[Substance use among Lebanese university students: prevalence and associated factors]. / Consommation de substances psychoactives des étudiants universitaries libanais: prevalence et facteurs associés.

Scientific research on use and misuse of substances in Lebanon is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the rate of use and abuse of substances among Lebanese youth and identify the determinants and risk factors behind these behaviours. An observational survey was conducted on 1945 university students selected from the different faculties of the Lebanese University and other private universities. A self-administered questionnaire based on ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test) was administered. The prevalence of ever consuming alcohol was 20.9%. Cannabis (12.3%) and tranquilizers (11%) had the highest rates of ever use among the drugs, whereas cocaine (3.3%) and hallucinogens (3.6%) had the lowest rates. Smoking cigarettes and waterpipes, going out at night, peer pressure and having no specific leisure time activity were associated with problematic substance use, while a better relationship with parents, reading and working were inversely associated with use. There is a high prevalence of substance use among university students in Lebanon. Multidisciplinary support for addicted students is needed to meet their diverse needs.

[Asthma, indoor and outdoor air pollution: A pilot study in Lebanese school teenagers]. / Asthme, pollutions intérieure et extérieure: étude pilote chez des adolescents libanais scolarisés.

INTRODUCTION: Many studies have demonstrated that outdoor pollution might exacerbate respiratory symptoms and childhood asthma. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between asthma and outdoor and indoor pollution. METHODS: We undertook a survey in May-June 2012 about schoolchildren aged 12-19 years in six Lebanese schools. This combined the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) standardized questionnaire with other questions addressing outdoor and indoor exposure. RESULTS: Among 717 subjects (response rate 71.7%), 4.5% had physician-diagnosed asthma, 34.7% had probable asthma and 60.8% were asymptomatic. Exposure to indoor contaminants was positively associated to asthma. The risk for asthma was higher in those residing near heavy road traffic (ORa=4.30 [95% CI 1.45-12.71], P<0.05), those previously exposed to fire (ORa=1.84 [95% CI 1.01-3.36]), and those exposed to smog (ORa=4.15 [95% CI 1.42-12.12]). Airing the house in the morning or in case of indoor smoking had a protective effect against asthma. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the risks of asthma or having respiratory symptoms are not only related to indoor pollution but also to outdoor pollution especially from road traffic.

Cloning and characterization of Aplysia neutral endopeptidase, a metallo-endopeptidase involved in the extracellular metabolism of neuropeptides in Aplysia californica.

Cell surface metallo-endopeptidases play important roles in cell communication by controlling the levels of bioactive peptides around peptide receptors. To understand the relative relevance of these enzymes in the CNS, we characterized a metallo-endopeptidase in the CNS of Aplysia californica, whose peptidergic pathways are well described at the molecular, cellular, and physiological levels. The membrane-bound activity cleaved Leu-enkephalin at the Gly3-Phe4 bond with an inhibitor profile similar to that of the mammalian neutral endopeptidase (NEP). This functional homology was supported by the molecular cloning of cDNAs from the CNS, which demonstrated that the Aplysia and mammalian NEPs share all the same amino acids that are essential for the enzymatic activity. The protein is recognized both by specific anti-Aplysia NEP (apNEP) antibodies and by the [125I]-labeled NEP-specific inhibitor RB104, demonstrating that the apNEP gene codes for the RB104-binding protein. In situ hybridization experiments on sections of the ganglia of the CNS revealed that apNEP is expressed in neurons and that the mRNA is present both in the cell bodies and in neurites that travel along the neuropil and peripheral nerves. When incubated in the presence of a specific NEP inhibitor, many neurons of the buccal ganglion showed a greatly prolonged physiological response to stimulation, suggesting that NEP-like metallo-endopeptidases may play a critical role in the regulation of the feeding behavior in Aplysia. One of the putative targets of apNEP in this behavior is the small cardioactive peptide, as suggested by RP-HPLC experiments. More generally, the presence of apNEP in the CNS and periphery may indicate that it could play a major role in the modulation of synaptic transmission in Aplysia and in the metabolism of neuropeptides close to their point of release.

Identification and characterization of a neutral endopeptidase activity in Aplysia californica.

Kidney plasma membranes of Aplysia californica were shown to contain an endopeptidase activity which cleaved [Leu]enkephalin (Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu) and [Leu]enkephalinamide (Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu-NH2) at the Gly3-Phe4 bond, as determined by reverse-phase h.p.l.c. analysis of metabolites. The optimal pH was shown to be 6.5. The bivalent cation chelating agent, 1,10-phenanthroline protected [Leu]enkephalin from degradation, suggesting that this enzyme is a metallopeptidase. The degradation of [Leu]enkephalin was also abolished by the neutral endopeptidase-24.11 inhibitors RB104 (2-[(3-iodo-4-hydroxyl)-phenylmethyl]-4-N-[3-(hydroxyamino-3-oxo-1- phenylmethyl)-propyl]amino-4-oxobutanoic acid), HABCO-Gly [(3-hydroxy-aminocarbonyl-2-benzyl-1-oxypropyl)glycine], phosphoramidon and thiorphan, with IC50 values of 1 nM, 1 microM, 20 microM and 30 microM respectively. By contrast, the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril and the serine proteinase inhibitor phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride were without effect. Phase separation experiments using Triton X-114 showed that about 64% of the neutral endopeptidase activity in the Aplysia kidney membrane corresponds to an integral membrane protein. A specific radioiodinated inhibitor ([125I]RB104) was shown to bind the Aplysia endopeptidase with high affinity; the KD and Bmax. values were 21 +/- 5 pM and 20.3 +/- 5 fmol/mg of proteins respectively. This inhibitor was used to determine the molecular form of the enzyme, after separation of solubilized membrane proteins on SDS/PAGE and transfer on to nitrocellulose membranes. A single protein band with an apparent molecular mass of 140 kDa was observed. The labelling was abolished by specific neutral endopeptidase inhibitors. This study provides the first biochemical characterization of an endopeptidase with catalytic properties similar to those of neutral endopeptidase-24.11 in the mollusc Aplysia californica.

Characterization of neutral endopeptidase 24.11 in dog glomeruli.

Neutral endopeptidase (NEP; also known as neprilysin and enkephalinase; EC 3.4.24.11) is a cell-surface metallopeptidase that is present in many mammalian tissues. It is particularly abundant on the brush-border membranes of the kidney proximal tubule. In this paper, the presence of NEP in purified glomeruli from dog kidney was assessed by measuring phosphoramidon- and thiorphan-sensitive [D-Ala2,Leu5]enkephalin-degrading activity. Using this assay, the Km and kcat. of the glomerular enzyme were found to be identical to those of the tubular enzyme. By Western blotting the apparent M(r) of the glomerular enzyme was found to be 104,000, compared with 94,000 for the tubular enzyme. This might be due to a different glycosylation pattern, since endoglycosidase F treatment of NEP obtained from both tissues yielded deglycosylated enzymes with similar electrophoretic mobilities. The glomerular enzyme also appears to be membrane-bound, since it was retained in the detergent-rich phase after phase separation with Triton X-114. Autoradiography experiments performed with RB104, a new highly selective and potent NEP inhibitor, showed that NEP was expressed in both glomeruli and proximal tubules. The presence in glomeruli of NEP and some other brush-border peptidases (dipeptidyl-dipeptidase IV, aminopeptidase N and angiotensin I-converting enzyme) suggests that cell-surface peptidases might play an important role as regulators of plasma-derived peptides in this part of the nephron.

Polarized distribution of neutral endopeptidase 24.11 at the cell surface of cultured human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells.

The human colon cancer cell line Caco-2 undergoes spontaneous enterocytic differentiation during growth, and expresses a number of brush-border-membrane-associated hydrolases typical of a differentiated phenotype. Among these are alkaline phosphatase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV and sucrase-isomaltase (sucrase, EC 3.2.1.48). Neutral endopeptidase 24.11 [EC 3.4.24.11, neprilysin (NEP)] is another abundant protease of normal enterocytes but its presence in Caco-2 cells has not been fully documented yet. In this paper, we show that Caco-2 cell extracts hydrolyse tritiated [D-Ala2Leu5]enkephalin with a Km of 180 microM, very close to the value obtained for the NEP present in the rabbit kidney (118 microM). Western-blot analysis of brush-border membranes purified from post-confluent cells revealed a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 94000 Da similar to that of the rabbit kidney NEP. The amount of enzyme in cell extracts increased as a function of the age of the culture, indicating that NEP expression is correlated with the degree of cell differentiation as is also the case for sucrase and dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP-IV). Binding of a radiolabelled antibody to Caco-2 cell monolayers grown on semi-permeable filters indicated that 95% of NEP molecules present at the cell surface are on the apical side. Immunocytochemical and flow cytometric analysis of intact and permeabilized cells were also used to investigate the presence of NEP and DPP-IV at the surface of Caco-2 cells. Whereas DPP-IV staining appeared to be homogeneous throughout the entire cell population, NEP-related fluorescence exhibited a bimodal distribution which indicates an uneven expression of the protein at the cell surface. Permeabilization of monolayers with saponin before staining restored a labelling pattern for NEP similar to the one obtained for DPP-IV. This suggests that although DPP-IV and NEP follow similar patterns of expression when enzymic activities are measured on whole-cell extracts, targeting of these brush-border proteins to the cell surface appears to be regulated in different ways.

Identification and characterization of aminopeptidases from Aplysia californica.

Aminopeptidase activities were identified in extracts of kidney, ovotestis, head ganglia, heart and haemolymph of Aplysia californica. These enzyme preparations hydrolysed [3H][Leu]enkephalin at the Try-1-Gly-2 bond as determined by h.p.l.c. analysis of cleavage products. In all these tissues, enkephalin-degrading aminopeptidase activities were present both in membrane-bound and cytosolic fractions. The bivalent-cation-chelating agent, 1,10-phenanthroline, inhibited kidney membrane aminopeptidase activity with an IC50 of 30 microM, suggesting that this enzyme is a metalloproteinase. The aminopeptidase inhibitor amastatin was the most potent inhibitor of [Leu]enkephalin degradation (IC50 25 nM) by membrane-bound aminopeptidase, and bacitracin, bestatin and puromycin were about 100-1000 times less potent. In contrast with membrane-bound aminopeptidase, the cytosolic form is sensitive to puromycin. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor had no effect on [Leu]enkephalin degradation by kidney membranes, while the neutral endopeptidase inhibitors were poor inhibitors of the enzymes in this preparation. The Km values of the aminopeptidase in the kidney membranes and cytosolic fractions for the [Leu]enkephalin substrate were 2.4 and 7.4 microM respectively. The aminopeptidase present in the kidney membranes also hydrolysed endogenous Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-amide peptide at the Phe-1-Met-2 bond as well as synthetic alanine p-nitroanilide and leucine p-nitroanilide. When used in a competition assay, these substrates inhibited hydrolysis of [3H][Leu]enkephalin, suggesting that the same enzyme degraded all these substrates. Taken together, these results suggest that Aplysia tissues contain both a membrane-bound aminopeptidase related to the mammalian aminopeptidase N and a cytosolic puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase.

Functional and structural characterization of the secretin receptors in rat gastric glands: desensitization and glycoprotein nature.

We have documented and characterized the down-regulation of the 125I-secretin binding sites and the associated desensitization of the secretin receptor-cAMP system in rat gastric glands. Secretin induced a rapid decrease of the high-affinity 125I-secretin binding sites with t1/2 = 30 min at 37 degrees C. Half-maximal down-regulation and desensitization occurred at 10(-9) M secretin, a physiological concentration corresponding to the half-maximal activation of the secretin receptor. The Scatchard parameters of the low-affinity 125I-secretin binding sites were unaffected by the pretreatment. This desensitization is heterologous in view of the loss of responsiveness to the truncated glucagon-like peptide 1 (TGLP-1), and pharmacologically selective since the secretin-related analogue VIP (10(-7) M) does not alter the secretin-induced cAMP generation in rat gastric glands. The glycoprotein nature of the secretin receptor has also been demonstrated using WGA-agarose affinity chromatography of the solubilized 125I-secretin receptor complex.

Characterization of binding sites for VIP-related peptides and activation of adenylate cyclase in developing pancreas.

HPLC-purified 125I-labeled vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) bound in a specific, saturable, and reversible manner to pancreatic plasma membranes isolated from newborn calves, from milk-fed calves at 28 and 119 days, and from weaned calves at 119 days. A series of VIP analogues, including pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), displaced 125I-VIP binding and activated adenylate cyclase in the same order of relative potency: PACAP-38 greater than helodermin greater than VIP, PACAP-27 greater than PHM (human peptide with NH2-terminal histidine and COOH-terminal methionine amide). At maximally effective concentrations, these five peptides produced the same two- to threefold increase of adenylate cyclase activity in pancreatic membranes from newborn and 28-day-old calves, and fourfold in ruminant or preruminant animals at 119 days. The activation constant for PACAP-38 ranged from 0.1 to 0.34 nM throughout the postnatal development. Helospectin I and II were three times less potent than VIP in inhibiting 125I-VIP binding. At concentrations up to 0.1 microM, secretin, rat and human growth hormone-releasing factors, glucagon, oxyntomodulin, the truncated form of glucagon-like peptide-1 lacking the 6 NH2-terminal amino acid sequence (TGLP-1), GLP-2, gastric inhibitory peptide, gastrin, CCK, and insulin had no effect on binding. Scatchard plots from 28- and 119-day-old calves were compatible with the presence of two classes of 125I-VIP binding sites: one with a high affinity for VIP and a low binding capacity (Kd = 0.11-0.4 nM, Bmax = 66-174 fmol/mg protein) and the other with a low affinity and high binding capacity. At birth, only one class of binding sites was observed (Kd = 0.4 nM, Bmax = 858 fmol/mg protein). The covalently cross-linked PACAP-preferring 125I-VIP binding site is a glycoprotein of 55 kDa with higher sensitivity to PACAP vs. helodermin and VIP. Our results suggest that calf pancreatic functions might be regulated at an early stage of postnatal development by PACAP receptors linked to cAMP generation.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide and its receptors in fetuses with cystic fibrosis.

Fetuses were investigated to establish whether vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and its receptors are involved in the basic biochemical defect causing cystic fibrosis (CF). The intestine was used as a target for the disease and the liver as control. The immunoreactive and biologically active VIP contents of the colon and lower part of the small intestine were 1.5-2.5 times higher in CF fetuses than in controls. In control and CF intestinal mucosa, there was no change in the Scatchard parameters of the 125I-labeled VIP binding sites (Kd = 4.7-6.1 X 10(-11) M; Bmax = 268-280 fmol/mg protein for the high-affinity sites), in the two molecular components constituting the cross-linked 125I-VIP binding (Mr = 66,000 and 30,000), or in the pharmacological properties and functional characteristics of the VIP receptors activating the G proteins-adenylate cyclase system (Ka = 0.7 X 10(-9) M VIP). Similar results were obtained in liver. These findings suggest that neither VIP nor its receptors are involved in CF intestine. The possible involvement of other effectors related to the VIP pathway in CF intestine, including the release of VIP and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate signal-transduction cascade, are presented.

Pharmacology, molecular identification and functional characteristics of vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors in human breast cancer cells.

