Presence Of Dibucaine Research Articles

Dibucaine effects on structural and elastic properties of lipid bilayers

In this work we report the interaction effects of the local anesthetic dibucaine (DBC) with lipid patches in model membranes by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Supported lipid bilayers (egg phosphatidylcholine, EPC and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, DMPC) were prepared by fusion of unilamellar vesicles on mica and imaged in aqueous media. The AFM images show irregularly distributed and sized EPC patches on mica. On the other hand DMPC formation presents extensive bilayer regions on top of which multibilayer patches are formed. In the presence of DBC we observed a progressive disruption of these patches, but for DMPC bilayers this process occurred more slowly than for EPC. In both cases, phase images show the formation of small structures on the bilayer surface suggesting an effect on the elastic properties of the bilayers when DBC is present. Dynamic surface tension and dilatational surface elasticity measurements of EPC and DMPC monolayers in the presence of DBC by the pendant drop technique were also performed, in order to elucidate these results. The curve of lipid monolayer elasticity versus DBC concentration, for both EPC and DMPC cases, shows a maximum for the surface elasticity modulus at the same concentration where we observed the disruption of the bilayer by AFM. Our results suggest that changes in the local curvature of the bilayer induced by DBC could explain the anesthetic action in membranes.

Involvement of nuclear factor I-A1 in the regulation of regucalcin gene promoter activity in cloned normal rat kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells

Nuclear factor I-A1 (NF1-A1) can bind to the TTGGC motif in the rat regucalcin gene promoter region. This study was undertaken to determine whether NF1-A1 is involved in the enhancement of the rat regucalcin gene promoter activity using the -710/+18 LUC construct (wild-type) or -710/+18 LUC construct with the deletion of -523/-435 including the TTGGC motif (mutant) in cloned normal rat kidney proximal tubular epithelial NRK52E cells. Cells were transfected with the -710/+18 LUC construct vector or the -710/+18 LUC construct with the deletion of -523/-435. NRK52E cells (wild-type) or NRK52E cells transiently transfected with HA-NF1-A1/phCMV2 were cultured for 48 h in a medium containing either vehicle or BS (5%) in the presence or absence of various factors. HA-NF1-A1 was localized in the nucleus of wild-type cells. Luciferase activity was significantly increased as compared to that of wild-type cells. This increase was significantly enhanced in the presence of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 10(-6) M). Such an enhancement was not seen by culture with Bay K 8644 (10(-6) M) or dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10(-4) M). The increase in luciferase activity in NRK52E cells transfected with HA-NF1-A1 was not observed in the presence of dibucaine (10(-6) M), staurosporine (10(-9) M), or PD 98059 (10(-8) M), which is an inhibitor of various protein kinases. Such an inhibition was also seen in the presence of vanadate (10(-6) M) or okadaic acid (10(-6) M), an inhibitor of protein phosphatase. The increase in luciferase activity in NRK52E cells transfected with HA-NF1-A1/ phCMV2 was not seen in the mutant with deletion of -523/-435. The increase in luciferase activity in HA-NF1-A1/ phCMV2-transfected NRK52E cells was not significantly enhanced in the cells transiently co-transfected with HA-RGPR-p117/phCMV2, which could increase the regucalcin gene promoter activity using the -710/+18 LUC construct (wild-type). This study demonstrates that NF1-A1 enhances the regucalcin promoter activity which is related to the TTGGC motif, and that its enhancing effect is partly mediated through phosphorylation in NRK52E cells.

Effects of dibucaine on the endocytic/exocytic pathways in Trypanosoma cruzi

Although local anesthetics (LA) are considered primarily Na+-channel blockers in the past decade, an alternative action of LA as inhibitors of fusion among compartments of the endocytic/exocytic pathways was described. In epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, we observed that 50 mM dibucaine reduced the rates of uptake of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and immunoglobulin to 60% of control values in addition to the delay of exocytosis of cysteine proteases. Fusion among endocytic compartments was not inhibited in the presence of dibucaine because previously labeled reservosomes was loaded with a second label in sequential pulse-chase experiments. However, dibucaine reduced the degradation of BSA-gold complex in the reservosomes, which was not caused either by an inhibition of the whole proteolytic activity of the parasite or by a reduction on the expression levels of cruzipain. The immunocytochemical analysis suggested that the inhibition of the degradation of gold-labeled BSA in reservosomes could be due to a subversion of the regular traffic of proteases toward the reservosomes in dibucaine-treated cells.

