Search results for "Depolarization"

More than a pore: How voltage-gated calcium channels act on different levels of neuronal communication regulation.

2021

ABSTRACT Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) represent key regulators of the calcium influx through the plasma membrane of excitable cells, like neurons. Activated by the depolarization of the membrane, the opening of VGCCs induces very transient and local changes in the intracellular calcium concentration, known as calcium nanodomains, that in turn trigger calcium-dependent signaling cascades and the release of chemical neurotransmitters. Based on their central importance as concierges of excitation-secretion coupling and therefore neuronal communication, VGCCs have been studied in multiple aspects of neuronal function and malfunction. However, studies on molecular interaction partners …

Vibrational analysis of Ni(II)- and Cu(II)-octamethylchlorin by polarized resonance Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

2001

We measured the polarized resonance Raman spectra of Cu(II)-2,2,7,8,12,13,17,18-octamethylchlorin in CS2 at various excitation wavenumbers in a spectral region covering the Qy, Qx and Bx optical absorption bands. Additionally, we measured the FTIR-Raman spectrum of the highly overcrowded spectral region between 1300 and 1450 cm−1. The spectral decomposition was carried out by a self-consistent global fit to all spectra obtained. The thus identified Raman and IR lines were assigned by comparison with the resonance Raman spectra of Cu(II)-octaethylporphyrin, by utilizing their depolarization ratio dispersions and by a normal mode analysis. The latter was based on a modified transferable molec…

The relation between neuronal chloride transporter activities, GABA inhibition, and neuronal activity

2020

Abstract The intracellular chloride concentration [Cl−]i in neurons is regulated by a set of transmembrane transporters, with the Cl−-loader NKCC1 and the Cl−-extruder KCC2 as most relevant members. The expression of these transporters is tightly regulated, with the general trend that KCC2 expression is low in immature neurons, which are thus characterized by a high [Cl−]i. As [Cl−]i is the main factor determining the polarity of GABAergic responses, such a high [Cl−]i is related to depolarizing GABAergic responses. However, depolarizing GABAergic responses are not per se excitatory, but can also contribute to shunting inhibition. The excitatory/inhibitory action of GABAergic responses is m…

Quantification of Regional Intrapulmonary Oxygen Partial Pressure Evolution during Apnea by 3He MRI

1999

We present a new method to determine in vivo the temporal evolution of intrapulmonary oxygen concentrations by functional lung imaging with hyperpolarized (3)Helium ((3)He-->). Single-breath, single-bolus visualization of (3)He--> administered to the airspaces is used to analyze nuclear spin relaxation caused by the local oxygen partial pressure p(O(2))(t). We model the dynamics of hyperpolarization in the lung by rate equations. Based hereupon, a double acquisition technique is presented to separate depolarization by RF pulses and oxygen induced relaxation. It permits the determination of p(O(2)) with a high accuracy of up to 3% with simultaneous flip angle calibration using no additional …

Subchronic haloperidol downregulates dopamine synthesis capacity in the brain of schizophrenic patients in vivo

2003

Udgivelsesdato: 2003-Apr The antipsychotic effect of neuroleptics cannot be attributed entirely to acute blockade of postsynaptic D(2)-like dopamine (DA) receptors, but may arise in conjunction with the delayed depolarization block of the presynaptic neurons and reduced DA synthesis capacity. Whereas the phenomenon of depolarization block is well established in animals, it is unknown if a similar phenomenon occurs in humans treated with neuroleptics. We hypothesized that haloperidol treatment should result in decreased DA synthesis capacity. We used 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-dopa (FDOPA) and positron emission tomography (PET) in conjunction with compartmental modeling to measure the relative activi…

The use of Stokes-Mueller polarimetry for assessment of amyloid-β progression in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

2020

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease, being a major societal burden, demands improvement of current techniques for its treatment and diagnostics. Currently only autopsy histology is able to provide the definite diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease. However, the procedure is rather time consuming and costly. In the current study, we utilized Stokes and Mueller polarimetry techniques to screen for amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded mouse brain tissue at different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The study has shown that the presence of Aβ plaques influences the properties of scattered polarized light. The Poincaré sphere was used as a graphical tool for the visualization of the a…

Depolarization�ratio profiling at several wavelengths in pure Saharan dust during SAMUM 2006

2009

Vertical profiles of the linear particle depolarization ratio of pure dust clouds were measured during the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment (SAMUM) at Ouarzazate, Morocco (30.9°N, –6.9°E), close to source regions in May–June 2006, with four lidar systems at four wavelengths (355, 532, 710 and 1064 nm). The intercomparison of the lidar systems is accompanied by a discussion of the different calibration methods, including a new, advanced method, and a detailed error analysis. Over the whole SAMUM periode pure dust layers show a mean linear particle depolarization ratio at 532 nm of 0.31, in the range between 0.27 and 0.35, with a mean Ångström exponent (AE, 440–870 nm) of 0.18 (range 0.04–0.34…

2018

Abstract. Low planetary wave activity led to a stable vortex with exceptionally cold temperatures in the 2015–2016 Arctic winter. Extended areas with temperatures below the ice frost point temperature Tice persisted over weeks in the Arctic stratosphere as derived from the 36-year temperature climatology of the ERA-Interim reanalysis data set of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). These extreme conditions promoted the formation of widespread polar stratospheric ice clouds (ice PSCs). The space-borne Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument on board the CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) satellit…

Cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation modulates spontaneous contractile activity in mouse ileal longitudinal muscle.

2007

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether cannabinoid receptor agonists influence spontaneous contractile activity of longitudinal muscle in mouse ileum in vitro. Isolated segments of mouse ileum displayed spontaneous contractions with an amplitude and frequency of about 300 mg and 30 cpm, respectively. The endocannabinoid anandamide (1-100 microM), the selective cannabinoid CB(1) receptor agonist, ACEA (0.1 microM-10 microM), but not the selective cannabinoid CB(2) receptor agonist, JWH 133 (0.1 microM-10 microM), reduced in a concentration-dependent manner the spontaneous mechanical activity. The inhibitory effect consisted in a decrease of the mean amplitude of longitudinal…

11,12-EET Stimulates the Association of BK Channel α and β1 Subunits in Mitochondria to Induce Pulmonary Vasoconstriction

2012

In the systemic circulation, 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (11,12-EET) elicits nitric oxide (NO)- and prostacyclin-independent vascular relaxation, partially through the activation of large conductance Ca(2+)-activated potassium (BK) channels. However, in the lung 11,12-EET contributes to hypoxia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction. Since pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells also express BK channels, we assessed the consequences of BKβ(1) subunit deletion on pulmonary responsiveness to 11,12-EET as well as to acute hypoxia. In buffer-perfused mouse lungs, hypoxia increased pulmonary artery pressure and this was significantly enhanced in the presence of NO synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (…