Cynanchum wilfordii ameliorates hypertension and endothelial dysfunction in rats fed with high fat/cholesterol diets.

Hypercholesterolemia increases the incidence of atherosclerosis and its pathologic complications. This study was performed to test the effect of an ethanol extract of Cynanchum wilfordii (ECW) on vascular dysfunction in rats fed with high fat/cholesterol diets (HFCD). Male rats were fed a HFCD consisting of 7.5% cocoa butter and 1.25% cholesterol, with or without 100, 200 mg/day/kg ECW. Rats fed with HFCD increased body weight associated with an increase in plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level. Chronic ECW treatment in HFCD-fed rats lessened LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as elevated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Chronic ECW treatment recovered the HFCD-induced increase in systolic blood pressure, maintained smooth and soft intima endothelial layers by the decrease of intima-media thickness. ECW significantly recovered the diet-induced decrease in vasorelaxation to acetylcholine, high-dose ECW apparently increased vasorelaxation response to sodium nitroprusside in rats fed with HFCD. ECW clearly restored the HFCD-induced reduction in endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase expression and Akt expression levels in aortic tissue, leading to improve endothelial function through an increase in endothelium-derived NO production. Furthermore, treatment of ECW significantly recovered the HFCD-induced decrease in aortic cGMP levels in rats. These findings suggest that ECW ameliorates hypertension and endothelial dysfunction via improvement of NO/cGMP signaling pathway in aortic tissue of rats fed with HFCD, suggesting a vascular protective role for this herb in the treatment and prevention of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Na-Tosyl-Phe chloromethyl ketone prevents granule movement and mast cell synergistic degranulation elicited by costimulation of antigen and adenosine.

Adenosine has been shown to enhance mast cell degranulation when added together with an antigen. Such augmentation of mast cell activation is relevant to exacerbation of allergic asthma symptoms. Na-Tosyl-Phe chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) is a chymotrypsine-like chymase inhibitor, which has anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of TPCK on mast cell synergistic degranulation induced by antigen and adenosine. Here, we report that TPCK almost completely suppressed enhanced degranulation by inhibiting granule movement. Consistent with this, intraperitoneal administration of TPCK resulted in significant amelioration of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TPCK completely inhibited Thr308 phosphorylation of protein kinase B in mast cells stimulated with antigen and adenosine. These results provide a novel action of TPCK for the prevention of mast cell degranulation induced by antigen and adenosine.

Estimating the parameters of the operational model of pharmacological agonism.

The aim of this work is practical. We show that the parameters of the widely used operational model of pharmacological agonism are difficult to estimate from single dose-response curves. The parameters can be estimated using pairs of dose-response curves (usually treatment and control) sharing some parameters. Confidence bands for the estimators are developed. In the case of multiple dose-response curve pairs one can employ a non-linear mixed effects model to allow for inter-individual variation. The point estimates and the confidence intervals thus obtained are similar to the more naive construction based on mean and standard errors of parameter estimates. To test for difference of certain parameters between treatment and control we employ a permutation test and Wald's test.

Diabetes differentially modulated receptor- and non-receptor-mediated relaxation in rat renal artery.

In this study, we have investigated the vasodilator response to acetylcholine under diabetic conditions in isolated renal arteries of Wistar rats. The effect of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition on acetylcholine-induced vasodilator response was investigated. We have also examined the effects of two endothelium-dependent agonists which induce receptor-dependent and receptor-independent vasodilator responses. Acetylcholine (10(-10) to 10(-4)M) produced a cumulative concentration-response curve in the renal arteries of both control and diabetic rats. The EC(50) values and maximal responses to acetylcholine were reduced relative to diabetic conditions. The vasodilator response to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (10(-10) to 10(-5)M) was also investigated. SNP produced a cumulative concentration-dependent vasodilator response, which was not affected under diabetic conditions. To confirm the nitric oxide component of acetylcholine-induced vasodilator response, L-nitro-methyl arginine ester (L-NAME) (10(-4)M) was added to the Krebs' solution. The maximal vasodilator response to acetylcholine was reduced in the presence of L-NAME (10(-4)M) in both control and diabetic renal preparations, with greater attenuation in the diabetic conditions. In order to examine the possible contribution of receptor dysfunction in diabetes, the vasodilator response to ADP (receptor-dependent agonist) and the calcium ionophore A23187 (receptor-independent agonist) were investigated. ADP (10(-10) to 10(-5)M) produced a concentration-dependent vasodilator response in preparations from both control and diabetic rats. The maximal vasodilator response to ADP was significantly reduced in the renal arteries from diabetic animals. However, A23187 (10(-10) to 10(-5)M); the receptor-independent agonist, produced a concentration-dependent vasodilator response in both control and diabetic rat preparations. There was no significant change in the EC(50) values or maximal vasodilator responses to A23187 under diabetic conditions. In conclusion, our results indicated that acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation in the isolated renal arteries of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was attenuated under diabetic conditions. The reduction in acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation may be attributed to acetylcholine receptor dysfunction. This is based on the results from this study in which the vasodilator response to the receptor-independent agonist A23187 were maintained, while that of the receptor-dependent agonist ADP was attenuated under diabetic conditions.

Vasoactive substances: nitric oxide and endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis.

The endothelium synthesizes and releases nitric oxide (NO) to maintain homeostatic function. Under basal conditions, endothelium-derived NO maintains a nonthrombogenic surface, prohibits leukocyte attachment, and promotes vascular relaxation. In the setting of clinical syndromes associated with the development of atherothrombosis, there is decreased bioavailable NO owing to diminished synthesis and release in addition to increased generation of reactive oxygen species. These biochemical changes perturb significantly vascular homeostatic mechanisms and promote platelet aggregation, inflammatory cell diapedesis, and vasoconstriction. Endothelial dysfunction may be evaluated using invasive and/or noninvasive techniques, including coronary artery reactivity to acetylcholine and brachial artery ultrasonography, respectively. NO replacement therapies may be initiated to restore deficits associated with dysfunctional endothelium. Strategies to replenish bioavailable NO include the administration of organic nitrosovasodilators or NO donor compounds, therapies to improve NO synthase function, and gene therapy.

Prophylactic and acute treatment with the homeopathic medicine Betula 30c for birch pollen allergy

A study of the consistency of responses by allergic patients in repeated studies of the homeopathic remedy Betula 30c or placebo against birch pollen allergy, was made. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed including participants with a know allergy to birch pollen. Allergy symptoms were assessed on a visual... (AU)

Modulation of kainate--activated currents by diazoxide and cyclothiazide analogues (IDRA) in cerebellar granule neurons.

1. Patch-clamp technique was used in primary cultures of cerebellar granule neurons to study the modulation of the cyclothiazide analogue (IDRA21) and of the diazoxide derivative (IDRA 5) on KA-evoked currents. 2. The dose-response of kainic acid (KA) reveals an EC50=90 microM and an Hill coefficient of 1.3. IDRA 21 and cyclothiazide potentiate KA-evoked current in a dose dependent way, being cyclothiazide more potent but less efficacious than IDRA 21. Conversely IDRA 5 acts as a negative modulator of KA evoked -current. 3. Application of IDRA 21 and cyclothiazide results in a current potentiation of 125+/-18% and 80+/-12% respectively, while IDRA 5 decreases KA-current (-21+/-5%). Coapplication of cyclothiazide and IDRA 21 produces a potentiation of 110+/-17%, suggesting a competition of the two drugs for the same site. 4. In the same experimental model we studied the ability of IDRA compounds of promoting toxicity through AMPA-receptor activation. Under basal conditions AMPA treatment (50 microM for 1 hour) results in a negligible excitotoxicity. 5. In contrast similar treatment with AMPA + IDRA 21 (1 mM) or + IDRA 5 (1 mM) or + cyclothiazide (100 microM) induces citotoxicity. The neurotoxic damage induced by IDRA 21 and cyclothiazide is blocked by GYKI 53655 (50 microM) and by NBQX (10 microM). Interestingly GYKI and NBQX are ineffective in reducing IDRA 5 toxicity.

Structure-activity relationships of nociceptin and related peptides: comparison with dynorphin A.

Nociceptin and its receptor (OP(4)) share sequence homologies with the opioid peptide ligand dynorphin A and its receptor OP(2). Cationic residues in the C-terminal sequence of both peptides seem to be required for selective receptor occupation, but the number and the distribution of these basic residues are different and quite critical. Both receptors are presumably activated by the peptides N-terminal sequence (Xaa-Gly Gly-Phe, where Xaa = Phe or Tyr); however, although OP(4) requires Phe(4) as a determinant pharmacophore, OP(2) requires Tyr(1) as do the other opioid receptors. An extensive structure-activity analysis of the N-terminal tetrapeptide has led to conclude that the presence of aromatic residues in position one and four, preferably Phe, as well as the distance between Phe(1) and Phe(4) are extremely critical for occupation and activation of OP(4) in contrast with other opioid receptors (e.g. OP(1), OP(3), OP(2)). Modification of distance between the side chains of Phe(1) and Phe(4) (as obtained with Nphe(1) substitution in both NC and NC(1-13)-NH(2)) and/or conformational orientation of Phe(1) (as in Phe(1)psi(CH(2)-NH)-Gly(2)) has brought to discovery of pure antagonist ([Nphe(1)]-NC(1-13)-NH(2)) and a partial agonist ([Phe(1) psi(CH(2)-NH)-Gly(2)]-NC(1-13)-NH(2)), which have allowed us to characterize and classify the OP(4) receptor in several species. Thus, although antagonist activities at the OP(4) receptor are obtained by chemical modification of Phe(1)-Gly(2) peptide bond or by a shift of Phe(1) side chain of NC peptides, antagonism at the OP(2) receptor requires the diallylation of the N-terminal amino function, for instance, of dynorphin A. These considerations support the interpretation that the two systems nociceptin/OP(4) and dynorphin A/OP(2) are distinct pharmacological entities that differs in both their active sites (Tyr(1) for Dyn A and Phe(4) for NC) and the number and position of cationic residues in the C-terminal portions of the molecules. The chemical features of novel OP(4) receptor ligands either pseudopeptides obtained by combinatorial library screening or molecules of nonpeptide structure are reported and discussed in comparison with NC and NC related peptides.