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The study was carried out to investigate the effect of azelastine on the Substance P (SP) concentration in bronchoalveolar (BAL) and nasal (NAL) lavage obtained from atopic grass pollen asthmatics and non-atopic healthy subjects. In BAL and NAL fluids there was a significant elevation in the baseline concentration of SP between asthmatics and volunteers. Allergen provocation induced a rise of SP in BAL and NAL in asthmatics, but not in volunteers. Azelastine pre-treatment resulted in a significant reduction of SP in baseline concentration of SP in BAL and NAL from asthmatics. An elevation of SP in BAL or NAL fluids after allergen provocation was not seen in asthmatics pretreated with azelastine. Azelastine did not influence the SP concentration in BAL and NAL of volunteers.

It was shown in two different provocation models (nasal and bronchial provocation) that substance P (SP) may play an important role in the neurogenic inflammatory response in upper and lower airway disease. (1) Pretreatment with SP augments the antigen challenge response of the nasal mucosa. (2) The baseline bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) concentrations of SP are elevated 8-fold in allergies (pollen asthma) as compared with normals, even outside of season. (3) The SP concentration in BAL increases significantly (p

Appreciable amounts of substance P (SP) were found in guinea pig cochleas. The highest values were found in the postnatal period. Data presented favor the assumption of SP acting as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the inner ear.

The effects of chronic immobilization stress on the physiological responses of male rats were studied. The results indicate that the SP-like immunoreactivity (SPLIR) is diminished in the adrenals and pituitary after chronic stress. In vitro noradrenaline (NA) release from adrenals was increased. The i.p. administration of SP during the stress procedure normalized the increased NA release in vitro indicating that the catecholamine secretion may be influenced by SP. On the other hand, in demedullated animals the SPLIR in the pituitary was partly reduced and the blood pressure was increased. In such animals chronic stress resulted in an increase of SPLIR in the pituitary in comparison with nonstressed, demedullated animals, but was without effect on the blood pressure. It is concluded that exposure to SP and the resulting decrease of noradrenaline release may have a significant influence on the pituitary-adrenal responsiveness to stress.

In order to evaluate disturbances of the respiratory control in the first year of life in children with a statistically enhanced risk of SIDS, substance P-like immunoreactivity (SPLI) in plasma and mean apnoea duration (MA) were examined. 4 groups of infants were investigated: Controls, full-term infants with anamnestic SIDS-risk factors, preterm infants with additional risk factors and preterm infants without such factors. Infants aged from -4(corrected age) to 63 weeks. SPLI in plasma was determined by a specific, homologous radioimmunoassay. The SPLI-level was significantly higher in controls (n = 41; means +/- SE = 36.37 +/- 4.86 pg/ml) than in preterm infants without (n = 21; 25.41 +/- 5.54 pg/ml) or with additional anamnestic risk factors (n = 111; 25.89 +/- 3.09 pg/ml). SPLI was higher in full-term SIDS-risk infants (n = 150; 30.73 +/- 2.35 pg/ml) than in the preterm groups. There is a significant age dependence in the groups full-term SIDS-risk infants and preterm infants with additional risk factors. During maturation the SPLI-level in plasma rises in these groups from lower values. The MA-values were determined by means of a daytime polygraphy. There is an age dependence of the MA-values during active sleep in full-term SIDS-risk infants and in preterm infants with additional anamnestic risk factors. In the age group 4-17 weeks (peak of SIDS frequency) in active sleep the MA-values were significantly higher in all 3 risk groups than in the controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Summary— A neurogenic inflammation was induced by electrical stimulation of the exposed saphenous or sciatic nerve of male rats. The increase in paw weight of the stimulated leg was used as parameter for degree of inflammation. The content of substance P decreased significantly in the skin supplied by the antidromic stimulated nerves. Substances were tested whose effectivity in neurogenic inflammation is as yet unknown. Inhibition of the angiotensin converting enzyme by the inhibitor captopril did not yield an indirect reference for a causative role of substance P in neurogenic inflammation. The activity of catecholamines refers to the possible importance of blood vessel and/or cyclic nucleotide level alteration in this special type of inflammation.

