Biomaterial Database

Effect of endogenous opioid peptides on acetylcholine release from the cat superior cervical ganglion: selective effect of a heptapeptide. 1987

D M Araujo, and B Collier

The present experiments show the presence of both metenkephalin-like and met-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7-like immunoreactivity in the superior cervical ganglion of the cat; this was determined by radioimmunoassay after high-pressure liquid chromatography separation of tissue extracts. There was measurable efflux of both peptides, as determined by radioimmunoassay of ganglionic perfusates; this measure was increased by thiorphan, an enkephalinase inhibitor. The effect of the 2 peptides on ACh release was determined: The stable analog of methionine-enkephalin, D-Ala2-methionine-enkephalinamide, did not affect ACh release from the ganglion; in contrast, methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 significantly depressed evoked ACh release. The effect of met-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 to decrease ACh release was antagonized, although only partially, by the opioid antagonist naloxone. Thus, it appears that methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 alters ACh release from the superior cervical ganglion by acting, at least in part, on a presynaptic opioid receptor. The results suggest that in the cat superior cervical ganglion, the heptapeptide enkephalin might have a significant role in the regulation of synaptic transmission, which is unrelated to its potential function as a precursor for methionine-enkephalin.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D002415	Cats	The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801)	Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D004723	Endorphins	One of the three major groups of endogenous opioid peptides. They are large peptides derived from the PRO-OPIOMELANOCORTIN precursor. The known members of this group are alpha-, beta-, and gamma-endorphin. The term endorphin is also sometimes used to refer to all opioid peptides, but the narrower sense is used here; OPIOID PEPTIDES is used for the broader group.	Endorphin
D004744	Enkephalin, Methionine	One of the endogenous pentapeptides with morphine-like activity. It differs from LEU-ENKEPHALIN by the amino acid METHIONINE in position 5. Its first four amino acid sequence is identical to the tetrapeptide sequence at the N-terminal of BETA-ENDORPHIN.	Methionine Enkephalin,5-Methionine Enkephalin,Met(5)-Enkephalin,Met-Enkephalin,5 Methionine Enkephalin,Enkephalin, 5-Methionine,Met Enkephalin
D004745	Enkephalins	One of the three major families of endogenous opioid peptides. The enkephalins are pentapeptides that are widespread in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in the adrenal medulla.	Enkephalin
D005260	Female		Females
D005728	Ganglia, Sympathetic	Ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system including the paravertebral and the prevertebral ganglia. Among these are the sympathetic chain ganglia, the superior, middle, and inferior cervical ganglia, and the aorticorenal, celiac, and stellate ganglia.	Celiac Ganglia,Sympathetic Ganglia,Celiac Ganglion,Ganglion, Sympathetic,Ganglia, Celiac,Ganglion, Celiac,Sympathetic Ganglion
D000109	Acetylcholine	A neurotransmitter found at neuromuscular junctions, autonomic ganglia, parasympathetic effector junctions, a subset of sympathetic effector junctions, and at many sites in the central nervous system.	2-(Acetyloxy)-N,N,N-trimethylethanaminium,Acetilcolina Cusi,Acetylcholine Bromide,Acetylcholine Chloride,Acetylcholine Fluoride,Acetylcholine Hydroxide,Acetylcholine Iodide,Acetylcholine L-Tartrate,Acetylcholine Perchlorate,Acetylcholine Picrate,Acetylcholine Picrate (1:1),Acetylcholine Sulfate (1:1),Bromoacetylcholine,Chloroacetylcholine,Miochol,Acetylcholine L Tartrate,Bromide, Acetylcholine,Cusi, Acetilcolina,Fluoride, Acetylcholine,Hydroxide, Acetylcholine,Iodide, Acetylcholine,L-Tartrate, Acetylcholine,Perchlorate, Acetylcholine
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia