Dielectric properties of isolated adrenal chromaffin cells determined by microfluidic impedance spectroscopy.

Knowledge of the dielectric properties of biological cells plays an important role in numerical models aimed at understanding how high intensity ultrashort nanosecond electric pulses affect the plasma membrane and the membranes of intracellular organelles. To this end, using electrical impedance spectroscopy, the dielectric properties of isolated, neuroendocrine adrenal chromaffin cells were obtained. Measured impedance data of the cell suspension, acquired between 1kHz and 20MHz, were fit into a combination of constant phase element and Cole-Cole models from which the effect of electrode polarization was extracted. The dielectric spectrum of each cell suspension was fit into a Maxwell-Wagner mixture model and the Clausius-Mossotti factor was obtained. Lastly, to extract the cellular dielectric parameters, the cell dielectric data were fit into a granular cell model representative of a chromaffin cell, which was based on the inclusion of secretory granules in the cytoplasm. Chromaffin cell parameters determined from this study were the cell and secretory granule membrane specific capacitance (1.22 and 7.10µF/cm2, respectively), the cytoplasmic conductivity, which excludes and includes the effect of intracellular membranous structures (1.14 and 0.49S/m, respectively), and the secretory granule milieu conductivity (0.35S/m). These measurements will be crucial for incorporating into numerical models aimed at understanding the differential poration effect of nanosecond electric pulses on chromaffin cell membranes.

Numerical computation of distortions in magnetic fields and induced currents in physiological solutions produced by microscope objectives.

Identifying distortions produced by commonly employed microscope objectives and their components in uniform DC and 60 Hz AC magnetic fields is important in imaging studies involving exposure of cells to spatially uniform or nonuniform magnetic fields. In this study, DC and 60 Hz AC magnetic flux densities were numerically computed in the presence of finite element models of various components of commonly utilized microscope objectives, as well as a model of a complete objective. Also computed were the distortions in the current density induced by an applied time-varying magnetic field in a physiological buffer contained within a Petri dish. We show that the magnetic flux density could be increased up to 65% in the presence of the nickel-chrome plating of an objective housing and that the presence of ferromagnetic components like a screw or spring could produce peaks that are 7% higher than the undistorted value of magnetic flux density. In addition, a slight tilt of 1% in the objective with respect to the magnetic field could cause a 93% deviation in magnetic flux density from the unperturbed value. These results correlate well with previously published experimental measurements that showed the presence of significant and sometimes asymmetric distortions in both DC and 60 Hz magnetic fields. Moreover, this study further reports that induced current density changed up to 37% compared to values in the absence of the objective. The existence of distortions in applied magnetic fields and induced currents could affect the interpretation of results of cell function studies if it is assumed that the cells are exposed to uniform magnetic flux densities in the presence of a microscope objective. Such assumptions of uniform magnetic flux density could also account for the lack of reproducibility in several studies that examined changes in intracellular calcium by imaging techniques.

Effects of microscope objectives on magnetic field exposures.

Distortions in magnetic field intensity generated by commonly used microscope objectives (1x to 100x) were characterized within a Helmholtz coil-based exposure system. Objectives from a variety of manufacturers distorted applied field intensities by up to 23% in the image plane. Components that contribute to distortions include (1) nickel-chrome plating of objective housings, (2) the presence of steel springs in objectives with compression collars, and (3) steel screws or studs used to hold together separately manufactured parts. Steel springs and screws produce radially asymmetric profiles, whereas distortions generated by nickel-chrome plating are typically radially symmetric. All components can produce spatial gradients in field intensity if objectives are not perfectly aligned with exposure systems or if placed in the earth's magnetic field. Alterations in the magnitude of magnetic field intensities as well as the production of spatial gradients might have an effect on biological responses. By maintaining optical glass components and replacing metallic components, functional objectives can be reconstructed that produce no measurable effects on magnetic flux densities.

Protein synthesis blockade differentially affects the degradation of constitutive and nicotinic receptor-induced tyrosine hydroxylase protein level in isolated bovine chromaffin cells.

Continuous incubation of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells with the nicotinic receptor agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP) causes a twofold increase in the steady-state level of catalytically active tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein by 3-4 days. The present study examined the processes that control the time course of enzyme induction. In cells exposed to DMPP for 36 or 54 h, incorporation of [3H]leucine into TH was increased 1.9- and 2.2-fold, respectively, compared with control (non-DMPP-treated) cells. The increase correlated with a twofold rise in TH mRNA level, indicating the absence of translational control of TH synthesis by DMPP. Also absent was an effect by DMPP on the rate of degradation of TH protein because pulse-chase analysis estimated a half-life for TH of 26 +/- 5 h in DMPP-treated cells, a value that was (a) essentially the same as that estimated in control cells (29 +/- 3 h), (b) within the same range as that estimated by approach to steady state (t(1/2) = 19 +/- 4 h), which measured the decline of TH protein content from the DMPP-induced steady-state level back to the basal value during deinduction with the nicotinic antagonist hexamethonium, and (c) consistent with the time course of accumulation of TH protein to a new steady-state level in response to DMPP. However, different rates of degradation for TH protein were observed in control and DMPP-treated cells under conditions in which protein synthesis was blocked. In control cells incubated with 100 microM puromycin or 20 microM cycloheximide for 3 days, the level of catalytically active TH protein failed to decline and exhibited a half-life of > or = 250 h. This finding indicated that TH protein was stabilized. TH protein level also failed to decline when cells were incubated for 3 days with a concentration of the transcription inhibitor alpha-amanitin that caused a >90% loss of TH mRNA. Thus, degradation of constitutively expressed TH protein appears to be controlled by processes dependent on ongoing transcription and translation. In contrast, the increased amount of TH induced by DMPP was not stabilized but instead underwent a decline to the basal level following addition of puromycin or cycloheximide. It is important to note, however, that the decline occurred at a slower rate (t(1/2) > or = 45 h) than that measured during deinduction. Taken together, these data suggest that alterations in the rate of degradation of TH protein may play a role in controlling TH level when TH synthesis is blocked but not when TH synthesis is increased, such as during nicotinic receptor stimulation.

Evidence for the differential release of the cotransmitters ATP and noradrenaline from sympathetic nerves of the guinea-pig vas deferens.

1. Experiments were carried out to quantify the stimulation-evoked overflow of catecholamines and purines (ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine) from an in vitro sympathetic nerve-smooth muscle preparation of the guinea-pig vas deferens and from isolated bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. The superfused preparations were stimulated for 60 s with electrical field stimulation (EFS; vas deferens), dimethylphenylpiperazinium (chromaffin cells) or KCl (both preparations). 2. Samples of superfusate were taken at 10 s intervals during the 60 s stimulation period for analysis of purines by HPLC-fluorescence detection and catecholamines by HPLC-electrochemical detection. 3. The evoked overflow of catecholamines and purines from chromaffin cells occurred with the same time course and in a constant ratio of approximately 4:1 (catecholamine to purine). These findings are compatible with the release of catecholamines and purines from a homogeneous population of exocytotic vesicles in the chromaffin cells. 4. The evoked overflow of purines and noradrenaline (NA) from the vas deferens preparation differed from the pattern of overflow from chromaffin cells and there was also some temporal disparity in the overflow of the two cotransmitters. The evoked overflow of ATP exceeded that of NA. In addition, the overflow of NA was tonic while the overflow of ATP and the other purines was phasic. 5. The EFS-evoked overflow of NA and the purines from the guniea-pig vas deferens preparation was examined after treatment with the neuronal amine-uptake inhibitors desipramine and cocaine, the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine, the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin, the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists idazoxan and yohimbine, the noradrenaline-depleting drug reserpine and the adrenergic neuron-blocking agent guanethidine. The results of these studies, together with an analysis of the metabolic degradation of extracellular ATP, indicated that the temporal disparity in the overflow of NA and ATP is unlikely to be due to differences in the clearance of the cotransmitters or to the release of purines from non-neuronal sites. These results indicate that evoked overflow of the cotransmitters accurately reflects release from nerves. This pattern of release from nerves suggests that the two cotransmitters are released from two separate populations of exocytotic vesicles. 6. Superfusion of the vas deferens with exogenous epsilon-ATP, a fluorescent derivative of ATP, revealed that there was essentially no metabolism of the nucleotide over 60 s unless the tissue was subjected to EFS. Upon EFS, there was a rapid and nearly complete degradation of ATP with a corresponding increase in ADP, AMP and adenosine. This indicates the presence of a nerve stimulation-dependent metabolism of ATP.

The transient nicotinic stimulation of tyrosine hydroxylase gene transcription in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells is independent of c-fos gene activation.

The nicotinic agonist dimethylphenylpiperazinium (DMPP) transiently stimulates tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene transcription in cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells (Craviso et al., J. Neurochem., 59 (1992) 2285-2296). The present studies examined the mechanism of this stimulation, exploring the hypothesis that c-fos- and/or cyclic AMP-related mechanisms are involved. As determined by nuclear run-on assay, exposure of chromaffin cells to DMPP (1 microM) induced c-fos and TH gene transcription fivefold and twofold, respectively. Nitrendipine (20 microM) blocked both responses, indicating a similar dependency of each on extracellular calcium. Both c-fos and TH gene transcription rates were also elevated by entry of calcium due to the presence of the calcium ionophore A23187 (5 microM). Comparison of the time dependence of the DMPP stimulation of c-fos and TH gene transcription revealed similar time courses. Both were rapid and transient, peaking within 10-30 min of nicotinic receptor occupancy and returning to control values by 1 h. This simultaneous activation of the TH and c-fos genes indicates that Fos induction cannot be responsible for the stimulation of TH gene transcription. This conclusion was further supported by a failure of anisomycin (100 microM) pretreatment of chromaffin cells, which blocked protein synthesis 99%, to have any effect on either the rapid stimulation of TH gene transcription or the length of time that the TH gene was activated by DMPP. Thus, neither Fos nor other high turnover-rate transcription factors appear to be responsible for the stimulation, or return to control level, of TH gene activity following nicotinic stimulation of chromaffin cells. In other experiments, treating chromaffin cells with a combination of maximally effective concentrations of DMPP and forskolin was found to produce no greater stimulation of TH gene transcription than either agent alone, suggesting that DMPP acts through the same mechanism as forskolin. Taken together, these results support the conclusion that the mechanism of TH gene activation in chromaffin cells by DMPP involves a cyclic AMP-dependent process and not the induction of transcription factors such as Fos.

Nicotinic cholinergic regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression and catecholamine synthesis in isolated bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.

Isolated bovine adrenal chromaffin cells were used to study the nicotinic regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene expression. Continuous exposure of the cells to carbachol or the nicotinic receptor agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP) produces a time- and concentration-dependent increase in TH enzyme activity, whereas muscarine has no effect. DMPP at 1 microM (EC50 = 0.3 microM) elicits a two- to threefold elevation of both TH activity and TH immunoreactive protein level after 3-5 days in the presence of 2.5 mM calcium; the increase in enzyme levels is significantly less at lower extracellular calcium levels. The rate of hydroxylation of tyrosine to dopamine (DA) in intact cells, an index of endogenous TH activity, increases in parallel with the rise in TH levels. The TH mRNA level is elevated before the increase in protein levels. As determined by nuclear run-on assays, TH gene transcription is stimulated two- to threefold within 30 min of addition of 1 microM DMPP to the cells; transcription returns to basal levels by 2 h. Nitrendipine (20 microM) blocks the stimulation of transcription by DMPP. Pretreatment of the cells with cycloheximide (5 microM) does not prevent the DMPP stimulation of transcription. Forskolin (10 microM) also increases TH transcription (fourfold in 15 min) by a mechanism that is not blocked by cycloheximide. These results show that nicotinic receptor stimulation increases TH mRNA synthesis, TH protein levels, and TH activity in a calcium-dependent manner. Furthermore, the nicotinic influence on TH gene expression does not appear to require the synthesis of a protein factor for its effects. That in situ DA synthesis rates are elevated consequent to the rise in TH levels demonstrates that TH induction serves as a mechanism for enhancing the catecholamine-synthesizing capacity of the chromaffin cell on a long-term basis.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulates catecholamine biosynthesis in isolated adrenal chromaffin cells: evidence for a cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation and activation of tyrosine hydroxylase.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) increased catecholamine biosynthesis in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells by 50-200%. Six related peptides produced no effects. In addition, VIP increased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity measured in gel-filtered supernatants prepared from homogenates of treated cells. The hypothesis that cyclic AMP is the second messenger involved in these effects of VIP was also evaluated. VIP led to an elevation of cyclic AMP levels, and this increase occurred over a similar concentration range and time course as the activation of TH and the increase in catecholamine biosynthesis. Each measure reached maximal levels at 10-20 microM VIP within 1 min and remained elevated for at least 16 min. These changes produced by VIP were paralleled by enhanced phosphorylation of TH, and this phosphorylation occurred on a single tryptic peptide that was the same peptide whose phosphorylation has been previously shown to be stimulated by forskolin. In contrast to VIP and forskolin, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, a phorbol ester known to activate protein kinase C, increased the phosphorylation on a total of three tryptic peptides of TH. Our results indicate that VIP stimulates catecholamine biosynthesis in chromaffin cells through the phosphorylation and activation of TH and support the conclusion that a cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of TH is responsible for these effects.

Extracellular calcium modulates vitamin D-dependent calbindin-D28K gene expression in chick kidney cells.

The effect of extracellular calcium ion (Ca2+) concentration on 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3)-induction of vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (calbindin-D28K) and its mRNA levels was examined in primary chick kidney cells in vitro. When exposed to normal medium Ca2+ (1.0 mM), 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased calbindin-D28K mRNA, as measured by Northern analysis, by 4-10 fold over basal levels by 12 to 24 h after addition of hormone. In the presence of 0.5 mM Ca2+, 1,25-(OH)2D3 induced calbindin-D28K mRNA by only 2 fold, whereas, when cells were exposed to 2 mM Ca2+, the induction was 10-15 fold. This calcium modulation of 1,25-(OH)2D3 induction was also observed at the level of calbindin-D28K protein concentrations as measured by radioimmunoassay. The alterations in medium Ca2+ were not associated with any change in the rate of total RNA or protein synthesis. These studies suggest that both Ca2+ and 1,25-(OH)2D3 participate in the regulation of calbindin-D28K gene expression in the kidney.

In vitro phosphorylation of bovine adrenal chromaffin cell tyrosine hydroxylase by endogenous protein kinases.

Under phosphorylating conditions, addition of Ca2+ or cyclic AMP to the 100,000 g supernatant of purified bovine adrenal chromaffin cells increases both the incorporation of 32P into tyrosine hydroxylase and the activity of the enzyme. Combining maximally effective concentrations of each of these stimulating agents produces an additive increase in both the level of 32P incorporation into tyrosine hydroxylase and the degree of activation of the enzyme. The increased phosphorylation by Ca2+ is due to stimulation of endogenous Ca2+-dependent protein kinase activity and not inhibition of phosphoprotein phosphatases. When the chromaffin cell supernatant is subjected to diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) chromatography to remove calmodulin and phospholipids, tyrosine hydroxylase is no longer phosphorylated or activated by Ca2+; on the other hand, phosphorylation and activation of tyrosine hydroxylase by cyclic AMP are not affected. Subsequent replacement of either Ca2+ plus calmodulin or Ca2+ plus phosphatidylserine to the DEAE-fractionated cell supernatant restores the phosphorylation, but not activation of the enzyme. Reverse-phase HPLC peptide mapping of tryptic digests of tyrosine hydroxylase from the 100,000 g supernatant shows that the Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation occurs on three phosphopeptides, whereas the cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation occurs on one of these peptides. In the DEAE preparation, either cyclic AMP alone or Ca2+ in the presence of phosphatidylserine stimulates the phosphorylation of only a single phosphopeptide peak, the same peptide phosphorylated by cyclic AMP in the crude supernatant. In contrast, Ca2+ in the presence of calmodulin stimulates the phosphorylation of three peptides having reverse-phase HPLC retention times that are identical to peptides phosphorylated by Ca2+ addition to the crude unfractionated 100,000 g supernatant. Rechromatography of the peaks from each of the in vitro phosphorylations, either in combination with each other or in combination with each of the seven peaks generated from phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase in situ, established that cyclic AMP, Ca2+/phosphatidylserine, and Ca2+/calmodulin all stimulate the phosphorylation of the same reverse-phase HPLC peptide: in situ peptide 6. Ca2+/calmodulin stimulates the phosphorylation of in situ peptides 3 and 5 as well. Thus, tyrosine hydroxylase can be phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinases endogenous to the chromaffin cell. Phosphorylation occurs on a maximum of three of the seven in situ phosphorylated sites, and all three of these sites can be phosphorylated by a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase.

