title: Influence of temocapril on cultured ventral spinal cord neurons.
abstract: Temocapril, a angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, was tested for neurotrophic activity in primary explant cultures of ventral spinal cord of fetal rats (VSCC). Temocapril had a remarkable effect on neurite outgrowth with a 4.2- to 5.1-fold increased over that of control VSCC at their effective concentrations. In temocapril-treated VSCC, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity was also increased 2.4-3.2 times over that of control at 10(-9) and 10(-8) M, respectively. Our data suggest that temocapril is a candidate for neurotrophic factors on spinal motor neurons in vitro. A possible therapeutic role for temocapril in damaged motor neurons, such as in motor neuropathy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, remains to be defined.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University Ohashi Hospital, 2-17-6 Ohashi Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8515, Japan. yaso@med.toho-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Yasumitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Igarash
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005333:Fetus; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D013841:Thiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D013841:Thiazepines; C055603:temocapril hydrochloride; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase