Pharmacological evidence for the existence of a neuronal amine uptake mechanism in the dog liver in vivo

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 755-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Garceau ◽  
Nobuharu Yamaguchi

The possibility of a neuronal uptake mechanism in the liver was studied in dogs anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. Plasma catecholamine concentrations in hepatic venous blood were determined by a radioenzymatic assay following injections of tyramine (30–1000 μg) into either the common hepatic artery or the portal vein. Concomitant changes in hepatic vascular parameters and aortic catecholamine concentrations were also investigated. The mean basal values for hepatic venous and aortic catecholamine concentrations were found to be 0.081 ± 0.007 ng/mL and 0.433 ± 0.080 ng/mL, respectively. Injections of tyramine (300 and 1000 μg) into the hepatic artery increased hepatic venous catecholamine concentrations significantly to 0.109 ± 0.017 ng/mL and 0.126 ± 0.023 ng/mL (P < 0.05. n = 7), respectively. Hepatic arterial vascular conductance decreased concomitantly by 29.7 and 44.9% (P < 0.05, n = 7), respectively. Intraportal injections of tyramine did not bring about significant changes in either hepatic venous catecholamine concentrations or portal venous vascular conductance at any dose tested. After inhibition of monoamine oxidase with pargyline (10 mg/kg. i.v.), the effects of tyramine (1000 μg) injected into the hepatic artery were potentiated. The duration of action was approximately 10 min after pargyline pretreatment (control duration: 1 min). The effects of tyramine were absent after inhibition of the neuronal uptake mechanism with desipramine (1 mg/kg. i.v.). No drug tested had a significant effect on aortic catecholamine concentrations. The present results support the presence of the neuronal uptake mechanism in the dog liver.

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 788-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuharu Yamaguchi ◽  
Yuka Fukushima

The present study was to investigate whether pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) can modify norepinephrine (NE) release in response to pancreatic nerve stimulation in anesthetized dogs. Plasma catecholamine concentrations in aortic and superior pancreaticoduodenal (SPD) venous blood were determined by a high performance liquid chromatography method. SPD venous blood flow was measured with an electromagnetic flowmeter. Pancreatic nerves were directly stimulated for 1 min (2 ms, 12 V) at various frequencies at the level of the SPD artery. Various doses of PACAP1-27 (PACAP27) were locally infused into the pancreas through the SPD artery. Nerve stimulation significantly increased both SPD venous NE concentration and its output from the pancreas in a frequency-dependent manner. With PACAP27 alone, neither SPD venous NE concentration nor its output changed significantly following the local administration of PACAP27 at any dose tested. In the presence of PACAP27, however, the net increases in NE concentration and its output in response to nerve stimulation at 2 Hz were significantly enhanced in a dose-dependent manner. The enhanced NE responses to nerve stimulation by PACAP27 were thus significantly greater than those obtained from the group receiving either PACAP27 or stimulation alone. Increases in NE concentration and its output induced by local administration of tyramine were virtually abolished by desipramine, a neural amine uptake inhibitor. However, the NE response to tyramine was not diminished by PACAP27. The results indicate that PACAP27 enhances the stimulation-induced NE release in the pancreas, and that this facilitatory effect of PACAP27 does not result from an inhibition of the neural amine uptake mechanism. The study suggests that PACAP receptor-mediated mechanisms may be involved either directly or indirectly in the local modulation of neural NE release in the canine pancreas in vivo.Key words: presynaptic, sympathetic nerve, neuropeptide, tyramine, reuptake, anesthetized dog.


1988 ◽  
Vol 60 (02) ◽  
pp. 251-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
S E Kjeldsen ◽  
K Gjesdal ◽  
P Leren ◽  
I K Eide

SummaryThe content of free-catecholamines in blood platelets is much higher than in plasma and platelet catecholamines must be taken up from plasma, since platelets lack the enzymes for catecholamine synthesis. There is some evidence that platelet catecholamine content under certain circumstances may be an integrated measure of plasma catecholamine concentrations over time. Platelet-free catecholamines were therefore assayed in 18 untreated patients with essential hypertension and in 16 normotensive control subjects. Mean platelet-free dopamine in the hypertensive group was 3.7 ± 0.4 pg/mg platelet weight, i.e. significantly less than the 6.5 ± 0.9 pg/mg found in the normotensive (p <0.005). Platelet contents of noradrenaline and adrenaline did not differ. Decreased platelet-free dopamine and unchanged platelet noradrenaline and adrenaline persisted after adjustment for increased body weight in the hypertensive group. Although the reasons for decreased platelet-free dopamine in the hypertensive group remain unknown, this finding may add to previous result showing facilitated release of granular contents from blood platelets in patients with essential hypertension. Our data do not support platelet levels of free-catecholamines to be a marker of increased sympathetic tone in essential hypertension.


1996 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 1083-1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahpoor S. Sorooshian ◽  
Michael A. Stafford ◽  
Nigel B. Eastwood ◽  
Alastair H. Boyd ◽  
Christopher J. Hull ◽  
...  

Background The effects of a muscle relaxant may differ in elderly compared with young adult patients for a variety of reasons. The authors compared the effects of a new muscle relaxant (cisatracurium) in young and elderly adults and used pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling to identify factors explaining differences in time course of effect. Methods Thirty-one young (18-50 yr) and 33 elderly ( &gt; 65 yr) patients anesthetized with nitrous oxide, isoflurane, and fetanyl were studied. Cisatracurium (0.1 mg/kg) was given after induction of anesthesia and later additional boluses of 0.025 mg/kg or an infusion of cisatracurium was given. Neuromuscular transmission was measured using the first twitch of the train-of-four response at the adductor pollicis after supramaximal stimulation of the ulnar nerve at 2 Hz every 15 s. Five venous blood samples were obtained for plasma drug concentration at intervals ranging from 2 to 120 min from every patient. Three additional samples were obtained from those who received an infusion. A population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model was fitted to the plasma concentration and effect data. The parameters of the model were permitted to vary with age to identify where differences existed between young and elderly adults. Results Onset of block was delayed in the elderly; values being mean 3.0 (95% confidence interval 1.75-11.4) min and 4.0 (2.4-6.5) min in the young and elderly, respectively (P &lt; 0.01). Duration of action was similar in the two groups. Plasma clearance was 319 (293-345) ml/min in the study population and did not differ between young and elderly patients. Apparent volume of distribution was 13.28 (9.9-16.7) 1 and 9.6 (7.6-11.7) 1 in the elderly and young adults, respectively (P &lt; 0.05). There also were differences in pharmacodynamic parameters between the young and elderly; the predominant change being a slower rate of biophase equilibration (ke0) in the elderly (0.060 [0.052-0.068])/min compared with the young (0.071 [0.065-0.077]/min; P &lt; 0.05). Conclusions The pharmacokinetics of cisatracurium differ only marginally between young and elderly adults. Onset is delayed in the elderly because of slower biophase equilibration.


2012 ◽  
Vol 111 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadia A Kamal ◽  
Alan V Smrcka ◽  
Burns C Blaxall

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive disease with rapidly increasing rates of morbidity and mortality; it is the leading cause of death worldwide. Elevated sympathetic nervous system activity, a salient feature of HF progression, leads to pathologic attenuation and desensitization of β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) due in part to Gβγ-mediated signaling. We recently reported that novel small molecule Gβγ inhibitors selectively block specific Gβγ signals and halt HF progression in pharmacologic and transgenic mouse models of HF. We assessed the hypothesis that the Gβγ inhibitor Gallein could be salutary in treating pre-existing HF in a clinically relevant model. We utilized the pressure-overload HF model of mouse transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Four weeks post-TAC, mice received daily IP injections of vehicle (PBS; group V) or Gallein (10mg/Kg/day; group G) for eight weeks. Gallein treatment improved survival (7 of 9 mice survived vs. 5 of 9 mice in group V) and cardiac function (%EF 75.2 ± 7.5 vs 35.6 ± 17.2 in group V, +dP/dt (mmHg/sec) 7022 ± 485.3 vs. 3584 ± 598.6 in group V), -dP/dt (mmHg/sec) -5826 ± 910.7 vs. -3260 ± 62.3 in group V, LVEDP (mmHg) 11.5 ± 3.7 vs. 29.45 ± 3.6 in group V). In addition, gallein reduced cardiac hypertrophy (HW/BW (mg/g) 5.8 ± 0.3 vs. 8.8 ± 1.1 in group V) and plasma catecholamine concentrations (adrenaline (ng/ml) 1.3 ± 0.3 vs. 6.6 ± 2.8 in group V, noradrenaline (ng/ml) 3.6 ± 0.6 vs. 15.1 ± 3.6 in group V). Reduction of interstitial fibrosis as well as mRNA levels of α-SMA, TNF-α, and IL-6 was observed in the hearts of Gallein treated animals (59.7 ± 14.1%, 43.8 ± 9.3% and 28.5 ± 3.5% relative to group V, respectively). On the molecular level, Gallein treated mice showed less GRK2 and PI3Kγ membrane recruitment, and less Akt activation (42.9 ± 7.1%, 66.7 ± 13.3% and 46.2 ± 7.7% relative to group V, respectively) in myocardial lysates. In conclusion , these data suggest a possible therapeutic role for small molecule Gβγ inhibition in halting the progression of HF, potentially via inhibition of the Gβγ-GRK2-PI3Kγ-Akt pathway. The combined effect of halting HF progression and reducing plasma catecholamines suggests a possible systemic role for small molecule Gβγ inhibition in both the heart and the adrenal gland.


Author(s):  
J. Marty ◽  
J. M. Desmonts ◽  
M. Fischler ◽  
G. Chalaux ◽  
F. Michon ◽  
...  

1988 ◽  
Vol 255 (6) ◽  
pp. G752-G758 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sjovall ◽  
H. Forssell ◽  
J. Haggendal ◽  
L. Olbe

The study was performed to determine whether the sympathetic nervous system contributes to the reflex control of gastric HCO3- secretion in humans. Gastric HCO3- secretion was registered by a computerized technique based on measurements of pH and PCO2 in gastric effluent. To minimize formation of CO2 in the stomach, subjects were pretreated with the H2-receptor blocker ranitidine. Compensations were made for HCO3- of nongastric origin. As indicators of cardiovascular sympathetic activity, we measured heart rate, forearm vascular resistance, and plasma catecholamine concentrations. In one series of experiments, peripheral sympathetic activity was enhanced by the application of a negative pressure around the lower part of the body (lower body negative pressure, LBNP), at a rate sufficient to induce a slight decrease in systemic arterial pressure. In another series of experiments, peripheral sympathetic activity was inhibited by elevation of the legs, a procedure that simulates volume loading by redistributing blood volume toward the central circulation. LBNP at -20 mmHg decreased systolic pressure and pulse pressure and significantly increased heart rate, forearm vascular resistance, and plasma catecholamine levels. All these effects were observed in the first 15-min period of LBNP and were well maintained throughout the 45-min observation period. LBNP also inhibited basal gastric HCO3- secretion rate in seven of eight individuals, but this response was slower in onset with a latency of at least 15 min. Elevation of the legs increased pulse pressure and decreased forearm vascular resistance. Catecholamines were not measured in these experiments. Gastric HCO3- secretion tended to increase, but the magnitude of the response was highly variable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (6) ◽  
pp. H1581-H1585 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Henning ◽  
J. Cheng ◽  
A. M. Bhat ◽  
M. N. Levy

We determined whether a change in heart rate affected the decay of the ventricular inotropic response to sympathetic stimulation in an experimental group and in a control group of anesthetized dogs. We induced complete heart block in each animal and paced the ventricles at rates of 90, 120, and 150 min-1 during two observation periods. In the experimental group, desipramine hydrochloride was given during the second period to block the neuronal uptake mechanism. The control animals did not receive desipramine during either period. The time required for the ventricular inotropic response to decay by 50% after cessation of a 2-min train of sympathetic stimulation was used as an index of the rate of norepinephrine washout from the myocardial interstitium. As we increased the pacing rate over the range of 90-150 min-1 in the experimental group, the mean decay half times (+/- SE) decreased by 36 +/- 4% (P less than 0.001) before desipramine and by 26 +/- 6% (P less than 0.001) in the presence of desipramine. These decrements in the decay half times were not significantly different from each other. The mean decay half times decreased by 36 +/- 4% (P less than 0.001) in the control dogs; the effects did not change appreciably from the first to the second observation period. We conclude that an increase in pacing frequency facilitates the washout of norepinephrine from the ventricular myocardium; this facilitation is equally pronounced regardless of whether the neuronal uptake mechanism is intact or suppressed.


1977 ◽  
Vol 232 (6) ◽  
pp. H652-H656
Author(s):  
W. W. Lautt

Acute denervation of the liver did not result in changes of oxygen uptake or hemodynamics in the intact liver of the cat. Stimulation of the hepatic nerves resulted in a marked reduction of vascular conductance of the hepatic artery and portal vein (intrahepatic) resulting in almost complete cessation of arterial flow and increased portal blood pressure. The hepatic artery showed a more complete escape from the neurogenic vasoconstriction than did the portal vein. During the stable "escape phase" oxygen delivery was 86% of control, but hepatic extraction of oxygen increased so that oxygen uptake was not altered from control values. The return of oxygen consumption to normal during nerve stimulation suggests that redistribution of hepatic blood flow did not occur. In spite of arterial and portal venous blood pressure changes and changes in gut conductance, oxygen extraction of the gut did not change.


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