Search results for "Carini"

Expression of the α4 isoform of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in the fetal human cerebral cortex

2001

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are likely to play an important role in neuronal migration during development. Furthermore, the alpha4 receptor subunit gene is related to a hereditary juvenile form of epilepsy. Only little information is available, however, on the expression of cerebrocortical nicotinic acetylcholine receptors during human fetal development. Using non-isotopic in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we have studied the distribution of the alpha4 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor mRNA and protein in the human frontal cortex at middle (17-24 weeks of gestation) and late (34-42 weeks of gestation) fetal stages. Both, alpha4 receptor mRNA and alpha4 rece…

A presynaptic excitatory M1 muscarine receptor at postganglionic cardiac noradrenergic nerve fibres that is activated by endogenous acetylcholine.

1990

Rabbit atria were isolated with the extrinsic right vagus and sympathetic nerves intact and perfused with Tyrode solution. Noradrenaline overflow evoked by sympathetic nerve stimulation (SNS) at 3 Hz for 3 min was determined before, during, and after vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), also at 3 Hz and for 3 min. The VNS pulses preceded the SNS pulses by 3, 100 and 233 ms. Acetylcholine overflow was determined after labelling of the transmitter stores with [14C]choline. Pirenzepine 80 nmol/l failed to alter the muscarinic inhibition of noradrenaline overflow when the vago-sympathetic impulse intervals were 3 and 233 ms. At an interval of 100 ms VNS did not significantly inhibit noradrenaline ove…

Materiali ceramici di importazione africana dalla catacomba di Villagrazia di Carini. Un aggiornamento sulla circolazione nel territorio della eccles…

2012

Expression of Muscarinic Receptor Types in the Primate Ovary and Evidence for Nonneuronal Acetylcholine Synthesis1

2001

The presence of muscarinic receptors (MR) in the ovary of different species has been recognized, but the identity of these receptors as well as ovarian sources of their natural ligand, acetylcholine (ACh), have not been determined. Because luteinized human granulosa cells (GC) in culture express functional MR, we have determined whether the group of the related MR subtypes, M1R, M3R, and M5R, are present in vivo in human and rhesus monkey ovaries. To this end, ribonucleic acids (RNAs) of different human and monkey ovaries as well as RNAs from human GC and monkey oocytes were reverse transcribed and subjected to PCR amplification, followed by sequencing of the amplified complementary DNAs. R…

Clinical significance of Pneumocystis jirovecii DNA detection by real-time PCR in hematological patient respiratory specimens

2020

Evaluation of the Amplex eazyplex Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Rapid Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia

2020

ABSTRACT Quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays are the gold standard for diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP). However, they are laborious and require skilled personnel. Therefore, execution outside regular working hours of the molecular biology laboratory is limited. The eazyplex P. jirovecii assay (PJA) uses loop-mediated isothermal amplification for detection of P. jirovecii. It is performed directly with respiratory specimens, without the need for special skills, and delivers a result within 3 to 25 min. The goal of our study was to compare the performance of the eazyplex PJA with that of established P. jirovecii qPCR assays. All archived bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samp…

Muscarinic modulation of acetylcholine release: Receptor subtypes and possible mechanisms

1989

The release of acetylcholine from central and peripheral neurones can be inhibited and facilitated by muscarine autoreceptors, i.e. receptors located on the cholinergic neurone. In the last few years evidence has accumulated that muscarine receptors are heterogeneous. This chapter describes attempts that have been made to classify the muscarine autoreceptors. In addition, some possible mechanisms behind the neuronal muscarine receptors are examined.

Allosterically potentiating ligands of nicotinic receptors as a treatment strategy for Alzheimer's disease.

2000

Abstract One of the most prominent cholinergic deficit in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the reduced number of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in the hippocampus and cortex of AD patients, as compared to age-matched controls. This deficit results in reduced nicotinic cholinergic excitation which may not only impair postsynaptic depolarization but also presynaptic neurotransmitter release and Ca 2+ -dependent intracellular signaling, including transcriptional activity. Presently, the most common approach to correct the nicotinic cholinergic deficit in AD is the application of cholinesterase inhibitors. Due to the resulting increase in synaptic acetylcholine levels, both in concentrati…

Desensitization is a property of the cholinergic binding region of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, not of the receptor-integral ion channel

1991

AbstractThe reversible acetylcholine esterase inhibitor (−)-physostigmine (eserine) is the prototype of a new class of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) activating ligands: it induces cation fluxes into nAChR-rich membrane vesicles from Torpedo marmorala electric tissue even under conditions of antagonist blocked acetylcholine binding sites (Okonjo, Kuhlmann, Maclicke, Neuron, in press). This suggests that eserine exerts its channel-activating property via binding sites at the nAChR separate from those of the natural transmitter. We now report that eserine can activate the channel even when the receptor has been preincubated (desensitized) with elevated concentrations of acetylcholin…

Activation of Muscarinic Receptors by Non-neuronal Acetylcholine

2011

The biological role of acetylcholine and the cholinergic system is revisited based particularly on scientific research early and late in the last century. On the one hand, acetylcholine represents the classical neurotransmitter, whereas on the other hand, acetylcholine and the pivotal components of the cholinergic system (high-affinity choline uptake, choline acetyltransferase and its end product acetylcholine, muscarinic and nicotinic receptors and esterase) are expressed by more or less all mammalian cells, i.e. by the majority of cells not innervated by neurons at all. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that acetylcholine and “cholinergic receptors” are expressed in non-neuronal organism…