Sex hormones estrogen (EST) and progesterone (PROG) have received increased attention for their important physiological action outside of reproduction. While studies have shown that EST and PROG have significant impacts on brain function, their impact on the cerebrovascular system in humans remains largely unknown. To address this, we used a multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach to investigate the link between serum hormones in the follicular phase and luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (MC) with measures of cerebrovascular function (cerebral blood flow [CBF]) and structure (intracranial artery diameter). Fourteen naturally cycling women were recruited and assessed at two-time points of their MC. CBF was derived from pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling while diameters of the internal carotid and basilar artery was assessed using time of flight magnetic resonance angiography, blood samples were performed after the MRI. Results show that PROG and EST had opposing and spatially distinct effects on CBF: PROG correlated negatively with CBF in anterior brain regions (r = À.86, p < .01), while EST correlations were positive, yet weak and most prominent in posterior areas (r = .78, p < .01). No significant correlations between either hormone or intracranial artery diameter were observed. These results show that EST and PROG have opposing and regionally distinct effects on CBF and that this relationship is likely not due to interactions with large intracranial arteries. Considering that CBF in healthy women appears tightly linked to their current hormonal state, future studies should consider assessing MCrelated hormone fluctuations in the design of functional MRI studies in this population.
ATP is a well-known inducer of prostacyclin and nitric oxide release from vascular endothelial cells. These responses are mediated by P2 receptors coupled to a phospholipase C. We have investigated the influence of ATP on the control of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in bovine aortic endothelial cells. ATP produced a slight increase in the cAMP content of unstimulated endothelial cells. A more impressive response to ATP (5-fold) was observed in forskolin-stimulated cells. The rank orders of potency of various ATP analogues were strikingly different for the increase in cAMP and the accumulation of inositol phosphates. The action of ATP was unaffected by indomethacin. Protein kinase C downregulation produced only a partial inhibition of the ATP response. The effect of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and bradykinin on the forskolin-induced accumulation of cAMP was much smaller than that of ATP. Neither adenosine deaminase nor AMP deaminase decreased the response to ATP, which thus cannot result from the ATP degradation into adenosine. However, 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline inhibited the responses to both ATP and adenosine. In conclusion, ATP enhances the accumulation of cAMP in endothelial cells. This action appears to be the sum of two components: a minor one resulting from kinase C activation and a major one mediated either by a direct interaction of ATP with A2 receptors, or by putative methylxanthine-sensitive P2 receptors.
Chronic treatment with levodopa or antipsychotics results in manifestation of side-effects such as dyskinesia which correlates with changes in expression and function of receptors and signaling proteins. Previous studies have suggested a role for the dopamine D3 receptor in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and tardive dyskinesia. Yet the expression and signaling function of D3 receptor in these disorders is not well understood. Here we tested the hypothesis that chronic levodopa treatment alters both expression and function of D3 receptors in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine plus probenecid (MPTP/p) mouse model of PD. drd3-EGFP reporter mice were injected biweekly with saline or MPTP and probenecid for a 5-week period. During the last two weeks of the 5-week period, the mice were administered saline or levodopa twice daily. Locomotor activity was measured during the treatment period. D3 receptor expression was determined by western blot analysis. D3 receptor signaling function was determined at tissue and single cell level by measuring the activation of D3 receptor-mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. The drd3-EGFP mice administered MPTP/p exhibited akinesia/bradykinesia. Expression of D3 receptor protein in the dorsal striatum specifically increased in the MPTP/p-treated mice administered levodopa. In the dorsal striatum of levodopa and MPTP/p-treated drd3-EGFP mice, administration of a D3 receptor-selective dose of agonist, PD128907, failed to activate D3 receptor-MAPK signaling. These results suggest that MPTP-induced lesion and chronic levodopa treatment alters D3 receptor expression and function in the dorsal striatum which could contribute to the development of dyskinesias and other motor side-effects.
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