An Oscillatoria boryana und Oscillatoria terebriformis wurde der Einflus von drei verschiedenen Kulturmedien auf das Algenwachstum untersucht. Mit Ammoniumbikarbonat als Stickstoffquelle waren die ...

This paper presents results on the function of the adrenal medulla, especially the influence of substance P (SP) on the cholinergic-adrenergic interaction. Interconnections between the function of SP and its role in the development and maintenance of hypertension as well as its role in stress and adaptation are investigated. Substance P acts only in situations with an increased nervous activity, for example, after stress-induced activation of the pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic-adrenal axis. Substance P normalizes stress-induced disorders by maintaining homeostasis in the catecholamine system. The basis of the antistress effect is the modulation of both biosynthesis and release of catecholamines in the adrenals. The homeostasis effect of SP, as well as the antistress effect do not require the complete sequence of the molecule. The N-terminal SP fragment is fully active and has no side effects.

Based on new theoretical aspects of functional participation of adrenal glands in adaptation process, resulting from supplement of Selye's stress concept by integration of peptidergic systems, stress related adaptation behaviour of sham operated and demedullated August-rats, characterized by a high stress-sensitivity, were investigated. To characterize the stress related behaviour the following parameters were investigated: Number of rats surviving the exposure, alterations of body mass, occurrence of ulcers and hyperaemia in stomach, blood pressure behaviour, organ mass of adrenals, pituitaries and hypothalami in total, SPLIR in adrenals, pituitaries, hypothalami in total as well as in their special nuclei areas of N. ventromedialis and N. lateralis. The following conclusions can be drawn from experimental results: The important role of adrenal medulla in regulation of adaptive processes is given by the interaction between of its catecholamine system and its regulatory system of peptides (substance P, Opioids). Whereas demedullation itself makes visible alterations which are connected with the loss of adrenal-catecholamine system, additional stressor exposition makes visible alterations connected with the loss of adrenal-regulatory system. Investigations show differences in the sensitivity of reaction against the influence of stressors between catecholamine system (more sensitive) and regulatory system of adrenal medulla of August-rats. Demedullation has a different influence on alterations induced by mild manipulation stress (activation of catecholamine system) and by immobilization (activation of regulatory system). The influence of manipulation stress is inhibited and the influence of immobilization is increased by demedullation. Results of this investigations refer to the existence of feedback relations between the adrenal medulla and pituitary as well as between adrenal medulla and hypothalamus. Furthermore there are indications, that the adrenal medulla takes part in the regulation of extraadrenal sympathetic activity. The experimental data give furthermore a hint for the existence of a high stress sensitivity of August-rats primary caused by the CNS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed in guinea pigs during bronchial challenge with capsaicin (100 micrograms/kg b.w. intravenously) and in control animals. Capsaicin caused a bronchoconstriction (VT minimal: 27.17% +/- 24.49). There was a significant amount of substance P-like immunoreactivity, detected by RIA in the lavage fluid of four of five animals challenged with capsaicin, but only in one of five controls. These results indicate that SPLIR is released into the bronchial lumen during capsaicin-induced bronchoconstriction. So bronchoalveolar lavage may be a useful tool to investigate the role of substance P in the bronchoconstrictor response induced by various stimulants.

The substance P-like immunoreactivity (SPLIR) of plasma and adrenal medulla from spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive WKY rats was measured by a sensitive and highly specific radioimmunoassay for substance P (SP). With increasing age the level of substance P in the adrenal medulla decreased, whereas the SP content of the plasma remained constant in both groups. The SPLIR in plasma of SHR was significantly lower than in normotensive WKY rats. After acute stress the SPLIR, especially of the adrenal medulla of WKY rats, increases, and decreases in SHR. The reason for this different behaviour is discussed and it is assumed that hyperreactions in the sympathetic system may be responsible.

