Differential effects of chemical sympathectomy on expression and activity of tyrosine hydroxylase and levels of catecholamines and DOPA in peripheral tissues of rats

Dopamine Receptors in Breast Cancer: Prevalence, Signaling, and Therapeutic Applications

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among women, with over one million cases occurring annually worldwide. Although therapies against estrogen receptors and HER2 have improved response rate and survival, patients with advanced disease, who are resistant to anti-hormonal therapy and/or to chemotherapy, have limited treatment options for reducing morbidity and mortality. These limitations provide major incentives for developing new, effective, and personalized therapeutic interventions. This review presents evidence on the involvement of dopamine (DA) and its type 1 receptors (D1R) in BC. DA is produced in multiple peripheral organs and is present in the systemic circulation in significant amounts. D1R is overexpressed in ~ 30% of BC cases and is associated with advanced disease and shortened patient survival. Activation of D1R, which signals via the cGMP/PKG pathway, results in apoptosis, inhibition of cell invasion, and increased chemosensitivity in multiple BC cell lines. Fenoldopam, a peripheral D1R agonist that does not penetrate the brain, dramatically suppressed tumor growth in mouse models with D1R-expressing BC xenografts. It is proposed that D1R should serve as a novel diagnostic/prognostic factor through the use of currently available D1R detection methods. Fenoldopam, which is FDA-approved to treat renal hypertension, could be repurposed as an effective therapeutic agent for patients with D1R-expressing tumors. Several drugs that interfere with the cGMP/PKG pathway and are approved for treating other diseases should also be considered as potential treatments for BC.

Gastrointestinal Dopamine in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

an increased prevalence of gastro-duodenal ulceration was described almost sixty years ago as prodromal to idiopathic Parkinson's disease, while duodenal ulcers have been rarely diagnosed in patients with schizophrenia. The cytoprotective role of dopamine in animal models of gastrointestinal ulcerations has also been described. Interestingly, Parkinson's disease (PD) might share common pathophysiological links with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as epidemiological and genetic links already suggest. Thus, the aim of our study was to review the existing literature on the role of the gastrointestinal dopaminergic system in IBD pathogenesis and progression.

METHODS

a systematic search was conducted according to the PRISMA methodology.

RESULTS

twenty-four studies satisfied the predetermined criteria and were included in our qualitative analysis. Due to different observations (cross-sectional studies) as well as experimental setups and applied methodologies (in vivo and in vitro studies) a meta-analysis could not be performed. No ongoing clinical trials with dopaminergic compounds in IBD patients were found.

CONCLUSIONS

the impairment of the dopaminergic system seems to be a significant, yet underestimated, feature of IBD, and more in-depth observational studies are needed to further support the existing preclinical data.

Where Is Dopamine and how do Immune Cells See it?: Dopamine-Mediated Immune Cell Function in Health and Disease

Dopamine is well recognized as a neurotransmitter in the brain, and regulates critical functions in a variety of peripheral systems. Growing research has also shown that dopamine acts as an important regulator of immune function. Many immune cells express dopamine receptors and other dopamine related proteins, enabling them to actively respond to dopamine and suggesting that dopaminergic immunoregulation is an important part of proper immune function. A detailed understanding of the physiological concentrations of dopamine in specific regions of the human body, particularly in peripheral systems, is critical to the development of hypotheses and experiments examining the effects of physiologically relevant dopamine concentrations on immune cells. Unfortunately, the dopamine concentrations to which these immune cells would be exposed in different anatomical regions are not clear. To address this issue, this comprehensive review details the current information regarding concentrations of dopamine found in both the central nervous system and in many regions of the periphery. In addition, we discuss the immune cells present in each region, and how these could interact with dopamine in each compartment described. Finally, the review briefly addresses how changes in these dopamine concentrations could influence immune cell dysfunction in several disease states including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, as well as the collection of pathologies, cognitive and motor symptoms associated with HIV infection in the central nervous system, known as NeuroHIV. These data will improve our understanding of the interactions between the dopaminergic and immune systems during both homeostatic function and in disease, clarify the effects of existing dopaminergic drugs and promote the creation of new therapeutic strategies based on manipulating immune function through dopaminergic signaling. Graphical Abstract.

