0000000000615832
AUTHOR
Braj B.p. Gupta
In vitro effects of putative neurotransmitters on synaptic ribbon numbers and N-acetyltransferase activity in the rat pineal gland
The pineal contains a large number of classical transmitters and neuropeptides. Some of these neurochemicals are involved in the regulation of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity and hence in melatonin synthesis. Synaptic ribbons present in the pineal gland also exhibit a numerical day/night rhythm parallel to that of NAT activity. There is scarcity of information regarding the regulation of synaptic ribbon (SR) numbers. In the present study, we have investigated in vitro effects of a number of classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. NAT activity was used to monitor melatonin synthesis under the experimental conditions used. Norepinephrine (NE), Delta sleep-inducing peptide …
Involvement of cyclic guanosine monophosphosphate (cGMP) and cytosolic guanylate cyclase in the regulation of synaptic ribbon numbers in rat pineal gland
In the rat pineal gland N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity and synaptic ribbon (SR) numbers display a circadian rhythm. It is well-known that NAT activity is regulated by adrenergic mechanisms involving cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as a second messenger. However, the mechanism involved in the regulation of SR numbers has not been established so far. In the present in vitro study, we have investigated the effects of 8-bromo-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (8-bromo-cGMP), a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) analog, and stimulation of guanylate cyclase on SR numbers. Incubation with 8-bromo-cGMP increased SR numbers in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Further, stimulation of the …
Biphasic 24-Hour Variations in Cyclic GMP Accumulation in the Rat Pineal Gland Are Due to Corresponding Changes in the Activity of Cytosolic and Particulate Guanylate Cyclase
Various parameters of the rat pineal gland display a 24-h rhythm. However, nothing is known about possible 24-h variations in cyclic GMP (cGMP) metabolism. In the present study, 24-h variations in pineal gland cGMP accumulation were investigated by determining the increase in cGMP level with and without inhibitors of phosphodiesterase at different time points over a light/dark cycle (12/12 h). Furthermore, the activity of guanylate cyclase (GC) was determined under substrate-saturated conditions regarding the cytosolic and particulate forms of the enzyme. It has been found that cGMP accumulation and GC activity display biphasic 24-h variations with two peaks--one approximately 7 h after lig…
Sulfhydryl G Proteins and Phospholipase A2-Associated G Proteins Are Involved in Adrenergic Signal Transduction in the Rat Pineal Gland
The rat pineal gland with its circadian noradrenaline-regulated melatonin rhythm is an excellent model for studying adrenergic signal transduction with respect to cAMP and cGMP formation. The stimulatory G(s) proteins play a well-established role in this process. In contrast, the potential roles of the inhibitory G(i) proteins, the functionally unclear other G(o) proteins, and a number of G protein subtypes are not known. The present study examines the effects on beta(1)- and beta(1)-plus-alpha(1)-stimulated cAMP and cGMP formation of a number of G protein modulators in rat pinealocyte suspension cultures. The effects of the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside on cGMP were also examined…