Toxin II isolated from the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata enhances activation of the action potential sodium ionophore of electrically excitable neuroblastoma cells by veratridine and batrachotoxin. This heterotropic cooperative effect is identical to that observed previously with scorpion toxin but occurs at a 110-fold higher concentration. Depolarization of the neuroblastoma cells inhibits the ...

BACKGROUND To identify the most appropriate cut-off points of fasting glycemia for the screening of diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) with the comparison of the properties of capillary glycemia (CG) and venous blood plasma glycemia (PG) in a population of Japanese origin from the community of Mombuca, Guatapará-SP, Brazil. METHODS This was a population-based descriptive cross-sectional study con...

In clinical trials, Spiramycin has shown additional benefit overscaling and root planing on pocket depth reduction, but its effect on periodontal microbiota was evaluated only by darkfield microscopy. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of Spiramycin administration on Porphyromonas gingivalis and other periodontopathic bacteria using 16S rARN PCR technique. Thirty two no...

The polychaete Capitella sp. I has been described as an enrichment opportunist and is one of very few species able to thrive in highly organic sediments heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and other organic pollutants. We examined 3 plausible explanations for the success of Capitella sp. 1: (1) worms prevent uptake of PAH across body surfaces, (2) worms take up PAH ...

BACKGROUND IL-10 is a cytokine mainly produced by macrophages that plays key roles in tolerance to inhaled antigens and in lung homeostasis. Its regulation in alveolar macrophages (HAM), the resident lung phagocytes, remains however unknown. METHODS The present study investigated the role of intracellular signalling and transcription factors controlling the production of IL-10 in LPS-activate...