Effect of L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid on glycosylations of collagen in chick-embryo tendon cells. (1/17)

The glycosylations of hydroxylysine during collagen biosynthesis in isolated chick-embryo tendon cells were studied by using pulse-chase labelling experiments with [14C]-lysine. The hydroxylation of lysine and the glycosylations of hydroxylysine continued after a 5 min pulse label for up to about 10 min during the chase period. These data differ from those obtained previously in isolated chick-embryo cartilage cells, in which, after a similar 5 min pulse label, these reactions continued during the chase period for up to about 20 min. The collagen synthesized by the isolated chick-embryo tendon cells differed markedly from the type I collagen of adult tissues in its degree of hydroxylation of lysine residues and glycosylations of hydroxylysine residues. When the isolated tendon cells were incubated in the presence of L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, the degree of glycosylations of hydroxylysine during the first 10 min of the chase period was identical with that in cells incubated without thcarboxylic acid for at least 60 min, whereas no additional glycosylations took place in the control cells after the 10 min time-point. As a consequence, the collagen synthesized in the presence of this compound contained more carbohydrate than did the collagen synthesized by the control cells. Additional experiments indicated that azetidine-2-carboxylic acid did not increase the collagen glycosyltransferase activities in the tendon cells or the rate of glycosylation reactions when added directly to the enzyme incubation mixture. Control experiments with colchicine indicated that the delay in the rate of collagen secretion, which was observed in the presence of azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, did not in itself affect the degree of glycosylations of collagen. The results thus suggest that the increased glycosylations were due to inhibition of the collagen triple-helix formation, which is known to occur in the presence of azetidine-2-carboxylic acid.  (+info)

Incorporation of L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid into hemoglobin in rabbit reticulocytes in vitro. (2/17)

L-Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid is the naturally occurring lower homologue of L-proline. Reticulocytes from anemic rabbits incubated with DL-[14-C]azetidine-2-carboxylic acid synthesized radiolabeled hemoglobin, which when isolated from cell lysates co-chromatographed with unlabeled hemoglobin on Sephadex G-100 columns. Amino acid analysis of hemoglobin from reticulocytes incubated with DL-[14-C]-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid suggested that the homologue was incorporated into hemoglobin intact and unaltered. Alternatively, another amino acid analogue, 1-aminocyclopentane-[1-14-C]carboxylic acid, which is purported to be a valine antagonist, was not incorporated into hemoglobin under these conditions. Incubation of reticulocytes with 1, 5, and 10 mM L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid reduced L-[U-14-C]proline (0.10 mM) incorporation into hemoglobin by 25, 58, and 72%, respectively. Conversely, 1.45 and 145 muM L-proline reduced radiolabeled azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (0.8 mM) in corporation into hemoglobin by 45 and 92%, respectively. Incorporation of L-[U-14-C]leucine and L-[U-14-C]lysine (0.1 mM each) into hemoglobin was unaffected at these concentrations of L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid. These results suggest that L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid is incorporated into hemoglobin without reducing the rate of globin synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes in vitro. The alpha and beta chains of hemoglobin into which [14-C]azetidine-2-carboxylic acid had been incorporated in rabbit reticulocytes in vitro were resolved electrophoretically on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. The ratio of total radioactivity in the alpha and beta chains separately extracted from gels was in good agreement with the known 7:4 ratio of prolyl residues in the respective chains. Autoradiograms of two-dimensional tryptic peptide maps of rabbit globin into which either [14-C]azetidine-2-carboxylic acid or [14-C]proline had been incorporated showed nearly identical patterns of radioactivity. These results suggest that azetidine-2-carboxylic acid substitutes specifically for prolyl residues during in vitro hemoglobin synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes.  (+info)

18F-ZW-104: a new radioligand for imaging neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors--in vitro binding properties and PET studies in baboons. (3/17)

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Antihypertensive effect of CS-905, a novel dihydropyridine calcium blocker, in conscious hypertensive dogs. (4/17)

