Increasing dietary choline attenuates spatial memory deficits resulting from exposure to the chemotherapeutic agents cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin

BACKGROUND

Choline supplementation (+Ch) improves cognitive function in impaired animals and humans. Chemotherapy-related cognitive deficits (CRCDs) occur in cancer patients, and these deficits persist following treatment, adversely impacting quality of life. To date, there are no approved treatments for this condition.

AIM

Because +Ch improves impaired memory, it was of interest to determine whether +Ch can attenuate spatial memory deficits induced by the chemotherapeutic agents doxorubicin (DOX) and cyclophosphamide (CYP).

METHODS

Female BALB/C mice, 64 days of age, were trained in the Morris water maze and baseline performance determined on day 15. Following baseline assessment, mice were placed on +Ch diet (2.0% Ch) or remained on standard diet (0.12% Ch). Mice received intravenous injections of DOX (2.5 mg/kg) and CYP (25 mg/kg), or equivalent volumes of saline (0.9% NaCl), on days 16, 23, 30, and 37, and spatial memory was assessed weekly from day 22 to 71.

RESULTS

DOX and CYP produced a prolonged impairment in spatial memory as indicated by an increased latency to the correct zone (p < 0.05), and a decrease in time in the correct zone (p < 0.05), % of total swim distance in the correct zone (p < 0.05) and % entries to the correct zone (p < 0.05). These effects were attenuated by +Ch.

CONCLUSION

Although it remains to be determined whether this effect extends to other cognitive domains and whether +Ch is prophylactic or therapeutic, these findings suggest that +Ch may be an effective intervention for CRCDs.

The ASPET Mentoring Network: Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion through Career Coaching Groups within a Scientific Society

Over the past decades, two persisting priorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training have been: 1) increasing the knowledge of and access to careers beyond academic scientist; and 2) increasing the diversity of the STEM workforce. Previous studies show that a uniquely constructed career coaching group provides strong support and progress for both priorities. This report extends this design into a more sustainable model that is positioned within the professional context of rising young scientists. This new model is based in the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)-the ASPET Mentoring Network. Groups of PhD students and postdocs were assigned to an ASPET professional (academic or other career) member (the coach) with an initial meeting held the day before the society's annual meeting. The coaching groups interacted during the meeting and then virtually for a year. Extensive survey and interview evaluation data gathered from the first three cohorts (12 coaching groups) in 2016- 2018 provided strong evidence of the perceived and real benefits of the network. This new version of career coaching groups is both feasible and linked to career success due to its close association with a scientific society, peers, and coaches who share scientific identities and aspirations.

Regulation of Gait and Balance: The Underappreciated Role of Neuronal Nicotinic Receptor Agonists

Alterations in gait and balance are manifest in numerous neurological disorders such as the ataxias and Parkinson's disease, and may occur as a consequence of stroke, traumatic brain injury and chemical insults to the brain. Although the underlying etiology of these disorders differs, disturbances in gait and balance appear to reflect deficits in cholinergic pathways within the brain. During the past 40 years, both clinical case studies and preclinical data have provided evidence that nicotinic cholinergic activation is beneficial for alleviating gait and balance deficits in many disorders. Further, studies indicate that activation of neuronal nicotinic receptors leads to neuroprotective and neurotrophic actions. And yet, despite these findings, there hsas been no concerted effort to develop neuronal nicotinic agonists for the treatment of abnormal gait and balance. The goal of this review is to shed light on the therapeutic benefit of the cholinergic nicotinic system for the treatment of ataxia, and discuss the challenges and limitations associated with developing drugs to treat disorders involving deficits in gait and balance.

3-Acetylpyridine neurotoxicity in mice

3-acetylpyridine (3-AP) is a metabolic antagonist used in research to decrease levels of nicotinamide (niacinamide) in laboratory animals. The administration of 3-AP followed by nicotinamide to rats leads to the selective destruction of neurons in the medial inferior olive, resulting in a loss of climbing fibers innervating cerebellar Purkinje cells and a consequent ataxia manifest by alterations in both balance and gait. Although 3-AP has also been administered to mice to destroy neurons in the inferior olive, there are limited studies quantifying the consequent effects on balance, and no studies on gait. Further, the relationship between 3-AP-induced lesions of the inferior olive and behavior has not been elucidated. Because 3-AP continues to be used for experiments involving mice, this study characterized the effects of this toxin on both balance and gait, and on the neuronal integrity of several brain regions involved in motor coordination. Results indicate that C57BL/6 mice are less sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of 3-AP than rats, and a dose more than 6.5 times that used for rats produces deficits in both balance and gait comparable to those in rats. This dose led to a significant (p<0.05) loss of NeuN(+) neurons in several subregions of the inferior olive including the rostral medial nucleus, dorsomedial cell column, ventrolateral protrusion, and cap of Kooy. Further, the number of NeuN(+) neurons in these subregions, with the exception of the dorsomedial cell column, was significantly (p<0.05) related to rotorod performance, implicating their involvement in this behavior.

Analysis of gait in rats with olivocerebellar lesions and ability of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist varenicline to attenuate impairments

Studies have demonstrated that administration of the neuronal nicotinic receptor agonist varenicline to rats with olivocerebellar lesions attenuates balance deficits on a rotorod and balance beam, but the effects of this drug on gait deficits have not been investigated. To accomplish this, male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to walk on a motorized treadmill at 25 and 35 cm/s and baseline performance determined; both temporal and spatial gait parameters were analyzed. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the key components of gait, and the cumulative gait index (CGI) was calculated, representing deviations from prototypical gait patterns. Subsequently, animals either remained as non-lesioned controls or received injections of 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP)/nicotinamide to destroy the climbing fibers innervating Purkinje cells. The gait of the non-lesioned group was assessed weekly to monitor changes in the normal population, while the gait of the lesioned group was assessed 1 week following 3-AP administration, and weekly following the daily administration of saline or varenicline (0.3, 1.0, or 3.0mg free base/kg) for 2 weeks. Non-lesioned animals exhibited a 60-70% increased CGI over time due to increases in temporal gait measures, whereas lesioned animals exhibited a nearly 3-fold increased CGI as a consequence of increases in spatial measures. Following 2 weeks of treatment with the highest dose of varenicline (3.0mg free base/kg), the swing duration of lesioned animals normalized, and stride duration, stride length and step angle in this population did not differ from the non-lesioned population. Thus, varenicline enabled animals to compensate for their impairments and rectify the timing of the gait cycle.

Gait and balance in adults with Friedreich's ataxia

Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is an autosomal recessive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness and sensory loss, balance deficits, and gait ataxia. Gait and balance impairments become worse as the disease progresses, but limited research has quantitatively assessed these deficits in adults with FA. The purpose of this study was to analyze gait and balance in this population and investigate the relationship between these variables. Eight subjects with genetically confirmed FA (29.4±9.0 years) and eight healthy, matched control subjects (29.6±9.1 years) participated in this study. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were examined using the GAITRite Walkway System while balance was examined utilizing the Biodex Balance System SD and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The FA group exhibited approximately 50% slower gait velocity and 32% shorter step and stride lengths compared to the control group for both comfortable and fast walking (p<0.001). Further, stride length variability in the FA group was 3.4 and 2.7 times that of controls for comfortable and fast walking, respectively (p<0.01). Subjects with FA took 72% longer to complete the limits of stability (LOS) test and attained an overall directional control score that was 50% that of controls (p<0.05). Lastly, age at FA symptom onset correlated with stride length variability during fast walking (p<0.05), and BBS and LOS test scores correlated with stride length variability during both comfortable and fast walking (p<0.05). Results demonstrate that adults with FA have significantly impaired gait and balance and several measures of these impairments are correlated.

Gait analysis and the cumulative gait index (CGI): Translational tools to assess impairments exhibited by rats with olivocerebellar ataxia

Deviations from 'normal' locomotion exhibited by humans and laboratory animals may be determined using automated systems that capture both temporal and spatial gait parameters. Although many measures generated by these systems are unrelated and independent, some may be related and dependent, representing redundant assessments of function. To investigate this possibility, a treadmill-based system was used to capture gait parameters from normal and ataxic rats, and a multivariate analysis was conducted to determine deviations from normal. Rats were trained on the treadmill at two speeds, and gait parameters were generated prior to and following lesions of the olivocerebellar pathway. Control (non-lesioned) animals exhibited stable hindlimb gait parameters across assessments at each speed. Lesioned animals exhibited alterations in multiple hindlimb gait parameters, characterized by significant increases in stride frequency, braking duration, stance width, step angle, and paw angle and decreases in stride, stance, swing and propulsion durations, stride length and paw area. A principal component analysis of initial hindlimb measures indicated three uncorrelated factors mediating performance, termed Rhythmicity, Thrust and Contact. Deviation in the performance of each animal from the group mean was determined for each factor and values summed to yield the cumulative gait index (CGI), a single value reflecting variation within the group. The CGI for lesioned animals increased 2.3-fold relative to unlesioned animals. This study characterizes gait alterations in laboratory rats rendered ataxic by destruction of the climbing fiber pathway innervating Purkinje cells and demonstrates that a single index can be used to describe overall gait impairments.

Ethanol conditioned place preference and alterations in ΔFosB following adolescent nicotine administration differ in rats exhibiting high or low behavioral reactivity to a novel environment

This study determined the effects of adolescent nicotine administration on adult alcohol preference in rats exhibiting high or low behavioral reactivity to a novel environment, and ascertained whether nicotine altered ΔFosB in the ventral striatum (vStr) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) immediately after drug administration or after rats matured to adulthood. Animals were characterized as exhibiting high (HLA) or low (LLA) locomotor activity in the novel open field on postnatal day (PND) 31 and received injections of saline (0.9%) or nicotine (0.56 mg free base/kg) from PND 35 to 42. Ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) was assessed on PND 68 following 8 days conditioning in a biased paradigm; ΔFosB was measured on PND 43 or PND 68. Following adolescent nicotine exposure, HLA animals demonstrated a CPP when conditioned with ethanol; LLA animals were unaffected. Further, adolescent nicotine exposure for 8 days increased levels of ΔFosB in limbic regions in both HLA and LLA rats, but this increase persisted into adulthood only in LLA animals. Results indicate that adolescent nicotine exposure facilitates the establishment of an ethanol CPP in HLA rats, and that sustained elevations in ΔFosB are not necessary or sufficient for the establishment of an ethanol CPP in adulthood. These studies underscore the importance of assessing behavioral phenotype when determining the behavioral and cellular effects of adolescent nicotine exposure.

Neuronal nicotinic receptor agonists improve gait and balance in olivocerebellar ataxia

Clinical studies have reported that the nicotinic receptor agonist varenicline improves balance and coordination in patients with several types of ataxia, but confirmation in an animal model has not been demonstrated. This study investigated whether varenicline and nicotine could attenuate the ataxia induced in rats following destruction of the olivocerebellar pathway by the neurotoxin 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP). The administration of 3-AP (70 mg/kg followed by 300 mg niacinamide/kg; i.p.) led to an 85% loss of inferior olivary neurons within one week without evidence of recovery, and was accompanied by a 72% decrease in rotorod activity, a 3-fold increase in the time to traverse a stationary beam, a 19% decrease in velocity and 31% decrease in distance moved in the open field, and alterations in gait parameters, with a 19% increase in hindpaw stride width. The daily administration of nicotine (0.33 mg free base/kg) for one week improved rotorod performance by 50% and normalized the increased hindpaw stride width, effects that were prevented by the daily preadministration of the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine (0.8 mg free base/kg). Varenicline (1 and 3 mg free base/kg daily) also improved rotorod performance by approximately 50% following one week of administration, and although it did not alter the time to traverse the beam, it did improve the ability to maintain balance on the beam. Neither varenicline nor nicotine, at doses that improved balance, affected impaired locomotor activity in the open field. Results provide evidence that nicotinic agonists are of benefit for alleviating some of the behavioral deficits in olivocerebellar ataxia and warrant further studies to elucidate the specific mechanism(s) involved.

The role of estrogen receptor β and nicotinic cholinergic receptors in postpartum depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a devastating disease occurring in approximately 20% of women. Women who suffer from PPD appear to be more sensitive to postpartum hormonal changes than women who do not experience this form of depression. Furthermore, women who quit smoking prior to or during pregnancy, and who develop PPD, are at an increased risk of smoking relapse. Unfortunately, the mechanistic relationship between the pathophysiology of PPD and smoking relapse is unknown. Here we review the roles of both estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and cholinergic nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) in the pathogenesis of depression and propose a mechanistic rationale to explain the high rate of smoking relapse exhibited by women who develop PPD.

A randomized trial of varenicline (Chantix) for the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study was to evaluate the efficacy of varenicline (Chantix), a partial agonist at α4β2 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors used for smoking cessation, in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 3.

METHODS

Patients with genetically confirmed SCA3 were randomly assigned to receive either varenicline (4 weeks for titration and 4 weeks at a dose of 1 mg twice daily) or placebo. Outcome measures included changes in the Scale for the Rating and Assessment of Ataxia (SARA) scores at endpoint (8 weeks) compared with baseline, a timed 25-foot walk and 9-hole peg test, measurements of mood and anxiety, and adverse events.

RESULTS

Twenty patients with SCA3 (mean age = 51 ± 10.98 years; mean disease duration = 14 ± 9.82 years; mean SARA score = 16.13 ± 4.67) were enrolled in the study, and data on 18 patients were analyzed in period I. The most common side effect associated with varenicline was nausea. Improvements were noted in the SARA subsections for gait (p = 0.04), stance (p = 0.03), rapid alternating movements (p = 0.003), and timed 25-foot walk (p = 0.05) and Beck Depression Inventory scores (p = 0.03) in patients taking varenicline compared with those taking placebo at endpoint, with a trend toward improvement in the SARA total score (p = 0.06) in the varenicline group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this controlled study, varenicline significantly improved axial symptoms and rapid alternating movements in patients with SCA3 as measured by SARA subscores and was fairly well tolerated.

CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE

This study provides Class II evidence that varenicline improved the axial functions of gait, stance, and timed 25-foot walk but did not improve appendicular function, except for rapid alternating movements, in adult patients with genetically confirmed SCA3.

Nicotine-induced up regulation of α4β2 neuronal nicotinic receptors is mediated by the protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of α4 subunits

Sustained exposure to nicotine is well known to increase the cell surface density of α4β2* neuronal nicotinic receptors both in vivo and in vitro, but the cellular mechanisms mediating this effect are equivocal. Using a pharmacological approach to investigate the effects of nicotine on receptor subunit expression and phosphorylation in SH-EP1 cells expressing human α4 and β2 nicotinic receptor subunits, we have demonstrated that incubation with nicotine for 24 h increased the expression of immature and mature forms of both α4 and β2 subunits in a concentration-dependent manner, and that inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC), but not cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibited the nicotine-induced increased expression of subunits. Incubation of cells with nicotine for 24 h also increased the phosphorylation of immature forms of α4 subunits similar to that induced by activation of either PKC or PKA. When cells were preincubated with nicotine, the PKC-mediated increased phosphorylation was inhibited; the PKA-mediated phosphorylation was unaltered. The phosphopeptide maps for immature α4 subunits following nicotine exposure or PKC activation were identical, and phosphoamino acid analyses indicated phosphorylation on serine residues only. Results indicate that nicotine-induced up regulation of α4β2 neuronal nicotinic receptors involves a PKC-dependent mechanism and likely reflects the ability of nicotine to activate PKC, leading to the phosphorylation of immature α4 subunits, promoting subunit assembly and receptor maturation. Because up regulation of these receptors has been implicated to mediate tolerance, locomotor sensitization and addiction to nicotine, results identify a potential new target for modulating the effects of nicotine on the brain.

Activation and inhibition of mouse muscle and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes

Transgenic mouse models with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) knockouts and knockins have provided important insights into the molecular substrates of addiction and disease. However, most studies of heterologously expressed neuronal nAChR have used clones obtained from other species, usually human or rat. In this work, we use mouse clones expressed in Xenopus oocytes to provide a relatively comprehensive characterization of the three primary classes of nAChR: muscle-type receptors, heteromeric neuronal receptors, and homomeric alpha7-type receptors. We evaluated the activation of these receptor subtypes with acetylcholine and cytisine-related compounds, including varenicline. We also characterized the activity of classic nAChR antagonists, confirming the utility of mecamylamine and dihydro-beta-erythroidine as selective antagonists in mouse models of alpha3beta4 and alpha4beta2 receptors, respectively. We also conducted an in-depth analysis of decamethonium and hexamethonium on muscle and neuronal receptor subtypes. Our data indicate that, as with receptors cloned from other species, pairwise expression of neuronal alpha and beta subunits in oocytes generates heterogeneous populations of receptors, most likely caused by variations in subunit stoichiometry. Coexpression of the mouse alpha5 subunit had varying effects, depending on the other subunits expressed. The properties of cytisine-related compounds are similar for mouse, rat, and human nAChR, except that varenicline produced greater residual inhibition of mouse alpha4beta2 receptors than with human receptors. We confirm that decamethonium is a partial agonist, selective for muscle-type receptors, but also note that it is a nondepolarizing antagonist for neuronal-type receptors. Hexamethonium was a relatively nonselective antagonist with mixed competitive and noncompetitive activity.

Cortical alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and beta-amyloid levels in early Alzheimer disease

OBJECTIVE

To examine alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) binding and beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide load in superior frontal cortex (SFC) across clinical and neuropathological stages of Alzheimer disease (AD).

DESIGN

Quantitative measures of alpha7 nAChR by [(3)H]methyllycaconitine binding and Abeta concentration by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in SFC were compared across subjects with antemortem clinical classification of no cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, or mild to moderate AD, and with postmortem neuropathological diagnoses.

SETTING

Academic medical center. Subjects Twenty-nine elderly retired clergy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Quantitative measures of alpha7 nAChR binding and Abeta peptide concentration in SFC.

RESULTS

Higher concentrations of total Abeta peptide in SFC were associated with clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate AD (P = .02), lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores (P = .003), presence of cortical Abeta plaques (P = .02), and likelihood of AD diagnosis by the National Institute on Aging-Reagan criteria (P = .002). Increased alpha7 nAChR binding was associated with National Institute on Aging-Reagan diagnosis (P = .02) and, albeit weakly, the presence of cortical Abeta plaques (P = .08). There was no correlation between the 2 biochemical measures.

CONCLUSIONS

These observations suggest that during the clinical progression from normal cognition to neurodegenerative disease state, total Abeta peptide concentration increases while alpha7 nAChRs remain relatively stable in SFC. Regardless of subjects' clinical status, however, elevated alpha7 nAChR binding is associated with increased Abeta plaque pathology, supporting the hypothesis that cellular expression of these receptors may be upregulated selectively in Abeta plaque-burdened brain areas.

Repeated ethanol exposure during adolescence alters the developmental trajectory of dopaminergic output from the nucleus accumbens septi

Individuals who begin using alcohol prior to 14 years of age are 4 times more likely to progress to addiction than those who do not initiate use until 21 years of age. The nucleus accumbens septi undergoes dramatic developmental transitions during the adolescent period, and dopaminergic activity within this region has been identified as a central neurochemical mediator of drug reward, addiction and dependence. Thus, alcohol-induced neurochemical alterations in dopaminergic activity within this brain region likely mediate the heightened vulnerability to addiction observed in adolescent alcohol users. To investigate this idea, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to intraperitoneal injections of either saline or ethanol (0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg) twice daily over four days beginning on postnatal day 21, 31, 41 or 56. Cannulas were implanted toward the nucleus accumbens septi, subsequent in vivo microdialysis was used to collect samples, and both basal and ethanol-stimulated dopamine overflow was measured using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. A developmental transition in basal levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens septi was apparent with peak levels at postnatal day 45. An ethanol challenge produced unique responses across ages, with greater peak effects relative to baseline in younger animals (postnatal day 25 and 35). Following repeated exposure to ethanol, a significant increase in basal dopamine was apparent for all ages, and when these animals were challenged with ethanol, peak effects relative to baseline were decreased in younger animals, but unchanged in older animals (postnatal day 45 and 60). Results indicate that there is a key developmental transition in the ability of rats to adapt to the effects of repeated ethanol exposure, which occurs between postnatal day 35 and 45. This alteration may explain the increased addiction vulnerability observed in individuals who initiate alcohol use during early adolescence.

Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A and protein kinase C phosphorylate alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor subunits at distinct stages of receptor formation and maturation

Neuronal nicotinic receptor alpha4 subunits associated with nicotinic alpha4beta2 receptors are phosphorylated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC), but the stages of receptor formation during which phosphorylation occurs and the functional consequences of kinase activation are unknown. SH-EP1 cells transfected with DNAs coding for human alpha4 and/or beta2 subunits were incubated with (32)Pi, and PKA or PKC was activated by forskolin or phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, respectively. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting of proteins from cells expressing alpha4beta2 receptors or only alpha4 subunits were used to identify free alpha4 subunits, and alpha4 subunits present in immature alpha4beta2 complexes and mature alpha4beta2 pentamers containing complex carbohydrates. In the absence of kinase activation, phosphorylation of alpha4 subunits associated with mature pentamers was three times higher than subunits associated with immature complexes. PKA and PKC activation increased phosphorylation of free alpha4 subunits on different serine residues; only PKC activation phosphorylated subunits associated with mature alpha4beta2 receptors. Activation of both PKA and PKC increased the density of membrane-associated receptors, but only PKC activation increased peak membrane currents. PKA and PKC activation also phosphorylated beta2 subunits associated with mature alpha4beta2 receptors. Results indicate that activation of PKA and PKC leads to the phosphorylation alpha4beta2 receptors at different stages of receptor formation and maturation and has differential effects on the expression and function of human alpha4beta2 receptors.

Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) phosphorylates Ser362 and 467 and protein kinase C phosphorylates Ser550 within the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of human nicotinic receptor alpha4 subunits

Studies have suggested that the expression, translocation, and function of alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptors may be modulated by alpha4 subunit phosphorylation, but little direct evidence exists to support this idea. The objective of these experiments was to identify specific serine/threonine residues on alpha4 subunits that are phosphorylated in vivo by cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C (PKC). To accomplish this, DNAs coding for human alpha4 subunits containing alanines in place of serines/threonines predicted to represent phosphorylation sites were constructed, and transiently transfected with the DNA coding for wild-type beta2 subunits into SH-EP1 cells. Cells were pre-incubated with (32)Pi and incubated in the absence or presence of forskolin or phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate. Immunoprecipitated alpha4 subunits were subjected to immunoblot, autoradiographic and phosphoamino acid analyses, and two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping. Results confirmed the presence of two alpha4 protein bands, a major band of 71/75 kDa and a minor band of 80/85 kDa. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the major band indicated that only serine residues were phosphorylated. Phosphopeptide maps demonstrated that Ser362 and 467 on the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of the alpha4 subunit represent major cAMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation sites, while Ser550 also contained within this major intracellular loop is a major site for protein kinase C phosphorylation.

The Controversy Concerning Plasma Homocysteine in Parkinson Disease Patients Treated with Levodopa Alone or with Entacapone

Levodopa treatment of Parkinson disease results in hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) as a consequence of levodopa methylation by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Although inhibition of COMT should theoretically prevent or reduce levodopa-induced HHcy, results from several prospective studies are conflicting. Our review of these studies suggests that the ability of COMT inhibition to reduce or prevent levodopa-induced HHcy in Parkinson disease patients may be attributed to differences in the vitamin status of the study participants. In patients with low or low-normal folate levels, levodopa administration is associated with a greater increase in homocysteine and concomitant entacapone administration is associated with a greater reduction in homocysteine.

Developmental differences in nicotine place conditioning

To understand the motivations and implications of the prevalence of smoking, studies have compared the behavioral effects of nicotine, the psychoactive drug in tobacco, in adolescent and adult animals. The present study used a biased three-chambered conditioned-place preference procedure without prior habituation to examine the potential rewarding and anxiolytic effects of nicotine across adolescence and adulthood to assess the presence of age-dependent differences in response to nicotine.

