calcimycin and pimagedine

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of mercurius solubilis (merc sol) on scopolamine induced memory deficits and motor coordination in mice.. Three different formulations of merc sol (30X, 200M, 1M) were screened for their in vitro antioxidant potential through DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and nitric oxide scavenging activity using response surface methodology. Memory impairment was induced by the administration of scopolamine (1mg/kg i.p.) for 3 days to mice and assessment of memory acquisition and retention was done using Morris water maze test, passive avoidance test, elevated plus maze test, light and dark box test, motor coordination was evaluated using rotarod test and inclined plan test. The involvement of ion channels and nitric oxide pathway in the observed effect of merc sol was elucidated by administration of veratrine (0.125 μg/kg, i.p.), A23187 (20 μg/kg, i.p.), L- arginine (40 mg/kg, i.p.), aminoguanidine (50 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min prior to merc sol. Acute toxicity studies were performed in accordance with the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) guidelines.. In vitro studies have revealed merc sol 30 X to have maximum free radical and nitric oxide scavenging activity. Administration of merc sol 30 X to mice significantly reduced scopolamine induced memory deficits and motor incoordination in all the performance tasks. The calcium ionophore, A23187 significantly altered the effect of merc sol in mice. No major signs of toxicity were observed.. Merc sol has antiamnesic effect in scopolamine induced deficits and motor coordination in mice.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Arginine; Avoidance Learning; Biphenyl Compounds; Calcimycin; Cholinergic Antagonists; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme Inhibitors; Female; Guanidines; Male; Maze Learning; Memory Disorders; Mercury; Mice; Neuroprotective Agents; Picrates; Psychomotor Disorders; Scopolamine

Topics: Animals; Calcimycin; Chymotrypsin; Cromolyn Sodium; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme Inhibitors; Guanidines; Guinea Pigs; Ileum; In Vitro Techniques; Ionophores; Male; Muscle Contraction; Muscle, Smooth; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; Receptors, Proteinase-Activated; Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; Tosylphenylalanyl Chloromethyl Ketone

Luminal histamine concentrations can be very high in the intestine without eliciting clinical histaminosis. The intestinal mechanisms that possibly prevent systemic intoxication by luminal histamine were investigated in the present study. Porcine colonic epithelia were mounted in Ussing chambers. After unilateral application of partially (3)H-labelled histamine, mucosal-to-serosal (MS) and serosal-to-mucosal (SM) flux rates were calculated from the contralateral appearance of histamine and the radioactive histamine label (hist-rad; representing histamine plus catabolites). A discrepancy between histamine and hist-rad fluxes was observed in both flux directions, indicating efficient histamine catabolism at all histamine concentrations tested (5, 50 and 100 microM). Catabolism exceeded 65% at 100 microM histamine and reached approximately 100% at 5 microM histamine. Blockade of histamine N-methyltransferase by amodiaquin (100 microM) abolished catabolism completely, whereas blockade of diamine oxidase by aminoguanidine (100 microM) was less effective. MS fluxes of histamine and hist-rad correlated with mannitol fluxes. Mast cell stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187 (1 microM) induced a twofold larger histamine appearance on the serosal side than the mucosal application of 100 microM histamine. It is concluded that histamine permeation across the porcine proximal colon is restricted by low permeability and sequential catabolism by histamine N-methyltransferase and diamine oxidase.

Topics: Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing); Amodiaquine; Animals; Calcimycin; Colon; Enzyme Inhibitors; Guanidines; Histamine; Histamine N-Methyltransferase; Intestinal Mucosa; Ionophores; Mannitol; Mast Cells; Permeability; Swine

