Contractility of vascular smooth muscles (VSMs) in resistance arteries determines systemic blood pressure and blood supplies to local tissues, in which ATP sensitive K+ (KATP) channels play a role. The KATP channels that couple metabolic state to cellular activity are activated by multiple hormonal vasodilators and inhibited by vasoconstrictors. To understand the molecular mechanisms for the channel regulation by vasodilators, we studied the effects of β-adrenergic receptors on Kir6.1/SUR2B in HEK cells. Stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors activated the channels, which relied on the GS-protein, adenylyl cyclase, cAMP and PKA system. Using mutational analysis, we scanned all the putative PKA sites on Kir6.1 and SUR2B subunits and identified two residues (Ser1351 and Ser1387) in SUR2B critical for channel activation. In vitro phosphorylation experiments confirmed that Ser1387 but not Ser1351 was phosphorylated in isolated SUR2B peptides. Molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that phosphorylation at Ser1387 causes interdomain movements in SUR2B subunit. Blockage of the movements by engineering a disulfide bond across NBD2 and TMD1 eliminated the PKA-dependent channel activation. We also studied the molecular basis for the inhibition of vascular KATP channels by PKC. In the HEK expression system, we found that the Kir6.1/SUR2B channel but not the Kir6.2/SUR2B was drastically inhibited by PKC stimulation. We constructed Kir6.1/Kir6.2 chimeras and identified two critical protein domains for the Kir6.1 channel inhibition by PKC. The distal C-terminus was the direct target of PKC where multiple phosphorylation sites were identified. These phosphorylation sites were located in a short sequence with stereotypical sequence repeats. Mutation of any decreased the effects of PKC. Joint mutation of all of them prevented the channel inhibition by PKC. The proximal N-terminus is also involved in PKC effects without phosphorylation sites, suggesting it may play a role in channel gating. Thus, this thesis provides experimental evidence for the vascular KATP channel modulation by PKA and PKC. Phosphorylation of the Kir6.1 and SUR2B subunits by PKC and PKA produce inhibition and activation of the vascular KATP channel, respectively, which appears to be one of the molecular bases contributing to vascular tone regulation by both vasoconstricting and vasodilating hormones and neurotransmitters.

Current drugs used to treat Congestive Heart Failure target the renin-angiotensin and adrenergic systems. Studies showed increased mortality rates in patients treated with a combination of these medications. Angiotensin-AT1 and ?2-Adrenergic receptors were shown to form receptor heteromers. Blockade of one receptor in the complex can affect the signal transmitted by the other; suggesting that ligand-based therapy is not as selective as we might think. Modulating receptor trafficking after synthesis might prove to be a valid therapeutic strategy. Unfortunately, little is known about receptor assembly and transport from Endoplasmic Reticulum to Plasma Membrane. The objectives of this study are to identify the proteins that participate in the assembly of AT1R-?2AR heteromer and the regulators of the anterograde trafficking of G-Protein Coupled Receptors. This thesis introduces the role of important targets in those poorly understood processes. The identification of such targets could lead to developing better drugs with fewer adverse effects.

