Search results for "Smooth"
showing 10 items of 710 documents
Clobetasol promotes neuromuscular plasticity in mice after motoneuronal loss via sonic hedgehog signaling, immunomodulation and metabolic rebalancing
2021
AbstractMotoneuronal loss is the main feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, although pathogenesis is extremely complex involving both neural and muscle cells. In order to translationally engage the sonic hedgehog pathway, which is a promising target for neural regeneration, recent studies have reported on the neuroprotective effects of clobetasol, an FDA-approved glucocorticoid, able to activate this pathway via smoothened. Herein we sought to examine functional, cellular, and metabolic effects of clobetasol in a neurotoxic mouse model of spinal motoneuronal loss. We found that clobetasol reduces muscle denervation and motor impairments in part by restoring sonic hedgehog signaling and …
CONNEXIN43 GAP JUNCTION LEVELS DURING DEVELOPMENT OF THE THORACIC AORTA ARE TEMPORALLY CORRELATED WITH ELASTIC LAMINAE DEPOSITION AND INCREASED BLOOD…
1997
A characteristic property of the vascular smooth muscle cell is its ability to modulate between a contractile phenotype, responsible for control of vascular tone, through to a synthetic phenotype, capable of migration and synthesis of extracellular matrix molecules. Smooth muscle cells are coupled by gap junctions, the membrane structures which permit direct intercelluar passage of ions and small molecules, and which play a role both in electrical coupling and intercellular communication during patterning and development. We have previously found that connexin43 type gap junction expression is upregulated in the synthetic phenotype smooth muscle cell in vitro and during atherosclerotic plaq…
Calcium antagonist properties of cinnarizine, trifluoperazine and verapamil in guinea-pig normal and skinned trachealis muscle.
1990
In guinea-pig trachealis, depolarized by a K(+)-rich medium, Ca2+ (0.01-10 mM) caused concentration-related spasm. Verapamil (0.5-5 microM), cinnarizine (10-100 microM) and trifluoperazine (16-160 microM) each produced concentration-dependent antagonism of Ca2+ characterized by a rightward and downward displacement of the log concentration-effect curve for Ca2+. The rank order of potencies of these antagonists, measured as the IC75 against Ca2+ (10 mM)-induced contraction of depolarized trachea, was verapamil (5.6 microM) greater than cinnarizine (59 microM) greater than trifluoperazine (91 microM). In skinned trachea, verapamil in concentrations up to 100 microM did not modify the concentr…
Spasmolytic Effects of Aphanizomenon Flos Aquae (AFA) Extract on the Human Colon Contractility.
2021
The blue-green algae Aphanizomenon flos aquae (AFA), rich in beneficial nutrients, exerts various beneficial effects, acting in different organs including the gut. Klamin® is an AFA extract particularly rich in β-PEA, a trace-amine considered a neuromodulator in the central nervous system. To date, it is not clear if β-PEA exerts a role in the enteric nervous system. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effects induced by Klamin® on the human distal colon mechanical activity, to analyze the mechanism of action, and to verify a β-PEA involvement. The organ bath technique, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used. Klamin® reduced, in a concentration-dependent manner, …
Effects of Calcium Antagonists on Rat Normal and Skinned Fundus
1992
Abstract Calcium chloride (CaCl2) (0·1−25 Mm, in K+-depolarized tissue), KCl (10−112 Mm) and acetylcholine (1 × 10−9 m−1 Mm) produced concentration-dependent contractions of rat isolated fundus. Verapamil (0·01−100 μm), cinnarizine (1−100 μm), trifluoperazine (10−500 μm) and dantrolene (50−250 μm) each produced a concentration-related rightward and downward shift of the log concentration-effect curve for CaCl2. The rank order of potencies of these antagonists, measured as the IC50 against Ca2+ (25 Mm)-induced contraction of depolarized fundus, was verapamil (2.5 μm) > cinnarizine (8·7 μm) > trifluoperazine (85·1 μm) > dantrolene (> 250 μm). Cinnarizine (0·5 Mm) a…
COOLING-INDUCED CONTRACTION OF TRACHEA ISOLATED FROM NORMAL AND SENSITIZED GUINEA-PIGS
1991
Fast (−7°C/min) cooling of guinea-pig isolated trachea produced a rapidly developing, transient contraction followed by relaxation. Cooling-induced contraction was dependent on temperature (30, 20 or 10°C) and responses in trachea obtained from actively sensitized guinea pigs were significantly greater (20 and 10°-C) than those observed in normal trachea. Cooling to 20°C was selected for subsequent experiments. Pre-treatment with sufficient concentrations of atropine, clemastine, cromoglycate, indomethacin, or nordihydroguaiaretic acid did not depress contraction to cooling in either normal or sensitized trachea. This indicates a direct effect of cooling. The contraction. produced by coolin…
Effect of dantrolene sodium in isolated guinea-pig trachea.
