Cysteine-induced effect on amino acids in neonatal rat brain

Summary In neonatal rat brain 6 h after s.c. administration of L-cysteine, an increase was observed in most of the amino acids with the exception of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, sarcosine, glutamine, hydroxyproline and phosphoethanolamine compared to age-matched saline controls. Cysteine was not present at detectable levels in control brain but was found to be 0.38 to 0.52 mole/g of fresh brain tissue in 2- and 4-day-old rats respectively after cysteine treatment.     

Maternal stress alters monoamine metabolites in fetal and neonatal rat brain

Summary Heat-restraint stress given rats during the last week of gestation significantly altered dopaminergic dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid (DOPAC and HVA) and noradrenergic 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenyl-ethylene glycol (MOPEG) forebrain-hypothalamic monoamine (MA) metabolites in female offspring. On gestational day 21, HVA and MOPEG were significantly higher and lower, and on postnatal day 1 all were higher. There were virtually no differences in brain MA concentrations in males. Thus MA metabolic concentrations differ in fetal-neonatal forebrain-hypothalamus as a function of sex differences and maternal stress.     

Maternal stress alters monoamine metabolites in fetal and neonatal rat brain

Heat-restraint stress given rats during the last week of gestation significantly altered dopaminergic dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid (DOPAC and HVA) and noradrenergic 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenyl-ethylene glycol (MOPEG) forebrain-hypothalamic monoamine (MA) metabolites in female offspring. On gestational day 21, HVA and MOPEG were significantly higher and lower, and on postnatal day 1 all were higher. There were virtually no differences in brain MA concentrations in males. Thus MA metabolic concentrations differ in fetal-neonatal forebrain-hypothalamus as a function of sex differences and maternal stress.     

Effect of des-Tyr1-gamma-endorphin on serotonin metabolism in rat brain regions

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of des-Tyr1-gamma-endorphin (0.1 and 1.0 microgram) caused a decrease of the serotonin (5-HT) concentration of the hippocampus. The concentration of 5-HIAA and the pargyline-induced alterations in 5-HT and 5-HIAA were not affected. No effects were noticed in other brain regions.     

Effect of des-Tyr1-γ-endorphin on serotonin metabolism in rat brain regions

Summary Intracerebroventicular (i.c.v.) administration of des-Tyr¹-γ-endorphin (0.1 and 1.0 μg) caused a decrease of the serotonin (5-HT) concentration of the hippocampus. The concentration of 5-HIAA and the pargyline-induced alterations in 5-HT and 5-HIAA were not affected. No effects were noticed in other brain regions. Acknowledgement. The skilful technical assistance of Ms Henny de Vos Burchart-Lodewijks and Mrs H.A. Spierenburg and J.A. Meijer is gratefully acknowledged. Des-Tyr¹-γ-endorphin was a gift of Dr. H.M. Greven, Organon International B.V., Oss, The Netherlands. To whom reprint requests should be addressed.     

Leucine aminopeptidase in the foetal kidney of the rat

Zusammenfassung Histochemisch demonstrierbare Leucinaminopeptidase erschien in den letzten Tagen der Schwangerschaft in einzelnen Gruppen von Tubuli der Rinde der fötalen Rattenniere. Der grösste Teil der Rinde und das Mark erwiesen sich als negativ. Nach der Geburt verbreitete sich das Ferment über die ganze Rinde und vermehrte seine Aktivität stark.     

Deficiency of membrane-bound dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV in a certain rat strain

Summary The activity of membrane-bound dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5) was found to be markedly reduced in the Fischer 344 rat strain compared with that in the Wistar strain. Analysis of membrane proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Ouchterlony immunodiffusion revealed the specific absence of this enzyme molecule in the Fischer 344 strain.     

Deficiency of membrane-bound dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV in a certain rat strain

The activity of membrane-bound dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5) was found to be markedly reduced in the Fischer 344 rat strain compared with that in the Wistar strain. Analysis of membrane proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Ouchterlony immunodiffusion revealed the specific absence of this enzyme molecule in the Fischer 344 strain.     

The effect of physostigmine on (Na++K+)-ATPase activity in different rat brain regions

Summary The activity of (Na⁺+K⁺)-ATPase and acetylcholine esterase were folloed in rat brain cerebral cortex, caudate, thalamus, hippocampus and medulla after i.v. administration of physostigmine. Both enzymes were found to be inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. The most pronounced inhibition of (Na⁺+K⁺)-ATPase was found in caudate. where the highest activity of acetylcholine esterase is found.These studies were supported by a grant from the Union of Science of Republic Serbia, No. 40404-14.     

