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- Abelson, Klas, 1976-
(författare)
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Acetylcholine in Spinal Pain Modulation : An in vivo Study in the Rat
- 2005
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The spinal cord is an important component in the processing and modulation of painful stimuli. Nerve signals from the periphery are relayed and further conducted to the brain (nociception) in the spinal cord, and the most essential modulation of painful information (antinociception) occurs here. Several neurotransmitters are involved in spinal pain modulation, among them acetylcholine. However, the role of acetylcholine has previously been little investigated. In the present thesis, the acetylcholine release in the spinal cord was studied in vivo. By using spinal microdialysis on anaesthetised rats, the effects on the intraspinal acetylcholine release of various receptor ligands and analgesic agents were examined. This, together with pain behavioural tests and in vitro pharmacological assays, was used to evaluate the role of acetylcholine in spinal pain modulation. The four studies in this thesis resulted in the following conclusions: An increased release of spinal acetylcholine is associated with an elevated pain threshold, while a decreased acetylcholine release is associated with hyperalgesia, as seen after systemic treatment with a muscarinic agonist and an antagonist. Lidocaine is a potent analgesic when given systemically. It was found to produce an increase of intraspinal acetylcholine after intravenous injection of analgesic doses. This effect was attenuated after muscarinic, and abolished after nicotinic, receptor blockade. Various a2-adrenergic ligands, associated with nociceptive or antinociceptive effects, were found to affect intraspinal acetylcholine release via action on nicotinic receptors. Finally, the involvement of spinal acetylcholine in the analgesic effects of aspirin and paracetamol was examined. It was found that spinal acetylcholine could participate in the analgesic effects of aspirin, but not of paracetamol. The present thesis provides data that clearly demonstrate a relationship between intraspinal acetylcholine and antinociception, and elucidate interactions between acetylcholine and other mechanisms that mediate antinociception in the spinal cord.
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| 2. |
- Abelson, Klas, et al.
(författare)
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Intravenously administered lidocaine in therapeutic doses increases the intraspinal release of acetylcholine in rats
- 2002
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Ingår i: Neuroscience Letters. - : Elsevier. - 0304-3940 .- 1872-7972. ; 317:2, s. 93-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The local anesthetic lidocaine suppresses different pain conditions when administered systemically. Part of the antinociceptive effect appears to be mediated via receptor mechanisms. We have previously shown that muscarinic and nicotinic agonists that produce antinociception increase the intraspinal release of acetylcholine. In the present study it was hypothesized that systemically administered lidocaine is acting through the same mechanisms as cholinergic agonists and affects the intraspinal release of acetylcholine. Microdialysis probes were placed in anesthetized rats for sampling of acetylcholine. Ten and 30 mg/kg lidocaine injected intravenously significantly increased the intraspinal release of acetylcholine. The effect of lidocaine could be reduced by pretreatment with intraspinally administered atropine or mecamylamine. Our results suggest that the antinociceptive effect produced by systemically administered lidocaine is mediated through an action on muscarinic and nicotinic receptors.
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| 3. |
- Abelson, Klas, et al.
(författare)
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Intravenously administered oxotremorine and atropine, in doses known to affect pain threshold, affect the intraspinal release of acetylcholine in rats
- 2002
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Ingår i: Pharmacology and Toxicology. - : Blackwell. - 0901-9928 .- 1600-0773. ; 90:4, s. 187-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract:Both systemically and intrathecally administered cholinergic agonists produce antinociception while cholinergic antagonists decrease pain threshold. The mechanism and the site of action of these substances are not known. In the present study it was hypothesized that systemically administered muscarinic agonists and antagonists modify nociceptive threshold by affecting intraspinal release of acetylcholine (ACh). Catheters were inserted into the femoral vein in rats maintained on isoflurane anaesthesia for administration of oxotremorine (10–300 μg/kg) and atropine (0.1, 10, 5000 μg/kg). Spinal microdialysis probes were placed intraspinally at approximately the C2–C5 spinal level for sampling of acetylcholine and dialysis delivery of atropine (0.1, 1, 10 nM). Additionally, the tail-flick behaviour was tested on conscious rats injected intraperitoneally with saline, atropine (10, 100 and 5000 μg/kg), or subcutaneously with oxotremorine (30, 100, 300 μg/kg). Subcutaneous administration of oxotremorine (30, 100, 300 μg/kg) significantly increased the tail-flick latency. These doses of oxotremorine dose-dependently increased the intraspinal release of acetylcholine. Intravenously administered atropine, in a dose that produced hyperalgesia (5000 μg/kg) in the tail-flick test, significantly decreased the intraspinal release of acetylcholine. Our results suggest an association between pain threshold and acetylcholine release in spinal cord. It is also suggested that an approximately 30% increase in basal ACh release produces antinociception and that a 30% decrease in basal release produces hyperalgesia.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Abelson, Klas, et al.
(författare)
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The effects of the alpha2-adrenergic receptor agonists clonidine and rilmenidine, and antagonists yohimbine and efaroxan, on the spinal cholinergic receptor system in the rat
- 2004
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Ingår i: Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology. - : Blackwell. - 1742-7835 .- 1742-7843. ; 94:4, s. 153-60
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cholinergic agonists produce spinal antinociception via mechanisms involving an increased release of intraspinalacetylcholine. The cholinergic receptor system interacts with several other receptor types, such as a2-adrenergic receptors.To fully understand these interactions, the effects of various receptor ligands on the cholinergic system must be investigatedin detail. This study was initiated to investigate the effects of the a2-adrenergic receptor agonists clonidine and rilmenidineand the a2-adrenergic receptor antagonists yohimbine and efaroxan on spinal cholinergic receptors in the rat. Spinalmicrodialysis was used to measure in vivo changes of acetylcholine after administration of the ligands, with or withoutnicotinic receptor blockade. In addition, in vitro binding properties of the ligands on muscarinic and nicotinic receptorswere investigated. It was found that clonidine and rilmenidine increased, while yohimbine decreased spinal acetylcholinerelease. Efaroxan affected acetylcholine release differently depending on concentration. Nicotinic receptor blockade atten-uated the effect of all ligands. All ligands showed poor binding affinity for muscarinic receptors. On the other hand, allligands possessed affinity for nicotinic receptors. Clonidine and yohimbine binding was best fit to a one site binding curveand rilmenidine and efaroxan to a two site binding curve. The present study demonstrates that the tested a2-adrenergicreceptor ligands affect intraspinal acetylcholine release in the rat evoked by nicotinic receptor mechanisms in vivo, andthat they possess binding affinity to nicotinic receptors in vitro. The binding of a2-adrenergic receptor ligands to nicotinicreceptors might affect the intraspinal release of acetylcholine.
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| 7. |
- Asghar, Naveed, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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DNA launched suicidal flaviviruses as therapeutic vaccine candidates
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chronic liver disease, resulting from Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis D virus (HDV), or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, contributes to a major health burden worldwide. The relativelyhigh cost of the HCV treatment brings concerns about the accessibility, especially in the developing countries. Hence, there exists a need for cost effect interventions with high efficiency. We aim to develop therapeutic vaccine candidates against HBV, HCV and HDV using DNA based subgenomic flavivirus replicons as a delivery system. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Langat virus (LGTV), West-Nile virus (WNV), or Kunjinvirus (KUNV) replicon with firefly luciferase geneas a reporter were expressed and characterized in cell culture studies. WNV and KUNV replicons showed significantly higher replication compared to their respective negative controls with unfunctional viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase. KUNV and WNV replicons were chosen for cloning the HCV or HB/DV vaccine candidate gene by replacing luciferasegene. Owing to the self-replicating trait of the flavivirus subgenomic replicons, Western blotting demonstrated that the antigen expression by KUNV and WNV replicons was several folds higher than the positive control. These results suggest that DNA based KUNV and WNV replicons may function as carriers for the hepatitis vaccine candidate genes, and these replicons are currently used for in vivostudies in animal models.
