Search results for "STIMULATION"
showing 10 items of 2192 documents
Increased pain and neurogenic inflammation in mice deficient of neutral endopeptidase
2009
The complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is characterized by enhanced neurogenic inflammation, mediated by neuropeptides. Neutral endopeptidase (NEP) is a key enzyme in neuropeptide catabolism. We used NEP knock out (ko) mice to investigate whether NEP deficiency leads to increased pain behavior and signs of neurogenic inflammation after soft tissue trauma with and without nerve injury. After chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the right sciatic nerve, NEP ko mice were more sensitive to heat, to mechanical stimuli, and to cold than wild type mice. Tissue injury without nerve injury produced no differences between genotypes. After CCI, NEP ko mice showed increased hind paw edema but lower …
Effect of water immersion on post-rotatory and caloric nystagmus.
1991
Caloric nystagmus and post-rotatory nystagmus were recorded with and without head-out water immersion. As water immersion reduces body weight by about 90% owing to buoyancy, it decreases somatosensory inputs. Thus water immersion can be used to simulate a weightless environment. Caloric nystagmus was enhanced significantly by water immersion; however, post-rotatory nystagmus was not. These findings demonstrate that caloric nystagmus is easily affected by water immersion which decreases somatosensory inputs, but that post-rotatory nystagmus is not.
Inhibition of ovarian steroidogenesis by cyclic-GMP in a fly
2003
1479-6805 0022-0795; Previous investigations in the female blowfly Phormia regina have shown that 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), a broad spectrum inhibitor of phosphodiesterases (PDEs), fails to mimic the steroidogenic effects of cAMP on ovaries, although it efficiently increases the concentrations of this second messenger. In this study, experiments carried out to clear up this contradiction demonstrated that IBMX, besides its effect on cAMP, also increased cGMP concentrations in blowfly ovary and that these two cyclic nucleotides controlled ovarian steroidogenesis antagonistically. In particular, a selective inhibitor of cGMP-specific PDEs, unlike IBMX, had a very strong negative eff…
Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Treatment of Idiopathic Faecal Incontinence: Mid-term Results from a Single Center
2016
Abstract Objective: Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation is a recent and minimally invasive treatment for faecal incontinence (FI). The aim of this study is to evaluate the mid-term results in patients with idiopathic faecal incontinence (IFI). Methods: Fifty one patients (42 female and 9 male) were prospectively recruited. Patients were treated twice a week for 6 weeks as per study protocol. We have assessed the degree of fecal incontinence using the Cleveland Clinic faecal incontinence (CCF-FI) score at baseline, at 6 weeks, at 6 months and at 1 year. Also the anorectal manometric data (mean resting pressure (MRP), squeeze pressure (SP) and, rectal sensation) at baseline, at 6 weeks and …
Psychophysical and electrofunctional contrast sensitivity in cataractous patients treated with bendazac-lysine salt
1990
The clinical progression of the cataract may be influenced by drugs which reduce the denaturation of lens proteins. One of the most promising drugs is the bendazac-lysine salt. The drug was used in a double-blind study of a group of patients with initial cortical cataract in order to evaluate the changes in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity by means of a psychophysical and an electrophysiological method. After 6 months of treatment with bendazac the mean values of visual acuity showed a statistically significant increase in respect to baseline values, as well as an improvement of the threshold of contrast for most spatial frequencies. In the eyes treated with placebo there was no stati…
The effect of tacrine on acetylcholine overflow in the heart
1990
Tacrine, 10(-6) M, enhanced the acetylcholine (ACh) overflow evoked in perfused chicken hearts by field stimulation (5 Hz, 1 min) from 183 to 346 pmol g-1 min-1. Increase to the same level were observed after pretreatment with diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) as well as after DFP plus 10(-6) M tacrine. Tacrine, 10(-5) M, caused further enhancement with or without DFP up to 851 pmol g-1 min-1. It was concluded that 10(-6) M tacrine enhanced the ACh overflow by choline esterase inhibition, whereas 10(-5) M tacrine caused, in addition, an increase of neuronal ACh release.
Electrical stimulation and swimming performance
1995
The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of a 3-wk period of electrostimulation training on the strength of the latissimus dorsi m. and the swimming performances of 14 competitive swimmers divided into 7 electrostimulated (EG) and 7 control swimmers (CG). The peak torques registered during the flexion-extension of the arm was determined with the help of an isokinetic dynamometer at different velocities (from -60 degrees.s(-1) to 360 degrees.s(-1)). Performances were measured over a 25-m pull buoy and a 50-m freestyle swim. For EG, a significant increase of the peak torques was measured in isometric, eccentric, and concentric conditions (P < 0.5). The swimming times declined sig…
Cigarette smoke extract activates human bronchial epithelial cells affecting non-neuronal cholinergic system signalling in vitro.
2010
Abstract Aims Acetylcholine (ACh) is synthesized by Choline Acetyl-Transferase (ChAT) that exerts its physiological effects in airway epithelial cells via muscarinic receptor (MR) activation. We evaluate the effect of ACh stimulation on human bronchial epithelial cells (16-HBE) and test whether cigarette smoke extract (CSE) can modify the basal cellular response to ACh affecting the non-neuronal cholinergic system signalling. Main methods ACh stimulated 16-HBE were tested for ACh-binding, Leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4 ) release and ERK1/2 and NFkB pathway activation. Additionally, we investigated all the aforementioned parameters as well as ChAT and MR proteins and mRNA expression and endogenous A…
The phototransduction cascade in the isolated chick pineal gland revisited.
2003
It is well established that the isolated chick pineal gland is directly light sensitive and that melatonin synthesis of the gland can be inhibited by exposing the gland to light during scotophase. Since not all the steps of the phototransduction cascade have been clarified to the same extent as in the retina, we have treated isolated chick pineal glands with 90 min of light during scotophase and with drugs that affect key-components of vertebrate phototransduction, i.e., cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6), cGMP levels and cGMP-gated calcium channels. The endpoint measured was the activity of the rate-limiting enzyme of melatonin synthesis, arylalkylamine N-acet…
MUSCLE BIOENERGETICS IN OBESE ZUCKER RATS
1994
International audience; Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the energetic metabolism in obese Zucker rats, using phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at rest and during a 2-Hz muscle stimulation and subsequent recovery. Animals were anesthetized with ketamine (150 mg/kg ip). Fed obese rats and 2-day-fasted obese rats were compared with their normally fed and 2-day-fasted lean litter mates. No differences were found between the two groups for ATP, total creatine, phosphocreatine (PCr), and intracellular pH. Starvation in lean rats resulted in a significant fall in inorganic phosphate (Pi), increased resting ADP level, and decreased PCr and ADP recovery after …