Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Pyrethroids act on mammalian sodium channels, but we have previously shown that low concentrations of the type II pyrethroid deltamethrin also decrease the open channel probability (P(o)) of voltage-gated chloride channels. This effect would be expected to amplify the sodium channel-mediated signs of poisoning produced by pyrethroids. In the present study we evaluated potential chloride channel agonists in vitro, and then tested the most effective of these on pyrethroid-poisoned rats to determine the practical significance of chloride channel effects in vivo. Patch clamp experiments showed that, for voltage-gated maxi chloride channels in excised, inside-out patches from mouse N1E 115 neuroblastoma cells, ivermectin (10(-7) M) and pentobarbitone (10(-6) M) significantly increased open channel probability (p </= 0.01 and p </= 0.02, respectively), whereas phenobarbitone, hexobarbitone, mephobarbitone, thiopentone, and barbituric acid did not. This suggested that, if chloride channels were important in vivo, ivermectin and pentobarbitone should antagonize type II pyrethroid poisoning and phenobarbitone should not. Male F344 rats were then pretreated with ivermectin (4 mg/kg iv), equisedative doses of either pentobarbitone (15 mg/kg ip) or phenobarbitone (45 mg/kg ip), or solvent controls. This was followed by deltamethrin (1.5 or 2 mg/kg iv) or the type I pyrethroid cismethrin (4 mg/kg iv). Ivermectin produced a marked fall in deltamethrin-induced salivation (p </= 0.05) and also (in anesthetized rats) in repetitive electromyogram discharge and muscle twitch (p </= 0.01 and p </= 0.05, respectively). Pentobarbitone significantly reduced the motor signs score due to deltamethrin (p </= 0.01). Ivermectin therefore protected against the peripheral signs of deltamethrin poisoning and pentobarbitone protected against the central signs. As expected phenobarbitone had no protective effects. The motor signs produced by the type I pyrethroid cismethrin (which does not act on chloride channels) were not diminished by either barbiturate. The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor blocker PK11195 did not diminish the protective action of ivermectin on the muscle twitch (p </= 0.05), although it partially reversed the block of salivation (p </= 0.05). These results support the hypothesis that the voltage-dependent chloride channel is a toxicologically significant additional site of action for deltamethrin and that the use of chloride channel agonists can provide a rationale for a novel and effective therapy against type II pyrethroid poisoning.
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PMID:The role of voltage-gated chloride channels in type II pyrethroid insecticide poisoning. 1066 99

Sodium channel genes are highly regulated. To begin analyzing the human brain sodium channel subtype II gene, SCN2A, at the transcriptional level, we mapped multiple transcriptional start sites within a 397 bp stretch of the 5'-UTR and -flanking region. When inserted into a basic luciferase reporter vector, this 397 bp region can promote luciferase expression in transiently transfected neuroblastoma cells, but not in non-neuronal cells. Thus, this study provides the initial description of a functional promoter in a human voltage-gated sodium channel gene.
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PMID:Identifying the promoter region of the human brain sodium channel subtype II gene (SCN2A). 1100 Apr 91

Current methods of detection for fish and shellfish biotoxins in monitoring and research purposes are either labor intensive, expensive, require specialized techniques or all of the above. This paper reports on the development of a fairly sensitive, rapid, and inexpensive assay which detects the presence of compounds that affect the sodium channel. It is based on the principles of the mouse neuroblastoma tissue culture assay for sodium channel specific-biotoxins using red blood cells (RBCs) from the red tilapia (Sarotherodon mossambicus). This assay has the potential to complement the use of live animal bioassay testing for marine toxins. Veratridine, a sodium channel activator and ouabain, an inhibitor of Na(+)/K(+) ATPase, both react with the tilapia RBCs by affecting the permeability of the cell's membrane. Saxitoxin (STX), its analogs, and tetrodotoxin (TTX) can inhibit the action of veratridine and ouabain leaving the cell morphologically normal. By sequencing the addition of veratridine and ouabain, with either the extracted samples, saxitoxin, tetrodotoxin, or ciguatoxin (CTX-a sodium channel activator) to the RBCs a sodium channel antagonist or activator can be detected. Results using pure concentrations of a sodium channel-specific toxin could be detected to inhibit hemolysis at a concentration of 0.3 microg/ml STX, 3.5 microg/ml for neo-STX, 3.0 microg/ml for GTX, and 5.0 microgl for TTX in the presence of ouabain and veratridine. CTX was detected at a concentration of 50 microg/ml. The RBCs from the red tilapia was used due to the fish's ability to osmoregulate its internal environment to survive in both fresh and saltwater. In addition, with growing opposition to live animal testing, this assay has been designed as a non-lethal means of testing for sodium channel affecting marine toxins. No test animals are sacrificed and blood may be drawn from the same fish for continued sample testing.
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PMID:A rapid hemolysis assay for the detection of sodium channel-specific marine toxins. 1111 65

We have modified the cell-based directed cytotoxicity assay for sodium channel and calcium channel active phycotoxins using a c-fos-luciferase reporter gene construct. In this report we describe the conceptual basis to the development of reporter gene assays for algal-derived toxins and summarize both published and unpublished data using this method. N2A mouse neuroblastoma cells, which express voltage-dependent sodium channels, were stably transfected with the reporter gene c-fos-luc, which contains the firefly luciferase gene under the transcriptional regulation of the human c-fos response element. The characteristics of the N2A reporter gene assay were determined by dose response with brevetoxin and ciguatoxin. Brevetoxin-1 and ciguatoxin-1 induced c-fos-luc with an EC50 of 4.6 and 3.0 ng ml(-1), respectively. Saxitoxin caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of brevetoxin-1 induction of c-fos-luc with an EC50 of 3.5 ng ml(-1). GH4C1 rat pituitary cells, which lack voltage-dependent sodium channels but express voltage-dependent calcium channels, were also stably transfected with the c-fos-luc. GH4C1 cells expressing c-fos-luciferase were responsive to maitotoxin (1 ng ml(-1)) and a putative toxin produced by Pfiesteria piscicida. Although reporter gene assays are not designed to replace existing detection methods used to measure toxin activity in seafood, they do provide a valuable means to screen algal cultures for toxin activity, to conduct assay-guided fractionation and to characterize pharmacologic properties of algal toxins.
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PMID:Reporter gene assays for algal-derived toxins. 1112 38

Assays using living cells provide an effective means to generate activity measurements of toxins, especially in situations where the toxins are part of a complex mixture or in an unfamiliar form such as natural or synthetic derivatives or bioactive metabolites. An important step in the refinement of cell based assays is to simplify the cellular reactions needed or required to generate the functional response of interest. Advances in the engineering of functional responses in cells provide a means to direct the response to given toxins. In this report, we describe the homogeneous high level expression of the initial target for brevetoxin, the voltage dependent sodium channel in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). HEK cells stably transfected with a 6.208 kb cDNA of human heart voltage-dependent Na(+) channel (hH1a) were examined as an alternative to mouse neuroblastoma cells (N2A). The HEK-hH1a cells showed a reduced dependence on cofactors, increased sensitivity to brevetoxin and a useful means to assure absolute selectivity to the sodium channel. We next assessed the assay in a reporter gene format. Expression of a panel of minimal response elements as well as the c-fos promoter failed to provide a response to brevetoxin, indicating that the HEK cells lack a necessary intermediate signaling component. The expression of voltage dependent sodium channels in HEK cells is anticipated to provide enhanced performance for cell-based detection of toxins for drug and natural product discovery, biomonitoring and environmental monitoring.
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PMID:Modification of the cell based assay for brevetoxins using human cardiac voltage dependent sodium channels expressed in HEK-293 cells. 1154 52

Contribution of the C-8 hydroxyl group of tetrodotoxin to its sodium channel blocking activity has never been clearly evaluated. Isobe et al. recently synthesized 8,11-dideoxytetrodotoxin, the first 8-deoxy analog of tetrodotoxin. In this study, the biological activity of this compound was investigated to compare with that of 11-deoxytetrodotoxin. Intraperitoneal injection of 8,11-dideoxytetrodotoxin at the level of 700 microg/kg did not kill a mouse (n=2), indicating that the lethal dose of this compound was more than 70 and 10 folds larger than LD(50) of tetrodotoxin and 11-deoxytetrodotoxin, respectively. The inhibitory activity of 8,11-dideoxytetrodotoxin to cytotoxicity of ouabain and veratridine in mouse neuroblastoma cells (Neuro-2a) was also examined. The ED(50) for 8,11-dideoxytetrodotoxin was estimated to be 9.3+/-3.3 microM (n=3), approximately 2000 and 34 folds larger than those of tetrodotoxin (4.6+/-0.70 nM, n=3) and 11-deoxytetrodotoxin (270+/-74 nM, n=4), respectively. These data suggest that the C-8 hydroxyl group of tetrodotoxin is also important for its activity, as well as all the other hydroxyl groups.
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PMID:Biological activity of 8,11-dideoxytetrodotoxin: lethality to mice and the inhibitory activity to cytotoxicity of ouabain and veratridine in mouse neuroblastoma cells, Neuro-2a. 1452 38

