Search results for "NEP"
showing 10 items of 1924 documents
Evaluating hazardous waste generation in for-profit outpatient haemodialysis centres
2015
SUMMARYBackground “Green” haemodialysis management to reduce the environmental impact of haemodialysis is growing. Objectives Dealing with hazardous waste production could heighten healthcare professionals’ awareness of this problem, and improve their healthcare involvement in environmental sustainability and environmental-friendliness. Design and Measurements A list of for-profit outpatient haemodialysis centres in the Valencian Community (E Spain) was compiled. Data on their hazardous waste production from 2008 to 2012 through the annual waste reports issued by official organisations competent in environmental issues were collected. Results There are 22 for-profit dialysis centres, that m…
Immunoregulatory role of Jα281 T cells in aged mice developing lupus-like nephritis
2007
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the emergence of autoreactive T cells. Humans and mice with SLE have reduced numbers of CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, suggesting a key role for these cells in its immunopathogenesis. This subset uses an invariant TCR constituted by Valpha14 Jalpha281 chains paired with some Vbeta domains. The regulatory role for iNKT cells in non-autoimmune mice was suggested by our previous results showing that aged Jalpha281 knockout (KO) mice produce anti-dsDNA. Here we show that old Jalpha281 KO mice have proteinuria and antibodies against dsDNA and cardiolipin. Histological analysis of Jalpha281 KO m…
Cognitive deficits in aged rats correlate with levels of l-arginine, not with nNOS expression or 3,4-DAP-evoked transmitter release in the frontopari…
2005
Aging is associated with altered neurotransmitter function in the brain. In this study, we measured release parameters for acetylcholine (ACh), norepinephrine and serotonin in the frontoparietal cortex of young and aged rats. We also determined cortical amino acid concentrations and nitric oxide (NO) synthase function. Prior to sacrifice, the rats had been tested for Morris water-maze performance. In aged, compared with young rats, we observed a reduction in both uptake of choline and acetylcholine release. Serotonin release and L-arginine concentrations (a precursor of NO) showed an aging-related increase; however, L-citrulline/L-arginine ratios were decreased in aged rats. Moreover, while…
Purinoceptor-mediated modulation by endogenous and exogenous agonists of stimulation-evoked [3H]noradrenaline release on rat iris.
1992
To investigate whether endogenous purinoceptor agonists affect the sympathetic neurotransmission in the rat isolated iris, and to classify the purinoceptors modulating exocytotic [3H]-noradrenaline release, we have determined the effect of adenosine receptor antagonists on, and the relative potency of selected agonists in modulating, the field stimulation-evoked (3 Hz, 2 min) [3H]-noradrenaline overflow. In addition, the apparent affinity constants of 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT) and 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX) in antagonizing the prejunctional effects of purinoceptor agonists were estimated. The relatively A1-selective DPCPX 10 and 100 nmol/l increased the evoked [3H]-noradre…
Effect of divalent cations on KCl- and noradrenaline-induced contractile responses in rat aorta after nifedipine treatment.
1999
Abstract Nifedipine (1 μM) relaxed the sustained contractile responses induced by 1 μM noradrenaline or 60 mM KCl in rat aortic strips. After washing, a second addition of the spasmogens gave smaller tonic contractions than the first one. Even more, a third addition of KCl also gave a smaller contraction than the first one, but a complete recovery of the contractile response to noradrenaline was obtained by a third addition of this agonist. Application of cumulative amounts of Ca2+ or Ba2+ (2.4–24 mM) on the residual contraction in response to these agents after nifedipine treatment, but in the absence of the blocker, restored the magnitude of the contractile responses. Addition of cumulati…
A study of beta-adrenoceptors in rat lung parenchymal strip.
1989
Abstract The aim of the present study was to characterize the β-adrenoceptor population in rat lung strip. For this purpose, Schild plots were obtained for the β-adrenoceptor antagonists atenolol (β1-selective), butoxamine (β2-selective) and propranolol (nonselective), using three different agonists: isoprenaline (non-selective), salbutamol (β2-selective) and noradrenaline (β11-selective). The slopes of these Schild plots were close to the theoretical value of unity, and pA2 values determined with isoprenaline, salbutamol and noradrenaline as agonists were: for propranolol, 7·86 ± 0·22, 7·72 ± 0·15 and 7·89 ± 0·23; for atenolol, 5·19 ± 0·05, 5·33 ± 0·07 and 5·47 ± 0·22 and for butoxamine, 6…
ATP and endogenous agonists inhibit evoked [3H]-noradrenaline release in rat iris via A1 and P2y-like purinoceptors.
1993
Effects of ATP, adenosine and purinoceptor antagonists on field stimulation-evoked (3 Hz, 2 min) [3H]-noradrenaline overflow were investigated in the rat isolated iris. ATP and adenosine inhibited the evoked overflow of [3H]-noradrenaline. 1,3-Dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX) shifted the concentration-response curve of ATP to the right in a concentration-dependent manner, but with a potency (-log KB = 7.88) much lower than expected for an A1 adenosine receptor. In the continuous presence of DPCPX, the ATP-induced prejunctional inhibition was unaffected by suramin (100 mumol/l) and DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, 50 mumol/l) but was antagonized by the P2Y-rece…
Adrenergic activation of phospholipase D in primary rat astrocytes.
1996
Phospholipase D (PLD) activity was investigated in astrocytes prepared from newborn rat cerebral cortex using the transphosphatidylation assay. Basal PLD activity was measurable and was found to be enhanced by ATP, carbachol and noradrenaline. The activation by noradrenaline (EC50, 0.68 microM) was mimicked by methoxamine (EC50, 65 microM), an alpha 1-specific adrenergic agonist, and was inhibited by prazosine, an alpha 1-specific adrenergic antagonist. Clonidin, an alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, slightly lowered PLD activity whereas beta-adrenergic drugs were without effect. Experiments with mitogens indicate that PLD activation in astrocytes may be involved in the control of astrocytic cell …
Desensitization of inhibitory prejunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors and putative imidazoline receptors on rabbit heart sympathetic nerves.
1993
To find out whether sympathetic nerves of the rabbit heart possess pharmacologically relevant prejunctional imidazoline receptors different from α-autoreceptors, the inhibition by oxymetazoline, aganodine and BDF 6143 (4-chloro-2-[2-imidazoline-2-ylamino]-isoindoline hydrochloride) of endogenous noradrenaline overflow evoked by stimulation of extrinsic postganglionic sympathetic nerves (0.66 Hz, 80 pulses) was investigated. In addition we wanted to find out whether either type of these prejunctional receptors undergoes desensitization upon pre-exposure to respective agonists. The α2-adrenoceptor agonist oxymetazoline inhibited the evoked noradrenaline overflow (2.9 nmol/l, IC50; about 90010…
Functional evidence of inverse agonism in vascular smooth muscle
1996
1. In the present study, depletion of internal Ca2+ stores sensitive to noradrenaline (1 microM) in rat aorta, is the signal for the entry of extracellular Ca2+, not only to refill the stores but also, in our experimental conditions, to activate the contractile proteins. This induces an increase in the resting tone that constitutes, the first functional evidence of this Ca2+ entry. 2. The fact that methoxamine (100 microM) reproduces the same processes as noradrenaline but clonidine (1 microM) does not, indicates that alpha(1)-adrenoceptor activation is related to the increase in the resting tone observed after depletion of adrenoceptor-sensitive internal Ca2+-stores. 3. Benoxathian and WB …