High-performance liquid chromatography-purified 125I-vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) bound to T-47D human breast cancer cells in a specific, saturable, and reversible manner. Scatchard plots were compatible with the presence of one class of VIP receptors with high affinity (Kd = 4.5 X 10(-10) M VIP, and Bmax = 293 fmol/mg protein). The neuropeptide and its natural analogues inhibited the binding of 125I-VIP and stimulated cyclic AMP (cAMP) generation in T-47D cells 96-fold (EC50 = 7 X 10(-10) M VIP), in the following order of potency: VIP greater than helodermin greater than human peptide with N-terminal histidine and C-terminal methionine greater than human pancreatic growth hormone-releasing factor greater than human secretin. In contrast, 125I-VIP binding was not displaced by pancreatic glucagon, human oxyntomodulin, truncated glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon-like peptide-2, the somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995, gastric inhibitory peptide, and a series of steroid hormones or peptides unrelated to VIP. VIP also increased cAMP generation in seven other human breast cancer cell lines: H4-66B, HSL 53, HSL 78, MCF 7, MDA-MB231, T-47D2, and ZR75-1. Adenylate cyclase activity rose from 72.2 +/- 14 to 1069 +/- 66 pmol cAMP/min mg protein after the addition of 10(-7) M VIP to T-47D plasma membranes. In agreement with our pharmacological results and the Scatchard analysis of the binding data, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the solubilized receptor in the T-47D membranes permitted identification of one autoradiographic band with a molecular weight of 69,000. The sensitivity of the Mr 69,000 binding site to GTP and low doses of VIP implies that in T-47D cells, this component constitutes the membrane domain involved in the functional regulation of adenylate cyclase by VIP receptors. Our results indicate a role for the VIP receptor-cAMP system in human breast cancer cells.

Pharmacological control of the histamine H2 receptor-adenylate cyclase system by famotidine and ranitidine in normal and cancerous human gastric epithelia.

In human fundic glands, famotidine was about 17 times more potent than ranitidine as an inhibitor of histamine - stimulated cAMP generation. This H2-receptor antagonist had no effect on the receptor-adenylate cyclase systems sensitive to PGE2, isoproterenol (beta 2-receptor), VIP and on forskolin-induced activation of the Gs/catalytic units of the membrane-bound enzyme prepared from human fundic glands. In the HGT-1 human gastric cancer cell line, famotidine and ranitidine showed long lasting, irreversible actions probably related to a slow rate of dissociation from the histamine H2-receptor.

Pharmacology and molecular identification of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors in normal and cancerous gastric mucosa in man.

In human antral membranes, VIP and its natural analogs inhibited the binding of HPLC-purified 125I-VIP, according to the following order of potency: VIP greater than rh GRF greater than helodermin greater than r PHI greater than PHM greater than p PHI greater than hp GRF greater than h, p secretin. No specific binding was detected in plasma membranes purified from the human fundus. In human antral membranes, Scatchard plots were compatible with the existence of two classes of VIP receptors, the first class with high affinity and low binding capacity (Kd = 0.1 nM, Bmax = 10 fmol/mg protein) and another class with a low affinity and higher binding capacity (Kd = 12) nM, Bmax = 1,000 fmol/mg protein). The structure of the VIP receptor in purified plasma membranes prepared from human antral glands and from the HGT-1 human gastric cancer cells was subsequently probed using the cross-linking reagent DSP and 125I-VIP. In agreement with the pharmacological study and the Scatchard analysis of the binding data, SDS gel electrophoresis of the solubilized receptor identified two radiolabeled peptides Mr 67,000 and 34,000 containing disulfide bonds. According to its sensitivity to low doses of VIP and to GTP, the Mr 67,000 binding site represents the membrane domains involved in the physiologial regulation of adenylate cyclase by VIP in normal and transformed human gastric epithelia.

Pharmacology and molecular identification of secretin receptors in rat gastric glands.

The structure of the secretin receptor in purified plasma membranes isolated from the antral and fundic parts of the rat gastric mucosa was probed, using the cross linking reagent dithiobis succinimidyl propionate (DSP) and HPLC-purified [125I] secretin. [125I] secretin binding sites were preferentially located in rat antrum and displayed the pharmacological properties expected for specific secretin receptors: secretin greater than helodermin greater than rhGRF greater than rPHI. SDS gel electrophoresis of the solubilized receptor allowed identification of two radiolabeled peptides of 62 and 33 KDa connected by disulfide bonds. According to the sensitivity of the 62 KDa component to low doses of secretin and to GTP, it constitutes the membrane domain involved in the physiological regulation of adenylate cyclase by secretin in rat gastric glands.