Lactate dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities in the circumventricular organs of rat brain following neonatal monosodium glutamate

Glutamate (glu) an excitatory neurotransmitter amino acid, is present in high concentrations in the mammalian central nervous system and is the most abundant amino acid in our daily diet. In the present study the activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) were evaluated in the circumventricular organs (CVO) of the brain in 25-day-old rats following MSG administration at a dose of 4 mg/g b.wt during the first ten days of life. The results show the LDH activity increased to 265% of that in the control (p<0.001), whereas GDH activity was significantly decreased (p<0.05), The great elevation in LDH, a cytoplasmic marker enzyme, is apparently due to cytoskeletal changes brought about as a consequence of glu toxicity, whereas lowered GDH activity indicates altered glu homostasis in the blood-brain-barrier deficient areas following neonatal exposure to glu.     

Norepinephrine in fetal and neonatal rabbit brain.

In the first hour after parturition, the newborn rabbit brain norepinephrine content is about 37% less than that of the fetus of 30th or 31st day. Later on, within 2 to 4 h, the norepinephrine level returns to the prenatal value and remains unchanged between 8 to 12 h. This transitory fall of the brain norepinephrine seems to be linked to the stress conditions which occur during parturition.     

Effect of furosemide on aminopeptidase activity in the rat kidney and urine

Zusammenfassung Histochemische und biochemische Untersuchungen des Verhaltens von Aminopeptidasen nach Furosemidgabe zeigen einen Abfall bzw. Anstieg der Enzymaktivitäten in Nierenschnitten und im Urin von männlichen Wistar-Ratten. Die Resultate weisen auf eine direkte, Furosemid-induzierte reversible Epithelschädigung im proximalen Tubulus hin. Unter gleichen Bedingungen sind entsprechende Befunde bei weiblichen Wistar-Ratten nicht zu erheben.

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Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Developmental and ageing changes in aminopeptidase activities in selected tissues of the rat

Aminopeptidase activities, assayed as arylamidase activities, were investigated in selected tissues of 1, 6, 12 and 24-month-old rats. The enzyme activities were found to have a heterogeneous distribution and age-related changes were observed. The highest levels of soluble arginyl-aminopeptidase activity were detected in brain homogenate at all the studied ages, whereas membrane-bound activity presented the highest levels in brain and kidney in the four ages tested. Aspartyl-aminopeptidase activity was detected mainly in the particulate fraction of kidney at all four ages. In 1, 6 and 12-month-old animals, soluble aspartyl-aminopeptidase activity was also higher in the kidney than in the rest of the tissues, whereas in the group of 2-year-old rats, the highest levels were found in both kidney and liver. Age-related changes were observed in all the studied tissues and for all the assayed enzymatic activities. In general, the maximal levels were detected in both the youngest and the oldest animals, and the minimal ones in 6 and 12-month-old rats. However, in the adrenals, the soluble and membrane-bound arginyl-aminopeptidase activity was higher in 6-month and 2-year-old rats than in 1-month and 12-month-old rats. These changes may reflect the functional status of the susceptible endogenous substrates of aminopeptidases.     

The effect of physostigmine on (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity in different rat brain regions

The activity of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and acetylcholine esterase were followed in rat brain cerebral cortex, caudate, thalamus, hippocampus and medulla after i.v. administration of physostigmine. Both enzymes were found to be inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. The most pronounced inhibition of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was found in caudate, where the highest activity of acetylcholine esterase is found.     

Neurochemical correlates of alloxan diabetes: Protein and ribonucleic acid levels in the different regions of the rat brain

Summary The levels of protein and ribonucleic acid in the cerebrum, cerebellum, optic lobes and medulla oblongata of normal and alloxan-diabetic rats were measured. In general, the protein content and levels of ribonucleic acid in the broad compartments of the brain of rat decreased during diabetes.Acknowledgment. The authors thank Dr.A. R. Kasturi Bai, Head of the Department of Zoology, Bangalore University, for providing facilities during the study.     

Hormonal influences on leucine aminopeptidase in the accessory reproductive tracts of the rat

Zusammenfassung Die Aktivität von Leucinoaminopeptidase in der Prostata und den Samenbläschen der Ratten wurde mit histochemischen und quantitativen Methoden nach verschiedenen Hormonbehandlungen bestimmt. Es wurde gefunden, dass alle androlytischen Behandlungen, die eine Atrophie in diesen Organen verursachten, die enzymatische Aktivität erhöhten. Nach allen Behandlungen, die aber andromimetisch wirkten, war sie immer erniedrigt.     

Oxygen consumption in the rat following neonatal thyrotoxicosis

Summary Adult rats made thyrotoxic with large doses of thyroxine during the neonatal period had a lower oxygen uptake as compared with neonatal controls and those of neonatal calorically-deprivated ones.     

Oxygen consumption in the rat following neonatal thyrotoxicosis.

Adult rats made thyrotoxic with large doses of thyroxine during the neonatal period had a lower oxygen uptake as compared with neonatal controls and those of neonatal calorically-deprivated ones.