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Brain microvascular endothelial cells are a critical component of the blood-brain barrier. They form a tight monolayer which is essential for maintaining the brain homeostasis. Blood-derived proteases such as thrombin may enter the brain during pathological conditions like trauma, stroke, and inflammation and further disrupts the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, via incompletely characterized mechanisms. We examined the underlying mechanisms evoked by thrombin in rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (RBMVEC). Our results indicate that thrombin, acting on protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) increases cytosolic Ca 2+ concentration in RBMVEC via Ca 2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum through inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors and Ca 2+ influx from extracellular space. Thrombin increases nitric oxide production; the effect is abolished by inhibition of the nitric oxide synthase or by antagonism of PAR1 receptors. In addition, thrombin increases mitochondrial and cytosolic reactive oxygen species production via PAR1-dependent mechanisms. Immunocytochemistry studies indicate that thrombin increases F-actin stress fibers, and disrupts the tight junctions. Thrombin increased the RBMVEC permeability assessed by a fluorescent flux assay. Taken together, our results indicate multiple mechanisms by which thrombin modulates the function of RBMVEC and may contribute to the blood-brain barrier dysfunction., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its G protein-coupled receptors, PAC1, VPAC1 and VPAC2 form a system involved in a variety of biological processes. Although some sympathetic stimulatory effects of this system have been reported, its central cardiovascular regulatory properties are poorly characterized. VPAC1 receptors are expressed in the nucleus ambiguus (nAmb), a key center controlling cardiac parasympathetic tone. In this study, we report that selective VPAC1 activation in rhodamine-labeled cardiac vagal preganglionic neurons of the rat nAmb produces inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-mediated Ca 2+ mobilization, membrane depolarization and activation of P/Q-type Ca 2+ channels. In vivo, this pathway converges onto transient reduction in heart rate of conscious rats. Therefore we demonstrate a VPAC1-dependent mechanism in the central parasympathetic regulation of the heart rate, adding to the complexity of PACAP-mediated cardiovascular modulation., Competing Interests: statement All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Intrathecal pretreatment of mice with an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed against the kappa-1 receptor significantly reduced the antinociceptive effects of the kappa receptor agonist U50,488 as well as delta 9-THC, the major psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis. A mismatched oligodeoxynucleotide which contained four switched bases did not block the antinociception produced by U50,488 or delta 9-THC. Furthermore, kappa-1 antisense did not alter the antinociceptive effects of either the mu receptor-selective opioid DAMGO, or the delta receptor-selective opioid DPDPE. By using kappa-1 antisense, we were able to demonstrate that an interaction occurs between the cannabinoids and opioids in the spinal cord.

Membrane fractions prepared from rat striate, cortex and midbrain were treated with pertussis toxin, which has been shown to adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylate the GTP-binding protein Gi, reducing its coupling with receptors. In striatal membranes, treatment with 40 micrograms toxin per mg membrane protein labeled 60% of the Gi present and 70% of another G protein, Go; this treatments reduced binding of the opioid agonist [3H]D-Ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin ([3H]DADLE) 20-50%, with the decrease largely reflecting a decreased affinity. In cortex, toxin treatment reduced [3H]DADLE binding by 35-70%, corresponding to ADP-ribosylation of 50% of Gi and 40% of Go. In midbrain, [3H]DADLE binding was unaffected by toxin treatment that ADP-ribosylated 86% of the Gi and 72% of the Go. These results provide further evidence that opioid receptors are associated with GTP-binding proteins in striatum and cortex, where they have also been shown to inhibit adenylate cyclase. Despite the presence of Gi and Go in midbrain, however, there appears to be no coupling between them and opioid receptors.