INTRODUÇÃO: o estresse, causa importante de ansiedade, provoca ativação do eixo HPA, liberando hormônios glicocorticoides e adrenalina, e neurotransmissores, como a norepinefrina. Consequentemente, ocorrem mudanças morfológicas e biomoleculares em diversas regiões do SNC, destacando-se o complexo basolateral da amígdala, além de alterações comportamentais. OBJETIVOS: investigar, por meio de administrações (ip) de atenolol e metirapona, possíveis influências periféricas dos receptores de NE (&#946;1) e GR no BLA de ratos na ansiedade tardia. Analisar também a via de sinalização intracelular ERK-MEK-CREB e a excitabilidade de neurônios da região. RESULTADOS: verificamos aumento do estado do tipo ansioso após 10 dias do estresse, efeito não visto com tratamento com atenolol (ip). Além disso, o estresse provocou aumento de EGR1 (p<0.05), dado indicador de maior taxa de atividade de neurônios do BLA, efeito não encontrado nos animais tratados com atenolol. Além disso, não encontramos alterações na fosforilação de ERK e na espressão de CREB. CONCLUSÃO: a sinalização adrenérgica/noradrenérgica periférica pode ter relevante função na modulação do comportamento do tipo ansioso tardio (10 dias) induzido por um único estresse de contenção. / INTRODUCTION: stress, an important cause of anxiety, triggers HPA activation, releasing epinephrine and glucocorticoids (GCs) hormones and neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine (NE). As result, morphological and biomolecular changes occurs in several regions of CNS, majorly in the amygdala basolateral complex, in addition to behaviors alterations. OBJECTIFS: to investigate, using atenolol and metyrapone administration (ip), the influence of NE receptors (&#946;1) and GR, respectively, in the BLA of rats in the restraint stress-induced long-lasting anxiety. In addition, also investigate the participation of ERK-MEK-CREB signaling and neuronal BLA excitability in such paradigm. RESULTS: we showed that restraint stress (2h) induced anxiety-like behavior 10 days after stress, and the pre-treatment with atenolol blunted such effect. In addition, we observed that restraint stress increased the expression of EGR1 (p<0.05) in the BLA of stressed rats, which was also blunted by atenolol administration, suggesting a higher activity in BLA neurons. We found no modulation in ERK and CREB activation in restraint stress-induced long-lasting anxiety rats. CONCLUSION: we conclude that the peripheral adrenergic/noradrenergic signaling may have a relevant function in long-lasting anxiety-like behavior (10 days) induced by a single episode of restraint stress.

Orientadores: Jose Wilson Magalhães Bassani, Rosana Almada Bassani / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T07:47:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Boer_DenileCominato_M.pdf: 557480 bytes, checksum: e378c01e865d04a595d3f0e7ad3c60dd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Embora haja demonstração de que a estimulação simpática tenha efeito facilitatório sobre a indução de atividade espontânea em miocárdio há controvérsia sobre a participação dos tipos de adrenoceptores na mediação deste efeito. No presente trabalho, descrevemos um método desenvolvido para determinação, em átrio esquerdo isolado (AE) de rato, da relação concentração-efeito para agentes que exercem efeito arritmogênico por aumento da mobilização celular de 'Ca POT. 2+¿. O método baseou-se na interposição de pausas estimulatórias, durante as quais registraram-se contrações espontâneas (CE), precedidas ou não por trens estimulatórios de alta freqüência (5 Hz). O protocolo estimulatório foi repetido na presença de diferentes concentrações de agonistas. Para cada concentração de agonista, a resposta arrítmica foi considerada como a soma dos números de CE/min, no total de preparações. Foi analisada também a resposta inotrópica, como sendo o incremento de força ou encurtamento de pico, desenvolvidos em AE e miócitos ventriculares (MV), respectivamente. A relação foi ajustada por uma função sigmóide para cálculo de Min (i.e., valor da variável na ausência do agonista), Rmax (resposta máxima) e pD2 (-log da concentração do agonista que produziu uma resposta igual a 50% de Rmax). Este método foi aplicado no estudo dos tipos de adrenoceptores envolvidos na resposta arrítmica a catecolaminas em AE e MV. A Rmax inotrópica à ativação de adrenoceptores 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿ foi comparável àquela por ativação de apenas receptores 'beta IND. 1¿, em ambos AE e MV. Já a ativação de adrenoceptores 'alfa IND. 1¿ produziu uma Rmax inotrópica de apenas metade daquela observada pela estimulação 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿. Da mesma forma, a resposta arrítmica foi semelhante para estimulação de adrenoceptores a1+ß1 e de apenas