The influence of adrenal demedullation on stress-related behaviour (chronic immobilization) was investigated in respect to the following parameters and physiological processes: number of animals surviving the exposure, blood pressure behaviour, endogenous opioid system, pain sensitivity, endogenous level of substance P (SP) in pituitary and hypothalamus. The results showed that chronic immobilization stress and adrenal demedullation induce the same direction of alterations of physiological processes and parameters. This fact suggests the involvement of common regulatory mechanisms both in demedullation and chronic stress. An important process in this respect may be the induction of functional insufficiency of the adrenal medulla especially concerning the adrenal peptidergic mechanisms. Contrary to the sham operated rats the demedullated animals showed differences in their stress-related behaviour of parameters of adaptive regulatory processes. In rats with demedullation either no additional stress-related alterations of parameters in relation to the general adaptation processes were induced or the demedullation-induced alterations were antagonized partially or completely by chronic immobilization.

Substance P (SP) plays an important role in central nervous and peripheral blood pressure regulation. Its effects include modulating influence on the adrenergic system and inhibition of stress-induced plasma noradrenaline increase in animal studies. In patients with essential hypertension (n = 45, WHO stages 1 and 2) the SP-like immunoreactivity (SPLIR) was found significantly (p less than 0.01) lower (1.36 +/- 0.23 pg/100 microliters) than in 24 normotensive subjects (4.54 +/- 0.72 pg/100 microliters). Furthermore, the influence of a mental stress test on SPLIR was investigated in patients with essential hypertension (n = 11, WHO stage 1) and compared with nine normotensive subjects. Whereas in normotensive subjects plasma SP increased under a standardized mental arithmetic test (4.03 +/- 0.48 to 4.74 +/- 0.56 pg/100 microliters), in hypertensive patients a decrease of SP from lower baseline levels (2.85 +/- 0.54 to 2.57 +/- 0.54 pg/100 microliters) was demonstrated. The significantly different changes of plasma SP in normotensive and hypertensive subjects under mental stress conditions had the opposite direction in comparison with the adrenergic reaction [higher and prolonged increase of plasma noradrenaline (NA) in the hypertensive group]. Under antihypertensive drug treatment with prazosin (4.5 mg/day, n = 10) or with captopril (450 mg/day, n = 10) an increase of plasma SP was registered. The results support the participation of SP in the pathogenesis of human hypertension and in therapeutic mechanisms. Lower plasma levels and decreased responsiveness of SP possibly represent the enhanced stress sensitivity in primary hypertension.

Most research on substance P deals with its presumed function in the nervous system. Both excitatory and inhibitory actions have been observed in pharmacological studies. For example, substance P has a dual action on nociception in mice: it produces analgesia or hyperalgesia, depending on the dose and on the individual sensitivity to pain. This is interpreted to mean that substance P is capable of normalizing responsiveness to pain. Thus substance P could be classified as a regulatory peptide, or 'regulide'. A similar normalizing action of substance P was found in stress-induced disorders of sleep, behaviour and blood pressure in rats. The mechanism of this normalizing action is not yet clear. The decrease in activity observed for dopamine beta-hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase in adrenal glands of rats treated with the peptide may serve as a preliminary hypothesis.

Patients with essential hypertension (n = 45) had significantly lower substance P plasma levels (13.6 +/- 2.30 pg/ml) in comparison with a group of 24 normotensive subjects (45.4 +/- 7.18 pg/ml) analyzed by radioimmunoassay. Prazosin treatment for 2 weeks with 4.5 mg/day enhanced the substance P plasma level depending on its antihypertensive effect. Norepinephrine concentration in plasma was also elevated by prazosin. Dipeptidylpeptidase IV, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and plasma renin activity were not changed significantly. The results indicate the participation of substance P in pathophysiological processes of human essential hypertension.

(1966). Cyanophyceen auf Giftanstrichen. SIL Proceedings, 1922-2010: Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 1575-1576.