Phosphorylation of bovine adrenal chromaffin cell tyrosine hydroxylase. Temporal correlation of acetylcholine's effect on site phosphorylation, enzyme activation, and catecholamine synthesis.

Tryptic peptide fragments of tyrosine hydroxylase isolated from 32PO4-prelabeled bovine adrenal chromaffin cells are resolved into seven phosphopeptides by reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography. All seven of the peptides are phosphorylated on serine residues. Three of these putative phosphorylation sites, peptides 3, 5, and 6, are rapidly phosphorylated (5-fold in 15 s) by both acetylcholine stimulation and potassium depolarization of the cells, and this phosphorylation is accompanied by a similarly rapid activation of the enzyme. Both phosphorylation and activation are transient and do not account for the prolonged increase in catecholamine biosynthesis produced by these stimuli. Peptides 4 and 7 show a much slower and sustained increase in phosphorylation (3-fold in 4 min) in response to acetylcholine and potassium. Phosphorylation of these peptides correlates with the sustained increase in catecholamine biosynthesis rather than enzyme activation. Peptides 1 and 2 are not stimulated by any agonist yet employed and thus show no relation to enzyme activation or catecholamine biosynthesis. Phosphorylation of all five peptides by acetylcholine or potassium is calcium-dependent. In contrast to the stimulation of phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase on multiple sites, forskolin stimulates the phosphorylation of only peptide 6, and this is accompanied by a coordinated activation of tyrosine hydroxylase and increased catecholamine biosynthesis. These findings show that the phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase in intact cells is more complex than predicted from in vitro results, that at least two protein kinases are involved in the secretagogue-induced phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase, and that the regulation of catecholamine biosynthesis, in response to phosphorylation, appears to involve both tyrosine hydroxylase activation and other mechanisms.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 induces the synthesis of vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein in cultured chick kidney cells.

A 28,000 mol wt vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (CaBP), first isolated from avian intestine, has recently been shown to exist in kidney and other tissues. To study the mechanism regulating the production of renal CaBP, we used primary cultures of chick kidney cells as an in vitro model. Renal cortical tubules isolated from vitamin D-deficient chicks were grown in serum-free, hormone-supplemented medium. Confluent cells were epithelioid and expressed CaBP, as demonstrated by immunocytochemistry and a specific RIA. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] increased cellular CaBP content in a dose-dependent manner (10(-10)-10(-7) M) from basal concentrations of 50-240 ng/mg protein to maximal concentrations of 600-1200 ng/mg protein 48 h after dosing. Cycloheximide (2 microM) inhibited 1,25-(OH)2D3 induction of CaBP, indicating that the mechanism requires new protein synthesis. Western blotting of cell extracts confirmed the identity of the inducible protein as the 28,000 mol wt CaBP. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 were effective but somewhat less potent inducers of CaBP, whereas vitamin D3 was without significant effect. The activities of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 are attributed to their rapid conversion by kidney cells to 1 alpha-hydroxylated metabolites. The dose-response profiles for two additional bioresponses in these cells, namely induction of 24-hydroxylase and inhibition of 1 alpha-hydroxylase activity, were comparable to those for CaBP induction. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a cell culture system that exhibits 1,25-(OH)2D3-inducible CaBP in vitro. This model should permit the study of certain aspects of the physiology of 1,25-(OH)2D3 and CaBP in kidney that are not possible in vivo.

High-affinity dextromethorphan binding sites in guinea pig brain. I. Initial characterization.

Tritiated dextromethorphan ([3H]DM) binds to two distinct sites in guinea pig brain, a high-affinity site (Kd = 13-20 nM) and a low-affinity site (Kd greater than 200 nM). Binding of [3H] DM to the high-affinity site is rapid, reversible, saturable, proportional to tissue concentration, and pH-dependent. The sites have a protein-like component, since preincubating brain homogenate in the presence of proteolytic enzymes and protein-modifying reagents significantly reduces binding. There is also a progressive loss of binding when brain homogenate is heated to temperatures in excess of 37 degrees. Millimolar concentrations of lithium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese decrease DM binding while sodium, in concentrations as high as 100 mM, has little effect; calcium in micromolar concentrations slightly enhances binding. The pons-medulla and cerebellum contain the highest density of sites. Subcellular localization studies have shown that high-affinity sites are confined almost exclusively to the microsomal fraction. Binding of DM to brain microsomes does not appear to be related to drug-metabolizing enzymes. The characteristics of DM binding suggest that DM sites are not a subclass of opiate receptors. Studies using tritiated dextrorphan as radioligand failed to reveal a high-affinity binding site for in brain.

