Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P20366 (substance P)
 21,176 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

By using a simple platelet binding assay, we investigated whether endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) released from endocardial endothelium influences the adhesion of unstimulated platelets to these cells. Under basal conditions 8.0 +/- 0.32% of total platelets added adhered. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, i.e. NG-nitro L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), and the EDRF inhibitor haemoglobin (Hb) increased this adhesion, but another NO synthase inhibitor, NG-monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA), did not. The EDRF releasing agent substance P (SP) decreased adhesion, L-NMMA reversed this inhibition, whereas L-NAME and Hb did so only partially. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) caused a marked decrease in adhesion which was fully reversed by L-NMMA, L-NAME and Hb. SOD and SP together showed a cumulative effect on platelet adhesion; this inhibition was significantly reversed by all the EDRF inhibitors, although the levels of adhesion did not return to those seen under basal conditions. These results indicate that EDRF release can inhibit the adhesion of unstimulated platelets to cultured porcine endocardium and that NO synthase inhibitors have differential effects on basal and stimulated EDRF release by these cells.
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PMID:Endothelium-derived relaxing factor inhibits platelet adhesion to cultured porcine endocardial endothelium. 128 74

The endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine, bradykinin, substance P) and the endothelium-independent (gliceryl trinirate, 3-morpholinsydnominine, sodium nitroprusside) vasodilators were studied in the Langendorff-perfused heart of the guinea pig. The involvement of prostanoids and EDRF in the endothelium-dependent responses were assessed by using indomethacin, an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, and NG-nitro-L-Arginine, an inhibitor of NO synthase. The endothelium-independent agents were used as reference compounds. Both indomethacin and NG-nitro-L-Arginine elevated significantly baseline coronary perfusion pressure, indicating that prostanoids (most likely PGI2 and PGE2) and EDRF modulate the resting tone of the guinea pig coronary circulation. NG-nitro-L-Arginine, but not indomethacin, considerably reduced receptor-stimulated responses. It is concluded that acetylcholine, bradykinin or substance P-induced vasodilation is mediated by EDRF. In contrast, prostanoids do not contribute to endothelium-dependent responses. In addition, short-term tachyphylaxis to bolus injection of gliceryl trinitrate but not of sodium nitroprusside was demonstrated, suggesting that this preparation may be of value for studying nitrate tolerance.
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PMID:The endothelium-dependent and the endothelium-independent vasodilators in the isolated, perfused guinea pig heart. 129 66

The ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) of the thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Citellus tridecemlineatus) is a highly differentiated nucleus that is divisible into five major subdivisions on the basis of retinal projections and cytoarchitecture. To pursue the likelihood that these subdivisions (the dorsal cap, intergeniculate leaflet, external magnocellular lamina, internal magnocellular lamina, and parvicellular segment) correlate with the functional diversity of this complex, the present study examined the neurochemical composition of the vLGN with regard to substances that have previously proved useful in distinguishing functionally distinct subregions within nuclei (i.e., neuropeptide Y (NPY), substance P (SP), leucine and methionine enkephalins, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), cytochrome oxidase (CO), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and NADPH-diaphorase). The results showed a clear differential neurochemical distribution within the nucleus. Neuropeptide Y immunoreactive perikarya were found predominantly in the intergeniculate leaflet and external magnocellular lamina, with only a few present in the internal magnocellular lamina and dorsal cap, and none observed in the parvicellular segment. NPY+ fibers, however, were present in all divisions except the parvicellular segment. The highest concentration of SP immunoreactive cells was observed in the internal magnocellular lamina, and substantial numbers also were scattered in the external magnocellular lamina and parvicellular segment. SP+ fibers were seen predominantly in the intergeniculate leaflet and the magnocellular laminae. The heaviest concentration of enkephalinergic fibers occurred in the internal magnocellular lamina and dorsal cap, but fibers were also observed in the external magnocellular lamina and intergeniculate leaflet. GABA reactivity was widespread throughout the vLGN, with the dorsal cap and external magnocellular lamina most heavily labeled, followed by the intergeniculate leaflet and the internal magnocellular lamina. Cytochrome oxidase, AChE, and NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry revealed rich reactivity within the dorsal cap, and external and internal magnocellular laminae and paler reactivity in the intergeniculate leaflet and parvicellular segment. The external magnocellular lamina was more reactive for CO and NADPH-diaphorase than AChE, while the internal magnocellular lamina showed the opposite pattern of reactivity. In addition, NADPH-diaphorase reactive cells were present in caudal intergeniculate leaflet and lateral external magnocellular lamina. These local differences in the neurochemical character of the vLGN support its parcellation into multiple subdivisions. Taken in conjunction with the differences in cytoarchitecture and retinal projections, these results suggest substantial functional diversity within the ventral lateral geniculate complex.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical organization of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus in the ground squirrel. 137 67

We investigated the possibility of nitric oxide (NO), a powerful vasodilator agent, being synthesized by perivascular nerve fibres. Immunoreactivity and catalytic activity of the NO synthesizing enzyme, NO synthase (NOS), were demonstrated in perivascular nerve fibres of blood vessels receiving autonomic vasodilator innervation, but not of those innervated exclusively by vasoconstrictor nerve fibres. Double-labelling techniques allowed identification of NOS-containing nerve fibres as belonging to the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)/acetylcholine-containing class whereas noradrenergic and substance P-containing perivascular fibres were devoid of NOS. We suggest that, in addition to its endothelial source, NO is a neuronal co-mediator of VIP/cholinergic vasodilation.
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PMID:Nitric oxide synthase in VIP-containing vasodilator nerve fibres in the guinea-pig. 138 69

Neuronal degeneration that occurs in both ischemia and degenerative neurologic illnesses may involve excitotoxic mechanisms. In the present study, we examined whether cortical lesions with agonists acting at subtypes of glutamate receptors result in selective patterns of neuronal death. Injections of quinolinic acid, NMDA, homocysteic acid, kainic acid (KA), and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-proprionic acid (AMPA) were made at 2 sites in the dorsolateral frontoparietal cortex in rats. After 1 week, the cerebral cortex was either dissected for neurochemical studies, or animals were perfused for histologic evaluation. Concentrations of somatostatin (SS), neuropeptide Y (NPY), substance P (SP), cholecystokinin (CCK), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were measured by radioimmunoassay, while amino acids and catecholamines were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection. NMDA agonists (quinolinic acid, homocysteic acid, and NMDA itself) resulted in dose-dependent reductions in glutamate and GABA, while SS, NPY, SP, CCK, and VIP were either unchanged or significantly increased in concentration. KA and AMPA at doses that resulted in comparable GABA depletions caused significant reductions in SS concentrations. Markers of cortical afferents were spared. All excitotoxins resulted in dose-dependent marked increases in uric acid concentrations. Histologic examination verified that lesions with NMDA agonists produced relative sparing of NADPH-diaphorase, SS, VIP, and CCK neurons. These results show that NMDA excitotoxin lesions result in a pattern of selective neuronal damage in the cerebral cortex that is similar to that which occurs in both ischemia and Huntington's disease.
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PMID:Neurochemical characterization of excitotoxin lesions in the cerebral cortex. 167 Jul 82

L-Homocysteic acid (L-HCA) is a sulfated amino acid which is present in mammalian striatum and is a putative excitatory striatal neurotransmitter. In the present study we examined the histologic and neurochemical effects of L-HCA induced striatal lesions to determine how closely changes resemble those of Huntington's disease (HD). Increasing doses of L-HCA injected into the anterior striatum resulted in dose-dependent reductions in both substance P-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) while there was a relative sparing of both somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SS-LI) and neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI). Immunocytochemical studies showed a relative sparing of NADPH-diaphorase neurons (which colocalize with SS and NPY) within regions in which there was a significant depletion of enkephalin stained neurons. The lesions were blocked by pretreatment with MK-801, a systemically effective non-competitive antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors or coinjection of equimolar concentrations of 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV). These findings are similar to those produced with the NMDA agonist quinolinic acid, and suggest that other endogenous NMDA agonists, such as L-HCA, could be potential excitotoxins in HD.
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PMID:Homocysteic acid lesions in rat striatum spare somatostatin-neuropeptide Y (NADPH-diaphorase) neurons. 168 75

We previously found a relative sparing of somatostatin and neuropeptide Y neurons 1 week after producing striatal lesions with NMDA receptor agonists. These results are similar to postmortem findings in Huntington's disease (HD), though in this illness there are two- to threefold increases in striatal somatostatin and neuropeptide Y concentrations, which may be due to striatal atrophy. In the present study, we examined the effects of striatal excitotoxin lesions at 6 months and 1 yr, because these lesions exhibit striatal shrinkage and atrophy similar to that occurring in HD striatum. At 6 months and 1 yr, lesions with the NMDA receptor agonist quinolinic acid (QA) resulted in significant increases (up to twofold) in concentrations of somatostatin and neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity, while concentrations of GABA, substance P immunoreactivity, and ChAT activity were significantly reduced. In contrast, somatostatin and neuropeptide Y concentrations did not increase 6 months after kainic acid (KA) or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) lesions. At both 6 months and 1 yr, QA lesions showed striking sparing of NADPH-diaphorase neurons as compared with both AMPA and KA lesions, neither of which showed preferential sparing of these neurons. Long-term QA lesions also resulted in significant increases in concentrations of both 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (HIAA), similar to findings in HD. Chronic QA lesions therefore closely resemble the neurochemical features of HD, because they result in increases in somatostatin and neuropeptide Y and in 5-HT and HIAA. These findings strengthen the possibility that an NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxic process could play a role in the pathogenesis of HD.
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PMID:Chronic quinolinic acid lesions in rats closely resemble Huntington's disease. 171 Jun 57