CS-905, (+-)-3-(1-diphenylmethylazetidin-3-yl)5-isopropyl 2-amino-1,4-dihydro-6-methyl-4-(m-nitrophenyl)-3,5-pyridine-dicarboxy lat e, is a novel dihydropyridine calcium blocker. Both CS-905 and nicardipine, when administered orally, produced a dose-dependent fall of blood pressure in conscious perinephritic hypertensive dogs. Unlike the hypotensive effect of nicardipine, that of CS-905 has a gradual onset and is long-lasting, with little increase in the heart rate and plasma renin activity (PRA). The lack of both tachycardia and increase of PRA is probably mostly due to the slow onset of antihypertensive action following CS-905.  (+info)

Generation and electrophile trapping of N-Boc-2-lithio-2-azetine: synthesis of 2-substituted 2-azetines. (5/17)

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Effects of a new thyrotropin-releasing hormone derivative on behavioral changes after focal cerebral ischemia in rats. (6/17)

We observed the effects of a new thyrotropin-releasing hormone derivative, YM-14673 (N alpha-[[(S)-4-oxo-2-azetidinyl]carbonyl]-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide dihydrate), on behavioral changes in rats for 3 weeks after focal cerebral ischemia. Under halothane anesthesia, the left middle cerebral artery was occluded via a transretro-orbital approach. YM-14673 was administered just after the operation and once a day for 3 weeks. Neurologic deficits, including hemiplegia and abnormal posture, and disturbance of passive avoidance learning were present in solvent-treated control rats for the entire 3 weeks. YM-14673 at 0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg i.p. or 1 mg/kg p.o. significantly accelerated the recovery of neurologic deficits and ameliorated cognitive disturbance compared with the solvent-treated controls although the drug at 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg i.p. did not influence the size of the ischemic infarct. YM-14673 mitigated the behavioral disturbances in this model of chronic focal cerebral ischemia. We also discuss the suitability of this model for the evaluation of drugs.  (+info)

Beneficial renal effects of CS-905, a novel dihydropyridine calcium blocker, in SHR. (7/17)

CS-905 is a potent dihydropyridine calcium blocker that has a gradual and long-lasting antihypertensive action with little tachycardia in SHR. In this study, we investigated chronic and acute effects of CS-905 on renal functions in SHR. To examine the chronic effects, 23 week-old male SHR were treated with CS-905 (1 or 3 mg/kg/day, p.o.) or 0.3% CMC (carboxymethylcellulose). After the 15 week-treatment, the agent dose-relatedly lowered systolic blood pressure measured 24 hr after the final administration (184 +/- 2 and 173 +/- 3 mmHg at 1 and 3 mg/kg/day vs. 218 +/- 4 mmHg for the control group). Natriuresis and the reduction of urinary protein excretion were also observed in the CS-905 treated groups. Urinary NAG (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase) activity tended to decrease, but not significantly. Histopathological changes observed in the SHR kidney were reduced by chronic treatment with CS-905. On a single oral administration in 38 week-old SHR, CS-905 caused natriuresis at a dose of 3 mg/kg, but did not affect urinary protein excretion and urinary NAG activity. These effects of CS-905 on renal functions may be beneficial in the treatment of hypertension.  (+info)

Interference with thyroid histogenesis by inhibitors of collagen synthesis. (8/17)

Histogenesis of thyroid follicles in the chick embryo begins with a penetration by cells of the mesenchymal capsule into a solid epithelial primordium. Before penetration occurs, slits containing fibrillar material form between the epithelial cells. The fibrillar material is an epithelial cell product as shown by its formation within channels that form in cultures of isolated epithelial primordia. The drugs L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (LACA) and alpha, alpha'-dipyridyl, which interfere with collagen synthesis, prevent the formation of fibrils in cultured epithelial primordia and in cultures of whole thyroids. Furthermore, mesenchymal cells do not invade when whole thyroid primordia are cultured in the presence of either drug. The effects of alpha, alpha'-dipyridyl are reversed by washing out the drug; the effects of LACA are reversed by incubation with equimolar or greater amounts of L-proline added to the medium along with the drug. The results are interpreted to mean that the fibrillar material is collagen of epithelial origin, that the collagen in some way plays a role in mesenchymal penetration of the epithelial primordium, and that the epithelium is responsible for the pattern of lobulation within the developing gland.  (+info)