High-affinity dextromethorphan binding sites in guinea pig brain. II. Competition experiments.

Binding of dextromethorphan (DM) to guinea pig brain is stereoselective, since levomethorphan is 20 times weaker than DM in competing for DM sites. In general, opiate agonists and antagonists as well as their corresponding dextrorotatory isomers are weak competitors for tritiated dextromethorphan ([3H]DM) binding sites and display IC50 values in the micromolar range. In contrast, several non-narcotic, centrally acting antitussives are inhibitory in the nanomolar range (IC50 values for caramiphen, carbetapentane, dimethoxanate, and pipazethate are 25 nM, 9 nM, 41 nM, and 190 nM, respectively). Other antitussives, such as levopropoxyphene, chlophedianol, and fominoben, have poor affinity for DM sites whereas the antitussive noscapine enhances DM binding by increasing the affinity of DM for its central binding sites. Additional competition studies indicate that there is no correlation of DM binding with any of the known or putative neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. DM binding is also not related to tricyclic antidepressant binding sites or biogenic amine uptake sites. However, certain phenothiazine neuroleptics and typical and atypical antidepressants inhibit binding with IC50 values in the nanomolar range. Moreover, the anticonvulsant drug diphenylhydantoin enhances DM binding in a manner similar to that of noscapine. Preliminary experiments utilizing acid extracts of brain have not demonstrated the presence of an endogenous ligand for DM sites. The binding characteristics of DM sites studied in rat and mouse brain indicate that the relative potencies of several antitussives to inhibit specific DM binding vary according to species. High-affinity, saturable, and stereoselective [3H]DM binding sites are present in liver homogenates, but several differences have been found for these peripheral binding sites and those described for brain. Although the nature of central DM binding sites is not known, the potent interaction of several classes of centrally acting antitussives with DM sites suggests that they may be related to the mechanism of action of this drug.

The effect of enkephalin and enkephalin analogs on the guinea-pig ileum and rat brain opilate receptor.

We have synthesized the two naturally occurring enkephalins (Methionine-Enkephalin and Leucine-Enkephalin) as well as four other analogs (Methinonine-Enkephalin amide, S-Benzyl sulphonium analog of Methionine-Enkephalin, 3-Benzyl-tyrosine analog of Methionine-Enkephalin and 3-Benzyl-tyrosine analog of Leucine-Enkephalin) in order to study their relative potency and their inactivation of different tissues. Morphine-like activity of the peptides was determined by measuring their inhibitory effect in the guinea-pig ileum and their interaction with the brain opiate receptor; the order of affinity of the three most active peptides (Methionine-Enkephalin amide greater than Methionine-Enkephalin greater than Leucine-Enkephalin) for the rat brain opiate receptor was found to be the same in the guinea-pig ileum. The rate of inactivation of the peptides was also studied in the guinea-pig ileum and in the rat brain membrane preparation. Methionine-Enkephalin amide was relatively more resistant to the ileum peptidases than the other peptides, but was destroyed at the same rate by brain membranes; this variation in inactivation of Methionine-Enkephalin amide probably indicates the presence of differnet peptidases in each tissue preparation.

Endogenous opiate receptor ligand: electrically induced release in the guinea pig ileum.

Opiate receptors mediate the electrically evoked inhibition of the myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle preparation of the guinea pig ileum. The electrically induced activation of the opiate receptor was produced by a prolonged simulation at 10 hertz and provides the first evidence that an endogenous opiate receptor ligand is released by nerve stimulation. The specificity of the phenomenon was demonstrated by the reversal obtained with the narcotic antagonists naloxone, naltrexone, and GPA 1843; GPA 1847, the (+)-isomer of 1843, did not cause reversal. The model system described should be useful for the study of the storage, synthesis, and release of endorphins.