Spantide I

1 Clostridium perfringens beta-toxin causes dermonecrosis and oedema in the dorsal skin of animals. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms of oedema induced by the toxin. 2 The toxin induced plasma extravasation in the dorsal skin of Balb/c mice. 3 The extravasation was significantly inhibited by diphenhydramine, a histamine 1 receptor antagonist. However, the toxin did not cause the release of histamine from mouse mastocytoma cells. 4 Tachykinin NK(1) receptor antagonists, [D-Pro(2), D-Trp(7,9)]-SP, [D-Pro(4), D-Trp(7,9)]-SP and spantide, inhibited the toxin-induced leakage in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the non-peptide tachykinin NK(1) receptor antagonist, SR140333, markedly inhibited the toxin-induced leakage. 5 The leakage induced by the toxin was markedly reduced in capsaicin-pretreated mouse skin but the leakage was not affected by systemic pretreatment with a calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist (CGRP(8-37)). 6 The toxin-induced leakage was significantly inhibited by the N-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, omega-conotoxin MVIIA, and the bradykinin B(2) receptor antagonist, HOE140 (D-Arg-[Hyp(3), Thi(5), D-Tic(7), Oic(8)]-bradykinin), but was not affected by the selective L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, verapamil, the P-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, omega-agatoxin IVA, tetrodotoxin (TTX), the TTX-resistant Na(+) channel blocker, carbamazepine, or the sensory nerve conduction blocker, lignocaine.

The antagonistic effect of newly synthesized substance P (SP) analogues containing D-histidine was examined on behavioural responses induced in mice by SP, neurokinin (NK) A, physalaemin, eledoisin, somatostatin and bombesin. [D-Pro2,D-Trp7,9]SP (DPDT-SP) and [D-Arg1,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]SP (spantide) were used as references for comparison. When co-administered with SP intrathecally, all the SP analogues used decreased the SP-induced response which consists of scratching, biting and licking. DPDT-SP and spantide attenuated non-specifically the SP-like behavioural responses induced by physalaemin, eledoisin, NK A and somatostatin. In general, the introduction of D-histidine in position 9 of the SP molecule resulted in potent antagonistic activity of the SP derivative on the behavioural responses to SP. Of these SP analogues, [D-Arg1,D-Pro2,4,D-Phe7,D-His9]SP attenuated selectively the behavioural responses produced by NK-1 receptor agonists such as SP and physalaemin. Simultaneous injection of [D-Phe7,D-His9]SP-(6-11) selectively inhibited the SP-induced behavioural response without affecting the other peptide-induced behavioral response. The results suggest that the behavioural antagonism induced by [D-Arg1,D-Pro2,4,D-Phe7,D-His9]SP and [D-Phe7,D-His9]SP-(6-11) is probably due to the specific blockade of spinal NK-1 receptors.

OBJECTIVE: ;To study and evaluate the effects of perfusion through cerebral ventricles with substance P (SP) and its analogs: spantide I, II and III on evoked tongue jerks (ETJ) in male rats.;METHODS: ;During the perfusion, stimulation of the tooth pulp caused retractive movements of the stretched tongue, the amplitudes of which were recorded. The mean amplitudes of evoked tongue jerks (ETJ) recorded during each 10 min. period of perfusion with McIlwain-Rodnight's solution and solutions containing peptides were compared.;RESULTS: ;Perfusion of cerebral ventricles with SP caused a significant increase in the mean amplitude of evoked tongue jerks. Spantide I caused a complete respiratory arrest in all of the examined animals, so its effect on the trigemino-hypoglossal reflex could not have been tested. Spantide II, in the first two minutes, induced a transient significant decrease in ETJ amplitude, followed by an increase in ETJ in the next 8 min. SP perfused after spantide II caused a further significant increase in ETJ, as compared with control. Perfusion of cerebral ventricles with spantide III caused a significant, dose-dependent decrease in ETJ. SP perfused after spantide III caused a smaller increase in ETJ than it was observed without spantide III.