Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0043167 (pertussis)
 19,595 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

1. Although peptides are important modulators of synapses, their action on synapse-glia interactions remain unclear. The amphibian neuromuscular junction (NMJ) was used to examine the effects of substance P (SP) on perisynaptic Schwann cells (PSCs), glial cells at the frog NMJ, by monitoring changes in intracellular Ca2+. 2. SP induced Ca2+ responses that were mimicked by the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK-1) agonist septide and with a shorter delay by the SP fragment, SP(6-11). SP and SP(6-11) responses were blocked by NK-1 antagonists SR140333 and LY303870. 3. Ca2+ responses remained unchanged when extracellular Ca2+ was removed but were blocked after pertussis toxin (PTX) treatment, indicating that the receptors were linked to internal stores of Ca2+ via a PTX-sensitive G-protein. 4. The slowly hydrolysable NK-1 agonist [Sar9, Met(O2)11]-SP only induced Ca2+ responses when applied for a long period of time and not during brief, local applications, suggesting the involvement of SP hydrolysis. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) may not be involved in SP degradation since Ca2+ responses evoked by SP were unchanged in the presence of the cholinesterase inhibitor neostigmine. 5. Ca2+ responses induced by muscarine and nerve stimulations were almost abolished when preceded by SP applications, while those induced by ATP were significantly reduced. The rundown of the nerve-evoked Ca2+ responses in PSCs was attenuated in the presence of SR140333. 6. These results indicate that endogenous SP is involved in the regulation of PSC activity and that SP is an important modulator of glial cell Ca2+ signalling and synapse-glia communication.
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PMID:Endogenous peptidergic modulation of perisynaptic Schwann cells at the frog neuromuscular junction. 972 29

The intrathecal administration of pertussis toxin (PTX) not only blocks the antinociceptive effects of the muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonist oxotremorine administered systemically, but also produces a long-lasting thermal allodynia in mice. The purpose of the present studies was to determine both the antinociceptive effects in normal mice and the antiallodynic effects in PTX-treated mice of systemically administered muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonists and cholinesterase inhibitors. In normal mice, antinociceptive effects were tested using a 55 degrees C water-bath tail-flick test. In mice treated 7 days previously with PTX (0.3 microg i.t.), antiallodynic effects were tested using a 45 degrees C water-bath tail-flick test. The nonselective high-efficacy muscarinic agonists oxotremorine, H-TZTP (3-(1,2, 5-thiadiazol-4-yl)-1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-1-methylpyridine oxalate), and methylthio[2.2.1], (exo (+)3-(3-methylthio-1,2, 5-thiadiazol-4-yl)-1-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane oxalate), as well as vedaclidine, a mixed M(2)/M(4) muscarinic receptor partial agonist and M(1)/M(3)/M(5) muscarinic receptor antagonist, the nonselective partial agonists RS86 and pilocarpine, and the cholinesterase inhibitors physostigmine and tacrine all produced dose-related antinociception. Oxotremorine, H-TZTP and methylthio[2.2.1] produced dose-related reversals of PTX-induced thermal allodynia whereas vedaclidine produced a partial reversal and RS86 and pilocarpine, as well as physostigmine and tacrine, failed to reverse the allodynia. The present results provide further evidence that decrements in PTX-sensitive G(i/o)-protein functioning may be involved in initiating and/or maintaining some persistent or neuropathic pain states. Moreover, the present results suggest that muscarinic receptor agonists such as vedaclidine may be useful in the treatment of persistent pain states that are due at least in part to dysfunction of inhibitory second messenger systems.
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PMID:Reversal of pertussis toxin-induced thermal allodynia by muscarinic cholinergic agonists in mice. 1097 34

In model organisms, resistance to inhibitors of cholinesterase 8 (Ric-8), a G protein alpha (G alpha) subunit guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), functions to orient mitotic spindles during asymmetric cell divisions; however, whether Ric-8A has any role in mammalian cell division is unknown. We show here that Ric-8A and G alpha(i) function to orient the metaphase mitotic spindle of mammalian adherent cells. During mitosis, Ric-8A localized at the cell cortex, spindle poles, centromeres, central spindle, and midbody. Pertussis toxin proved to be a useful tool in these studies since it blocked the binding of Ric-8A to G alpha(i), thus preventing its GEF activity for G alpha(i). Linking Ric-8A signaling to mammalian cell division, treatment of cells with pertussis toxin, reduction of Ric-8A expression, or decreased G alpha(i) expression similarly affected metaphase cells. Each treatment impaired the localization of LGN (GSPM2), NuMA (microtubule binding nuclear mitotic apparatus protein), and dynein at the metaphase cell cortex and disturbed integrin-dependent mitotic spindle orientation. Live cell imaging of HeLa cells expressing green fluorescent protein-tubulin also revealed that reduced Ric-8A expression prolonged mitosis, caused occasional mitotic arrest, and decreased mitotic spindle movements. These data indicate that Ric-8A signaling leads to assembly of a cortical signaling complex that functions to orient the mitotic spindle.
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PMID:Ric-8A and Gi alpha recruit LGN, NuMA, and dynein to the cell cortex to help orient the mitotic spindle. 2047 29