A 96-well-microplate-based ion flux method utilizing readily available autoradiographic phosphorimaging detection is described. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated (22)Na influx in four cultured cell lines provided satisfactory concentration-response data for epibatidine and several other nicotinic agonists. The data were consistent with data obtained using standard 6-well assays. Assays for nicotinic-receptor-mediated (86)Rb efflux produced data similar to data obtained with the (22)Na influx assay. However, assays for (45)Ca influx were not successful, although (45)Ca was readily detected and quantified. Voltage-gated sodium channel-mediated (22)Na influx in a neuroblastoma cell line allowed assay of the effects of such sodium channel activators as batrachotoxin and a pumiliotoxin B/scorpion venom combination. Phosphorimaging detection allows for reliable beta counting of up to 1,200 simultaneous samples with excellent sensitivity and is amenable for application to high-throughput screening.
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PMID:Phosphorimaging detection and quantitation for isotopic ion flux assays. 1595 Sep 10

The effects of 31 plant extracts, which most are traditionally used to treat ciguatera fish poisoning in the Pacific area, were studied on the cytotoxicity of mouse neuroblastoma cells produced by ouabain, veratridine and/or brevetoxin-3 or Pacific ciguatoxin-1. The cell viability was determined using a quantitative colorimetric method. A marked cytotoxicity of seven of the 31 plant extracts studied, was observed. Despite this, these plant extracts were suspected to contain active compound(s) against the cytotoxicity produced by brevetoxin (2 extracts), brevetoxin, ouabain and/or veratridine (3 extracts), or only against that of ouabain and/or veratridine (2 extracts). Among the 24 plant extracts that exhibited by themselves no cytotoxicity, 22 were active against the effect of brevetoxin or against that of both veratridine and brevetoxin. Similar results were obtained when the seven most active plant extracts were reassayed using ciguatoxin instead of brevetoxin. In conclusion, the present work reports the first activity assessment of some plant extracts, achieved in vitro on a quite large scale. The fact that 27 plant extracts were found to exert, in vitro, a protective effect against the action of ciguatoxin and/or brevetoxin, paves the way for finding new active compounds to treat ciguatera fish poisoning, provided these compounds also reverse the effects of sodium channel activators.
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PMID:Ability of some plant extracts, traditionally used to treat ciguatera fish poisoning, to prevent the in vitro neurotoxicity produced by sodium channel activators. 1616 80

The tetrodotoxin-resistant voltage-gated sodium channel alpha-subunit Nav1.8 is expressed in nociceptors and has been implicated in chronic pain. Difficulties of heterologous expression have so far precluded analysis of the pharmacological properties of human Nav1.8. To address this we have introduced human Nav1.8 in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Voltage-clamp analysis showed that human Nav1.8 generated an inward tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium current with an activating threshold around -50 mV, half maximal activation at -11+/-3 mV and a reversal potential of 67+/-4 mV. These properties closely match those of the endogenous rat tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium current in dorsal root ganglia suggesting that the expressed human channel is in a near physiological conformation. Human Nav1.8 was resistant to tetrodotoxin and activated by the pyrethroid toxin deltamethrin. Both voltage-activated and deltamethrin-activated human Nav1.8 were inhibited by the sodium channel blockers BIII 890 CL, NW-1029, and mexiletine. Inhibition of Nav1.8 by these compounds may underlie their known analgesic effects in animal models.
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PMID:Analysis of human Nav1.8 expressed in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. 1632 6

The NG108-15 neuroblastoma/glioma hybrid cell line has been frequently used for toxin detection, pharmaceutical screening and as a whole-cell biosensor. However, detailed analysis of its action potentials during toxin or drug administration has not been accomplished previously using patch clamp electrophysiology. In order to explore the possibility of identifying toxins based on their effect on the shape of intracellularly or extracellularly detected action potentials, we created a computer model of the action potential generation of this cell type. To generate the experimental data to validate the model, voltage dependent sodium, potassium and high-threshold calcium currents, as well as action potentials, were recorded from NG108-15 cells with conventional whole-cell patch-clamp methods. Based on the classic Hodgkin-Huxley formalism and the linear thermodynamic description of the rate constants, ion-channel parameters were estimated using an automatic fitting method. Utilizing the established parameters, action potentials were generated in the model and were optimized to represent the actual recorded action potentials to establish baseline conditions. To demonstrate the applicability of the method for toxin detection and discrimination, the effect of tetrodotoxin (a sodium channel blocker) and tefluthrin (a pyrethroid that is a sodium channel opener) were studied. The two toxins affected the shape of the action potentials differently and their respective effects were identified based on the changes in the fitted parameters. Our results represent one of the first steps to establish a complex model of NG108-15 cells for quantitative toxin detection based on action potential shape analysis of the experimental results.
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PMID:Toxin detection based on action potential shape analysis using a realistic mathematical model of differentiated NG108-15 cells. 1646 Sep 24


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