Overexpression of RGPR-p117 enhances regucalcin gene expression in cloned normal rat kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells

A novel protein RGPR-p117 was discovered as a regucalcin gene promoter region-related protein that binds to the TTGGC motif using a yeast one-hybrid system. Whether overexpression of RGPR-p117 can modulate gene expression in the cloned normal rat kidney proximal tubular epithelial NRK52E cells was investigated. NRK52E cells (wild-type) or HA-RGPR-p117/phCMV2-transfected NRK52E cells were cultured in Dulbecco's minimum essential medium (DMEM) containing 5% bovine serum (BS). Proliferation of NRK52E cells (wild-type) was not significantly altered by overexpression of HA-RGPR-p117. The expression of rat regucalcin, alpha-fetoprotein, albumin, glucokinase, 11beta-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, which contains TTGGC motif in the promoter region of their genes, was seen in NRK52E cells (wild-type) by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Of these genes, regucalcin mRNA levels were significantly enhanced in transfectants. The expression of p21 or glycero-aldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA was not significantly changed in transfectants. The results of Western blot analysis showed that regucalcin protein was significantly increased in transfectants. The enhancement of regucalcin mRNA expression in transfectants was significantly suppressed in the presence of staurosporine (10(-10) M), an inhibitor of protein kinase C. This enhancement was not significantly changed in the presence of dibucaine (10(-8) M), PD98059 (10(-8) M) or vanadate (10(-6) M). This study demonstrates that overexpression of RGPR-p117 enhances the expression of regucalcin mRNA and its protein level in NRK52E cells. RGPR-p117 may play a role as a transcriptional factor.

Kinetic analysis of nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. 1. Isolated chloroplasts.

Nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence in plants is indicative of a process that dissipates excess excitation energy from the light-harvesting antenna of photosystem II. The major fraction of quenching is obligatorily dependent upon the thylakoid DeltapH and is regulated by the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle carotenoids associated with the light-harvesting complexes. Basic principles of enzyme kinetics have been used to investigate this process in isolated chloroplasts. The extent of quenching was titrated against the estimated thylakoid lumen pH, and a sigmoidal relationship was obtained with a Hill coefficient of 4.5 and a pK of 4.7. Upon de-epoxidation, these parameters changed to 1.6 and 5.7, respectively. Antimycin A suppressed quenching, increasing the Hill coefficient and reducing the pK. The rate of induction of quenching fitted second-order kinetics with respect to illumination time, and the rate constant was dependent upon the DeltapH, the de-epoxidation state, the presence of antimycin, and also the presence of dibucaine, a quenching enhancer. All these data are consistent with the notion that quenching is caused by a conformational transition in a chloroplast thylakoid protein; this transition shows cooperativity with respect to proton binding, and is controlled by de-epoxidation state and various exogenous reagents.

Inhibitory effect of menaquinone-7 (vitamin K2) on osteoclast-like cell formation and osteoclastic bone resorption in rat bone tissues in vitro.

The effect of menaquinone-7 (MK-7; vitamin K2) on osteoclast-like cell formation and osteoclastic bone resorption in rat femoral tissues in vitro was investigated. The bone marrow cells were cultured for 7 days in a a-minimal essential medium (alpha-MEM) containing a well-known bone resorbing agent [parathyroid hormone (1-34) (PTH) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)] with an effective concentration. Osteoclast-like cells were estimated by staining for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP), a marker enzyme of osteoclasts. The presence of PTH (10(-8) M) or PGE2 (10(-6) M) induced a remarkable increase in osteoclast-like multinucleated cells. These increases were significantly inhibited by MK-7 (10(-8) - 10(-5) M). MK-7 (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) significantly inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced osteoclast-like cell formation, whereas MK-7 did not inhibit dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (DcAMP) (10(-5) M)-induced osteoclast-like cell formation. These results suggest that the inhibitory action of MK-7 is partly involved in protein kinase C signaling. The bone cells isolated from rat femoral tissues were cultured for 48 h in an alpha-MEM containing either vehicle or MK-7 (10(-8) - 10(-5) M). The presence of MK-7 (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) caused a significant decrease in the number of mature osteoclasts. Such a decrease was also seen in the presence of calcitonin (10(-10) - 10(-8) M), DcAMP (10(-6) and 10(-5) M), or calcium chloride (10(-4) and 10(-3) M). The effect of MK-7 (10(-6) M) in decreasing the number of osteoclasts was not further enhanced in the presence of calcitonin (10(-8) M), DcAMP (10(-5) M), or calcium chloride (10(-3) M), and was completely abolished by the presence of dibucaine (10(-6) M) or staurosporine (10(-7) M), which are inhibitors of Ca2+-dependent protein kinases. These results suggested that MK-7 has a suppressive effect on osteoclasts. Moreover, the femoral-metaphyseal tissues obtained from rats were cultured for 48 h in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing either vehicle, PTH (10(-7) M), orPGE2 (10(-5) M) in the absence or presence of MK-7 (10(-7) - 10(-5) M). The presence of PTH or PGE2 induced a significant decrease in bone calcium content. These decreases were significantly blocked by MK-7 (10(-7) - 10(-5) M). This study demonstrates that MK-7 has an inhibitory effect on osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro.

Suppressive effect of genistein on rat bone osteoclasts: apoptosis is induced through Ca2+ signaling.

The effect of genistein on osteoclast-like multinucleated cells (MNCs) from rat femoral tissues was investigated. When rat marrow cells were cultured for 7 d in a medium containing either vehicle, parathyroid hormone (10(-8) M) or prostaglandine E2 (10(-6) M), the formation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP)-positive MNCs was significantly increased. This increase was markedly weakened by the presence of genistein (10(-6) or 10(-5) M). The bone cells isolated from rat femoral tissues were cultured for 48 h in an alpha-minimal essential medium (5% fetal bovine serum) containing either vehicle or genistein (10(-8) to 10(-5) M). Osteoclasts were estimated by staining for TRACP, a marker enzyme of osteoclasts. The presence of genistein caused a significant decrease in the number of osteoclasts. Such a decrease was also seen in the presence of calcitonin (10(-10) to 10(-8) M), dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate (DcAMP; 10(-6) and 10(-5) M), calcium chloride (10(-4) and 10(-3) M) or daidzein (10(-7) to 10(-5) M). The suppressive effect of genistein (10(-5) M) was not further enhanced in the presence of calcitonin (10(-8) M), DcAMP (10(-5) M), or calcium chloride (10(-3) M), and was completely abolished by the presence of dibucaine (10(-6) M) or staurosporine (10(-7) M), both of which are inhibitors of Ca2+-dependent protein kinases. Ca2+ ionophore (A23187; 10(-6) M) induced a remarkable decrease in the number of osteoclasts in the absence or presence of genistein (10(-5) M) or calcium chloride (10(-3) M). The present study demonstrates that genistein has a direct suppressive effect on osteoclasts in vitro, suggesting that the isoflavone may induce apoptosis which is mediated through the pathway of intracellular Ca2+ signaling.

Characterization of Carbon Dioxide Stress-Induced Ethylene Biosynthesis in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Fruit

In the present study, we have investigated the mechanism through which carbon dioxide induces ethylene biosynthesis in cucumber {Cucumis sativus L.) fruit. A series of inhibitors were tested in order to determine the involvement of de novo protein synthesis, new mRNA synthesis, protein kinase activity, and phosphoprotein phospbatase activity in carbon dioxide stress-induced ethylene biosynthesis. Carbon dioxide stimulated ethylene production through the induction of both 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylate (ACC) synthase and ACC oxidase activities. Induction of ACC synthase activity led to accumulation of ACC. Cycloheximide blocked carbon dioxide stress-induced ethylene biosynthesis while cordycepin had no effect. Dibucaine and 6-dimethylaminopurine, inhibitors of protein kinases, blocked carbon dioxide stress-induced increases in ethylene production, ACC synthase activity, and ACC content but not the increase in ACC oxidase activity. Cantharidin, a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatase type 1 and type 2A, stimulated carbon dioxide stress-induced ethylene production, ACC synthase activity, and ACC accumulation but had no additional effect on carbon dioxide stress-induced ACC oxidase activity. In the presence of dibucaine or cycloheximide, the stimulation of carbon dioxide stress-induced ethylene biosynthesis by cantharidin was blocked. These data suggest that carbon dioxide stress-induced ethylene biosynthesis may be regulated posttranscriptionally and that the induction involves the synthesis of novel protein(s) in the cytosol. The results further identify protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation as requirements in one or more of the steps involved in the carbon dioxide signal transduction pathway that leads to induction of ethylene biosynthesis and, in particular to the induction of ACC synthase, presumably the key enzyme in the ethylene biosynthetic pathway.

Inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism modulate the insulin‐like growth factor‐1‐induced growth of proximal tubular cells in primary culture

Summary: Insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) is involved in the regulation of kidney growth during maturation as well as during regenerative processes. Some observations point to eicosanoids as possible intracellular mediators. In rat proximal tubular cells in primary culture we found that IGF‐1 (100 ng/mL) stimulated the release of arachidonic acid. We therefore investigated the effects of different inhibitors of arachidonic acid handling on IGF‐1‐induced hypertrophy (increase in cell protein) and hyperplasia (increase in cellular thymidine incorporation and cell number). the hypertrophic response was abolished by dibucaine (inhibitor of phospholipase A2) or proadifen (inhibitor of cytochrome P‐450 enzymes). Clotrimaole (inhibitor of epoxygenase) reduced the hypertrophic response significantly. Indomethacin (inhibitor of cyclooxygenase) or NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid; inhibitor of lipoxygenase) did not affect IGF‐1‐ induced hypertrophy. the hyperplastic response was abolished completely in the presence of dibucaine, and reduced significantly in the presence of proadifen or clotrimazole. Indomethacin did not affect the hyperplastic response, whereas NDGA reduced it slightly under certain conditions. From our results we conclude that the action of IGF‐1 on growth of proximal tubular cells is, at least in part, mediated by arachidonic acid or its cytochrome P‐450 metabolites. the underlying mechanism of action might be either stimulated metabolism or enhanced release of arachidonic acid.

Lophotoxin is a slow binding irreversible inhibitor of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Lophotoxin and the bipinnatins are members of the lophotoxin family of marine neurotoxins, which covalently react with Tyr190 in the alpha-subunits of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Bipinnatin-A, -B, and -C are protoxins that have been shown to spontaneously convert from inactive to active toxins during preincubation in buffer. However, in this report, we show that preincubation of lophotoxin did not result in an increase in the subsequent rate of irreversible inhibition of nicotinic receptors. Thus, unlike the bipinnatins, lophotoxin does not appear to be an inactive protoxin. Lophotoxin preferentially inhibited one of the two acetylcholine-binding sites on the receptor, and this preference resulted from both a higher reversible affinity and a faster rate of irreversible inhibition at this site. Association of 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin in the presence of lophotoxin was analyzed to obtain the apparent reversible association and dissociation rate constants for lophotoxin. The apparent association rate constant of lophotoxin was approximately 10(6)-fold slower than expected for a diffusion-limited interaction, indicating that lophotoxin is a slow binding irreversible inhibitor. The kinetic constants that describe the interaction of lophotoxin with the receptor did not change in the presence of dibucaine, suggesting that, unlike agonists, the slow apparent association of lophotoxin does not result from a slow transition of the receptor to a desensitized conformation.

Isolation and some biochemical properties of porcine pancreas mitochondria.

Morphologically and functionally intact mitochondria were isolated from the porcine pancreas using a conventional, differential centrifugation method. The homogenate of the porcine pancreas made in a medium containing 0.25 M sucrose, 10 mM Tris-Cl, pH 7.4, 0.5% bovine serum albumin and 1 mM EDTA, in the presence or in the absence of dibucaine and trypsin inhibitor, was centrifuged for 10 min at 700xg. The supernatant was centrifuged for 10 min at 7000xg, and the pellet was washed three times. Trypsin activity of mitochondria isolated in the absence of dibucaine and trypsin inhibitor was as low as that of mitochondria isolated in the presence of dibucaine and trypsin inhibitor, and a major part of the activity remained inactivated. Phospholipase A2 activity of the former mitochondria was as low as that of the latter, and remained unchanged up to 8-10 hr at 4 degrees C. The presence of bovine serum albumin and EDTA in the respiration medium was absolutely required to obtain good respiratory controls of those mitochondria. These data suggest that well-coupled mitochondria can be obtained from the pancreas by a conventional isolation procedure without activating the major part of trypsin.

DNA damage induced by bleomycin in the presence of dibucaine is not predictive of cell growth inhibition

Growth inhibition and cell killing by bleomycin are believed to be related to the ability of this antibiotic to cleave chromosomal DNA. Because bleomycin has an intracellular site of action, its ability to cross biological membranes must be critical to its overall effectiveness as an antitumor agent. The local anesthetic dibucaine acts to enhance membrane fluidity; therefore, the reported ability of this local anesthetic to modulate bleomycin effects on KB cells was investigated. Cells were treated with various bleomycin congeners in the presence or absence of dibucaine for 24 h. Dibucaine enhanced the inhibition of cell growth mediated by bleomycin A2, demethylbleomycin A2, bleomycin B2, and isobleomycin A2. N-Acetylbleomycin A2 did not inhibit cell growth in the absence of dibucaine, but it was inhibitory in the presence of dibucaine. Cells treated simultaneously for analysis of DNA breakage on alkaline sucrose gradients revealed that breakage was also enhanced in the presence of dibucaine. The degree of enhancement varied with dose and bleomycin congener. N-Acetylbleomycin A2 did not induce DNA breakage in either the absence or the presence of dibucaine. While growth inhibition and net DNA breakage correlated reasonably well in the absence of dibucaine for each bleomycin analogue tested, proportionality was lost in the presence of dibucaine, and very little DNA breakage was present when growth inhibition was complete. These observations imply that, at least in the presence of dibucaine, bleomycin may mediate growth inhibition at some locus in addition to chromosomal DNA and, also, that a given net amount of bleomycin analogue induced DNA damage per se does not produce a specific degree of growth inhibition.

Pharmacological evidence for cell surface control of oral regeneration in Stentor coeruleus.

This study suggests that membrane perturbations can affect oral morphogenesis in Stentor, possibly by a mechanism involving calcium ions. Exposure of regenerating Stentor to micromolar concentrations of the membrane active local anesthetics dibucaine, tetracaine, or procaine greatly delayed the progress of oral regeneration. In the case of tetracaine and dibucaine the greatest delays were observed in the early stages of regeneration prior to stage 4, when the majority of essential synthetic activity is occurring. The effects of dibucaine were generally readily reversible upon removal of the cells from the drug, with some residual effects occurring at higher dibucaine concentrations. Regenerating cells in the presence of dibucaine and excess extracellular calcium were not delayed, suggesting that the effects of dibucaine were reversible by calcium ions. The effects of tetracaine were not reversible by calcium ions, however. Exposure of regenerating cells to medium either lacking in, or containing an excess of, extracellular calcium had no effect on the time required to complete oral regeneration. The plant lectin, phytohemagglutinin, can also delay oral regeneration. The possible implications of these findings on the control of oral regeneration are discussed.