ABSTRACT
Activities of enkephalin- and angiotensin II-forming enzymes (carboxypeptidase H and angiotensin-converting enzyme, ACE) were changed in different brain regions and peripheral tissues of rats with various alcohol motivation. The carboxypeptidase H activity was elevated in midbrain, striatum, hypophysis and adrenal glands, while the ACE activity was increased in hypophysis and striatum. The ACE activity was decreased two-fold in thalamo-hypothalamic region of ethanol-preferring rats.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/metabolism , Brain/enzymology , Carboxypeptidases/metabolism , Endopeptidases/metabolism , Ethanol/pharmacology , Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A/metabolism , Adrenal Glands/enzymology , Animals , Body Weight/drug effects , Carboxypeptidase H , Ethanol/administration & dosage , Male , Pain/physiopathology , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , Sensory Thresholds/drug effectsABSTRACT
The immunogenic conjugates of [leu]enkephalin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) with bisdiazobenzidine and 1,4-benzoquinone as bifunctional reagents have been synthesized. The antisera with high titer of antibodies to [leu]enkephalin have been obtained at rabbit [correction of rat] immunization by both conjugates. The antiserum obtained at immunization by conjugate [leu]enkephalin-benzoquinone-BSA possesses the high affinity and sensitivity to [leu]enkephalin.
Subject(s)
Antibody Specificity/immunology , Benzoquinones , Enkephalin, Leucine/immunology , Animals , Antibodies/analysis , Benzidines/pharmacology , Binding, Competitive , Cross-Linking Reagents/pharmacology , Haptens , Immunization/methods , Immunoenzyme Techniques , Quinones/immunology , Quinones/pharmacology , Rabbits , Serum Albumin, Bovine/immunologyABSTRACT
Dansyl-Phe-Ala-Arg and (D-Ala2, Leu5) enkephalin-Arg6 (dalargine) were studied as possible substrates for enkephalin-forming carboxypeptidase (EFC) and carboxypeptidase B (CPB) in crude tissue homogenates. Activities of these enzymes in rat cerebellum, pituitary and adrenal glands were determined using the dansyl substrate. Kinetic characteristics of CPB and EFC were evaluated for dansyl substrate and dalargine. Affinity of EFC to dalargine was 10-fold higher as compared with CPB. Dalargine may be used as a specific substrate for study of EFC in tissue preparations.