The presence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase activity was studied histochemically in the sensory ganglia of the rat. Supraspinally, the trigeminal ganglion possessed only a few cells positively stained for NADPH-diaphorase, while a large number of positive neurons was found in the nodose ganglion. In the dorsal root ganglia, the distribution of positive cells showed a peculiar pattern in relation to spinal levels. Very minor populations (less than 2% of the total ganglionic cells) exhibited positive reaction in ganglia at levels ranging from the first cervical (C1) to fourth thoracic (T4) and from the second lumber (L2) through the entire sacral levels. In the middle to lower thoracic levels (from T5 to L1), however, abundant diaphorase-positive cells were observed. From these positive neurons it was possible to trace intensely stained nerve fibers. In the lower thoracic level, for example, dense positive fibers were seen in the ramus communicans. Retrograde tracing studies revealed that diaphorase-containing neurons in the lower thoracic level project at least partly to the gastric wall and the celiac ganglion. These results indicate that the diaphorase-positive ganglionic neurons in the thoracicolumbar levels may carry autonomic visceral afferent information. Double staining with NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry and peptide immunohistochemistry revealed that NADPH-diaphorase colocalizes with calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P in many of these visceral afferent neurons.
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PMID:Localization of NADPH-diaphorase-containing neurons in sensory ganglia of the rat. 186 99

In the present study we investigated the relative vulnerability of neuronal subsets in the striatum to ischemia that was induced by bilateral transient ligation of the common carotid arteries in gerbils. After 4 days of survival, brains were evaluated using histochemical methods (NADPH-diaphorase and silver degeneration procedures) and neurochemical methods with radioimmunoassays for somatostatin-, neuropeptide Y-, and substance P-like immunoreactivity and measurements of amino acids using high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons were strikingly preserved in the ischemic dorsolateral portion of the striatum, in which there was severe neuronal loss. There was no significant depletion of NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons in the striatum or cerebral cortex. Concentrations of neuropeptide Y-like and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity were unchanged despite a significant 25% depletion of substance P-like immunoreactivity and gamma-aminobutyric acid. Ischemic brain damage may be mediated by a neurotoxic effect of glutamate acting at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Previous studies of NMDA excitotoxin lesions in rat striatum have shown a sparing of neurons containing NADPH-diaphorase, somatostatin, and neuropeptide Y. The similar sparing of these neurons following ischemic lesions in gerbil striatum provides further evidence that NMDA receptor activation may play a role in ischemic injury.
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PMID:Selective sparing of NADPH-diaphorase-somatostatin-neuropeptide Y neurons in ischemic gerbil striatum. 197 76

We previously found that quinolinic acid striatal excitotoxin lesions result in a relative sparing of somatostatin and neuropeptide Y neurons. In the present study we examined dose-response effects of excitotoxins acting at the three subtypes of glutamate receptors: N-methyl-D-aspartate (AA1), quisqualate (AA2), and kainic acid (AA3). Concentrations of both somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) and neuropeptide a Y-like immunoreactivity (NPYLI) were compared with those of substance P-like immunoreactivity (SPLI) and GABA. Kainic acid (AA3), quisqualic acid (AA2), and AMPA (AA2) resulted in dose-dependent reductions in all four neurochemical markers examined, while N-methyl-D,L-aspartate (AA1) and quinolinic acid (AA1) resulted in relative sparing of SLI and NPYLI. At doses of each excitotoxin which resulted in comparable 50% reductions in both GABA and SPLI only N-methyl-D,L-aspartate and quinolinic acid had no significant effect on concentrations of SLI and NPYLI. The relative sparing of somatostatin-neuropeptide Y neurons was confirmed histologically by using histochemical staining for NADPH-diaphorase neurons combined with either Nissl stains, or immunohistochemical staining for enkephalin. Lesions with N-methyl-D-aspartate agonists resulted in preferential sparing of NADPH-diaphorase neurons while these neurons were more vulnerable than other neurons to kainic acid or AMPA. Choline acetyltransferase neurons were relatively spared, as compared with other neurons, by agents acting at all three glutamate receptor subtypes. N-methyl-D,L-aspartate lesions were blocked with MK-801, while there was no effect on quisqualic acid or kainic acid lesions. The relative sparing of somatostatin-neuropeptide Y neurons following striatal excitotoxin lesions with N-methyl-D-aspartate (AA1) agonists probably reflects a paucity of AA1 receptors on these neurons. Since these neurons are also spared in Huntington's disease, excitotoxins acting at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (AA1) site provide an improved neurochemical model of this illness.
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PMID:Differential sparing of somatostatin-neuropeptide Y and cholinergic neurons following striatal excitotoxin lesions. 256 16


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