The aim of the present paper was to study the role of sodium calcium exchanger (NCX) in the generation of action potentials (APs) in cardiomyocytes during early developmental stage (EDS). The precisely dated embryonic hearts of C57 mice were dissected and enzymatically dissociated to single cells. The changes of APs were recorded by whole-cell patch-clamp technique before and after administration of NCX specific blockers KB-R7943 (5 μmol/L) and SEA0400 (1 μmol/L). The results showed that, both KB-R7943 and SEA0400 had potent negative chronotropic effects on APs of pacemaker-like cells, while such effects were only observed in some ventricular-like cardiomyocytes. The negative chronotropic effect of KB-R7943 on ventricular-like cardiomyocytes was accompanied by shortening of AP duration (APD), whereas such an effect of SEA0400 was paralleled by decrease in velocity of diastolic depolarization (Vdd). From embryonic day 9.5 (E9.5) to E10.5, the negative chronotropic effects of KB-R7943 and SEA0400 on ventricular-like APs of embryonic cardiomyocytes gradually disappeared. These results suggest that, in the short-term development of early embryo, the function of NCX may experience developmental changes as evidenced by different roles of NCX in autorhythmicity and APs generation, indicating that NCX function varies with different conditions of cardiomyocytes.
Action Potentials ; Animals ; Calcium/metabolism* ; Mice ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Sodium/metabolism* ; Sodium-Calcium Exchanger ; Thiourea/pharmacology*

Cytokines activate several inflammatory signals that mediate beta-cell destruction. We recently determined that SPA0355 is a strong anti-inflammatory compound, thus reporting its efficacy in protecting beta cells from various insults. The effects of SPA0355 on beta-cell survival were studied in RINm5F cells and primary islets. The protective effects of this compound on the development of type 1 diabetes were evaluated in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. SPA0355 completely prevented cytokine-induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and cytotoxicity in RINm5F cells and isolated islets. The molecular mechanism of SPA0355 inhibition of iNOS expression involves the inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB and Janus kinase signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways. The protective effects of SPA0355 against cytokine toxicity were further demonstrated by normal insulin secretion and absence of apoptosis of cytokine-treated islets. In experiments with NOD mice, the occurrence of diabetes was efficiently reduced when the mice were treated with SPA0355. Therefore, SPA0355 might be a valuable treatment option that delays the destruction of pancreatic beta cells in type 1 diabetes.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Benzoxazines/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/*prevention & control ; Insulin-Secreting Cells/*drug effects/metabolism ; Janus Kinases/genetics/metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; NF-kappa B/genetics/metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/genetics/metabolism ; Rats ; Thiourea/*analogs & derivatives/pharmacology/therapeutic use

Basing on the market multi-target antitumor agent sorafenib, a series of sixteen 4-[4-(2-methyl-aminoacyl-pyridyl)]oxylphenyl aryl thiourea derivatives were designed and synthesized. Their structures were identified by the spectra of 1H NMR, MS and elemental analysis. The evaluation of antitumor bioactivities in vitro was done by MTT method. It was shown that the synthesized compounds had antitumor activities and compounds 1a, 1d, 1i and 1j showed better or equal antitumor activity on sorafenib.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Niacinamide ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Phenylurea Compounds ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of clobenpropit and histidine on reinstatement of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats.

METHODSThe persistence, extinction and reinstatement of morphine-induced CPP were established.In clobenpropit group three different doses of clobenpropit (2, 5 and 10 microg/rat, i.c.v.) were administered 15 min after morphine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected. In histidine group histidine (100, 200, 500 mg/kg) was given 1 h prior to morphine treatment (1 mg/kg i.p).

RESULTThe CPP was reinstated by priming injection of 1 mg/kg morphine. Clobenpropit (5, 10 microg/rat) significantly inhabited the reinstatement by a priming dose of morphine-induced CPP compared with the morphine control group; histidine (100, 200, 500 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the reinstatement in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONClobenpropit and histidine inhibit the revival of morphine-induced CPP in a dose dependent manner, indicating that endogenous histamine may inhibit relapse of morphine to some extent.

Animals ; Conditioning, Operant ; drug effects ; Histidine ; metabolism ; Imidazoles ; pharmacology ; Male ; Morphine Dependence ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; physiopathology ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo define the effects of Astragalus membranaceus on the atrial dynamics and ANP secretion in the perfused beating rabbit atria.

METHODThe experiments have been done in isolated perfused beating rabbit atria. ANP was measured by radioimmunoassay in the atrial perfusate in real-time base.

RESULTA. membranaceus (2.0, 2.5, 3.0 g L(-1)) could increase atria stroke volume from (694.70 +/- 0.01) microL g(-1) (P<0.05) to (1,003.00 +/- 8.80) microL g(-1) (P<0.001); (1,120.00 +/- 17.71) microL g(-1) and (1,195.00 +/- 8.21) microL g(-1) (P<0.001), respectively, and its could difference increase atrial pulse pressure from (0.82 +/- 0.01) kPa to (0.86 +/- 0.01) kPa (P<0.01); (0.96 +/- 0.01) kPa (P<0.001) and (1.02 +/- 0.01) kPa (P<0.001), respectively; A. membranaceus obviously increased rabbit atrial dynamics with dose-dependent manner. Simultaneously, A. membranaceus inhibited ANP secretion. Nifedipine (1.0 micromol L(-1)), a L-type Ca2+ channel inhibitor, and KB-R 7943 (10.0 micromol L(-1)), an inhibitor of reversed Na+ -Ca2+ exchanger, blocked the effects of A. membranaceus-induced augmentation of atrial dynamics but failed to modulation the inhibition of A. membranaceus on ANP secretion.

CONCLUSIONA. membranaceus increases the atrial dynamics via Na+ -Ca2+ exchanger and L-type Ca2+ channel and negatively modulates ANP secretion in beating rabbit atria.

Animals ; Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; metabolism ; secretion ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Female ; Heart Atria ; drug effects ; metabolism ; secretion ; Male ; Myocardial Contraction ; drug effects ; Nifedipine ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of histamine on the neurotoxicity induced by beta-amyloid(1-42)(Abeta42) in rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells.

METHODSThe in vitro model of Alzheimer's disease was constructed with A beta42-treated PC12 cells. Cell morphology and MTT assay were used to evaluate the cell toxicity and histamine effects. The different histamine antagonists were applied to investigate the involvement of receptor subtypes.

RESULTThe neurotoxicity was induced by A beta42 in a concentration-dependent manner, which was reversed by histamine at concentration of 10(-7), 10(-6) mol/L. The effect was reversed by H(2) antagonist zolantidine and H(3)antagonist clobenpropit, but not by H(1) antagonist diphenhydramine.

CONCLUSIONHistamine reduces neurotoxicity induced by beta-amyloid(1-42), which may be mediated by H(2) and H(3)receptors.

Alzheimer Disease ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Benzothiazoles ; pharmacology ; Diphenhydramine ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Histamine ; pharmacology ; Histamine H2 Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Histamine H3 Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Imidazoles ; pharmacology ; Neuroprotective Agents ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; PC12 Cells ; Phenoxypropanolamines ; pharmacology ; Piperidines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Receptors, Histamine H2 ; metabolism ; Receptors, Histamine H3 ; metabolism ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

The present study was aimed to investigate the positive inotropic mechanism of carbachol (CCh) on rat ventricular myocytes. The effects of CCh on L-type calcium current (I(Ca,L)) and Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange current (I(Na/Ca)) were investigated in isolated rat ventricular myocytes. After loading myocytes with Fura-2/AM, electrically triggered Ca(2+) transient and cell shortening in single myocyte were measured simultaneously using ion imaging system with charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. CCh (100 mumol/L) increased I(Na/Ca) in forward mode from (1.18 +/- 0.57) pA/pF in the control group to (1.65 +/- 0.52) pA/pF (P<0.01) and that in reverse mode from (1.11 +/- 0.49) pA/pF in the control group to (1.53 +/- 0.52) pA/pF (P<0.01), respectively. CCh had no effect on I(Ca,L). The stimulatory effect of CCh on I(Na/Ca) was blocked by application of atropine, a non-selective M muscarinic receptor antagonist, and methoctramine, a selective M(2) muscarinic receptor antagonist. CCh (100 mumol/L) increased cell shortening from (3.00 +/- 0.67) mum in the control group to (3.55 +/- 1.21) mum. Ca(2+) transient was also increased from 203.8 +/- 50.0 in the control group to 234.8 +/- 64.3 in 100 mumol/L CCh group. KB-R7943, a selective inhibitor of reverse mode Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange, did not change the baseline level of cell shortening and Ca(2+) transient, while completely abolished CCh-induced increments of both Ca(2+) transient and cell shortening. CCh increased cell shortening and Ca(2+) transient in the presence of nicardipine, indicating that the positive inotropic effect of CCh was through activation of Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange. Calcium sensitivity was not changed by CCh. Both atropine and methoctramine abolished the positive inotropic effects of CCh, demonstrating that CCh induced positive inotropism via the M(2) muscarinic receptor. The results suggest that CCh increases cell contraction and Ca(2+) transient in rat ventricular myocytes. This positive inotropic effect of CCh is through activation of reverse mode Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange, and M(2) receptors are involved in mediating CCh-induced contraction.
Animals ; Calcium ; Carbachol ; pharmacology ; Heart Ventricles ; Male ; Myocardial Contraction ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; Rats ; Receptor, Muscarinic M2 ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; drug effects ; Sodium ; Sodium-Calcium Exchanger ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives

AIMTo synthesize a series of 2-arylimino-4-thiazolidone derivatives and 2-imidazolino [2,3-b]-4-thiazolidone in order to get some novel potent compounds with nitric oxide synthases (NOS) inhibitory activity.

METHODSThe target compounds were prepared by reaction of N-chloroacetyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline or N-chloroacetylphthalimide with substituted thioureas, their NOS inhibitory activity were measured.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONThe 15 new compounds were synthesized and most of the reaction yields were over 65%. The structures of new compounds were identified by IR, 1H NMR, MS and elemental analyses. Bioassay indicated that, most of 15 new compounds synthesized had confirmed bioactivities inhibition against NOS.

Molecular Structure ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Thiazoles ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives

AIMTo get some novel potent compounds with NOS inhibitory activity, a series of new compounds of isothioureas derived from 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline were synthesized.

METHODS1,2, 3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinol-2-yl was introduced into the structure of isothioureas, the NOS inhibitory activity of the new compounds synthesized were measured.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONTwenty-two isothiourea derivatives of [alkyl(or aryl) imino] (1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinol-2-yl) methyl alkyl thioethers (I) and S-alkyl-1-phenyl-3-[4-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinol-2-yl) methane] phenyl isothioureas (II) were synthesized from thioureas by S-alkylation with alkyl halides, and their structures were identified by IR, 1H NMR, MS and elemental analysis. The preliminary biological test showed that the part of type I (1-9 and 1-13) had higher NOS inhibitory activity than that the control aminoguanidine (AG), but the type II had weak ability to inhibit NOS.

Molecular Structure ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Stereoisomerism ; Tetrahydroisoquinolines ; chemistry ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Liver ; parasitology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Schistosomiasis japonica ; immunology ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology