thiourea and Fever

The vanilloid receptor TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1) is a cation channel that serves as a polymodal detector of pain-producing stimuli such as capsaicin, protons (pH <5.7), and heat. TRPV1 antagonists block pain behaviors in rodent models of inflammatory, neuropathic, and cancer pain, suggesting their utility as analgesics. Here, we report that TRPV1 antagonists representing various chemotypes cause an increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), identifying a potential issue for their clinical development. Peripheral restriction of antagonists did not eliminate hyperthermia, suggesting that the site of action is predominantly outside of the blood-brain barrier. Antagonists that are ineffective against proton activation also caused hyperthermia, indicating that blocking capsaicin and heat activation of TRPV1 is sufficient to produce hyperthermia. All TRPV1 antagonists evaluated here caused hyperthermia, suggesting that TRPV1 is tonically activated in vivo and that TRPV1 antagonism and hyperthermia are not separable. TRPV1 antagonists caused hyperthermia in multiple species (rats, dogs, and monkeys), demonstrating that TRPV1 function in thermoregulation is conserved from rodents to primates. Together, these results indicate that tonic TRPV1 activation regulates body temperature.

Topics: Acrylamides; Animals; Benzothiazoles; Blood-Brain Barrier; Body Temperature Regulation; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Capsaicin; Cells, Cultured; CHO Cells; Conserved Sequence; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Dogs; Female; Fever; Humans; Hypothermia; Macaca fascicularis; Male; Quinoxalines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Species Specificity; Sulfonamides; Thiourea; TRPV Cation Channels

Production of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species has been thought to contribute to the long-term depletion of brain dopamine and serotonin (5-HT) produced by amphetamine derivatives, i.e., methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). In the present study, the effects of nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors were examined on the long-term depletion of striatal dopamine and/or 5-HT produced by the local perfusion of malonate and MDMA or the systemic administration of MDMA. The effect of MDMA on nitric oxide formation and nitrotyrosine concentration also was determined. Perfusion with MDMA and malonate resulted in a 34% reduction of 5-HT and 49% reduction of dopamine concentrations in the striatum. The systemic administration of NOS inhibitors, N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride and S-methyl-l-thiocitrulline (S-MTC), and the peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst Fe(III) tetrakis (1-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin pentachloride attenuated the MDMA- and malonate-induced depletion of striatal dopamine and 5-HT. S-MTC also attenuated the depletion of 5-HT in the striatum produced by the systemic administration of MDMA without attenuating MDMA-induced hyperthermia. Additionally, the systemic administration of MDMA significantly increased the formation of nitric oxide and the nitrotyrosine concentration in the striatum. These results support the conclusion that MDMA produces reactive nitrogen species in the rat that contribute to the neurotoxicity of this amphetamine analog.

Topics: Animals; Brain Chemistry; Citrulline; Dopamine; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fever; Male; Malonates; Microdialysis; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Neostriatum; Nerve Tissue Proteins; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; Peroxynitrous Acid; Rats; Serotonin; Serotonin Agents; Thiourea; Tyrosine

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a multifunctional protein which is known to induce a febrile response when injected intracerebroventricularly. The gaseous neurotransmitters, nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), are both known to exert thermoregulatory effects and to participate in lipopolysaccharide-induced fever. In this study, we investigated the role of NO and CO in the febrile response to PDGF-BB in rats. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of PDGF-BB produced a dose-dependent increase in body temperature. This increase in body temperature induced by PDGF-BB was exacerbated by N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME-a nonselective NO synthase inhibitor) and S-methyl-L-thiocitrulline treatment [SMTC-a neuronal NOS (nNOS) selective inhibitor], but not by aminoguanidine treatment [an inducible NOS (iNOS) selective inhibitor]. Zinc deuteroporphyrin 2,4-bis glycol treatment (ZnDPBG-a nonselective heme oxygenase (HO) blocker) did not affect PDGF-BB fever. Our data indicate that the NO but not the CO pathway participates in PDGF-BB fever. Furthermore, our data show that nNOS is the NOS isoform responsible for NO synthesis in this response.

Topics: Animals; Becaplermin; Body Temperature; Carbon Monoxide; Citrulline; Deuteroporphyrins; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fever; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); Isoenzymes; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Thiourea

Methamphetamine (METH)-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity is associated with hyperthermia. We investigated the effect of several neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitors on METH-induced hyperthermia and striatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity. Administration of METH (5 mg/kg; q. 3 h x 3) to Swiss Webster mice produced marked hyperthermia and 50-60% depletion of striatal dopaminergic markers 72 h after METH administration. Pretreatment with the nNOS inhibitors S-methylthiocitrulline (SMTC; 10 mg/kg) or 3-bromo-7-nitroindazole (3-Br-7-NI; 20 mg/kg) before each METH injection did not affect the persistent hyperthermia produced by METH, but afforded protection against the depletion of dopaminergic markers. A low dose (25 mg/kg) of the nNOS inhibitor 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) did not affect METH-induced hyperthermia, but a high dose (50 mg/kg) produced significant hypothermia. These findings indicate that low dose of selective nNOS inhibitors protect against METH-induced neurotoxicity with no effect on body temperature and support the hypothesis that nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite have a major role in METH-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity.

Topics: Animals; Citrulline; Dopamine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fever; Indazoles; Male; Methamphetamine; Mice; Neostriatum; Nerve Degeneration; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Neurotoxins; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Thiourea