The α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit Exists in Two Isoforms that Contribute to Functional Ligand-Gated Ion Channels

Fast synaptic transmission in mammalian autonomic ganglia is mediated primarily by nicotinic receptors, and one of the most abundant nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in these neurons contains the alpha7 subunit (alpha7-nAChRs). Unlike alpha7-nAChRs expressed in other cells, the predominant alpha7-nAChR subtype found in rat intracardiac and superior cervical ganglion neurons exhibits a slow rate of desensitization and is reversibly blocked by alpha-bungarotoxin (alphaBgt). We report here the identification of an alpha7 subunit sequence variant in rat autonomic neurons that incorporates a novel 87-base pair cassette exon in the N terminus of the receptor and preserves the reading frame of the transcript. This alpha7 isoform was detected using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction techniques in neonatal rat brain and intracardiac and superior cervical ganglion neurons. Immunoblot experiments using a polyclonal antibody directed against the deduced amino acid sequence of the alpha7-2 insert showed a pattern of expression consistent with alpha7-2 subunit mRNA distribution. Moreover, the alpha7-2 subunit could be immunodepleted from protein extracts by solid-phase immunoprecipitation techniques using the anti-alpha7 monoclonal antibody 319. The alpha7-2 subunit was shown to form functional homomeric ion channels that were activated by acetylcholine and blocked by alpha-bungarotoxin when expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. This alpha7 isoform exhibited a slow rate of desensitization, and inhibition of these channels by alphaBgt reversed rapidly after washout. Taken together, these data indicate that the alpha7-2 subunit is capable of forming functional alphaBgt-sensitive acetylcholine receptors that resemble the alpha7-nAChRs previously identified in rat autonomic neurons. Furthermore, the distribution of the alpha7-2 isoform is not limited to peripheral neurons.

Transdermal selegiline: targeted effects on monoamine oxidases in the brain

BACKGROUND

The oral administration of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors has the potential to cause a hypertensive reaction after the ingestion of tyramine-containing compounds. Because transdermal drug administration bypasses gastrointestinal absorption, it is possible that inhibition of MAO-A in brain may be achieved without enzyme inhibition in the gastrointestinal system, thereby eliminating the possibility of this drug interaction. These studies determined whether the transdermal administration of selegiline has differential effects on MAOs in brain versus the gastrointestinal system.

METHODS

Rats were exposed to various doses of selegiline via a transdermal patch for up to 30 days, and MAO-A and MAO-B activities were determined in brain regions and gastrointestinal tissue.

RESULTS

In all brain regions, transdermal selegiline, at doses that produced maximal MAO-B inhibition, led to a dose- and time-dependent MAO-A inhibition. The inhibition of MAOs in gastrointestinal tissue was less than that in brain, and doses that produced maximal MAO-A inhibition in brain inhibited MAO-A in gastrointestinal tissue by only 30%-40%.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that transdermal selegiline preferentially inhibits MAO-A in brain relative to the gastrointestinal system. As a consequence, transdermal selegiline should be devoid of the potential to cause a hypertensive reaction after the ingestion of tyramine-containing compounds.

Phosphorylation of the alpha4 subunit of human alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptors: role of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC)

This study determined whether the alpha4 subunit of human alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors is phosphorylated in situ by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) or protein kinase C (PKC). To accomplish this, human cloned epithelial cells stably transfected with the human alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor (SH-EP1-halpha4beta2) were incubated with 32P-orthophosphate to label endogenous ATP stores, and the phosphorylation of alpha4 subunits was determined in the absence or presence of PKA or PKC activation. Autoradiographs and immunoblots indicated that alpha4 subunits immunoprecipitated from a membrane preparation of SH-EP1-halpha4beta2 cells exhibited a single 32P-labeled band corresponding to the alpha4 subunit protein; no signals were associated with untransfected SH-EP1 cells. The alpha4 subunits from SH-EP1-halpha4beta2 cells incubated in the absence of the activators exhibited a basal level of phosphorylation that was decreased in the presence of the PKA inhibitor H-89 (5 microM), but unaltered in the presence of the PKC inhibitor Ro-31-8220 (0.1 microM). Activation of PKA by forskolin (10 microM), dibutyryl-cAMP (1 mM), or Sp-8-Br-cAMP (1 mM) enhanced phosphorylation nearly threefold; the inactive isomer, Rp-8-Br-cAMP (1 mM) had no effect. In addition, the forskolin effect was totally blocked by the PKA inhibitor H-89 (5 microM). Activation of PKC by the phorbol esters PDBu (200 nM) or PMA (200 nM) increased alpha4 subunit phosphorylation approximately twofold, and the PDBu effect was blocked by the selective PKC inhibitor Ro-31-8220 (0.1 microM). These findings indicate that the alpha4 subunit of human alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptors is phosphorylated in situ by PKA and PKC.

Phosphorylation sites within alpha4 subunits of alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors: a comparison of substrate specificities for cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC)

The present study determined whether putative phosphorylation sites within the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of the human alpha4 subunit of alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors are substrates for cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) or protein kinase C (PKC). Five peptides corresponding to predicted phosphorylation sequences were synthesized, and phosphorylation was compared with standard peptide substrates for each kinase, that is, Kemptide for PKA and glycogen synthase (GS) 1-8 for PKC. VRCRSRSI had the highest affinity for PKA, with a Km of 44.5 microM; Kemptide had a Km of 7.7 microM. LMKRPSVVK and KARSLSVQH were also phosphorylated by PKA, but had lower affinities of 593 microM and 2896 microM, respectively. LMKRPSVVK had the highest affinity for PKC with a Km of 182 microM; GS 1-8 had a Km of 2.1 microM. VRCRSRSI had a comparative affinity for PKC with a Km of 327 microM. PCKCTCKK was not phosphorylated by PKA, but was a substrate for PKC with a Km of 1392 microM, whereas PGPSCKSP was not phosphorylated by either kinase. Based on these findings, results suggest that Ser-362 and Ser-486 on the human alpha4 subunit may be phosphorylated by either PKA or PKC, Ser-467 is a putative PKA site, and Thr-532 represents a likely PKC substrate; Ser-421 does not appear to be phosphorylated by either kinase.

Identification of three cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) phosphorylation sites within the major intracellular domain of neuronal nicotinic receptor alpha4 subunits

This study determined whether all protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation sites on the alpha4 subunit of rat alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors could be localized to the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of the protein, and investigated specific amino acid substrates for the kinases through two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping and site-directed mutagenesis. Experiments were conducted using alpha4beta2 receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes and a fusion protein corresponding to the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of alpha4 (alpha4(333-594) ). When oocytes expressing alpha4beta2 receptors were incubated with [(32) P]orthophosphate in order to label endogenous ATP stores, phosphorylation of alpha4 subunits was evident. Incubation of either immunoprecipitated receptors or the fusion protein with [(32) P]ATP and either PKA or PKC followed by trypsinization of the samples demonstrated that the kinases phosphorylated alpha4 subunits on multiple phosphopeptides, and that the phosphorylated full-length alpha4 protein and fusion protein produced identical phosphopeptide maps. Site-directed mutagenesis of Ser365, Ser472 and Ser491 to alanines in the fusion protein eliminated phosphopeptides phosphorylated by PKA, but not by PKC. Other mutations investigated, Ser470, Ser493, Ser517 and Ser590, did not alter the phosphopeptide maps. Results indicate that Ser365, Ser472 and Ser491 on neuronal nicotinic receptor alpha4 subunits are phosphorylated by PKA and are likely to represent post-translational regulatory sites on the receptor.

Characterization of human alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors stably expressed in SH-EP1 cells

These studies characterized human alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors stably expressed in a human epithelial cell line (SH-EP1). Receptors in transfected SH-EPI-halpha4beta2 cells were functional, as determined by increases in intracellular Ca2+ in response to a nicotine stimulus. Nicotine increased Fura-2 fluorescence in a concentration-dependent manner with an apparent EC50 of 2.4 microM, a response that was blocked by the specific antagonist mecamylamine. When cells were incubated in 50 nM nicotine for 24 hours, the Ca2+ response inactivated by 44%, an effect that recovered within 24 hours. SH-EP1-halpha4beta2 cells expressed a single class of high affinity binding sites for [3H]cytisine with a Kd of 0.63 +/- 0.08 nM and a Bmax of 6,797 +/- 732 femtomoles/mg protein. Incubation of cells with 50 nM nicotine for 24 hours increased the Bmax by 45% without changing affinity, a concentration-dependent effect with an EC50, of 58.6 nM. The nicotine-induced up regulation was reversible, and control values were achieved within 24 hours. Results indicate that SH-EPI-halpha4beta2 cells may be a good model system to study regulation of human alpha4beta2 receptors, the most abundant nicotinic receptor subtype in brain.

Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein kinase C phosphorylate sites in the amino acid sequence corresponding to the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of alpha4 neuronal nicotinic receptor subunits

To determine whether alpha4 subunits of alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors are phosphorylated within the M3/M4 intracellular region by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) or protein kinase C (PKC), immunoprecipitated receptors from Xenopus oocytes and a fusion protein corresponding to the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of alpha4 (alpha4(336-597)) were incubated with ATP and either PKA or PKC. Both alpha4 and alpha4(336-597) were phosphorylated by PKA and PKC, providing the first direct biochemical evidence that the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of neuronal nicotinic receptor alpha4 subunits is phosphorylated by both kinases. When the immunoprecipitated receptors and the alpha4(336-597) fusion protein were phosphorylated and the labeled proteins subjected to phosphoamino acid analysis, results indicated that alpha4 and alpha4(336-597) were phosphorylated on the same amino acid residues by each kinase. Furthermore, PKA phosphorylated serines exclusively, whereas PKC phosphorylated both serines and threonines. To determine whether Ser(368) was a substrate for both kinases, a peptide corresponding to amino acids 356-371 was synthesized (alpha4(356-371)) and incubated with ATP and the kinases. The phosphorylation of alpha4(356-371) by both PKA and PKC was saturable with K(m)s of 15.3 +/- 3.3 microM and 160.8 +/- 26.8 microM, respectively, suggesting that Ser(368) was a better substrate for PKA than PKC.

Differential effects of nicotine and aging on splenocyte proliferation and the production of Th1- versus Th2-type cytokines

Nicotine has a multitude of biological actions in the central and peripheral nervous systems where nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are found. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have also been identified on immune cells, but the effects of nicotine on immune responses are not well characterized. These studies tested the hypotheses that nicotine has an effect on both T-lymphocyte proliferation and the production of cytokines by activated T cells, processes that are necessary for effective T-cell-mediated immune responses. In addition, the effects of nicotine on these immune responses in aging animals and the effects of nicotine exposure prior to immunostimulation were investigated. Murine splenocytes were exposed to nicotine and stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA). The highest concentration of nicotine (128 microg/ml) significantly depressed proliferation of T cells both when nicotine and ConA were added concurrently and when nicotine was added 3 hr prior to ConA. Nicotine, added concurrently with ConA at concentrations between 0. 25 and 64 microg/ml, significantly inhibited the production of IL-10 by splenocytes from young adult mice, whereas the inhibition of production of IL-10 by splenocytes from old mice was significantly inhibited, but the response was more variable, depending on the nicotine concentration. In contrast, the production of IFN-gamma by splenocytes from either young adult or old mice was not affected when nicotine (0.016-64 microg/ml) was added concurrently with ConA. Pre-exposure to 1 microg/ml of nicotine for 3 hr significantly enhanced the production of IFN-gamma by splenocytes from young adult mice, whereas pre-exposure to 0.016 microg/ml of nicotine tended to but did not significantly enhance IFN-gamma production. Nicotine is now being used as an over-the-counter drug by people who differ in age and general immunocompetence. Therefore, the effects of nicotine on immune responses, independent from the effects of the other chemicals found in tobacco, need to be investigated.

