Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The biological effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) 27 and 38 on peptide secretion and gene regulation were studied in the mouse corticotrope-derived cell line AtT20. Treatment of these cells with PACAP 27/38 led to a dose-dependent increase in cAMP content and ACTH accumulation in the medium with an apparent ED50 value close to 10(-9) M. The genomic effects of PACAP were first investigated by using a reporter gene containing a cAMP responsive element (CRE: TGACGTCA) PACAP 27/38 stimulate transcription from this construction and the effect is further increased when cells are cotreated with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor rolipram. Furthermore, we show by measuring nuclear heterologous proopiomelanocortin (POMC) RNA levels or by using a reporter gene containing the POMC promoter region, that PACAP stimulates POMC transcription. This transcriptional stimulation is mediated by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) since genetic inactivation of PKA by a dominant inhibitory mutant of this enzyme completely abolished the effect of PACAP on POMC transcription. Finally, we show that the transcriptional stimulation of POMC by PACAP is repressed by the glucocorticoid receptor agonist dexamethasone. Taken together, these data suggest that PACAP is a hypophysiotropic hormone that exert similar if not identical functions as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) on corticotrope cells.
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PMID:Pituitary adenyl cyclase-activating peptide: a hypophysiotropic factor that stimulates proopiomelanocortin gene transcription, and proopiomelanocortin-derived peptide secretion in corticotropic cells. 784 39

This study examined the potential role of testicular opioids, a pertussis toxin (PT)-sensitive G-protein, and phosphodiesterase in mediating the inhibitory effect of immobilization stress on testicular steroidogenesis in adult rats. The experiments were initiated with enriched preparations of Leydig cells, but the stress effect was not sustained in vitro either as a result of the disruption of the morphology of the testis and/or the time required for Leydig cell isolation. Consequently, testicular fragments from control and stressed (3-hour immobilization) rats were used in these experiments. When fragments from stressed rats were incubated for 2 hours in the absence and presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (0.1,1, or 10 mlU), testosterone (T) production in response to 1 and 10 mlU hCG was lower (P < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively) than that from control fragments. Basal T secretion did not differ between stressed and control fragments. Naloxone (1, 10, or 100 mu M), did not alter basal or hCG-stimulated T secretion from control fragments, but it normalized the T response to hCG from stressed fragments. Control fragments also showed a reduced T response (P < 0.05) to hCG in the presence of beta-endorphin (beta-E; 36 nM). Incubation of control fragments with PT (30 ng) did not alter basal or hCG-stimulated T production. However, PT normalized (P < 0.01) hCG-stimulated T secretion from stressed fragments. Methylisobutylxanthine (MIX; 0.125 mM) elevated (P < 0.01) hCG-stimulated T production from control fragments, but hCG-stimulated T secretion from stressed fragments remained subnormal in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor. The data suggest that acute immobilization stress inhibits gonadotropin-induced T production in adult male rats via a mechanism involving testicular opioids and a PT sensitive G-protein. We found no evidence to suggest that a stress induced increase in the activity of phosphodiesterase was involved in this mechanism.
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PMID:Mechanism of stress-induced attenuation of the testicular response to gonadotropin: possible involvement of testicular opioids, a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein, and phosphodiesterase. 883 36

Cyclic-AMP is known to be released from cells and tissues and the amounts released have been reported to reflect intracellular cAMP levels. To measure cAMP release the phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX is often used to increase the amount of cAMP to a detectable level. Using this method to follow cAMP dynamics of melanotrope cells in the neurointermediate pituitary lobe of the amphibian Xenopus laevis we show that the alpha-MSH secreto-inhibitors baclofen (GABAB receptor agonist) and dopamine inhibit cAMP release, confirming the idea that these factors inhibit alpha-MSH secretion by reducing adenylyl cyclase activity. Using a sensitive cAMP radioimmunoassay we were able to measure cAMP release from Xenopus neurointermediate lobes in the absence of IBMX. Both baclofen and dopamine appeared to inhibit alpha-MSH secretion but strongly stimulated the release of cAMP. This indicates that the extracellular cAMP level is not a reliable parameter to measure the intracellular cAMP level in the absence of IBMX. The data furthermore suggest that cAMP release is a physiologically regulated process, which might be involved in lowering intracellular cAMP levels associated with a cellular secretory compartment. No apparent differences could be found in the lobe content of cAMP at the termination of secreto-inhibitor treatment, leading to the idea that the cAMP compartment associated with secretion in small relative to the total amount of cAMP present in the lobe.
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PMID:Inhibition of alpha-MSH secretion is associated with increased cyclic-AMP egress from the neurointermediate lobe of Xenopus laevis. 884 66

