guanosine-triphosphate and Body-Weight

Non‑alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance and inflammation; however, the exact pathogenesis of NAFLD is not fully understood. Green tea polyphenols (GTP) exhibit beneficial effects against metabolic syndrome. However, the effect of GTP on NAFLD remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of GTP on NAFLD in high‑fat diet (HFD)‑induced rats. The NAFLD rat model was induced with a HFD for 8 weeks. A total of 30 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: i) Normal control group; ii) HFD group; and iii) HFD with GTP group. Hematoxylin and eosin and Oil Red O analyses were performed. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate amino-transferase (AST) and inflammatory cytokines in the serum, as well as oxidative stress markers and hepatic lipids in the liver were measured. In addition, parameters associated with glucose metabolism were also assessed. Western blotting and RT‑qPCR were used to determine the expression levels of 5' adenosine monophosphate‑activated protein kinase (AMPK). HFD‑induced rats exhibited features associated with NAFLD. GTP intervention significantly reduced serum ALT and AST levels. Fasting serum glucose, insulin resistance and hepatic lipid levels were all decreased in the GTP‑treated rats. GTP also significantly decreased the levels of TNF‑α, IL‑6 and malondialdehyde. In contrast, superoxide dismutase levels were increased in the liver. Furthermore, GTP also significantly increased phosphorylation of AMPK and attenuated histopathological changes indicative of injury in liver tissue. GTP has a protective effect on HFD‑induced hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance and inflammation, and the underlying mechanism may involve the AMPK pathway.

Topics: AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; Animals; Blood Glucose; Body Weight; Diet, High-Fat; Fatty Liver; Guanosine Triphosphate; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Lipid Metabolism; Liver Function Tests; Male; Plant Extracts; Polyphenols; Rats; Tea

This study is designed to determine the simultaneous effect of aluminium (Al) and melatonin (Mel) treatment in intact and ovariectomized (Ovx) female rats on oxidative stress and their inter-organ relationship in the kidney and liver. Al-treated rats received an intra-peritoneal injection of solution of aluminium lactate (0.575 mg Al/100 g of body weight, three times a week), during 12 weeks. Mel groups received intra-peritoneal injections of melatonin at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day, 5 days/week, during 12 weeks. The results of this study showed that Al treatment in female rats modifies homeostasis of glutathione and the antioxidant capacity of the rat liver and kidney. The alteration of glutathione homeostasis and oxidative status was not associated with an increased lipid peroxidation in both organs with the exception of the increase observed in the liver of Ovx rats. Al also induced modifications in the activity of some enzymes related to the glutathione cycle: GSH-Px in the liver and kidney and glutathione reductase only in the kidney. Al exposure decreased CAT activity in both the kidney and liver of intact and Ovx groups. The administration of Mel in the intact and castrated females treated with Al seems to reduce oxidative changes in the liver and kidney of intact and Ovx rats.

Topics: Aldosterone; Aluminum; Aluminum Compounds; Animals; Antioxidants; Body Weight; Female; Guanosine Triphosphate; Kidney; Kidney Concentrating Ability; Lactates; Liver; Melatonin; Organ Size; Osmolar Concentration; Ovariectomy; Oxidative Stress; Photometry; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; Urodynamics; Uterus; Water

Epidemiological studies indicate that the consumption of green tea polyphenols (GTP) may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. To explore the underlying mechanisms of action at the molecular level, we examined the effects of GTP on the cardiac mRNA and protein levels of genes involved in insulin and lipid metabolism and inflammation. In rats fed a high-fructose diet, supplementation with GTP (200 mg/kg BW daily dissolved in distilled water) for 6 wk, reduced systemic blood glucose, plasma insulin, retinol-binding protein 4, soluble CD36, cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and LDL-C levels, as well as the pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-6. GTP did not affect food intake, bodyweight and heart weight. In the myocardium, GTP also increased the insulin receptor (Ir), insulin receptor substrate 1 and 2 (Irs1 and Irs2), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (Pi3k), v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (Akt1), glucose transporter 1 and 4 (Glut1 and Glut4) and glycogen synthase 1 (Gys1) expression but inhibited phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (Pten) expression and decreased glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (Gsk3beta) mRNA expression. The sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (Srebp1c) mRNA, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (Mttp) mRNA and protein, Cd36 mRNA and cluster of differentiation 36 protein levels were decreased and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (Ppar)gamma mRNA levels were increased. GTP also decreased the inflammatory factors: Tnf, Il1b and Il6 mRNA levels, and enhanced the anti-inflammatory protein, zinc-finger protein, protein and mRNA expression. In summary, consumption of GTP ameliorated the detrimental effects of high-fructose diet on insulin signaling, lipid metabolism and inflammation in the cardiac muscle of rats.

Topics: Animals; Blood Glucose; Body Weight; CD36 Antigens; Flavonoids; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; Guanosine Triphosphate; Inflammation; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Muscle Proteins; Myocardium; Organ Size; Phenols; Polyphenols; Rats; Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; RNA, Messenger; Tea

Many fish species adapt to hypoxia by reducing their metabolic rate and increasing hemoglobin-oxygen (Hb-O(2)) affinity. Pilot studies with young broods of cichlids showed that the young could survive severe hypoxia in contrast with the adults. It was therefore hypothesized that early exposure results in improved oxygen transport. This hypothesis was tested using split brood experiments. Broods of Astatoreochromis alluaudi, Haplochromis ishmaeli, and a tilapia hybrid (Oreochromis) were raised either under normoxia (NR; 80-90% air saturation) or hypoxia (HR; 10% air saturation). The activity of the mitochondrial citrate synthase was not different between NR and HR tilapia, but was significantly decreased in HR A. alluaudi and H. ishmaeli, indicating lowered maximum aerobic capacities. On the other hand, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were significantly higher in all HR fish of the three species, reflecting a physiological adaptation to safeguard oxygen transport capacity. In HR tilapia, intraerythrocytic GTP levels were decreased, suggesting an adaptive increase of blood-O(2) affinity. Similar changes were not found in HR H. ishmaeli. In this species, however, all HR specimens exhibited a distinctly different iso-Hb pattern compared with their NR siblings, which correlated with a higher intrinsic Hb-O(2) affinity in the former. All HR cichlids thus reveal left-shifted Hb-O(2) equilibrium curves, mediated by either decreased allosteric interaction or, in H. ishmaeli, by the production of new hemoglobins. It is concluded that the adaptation to lifelong hypoxia is mainly due to improved oxygen transport.

Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Body Weight; Chronic Disease; Cichlids; Energy Metabolism; Erythrocytes; Guanosine Triphosphate; Hematocrit; Hemoglobins; Hydrocortisone; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hypoxia; Isoelectric Focusing; Muscle, Skeletal; Oxygen Consumption; Species Specificity

Regulation of thermogenic activity and uncoupling protein1 (UCP1) expression in brown adipose tissue (BAT) were studied in euthermic Daurian ground squirrel after acute and chronic cold exposure at 4 degrees C. The UCP1 concentration was indirectly determined by titration with its specific ligand [3H]-labeled GTP, and Ucp1 mRNA was detected by using a [32P]-labeled antisense oligonucleotide probe. Both acute and chronic cold exposure stimulated up-regulation of Ucp1 mRNA. Although UCP1 concentration is not significantly increased after 24 h of cold exposure, it is markedly elevated by 75% in squirrels after 4-week cold adaptation compared with controls raised at 22 degrees C. Changes in T4 5'-deiodinase activity were closely associated with variations of Ucp1 mRNA level. Ucp1 gene expression is significantly affected by cold exposure in BAT from euthermic Daurian ground squirrels. In addition, the activation of T4 5'-deiodinase may be an important regulatory factor in cold-induced Ucp1 expression.

Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Adipose Tissue, Brown; Animals; Body Temperature Regulation; Body Weight; Carrier Proteins; Cold Temperature; Female; Guanosine Triphosphate; Hibernation; Iodide Peroxidase; Ion Channels; Male; Membrane Proteins; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Proteins; Sciuridae; Uncoupling Protein 1

The aim of this study is to investigate age-related changes in alpha 1-adrenergic receptor and G-protein in rat parotid gland, and to examine whether the age-related changes are modulated by food restriction. The binding characteristics of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor were measured in parotid cell membranes from 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month-old ad libitum-fed (AL) and food-restricted (FR) rats. The number of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors (Bmax) increased between 3 and 6 months by 24.5% and 16.2% in AL and FR rats, respectively, with no further significant change up to 24 months of age. The Kd values of [3H]prazosin binding increased by 53.6% in AL rats, but decreased by 16.1% in FR rats between 3 and 6 months, and the changes were maintained up to 24 months of age. The binding activity of G-protein with [35S]guanosine 5'-[gamma-Thio]triphosphate (GTP[gamma S]) in parotid cell membranes was measured in 6- and 24-month-old AL and FR rats. Basal GTP binding capacity decreased by 22.3% and 26.0% in AL and FR rats, respectively, between 6 and 24 months. Epinephrine-stimulated increase in GTP binding capacity decreased by 19.2% between 6 and 24 months in AL rats, but not in FR rats. The Kd values of [35S]GTP[gamma S] binding were not affected by aging or food restriction. In summary: (1) FR decreased maturation-related increase in the number of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors and prevented maturation-related decrease in receptor binding affinity between 3 and 6 months of age. However, between 6 and 24 months of age FR had no further significant effect on the number of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors and on receptor binding affinity. (2) FR prevented age-related decrease in alpha 1-adrenergic agonist-stimulated increase in GTP binding capacity. We conclude that FR may have a modulatory effect on age-related impairment in alpha 1-adrenergic receptor function resulting from altered G-protein binding activity in the rat parotid gland.

Topics: Aging; Animals; Binding, Competitive; Body Weight; Cell Membrane; Eating; Epinephrine; Food Deprivation; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine Triphosphate; Male; Organ Size; Parotid Gland; Prazosin; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha

Fetal and neonatal tissues are resistant to catecholamine-induced desensitization of essential physiological responses. We examined the mechanisms underlying the ontogeny of desensitization in neonatal rat heart for the beta-adrenergic receptor/adenylyl cyclase signaling cascade. Animals of different ages received isoproterenol daily or 4 days and cardiac membrane preparations were evaluated on the 5th day (6, 15, 25 days old and adults). Measurements were made of basal activity, activity stimulated by two agonists (isoproterenol or glucagon) that operate at different receptors but that share Gs as the transduction intermediate, or by forskolin-Mn' to assess total catalytic capacity of the cyclase subunit; we also assessed inhibition of activity by carbachol which acts via muscarinic cholinergic receptors and G. Adult rats exhibited robust desensitization of the adenylyl cyclase response but the effect was heterologous in that equivalent loss of activity was seen for basal, isoproterenol- and glucagon-stimulated activity forskolin-Mn(2+)-stimulated activity was also decreased. Two factors contributed to desensitization; generalized reduction in membrane protein concentrations caused by cell enlargement (reduced surface-to-volume ratio), and specific interference with the G-protein component that couples receptors to the cyclase. Thus, after adjustment for changes in membrane protein, the desensitization of the forskolin-Mn2, response was no longer evident, but the effects on the other measures were still present. In addition, isoproterenol treatment produced crosstalk with the carbachol/Gi signaling pathway, with significant reductions in the ability of carbachol to inhibit adenylyl cyclase activity. Heterologous desensitization by isoproterenol was also present in 15 and 25 day old rats, but involved only selective components of the effects seen in adults. At 25 days, uncoupling of signals operating through Gs and Gi was obtained without a reduction in forskolin-Mn(2+)-stimulated activity. At 15 days, only the effect on Gs coupling was seen. At 6 days, agonist-induced desensitization was not detectable and instead, heterologous sensitization was found. In these youngest animals, isoproterenol treatment produced a parallel increase in basal, isoproterenol-, glucagon- and forskolin-Mn(2+)-stimulated activity, unaccompanied by changes in membrane protein concentrations, indicating an increase in adenylyl cyclase catalytic activity. These results indicate th

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Adrenergic beta-Agonists; Age Factors; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Body Weight; Carbachol; Cell Membrane; Colforsin; Drug Hypersensitivity; Female; Glucagon; GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go; GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine Triphosphate; Heart; Isoproterenol; Male; Manganese; Membrane Proteins; Muscarinic Agonists; Myocardium; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; Time Factors

Freshly weaned 30-day-old male Wistar rats were fed a vitamin D-deficient diet adequate in calcium and phosphorus for 3 months. On the 120th day of age three different doses of vitamin D were injected intramuscularly into three groups of rats and maintained for another month with water and a normal diet ad libitum. One group was continued with a vitamin D-deficient diet up to the 150th day. One group of animals was killed by decapitation on the 120th day and testicular functions like sperm count in testis and epididymis, testicular glutamyl transpeptidase activity and Leydig cell count as well as body weight were noted. On the 150th day animals of all groups were killed and testicular function was studied. Body weight and testicular function decreased significantly on the 120th and 150th day of age in vitamin D-deficient rats as compared to age-matched normal control rats. Injection of lower doses of vitamin D on the 120th day of age improved testicular function after 1 month whereas administration of a high dose of vitamin D caused a deterioration of the testicular function. The result suggests that retardation of spermatogenesis due to disturbances in Sertoli and Leydig cell function in vitamin D deficiency is reversible and can be corrected by supplementing an optimal dose of vitamin D.

Topics: Aging; Animals; Body Weight; Calcium; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Epididymis; Guanosine Triphosphate; Injections, Intramuscular; Leydig Cells; Male; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sertoli Cells; Sperm Count; Testis; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors; Adenylyl Cyclases; Animals; Animals, Suckling; Body Weight; Corpus Striatum; Enkephalin, Methionine; Female; Guanosine Triphosphate; Male; Nutrition Disorders; Pregnancy; Rats

Although glucocorticoids cause growth retardation and interfere with cell development, selective promotion of some aspects of cell function also has been reported. The current study examines whether glucocorticoids enhance intracellular transduction mechanisms mediated by adenylate cyclase in the developing forebrain, a region in which steroids have been shown to interfere with cell replication, maturation, and growth. Pregnant rats were given dexamethasone at doses spanning the threshold for growth impairment (0.05, 0.2, and 0.8 mg/kg) on gestational days 17, 18, and 19, and development of adenylate cyclase was evaluated in membrane preparations, using four different activity measures; basal adenylate cyclase in the absence or presence of GTP, maximal G-protein activation by fluoride in the presence of GTP, and stimulation mediated by forskolin-Mn2+, which bypasses the G-proteins. Prenatal exposure to dexamethasone produced a dose-dependent impairment of body growth, with smaller deficits in forebrain weights (brain sparing) indicative of systemic toxicity. Basal adenylate cyclase activity was unaffected by dexamethasone treatment, regardless of whether GTP was present in the assay. Similarly, fluoride stimulation developed normally in all dexamethasone groups. However, forskolin-Mn(2+)-stimulated activity was significantly enhanced in a dose-dependent fashion. These results suggest that glucocorticoids serve as positive factors for the development of adenylate cyclase catalytic subunit activity, independently of their adverse effects on general growth and development; thus, these hormones may be a primary regulator of cell signaling during early development.

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Aging; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Body Weight; Colforsin; Dexamethasone; Female; Fluorides; Gestational Age; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine Triphosphate; Macromolecular Substances; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Membrane Proteins; Pregnancy; Prosencephalon; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Weight Gain

The effects of chronic lead exposure on mRNA expression, ADP-ribosylation and photoaffinity labeling with [alpha-32P]guanine triphosphate-gamma-azidoanilide ([32P]GTP-A) of alpha i or alpha s subunit of G protein were investigated in neurons isolated from the brain of neonatal and adult rats exposed to lead acetate or sodium acetate (for control). Rats were exposed by oral feeding for 10 days or 20 weeks to a low level of lead acetate or sodium acetate. The exposure started either prenatally or at an adult age. The expression of alpha i-mRNA in neurons obtained from the brain of control neonatal rats was significantly higher than that of the expression in samples obtained from the brain of control adult rats or the brain of rats exposed to lead at an adult age. The expression of alpha i-mRNA in neurons obtained from the brain of control neonatal rats, lead-exposed neonatal rats and adult rats prenatally exposed to lead did not differ significantly. Chronic lead exposure did not affect the expression of alpha s-mRNA in neurons obtained from the brain of neonatal and adult rats. The ADP-ribosylation or the photoaffinity labeling with [32P]GTP-A of alpha i or alpha s subunits reflected the developmental pattern of the expression of alpha i or alpha s-mRNA. The incorporation of radioactivity in alpha i-subunit obtained from the brain of control neonatal rats, lead-exposed neonatal rats and rats prenatally exposed to lead was greater than the incorporation in alpha i-subunit obtained from the brain of control adult rats or rats exposed to lead at an adult age. The incorporation of radioactivity did not differ significantly in alpha s-subunits obtained from control or lead-exposed neonatal and adult rats. These observations indicate that (1) the mRNA expression, ADP-ribosylation and photoaffinity labeling with [32P]GTP-A of alpha i-subunit decrease, whereas the mRNA expression, ADP-ribosylation and photoaffinity labeling with [32P]GTP-A of alpha s-subunit do not change as animals age after postnatal day 10, (2) chronic prenatal lead exposure delays the age-dependent decrease in mRNA expression, ADP-ribosylation and photoaffinity labeling of alpha i subunit, and (3) chronic adult exposure does not cause these changes.

Topics: Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose; Affinity Labels; Animals; Azides; Base Sequence; Body Weight; Brain; Drinking Behavior; Feeding Behavior; Female; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine Triphosphate; Lead; Molecular Sequence Data; Neurons; Oligonucleotides; Photochemistry; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rats; RNA, Messenger

We investigated the influence of dietary protein levels on the fate of methylmercury (MeHg), the tissue glutathione (GSH) levels and the efflux rates of GSH in C57BL/6N male mice. One group of mice was fed a 7.5% protein diet (low protein diet, LPD) and the other was fed a 24.8% protein diet (normal protein diet, NPD). The cumulative amount of Hg in urine in LPD-fed mice was approximately 3.7-times lower than in NPD group during the 7 days after oral administration of MeHg (20 mumol/kg), although the fecal Hg levels were identical in the two groups. Hg concentration in kidney, liver and blood decreased time-dependently for 7 days after the administration in both groups of mice, whereas the brain levels continued to increase during this period. Tissue Hg levels in the LPD group were significantly higher than in the NPD group except for the liver. Although the hepatic GSH level in LPD-fed mice was significantly lower than in NPD-fed mice, the levels in the kidney, brain, blood and plasma were not different between the two groups. The efflux rate (mumol/g body weight per day) of hepatic GSH in LPD-fed mice was significantly lower than in the NPD group, whereas the efflux rates of renal GSH were identical in both groups. When MeHg (20 mumol/kg)-pretreated mice were injected with acivicin, a specific inhibitor of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, the urinary Hg levels increased by 60- and 36-fold in groups fed LPD and NPD, respectively. As a result, the difference in urinary Hg levels between the two groups disappeared with acivicin treatment. This result indicated that LPD feeding might decrease urinary Hg excretion by increasing the retention of MeHg metabolite(s) in renal cells. Thus, our present study suggested that the dietary protein status, which could modulate the metabolism of thiol compounds, played an important role in determining the fate of MeHg.

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Dietary Proteins; Guanosine Triphosphate; Half-Life; Isoxazoles; Kidney; Liver; Male; Methylmercury Compounds; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Organ Size; Tissue Distribution

Adenylate cyclase activity was determined in membranes of liver, muscle, white adipose tissue, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) of lean (Fa/) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. Responses were monitored following beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation and addition of GTP, GTP gamma S, or forskolin. beta-Adrenergic responses in liver, white adipose tissue, and BAT were lower in obese than in lean animals. No such difference was observed in muscle membranes. Production of cAMP after addition of guanine nucleotides was lower in liver and white adipose tissue membranes from obese rats compared with their lean littermates. Synthesis of cAMP in muscle membranes of obese animals after addition of GTP was either not different, or slightly higher, than that observed in muscle membranes from lean animals. Furthermore, production of cAMP after forskolin addition to muscle membranes of obese rats was significantly higher than that observed from lean rats under the same conditions. Interestingly, BAT membranes of obese rats were significantly more sensitive to guanine nucleotide activation than those of lean animals. The results confirm recent findings indicating inferior function of G proteins in liver plasma membranes of obese Zucker rats, and extend this observation to adipose tissue. The present results further suggest that the "nonreceptor" components (e.g., G proteins) responsible for the activation of adenylate cyclase in BAT membranes of obese rats are more responsive to stimulation than those of lean animals. Such sensitivity may be related to and perhaps compensate for the reduced thermogenic activity in the obese Zucker rat during the development of obesity.

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Adipose Tissue; Adipose Tissue, Brown; Animals; Body Weight; Colforsin; Cyclic AMP; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Triphosphate; Isoproterenol; Liver; Muscles; Norepinephrine; Obesity; Organ Size; Rats; Rats, Zucker; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta

The effect of prostaglandin E1 alpha-cyclodextrin host molecule (PGE1 . CD) was estimated by using a model of immune complex glomerulonephritis induced in rats by i.v. injection of 1 mg of rabbit serum albumin every other day. PGE1 . CD was given subcutaneously for 10 days after nephritis was definitely induced and resulted in a rapid restoration of various biochemical parameters, especially in plasma. The continuous s.c. administration of PGE1 . CD (300 micrograms/rat/day) with a mini osmotic pump provoked a therapeutic effect similar to that obtained with twice daily s.c. administration of PGE1 . CD (300 micrograms/rat X 2/day). Both PGE1 . CD groups revealed less glomerular damage and fewer locations of immune complexes in glomeruli as demonstrated by light and immunofluorescence microscopy. The beneficial effect of PGE1 . CD may be associated with reduced immune complex deposits in glomeruli. The present studies suggest that PGE1 . CD may enhance the clearance of immune complex deposits from the glomeruli rather than inhibiting the formation of immune complex in the circulation.

Topics: Acetylglucosaminidase; Alkaline Phosphatase; alpha-Cyclodextrins; Alprostadil; Animals; Body Weight; Cyclodextrins; Dextrins; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Guanosine Triphosphate; Hyperlipidemias; Immune Complex Diseases; Kidney Glomerulus; Male; Nephritis; Prostaglandins E; Proteinuria; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Starch; Time Factors; Uremia

To study the effects of maternal alcohol ingestion on brain adenylate cyclase in offspring, rats were given ethanol in the drinking water before, during and after gestation. Fifteen-day-old pups from alcoholic mothers had reduced body and wet brain weight and protein content with normal concentrations of DNA and RNA in brain; pups from mothers deprived of alcohol from the 21st day of gestation had normal growth and brain protein, DNA, RNA and cyclic nucleotide concentrations. Adenylate cyclase activity was less in homogenates from the diencephalon, mesencephalon and cerebellum of alcoholic and alcohol-deprived mothers than in the corresponding homogenates from control mothers. A reduction of the enzyme activity was only observed in homogenates from diencephalon of offspring from alcoholic and alcohol-deprived mothers as compared with controls. Sensitivity of adenylate cyclase to noradrenaline was reduced in the corpora striata and diencephalon from alcoholic mothers, while these changes were absent in alcohol-deprived mothers and their offspring. Ingestion of ethanol in pregnant mothers does not seem to affect significantly the adenylate system in the brain of the offspring.

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Animals; Body Weight; Brain; Catecholamines; Corpus Striatum; Ethanol; Female; Guanosine Triphosphate; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sodium Fluoride; Subcellular Fractions

1. The purine nucleotides were determined in the whole blood of 13 species of seawater teleosts and 3 species of selachians. 2. The ATP/ADP ratio ranged from 4 to 50 in the erythrocytes of the fish examined. 3. GTP is widely distributed in fish erythrocytes but its level ranged from 2 to 27 nmol/mg Hb, the highest value being observed in Conger. 4. Conger, Melanogrammus and Merlangus exhibited a GTP/ATP ratio higher than 1. The concentration of GTP per mol of Hb (physiologically most indicative) is higher than 1 in Conger, Melanogrammus, Merlangus and Pollachus, and close to 1 in Molva and Gadus.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Body Weight; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Erythrocytes; Fishes; Guanosine Triphosphate; Hematocrit; Hemoglobins; Purine Nucleotides; Species Specificity

Topics: Amino Acids; Animals; Body Weight; Calcium; Cytosol; Guanosine Triphosphate; Heart; Magnesium; Male; Mice; Muscle Proteins; Muscular Dystrophy, Animal; Myocardium; Organ Size; Peptide Elongation Factors; Potassium; Ribosomes; RNA, Transfer; RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl