INTRODUCTION The introduction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) antagonists has substantially improved patient's clinical outcome in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, nearly 20% to 40% of RA patients do not respond to anti-TNF-α treatment strategies. To identify valid predictors of TNF-α antagonist response in RA, serum proteome profiles from responders (R) and non-responders (NR) to eta...

Spatial memory processing requires functional interaction between the hippocampus and the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). The grid cells of the MEC are most abundant in layer II and rely on a complex network of local inhibitory interneurons to generate spatial firing properties. Stress can cause spatial memory deficits in males, but the specific underlying mechanisms affecting the known memory ...

Excessive exposure to loud noise can damage the cochlea and create a hearing loss. These pathologies coincide with a range of CNS changes including reorganisation of frequency representation, alterations in the pattern of spontaneous activity and changed expression of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. Moreover, damage to the cochlea is often accompanied by acoustic disorders such as ...

The importance of the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor complex and its subtypes are increasingly recognised in addiction. Using the α1/α5 benzodiazepine receptor PET radioligand [(11)C]Ro15 4513, we previously showed reduced binding in the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus in abstinent alcohol dependence. We proposed that reduced [(11)C]Ro15 4513 binding in the nucleus accumbens was a marker of add...

α1-Adrenergic receptor antagonists are commonly used to treat male lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We performed a literature search using PubMed, Medline via Ovid, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases to identify studies on the treatment of BPH by silodosin. Silodosin is a novel α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist whose affinity for the α1A-adrenergic re...

Sympathetic vasoconstriction in working muscles during dynamic exercise has been demonstrated by intra-arterial administration of α1-adrenergic antagonists. The purpose of this study was to examine the existence of α1- and α2-adrenergic receptor-mediated vasoconstriction in active skeletal muscles during exercise. Six mongrel dogs were instrumented chronically with flow probes on the external i...

Exposure to drug-associated cues to induce extinction is a useful strategy to contrast cue-induced drug seeking. Norepinephrine (NE) transmission in medial prefrontal cortex has a role in the acquisition and extinction of conditioned place preference induced by amphetamine. We have reported recently that NE in prelimbic cortex delays extinction of amphetamine-induced conditioned place preferenc...

During rodent corticogenesis, a sizeable subpopulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons arises extracortically from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). These neurons progressively acquire responsiveness to GABA in the course of corticopetal tangential migration, a process regulated by ambient GABA and mediated by GABA(A) receptors. Here, we combined patch clamp electrophysiolog...

17β-estradiol (E2) regulates hormonal release as well as proliferation and cell death in the pituitary. The main nitric oxide receptor, nitric oxide sensitive- or soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), is a heterodimer composed of two subunits, α and β, that catalyses cGMP formation. α1β1 is the most abundant and widely expressed heterodimer, showing the greater activity. Previously we have shown that...

Although individual G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are known to activate one or more G proteins, the GPCR-G-protein interaction is viewed as a bimolecular event involving the formation of a ternary ligand-GPCR-G-protein complex. Here, we present evidence that individual GPCR-G-protein interactions can reinforce each other to enhance signaling through canonical downstream second messengers,...