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| 8. |
- Asghar, Naveed, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Immunogenicity of DNA launched suicidal flavivirus replicons for protective vaccination against hepatitis viruses
- 2019
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chronic liver disease, resulting from Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis D virus (HDV), or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, contributes to a major health burden worldwide. Chronic infections with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be effectively cured by antivirals. However, as cured patients can be re-infected they lack protective immune responses. In addition, the relativelyhigh cost of the HCV treatment brings concerns about the accessibility, especially in the developing countries. Hence, there exists a need for cost effect vaccines with high efficiency to control and possibly eradicate Hepatitis viruses globally. The vaccine should induce either, or both, neutralizing antibodies and protective T cell responses. We therefore have developed DNA based flavivirus replicons as a potent delivery system that effectively prime HCV-specific T cell responses. We generated suicidal subgenomic DNA replicons of Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Langat virus (LGTV), West-Nile virus (WNV), and Kunjinvirus (KUNV) expressing either a fusion protein between the HCV NS3/4A and a stork hepatitis B virus core or a vaccine candidate gene of HB/DV. Transfection experiments showed that the antigen expression by KUNV and WNV replicons was several folds higher than the antigen expression by standard DNA plasmid with CMV promoter. The immunogenicity of three suicidal flaviviral DNA replicons expressing HCV NS3/4A was tested in mice and compared to HCV NS3/4A expression by the standard DNA plasmid. The KUNV-HCV replicon was the best replicon-based immunogen with respect to priming of HCV NS3/4A-specific T cells as determined by ELISpot, dextramer staining, and polyfunctionality. Importantly, a mutant KUNV-HCV immunogen lacking replication failed to induce immune responses. Thus, the newly developed KUNV-based suicidal DNA launched replicon vaccine for HCV is a highly attractive candidate as a prophylactic vaccine against chronic hepatitis C. In addition, we are currently testing the immunogenicity of KUNV-HB/DV replicon in mice.
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| 9. |
- Bahnan, Wael, et al.
(författare)
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Spike-Dependent Opsonization Indicates Both Dose-Dependent Inhibition of Phagocytosis and That Non-Neutralizing Antibodies Can Confer Protection to SARS-CoV-2
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spike-specific antibodies are central to effective COVID19 immunity. Research efforts have focused on antibodies that neutralize the ACE2-Spike interaction but not on non-neutralizing antibodies. Antibody-dependent phagocytosis is an immune mechanism enhanced by opsonization, where typically, more bound antibodies trigger a stronger phagocyte response. Here, we show that Spike-specific antibodies, dependent on concentration, can either enhance or reduce Spike-bead phagocytosis by monocytes independently of the antibody neutralization potential. Surprisingly, we find that both convalescent patient plasma and patient-derived monoclonal antibodies lead to maximum opsonization already at low levels of bound antibodies and is reduced as antibody binding to Spike protein increases. Moreover, we show that this Spike-dependent modulation of opsonization correlate with the outcome in an experimental SARS-CoV-2 infection model. These results suggest that the levels of anti-Spike antibodies could influence monocyte-mediated immune functions and propose that non-neutralizing antibodies could confer protection to SARS-CoV-2 infection by mediating phagocytosis.
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| 10. |
- Benedetti, Rosaria, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibition of histone demethylases LSD1 and UTX regulates ERα signaling in breast cancer
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6694. ; 11:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In breast cancer, Lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) and other lysine demethylases (KDMs), such as Lysine-specific demethylase 6A also known as Ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat, X chromosome (UTX), are co-expressed and co-localize with estrogen receptors (ERs), suggesting the potential use of hybrid (epi)molecules to target histone methylation and therefore regulate/redirect hormone receptor signaling. Here, we report on the biological activity of a dual-KDM inhibitor (MC3324), obtained by coupling the chemical properties of tranylcypromine, a known LSD1 inhibitor, with the 2OG competitive moiety developed for JmjC inhibition. MC3324 displays unique features not exhibited by the single moieties and well-characterized mono-pharmacological inhibitors. Inhibiting LSD1 and UTX, MC3324 induces significant growth arrest and apoptosis in hormone-responsive breast cancer model accompanied by a robust increase in H3K4me2 and H3K27me3. MC3324 down-regulates ERα in breast cancer at both transcriptional and non-transcriptional levels, mimicking the action of a selective endocrine receptor disruptor. MC3324 alters the histone methylation of ERα-regulated promoters, thereby affecting the transcription of genes involved in cell surveillance, hormone response, and death. MC3324 reduces cell proliferation in ex vivo breast cancers, as well as in breast models with acquired resistance to endocrine therapies. Similarly, MC3324 displays tumor-selective potential in vivo, in both xenograft mice and chicken embryo models, with no toxicity and good oral efficacy. This epigenetic multi-target approach is effective and may overcome potential mechanism(s) of resistance in breast cancer.
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