It has been shown in feeding tests with young rats that yeast grown in a distilled water solution of sucrose and the necessary mineral salts may furnish the vitamin B essential for growth (1, 2). It has also been found in tests made in this laboratory that pigeons which had developed polyneuritis on a diet of polished rice, were (‘cured” by the administration of this yeast. Heller has recently ...

The four sperm-specific CatSper ion channel proteins are required for hyperactivated motility and male fertility, and for Ca(2+) entry evoked by alkaline depolarization. In the absence of external Ca(2+), Na(+) carries current through CatSper channels in voltage-clamped sperm. Here we show that CatSper channel activity can be monitored optically with the [Na(+)](i)-reporting probe SBFI in popul...

To reduce lithium-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (lithium-NDI), patients with bipolar disorder are treated with thiazide and amiloride, which are thought to induce antidiuresis by a compensatory increase in prourine uptake in proximal tubules. However, thiazides induced antidiuresis and alkalinized the urine in lithium-NDI mice lacking the sodium-chloride cotransporter, suggesting that ...

Pancreatic ductal epithelium produces a HCO(3)(-)-rich fluid. HCO(3)(-) transport across ductal apical membranes has been proposed to be mediated by both SLC26-mediated Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchange and CFTR-mediated HCO(3)(-) conductance, with proportional contributions determined in part by axial changes in gene expression and luminal anion composition. In this study we investigated the characteri...

Objective: Evaluation of onset and duration of peripheral nerve blockage with alkalinized lidocaine by borate buffer instead of sodium bicarbonate. Study design: Experimental randomized cross-over study. Animals: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats (body weight 200–300 g) were used in this study. Methods: Four 1.0% lidocaine solutions were prepared from commercially available solutions. The treat...

Biochemical signals acting on the nucleus can regulate gene expression. Despite the inherent affinity of nucleic acids and nuclear proteins (e.g. transcription factors) for protons, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate nuclear pH (pHnuc), and how these could be exploited to control gene expression. Here, we show that pHnuc dynamics can be imaged using the DNA-binding dye Hoechst 3...

Lithium is the most common cause of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (Li-NDI). Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) combined with amiloride is the mainstay treatment in Li-NDI. The paradoxical antidiuretic action of HCTZ in Li-NDI is generally attributed to increased sodium and water uptake in proximal tubules as a compensation for increased volume loss due to HCTZ inhibition of the Na-Cl cotransporter (NC...

This paper presents an industrial scale process for extraction, purification, and isolation of epiisopiloturine (EPI) (2(3H)-Furanone,dihydro-3-(hydroxyphenylmethyl)-4-[(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl]-, [3S-[3a(R*),4b]]), which is an alkaloid from jaborandi leaves (Pilocarpus microphyllus Stapf). Additionally for the first time a set of structural and spectroscopic techniques were used to ch...

Raloxifene hydrochloride (RLX) is a selective estrogen-receptor modulator for treatment of osteoporosis and prevention of breast and endometrial cancer. By virtue of extensive presystemic clearance, RLX bioavailability is only 2%. The current study aimed to tailor and characterize RLX-loaded self-nanoemulsifying drug-delivery systems (SNEDDS) using bioactive excipients affecting drug metabolism...

BACKGROUND Airway acidification plays a role in disorders of the pulmonary tract. We hypothesized that the inhalation of alkalinized glycine buffer would measurably alkalinize the airways without compromising lung function or causing adverse events. We evaluated the safety of an inhaled alkaline glycine buffer in both healthy subjects and in subjects with stable obstructive airway disease. ME...