BACKGROUND Based on epicardial mapping, different mechanisms of termination of reentrant ventricular tachycardia by various pharmacological interventions are described. METHODS AND RESULTS In 40 Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts, rings of anisotropic left ventricular epicardium were made by a cryoprocedure. Sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia based on continuous circus movement of ...

Many aliphatic alcohols modulate activity of various ion channels involved in sensory processing and also exhibit anesthetic capacity in vivo. Although the interaction of one such compound, 1-octanol (octanol) with different T-type calcium channels (T-channels) has been described, the mechanisms of current modulation and its functional significance are not well studied. Using patch-clamp techni...

Voltage-gated Na(+) channels (Na(+) channels) mediate the rising phase of action potentials in neurons and excitable cells. Nine subtypes of the alpha subunit (Na(v)1.1-Na(v)1.9) have been shown to form functional Na(+) channels to date. Recently, anesthetic concentrations of volatile anesthetics and ethanol were reported to inhibit Na(+) channel functions, but it is not known whether all subty...

Bone-forming cells are known to be coupled by gap junctions, formed primarily by connexin43 (Cx43). The role of Cx43 in osteoclasts has so far only been studied in rodents, where Cx43 is important for fusion of mononuclear precursors to osteoclasts. Given the potential importance for human diseases with pathologically altered osteoclasts, we asked whether a similar influence of Cx43 can also be...

PURPOSE Cell-to-cell communications between the epithelial layers of the ciliary body may be critical for aqueous humor production. The aim of this study was to identify pharmacologic agents that affect this path. METHODS Whole New Zealand rabbit ciliary bodies were mounted in Ussing-type chambers with Ca2+(-)free and Ca2+(-)rich Tyrode's in the nonpigmented (NPE; aqueous) and pigmented (PE; ...

When dissociated neurons from the mollusc, Aplysia californica, are placed in primary cell culture, they form electrical synapses in a specific, yet alterable, manner. Pairs of neurons from the same ganglion ("homoganglionic" pairs) form electrical synapses with high coupling coefficients. This is due to relatively high macroscopic junctional conductance as determined directly by voltage clampi...

Medaka is an ideal model system for developmental studies as it combines the advantages of powerful genetics and classical embryology. Due to the accessibility, transparency and fast development, embryogenesis and morphogenesis can be followed in vivo. Microscopic time-lapse imaging, however, requires the immobilization of the object to be observed. In medaka rhythmical contractile movements of...

We aim to understand the formation of abnormal waves of activity from myocardial regions with diminished cell-to-cell coupling. En route to this goal, we studied the behavior of a heterogeneous myocyte network in which a sharp coupling gradient was placed under conditions of increasing network automaticity. Experiments were conducted in monolayers of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes using heptanol a...

In the title compound, [Co(C(13)H(22)P)(2)]PF(6), the Co(III) atom is sandwiched between two (diisobutyl-phosphino)cyclo-penta-dienenyl ligands. The two diisobutyl-phophine units are trans to each other with respect to the Co(III) metal center. The PF(6) (-) anion links the cobaltocenium cations via weak C-H⋯F hydrogen bonds into a chain running along the b axis. The chains are further linked b...