Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The acyclic C-terminal tripeptide of oxytocin, H-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH-2, is not degraded upon incubation with human (male,female or pregnant female) plasma or serum for 1hr at 37 degrees. However, the sera of other species tested, including rat, chicken and carp, degrade this tripeptide 100%, 4% and 30%, respectively, in 1 hr, as determined by quantitative amino acid analysis of released products. Among the species studied there seems to exist a correlation between the anatomic development of the pars intermedia and the ability of the serum to hydrolyze H-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH-2, which has been proposed to be a MSH-release-inhibiting factor. The only identified degradation products are Pro, Leu and H-Gly-NH-2 with no detectable levels of H-Leu-Gly-NH2. The dipeptides H-Leu-Gly-NH-2 and H-Pro-Leu-OH are each cleaved at similiar rates in either human or rat serum, although the rate of hydrolysis of both peptides is lower in human than in rat. Thus, it does not appear that the dipeptide, H-EU-Gly-NH-2, can accumulate as one of the breakdown products of the tripeptide. The arylamidase present in rat serum has different characteristics from the enzyme in rat brain which can degrade H-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH-2.
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PMID:Significant differences in the degradation of pro-leu-gly-nH2 by human serum and that of other species (38484). 116 15

The synthesis of the protected polypeptide precursor of [1-beta-mercapto-beta,beta-diethylpropionic acid,2-(3,5-dibromo-L-tyrosine)]oxytocin was performed in a stepwise manner by solution techniques. This analog of oxytocin has two modifications, each of which taken alone gives analogs which inhibit some of the pharmacological responses to oxytocin. The S-ethylcarbamoyl protecting groups of beta-Mpa(beta-Et2)(Ec)-Dbt-Ile-Gln-Asn-Cys(Ec)-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 were removed in refluxing liquid NH3, and the resulting disulfhydryl compound was oxidatively cyclized in H2O-MeOH with ICH2CH2I. Purification was effected by partition chromatography and gel filtration. The analog possesses antioxytocic (pA2 = 7.08) and antiavian vasodepressor (pA2 = 7.38) activities but has neither agonist nor antagonist activity in the rat pressor assay. These potencies are close to those exhibited by [1-beta-mercaptopropionic acid,2-(3,5-dibromo-L-tyrosine)]oxytocin but different from those of [1-beta-mercapto-beta,beta-diethylpropionic acid]oxytocin.
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PMID:Synthesis and some pharmacological properties of [1-beta-mercapto-beta,beta-diethylpropionic acid,2-(3,5-dibromo-L-tyrosine)]oxytocin. 119 81

Five analogs of oxytocin have been synthesized with a homocysteine residue in position 6 and 2-, 3-, or 4-carbon residues in position 1. The compounds, which contain 20-, 21-, and 22-membered disulfide rings, respectively, were [1-alpha-mercaptoacetic acid,6-homocysteine]oxytocin, [6-homocysteine]oxytocin, [1-beta-mercaptopropionic acid,6-homocysteine]oxytocin, [1,6-homocystine]oxytocin, and [1-gamma-mercaptobutyric acid,6-homocysteine]oxytocin. The appropriate protected polypeptide intermediates were prepared by the solid-phase method of peptide synthesis. The protecting groups were removed by treatment with Na in NH3 and the disulfide bond was formed by oxidation with ICH2CH2I in aqueous MeOH. Purification was effected by partition chromatography followed by gel filtration. The pharmacological activities of all five analogs are reported for the oxytocic, avian vasodepressor, and rat pressor assays. Compared to oxytocin, these analogs exhibited sharply reduced agonist potencies, and several exhibited antagonist acitivty.
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PMID:Synthesis and some pharmacological properties of five analogs of oxytocin having L-homocysteine in position 6. 124 4

1. Extracellular recordings were made from 297 spontaneously firing neurones in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) in slice preparations of rat medulla oblongata. Some of the neurones recorded were identified to be vagal motoneurones by antidromic stimulation. The cells fired with a slow irregular pattern at an average rate of 1.1 +/- 0.1 spikes/s (mean +/- S.E.M.). 2. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) was applied by perfusion in 196 of the 297 cells. Most of the neurones (190/196, 97%) were excited by 10(-6) M AVP with an increase in firing rate from the basal level of 1.1 +/- 0.1 to a maximum of 2.5 +/- 0.2 spikes/s. There was a dose-dependent relation between the concentration of AVP and the increased firing rate in all DMV neurones tested (n = 38). The threshold concentration of the peptide to produce changes in firing rate was assumed to be about 10(-10) M. The remaining six neurones were not affected by application of AVP. 3. Application of oxytocin (OXT, 10(-6) M) increased the firing rate of all thirty-eight neurones tested. The effects of AVP and OXT on all neurones examined (n = 20 and 4, respectively) still persisted after blocking the synaptic transmission in a low-Ca2+ or Ca(2+)-free-high-Mg2+ solution, indicating the direct action of both AVP and OXT on the postsynaptic membranes. 4. The AVP-induced excitatory responses were completely but reversibly blocked by the V1-type receptor antagonists, [1-(beta-mercapto-beta, beta-cyclopentamethylene-propionic acid), 2-(O-methyl)tyrosine]-arginine vasopressin (d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP) (n = 5) and Phaa-D-Tyr(Et)Phe-Gln-Asn-Lys-Pro-Arg-NH2 (n = 6), whereas a selective and reversible OXT receptor antagonist, desGly-NH2d(CH2)5[Tyr-(Me)2Thr4]ornithine vasotocin, which suppressed the OXT-induced excitation, did not block the responses to AVP (n = 11). 5. Application of angiotensin II (AII, 10(-6) M) to 153 neurones increased the firing rates of 60 (39%) neurones. The firing rate was increased from the basal level of 1.0 +/- 0.1 to a maximum of 1.8 +/- 0.2 spikes/s (n = 60). The effect of AII was completely abolished by an AII receptor antagonist, [Sar1,Ile8]angiotensin II (n = 6). There was a dose dependence of the excitatory response on AII concentration in all of eleven neurones tested. The threshold concentration was assumed to be about 10(-9) M. The activity of 5 (3%) of 153 neurones was decreased, and the remaining 88 (58%) neurones were not affected by AII.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Effects of vasopressin and angiotensin II on neurones in the rat dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, in vitro. 130 79

In a previous report we demonstrated the presence of a vasotocin (AVT)-like peptide in chromaffin cells of the amphibian adrenal gland and showed that synthetic AVT is a potent stimulator of corticosterone and aldosterone secretion by frog adrenocortical cells. In the present study we evaluated the relative potency of various AVT analogs and investigated the mechanism of action of AVT on frog interrenal (adrenal) tissue. Several AVT agonists, including hydrin 2, oxytocin (OXT), arginine vasopressin (AVP), Lys-conopressin G, and mesotocin (MT), were able to mimic the stimulatory effect of AVT on steroid secretion, but AVT was by far the most potent stimulator of steroidogenesis. In the series of analogs studied, the order of potency was: AVT greater than hydrin 2 greater than OXT greater than AVP greater than Lys-conopressin G greater than MT greater than [deamino-Cys1,D-Arg8]AVP greater than [d(CH2)5,Tyr(OMe)2] AVP. The effect of AVT (5 x 10(-10) M) was totally blocked by both the antidiuretic V2 antagonist [d(CH2)5,D-Phe2,Ile4,Ala9-NH2]AVP (10(-6) M) and the oxytocinergic antagonist [d(CH2)5,Tyr(OMe)2,Orn8]AVT (10(-6) M); the V2 antagonist was approximately twice as potent as the OXT antagonist. In contrast, the V1 antagonist 1-(1-mercapto-4-phenylcyclohexaneacetic acid)-AVP (10(-6) M) did not affect the response of the interrenal tissue to AVT. Indomethacin (5 microM), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, induced a dramatic decrease in the spontaneous secretion of corticosteroids, but did not impair the stimulatory effect of AVT (5 x 10(-9) M) on corticosterone and aldosterone secretion. In addition, AVT did not stimulate the production of prostaglandin E2, suggesting that prostaglandins are not involved in the mechanism of action of AVT. Concurrently, AVT did not modify cAMP production by frog adrenal slices. In contrast, AVT induced both an increase in inositolphosphate production and a reduction of membrane phospholipid content. We conclude that in the frog adrenal gland, the stimulatory effect of AVT on steroid secretion is mediated through activation of receptors related to the mammalian V2 and/or OXT receptors, which are positively coupled to phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C.
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PMID:Pharmacological characterization of vasotocin stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover in frog adrenal gland. 130 45

Specific receptors for oxytocin have been identified in rat forebrain. Previous studies have demonstrated that in select regions, these receptors are dependent on heterologous induction by gonadal steroids. To investigate whether brain oxytocin receptors are homologously regulated by oxytocin, we measured oxytocin receptor binding after hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus lesions, repeated central injections of oxytocin, and continuous central infusion of oxytocin via osmotic minipump. Neither lesions of the paraventricular nucleus nor repeated oxytocin injections altered the binding of the selective oxytocin receptor ligand [125I]OTA [125I] d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2,Thr4,Tyr-NH2(9)] ornithine vasotocin, as measured by in vitro receptor autoradiography. After 10 days of continuous oxytocin infusion by osmotic minipump, oxytocin receptor binding decreased in every target field by at least 50%. This decrease appeared to represent a down-regulation of receptors and not displacement by exogenous peptide, as it persisted for at least 24 h after pump removal, and binding remained reduced in the presence of a saturating concentration of [125I] OTA. Reduction of oxytocin receptors in response to increased oxytocin release may represent an important physiological mechanism for the regulation of central oxytocin neurotransmission.
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PMID:Homologous regulation of brain oxytocin receptors. 131 51

The ability of astroglial cells to exhibit oxytocin (OT)-binding sites has been investigated in embryonic hypothalamic and hippocampic astroglial cell cultures. The differential characteristics of binding of OT and [Arg8]vasopressin (AVP) agonists and antagonists to the OT-binding sites using the highly selective iodinated OT antagonist d(CH2)5-[Tyr(Me)2,Thr4,Tyr-NH2(9)]OVT ([125I]OTA) have been evaluated using intact cells maintained for 12 days in culture. The specific binding displayed features of reversibility. Computer analysis of the saturation studies using the LIGAND program indicated that, at 4 degrees C, the antagonist binds to a homogeneous population of sites with a Kd value of 0.02 nM and a low binding-site density of around 2 fmol/dish for hypothalamic cells and 6 fmol/dish for hippocampic cells. For hypothalamic cells, competition curves using unlabelled OT, AVP or V2 AVP agonist were characterized by a pseudo-Hill coefficient below unity (0.7), indicating possible heterogeneity among the binding sites. On the other hand, the dose-inhibition curves resulting from competition studies with hippocampic cells had a pseudo-Hill coefficient close to unity, except for OT. Computer analysis (LIGAND) indicated that the OT dose-inhibition curve was significantly better fitted to a two-site model, and this can be explained by two apparent forms of the receptor having high and low affinities for the displacing drug. The relative potencies of the peptides tested for binding to the high-affinity site were: AVP greater than OT greater than V1 AVP antagonist ([d(CH2)5-Tyr(Me)2]AVP) = V2 AVP agonist greater than AVP-Sar ([d(CH2)5-Sar7,Arg8]VP) in hypothalamic cultures, and OT = AVP greater than V1 AVP antagonist greater than V2 AVP agonist in hippocampic cultures. In addition, autoradiography allowed visualization of OT-binding sites, which are located on both soma and processes of astrocyte-like type of cells. In conclusion, these data provide evidence that glial cell cultures contain specific OT-binding sites which display pharmacological characteristics different from those already reported in neuronal cultures and in the adult rat brain.
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PMID:Oxytocin receptors on cultured astroglial cells. Kinetic and pharmacological characterization of oxytocin-binding sites on intact hypothalamic and hippocampic cells from foetal rat brain. 131 31

Specific binding sites for the radio-iodinated oxytocin (OT) antagonist d(CH2)5-[Tyr(Me)2,Thr4, Tyr-NH2(9)]OVT ([125I]OTA) have been characterized on cultured hypothalamic astroglial cell membranes. The rate of association of the ligand to OT-binding sites was identical in the presence and the absence of the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue guanosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate (Gpp[NH]p, 0.1 mM), whereas the monophasic dissociation reaction became biphasic in the presence of Gpp[NH]p. Scatchard analysis of equilibrium binding of [125I]OTA resulted in a linear plot with a single class of binding sites (Kd 0.06 nM) which were insensitive to the addition of Gpp[NH]p. Unlabelled OT and [Arg8]vasopressin (AVP) bound to high- (H) and low- (L) affinity states with a dissociation constant ratio (KL/KH) of 100 for both hormones. Binding with both high and low affinity required the presence of Mg2+ in the incubation buffer, and the addition of Gpp[NH]p decreased the KL/KH ratio to 10 and increased the percentage of low-affinity binding sites. On the other hand, neither omission of Mg2+ from the buffer nor the addition of Gpp[NH]p altered the binding of either OT or V1 AVP antagonists to OT receptors. In the presence of a G-protein inactivator (N-ethylmaleimide; 3 mM) during OT competition studies the affinities of the two OT-binding sites were unchanged, but 90% of the high-affinity binding sites were converted into the low-affinity state. These results obtained with cultured hypothalamic astroglial cells provide further evidence for a coupling of OT receptors with a guanine-nucleotide-binding protein, with a requirement for Mg2+.
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PMID:Oxytocin receptors on cultured astroglial cells. Regulation by a guanine-nucleotide-binding protein and effect of Mg2+. 131 32

Specific receptors for oxytocin (OT) on intact luteal cells are demonstrated. Cultured cells from bovine corpora lutea (CL) at different stages (Days 3-5, 8-12, and 15-18 of the estrous cycle) were examined for OT receptors by a radioreceptor assay using the 125I-labeled OT antagonist [d(CH2)5,Tyr(Me)2,Thr4,Tyr-NH2(9)] -vasotocin. Binding specificity was demonstrated in displacement studies with various related peptides. Scatchard analysis revealed the presence of a binding site with an association constant of Ka = 2.6 x 10(9) M-1 and a capacity of 5.9 fmol/micrograms DNA. Additionally, in 50% of the experiments (n = 6) two different binding sites were observed. The Ka of the high-affinity site was 2.6 x 10(10) M-1; its capacity was 0.73 fmol/micrograms DNA. The low-affinity site had an apparent Ka of 4.9 x 10(8) M-1 and a capacity of 8.8 fmol/micrograms DNA. Observation of one versus two binding sites related neither to the assay conditions nor to the state of the individual CL used for the cell culture and therefore appeared to reflect individual variation within the OT receptor population. Significant binding of OT was observed at all luteal stages. OT binding was maximal at the mid-luteal stage (Days 8-12). We conclude that a direct action of OT on the bovine CL is mediated by the OT receptor, supporting the hypothesis that luteal OT plays an important physiological role in the regulation of progesterone release and/or other luteal functions in a paracrine or autocrine fashion.
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PMID:Evidence for oxytocin receptors in cultured bovine luteal cells. 132 97

Synthetic human parathyroid hormone-related peptide (hPTHrP)-(1-34) fragment was compared with parathyroid hormone (bovine sequence, 1-34; bPTH-(1-34) for inhibiting oxytocin or prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha)-induced contractions on rat uterus in vitro. bPTH exhibited a potent (ED50 = 7 x 10(-9) M) inhibition on oxytocin-induced contractions. Both bPTH-(1-34) and hPTHrP-(1-34) were devoided of any significant effect upon PGF2 alpha-induced uterine contractions. Human PTHrP also inhibited oxytocin-induced uterine contractions (ED50 = 77 x 10(-9) M) and this effect, like that of bPTH, was dose dependent. Human PTHrP-(140-173) fragment had no significant effect on oxytocin-induced uterine contractions. The inhibitory effect of hPTHrP-(1-34) disappeared after pretreatment with [Tyr]34-bPTH-(7-34)-NH2, a competitive reversible antagonist of bPTH-(1-34). Thus PTHrP might be involved in the control of myometrial activity.
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PMID:Parathyroid hormone-related peptide inhibits oxytocin-induced rat uterine contractions in vitro. 138 75


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