receptores 'beta IND. 1¿. Entretanto, nenhuma resposta foi obtida pela estimulação de receptores adrenérgico do tipo 'alfa IND. 1¿. Estes resultados indicam que a estimulação de adrenoceptores 'alfa IND. 1¿, apesar de evocar uma resposta inotrópica positiva em ambos AE e MV, não é arritmogênica. A ativação do tipo 'beta¿, por outro lado, parece ser a principal via para estimulação inotrópica simpática e na indução de arritmias. Além disso, concluímos que parece existir antagonismo funcional entre os subtipos de adrenoceptores 'beta¿, manifestado por ações pró- e anti-arrítmicas dos subtipos 'beta IND. 1¿ e 'beta IND. 2¿, respectivamente, em miocárdio (tanto atrial, quanto ventricular) de rato / Abstract: Although it has been shown that sympathetic stimulation facilitates the appearance of myocardial spontaneous activity, it is still not clear which types of adrenoceptors mediate this effect. In this study, we describe a method developed for determination, in isolated rat atria (AE), of the concentration-effect relationship for arrhythmogenic agents that act via promotion of cell 'Ca POT. 2+¿ overload. The method was based on the interposition of stimulatory rest periods, during which spontaneous contractions (CE) were recorded, preceded or not by high frequency (5 Hz) stimulus trains. The stimulation protocol was applied at each agonist concentration, and the arrhythmic response was taken as the sum of the number of CE/min in all preparations. The positive inotropic response was considered as the agonist-dependent increment of developed force or peak shortening in AE and isolated ventricular myocytes (MV), respectively. Concentration-effect curves were determined by fitting a sigmoid function, from which the following parameters were estimated: Min (i.e., value of the variable in the absence of the agonist), Rmax (maximal response) e 'pD IND. 2¿ (-log of the molar agonist concentration that evokes a response equal to 50% of Rmax). This method was applied to investigate the adrenoceptor types involved in the mediation of catecholamine-induced arrhythmogenesis in AE and MV. Inotropic Rmax to activation of 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿ adrenoceptors was comparable to that of activation of solely 'beta IND. 1¿ adrenoceptors in both AE and MV. However, Rmax to selective 'alfa IND. 1¿ adrenoceptor activation was only half of that produced by 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿ adrenoceptor stimulation. The arrhythmic responses to 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿ and 'beta IND.1¿ receptor stimulation were similar, but selective a1 adrenoceptor activation was unable to evoke any spontaneous activity. The results indicate that a1 adrenoceptors, although able to mediate stimulation in both AE and MV, are not involved in arrhythmogenesis. 'beta¿-adrenoceptor activation, thus, seems the main type involved in both inotropic and arrhythmic responses to catecholamines. In addition, our results point out a functional antagonism between 'beta¿-adrenoceptor subtypes: i.e., pro- and anti-arrhythmic effects mediated by 'beta IND. 1¿ and 'beta IND. 2¿-adrenoceptors, respectively in both atrial and ventricular rat myocardium / Mestrado / Engenharia Biomedica / Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica

Indivíduos portadores do glutamato na posição 27 do gene que codifica para o receptor beta2-adrenérgico têm resposta vasodilatadora muscular aumentada durante manobras fisiológicas. No entanto, o impacto do consumo agudo de gordura nessa resposta não é conhecido. Neste estudo, testou-se a hipótese de que o consumo gordura afetaria a resposta vasodilatadora aumentada destes indivíduos durante manobras fisiológicas. Vinte e cinco indivíduos saudáveis foram subdivididos em dois grupos: 11 homozigotos para o glutamato (Glu27Glu, 40+-3 anos; 65+-3kg) e 14 homozigotos para a glutamina (Gln27Gln, 40+-2 anos; 64+-2kg). O fluxo sangüíneo muscular foi medido por pletismografia de oclusão venosa. A resposta vasodilatadora muscular foi avaliada durante 3 minutos de exercício e estresse mental em jejum e 3 horas após consumo de 62 g de gordura. A condutância basal foi semelhante entre grupos (Glu27Glu=2,3+-0,1; Gln27Gln=2,2+-0,1; P=0,21). O aumento da condutância vascular durante exercício e durante o estresse mental foi maior no grupo Glu27Glu (0,73+-0,2 vs 0,22+-0,1; P=0,008 e 1,8?0,3 vs 1,2+-0,2; P=0,04, respectivamente). O consumo agudo de uma preparação rica em gordura eliminou esta diferença. A resposta de pressão arterial e freqüência cardíaca foi semelhante antes e após a ingestão de gordura. Os níveis de triglicérides, glicose e insulina foram semelhantes ao longo de todo período de estudo. O consumo agudo de gordura elimina a resposta aumentada do fluxo sangüíneo muscular durante manobras fisiológicas dos indivíduos portadores do genótipo Glu27Glu no receptorbeta2- adrenérgico. / Subjects who have glutamic acid at position 27 in gene encoding to beta2-adrenoceptor have increased muscle vasodilatory response during physiological maneuvers. However, the impact of a high-fat meal in this response is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that a high-fat meal would modify the increased muscle vascular reactivity during handgrip and mental stress in these subjects. Twenty-five healthy subjects were subdivided in two groups: 11 were homozygous to glutamic acid (Glu27Glu, 40?3 years; 65+-3kg) and 14 were homozygous to glutamine (Gln27Gln, 40+-2 years; 64+-2kg). Forearm blood flow was measured by venous occlusion pletysmography. Forearm blood flow was recorded for 3 minutes of handgrip and mental stress during fasting and three hours after 62g of fat consumption. Baseline forearm vascular conductance was similar between groups (Glu27Glu=2.3+-0.1; Gln27Gln=2.2+-0.1; P=0.21). Forearm vascular conductance during handgrip and mental stress was greater in the genotype Glu27Glu (0.73+-0.2 vs 0.22+-0.1; P=0.008 and 1.8+-0.3 vs 1.2+-0.2; P=0.04, respectively). Acute fat consumption eliminated the difference of vasodilatory response previously achieved. Blood pressure and heart rate response were similar before and after fat intake. Triglycerides, glucose and insulin levels were also similar between groups. We concluded that high-fat ingestion abolishes the augmented muscle blood flow responses during physiological maneuvers in individuals who are homozygous for the Glu27 allele of the beta2-adrenoceptor gene.

Endogenous cardiac protection against acute ischemia/reperfusion injury can by increased by cardiac adaptation to various forms of chronic hypoxia. Chronic hypoxia induces a large variety of adaptive changes in the myocardium that could be considered as protective, but the exact mechanism of increased ischemic tolerance is unknown. Different studies suggest that catecholamine release and their effect on -adrenergic signaling after adaptation to chronic hypoxia contributes to cardioprotection. In this study we focused on characterization of -adrenergic receptors ( -ARs) in the myocardium of rats after adaptation to three different hypoxic conditions: 1. intermittent normobaric hypoxia - INH/R (23 h hypoxia, 1 h reoxygenation), 2. intermittent normobaric hypoxia - INH (8 h hypoxia, 16 h normoxia), 3. continuous normobaric hypoxia - CNH (24 h hypoxia). We compared how each hypoxic model affects the total number of -adrenergic receptors and proportion of individual subtypes ( 1-and 2-ARs) in the left and right ventricles compared control normoxic rats. The INH model had apparently no effect on -ARs in either ventricles. On the other hand, adaptation to INH/R and CNH was accompanied by a significant decrease (by about 25%) in the total number of -adrenergic receptors in the right ventricles. Our present...

Flies are a widely distributed pest insect that poses a significant threat to food security. Flight is essential for the dispersal of the adult flies to find new food sources and ideal breeding spots. The supply of metabolic fuel to power the flight muscles of insects is regulated by adipokinetic hormones (AKHs). The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis, and the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis all have the same AKH that is present in the blowfly, Phormia terraenovae; this AKH has the code-name Phote-HrTH. Binding of the AKH to the extracellular binding site of a G protein-coupled receptor causes its activation. In this thesis, the structure of Phote-HrTH in SDS micelle solution was determined using NMR restrained molecular dynamics. The peptide was found to bind to the micelle and be reasonably rigid, with an S 2 order parameter of 0.96. The translated protein sequence of the AKH receptor from the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis, and the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis were used to construct two models for each receptor: Drome-AKHR, Sarcr-AKHR, and Bacdo-AKHR. It is proposed that these two models represent the active and inactive state of the receptor. The models based on the crystal structure of the β-2 adrenergic receptor were found to bind Phote-HrTH with a predicted binding free energy of –107 kJ mol–1 for Drome-AKHR, –102 kJ mol–1 for Sarcr-AKHR and –102 kJ mol–1 for Bacdo-AKHR. Under molecular dynamics simulation, in a POPC membrane, the β-2AR receptor-like complexes transformed to rhodopsin-like. The identification and characterisation of the ligand-binding site of each receptor provide novel information on ligand-receptor interactions, which could lead to the development of species-specific control substances to use discriminately against these pest flies.

