Search results for " potential"
showing 10 items of 2713 documents
Neuroactive Steroids Reverse Tonic Inhibitory Deficits in Fragile X Syndrome Mouse Model
2018
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. A reduction in neuronal inhibition mediated by γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of FXS. Neuroactive steroids (NASs) are known allosteric modulators of GABAAR channel function, but recent studies from our laboratory have revealed that NASs also exert persistent metabotropic effects on the efficacy of tonic inhibition by increasing the protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated phosphorylation of the α4 and β3 subunits which increase the membrane expression and boosts tonic inhibition. We have assessed the GABAergic signaling in the hippocampus of fragile X ment…
Coincident Activation of Glutamate Receptors Enhances GABAA Receptor-Induced Ionic Plasticity of the Intracellular Cl−-Concentration in Dissociated N…
2019
Massive activation of γ-amino butyric acid A (GABAA) receptors during pathophysiological activity induces an increase in the intracellular Cl−-concentration ([Cl−]i), which is sufficient to render GABAergic responses excitatory. However, to what extent physiological levels of GABAergic activity can influence [Cl−]i is not known. Aim of the present study is to reveal whether moderate activation of GABAA receptors mediates functionally relevant [Cl−]i changes and whether these changes can be augmented by coincident glutamatergic activity. To address these questions, we used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from cultured cortical neurons [at days in vitro (DIV) 6–22] to determine changes in t…
Cytoprotective Effects of Dinitrosyl Iron Complexes on Viability of Human Fibroblasts and Cardiomyocytes
2019
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule that plays a key role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) generating NO are widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases. However, the involvement of DNICs in the metabolic processes of the cell, their protective properties in doxorubicin-induced toxicity remain to be clarified. Here, we found that novel class of mononuclear DNICs with functional sulfur-containing ligands enhanced the cell viability of human lung fibroblasts and rat cardiomyocytes. Moreover, DNICs demonstrated remarkable protection against doxorubicin-induced toxicity in fibroblasts and in rat cardiomyocytes (H9c2 cells). Data revealed t…
Nitric oxide/cGMP signaling via guanylyl cyclase isoform 1 modulates glutamate and GABA release in somatosensory cortex of mice
2017
Abstract In hippocampus, two guanylyl cyclases (NO-GC1 and NO-GC2) are involved in the transduction of the effects of nitric oxide (NO) on synaptic transmission. However, the respective roles of the NO-GC isoforms on synaptic transmission are less clear in other regions of the brain. In the present study, we used knock-out mice deficient for the NO-GC1 isoform (NO-GC1 KO) to analyze its role in the glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission at pyramidal neurons in layers II/III of somatosensory cortex. NO-GC1 KO slices revealed reduced frequencies of miniature excitatory- and inhibitory-postsynaptic currents, increased paired-pulse ratios and decreased input–output curves of evoked signa…
The Severity of Acute Stress Is Represented by Increased Synchronous Activity and Recruitment of Hypothalamic CRH Neurons
2016
The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis regulates stress physiology and behavior. To achieve an optimally tuned adaptive response, it is critical that the magnitude of the stress response matches the severity of the threat. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) released from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus is a major regulator of the HPA axis. However, how CRH-producing neurons in an intact animal respond to different stressor intensities is currently not known. Using two-photon calcium imaging on intact larval zebrafish, we recorded the activity of CRH cells, while the larvae were exposed to stressors of varying intensity. By combining behavioral and physiologic…
The Amino Acid Transporter JhI-21 Coevolves with Glutamate Receptors, Impacts NMJ Physiology, and Influences Locomotor Activity in Drosophila Larvae
2015
AbstractChanges in synaptic physiology underlie neuronal network plasticity and behavioral phenomena, which are adjusted during development. The Drosophila larval glutamatergic neuromuscular junction (NMJ) represents a powerful synaptic model to investigate factors impacting these processes. Amino acids such as glutamate have been shown to regulate Drosophila NMJ physiology by modulating the clustering of postsynaptic glutamate receptors and thereby regulating the strength of signal transmission from the motor neuron to the muscle cell. To identify amino acid transporters impacting glutmatergic signal transmission, we used Evolutionary Rate Covariation (ERC), a recently developed bioinforma…
The role of extracellular calcium in bone metastasis
2016
AbstractThis review summarizes the role of extracellular calcium, as found present in the bone tissue, in the process of bone metastasis.
The potassium channels TASK2 and TREK1 regulate functional differentiation of murine skeletal muscle cells.
2015
Two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels influence basic cellular parameters such as resting membrane potential, cellular excitability, or intracellular Ca2+-concentration [Ca2+]i. While the physiological importance of K2P channels in different organ systems (e.g., heart, central nervous system, or immune system) has become increasingly clear over the last decade, their expression profile and functional role in skeletal muscle cells (SkMC) remain largely unknown. The mouse SkMC cell line C2C12, wild-type mouse muscle tissue, and primary mouse muscle cells (PMMs) were analyzed using quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical stainings as well as functional analysis includin…
Implication of TRPC3 channel in gustatory perception of dietary lipids
2020
Aim The pathogenesis of obesity has been associated with high intake of dietary fat, and some recent studies have explored the cellular mechanisms of oro-sensory detection of dietary fatty acids. We further assessed the role of transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels in oro-sensory perception of dietary lipids. Methods We determined by RT-qPCR and western blotting the expression of TRPC3/6/7 channels in mouse fungiform taste bud cells (mTBC). Immunocytochemistry was used to explore whether TRPC3 channels were co-expressed with fatty acid receptors. We employed wild-type (WT) mTBC, and those transfected with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against TRPC3 or STIM1. Ca2+ signalli…
Assessing Command-Following and Communication With Vibro-Tactile P300 Brain-Computer Interface Tools in Patients With Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndro…
2018
Persons diagnosed with disorders of consciousness (DOC) typically suffer from motor disablities, and thus assessing their spared cognitive abilities can be difficult. Recent research from several groups has shown that non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) technology can provide assessments of these patients' cognitive function that can supplement information provided through conventional behavioral assessment methods. In rare cases, BCIs may provide a binary communication mechanism. Here, we present results from a vibrotactile BCI assessment aiming at detecting command-following and communication in 12 unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) patients. Two different paradigms were admi…