The pharmacology of α1-adrenoceptor subtypes

This review examines the functions of α₁-adrenoceptor subtypes, particularly in terms of contraction of smooth muscle. There are 3 subtypes of α₁-adrenoceptor, α_1A- α_1B- and α_1D-adrenoceptors. Evidence is presented that the postulated α_1L-adrenoceptor is simply the native α_1A-adrenoceptor at which prazosin has low potency. In most isolated tissue studies, smooth muscle contractions to exogenous agonists are mediated particularly by α_1A-, with a lesser role for α_1D-adrenoceptors, but α_1B-adrenoceptors are clearly involved in contractions of some tissues, for example, the spleen. However, nerve-evoked responses are the most crucial physiologically, so that these studies of exogenous agonists may overestimate the importance of α_1A-adrenoceptors. The major α₁-adrenoceptors involved in blood pressure control by sympathetic nerves are the α_1D- and the α_1A-adrenoceptors, mediating peripheral vasoconstrictor actions. As noradrenaline has high potency at α_1D-adrenceptors, these receptors mediate the fastest response and seem to be targets for neurally released noradrenaline especially to low frequency stimulation, with α_1A-adrenoceptors being more important at high frequencies of stimulation. This is true in rodent vas deferens and may be true in vasopressor nerves controlling peripheral resistance and tissue blood flow. The α_lA-adrenoceptor may act mainly through Ca²⁺ entry through L-type channels, whereas the α_1D-adrenoceptor may act mainly through T-type channels and exhaustable Ca²⁺ stores. α₁-Adrenoceptors may also act through non-G-protein linked second messenger systems. In many tissues, multiple subtypes of α-adrenoceptor are present, and this may be regarded as the norm rather than exception, although one receptor subtype is usually predominant.

Cardiac Dysregulation and Myocardial Injury in a 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Rat Model of Sympathetic Denervation

BACKGROUND

Cardiac sympathetic denervation is found in various cardiac pathologies; however, its relationship with myocardial injury has not been thoroughly investigated.

METHODS

Twenty-four rats were assigned to the normal control group (NC), sympathectomy control group (SC), and a sympathectomy plus mecobalamin group (SM). Sympathectomy was induced by injection of 6-OHDA, after which, the destruction and distribution of sympathetic and vagal nerve in the left ventricle (LV) myocardial tissue were determined by immunofluorescence and ELISA. Heart rate variability (HRV), ECG and echocardiography, and assays for myocardial enzymes in serum before and after sympathectomy were examined. Morphologic changes in the LV by HE staining and transmission electron microscope were used to estimate levels of myocardial injury and concentrations of inflammatory cytokines were used to reflect the inflammatory reaction.

RESULTS

Injection of 6-OHDA decreased NE (933.1 ± 179 ng/L for SC vs. 3418.1± 443.6 ng/L for NC, P < 0.01) and increased NGF (479.4± 56.5 ng/mL for SC vs. 315.85 ± 28.6 ng/mL for NC, P < 0.01) concentrations. TH expression was reduced, while ChAT expression showed no change. Sympathectomy caused decreased HRV and abnormal ECG and echocardiography results, and histopathologic examinations showed myocardial injury and increased collagen deposition as well as inflammatory cell infiltration in the cardiac tissue of rats in the SC and SM groups. However, all pathologic changes in the SM group were less severe compared to those in the SC group.

CONCLUSIONS

Chemical sympathectomy with administration of 6-OHDA caused dysregulation of the cardiac autonomic nervous system and myocardial injuries. Mecobalamin alleviated inflammatory and myocardial damage by protecting myocardial sympathetic nerves.

Expression of ocular albinism 1 (OA1), 3, 4- dihydroxy- L-phenylalanine (DOPA) receptor, in both neuronal and non-neuronal organs

Oa1 is the casual gene for ocular albinism-1 in humans. The gene product OA1, alternatively designated as GPR143, belongs to G-protein coupled receptors. It has been reported that OA1 is a specific receptor for 3, 4-dihydroxy- L-phenylalanine (DOPA) in retinal pigmental epithelium where DOPA facilitates the pigmentation via OA1 stimulation. We have recently shown that OA1 mediates DOPA-induced depressor response in rat nucleus tractus solitarii. However, the distribution and function of OA1 in other regions are largely unknown. We have generated oa1 knockout mice and examined OA1 expression in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues by immunohistochemical analyses using anti-mouse OA1 monoclonal antibodies. In the telencephalon, OA1 was expressed in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Predominant expression of OA1 was observed in the pyramidal neurons in these regions. OA1 was also expressed in habenular nucleus, hypothalamus, substantia nigra, and medulla oblongata. The expression of OA1 in the nucleus tractus solitarii of medulla oblongata may support the reduction of blood pressure by the microinjection of DOPA into this region. Outside of the nervous system, OA1 was expressed in heart, lung, liver, kidney and spleen. Abundant expression was observed in the renal tubules and the splenic capsules. These peripheral regions are innervated by numerous sympathetic nerve endings. In addition, substantia nigra contains a large population of dopaminergic neurons. Thus, the immunohistochemical analyses suggest that OA1 may modulate the monoaminergic functions in both peripheral and central nervous systems.

Nonuniform cardiac denervation observed by 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine PET in 6-OHDA-treated monkeys

Parkinson's disease presents nonmotor complications such as autonomic dysfunction that do not respond to traditional anti-parkinsonian therapies. The lack of established preclinical monkey models of Parkinson's disease with cardiac dysfunction hampers development and testing of new treatments to alleviate or prevent this feature. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of developing a model of cardiac dysautonomia in nonhuman primates and preclinical evaluations tools. Five rhesus monkeys received intravenous injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (total dose: 50 mg/kg). The animals were evaluated before and after with a battery of tests, including positron emission tomography with the norepinephrine analog (11)C-meta-hydroxyephedrine. Imaging 1 week after neurotoxin treatment revealed nearly complete loss of specific radioligand uptake. Partial progressive recovery of cardiac uptake found between 1 and 10 weeks remained stable between 10 and 14 weeks. In all five animals, examination of the pattern of uptake (using Logan plot analysis to create distribution volume maps) revealed a persistent region-specific significant loss in the inferior wall of the left ventricle at 10 (P<0.001) and 14 weeks (P<0.01) relative to the anterior wall. Blood levels of dopamine, norepinephrine (P<0.05), epinephrine, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (P<0.01) were notably decreased after 6-hydroxydopamine at all time points. These results demonstrate that systemic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine in nonhuman primates creates a nonuniform but reproducible pattern of cardiac denervation as well as a persistent loss of circulating catecholamines, supporting the use of this method to further develop a monkey model of cardiac dysautonomia.

Effect of stellate ganglionectomy on basal cardiovascular function and responses to beta1-adrenoceptor blockade in the rat

Cardiac sympathetic nerve activity is an important short-term controller of cardiac function and arterial pressure. Studies also suggest that long-term increases in cardiac sympathetic nerve activity may contribute to hypertension, coronary artery disease, and cardiac remodeling in heart failure. However, our understanding of the role of cardiac sympathetic nerves in chronic models of cardiovascular disease has been limited by inadequate experimental approaches. The present study was conducted to develop a surgical method to surgically denervate the sympathetic nerves of the rat heart for long-term cardiovascular studies. We characterized the effect of cardiac sympathetic denervation on basal levels of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) and the responses to a chronic administration of atenolol, a beta1-adrenoceptor antagonist. Rats were instrumented with telemetry transmitters for continuous recording of MAP and HR. After a 4-day baseline period, the rats were subjected to bilateral stellate ganglionectomy (SGX; n=9) or sham surgery (Sham; n=8). Seven days following SGX or Sham, the rats were administered atenolol for 5 days, followed by a 7-day recovery period. Following a transient decrease, SGX had no effect on basal MAP but decreased HR compared with baseline and Sham rats. Five days of atenolol treatment decreased MAP similarly in SGX and Sham rats. Atenolol resulted in a marked bradycardia in Sham rats but had a neglible effects on HR in SGX rats. The measurement of the content of cardiac catecholamines in all cardiac chambers at the end of the study verified a successful sympathetic denervation. This study confirms that bilateral SGX is a useful method to study the contribution of cardiac sympathetic nerves on the regulation of cardiac function. Moreover, these results suggest that cardiac sympathetic nerves are relatively unimportant in maintaining the basal level of MAP or the depressor response to atenolol in conscious, unrestrained rats.

Determination of endogenous norepinephrine levels in different chambers of the rat heart by capillary electrophoresis coupled with amperometric detection

Capillary electrophoresis with end-column amperometric detection (CE-EC) was used to determine the regional distribution of norepinephrine (NE) in the hearts of sympathetically innervated (control) and chemically sympathectomized rats. Key features of the method are (i) the sample preparation and clean-up step that involved the application of off-line solid phase extraction (SPE) with a 95% NE recovery and (ii) the use of a diamond microelectrode for detection. NE was quantified in the left and right ventricle, the ventricular septum, and the left and right atrium. The NE concentration in the atria was three to five times higher than in the ventricles and ventricular septum of control rats. Basal NE levels in the left and right ventricle and the ventricular septum were reduced to below the detection limit (0.034 microg/g tissue) in tissues treated with the neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), while only a moderate reduction was observed in the left and right atrium. Importantly, the diamond microelectrode provided low and stable background current and low peak-to-peak noise <or=0.65 pA at a detection potential of +0.86 V versus Ag/AgCl. A reproducible electrode response was observed for multiple injections of tissue homogenates with minimal response attenuation due to electrode fouling.

Catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes in the adult and prenatal human testis

Catecholamines play functional roles in the mature and developing mammalian testis but the cell types responsible for their local synthesis are still controversially discussed. Here, we demonstrate that four enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of catecholamines, namely, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine- N-methyltransferase (PNMT), are expressed in Leydig cells of the human testis. Tyrosine hydroxylase, the key enzyme of the biosynthesis of catecholamines, was localized to Leydig cells both at the transcript level (by RT-PCR analyses and by in situ hybridization assays) and at the protein level (by immunoblotting and by immunohistochemistry). The other enzymes were also demonstrated in Leydig cells by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses. The presence of TH, AADC, DBH, and PNMT in human Leydig cells was found, in addition, by immunohistochemical approaches carried out on sections from prenatal human testes. Thus, the present study identifies the Leydig cells as the presumed sites of catecholamine production in both the mature and fetal human testes and further supports the previously recognized neuroendocrine characteristics of this cell type.

Arachidonic acid incorporation and turnover is decreased in sympathetically denervated rat heart

Heart sympathetic denervation can accompany Parkinson's disease, but the effect of this denervation on cardiac lipid-mediated signaling is unknown. To address this issue, rats were sympathetically denervated with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 50 mg/kg ip) and infused with 170 muCi/kg of either [1-(14)C]palmitic acid ([1-(14)C]16:0) or [1-(14)C]arachidonic acid ([1-(14)C]20:4 n-6), and kinetic parameters were assessed using a steady-state radiotracer model. Heart norepinephrine and epinephrine levels were decreased 82 and 85%, respectively, in denervated rats, and this correlated with a 34% reduction in weight gain in treated rats. Fatty acid tracer uptake was not significantly different between groups for either tracer, although the dilution coefficient lambda was increased in [1-(14)C]20:4 n-6-infused rats, which indicates that less 20:4 n-6 was recycled in denervated rats. In [1-(14)C]16:0-infused rats, incorporation rate and turnover values of 16:0 in stable lipid compartments were unchanged, which is indicative of preservation of beta-oxidation. In [1-(14)C]20:4 n-6-infused rats, there were dramatic reductions in incorporation rate (60-84%) and turnover value (56-85%) in denervated rats that were dependent upon the lipid compartment. In addition, phospholipase A(2) activity was reduced 40% in treated rats, which is consistent with the reduction observed in 20:4 n-6 turnover. These results demonstrate marked reductions in 20:4 n-6 incorporation rate and turnover in sympathetic denervated rats and thereby suggest an effect on lipid-mediated signal transduction mediated by a reduction in phospholipase A(2) activity.

Epinephrine and dopamine colocalization with norepinephrine in various peripheral tissues: guanethidine effects

Chemical sympathectomy with guanethidine (Gnt) selectively destroys the postganglionic noradrenergic neurons, whereas dopaminergic fibers and nonneural catecholamine-secreting cells are spared. As a result, the relative proportions of norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and dopamine (DA) in tissues can be differentially affected. This study was done to show the possible differences in the relative amount of catecholamines in some organs and tissues that might indicate the nature of the secretory cells from which they originate. The contents of NE, E, and DA were assessed in rats neonatally treated with Gnt. Gnt-treated rats showed significantly lower levels of NE (P < 0.01) in all tissues except the adrenal gland and paraganglia. Epinephrine was present in all tissues with mean levels below 25 ng/g, with the exception of the adrenal gland (700 microg/gland) and paraganglia (100 ng/g). Only the heart showed lower values in Gnt-treated rats. Mean DA levels were also very high in paraganglia (530 ng/g). In the Gnt-treated rats, DA levels fell practically to zero except in the duodenum, mesentery, and adrenal, whereas there were high levels in the paraganglia, which were significantly different from controls. The results suggest that the three catecholamines are contained mainly in noradrenergic sympathetic fibers of muscle, white adipose tissue, heart, liver, pancreas, and spleen. The duodenum and mesentery may have dopaminergic fibers or E- and DA-containing nonneural cells. Hepatic-vagus paraganglia contain all the catecholamines in relatively high amounts in nonneural cells, and Gnt treatment raises DA levels without affecting the other amines.

Animal model of neuropathic tachycardia syndrome

Clinically relevant autonomic dysfunction can result from either complete or partial loss of sympathetic outflow to effector organs. Reported animal models of autonomic neuropathy have aimed to achieve complete lesions of sympathetic nerves, but incomplete lesions might be more relevant to certain clinical entities. We hypothesized that loss of sympathetic innervation would result in a predicted decrease in arterial pressure and a compensatory increase in heart rate. Increased heart rate due to loss of sympathetic innervation is seemingly paradoxical, but it provides a mechanistic explanation for clinical autonomic syndromes such as neuropathic postural tachycardia syndrome. Partially dysautonomic animals were generated by selectively lesioning postganglionic sympathetic neurons with 150 mg/kg 6-hydroxydopamine hydrobromide in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Blood pressure and heart rate were monitored using radiotelemetry. Systolic blood pressure decreased within hours postlesion (Delta>20 mm Hg). Within 4 days postlesion, heart rate rose and remained elevated above control levels. The severity of the lesion was determined functionally and pharmacologically by spectral analysis and responsiveness to tyramine. Low-frequency spectral power of systolic blood pressure was reduced postlesion and correlated with the diminished tyramine responsiveness (r=0.9572, P=0.0053). The tachycardia was abolished by treatment with the beta-antagonist propranolol, demonstrating that it was mediated by catecholamines acting on cardiac beta-receptors. Partial lesions of the autonomic nervous system have been hypothesized to underlie many disorders, including neuropathic postural tachycardia syndrome. This animal model may help us better understand the pathophysiology of autonomic dysfunction and lead to development of therapeutic interventions.

DOPA, dopamine, and DOPAC concentrations in the rat gastrointestinal tract decrease during fasting

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and dopamine (DA) in the gastrointestinal tract are to a large extent of exogenous origin and derived from food. Tissue concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (Epi), DA, DOPA, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), as measured by reverse-phase HPLC with electrochemical detection, were studied in fed and 4-day-fasted Wistar rats as well as in sympathectomized and adrenodemedullated rats. Sympathectomy and adrenal demedullectomy decreased tissue concentrations of NE and Epi, respectively, but had no effect on the level of tissue DOPA. Large amounts of DOPA and DA were present in the gastrointestinal tract. Fasting decreased DOPA and DA in the stomach and DOPA concentrations in the quadriceps muscle but no concentrations in other organs. DOPAC in the heart decreased both in response to sympathectomy and to fasting, whereas DOPAC decreased in plasma after fasting and in skeletal muscle after sympathectomy. We conclude that the food content of DOPA and DA is of major importance for the metabolism of DA and, thus, for the dopamine-sulfate content in the gastrointestinal tract and in plasma. The decrease in muscle DOPA after fasting may be explained by less insulin being available during fasting for stimulation of DOPA uptake in the muscle depot. DOPAC in the organism seems to be of a dual origin, derived partly from DA in the food and partly from DA synthesized in sympathetic nerves.