the release of DA.

Serotonin stimulation of 5-HT4 receptors indirectly enhances in vivo dopamine release in the rat striatum.

Serotonin (5-HT) applied at 1, 3, and 10 microM into the striatum of halothane-anesthetized rats by in vivo microdialysis enhanced dopamine (DA) outflow up to 173, 283, and 584% of baseline values, respectively. The 5-HT effect was partially reduced by 1 or 10 microM GR 125,487, a 5-HT4 antagonist, and by 100 microM DAU 6285, a 5-HT3/4 antagonist, whereas the 5-HT1/2/6 antagonist methiothepin (50 microM) was ineffective. In the presence of tetrodotoxin the effect of 1 microM 5-HT was not affected by 5-HT4 antagonists. In addition, tetrodotoxin abolished the increase in DA release induced by the 5-HT4 agonist (S)- zacopride (100 microM). In striatal synaptosomes, 1 and 10 microM 5-HT increased the outflow of newly synthesized [3H]DA up to 163 and 635% of control values, respectively. The 5-HT4 agonists BIMU 8 and (S)-zacopride (1 and 10 microM) failed to modify [3H]DA outflow, whereas 5- methoxytryptamine (5-MeOT) at 10 microM increased it (62%). In prelabeled [3H]DA synaptosomes, 1 microM 5-HT, but not (S)-zacopride (1 and 10 microM), increased [3H]DA outflow. DAU 6285 (10 microM) failed to modify the enhancement of newly synthesized [3H]DA outflow induced by 5-MeOT or 5-HT (1 microM), whereas the effect of 5-HT was reduced to the same extent by the DA reuptake inhibitor nomifensine (1 microM) alone or in the presence of DAU 6285. These results show that striatal 5-HT4 receptors are involved in the 5-HT-induced enhancement of striatal DA release in vivo and that they are not located on striatal DA terminals.

Stimulatory effect of arachidonic acid on the release of GABA in matrix-enriched areas from the rat striatum.

Arachidonic acid was shown to stimulate the release of preloaded [3H]GABA from microdiscs of tissue punched out in matrix-enriched areas of the rat striatum. This effect, which was calcium- and dose-dependent, persisted in the presence of inhibitors of arachidonic acid catabolism. Other fatty acids were less or not effective. Arachidonic acid also inhibited [3H]GABA uptake into purified striatal synaptosomes, however the arachidonic acid-evoked release of [3H]GABA persisted following inhibition of the GABA neuronal uptake process. The stimulatory effect of arachidonic acid on GABA release may largely result from the activation of a protein kinase C since the arachidonic acid response was reduced by several protein kinase C inhibitors. Arachidonic acid also dose-dependently stimulated the release of preloaded [3H]GABA from purified striatal synaptosomes. Similar results were obtained when synaptosomes were previously incubated with [3H]glutamine to study the release of endogenously synthesized [3H]GABA. Further indicating a direct action of the fatty acid on GABAergic neurons, the arachidonic acid-induced release of [3H]GABA from microdiscs was not modified in the presence of the D1 dopaminergic antagonist SCH23390 or of glutamatergic antagonists. Finally, the release of [3H]GABA evoked by the combined application of NMDA and carbachol (a treatment known to markedly stimulate arachidonic acid formation) was reduced by inhibitors of phospholipase A2 further indicating that endogenously formed arachidonic acid significantly facilitates the release of GABA in the striatum.

Cooperative contributions of cholinergic and NMDA receptors in the presynaptic control of dopamine release from synaptosomes of the rat striatum.

In the presence of magnesium, although ineffective alone, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA, 10(-3) M plus glycine 10(-6) M) stimulated the release of [3H]-dopamine ([3H]-DA) continuously synthesized from [3H]-tyrosine when applied with ACh, the amplitude of the NMDA response being dependent on the ACh concentration. Experiments performed with nicotine, oxotremorine and the antagonists hexamethonium and atropine indicated that both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors are involved in the permissive effect of ACh on the NMDA response. Data obtained in the absence of magnesium or with increasing concentrations of magnesium revealed that the permissive effect of ACh on the NMDA-evoked release of [3H]-DA results from removal of the magnesium block of NMDA receptors. The NMDA-evoked release of [3H]-DA observed in the presence of ACh, nicotine or oxotremorine (10(-3) M) was blocked by either of the protein kinase C inhibitors staurosporine (10(-8) M) and chelerythrine (5 x 10(-7) M). However, these drugs were without effect on responses induced by ACh, nicotine or oxotremorine alone and by NMDA (10(-3) M, in the absence of magnesium). Supporting further the involvement of a protein kinase C activation in the permissive effects of ACh or the cholinergic agonists, NMDA (10(-3) M) stimulated the release of [3H]-DA in the presence of both magnesium and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (10(-6) M) or 1 -oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol (10(-4) M), and the NMDA response was markedly potentiated by ionomycin (10(-7) M) used at a concentration that stimulated [3H]-DA release to about the same degree as ACh (10(-4) M). Therefore, besides their depolarizing action, ACh, nicotine and oxotremorine could eliminate the magnesium block of NMDA receptors by activation of protein kinase C.

Effects of arachidonic acid on dopamine synthesis, spontaneous release, and uptake in striatal synaptosomes from the rat.

Arachidonic acid (AA) markedly stimulated, in a dose-dependent manner, the spontaneous release of [3H]dopamine ([3H]DA) continuously synthesized from [3H]tyrosine in purified synaptosomes from the rat striatum. As estimated by simultaneous measurement of the rate of [3H]H2O formation (an index of [3H]tyrosine conversion into [3H]DOPA), the AA response was associated with a progressive and dose-dependent reduction of [3H]DA synthesis. In contrast to AA, arachidonic acid, oleic acid, and the methyl ester of AA (all at 10(-4) M) did not modify [3H]DA release. The AA (3 x 10(-5) M)-evoked release of [3H]DA was not affected by inhibiting AA metabolism, with either 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid or metyrapone, suggesting that AA acts directly and not through one of its metabolites. AA also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner [3H]DA uptake into synaptosomes, with a complete blockade observed at 10(-4) M. However, AA (10(-4) M) still stimulated [3H]DA spontaneous release in the presence of either nomifensine or other DA uptake inhibitors, indicating that AA both inhibits DA reuptake and facilitates its release process. Finally, the AA (10(-4) M)-evoked release of [3H]DA was not affected by protein kinase A inhibitors (H-89 or Rp-8-Br-cAMPS) but was markedly reduced in the presence of protein kinase C inhibitors (Ro 31-7549 or chelerythrine).