Alteration in the D-amino acid content of the rat pineal gland under anesthesia.
In a previous report (Hamase, K. et al., Biochim Biophys Acta 1134: 214-222 (1997)), we showed that the rat pineal gland contains D-leucine (D-Leu) as well as D-aspartic acid (D-Asp). In this communication we report alterations in the content of these D-amino acids during anesthesia. The D-Asp content was significantly increased from 2.8 to 5.0, 4.8 and 5.8 nmol/pineal gland by administration of ether, urethane and pentobarbital, respectively. In contrast, the D-Leu content was decreased by administration of urethane or pentobarbital. The D-Leu content decreased from 4.2 to 2.2 pmol/pineal gland 4 hours after administration of urethane, although the content remained unchanged until 1.5 hours after administration. The content of the L-enantiomers of these amino acids were not affected by anesthesia. The urethane-induced decrease in D-leucine content was almost completely suppressed by a beta-agonist, (-)-isoproterenol, whereas the agonist itself had no effect.
Hamase
K
K
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Homma
H
H
Takigawa
Y
Y
Imai
K
K
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007930:Leucine; D007545:Isoproterenol