title: Synergic action of gangliosides on alpha-MSH-induced cyclic AMP levels in rat brain slices.
abstract: Gangliosides are particularly enriched in neuron cell membranes and they were postulated to be involved in the modulation of membrane-mediated transduction of information. In this study we explore the possibility that the increase in cAMP tissular levels induced by alpha-MSH may be modulated by the action of exogenously added gangliosides. We measured the level of cAMP in both tissues and medium in response to the alpha-MSH in slices previously incubated with total bovine brain gangliosides (TBG). When slices were exposed to TBG, the effect of alpha-MSH on inducing an increase in the content of cAMP was practically twice compared to the changes induced by alpha-MSH or TBG alone. We conclude that the presence of gangliosides may facilitate the alpha-MSH interaction with its receptor, increasing the cAMP levels in slices containing the CP and Acc nuclei.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología, CIQUIBIC, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Lezcano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Fidelio
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Celis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002417:Cattle; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; D000521:alpha-MSH; D000242:Cyclic AMP