Desensitization of G-protein-coupled receptors induces vascular hypocontractility in response to norepinephrine in the mesenteric arteries of cirrhotic patients and rats

BACKGROUND: The increased β-arrestin-2 and its combination with G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) lead to GPCRs desensitization. The latter may be responsible for decreased contractile reactivity in the mesenteric arteries of cirrhotic patients and rats. The present study is to investigate the machinery changes of α-adrenergic receptors and G proteins and their roles in the contractility of mesenteric arteries of cirrhotic patients and animal models. METHODS: Patients with cirrhosis due to hepatitis B and cirrhotic rats induced by CCl 4 were studied. Mesenteric artery contractility in response to norepinephrine was determined by a vessel perfusion system. The contractile effect of G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK-2) inhibitor on the mesenteric artery was evaluated. The protein expression of the α 1 adrenergic receptor, G proteins, β-arrestin-2, GRK-2 as well as the activity of Rho associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase-1 (ROCK-1) were measured by Western blot. In addition, the interaction of α 1 adrenergic receptor with β-arrestin-2 was assessed by co-immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: The portal vein pressure of cirrhotic patients and rats was significantly higher than that of controls. The doseresponse curve to norepinephrine in mesenteric arteriole was shifted to the right, and EC 50 was significantly increased in cirrhotic patients and rats. There were no significant differences in the expressions of the α 1 adrenergic receptor and G proteins in the cirrhotic group compared with the controls. However, the protein expressions of GRK-2 and β-arrestin-2 were significantly elevated in cirrhotic patients and rats compared with those of the controls. The interaction of the α 1 adrenergic receptor and β-arrestin-2 was significantly aggravated. This interaction was significantly reversed by GRK-2 inhibitor. Both the protein expression and activity of ROCK-1 were significantly decreased in the mesenteric artery in patients with cirrhosis compared with those of the controls, and this phenomenon was not shown in the cirrhotic rats. Norepinephrine significantly increased the activity of ROCK-1 in normal rats but not in cirrhotic ones. Norepinephrine significantly increased ROCK-1 activity in cirrhotic rats when GRK-2 inhibitor was used. CONCLUSIONS: β-arrestin-2 expression and its interaction with GPCRs are significantly upregulated in the mesenteric arteries in patients and rats with cirrhosis. These upregulations result in GPCR desensitization, G-protein dysfunction and ROCK inhibition. These may explain the decreased contractility of the mesenteric artery in response to vasoconstrictors.

Studies on Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex by Fluorescence Anisotropy

An equation for determining the equilibrium association constant (KA) of cyclodextrin inclusion complex with fluorescence anisotropy is derived and used to determine KA of pyrene-B-cyclodextrin inclusion complex. The existing forms of cyclodextrin inclusion complex in solution, the interaction type of host with guest, and the possibility of application of B-cyclodextrin in the analysis of metal ions using naphthalene derivative as a ligand are discussed based on the equation derived along with the curve of fluorescence anisotropy versus cyclodextrin concentration of guest/cyclodextrin system.

Special odd Lie superalgebras in prime characteristic

Let g be a finite dimensional special odd Lie superalgebra over an algebraically closed field F of characteristic p > 3.The sufficient and necessary condition is given for g possessing a nondegenerate associative form and in this case the second cohomology group H 2 (g,F) is completely determined.

ON THE VARIATIONS OF G_2

In [1], Shen Guangyu constructed several classes of new simple Lie algebras of characteristic 2, which are called the variations of G2. In this paper, the authors investigate their derivation algebras. It is shown that G2 and its variations all possess unique nondegenerate associative forms. The authors also find some nonsingular derivations of ViG for i = 3,4, 5, 6, and thereby construct some left-symmetric structures on Vi G for i = 3,4,5,6. Some errors about the variations of sl(3, F) in [1] are corrected.