It has been previously demonstrated that activation of A1 adenosine receptors in frog melanotrophs causes inhibition of spontaneous action potential discharges and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone secretion. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of adenosine on high-voltage-activated (HVA) calcium currents in cultured melanotrophs, using the whole-cell variant of the patch-clamp technique with barium as a charge carrier. Adenosine and the specific A1 adenosine receptor agonist R-PIA (50 microM each) produced a decrease of the amplitude of the barium current, while the selective A2 adenosine receptor agonist CGS 21680 did not affect the current. The inhibitory effect of R-PIA was observed throughout the activation range of the current, with stronger responses at more positive potentials. R-PIA inhibited both the L- and N-type components of the current, the effect on the N-component being two-fold higher than on the L-component. The inhibitory effect of R-PIA was rendered irreversible by addition of GTP gamma S (100 microM) to the intracellular solution. Pre-treatment of the cells with pertussis toxin (1 microgram/ml; 12 h) totally abolished the effect of R-PIA on the HVA calcium channels. Conversely, addition of a high concentration of cAMP (100 microM) together with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX (100 microM) to the intracellular solution did not modify the effect of R-PIA on the current. It is concluded that, in frog melanotrophs, adenosine induces inhibition of L- and N-calcium currents and that this effect is mediated by a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. Our data also indicate that the inhibitory effect of adenosine on the calcium currents is not mediated by inhibition of adenylyl cyclase.
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PMID:Adenosine inhibits L- and N-type calcium channels in pituitary melanotrophs. Evidence for the involvement of a G protein in calcium channel gating. 886 54

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) stimulates adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) release synergistically in the presence of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). We examined the effect of a cyclic nucleotide-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 1-isoamyl-3-isobutylxanthine (IIX), on arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced ACTH release and intracellular cAMP accumulation in normal rat anterior pituitary cells. IIX alone elevated intracellular cAMP accumulation. IIX potentiated AVP-induced ACTH release synergistically without further increase in cAMP accumulation, suggesting that synergistic ACTH release has an alternative mechanism other than the synergistic elevation of intracellular cAMP accumulation which has been reported. Phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) also induced synergistic ACTH release when incubated with IIX. IIX had no additional effect on ACTH response when incubated with maximal dose of CRF, forskolin or 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP). Moreover, the combination of PMA and 8-Br-cAMP produced synergistic ACTH response. In conclusion, the synergistic ACTH release from rat pituitary corticotrophs occurs at least in the presence of directly activating events of PKC and PKA as well as PKC-induced inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity.
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PMID:Mechanism involved in synergistic adrenocorticotropin response to activating protein kinase-A and -C in rat anterior pituitary cells. 1021 Feb 88

The modulation of voltage-dependent calcium currents (I(Ca)) by corticotropin was studied in acutely dissociated rat amygdala neurons using whole-cell, patch-clamp recording techniques. Application of corticotropin(1-24) or corticotropin(4-10) increased I(Ca) in a concentration-dependent manner, with half-maximal effective concentrations of 65 and 176 nM and maximal increases of approximately 75% and approximately 50%, respectively. Nimodipine (1 microM) reduced the I(Ca) by approximately 30%. Subsequent application of corticotropin in the presence of nimodipine failed to produce an enhancement of I(Ca), suggesting that corticotropin acts selectively on L-type channels. In addition, corticotropin-mediated enhancement of I(Ca) after exposure to omega-conotoxin-GVIA and omega-agatoxin-IV was not significantly different from that observed in the control neurons, ruling out the involvement of N- and P/Q-type channels. The effect of corticotropin was mimicked by forskolin and (S(p))-cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphothioate [(S(p))-cAMPS] and was significantly enhanced in the presence of phosphodiesterase or protein phosphatase inhibitors. On the other hand, the effect of corticotropin was markedly reduced in neurons intracellularly dialyzed with (R(p))-cAMPS, a regulatory site antagonist of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) or by extracellular perfusion of KT 5720, a catalytic site antagonist of PKA. Taken together, these results show for the first time that corticotropin enhances voltage-dependent Ca(2+) currents in brain neurons and that this increase is mediated through L-type channels and involves a cAMP-dependent mechanism.
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PMID:Selective enhancement of l-type calcium currents by corticotropin in acutely isolated rat amygdala neurons. 1117 56

Erection is basically a spinal reflex that can be initiated by recruitment of penile afferents, but also by visual, olfactory, and imaginary stimuli. The reflex involves both autonomic and somatic efferents and is modulated by supraspinal influences. Several central transmitters involved in the erectile control have been identified. Dopamine, acetylcholine, nitric oxide (NO), and peptides, such as oxytocin and adrenocorticotropic/alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, seem to have a facilitatory role, whereas serotonin may be either facilitatory or inhibitory, and enkephalins are inhibitory. Peripherally, the balance between contractant and relaxant factors controls the degree of contraction of the smooth muscle of the corpora cavernosa and determines the functional state of the penis. Noradrenaline contracts both corpus cavernosum and penile vessels via stimulation of alpha(1)-adrenoceptors. Neurogenic NO is considered the most important factor for relaxation of penile vessels and corpus cavernosum. The role of other mediators released from nerves or endothelium has not been definitely established. Erectile dysfunction (ED) may be due to inability of penile smooth muscles to relax. This inability can have multiple causes. However, patients with ED respond well to the pharmacological treatments that are currently available. The drugs used are able to substitute, partially or completely, the malfunctioning endogenous mechanisms that control penile erection. Most drugs have a direct action on penile tissue facilitating penile smooth muscle relaxation, including prostaglandin E(1), NO donors, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists. Dopamine receptors in central nervous centers participating in the initiation of erection have been targeted for the treatment of ED. Apomorphine, administered sublingually, is the first of such drugs.
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PMID:Pharmacology of penile erection. 1154 36

Autotaxin [ATX (NPP-2)], originally isolated as a tumor motility-stimulating protein, has recently been shown to augment tumor aggressiveness. Specifically, atx-transfected, ras-transformed NIH3T3 cell lines have been shown to be more invasive, tumorigenic, and metastatic than mock-transfected ras-transformed control cells. In addition, the atx-transfected ras-transformed cell lines appeared to produce tumors that were much more hyperemic than those formed by appropriate control cells. This observation led to the present study, in which we demonstrate that ATX modulates angiogenesis both directly and indirectly. We have used a murine in vivo angiogenesis model in which treated Matrigel plugs are injected s.c. into athymic nude BALB/c mice. Using the same transfected cell lines as before, we found that mixing atx-transfected ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells into the Matrigel resulted in greater new blood vessel formation than control cells. Similarly, mixing purified ATX into the Matrigel resulted in new blood vessel formation within the plug, similar to that produced by vascular endothelial growth factor. Mechanistically, ATX is not a strong chemoattractant for human endothelial cells (HUVECs); however, it strongly stimulates motility in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells. In addition, ATX stimulates HUVECs grown on Matrigel to form tubules, much like vascular endothelial growth factor. Both of these normal cell types are shown to express and secrete ATX. In HUVECs, ATX expression is up-regulated by basic fibroblast growth factor in a time-dependent manner. This up-regulation also extends to secretion of enzymatically active protein, as demonstrated by Western blot analysis and quantification of type-1 phosphodiesterase activity. These results establish the presence of ATX in HUVECs and coronary artery smooth muscle cells and specify ATX as a novel angiogenic factor, suggesting that ATX could contribute to the metastatic cascade through multiple mechanisms, perhaps by supporting an invasive microenvironment for both normal and tumor cells.
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PMID:Autotaxin (NPP-2), a metastasis-enhancing motogen, is an angiogenic factor. 1155 73

The effects and mechanisms of aging on corticosterone secretion in zona fasciculata-reticularis (ZFR) cells of ovariectomized (Ovx) rats were studied. Young (3-month) and old (24-month) female rats were Ovx for 4 days before decapitation. ZFR cells were isolated and incubated with different hormones or reagents at 37 degrees C for 30 min. Aging increased the basal secretion of corticosterone both in vivo and in vitro. The adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-, forskolin-, 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (IBMX)-, 8-bromo-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP)-, and ovine prolactin (oPRL)-stimulated release of corticosterone by ZFR cells was greater in old than in young Ovx rats. H89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A (PKA), decreased the production of corticosterone in ZFR cells from young but not old Ovx rats. Forskolin-, or IBMX-induced production of cAMP was greater in old than in young Ovx animals, which correlated with the increase of corticosterone production by aging. The activity of 11 beta-hydroxylase that converts deoxycorticosterone (DOC, 10(-9) or 10(-8) M) to corticosterone in rat ZFR cells was decreased by age. However, the corticosterone production in response to high dose of DOC (10(-7) M) was indifferent between young and old groups. These results suggest that aging increases corticosterone production in Ovx rats via a mechanism in part associated with an increase of adenylyl cyclase activity and a decrease of phosphodiesterase activity, and then an increase of the generation of cAMP, but not related to either PKA activity or 11 beta-hydroxylase.
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PMID:Involvement of cAMP but not PKA in the increase of corticosterone secretion in rat zona fasciculata-reticularis cells by aging. 1189 48

The ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (E-NPP) multigene family contains five members. NPP1-3 are type II transmembrane metalloenzymes characterized by a similar modular structure composed of a short intracellular domain, a single transmembrane domain and an extracellular domain containing a conserved catalytic site. The short intracellular domain of NPP1 has a basolateral membrane-targeting signal while NPP3 is targeted to the apical surface of polarized cells. NPP4-5 detected by database searches have a predicted type I membrane orientation but have not yet been functionally characterized. E-NPPs have been detected in almost all tissues often confined to specific substructures or cell types. In some cell types, NPP1 expression is constitutive or can be induced by TGF-beta and glucocorticoids, but the signal transduction pathways that control expression are poorly documented. NPP1-3 have a broad substrate specificity which may reflect their role in a host of physiological and biochemical processes including bone mineralization, calcification of ligaments and joint capsules, modulation of purinergic receptor signalling, nucleotide recycling, and cell motility. Abnormal NPP expression is involved in pathological mineralization, crystal depositions in joints, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, and type 2 diabetes. In this review we summarize the present knowledge on the structure and the physiological and biochemical functions of E-NPP and their contribution to the pathogenesis of diseases.
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PMID:Physiological and pathophysiological functions of the ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family. 1275 29


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