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Antagonism of voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) currents in pancreatic {beta}-cells may contribute to the ability of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to stimulate insulin secretion. The mechanism and signaling pathway regulating these currents in rat {beta}-cells were investigated using the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin 4. Inhibition of Kv currents resulted from a 20-mV leftward shift in the voltage depen
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that the serum level of sialic acid is associated positively with mortality from coronary disease and stroke. In this study its relation with carotid atherosclerosis was evaluated. METHODS: From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, 323 cases with carotid intima-media wall thickness above the 90th percentile (measured with B-mode ultrasound)
Background Hyperandrogenicity in women is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Estradiol alone decreases hyperandrogenicity and have beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and plasma lipids in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Objectives To analyse effects on glucose homeostasis and plasma lipids by 2 mg estradiol and 1 mg noreth
Mast cells are found in tissues throughout the body where they play important roles in the regulation of inflammatory responses. One characteristic feature of mast cells is their longevity. Although it is well established that mast cell survival is dependent on stem cell factor (SCF), it has not been described how this process is regulated. Herein, we report that SCF promotes mast cell survival th
Patients with chronic hepatic encephalopathy (HE) may present affective symptoms and antidepressant drug treatment in this condition is not uncommon. The present microdialysis study investigated treatment with the chronic antidepressant venlafaxine (VEN) in experimental HE with regard to tentative changes in pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic parameters. Three weeks after portacaval shunt (PCS
In order to correlate behavioural deficits to lesion size and to reveal possible functional asymmetries in the rat brain, locomotor activity, rotation and sensorimotor integration to touch were studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) subjected to right or left middle cerebral artery occlusion. Control and infarcted rats showed no difference in locomotor activity. Infarcted rats tended to
We examined the hypothesis that recording multiple elastic pressure-volume (Pel/V) curves and calculating alveolar derecruitment (V(DER)) induced by decreasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) may allow determination of alveolar closing pressures, thus helping to select the optimal PEEP level. V(DER) measured in 16 patients with acute lung injury (ALI) was compared with the lower inflection
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between coagulation factor level and bleeding frequency during prophylactic treatment of haemophilia after stratification of the patients according to joint scores. The secondary aim was to obtain a systematic overview of the doses of coagulation factors prescribed for prophylaxis at the Malmo haemophilia treatment centre d
Macroporous polyacrylamide gels (MPAAG) with iminodiacetic acid (IDA) functionality were prepared by (i) chemical modification of polyacrylamide gel, (ii) co-polymerization of acrylamide with allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) and N,N' metylene-bis(acrylamide) (MBAAm) followed by coupling IDA ligand or (iii) by copolymerization of acrylamide and MBAAm with functional monomer carrying IDA-functionality (1-
We examined the relationship between plant species diversity, productivity and the development of the soil community during early secondary succession on former arable land across Europe. We tested the hypothesis that increasing the initial plant species diversity enhances the biomass production and consequently stimulates soil microbial biomass and abundance of soil invertebrates. We performed fi
Objective: Intrauterine infection is suggested to cause perinatal brain white matter injury. The aim of the present study was to clarify, whether intravenous application of endotoxin results in neuropathological findings and increased blood levels of the S100B protein, which is a consolidated marker of brain injury. Methods: Twenty-one fetal sheep were chronically catheterized at a mean gestationa
The purpose of this article is to survey current knowledge concerning the consequences of a ligament injury on neuromuscular function and its relevance to rehabilitation, in relation to clinical practice. Although it deals with the ACL-injured knee, these views may also apply to other joints. The effects of a ligament injury on neuromuscular function are first considered - i.e., proprioception, po
cAMP stimulation and Rho kinase inhibition are shown to decrease microvascular permeability during noninflammatory conditions, most likely by decreasing contractility of actomyosin filaments in the endothelial cell, but their effects on permeability during inflammatory conditions are not clarified. The objective of this in vivo study, performed on the autoperfused and denervated calf muscle of the
The formation of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root tissue is characterized by distinct morphological and developmental stages, such as preinfection and adhesion, mantle, and Hartig net formation. The global pattern of gene expression during these stages in the birch (Betula pendula)-Paxillus involutus ECM association was analyzed using cDNA microarrays. In comparison with nonsymbiotic conditions, 251 fun
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To establish a pig model suitable for imitating pulmonary emboli to facilitate research in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. METHODS: Thirteen animals were anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and subjected to pulmonary artery catheterization initiated from the right external jugular vein. With the use of a Swan-Ganz catheter, repetitive occlusion/reperfusion maneuve
Choroid plexus from rat, guinea-pig, rabbit and pig was investigated by light-microscopic immunohistochemistry and by radioimmunoassay for the presence of neuropeptides. A moderately dense supply of nerve fibers containing neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), respectively, was found around blood vessels and in close relation to the secretory epithelium in both pig and
The MYCN protooncogene is involved in the control of cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival of neuroblasts. Deregulation of MYCN by gene amplification contributes to neuroblastoma development and is strongly correlated to advanced disease and poor outcome, emphasizing the urge for new therapeutic strategies targeting MYCN function. The transcription factor N-Myc, encoded by MYCN, regula
