Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:4.6.1.2 (guanylate cyclase)
8,497 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The present study investigates the mechanism of endothelium-dependent relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. Melittin, a polypeptide found in honeybee venom and a known activator of phospholipase A2, induced transient, endothelium-dependent relaxations of rat thoracic aortae contracted with norepinephrine. Higher concentrations of melittin induced relaxations followed by contractions. Prior incubation of melittin with trypsin abolished the changes in relaxation and contraction due to melittin. Melittin (10 micrograms/ml)-induced relaxations were associated with transiently elevated levels of cyclic GMP with a peak increase of 30-fold, which occurred 30 seconds after melittin exposure. Melittin (10 micrograms/ml) elevated cyclic AMP levels less than twofold and this effect was variable. A lower concentration of melittin (1 microgram/ml) elevated cyclic GMP levels approximately twofold, while exposure to 1 microgram/ml melittin in the presence of the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, M&B 22948 (1 mM), increased cyclic GMP levels fivefold. Removal of the endothelium prevented the increased levels of cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP due to melittin. Exposure to the guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue, prevented the increased levels of cyclic GMP. Methylene blue, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, and the phospholipase A2 inhibitor, parabromophenacyl bromide, inhibited melittin-induced relaxations, while the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, was without effect. Arachidonic acid increased cyclic AMP levels but had no effect on cyclic GMP levels in the presence or absence of indomethacin. Relaxations to melittin, and to the endothelium-dependent vasodilators acetylcholine, trypsin, histamine, and the Ca2+ ionophore A23187, and/or the associated increased cyclic GMP levels, were reduced following exposure to melittin. Prior exposure to polyarginine (10 micrograms/ml), which induced endothelium-dependent relaxations that were prevented by methylene blue, also inhibited relaxations to the endothelium-dependent vasodilators. In contrast, relaxations to sodium nitroprusside were potentiated in tissues previously exposed to melittin. Removal of the endothelium by rubbing the intimal surface also potentiated relaxations to sodium nitroprusside. Scanning electron micrographs of the intimal surface demonstrated that melittin and polyarginine greatly damaged the endothelial cells. The present results suggest that polycation containing peptides induce endothelium-dependent relaxation through elevation of cyclic GMP levels within the smooth muscle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Effects of melittin on endothelium-dependent relaxation and cyclic GMP levels in rat aorta. 253 55

Various disulfide-reducing agents, mostly thiols and thiol precursors, were examined for their ability to reduce the disulfide bonds in the Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin STa; reduction of the bonds results in loss of biological activity. The biological activity measured was the stimulation of guanylate cyclase in pig intestinal brush border membranes by STa. Nearly all of the compounds inactivated STa, although at different rates; a smaller number appreciably decreased guanylate cyclase activity when they were introduced into the reaction mixture after STa bound to its receptor. With dithiothreitol, the decrease in reaction rate was both time and concentration dependent and resulted in a reversal to basal activity. The anionic thiols were relatively ineffective in reversing activation, the neutral monothiols were moderately effective, and the aminothiols and neutral dithiols were the most effective. The order of effectiveness of the compounds was S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethanethiol greater than 2,3-dimercaptopropanol = 2-aminoethylisothiuronium bromide greater than dithiothreitol greater than 2-mercaptoethylamine greater than alpha-thioglycerol. These compounds were used in weanling pig ligated-intestinal-loop bioassays to determine if STa-induced secretion was reduced when they were injected 20 min after the STa. Instead of S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethanethiol we used the phosphorylated derivative S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid; this compound and 2,3-dimercaptopropanol were the only compounds that reduced STa-induced secretion and had no direct secretory or pathological effects.
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PMID:Reversal of the biological activity of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin by disulfide-reducing agents. 286 44

The relaxant effect on smooth muscle of nitro compounds is suggested to be linked with the increase in the tissue level of cyclic GMP by activating guanylate cyclase. In this study, we investigated the effects of nipradilol, a new beta-blocker, which has NO2 residue in the molecular structure, and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) on guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle in comparison with the effect of propranolol. Nipradilol and ISDN showed dose-dependent relaxant effects on leukotriene (LT) D4-induced contraction of tracheal smooth muscle, though propranolol had no effect. 8-Bromo-cyclic GMP also showed a relaxant effect dose dependently. Nipradilol and ISDN elevated cyclic GMP levels in tracheal tissue dose dependently; however, propranolol caused no change in cyclic GMP levels. From these results, it is suggested that nipradilol relaxes LTD4-induced contraction of tracheal smooth muscle by increasing the tissue level of cyclic GMP.
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PMID:Effect of nipradilol, a new beta-blocker, on leukotriene D4-induced contraction in guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle. 290 36

Inhibitors of arachidonate metabolism and perturbants of the oxidation-reduction state of the cell were employed to develop a pharmacologic profile for muscarinic receptor-mediated cyclic GMP formation in murine neuroblastoma cells (clone N1E-115). Several lipoxygenase inhibitors [eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), FPL 57231, FPL 55712, BW755c, propylgallate, and AA861] blocked the elevation of [3H]cyclic GMP induced by muscarinic receptor activation. The cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and ibuprofen were two orders of magnitude less potent in blocking the muscarinic receptor-mediated [3H]cyclic GMP response than in blocking cyclooxygenase in other systems. ETYA and NDGA did not affect the muscarinic inhibition of the prostaglandin E1-mediated increases in [3H]cyclic AMP levels in N1E-115 cells. ETYA did not have a reproducible effect on the muscarinic receptor-induced release of inositol phosphates. Thus, these lipoxygenase inhibitors appeared to be selective for the effector system coupled to the low-affinity muscarinic agonist-receptor conformation, i.e. that which induces cyclic GMP formation. Other effective inhibitors of the cyclic GMP response were methylene blue, catalase, bromphenacyl bromide, retinal, dithiothreitol, quinacrine, and oxidized glutathione. The antioxidant alpha-tocopherol in the concentration range of 100 microM to 1 mM potentiated the receptor response. Arachidonic acid itself was an inhibitor of the muscarinic receptor-mediated cyclic GMP response (IC50 = 45 microM). Linoleic acid and oleic acid were less potent (IC50 = 130 and 190 microM, respectively), and stearic acid was ineffective. When arachidonic acid was air-oxidized, its inhibitory potency was increased 10-fold. Most but not all of the spontaneously-produced oxidative metabolites, separable by reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography, were inhibitory to the receptor response. Enzymatically synthesized 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid inhibited the muscarinic receptor [3H]cyclic GMP response, with IC50 values of 17 and 8 microM respectively. Catalase was effective in blocking the muscarinic cyclic GMP response (IC50 = 5 microM) while having no effect on either the muscarinic receptor-induced inositol phosphate release or the reduction of cyclic AMP levels. Thus, the effector system for increasing cyclic GMP in these cells displays may of the expected characteristics for the involvement of a lipoxygenase or a related enzyme that oxidatively metabolizes arachidonate in order to activate the guanylate cyclase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Blockade of N1E-115 murine neuroblastoma muscarinic receptor function by agents that affect the metabolism of arachidonic acid. 301 48

The vasoconstrictor effect of dihydroergotamine was studied in endothelium-containing and endothelium-denuded rat aortic rings. The integrity of the endothelium was assessed by the relaxant effect of acetylcholine on precontracted aortic rings, which was absent after removal of endothelium by mechanical rubbing or exposure to saponin. Dihydroergotamine (0.01-10 mumol/l) caused no or only a small contractile effect in the presence of endothelium, while in endothelium-denuded aortic rings a pronounced concentration-dependent increase in tension was observed. The 5-HT antagonist cyproheptadine (2 mumol/l) inhibited the dihydroergotamine-induced vasoconstriction, that means, 5-HT receptors are involved in the vasoconstrictor effect. In the presence of endothelium, the contractile effect of dihydroergotamine was enhanced by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue (2 mumol/l) and became comparable in magnitude to that observed in deendothelialized preparations. 8-Bromo-cGMP (50 mumol/l) counteracted the potentiating effect of methylene blue. In the presence of cyproheptadine, methylene blue failed to enhance the dihydroergotamine effect. These results might explain the occurrence of undesired vasospastic effects of dihydroergotamine in arterial vessels with endothelial lesions.
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PMID:Influence of endothelium on the vasoconstrictor effect of dihydroergotamine in the isolated rat aorta. 324 23

The vascular endothelium appears obligatory for the expression of the vasodilating property of most polypeptides. A number of polypeptides were studied on the rat aortic ring preparation which was pre-contracted with phenylephrine and only basic polypeptides containing one or more arginine residues elicited relaxation which was endothelium dependent. These peptides included melittin and poly-L-Arg. The basic polypeptide poly-L-Lys also elicited endothelium dependent relaxation, but to a lesser extent than arginine containing polypeptides. Two basic polypeptides, apamin and mastoparan do not promote endothelium dependent relaxation. The former contains arginine between disulfide bonds and in the latter arginine is absent. Basic amino acids and dipeptides which contain arginine, and also polyamines did not elicit relaxation even at high concentrations (10(-3) M). The relaxation elicited by melittin, poly-L-Arg and poly-L-Lys was inhibited by ETYA, NDGA, p-bromophenacyl bromide and not by indomethacin. Methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, also abolished the relaxation. We suggest that arginine containing peptides may relax vascular smooth muscle by acting directly on the vascular smooth muscle (eg: atriopeptins) and/or or by eliciting release of a relaxing factor(s) from the endothelium.
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PMID:Endothelium dependent vascular relaxation by arginine containing polypeptides. 380 Oct 12

The microsomal fraction derived from the taenia caecum of guinea pigs was used as particulate guanylate cyclase preparation. The guanylate cyclase activity was not influenced by butyltrimethylammonium bromide and Ca2+ (4.0 to 24 X 10-7 M). The results suggest that the particulate guanylate cyclase is not activated by the drug-receptor interaction and also by the increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Therefore, the increase of tissue level of cyclic GMP brought about in the guinea pig taenia caecum might be due to activation of soluble guanylate cyclase following the increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration.
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PMID:Physiological calcium ion concentration and a cholinergic drug on activity of particulate guanylate cyclase in guinea pig taenia caecum. 612 Oct 23

The mechanism of activation of intestinal guanylate cyclase by Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) has been studied by using isolated rat intestinal epithelial cells and purified brush border membrane (BBM) preparations. Inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis, quinacrine and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), significantly reduced intracellular levels of cyclic guanosine 3', 5'-monophosphate in isolated cells treated with STa. Although these data suggested that activation of phospholipase A2 and metabolism of arachidonic acid are involved in the mechanism of action of STa, other data ruled out such a mechanism. (i) The rate of release of [3H]arachidonic acid by prelabeled intestinal cells incubated with STa was the same as control cells not treated with STa. (ii) Thin-layer chromatography of lipid extracts of intestinal cells treated with STa and untreated cells did not reveal any quantitative or qualitative differences in free fatty acids, neutral lipids, and phospholipids. (iii) Amounts of prostaglandin PGE2, prostaglandin PGF2 alpha, and thromboxane B2 in intestinal cells and BBM incubated with STa did not increase compared with controls not incubated with STa. When purified BBM preparations were incubated with phospholipase A2 inhibitors (p-bromophenacyl bromide and quinacrine) or cyclooxygenase inhibitors (ETYA and indomethacin), basal and STa-induced guanylate cyclase activities were significantly reduced. Inhibitors of calcium-calmodulin-mediated reactions (EGTA [ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid], trifluoperazine, and chlorpromazine) and calcium channel blockers (verapamil and nifedipine) also nonspecifically inhibited both basal and STa-stimulated guanylate cyclase in BBM preparations. Lanthanum, a competitive inhibitor of membrane-bound calcium, did not affect either basal or STa-stimulated guanylate cyclase of BBM preparations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Characterization of the mechanism of action of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin. 614 30

Isolated perfused rat kidney was used to examine the possible mechanisms involved in the hypotensive/vasodilator actions of cryptolepine. In kidneys preconstricted by phenylephrine (PE 5-7.5 x 10(-7) M), cryptolepine at bolus doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 micrograms elicited dose-dependent reductions in perfusion pressure by 29.8 +/- 4.1, 43.3 +/- 3.9, and 54.3 +/- 4.9 mm Hg, respectively. In the presence of indomethacin, cryptolepine-induced reduction in perfusion pressure was not significantly changed, suggesting a lack of a cyclooxygenase-mediated component in its renal vasodilator response. Removal of the endothelium with p-bromophenacyl bromide (p-BPB 10 microM) inhibited the vasodilator response to cryptolepine 2.5, 5, and 10 micrograms to 10.2 +/- 1.8, 15.9 +/- 1.5, and 20.2 +/- 2.0 mm Hg, respectively (p < 0.01). The vasodilator response to acetylcholine (ACh 50 ng) was also reduced from a control value of 56.7 +/- 4.5 to 15.3 +/- 1.9 mm Hg (p < 0.01); responses to sodium nitroprusside (SNP 5 micrograms) and isoprenaline (1 microgram) were not affected. In kidneys treated with hydroquinone (10(-5) and 10(-4) M), a specific inhibitor of endothelium-dependent vasodilation, cryptolepine- and ACh-induced vasodilation were inhibited dose dependently (p < 0.01). N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA 10(-5)-10(-4) M), a specific inhibitor of the synthesis/release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor/nitric oxide (EDRF/NO), attenuated the vasodilator response to cryptolepine and ACh (50 ng) dose dependently. At 10(-4) M L-NNA, cryptolepine-induced vasodilation was reduced to 6.6 +/- 2.2 (2.5 micrograms), 10.9 +/- 2.2 (5 micrograms), and 13.3 +/- 1.4 mm Hg (10 micrograms). L-Arginine (10(-4) and 3 x 10(-4) M) but not D-arginine (10(-4) M) inhibited the effects of L-NNA, with vasodilatory effects of cryptolepine returning to control values, suggesting that the vasodilator material released by cryptolepine is EDRF, possibly NO. Methylene blue (MB 10(-4) M), the inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase which inhibited 50 ng ACh and 5 micrograms SNP-induced vasodilation also reduced the vasodilatory responses to cryptolepine to 0.8 +/- 0.8 (2.5 micrograms), 4.2 +/- 4.2 (5 micrograms), and 10.8 +/- 6.2 mm Hg (10 micrograms) suggesting that the effector pathway for cryptolepine-induced vasodilation is soluble guanylate cyclase-linked increase in cyclic GMP of vascular smooth muscle.
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PMID:Role of the endothelium and cyclic GMP in renal vasodilator responses to cryptolepine in rats. 751 10

8-Bromo-guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP), an analogue of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), induced a time- and dose-dependent enhancement of interleukin-1-induced nitric oxide production in vascular smooth muscle cells. Human atrial natriuretic polypeptide, which stimulates cGMP accumulation in vascular smooth muscle cells, also enhanced interleukin-1-induced nitric oxide release at a concentration of 100 nmol/L. In contrast, coincubation with 10 mumol/L methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, inhibited interleukin-1-induced nitric oxide release from vascular smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, coincubation with 8-Br-cGMP also enhanced the interleukin-1-induced increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase messenger RNA in vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the enhancement of nitric oxide production induced by 8-Br-cGMP was significantly prevented by coincubation with neutralizing antibody against tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Furthermore, 8-Br-cGMP enhanced the interleukin-1-induced increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha messenger RNA level in vascular smooth muscle cells. These findings indicate that cGMP may upregulate inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression through the stimulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha production in vascular smooth muscle cells. Thus, there may be a positive feedback mechanism between nitric oxide and the cGMP system in vascular smooth muscle cells.
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PMID:cGMP upregulates nitric oxide synthase expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. 753 12


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