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)

Neonatal mice, under fasting conditions, are susceptible to the development of lesions in the arcuate nucleus (AN) of the hypothalamus, with high doses of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG). Feeding of nutrients (e.g., sugars and L-amino acids) has been shown to have a protective effect against the development of these lesions. The purpose of these studies was to elucidate the mechanism of this protective effect. Histopathologic examination of lesions of the AN demonstrated that feeding of weaning mice before subcutaneous administration of toxic doses of MSG suppressed the development of these lesions, as compared to fasted controls. Similarly, the number of necrotic cells in the AN of neonates administered toxic doses of MSG subcutaneously was reduced when D-glucose and L-arginine were administered orally. Atropine obliterated the protective effect of D-glucose. Pretreatments consisting of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) + oral D-glucose had a protective effect of higher potency than GIP alone. Pretreatments with insulin, anorexigenic peptide (pyroGlu-His-Gly), cholecystokinin, glucagon, bombesin, and substance P (in decreasing order of effectiveness) demonstrated a protective effect against the AN lesion in neonates, whereas somatostatin and beta-endorphin had no effect. Results suggest that the protective effect of nutrients may in part be due to the stimulation of peptide hormone release during the postabsorptive phase. It is postulated that the effect of entero-pancreatic hormone, especially insulin, is to enhance the tolerance of AN neurons of neonatal mice to the toxic dose of L-glutamate.
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PMID:Mealing and related hormone release suppress hypothalamic lesions of neonatal mice by L-glutamate. 288 96

1 The spasmogenic and spasmolytic effects of beta-lipotropin (LPH) fragments and one analogue were investigated on different parts of the gastro-intestinal tract of guinea-pig and rat in vitro.2 Changes in muscle tone were observed in colon and rectum and to a lesser extent in jejunum and ileum of both species. Rat colon and rectum contracted to the peptides. Guinea-pig colon and rectum relaxed after an initial short-lasting contraction.3 On the rat rectum (D-ala(2))met-enkephalin, leu-enkephalin, gamma-endorphin, alpha-endorphin and beta-LPH 80-91 caused dose-dependent contractions, their ED(50) values being 0.96 x 10(-12) mol, 1.05 x 10(-11) mol, 1.22 x 10(-11) mol, 1.08 x 10(-10) mol, 2.65 x 10(-10) mol and 6.5 x 10(-9) mol, respectively.4 Naloxone dose-dependently shifted the dose-response curve of met-enkephalin to the right. Atropine, hexamethonium, burimamide, mepyramine, propranolol and indomethacin did not influence the response to met-enkephalin.5 In the presence of tetrodotoxin, the ED(50) for met-enkephalin and the maximal contractor response induced by met-enkephalin, appeared to be increased.6 The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) antagonists, methysergide and cyproheptadine, reduced the contractor response in a non-competitive manner. The alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine, in contrast, caused an increase of the maximal response to met-enkephalin of up to 200%. Noradrenergic and tryptaminergic systems, therefore, might be involved in the changes in muscle tone induced by met-enkephalin.7 These results demonstrate that rectum and colon of guinea-pig and rat are very sensitive to opioid-like peptides.
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PMID:Effects of endorphins on different parts of the gastrointestinal tract of rat and guinea-pig in vitro. 624

The effects of methionine(met)-enkephalin, leucine(leu)-enkephalin, beta-endorphin and blocking substances upon renal function were studied in conscious goats. Injections were made through a permanent cannula into the 3rd ventricle. Leu- and met-enkaphalin, as well as beta-endorphin induced an antidiuretic response to the pituitary type. The responses to beta-endorphin were found to be dose-dependent. Pretreatment with naloxone, either into the 3rd ventricle or into the jugular vein, antagonised the antidiuretic responses to injected opioid peptides with the magnitude of the inhibition being dependent upon the dose. Atropine, hexamethonium or phentolamine did not interfere with the antidiuretic activity of beta-endorphin. Injection of naloxone alone into the 3rd ventricle of goats with a normal water balance, induced both a diuretic response and an increase in free water clearance. It is suggested that the opioid peptides are acting selectively on opiate receptors to influence the release of antidiuretic hormone.
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PMID:Effect of intracerebroventricular administration of opioid peptides on urinary function in the conscious goat. 737 1

It has been shown that 1 h restraint shortens pentobarbital (PbNa)-induced sleeping time and that brain corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is involved in the mechanism by which restraint shortens. PbNa-induced sleeping time. The present study was designed to further examine the mechanism of the antagonistic effect of 1 h restraint on PbNa in rats. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of propranolol and metoprolol, but not butoxamine reversed the shortening of PbNa-induced sleeping time by 1 h restraint. The i.c.v. administration of phentolamine blocked the shortening of PbNa-induced sleeping time by restraint, while the same dose of phentolamine prolonged the sleeping time in unrestrained rats. Atropine did not affect the PbNa-induced sleeping time in restrained rats. These results suggest that in addition to CRH, the brain beta 1-adrenergic system is involved in the restraint stress-induced increase in arousal.
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PMID:Beta 1-adrenergic mechanism is involved in stress-induced increase in arousal. 770 May 73

On one hand, it has been demonstrated that the exposure of rat brain slices containing caudate putamen and accumbens nuclei to alpha-MSH brings about an increase in cAMP. This increase is affected when dopamine is present in the incubation medium. On the other hand, an interaction of melanotropinergic-like peptides with acetylcholinergic drugs has been showed to be similar to the one observed with dopamine. In this study we have intended to measure cGMP or IP3 in response to alpha-MSH, and also to study the interaction with cholinergic drugs by measuring the second messengers recently mentioned. cGMP and IP3 have been measured in tissues and medium in their response to the effect of alpha-MSH alone or in the presence of the peptide plus pilocarpine (selective muscarinic agonist) or atropine (selective muscarinic antagonist). None of them modified the cGMP levels when compared with the control group. The exposure of rat brain slices containing CP and Acc nuclei to alpha-MSH resulted in an increase in IP3 levels. Pilocarpine by itself brought about an increase of IP3 only when the highest doses was used. Atropine did not modify the IP3 content. However, when slices were exposured to both alpha-MSH and pilocarpine, IP3 content was similar to control values. The blockage of the muscarinic receptor with atropine blocked the IP3 increase induced by alpha-MSH as well. Therefore, we assume that alpha-MSH does not induce changes in cGMP but it does change the IP3 levels, probably acting at the muscarinic receptor level.
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PMID:Effects of alpha-MSH and cholinergic agents on cGMP and IP3 levels in rat brain slices. 920 20

The innervated chromaffin cells of the eel (Anguilla rostrata) release norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E), while a component of the macrovascular wall releases dopamine (DA). The release of the three catecholamines is governed by complex controls which include adrenergic, nicotinergic, muscarinergic, and opioid mechanisms. To gain insight into the interactions between neural and autocrine factors in stimulated catecholamine release, we investigated the effect of adrenergic (phentolamine and propranolol) and muscarinergic (atropine) receptor antagonists, and of autocrine opioids (met-enkephalin, codeine, and morphine) on electrostimulated catecholamine secretion in situ. The hind brain (close to the root of nerve IX) of anesthetized eels was stimulated at four different time points, and segments of the posterior cardinal vein or the caudal vein were perfused with a saline solution, with or without test substances. Electrostimulation (30 s) four times within a total study duration of 14 min increased the release of DA, NE, and E into the perfusate of the cardinal vein. The vessel contains the innervated adrenomedullary equivalent. In the noninnervated caudal vein electrical stimulation had no impact on total DA release, while there was a slight decrease of NE release and a slight increase of E release. In the cardinal vein, both the alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist phentolamine and the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol strongly reduced the effect of electrostimulation on catecholamine release. Met-enkephalin reduced the release of all three catecholamines to a similar degree; its impact on NE release was especially strong. Codeine reduced the catecholamine release moderately, while morphine had no effect. Atropine reduced the release of all three catecholamines in a pattern similar to that of met-enkephalin. The findings on the posterior cardinal vein indicate that neurally stimulated NE and E release (1) involves autocrine/paracrine adrenergic mechanisms, (2) involves a muscarinergic mechanism, and possibly also endogenous codeine and morphine; and (3) is antagonized by met-enkephalin. The findings on the caudal vein are further evidence that macrovascular DA release is not under direct neural control.
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PMID:Electrostimulation of catecholamine release in the eel: modulation by antagonists and autocrine agonists. 948 Jul 44

In previous research we found that interleukin-2 (IL-2)-induced corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) release in vitro is mediated by cholinergic activation of nitric oxidergic (NOergic) neurons. The NOergic neurons release nitric oxide that stimulates CRH release. To further characterize the mechanism of IL-2-induced CRH release, the possible role of nicotinic as well as muscarinic receptors in IL-2-stimulated CRH release was evaluated. Medial hypothalamic (MH) explants from adult male rats were preincubated in Krebs-Ringer (KRB) buffer for 45 min followed by incubation for an additional 30 min in fresh KRB or KRB containing various compounds. As previously reported, acetylcholine (ACH) stimulated CRH release in a dose-related fashion. IL-2 (10(-13) M) stimulation of CRH release was unaffected by the lower concentration of ACH (10(-9) M), but surprisingly was inhibited by a 100-fold higher concentration. Atropine (ATR) (10(-7) M) blocked CRH release induced by ACH (10(-7) M) and the release of CRH induced by IL-2. The cholinergic agonist carbachol (CAR) (10(-7) M) also released CRH and this action was blocked by ATR (10(-7) M). CRH release in the presence of CAR was lowered below basal when the concentration of ATR was increased to 10(-6) M. In contrast to ACH, CAR had an additive effect to release CRH when combined with IL-2 (10(-13) M). Nicotine (10(-7) M) also stimulated CRH release and this stimulation was completely blocked by 10(-6) M but not by 10(-7) M of the nicotinic receptor blocker, hexamethonium (HEX). The lower concentration of HEX blocked the stimulatory effect of ACH (10(-7) M) and IL-2 on CRH release. Combined blockade with ATR plus HEX completely blocked the action of ACH and even reduced the CRH concentration to below basal values. Furthermore, combined blockade completely blocked the release of CRH induced by IL-2. We conclude that nicotinic as well as muscarinic receptors play an important role in CRH release, and that they both act to mediate IL-2-stimulated CRH release.
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PMID:Effects of cholinergic agonists and antagonists on interleukin-2-induced corticotropin-releasing hormone release from the mediobasal hypothalamus. 1021 14

Carotid body glomus cells produce and release acetylcholine (ACh), catecholamines, and neuropeptides, and there is biochemical evidence that these cells possess receptors for these substances. Thus, we studied the effects of cholinergics [ACh, nicotine (Nic), bethanechol (BN)] and peptides [met-enkephalin (ME), substance P (SP)] on the membrane potential (Em), voltage noise (Erms), and input resistance (Ro) of glomus cells. Sliced carotid bodies (for cell visualization) of cats, rabbits, and mice were used. The mean Em and Ro of rabbit glomus cells were lower than those of cat and mouse. Ro of mouse cells was the largest, whereas Erms was similar in all species. The various agents had qualitatively similar effects on the cells of the three species although some quantitative differences were sometimes observed. But, for simplicity, results were pooled. ACh depolarized most cells (effect depressed by zero [Ca2+]o and Mn2+), reduced their resistance, and induced variable changes in Erms. Different ACh doses produced non-linear effects on DeltaEm. Nic and BN also depolarized most cells, reducing Ro and Erms. Atropine depressed the cell responses to BN; alpha-bungarotoxin the depolarizing response to Nic. ME and SP depolarized most cells, but only ME significantly reduced Ro. Neither peptide significantly changed voltage noise. Comparing the effects of all drugs showed that BN was the most effective depolarizing agent, producing the largest reductions in Ro. There were negative correlations between DeltaEm and DeltaRo with the cholinergics and SP; correlations between DeltaErms and DeltaRo were significant and positive only with the cholinergics. These results confirm the presence of nicotinic, muscarinic, and peptidergic receptors in glomus cells. The similar effects of cholinergics and peptides and those of flow interruption and anoxia suggest that the latter may partly act via autoreceptors for the released transmitters.
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PMID:Effects of Putative Neurotransmitters of the Carotid Body on its Own Glomus Cells. 1210 5