Neonatal cytomegalovirus exposure decreases prepulse inhibition in adult rats: implications for schizophrenia

The goal of these studies was to determine whether neonatal viral exposure leads to a deficit in information processing in adulthood. To accomplish this, rats were infected neonatally with rat cytomegalovirus, and acoustic startle responses were measured when rats were 120 days old. Acoustic startle was elicited by using a 118-decibel (dB) white noise alone or after a prepulse 10 dB above background (65 dB); responses were measured after an injection of saline or the dopamine agonist apomorphine. Response amplitudes after the pulse alone were not significantly altered by either viral exposure or apomorphine. Responses of animals exposed to the prepulse before the pulse were approximately 10% of that after the pulse alone and did not differ between control or virus-exposed animals injected with saline. Animals injected with apomorphine exhibited a greater startle response than animals injected with saline, and control and virus-exposed rats injected with apomorphine differed in the magnitude of their responses. Apomorphine attenuated responses after the prepulse, and virus-exposed animals exhibited more than twice the attenuation than non-virus-exposed animals. Analysis of prepulse inhibition, calculated from the acoustic startle data, indicated that although viral exposure alone did not significantly affect information processing, when virus-injected rats were exposed to apomorphine, a significant 38% decrease in prepulse inhibition was apparent. Findings demonstrate that rats infected neonatally with rat cytomegalovirus exhibit a deficit in sensorimotor gating upon dopamine stimulation, supporting a possible link between viral infection and schizophrenia.

Oral versus transdermal selegiline: antidepressant-like activity in rats

These studies compared the dose-response effects of oral vs. transdermal selegiline on antidepressant-like activity and brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities in rats. Rats received selegiline by gavage (0-100 mg/kg) or via transdermal patches (0-4.8 cm2, 0-8.7 mg/kg) daily for 7 days; antidepressant-like activity was determined using the forced-swim test. Following behavioral testing, cerebral cortices were assayed for MAO-A and MAO-B activities. Doses of selegiline that selectively inhibited MAO-B (3 and 10 mg/kg/day by gavage and 0.4 mg/kg/day via patch) did not alter either immobility or latency time. However, the oral administration of 30 or 100 mg/kg/day or the transdermal administration of 8.7 mg/kg/day, doses that led to greater than 70% inhibition of MAO-A, decreased immobility time significantly. The IC50s for inhibition of MAO-A following oral and transdermal administration for 7 days were 19.8 and 1.1 mg/kg, respectively. Results indicate that both oral and transdermal selegiline have antidepressant-like activity as assessed by the forced-swim test, and that transdermal administration, which bypasses first-pass metabolism, allows for using lower doses than oral administration.

Nicotine enhances the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation of alpha4 subunits of neuronal nicotinic receptors

Studies determined whether alpha4beta2 or alpha3beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes are substrates for cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and whether nicotine affects receptor phosphorylation. The cRNAs for the subunits were coinjected into oocytes, and cells were incubated for 24 h in the absence or presence of nicotine (50 nM for alpha4beta2 and 500 nM for alpha3beta2 receptors). Nicotine did not interfere with the isolation of the receptors. When receptors isolated from oocytes expressing alpha4beta2 receptors were incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP and the catalytic subunit of PKA, separated by electrophoresis, and visualized by autoradiography, a labeled phosphoprotein with the predicted molecular size of the alpha4 subunit was present. Phosphorylation of alpha4 subunits of alpha4beta2 receptors increased within the first 5 min of incubation with nicotine and persisted for 24 h. In contrast, receptors isolated from oocytes expressing alpha3beta2 receptors did not exhibit a labeled phosphoprotein corresponding to the size of the alpha3 subunit. Results suggest that the PKA-mediated phosphorylation of alpha4 and not alpha3 subunits may explain the differential inactivation by nicotine of these receptor subtypes expressed in oocytes.

Comparison of nicotinic receptor binding and biotransformation of coniine in the rat and chick

Coniine, an alkaloid from Conium maculatum (poison hemlock), is a known teratogen in many domestic species with maternal ingestion resulting in arthrogryposis of the offspring. We have previously shown that rats are not susceptible and rabbits only weakly susceptible to coniine-induced arthrogryposis. However, the chick embryo does provide a reproducible laboratory animal model of coniine-induced teratogenesis. The reason for this cross-species variation is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate coniine binding to nicotinic receptors and to measure coniine metabolism in vitro between susceptible and non-susceptible species. Using the chick model, neither the peripheral nicotinic receptor antagonist d-tubocurarine chloride nor the central nicotinic receptor antagonist trimethaphan camsylate blocked the teratogenesis or lethality of 1.5% coniine (50 microliters/egg). Trimethaphan camsylate enhanced coniine-induced lethality in a dose-dependent manner. Neither nicotinic receptor blocker prevented nicotine sulfate-induced malformations but d-tubocurarine chloride did block lethality in a dose-dependent manner. Competition by coniine for [125I]-alpha-bungarotoxin to nicotinic receptors isolated from adult rat diaphragm and chick thigh muscle and competition by coniine for [3H]-cytisine to receptors from rat and chick brain were used to assess coniine binding to nicotinic receptors. The IC50 for coniine in rat diaphragm was 314 microM while that for chick leg muscle was 70 microM. For neuronal nicotinic receptors, the IC50s of coniine for maternal rat brain, fetal rat brain, and chick brain were 1100 microM, 820 microM, and 270 microM, respectively. There were no differences in coniine biotransformation in vitro by microsomes from rat or chick livers. Differences in apparent affinity of coniine for nicotinic receptors or differences in the quantity of the nicotinic receptor between the rat and chick may explain, in part, the differences in susceptibility of coniine-induced teratogenesis between these two species.

Effects of phenobarbital and interleukin-6 on cytochrome P4502B1 and 2B2 in cultured rat hepatocytes

The objectives of this study were to characterize further the effects of phenobarbital (PB) on cytochrome P4502B1 and 2B2 (P4502B1/2) enzyme activity and immunoreactivity in rat hepatocytes and to investigate the mechanism(s) mediating the ability of interleukin-6 (IL-6) to inhibit this induction. PB caused a concentration-dependent increase in benzyloxyresorufin O-deethylase (BROD) activity with maximal effects (a 25-fold increase) at concentrations of 0.3 to 1 mM. The induction of BROD activity was linear over 24 hr of exposure. Immunoblot profiles of P4502B1/2 agreed with measurements of enzyme activity. In addition to inducing P4502B1/2, PB (0.75 mM) also increased the levels of P450 reductase by approximately 2-fold following a 24-hr exposure to PB. When IL-6 was added concomitantly with or up to 12 hr after the addition of PB, the PB induction of BROD activity and immunoreactivity was inhibited significantly. When 18 hr elapsed between the time of addition of PB and IL-6, the inhibitory effects of IL-6 were no longer apparent, suggesting that the actions of IL-6 were mediated by early events in the induction process. IL-6 did not affect the PB induction of P450 reductase. To determine whether IL-6 altered the degradation of P4502B1/2, hepatocytes were exposed to PB for 24 hr, then washed, and the loss of BROD activity and immunoreactivity following incubation with a protein synthesis inhibitor was measured. IL-6 did not alter the rate of loss of either enzyme activity or immunoreactivity, indicating that the effects of IL-6 could not be attributed to the enhanced degradation of P4502B1/2. Results suggest that the inhibition of PB-induced BROD activity by IL-6 is due to an action on early cellular and molecular events in the induction process.

Distribution of three nicotinic receptor alpha 4 mRNA transcripts in rat brain: selective regulation by nicotine administration

Northern blot analysis determined whether multiple alpha 4 transcripts for neuronal nicotinic receptors in rat brain could be detected as distinct bands. When poly(A)+ RNA was isolated from brain regions and hybridized with a Hinfl fragment of alpha 4-1 cDNA containing a sequence shared by both alpha 4-1 and alpha 4-2, but little homology with other alpha or beta subunits, bands at 6.0, 4.6, and 2.6 kb were obtained. When a Taql fragment with selectivity for alpha 4-1 was used, a single band was present at 6.0 kb. The 6.0-kb band was least abundant in all brain regions; the 2.6-kb band was most abundant in frontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum, basal forebrain, and thalamus, whereas the 4.6-kb band was most abundant in midbrain and cerebellum. Nicotine (3.6 mumol/kg, a.c., twice daily) increased the abundance of the 4.6-kb transcript in frontal cortex significantly by 28% following 2.5 days of injections; the 6.0- and 2.6-kb transcripts were unchanged. Nicotine did not affect alpha 4 transcripts in other brain regions. Results suggest that increased mRNA levels may mediate the nicotine-induced up-regulation of receptors in cerebral cortex.

Sustained nicotine exposure differentially affects alpha 3 beta 2 and alpha 4 beta 2 neuronal nicotinic receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes

To determine whether prolonged exposure to nicotine differentially affects alpha 3 beta 2 versus alpha 4 beta 2 nicotinic receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes, oocytes were coinjected with subunit cRNAs, and peak responses to agonist, evoked by 0.7 or 7 microM nicotine for alpha 4 beta 2 and alpha 3 beta 2 receptors, respectively, were determined before and following incubation for up to 48 h with nanomolar concentrations of nicotine. Agonist responses of alpha 4 beta 2 receptors decreased in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values in the 10 nM range following incubation for 24 h and in the 1 nM range following incubation for 48 h. In contrast, responses of alpha 3 beta 2 receptors following incubation for 24-48 h with 1,000 nM nicotine decreased by only 50-60%, and total ablation of responses could not be achieved. Attenuation of responses occurred within the first 5 min of nicotine exposure and was a first-order process for both subtypes; half-lives for inactivation were 4.09 and 2.36 min for alpha 4 beta 2 and alpha 3 beta 2 receptors, respectively. Recovery was also first-order for both subtypes; half-lives for recovery were 21 and 7.5 h for alpha 4 beta 2 and alpha 3 beta 2 receptors, respectively. Thus, the responsiveness of both receptors decreased following sustained exposure to nicotine, but alpha 4 beta 2 receptors recovered much slower. Results may explain the differential effect of sustained nicotine exposure on nicotinic receptor-mediated neurotransmitter release.

Chronic nicotine administration differentially affects neurotransmitter release from rat striatal slices

The objective of these experiments was to determine whether the chronic administration of nicotine, at a dose regimen that increases the density of nicotine binding sites, alters the nicotine-induced release of [3H]-dopamine ([3H]DA), [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE), [3H]-serotonin ([3H]5-HT), or [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) from rat striatal slices. For these experiments, rats received subcutaneous injections of either saline or nicotine bitartrate [1.76 mg (3.6 mumol)/kg, dissolved in saline] twice daily for 10 days, and neurotransmitter release was measured following preloading of the tissues with [3H]DA, [3H]NE, [3H]5-HT, or [3H]choline. Chronic nicotine administration did not affect the accumulation of tritium by striatal slices, the basal release of radioactivity, or the 25 mM KCl-evoked release of neurotransmitter. Superfusion of striatal slices with 1, 10, and 100 microM nicotine increased [3H]DA release in a concentration-dependent manner, and release from slices from nicotine-injected animals was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than release from saline-injected controls; release from the former increased to 132, 191, and 172% of release from the controls following superfusion with 1, 10, and 100 microM nicotine, respectively. Similarly, [3H]5-HT release increased in a concentration-related manner following superfusion with nicotine, and release from slices from nicotine-injected rats was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that from controls. [3H]5-HT release from slices from nicotine-injected rats evoked by superfusion with 1 and 10 microM nicotine increased to 453 and 217%, respectively, of release from slices from saline-injected animals. The nicotine-induced release of [3H]NE from striatal slices was also concentration dependent but was unaffected by chronic nicotine administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Differential effect of chronic nicotine administration on brain cytochrome P4501A1/2 and P4502E1

The effects of chronic nicotine administration on the enzymatic activities and immunoreactivities of P4501A1/2 and P4502E1 were determined in microsomal fractions from brain regions and liver. Chronic nicotine increased 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity and P4501A1/2 immunoreactivity in hippocampus and brain stem, decreased values in cerebral cortex, thalamus, and striatum, and did not affect parameters in other brain regions. In contrast, N-nitrosodimethylamine N-demethylase activity from nicotine-injected rats increased in all brain regions examined, and this increase was associated with increased P4502E1 immunoreactivity. Chronic nicotine did not alter either enzyme activities or immunoreactivities of these isoforms in hepatic microsomes.