Katecholamine beeinflussen durch direkte Stimulation über adrenerge Rezeptoren die Funktion von Immunzellen. Ziel der Untersuchungen an Patienten mit Rheumatoider Arthritis war es, das Expressionsprofil unterschiedlicher adrenerger Rezeptorsubtypen in CD4(+)T-Lymphozyten dieser Patienten zu bestimmen. Zur Quantifizierung der Expression wurden semiquantitative RT-PCR-Analysen durchgeführt. Die Untersuchung zeigte, dass alpha1-adrenerge Rezeptoren in CD4(+)-T-Lymphozyten von RA-Patienten exprimiert werden. Es scheint eine Korrelation zwischen bestimmten extraartikulären Organmanifestationen (z.B. Sicca-Sydrom und Tenosynovitis) und der Expression alpha1-adrenerger Rezeptoren zu bestehen. Die gefundene differenzielle Expression der Rezeptoren in CD4(+)-T-Lymphozyten von RA-Patienten legen vertiefende Untersuchungen zur Relevanz des adrenergen Systems bei der Lymphozytenfunktionsmodulation nahe.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Michael E. Dikeman / Sixty cull cows were utilized to investigate the effects of feeding a single or sequence of β-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) on performance, mRNA expression, carcass traits, economics, meat palatability, and ground beef color. Treatments included: 1) concentrate fed for 74 d (C); 2) concentrate fed for 49 d then supplemented with ractopamine-HCl for 25 d (RH); 3) concentrate fed for 51 d then supplemented with zilpaterol-HCl for 20 d (ZH); 4), concentrate fed for 26 d then supplemented with RH for 25 d followed by ZH for 20 d (RH + ZH). No differences existed among treatments for performance or carcass characteristics. However, cows supplemented with ZH (ZH and RH + ZH treatments) had increased LM areas (P = 0.18) compared to control and RH cows. Sequential feeding of RH followed by ZH had no influence on β2-adrenergic receptor (AR) mRNA expression. However, β2-AR mRNA was increased (P < 0.05) in the RH and ZH treatments when RH or ZH was supplemented during the last 20 to 25 d of feeding. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) Type IIa mRNA decreased (P < 0.05) from d 24 to 51 in all cows, while MHC-IIx increased (P < 0.05) in the ZH and RH + ZH treatments during ZH supplementation. No differences were observed in ground beef color shelf-life among treatments. Effects of β-AA supplementation on meat palatability varied among muscles. Infraspinatus steaks had improved (P < 0.05) WBSF values with β-AA supplementation. Psoas major steaks from the RH + ZH treatment were rated as more tender than steaks from all other treatments. Non-enhanced LM steaks from ZH supplemented cows had higher (P = 0.12) WBSF values along with decreased (P < 0.0001) percentages of degraded desmin compared to control and RH cows. Collagen solubility of the LM was increased with ZH supplementation compared to RH and control cows. Enhancement of steaks with 0.1 M calcium lactate improved LM tenderness of β-AA supplemented cows. Implanting and feeding cull cows for 74 d, regardless of β-AA supplementation, added value by transiting cows from a “cull” cow to “white” cow market.

The aim of this thesis was to study the changes that occur in cell line H9c2 after exposure to an oxygen level reduced to 2 % for 24 hours. We monitored changes in compartmentation of chosen members of β-adrenergic signaling system. We found an increase in expression of β1AR and β2AR. Only β2AR showed change in compartmentation after hypoxia, as they relocate from membrane rafts to non-rafts fractions of membrane. AC also showed an increase of expression and was located in membrane rafts. The next aim of this work was to monitore apoptotic markers to determine whether there are activated pro-apoptotic or anti-apoptotic signals under chosen conditions of hypoxia. There was an increase in expression of both pro-apoptotic protein Bax and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. We compare ratios of Bcl-2 to Bax and we found that there is a bigger increase in protein Bax expression. Another apoptotic marker, caspase 3, was tested and we also found that there was an increase in expression of caspase 3 in cells after hypoxia. Furthermore, we studied possible activation of kinase signaling pathways that may contribute to protective effects of hypoxia. Expression of Akt and ERK kinases was increased after hypoxia, but we did not confirm activation by phosphorylation of these kinases. Levels of phosphorylated Akt...