1990
The effect of dantrolene sodium (3 microM-0.3 mM) on the spontaneous tone and responses to various contractile agonists was studied in isolated guinea-pig trachea. Dantrolene produced a concentration-related inhibition of the spontaneous tracheal tone, reaching a value of 94.8 +/- 4.8% of the relaxation induced by caffeine 10 mM. Removal of the epithelium did not affect the dantrolene-induced relaxation. Dantrolene did not alter the concentration-response curve for KCl and produced only small displacements of the concentration-response curves for CaCl2, acetylcholine and histamine, without affecting their maximal effects. Dantrolene dose relatedly inhibited the contraction induced by caffei…
Effects of K(ATP) channel modulators on acetylcholine release from guinea-pig isolated atria and small intestine.
2002
The effects of K(ATP) channel blockers (glibenclamide, HMR 1883, HMR 1372) and openers (cromakalim, pinacidil, diazoxide) on the electrically-evoked (5 Hz) release of [(3)H]acetylcholine were studied in isolated guinea-pig atria and myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle preparations which had been preincubated with [(3)H]choline. Atria: Cromakalim (0.3 microM and 1 microM), pinacidil (10 microM) and diazoxide (30 microM) significantly reduced the stimulation-evoked release of [(3)H]acetylcholine. The inhibition produced by cromakalim and pinacidil was prevented by 1 microM of either HMR 1883, HMR 1372 or glibenclamide. The blockers alone significantly increased the release at concentrations …
EFFECTS OF CROMAKALIM (BRL-34915) IN TRACHEA ISOLATED FROM ACTIVELY SENSITIZED GUINEA-PIGS
1993
Abstract The effects of cromakalim were examined in tracheal strips isolated from normal (unsensitized) guinea-pigs and from animals actively sensitized to bovine serum albumin. Sensitized tracheae exhibited hyper-responsiveness to KCl, acetylcholine and histamine. In normal and sensitized tracheae, cromakalim (0·01–10 μm) produced a concentration-related suppression of spontaneous tone. The ability of cromakalim to relax tracheal strips was reduced when tone was raised by KCl (25 Mm), acetylcholine (0·1 Mm) or histamine (0·1 Mm) and lost against KCl (120 Mm)-induced spasm. Procaine (5 Mm) abolished the relaxant effect of cromakalim whilst tetraethylammonium (8 Mm) was without effect. These…
Effects of cromakalim on acetylcholine release and smooth muscle contraction in guinea-pig small intestine
1989
The effects of the potassium channel opener cromakalim on smooth muscle contraction and 3H-acetyl-choline release were studied simultaneously in guinea-pig longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparations which had been preincubated with 3H-choline. Cromakalim (10 mumol/l) inhibited more markedly the smooth muscle contractions caused by the release of endogenous acetylcholine (via electrical stimulation or via activation of nicotine- and 5-HT3-receptors) than contractions induced by pilocarpine. Cromakalim (10 mumol/l) did not affect the release of 3H-acetylcholine evoked by electrical stimulation or by stimulation of nicotine- and 5-HT3-receptors. In contrast, the release of 3H-acetylchol…