Search results for "cyclic"
showing 10 items of 2439 documents
Electrical and mechanical activity of mammalian heart muscle fibres treated with papaverine
1977
The action of papaverine on electrical and mechanical activity was investigated in ventricular and atrial heart muscle fibres from guinea-pigs and cats. 1. Papaverine (10−5 M–5×10−5M) had positive, negative or no inotropic effects in ventricular preparations; positive inotropic effects were not observed after pretreatment of the animals with reserpine. In atrial preparations, papaverine (2×10−5M) had a positive inotropic effect that was independent of endogenously stored catecholamines. 2. The effects of isoprenaline and dibutyryl cyclic AMP were potentiated by papaverine (10−5 M–2×10−5M). 3. The action potential duration was always prolonged by papaverine in ventricular as well as in atria…
Does cyclic GMP mediate the negative inotropic effect of acetylcholine in the heart?
1977
DURING vagal stimulation the pacemaker activity of the heart is diminished. The reduction in heart rate is due to a release of acetylcholine (ACh) from the parasympathetic nerve terminals that increases the permeability of the myocardial cell membrane for potassium ions (for review see ref. 1). This is accompanied by a shortening of the action potential duration in atrial muscle and a diminished calcium uptake2, which in turn results in a negative inotropic effect. Voltage clamp experiments in mammalian atrial muscle have shown that with higher concentrations of ACh not only is the potassium current augmented but also the slow inward current of calcium is reduced3. It is not clear how the c…
Phenothiazines interfere with dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans models of Parkinson's disease
2010
Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative disorders, conventional antioxidant strategies have yet been of limited success. We have employed transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans expressing DsRed2 in dopaminergic neurons and CFP pan-neuronally, to characterize in larval and adult animals the effects of rotenone and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP(+)) on the dopaminergic system. Investigating the antioxidant phenothiazine and different derived antipsychotic drugs, it was found that free phenothiazine exerted strong neuroprotection at the cellular level and resulted in a better performance in behavioral assays, whereas apomorphine and other dopamine agonists o…
Can herbivore-induced volatiles protect plants by increasing the herbivores’ susceptibility to natural pathogens?
2018
In response to insect herbivory, plants mobilize various defenses. Defense responses include the release of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that can serve as signals to alert undamaged tissues and to attract natural enemies of the herbivores. Some HIPVs can have a direct negative impact on herbivore survival, but it is not well understood by what mechanisms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to HIPVs renders insects more susceptible to natural pathogens. Exposure of the caterpillars of the noctuid Spodoptera exigua to indole and linalool, but not exposure to (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, increased the susceptibility to Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV). …
Cohesive-frictional interface model with oligocyclic degradation of surfaces roughness
2008
The present work is devoted to the constitutive modelling, through the classical interface kinematical formulation, of the mechanical behaviour of the internal adhesive layers, connecting different bodies. The proposed interface constitutive model couples a cohesive behaviour with a frictional one and it is able to follow the transition from the sound condition to the fully cracked one by means of a specific interpretation of the damage variable. In the fully cracked condition, the dilatancy exhaustion and the frictional strength degradation are also modelled.
An Interface Mechanical Model with a Cohesive to Frictional Transition
2009
A thermodynamically consistent mechanical interface model is presented. The model is based on the interface damage mechanic theory applied in a special fashion such that the interface damage variable is also used as a parameter which drives the continuous and smooth transition from the sound initial cohesive state to the final fully fractured frictional state. Interface damage activation and fictional sliding are promoted by a damage activation function and a Coulomb frictional yielding function. The main features of the model are discussed in details and some numerical results for the material response are shown in monotonic and cyclic loading regimes.
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate is a key component of regulatory T cell–mediated suppression
2007
Naturally occurring regulatory T cells (T reg cells) are a thymus-derived subset of T cells, which are crucial for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance by controlling potentially autoreactive T cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this strictly cell contact–dependent process are still elusive. Here we show that naturally occurring T reg cells harbor high levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). This second messenger is known to be a potent inhibitor of proliferation and interleukin 2 synthesis in T cells. Upon coactivation with naturally occurring T reg cells the cAMP content of responder T cells is also strongly increased. Furthermore, we demonstrate that natur…
mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268, by enhancing the production of GDNF, induces a time-related phosphorylation of RET receptor and intracellular signaling Er…
2011
In the present study we aimed to verify if the enhancement of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) production in mouse striatum following treatment with LY379268 may also induce in the nigrostriatal system a time-related activation of RET receptor and its specific intracellular signaling. For this purpose, we have investigated the effects of LY379268 treatment on RET phosphorylation at the Tyr1062 and on downstream signaling Erk1/2, Akt and PLCγ1 pathway activation. The results showed that treatment with LY379268 (3 mg/kg) induces a significant increase of GDNF levels and time-related RET and Erk1/2 phosphorylation in the striatum. These increases were detected at 24 h and 48 …
Intracellular Na+ concentration influences short-term plasticity of glutamate transporter-mediated currents in neocortical astrocytes.
2012
Fast synaptic transmission requires a rapid clearance of the released neurotransmitter from the extracellular space. Glial glutamate transporters (excitatory amino acid transporters, EAATs) strongly contribute to glutamate removal. In this work, we investigated the paired-pulse plasticity of synaptically activated, glutamate transporter-mediated currents (STCs) in cortical layer 2/3 astrocytes. STCs were elicited by local electrical stimulation in layer 4 in the presence of ionotropic glutamate (AMPA and NMDA), GABAA, and GABAB receptor antagonists. In experiments with low [Na+]i (5 mM) intrapipette solution, STCs elicited by paired-pulse stimulation demonstrated paired-pulse facilitation (…
Modulation of NMDA receptor function by cyclic AMP in cerebellar neurones in culture
2004
The signal transduction pathways involved in NMDA receptor modulation by other receptors remain unclear. cAMP could be involved in this modulation. The aim of this work was to analyse the contribution of cAMP to NMDA receptor modulation in cerebellar neurones in culture. Forskolin increases cAMP and results in increased intracellular calcium and cGMP that are prevented by blocking NMDA receptors. Similar effects were induced by two cAMP analogues, indicating that cAMP leads to NMDA receptor activation. It has been reported that phosphorylation of Ser897 of the NR1 subunit of NMDA receptors by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activates the receptors. Forskolin increases Ser897 phosphoryla…