OBJECTIVE: VIP and PACAP, two structurally related peptides, stimulate c AMP, steroidogenesis and progesterone (PROG) release from cultured rat granulosa cells. VIP and PACAP38 are known to mimic the effects of β-adrenergic receptor stimulation in the rat pinealocytes causing an increased melatonin synthesis. These effects were markedly potentiated by α1 adrenergic receptor stimulation. METHODS...

We have investigated the topology of the human beta 2-adrenergic receptor expressed in Escherichia coli, using the genetic method described by Beckwith and coworkers. We found that fusions with alkaline phosphatase beyond a certain point on the human beta 2-adrenergic receptor sequence were assembled into the bacterial membrane with the same topology as the human beta 2-adrenergic receptor in t...

PURPOSE We investigated what kinds of neurotransmitters are related with electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia in an arthritic pain model of rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred rats were assigned to six groups: control, EA, opioid, adrenergic, serotonin and dopamine group. A standardized model of inflammatory arthritis was produced by injecting 2% carrageenan into the knee joint cavity. EA wa...

Introduction: To evaluate the cAMP -mediated IBMX (3-IsoButyle -1-Methyl Xanthin) and db-cAMP (dibutyryl cAMP) effects on differentiation of human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) into nerve cells were the objectives of this study. Methods: We have used Royan H1 hESC- derived embryoid bodies with four treatment groups: six days treatment with IBMX (5×10 -4M) and db-cAMP (10 -9M) (referred to as...

PURPOSE To determine whether systemic application of propranolol, a nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, with an osmotic pump will decrease the b-wave amplitude of the electroretinogram (ERG) and increase insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 receptor signaling. METHODS Young rats at 8 weeks of age were treated with saline, phentolamine, a nonselective alpha-adrenergic receptor anta...

1. We investigated the effect of adrenergic receptor stimulation or inhibition on the hepatic ultrastructural changes in a porcine faecal peritonitis model of multi-organ failure. We infused either the α1 adrenergic receptor agonist methoxamine or the β2 adrenergic receptor antagonist ICI 118551 during 8 h of the study. 2. Anaesthetized pigs (25–30 kg) were divided into four non-septic groups (...

The subcellular distribution of the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor, pertussis-toxin substrates (Gi, the inhibitory G-protein) and adenylate cyclase was determined in human platelets. The alpha 2-adrenergic receptor and pertussis-toxin substrate activity codistribute with surface membranes identified by a novel fluorescent-lectin method. The platelet granule fractions did not contain detectable Gi....

BACKGROUND Autoantibodies against synthetic peptides of beta-adrenergic receptors have been observed in human cardiomyopathy. However, it has never been shown that such antibodies really interact with native human beta-adrenergic receptors, nor has the clinical impact of such an interaction been investigated in larger groups of patients. METHODS AND RESULTS We screened 104 patients with dilat...