Trichosanthin, a ribosome inactivating and anti-HIV protein, does not alter the concentration of beta-endorphin in the mouse brain.
Trichosanthin was administered intramuscularly into mature male ICR mice at a dosage of 0.2mg/25g, daily for three days. The mice were sacrificed four hours after the last injection. Their brains were dissected out and divided into three regions: A(thalamus and hypothalamus), B(cerebral cortex) and C(cerebellum and brainstem). Their pituitaries were also removed. The pituitaries and the various brain regions were extracted with hot 1M acetic acid. The extracts were lyophilized and reconstituted in radioimmunoassay (RIA) buffer before assay for beta-endorphin by RIA. It was found that there was a significant elevation of beta-endorphin concentration after trichosanthin treatment only in brain region A. The data suggest that trichosanthin does not adversely affect the brain.
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Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Kwong
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Yeung
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D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015978:Trichosanthin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015978:Trichosanthin; D001615:beta-Endorphin