The Ascaris suum nicotinic receptor, ACR-16, as a drug target: Four novel negative allosteric modulators from virtual screening.

Soil-transmitted helminth infections in humans and livestock cause significant debility, reduced productivity and economic losses globally. There are a limited number of effective anthelmintic drugs available for treating helminths infections, and their frequent use has led to the development of resistance in many parasite species. There is an urgent need for novel therapeutic drugs for treating these parasites. We have chosen the ACR-16 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of Ascaris suum (Asu-ACR-16), as a drug target and have developed three-dimensional models of this transmembrane protein receptor to facilitate the search for new bioactive compounds. Using the human α7 nAChR chimeras and Torpedo marmorata nAChR for homology modeling, we defined orthosteric and allosteric binding sites on the Asu-ACR-16 receptor for virtual screening. We identified four ligands that bind to sites on Asu-ACR-16 and tested their activity using electrophysiological recording from Asu-ACR-16 receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The four ligands were acetylcholine inhibitors (SB-277011-A, IC50, 3.12 ± 1.29 µM; (+)-butaclamol Cl, IC50, 9.85 ± 2.37 µM; fmoc-1, IC50, 10.00 ± 1.38 µM; fmoc-2, IC50, 16.67 ± 1.95 µM) that behaved like negative allosteric modulators. Our work illustrates a structure-based in silico screening method for seeking anthelmintic hits, which can then be tested electrophysiologically for further characterization.

[Role of DopR in the molecular mechanism of the dopamine control of juvenile hormone metabolism in female Drosophila].

The effect of a decreased availability of the D1-like dopamine receptor (DopR) in Drosophila (caused by DopR antagonist added into food) on the juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis rate in young female D. melanogaster has been studied. The JH degradation rate and the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tyrosine decarboxylase (TDC) activities were used as indicators of the JH synthesis rate. Treatment of the flies with butaclamol, a specific DopR antagonist, has been demonstrated to increase the JH degradation rate, and the stress reactivity of the system of JH metabolism and decrease the ALP activity and stress reactivity, and increase the TDC activity and stress reactivity. As shown earlier, all this indicates a decrease in the JH synthesis rate in young female drosophila with a decreased DopR availability. It is concluded that the activating effect of dopamine on JH synthesis in Drosophila is mediated by D1-like receptors.

Cuticular plasticization in the tick, Amblyomma hebraeum (Acari: Ixodidae): possible roles of monoamines and cuticular pH.

The degree of plasticization of the alloscutal cuticle of a 'hard' (ixodid) tick, Amblyomma hebraeum, and a 'soft' (argasid) tick, Ornithodoros moubata, was assessed throughout the blood-feeding period. Cuticle viscosity was calculated from rate of creep of cuticle under constant load using a Maxwell model. Feeding-related plasticization (i.e. increased rate of extension under a constant load) occurred in A. hebraeum but not in O. moubata. Maxwell viscosity of unfed A. hebraeum cuticle was relatively high (approximately 720 GPa s) but was significantly lower in feeding ticks. Small partially fed ticks displayed a viscosity of approximately 108 GPa s. Still lower values (42 GPa s) were observed in the largest of the engorged ticks. Following cessation of feeding, there was a significant but limited reversal in viscosity back to approximately 100 GPa s. The water content of cuticle of unfed A. hebraeum (23.4% of wet mass) rose sharply after the onset of feeding and reached a plateau value of 34.0% at a fed/unfed weight ratio of 3 and beyond. Ixodid ticks lay down new endocuticle during the feeding period. The observed increase in cuticle hydration suggests that both old and new cuticles are hydrated during feeding. Monoamines may play an important role in controlling cuticle viscosity. Dopamine (DA) injected into partially fed A. hebraeum caused plasticization. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (serotonin, 5-HT), which induces plasticization in the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus, had no statistically significant effect on tick cuticle. Octopamine (OA) and tyramine both caused cuticle stiffening (i.e. opposed plasticization). This suggests a possible inhibitory effect but co-injection of OA with DA did not reduce DA-induced plasticization. The mechanism leading to plasticization of tick cuticle may involve a change in cuticular pH. The viscosity of tick cuticle loops was highest at pH 8.0 (389 GPa s) and fell precipitously in the acidic range to a low value of 2.2 GPa s at pH 5.5-5.7. A cuticular pH of approximately 6.5 would account for the lowest viscosity observed under physiological conditions (42.4 GPa s for large, day 0, engorged ticks). The V-ATPase inhibitor, concanamycin A, was a potent inhibitor of DA-induced plasticization. These results are consistent with a model in which DA acts to cause plasticization through transport of H(+) ions into the cuticle. Measurement of cuticular ion (Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+)) content did not suggest that plasticization is caused by any of these ions. Taken together, our results suggest that the mechanism of cuticular plasticization in feeding A. hebraeum is related to hydration, and involves the transport of H(+) ions into the sub-cuticular space by cells in the hypodermis. Feeding-induced plasticization was not observed in the rapid feeding tick, O. moubata.

Enantioanalysis of (-)butaclamol using vancomycin and teicoplanin as chiral selectors.

Butaclamol is an antipsychotic drug used in the treatment of schizophrenia. The macrocyclic antibiotics, vancomycin and teicoplanin, are proposed as chiral selectors for the design of the enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes (EPMEs) for the assay of (-)butaclamol. The slopes of the electrodes are near-Nernstian for the assay of (-) butaclamol with linear concentration ranges between 10(-10) and 10(-7) mol/L and between 10(-9) and 10(-7) mol/L for vancomycin and teicoplanin based EPMEs. Limits of detections varied. The electrodes were used reliably for the enantioanalysis of (-) butaclamol in serum samples.

Serotonin transduction cascades mediate variable changes in pyloric network cycle frequency in response to the same modulatory challenge.

A fundamental question in systems biology addresses the issue of how flexibility is built into modulatory networks such that they can produce context-dependent responses. Here we examine flexibility in the serotonin (5-HT) response system that modulates the cycle frequency (cf) of a rhythmic motor output. We found that depending on the preparation, the same 5-min bath application of 5-HT to the pyloric network of the California spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus, could produce a significant increase, decrease, or no change in steady-state cf relative to baseline. Interestingly, the mean circuit output was not significantly different among preparations prior to 5-HT application. We developed pharmacological tools to examine the preparation-to-preparation variability in the components of the 5-HT response system. We found that the 5-HT response system consisted of at least three separable components: a 5-HT(2betaPan)-like component mediated a rapid decrease followed by a sustained increase in cf; a 5-HT(1alphaPan)-like component produced a small and usually gradual increase in cf; at least one other component associated with an unknown receptor mediated a sustained decrease in cf. The magnitude of the change in cf produced by each component was highly variable, so that when summed they could produce either a net increase, decrease, or no change in cf depending on the preparation. Overall, our research demonstrates that the balance of opposing components of the 5-HT response system determines the direction and magnitude of 5-HT-induced change in steady-state cf relative to baseline.

Prototypical antipsychotic drugs protect hippocampal neuronal cultures against cell death induced by growth medium deprivation.

BACKGROUND: Several clinical studies suggested that antipsychotic-based medications could ameliorate cognitive functions impaired in certain schizophrenic patients. Accordingly, we investigated the effects of various dopaminergic receptor antagonists--including atypical antipsychotics that are prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia--in a model of toxicity using cultured hippocampal neurons, the hippocampus being a region of particular relevance to cognition. RESULTS: Hippocampal cell death induced by deprivation of growth medium constituents was strongly blocked by drugs including antipsychotics (10(-10)-10(-6) M) that display nM affinities for D2 and/or D4 receptors (clozapine, haloperidol, (+/-)-sulpiride, domperidone, clozapine, risperidone, chlorpromazine, (+)-butaclamol and L-741,742). These effects were shared by some caspases inhibitors and were not accompanied by inhibition of reactive oxygen species. In contrast, (-)-raclopride and remoxipride, two drugs that preferentially bind D2 over D4 receptors were ineffective, as well as the selective D3 receptor antagonist U 99194. Interestingly, (-)-raclopride (10(-6) M) was able to block the neuroprotective effect of the atypical antipsychotic clozapine (10(-6) M). CONCLUSION: Taken together, these data suggest that D2-like receptors, particularly the D4 subtype, mediate the neuroprotective effects of antipsychotic drugs possibly through a ROS-independent, caspase-dependent mechanism.

Secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor from PC12 cells in response to oxidative stress requires autocrine dopamine signaling.

Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is sensitive to changes in oxygen availability, suggesting that BDNF may be involved in adaptive responses to oxidative stress. However, it is unknown whether or not oxidative stress actually increases availability of BDNF by stimulating BDNF secretion. To approach this issue we examined BDNF release from PC12 cells, a well-established model of neurosecretion, in response to hypoxic stimuli. BDNF secretion from neuronally differentiated PC12 cells was strongly stimulated by exposure to intermittent hypoxia (IH). This response was inhibited by N-acetyl-l-cysteine, a potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mimicked by exogenous ROS. IH-induced BDNF release requires activation of tetrodotoxin sensitive Na+ channels and Ca2+ influx through N- and L-type channels, as well as mobilization of internal Ca2+ stores. These results demonstrate that oxidative stress can stimulate BDNF release and that underlying mechanisms are similar to those previously described for activity-dependent BDNF secretion from neurons. Surprisingly, we also found that IH-induced secretion of BDNF was blocked by dopamine D2 receptor antagonists or by inhibition of dopamine synthesis with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine. These data indicate that oxidative stress can stimulate BDNF release through an autocrine or paracrine loop that requires dopamine receptor activation.

Dopamine receptor oligomerization visualized in living cells.

G protein-coupled receptors occur as dimers within arrays of oligomers. We visualized ensembles of dopamine receptor oligomers in living cells and evaluated the contributions of receptor conformation to the dynamics of oligomer association and dissociation, using a strategy of trafficking a receptor to another cellular compartment. We incorporated a nuclear localization sequence into the D1 dopamine receptor, which translocated from the cell surface to the nucleus. Receptor inverse agonists blocked this translocation, retaining the modified receptor, D1-nuclear localization signal (NLS), at the cell surface. D1 co-translocated with D1-NLS to the nucleus, indicating formation of homooligomers. (+)-Butaclamol retained both receptors at the cell surface, and removal of the drug allowed translocation of both receptors to the nucleus. Agonist-nonbinding D1(S198A/S199A)-NLS, containing two substituted serine residues in transmembrane 5 also oligomerized with D1, and both were retained on the cell surface by (+)-butaclamol. Drug removal disrupted these oligomerized receptors so that D1 remained at the cell surface while D1(S198A/S199A)-NLS trafficked to the nucleus. Thus, receptor conformational differences permitted oligomer disruption and showed that ligand-binding pocket occupancy by the inverse agonist induced a conformational change. We demonstrated robust heterooligomerization between the D2 dopamine receptor and the D1 receptor. The heterooligomers could not be disrupted by inverse agonists targeting either one of the receptor constituents. However, D2 did not heterooligomerize with the structurally modified D1(S198A/S199A), indicating an impaired interface for their interaction. Thus, we describe a novel method showing that a homogeneous receptor conformation maintains the structural integrity of oligomers, whereas conformational heterogeneity disrupts it.

Pharmacological characterisation of the thermogenic effect of bupropion.

The pharmacological mechanism of bupropion's thermogenic effect has been investigated in female Wistar rats by measuring oxygen consumption at thermoneutrality (29 degrees C). Bupropion (30 mg/kg) rapidly increased oxygen consumption (VO2) with a maximum effect at 30 min, and VO2 remained elevated throughout the 4-h experimental period. The nonselective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin) receptor antagonist, metergoline (1 mg/kg), and the alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin (1 mg/kg), had no effect on the VO2 response to bupropion, whereas the alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, RS79948 [(8aR, 12aS, 13aS)-5,8,8a,9,10,11,12,12a,13,13a-decahydro-3-methoxy-12-(ethylsulphonyl)-6H-isoquino[2,1-g][1,6]-naphthyridine hydrochloride] (1 mg/kg), potentiated the response. The VO2 response to bupropion during the first 60 min was significantly inhibited by a high dose of the nonselective beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, propranolol (20 mg/kg), but it had no effect at a low dose (1 mg/kg). Pretreatment with the dopamine D2/D1 receptor antagonist, (+)butaclamol (200 microg/kg), caused a partial, but significant, inhibition (P<0.01) of the VO2 response to bupropion during the first 60 min, and this antagonist abolished the effect of bupropion between 90 and 240 min. Pretreatment with a combination of a high dose of propranolol (20 mg/kg) and (+)butaclamol (200 microg/kg) prevented any increase in VO2 induced by bupropion. It is concluded that the beta3-adrenoceptor subtype, as well as dopamine D2/D1 receptors, is responsible for the increase in oxygen consumption induced by bupropion. We have previously demonstrated that bupropion did not significantly reduce food intake in rats. Hence, in this species, its weight-reducing action predominantly results from thermogenesis mediated via activation of beta3-adrenergic and dopamine D2/D1 receptors. Because bupropion has also been reported not to alter food intake in the clinic, thermogenesis may also contribute to its antiobesity effect in man.

The effects of dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists on the secretory rate of cockroach (Periplaneta americana) salivary glands.

The acinar salivary glands of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, are innervated by dopaminergic and serotonergic nerve fibers. Serotonin stimulates the secretion of protein-rich saliva, whereas dopamine causes the production of protein-free saliva. This suggests that dopamine acts selectively on ion-transporting peripheral cells within the acini and the duct cells, and that serotonin acts on the protein-producing central cells of the acini. We have investigated the pharmacology of the dopamine-induced secretory activity of the salivary gland of Periplaneta americana by testing several dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists. The effects of dopamine can be mimicked by the non-selective dopamine receptor agonist 6,7-ADTN and, less effectively, by the vertebrate D1 receptor-selective agonist chloro-APB. The vertebrate D1 receptor-selective agonist SKF 38393 and vertebrate D2 receptor-selective agonist R(-)-TNPA were ineffective. R(+)-Lisuride induces a secretory response with a slower onset and a lower maximal response compared with dopamine-induced secretion. However, lisuride-stimulated glands continue secreting saliva, even after lisuride-washout. Dopamine-induced secretions can be blocked by the vertebrate dopamine receptor antagonists cis(Z)-flupenthixol, chlorpromazine, and S(+)-butaclamol. Our pharmacological data do not unequivocally indicate whether the dopamine receptors on the Periplaneta salivary glands belong to the D1 or D2 subfamily of dopamine receptors, but we can confirm that the pharmacology of invertebrate dopamine receptors is remarkably different from that of their vertebrate counterparts.

Inverse agonist properties of atypical antipsychotic drugs.

Mechanisms of action of several atypical antipsychotic drugs have been examined at the D(2) dopamine receptor expressed in CHO cells. The drugs tested were found to exhibit inverse agonist activity at the D(2) dopamine receptor based on their effects to potentiate forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation. Each of the antipsychotic drugs tested (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone) increased cAMP accumulation to the same extent. The increase in cAMP was also similar to that seen with typical antipsychotic drugs. Inverse agonism at the D(2) dopamine receptor seems, therefore, to be a property common to all classes of antipsychotic drugs. The effect of sodium ions on the binding of the drugs to the receptor was also assessed. Each of the atypical antipsychotic drugs tested here bound with higher affinity in the absence of sodium ions. Previous studies have shown that some antipsychotic drugs are insensitive to sodium ions and some bind with higher affinity in the presence of sodium ions. Given that all of these antipsychotic drugs are inverse agonists, it may be concluded that this sodium ion sensitivity is unrelated to mechanisms of inverse agonism.

Investigation of the mechanism of agonist and inverse agonist action at D2 dopamine receptors.

This study investigated, for the D2 dopamine receptor, the relation between the ability of agonists and inverse agonists to stabilise different states of the receptor and their relative efficacies. Ki values for agonists were determined in competition versus the binding of the antagonist [3H]spiperone. Competition data were fitted best by a two-binding site model (with the exception of bromocriptine, for which a one-binding site model provided the best fit) and agonist affinities for the higher (Kh) (G protein-coupled) and lower affinity (Kl) (G protein-uncoupled) sites determined. Ki values for agonists were also determined in competition versus the binding of the agonist [3H]N-propylnorapomorphine (NPA) to provide a second estimate of Kh. Maximal agonist effects (Emax) and their potencies (EC50) were determined from concentration-response curves for agonist stimulation of guanosine-5'-O-(3-[32S]thiotriphosphate) ([35S]GTPgammaS) binding. The ability of agonists to stabilise the G protein-coupled state of the receptor (Kl/Kh determined from ligand-binding assays) did not correlate with either of two measures of relative efficacy (relative Emax, Kl/EC50) of agonists determined in [35S]GTPgammaS-binding assays, when the data for all of the compounds tested were analysed. For a subset of compounds, however, there was a relation between Kl/Kh and Emax. Competition-binding data versus [3H]spiperone and [3H]NPA for a range of inverse agonists were fitted best by a one-binding site model. Ki values for the inverse agonists tested were slightly lower in competition versus [3H]NPA compared to [3H]spiperone. These data do not provide support for the idea that inverse agonists act by binding preferentially to the ground state of the receptor.

Chiral analysis of butaclamol enantiomers in human plasma by HPLC using a macrocyclic antibiotic (vancomycin) chiral stationary phase and solid phase extraction.

An enantioseparation of the antipsychotic drug butaclamol in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with solid phase extraction is presented. The separation was achieved on the vancomycin macrocyclic antibiotic chiral stationary phase (CSP) Chirobiotic V with a polar ionic mobile phase (PIM) consisting of methanol : glacial acetic acid : triethylamine (100:0.2:0.05, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. The detection wavelength was 262 nm. Bond Elut C18 solid phase extraction cartridges were used in the sample preparation of butaclamol samples from plasma. The method was validated over the range of 100-3,000 ng/ml for each enantiomer concentration (R(2) > 0.999). Recoveries for (+)- and (-)-butaclamol were in the range of 94-104% at the 300-2,500 ng/ml level. The method proved to be precise (within-run precision ranged from 1.1-2.6% and between-run precision ranged from 1.9-3.2%) and accurate (within-run accuracies ranged from 1.5-5.8% and between-run accuracies ranged from 2.7-7.7%). The limit of quantitation (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) for each enantiomer in human plasma were 100 ng/ml and 50 ng/ml, respectively.

Development of Dual Reporter System of Mutant Dopamine 2 Receptor (D2R) and Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) Transgenes / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: Both human NIS and mutant D2R transgenes are proposed as reporting system in transplanted cell tracking. Using hepatoma cell lines, we constructed a dual reporter system containing human sodium-iodide symporter (hNIS) and dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) and compared its characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The recombinant plasmid (pIRES-hNIS/D2R) was constructed with IRES (internal ribosome entry site) under control of the CMV promoter. pIRES-hNIS/D2R was transfected to human hepatoma SK-Hep1 cell line with lipofectamine. HEP-ND (SK-Hep1-hNIS/D2R) cells stably expressing hNIS and D2R was established by selection with G418 for two weeks. RT-PCR was performed to investigate the expression of both hNIS and D2R genes. The expressions of hNIS and D2R were measured by 125I uptake assays and receptor binding assays. Specific binding of D2R to [3H]spiperone was verified by Scatchard plot with (+) butaclamol as a specific inhibitor. K (d) and B (max) values were estimated. The correlation between hNIS and D2R expression was compared by using each clone. RESULTS: Similar quantities of hNIS and D2R genes were expressed on HEP-ND as RT-PCR assays. HEP-ND cells showed 30 to 40 fold higher radioiodine uptakes than those of parental SK-Hep1 cells. 125I uptake in HEP-ND cells was completely inhibited by KClO4, a NIS inhibitor. Specific binding to HEP-ND cells was saturable and the K (d) and B (max) values for HEP-ND cells were 2.92 nM, 745.25 fmol/mg protein and 2.91nM, 1323 fmole/mg protein in two clones, respectively. The radioiodine uptake by hNIS activity and D2R binding was highly correlated. CONCLUSION: We developed a dual positron and gamma imaging reporter system of hNIS and D2R in a stably transfected cell line. We expect that D2R and hNIS genes can complement mutually as a nuclear reporting system or that D2R can be used as reporter gene when hNIS gene were used as a treatment gene.

Analysis of two D1-like dopamine receptors from the honey bee Apis mellifera reveals agonist-independent activity.

Dopamine is found in many invertebrate organisms, including insects, however, the mechanisms through which this amine operates remain unclear. We have expressed two dopamine receptors cloned from honey bee (AmDOP1 and AmDOP2) in insect cells (Spodoptera frugiperda), and compared their pharmacology directly using production of cAMP as a functional assay. In each assay, AmDOP1 receptors required lower concentrations of dopamine and 6,7-ADTN for maximal activation than AmDOP2 receptors. Conversely, butaclamol and cis(Z)-flupentixol were more potent at blocking the cAMP response mediated through AmDOP2 than AmDOP1 receptors. Expression of AmDOP1, but not AmDOP2, receptors significantly increased levels of cAMP even in the absence of ligand. This constitutive activity was blocked by cis(Z)-flupentixol. This work provides the first evidence of a constitutively activated dopamine receptor in invertebrates and suggests that although AmDOP1 and AmDOP2 share much less homology than their vertebrate counterparts, they display a number of functional parallels with the mammalian D1-like dopamine receptors.

Decreased [(3)H]spiperone binding in the anterior cingulate cortex of schizophrenia patients: an autoradiographic study.

Abnormalities in the anterior cingulate cortex have been reported in patients with schizophrenia, and have been implicated in the pathophysiology of this disorder. In the present study, we have examined antipsychotic-sensitive binding sites in the left anterior cingulate cortex of schizophrenia patients and controls. Using quantitative autoradiography and [(3)H]spiperone as a ligand, both saturation and competition experiments were performed in post-mortem brain tissue obtained from six schizophrenia and six control cases. Saturation experiments revealed that the maximum number of [(3)H]spiperone binding sites was significantly reduced by 31% in the schizophrenia group as compared to the control group (65.3+/-5.6 fmol/mg tissue versus 94.2+/-7.3 fmol/mg tissue). Increased dissociation constant was also observed in the schizophrenia group (2.2+/-0.4 nM versus 1.3+/-0.2 nM), but was not statistically significant (P=0.07). Competition experiments were performed in order to examine the pharmacological profile of [(3)H]spiperone binding, and revealed that: (i) displacement of [(3)H]spiperone binding by clozapine and mianserin was significantly reduced in the schizophrenia group as compared to the control group (-26% and -16% respectively); (ii) the order of displacement potency of the drugs tested was: haloperidol>mianserin>butaclamol approximately risperidone>clozapine>2-amino-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene. Our results suggest a reduction of antipsychotic-sensitive binding sites in the anterior cingulate cortex of patients with schizophrenia. Such abnormality could lead to an imbalance in neurotransmitter regulation in the anterior cingulate cortex which may contribute to the emergence of some symptoms of schizophrenia.

Effects of butaclamol, clopenthixol, mepromazine and cannabinol stereoisomers on apoptosis induction.

The efflux pump of multidrug resistant mdr cells have different sensitivities to some stereoisomeric forms of CNS-active compounds. The ABC transporters of mdr cells were more sensitive to (-)butaclamol than to its stereoisomeric counterpart (8), which may function to alter the membrane structure. We suppose that the drug-accessible membrane structure possesses an important role in the induction (or prevention) of apoptosis. Therefore the apoptosis-inducing effect of three stereoisomeric pairs was studied on mouse lymphoma cells. In these experiments levo- and dextromepromazine had similiar effects. The cis- and trans-clopenthixol were less effective in apoptosis induction than the 12H-benzo(a)-phenothiazine used as a positive control. The effect of stereoisomeric pairs on induced apoptosis was studied when the cells were exposed to the stereoisomers for 60 minutes before subjection apoptosis induction by benzo(a)phenothiazine, a well-known apoptosis inducer. Then the pretreated cells were exposed to 12H-benzo(a)-phenothiazine for 60 minutes. The samples were washed and incubated for 24 hours. The cells were stained with annexin-V-FITC and propidium iodine and investigated by flow cytometry. The mdr cells with increased membrane integrity may result in the preferential killing of multidrug resistant cancer cells in the presence of some stereoisomers.

Real-time analysis of dopamine: antagonist interactions at recombinant human D2long receptor upon modulation of its activation state.

1. Antipsychotic drugs may mediate their therapeutic effects not only by preventing the binding of dopamine but also by decreasing the propensity of the dopamine receptor to assume an active R* state. Ligand-mediated activation and blockade of the recombinant human D(2long) receptor was investigated in CHO-K1 cells upon modulation of its R* state. 2. Both the Ala(371)Lys (A371K) and Thr(372)Arg (T372R) D2long receptor mutants could be activated in a ligand-dependent manner via a chimeric G(alphaq/o) protein, and more efficaciously so than with the promiscuous G(alpha15) protein. 3. Dopamine and partial agonists (E(max): lisuride >> (+)-UH 232 approximately bromerguride) displayed dissimilar Ca(2+) kinetic properties at wild-type and mutant receptors. A371K and T372R D2long receptor mutants demonstrated an attenuated and enhanced maximal response to these partial agonists, respectively. 4. Dopamine antagonists were unable to block the transient high-magnitude Ca(2+) phase at the wild-type D2long receptor upon simultaneous exposure to antagonist and dopamine, while full blockade of the low-magnitude Ca(2+) phase did occur at a later time (onset-time: haloperidol < bromerguride < (+)-butaclamol). A similar, though more efficacious, antagonist profile was also found at the A371K mutant receptor. Conversely, the blockade of the low-magnitude Ca(2+) phase was attenuated (haloperidol) or almost absent [(+)-butaclamol and bromerguride] at the T372R mutant receptor. 5. In conclusion, mutagenesis of the Ala(371) and Thr(372) positions affects in an opposite way the ligand-dependent activation and blockade of the D2long receptor. The observed attenuation of dopamine-mediated Ca(2+) signal generation with different decay-times may underlie distinct properties of the dopaminergic ligands.

Mechanisms of inverse agonism of antipsychotic drugs at the D(2) dopamine receptor: use of a mutant D(2) dopamine receptor that adopts the activated conformation.

The antipsychotic drugs have been shown to be inverse agonists at the D(2) dopamine receptor. We have examined the mechanism of this inverse agonism by making mutations in residue T343 in the base of the sixth transmembrane spanning region of the receptor. T343R, T343S and T343K mutant D(2) dopamine receptors were made and the T343R mutant characterized in detail. The T343R mutant D(2) dopamine receptor exhibits properties of a receptor that resides more in the activated state, namely increased agonist binding affinity (independent of G-protein coupling and dependent on agonist efficacy), increased agonist potency in functional tests (adenylyl cyclase inhibition) and increased inverse agonist effects. The binding of agonists to the mutant receptor also shows sensitivity to sodium ions, unlike the native receptor, so that isomerization of the receptor to its inactive state may be driven by sodium ions. The binding of inverse agonists to the receptor is, however, unaffected by the mutation. We conclude that inverse agonism at this receptor is not achieved by the inverse agonist binding preferentially to the non-activated state of the receptor over the activated state. Rather the inverse agonist appears to bind to all forms of the receptor but then renders the receptor inactive.

Effects of dopamine and dopamine-active compounds on oxytocin and vasopressin production in rat neurohypophyseal tissue cultures.

The effects of dopamine (DA) or DA-active drugs on the synthesis of neurohypophyseal (NH) hormones were studied in 13-14 day cultures of isolated NH tissue from rats. The following DA-active compounds were used (10(-6) M in each medium): DA, apomorphine (APM), Pro-Lys-Gly (PLG), butaclamol (B), haloperidol (HP), chlorpromazine (CPZ) and sulpiride (SP). The oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) contents of the condensed media were determined by RIA after a 1 or 2 h incubation. Significantly increased contents of OT and VP were detected in the tissue culture media following DA, APM or PLG administration. This elevation of NH hormone production could be blocked by previous administration of B or the DA receptor antagonists HP, CPZ or SP. The application of B after DA agonists proved ineffective. The results indicate that NH hormone production can be directly influenced by the DA-ergic system. The DA-ergic control of NH hormone secretion in rats can occur independently of the hypothalamus, at the level of the posterior pituitary.