The effects of a range of nitric oxide (NO)-related compounds on histamine release from human basophils and rat peritoneal mast cells were studied. Basal and immunologic histamine releases from human basophils were not affected by N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine, N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, aminoguanidine or methylene blue (all inhibitors of NO production), sodium nitroprusside (an NO donor), L-arginine (a substrate for NO synthase) or D-arginine (the inactive enantiomer of L-arginine). In rat peritoneal mast cells, NO donors such as sodium nitroprusside, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, and lipopolysaccharide (an inducer of NO synthase) had little effect on basal histamine release, while 3-morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1, an NO donor), L-arginine and D-arginine increased this release by up to threefold. None of the inhibitors of NO production had any striking effect on histamine release induced by anti-rat immunoglobulin E (IgE), compound 48/80, sodium fluoride, phospholipase C, 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol or ionophore A23187. However, haemoglobin was found to inhibit histamine release by anti-rat IgE or A23187 by ca. 40%. Alone of the NO donors, low concentrations of L-arginine produced a mild inhibition of histamine release induced by anti-IgE, compound 48/80 and A23187, but not other ligands, while sodium nitroprusside dose-dependently inhibited (by a maximum of ca. 30%) histamine release by anti-rat IgE, sodium fluoride or A23187. Stimulation with a variety of secretagogues or treatment with L-arginine, D-arginine, lipopolysaccharide, SIN-1 or sodium nitroprusside had no effect on NO production. Similarly, L-arginine, D-arginine or sodium nitroprusside did not change intracellular cGMP levels. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that NO does not play a significant role in the modulation of histamine release from human basophils or rat peritoneal mast cells. The effects of L-arginine, D-arginine and sodium nitroprusside may involve mechanisms unrelated to NO.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies; Arginine; Basophils; Calcimycin; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Guanidines; Hemoglobins; Histamine; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Male; Mast Cells; Methylene Blue; Molsidomine; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; Nitrates; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Donors; Nitroarginine; Nitroprusside; p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine; Peritoneal Cavity; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sodium Fluoride; Sodium Nitrite

We have established simple and reliable measurement of constitutive nitric oxide (NO) synthase-dependent nitrite formation in supernatants from primary central nervous system (CNS) cells in culture using NO-ozone chemoluminescence. We found that: (1) astrocytes, endothelial cells and cerebellar granule cells produce NO upon stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187 (1 microM); (2) application of 100 microM glutamate for 2 min results in NO-production in cerebellar granule cells and cortical neurons. NO-formation upon application of 50 mM KCl was found in cortical neurons; (3) in cultivated cerebral endothelial cells, an inducible form of NO-synthase (iNOS) is found under standard culture conditions. This induction was blocked by dexamethasone applied for at least 48 h and stimulation of constitutive NOS was detectable while iNOS was inhibited. The activity of iNOS was selectively inhibited by application of aminoguanidine for 48 h. Our results suggest that all major CNS cells implied in cerebral blood flow regulation and neurovascular coupling are capable of rapidly producing the vasodilator NO upon intracellular increases of the universal second messenger calcium.

Topics: Animals; Brain; Calcimycin; Calcium; Cells, Cultured; Enzyme Inhibitors; Glutamic Acid; Guanidines; Luminescent Measurements; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitrites; Ozone; Potassium Chloride; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; Tissue Distribution

The purpose of these experiments was to investigate a potential role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in mediating vascular dysfunction induced by increased glucose flux via the sorbitol pathway. Skin chambers were mounted on the backs of Sprague-Dawley rats and 1 wk later, granulation tissue in the chamber was exposed twice daily for 7 d to 5 mM glucose, 30 mM glucose, or 1 mM sorbitol in the presence and absence of neutralizing VEGF antibodies. Albumin permeation and blood flow were increased two- to three-fold by 30 mM glucose and 1 mM sorbitol; these increases were prevented by coadministration of neutralizing VEGF antibodies. Blood flow and albumin permeation were increased approximately 2.5-fold 1 h after topical application of recombinant human VEGF and these effects were prevented by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors (aminoguanidine and N(G)-monomethyl L-arginine). Topical application of a superoxide generating system increased albumin permeation and blood flow and these changes were markedly attenuated by VEGF antibody and NOS inhibitors. Application of sodium nitroprusside for 7 d or the single application of a calcium ionophore, A23187, mimicked effects of glucose, sorbitol, and VEGF on vascular dysfunction and the ionophore effect was prevented by coadministration of aminoguanidine. These observations suggest a potentially important role for VEGF in mediating vascular dysfunction induced by "hypoxia-like" cytosolic metabolic imbalances (reductive stress, increased superoxide, and nitric oxide production) linked to increased flux of glucose via the sorbitol pathway.

Topics: Animals; Calcimycin; Cell Membrane Permeability; Endothelial Growth Factors; Female; Glucose; Guanidines; Humans; Lymphokines; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Nitroprusside; omega-N-Methylarginine; Rabbits; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Recombinant Proteins; Regional Blood Flow; Serum Albumin; Skin; Sorbitol; Superoxides; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors