The Slo3 gene encodes a high conductance potassium channel, which is activated by both voltage and intracellular alkalinization. Slo3 is specifically expressed in mammalian sperm cells, where it gives rise to pH-dependent outwardly rectifying K(+) currents. Sperm Slo3 is the main current responsible for the capacitation-induced hyperpolarization, which is required for the ensuing acrosome react...

We investigated energy metabolism enhancement by pepper by examining suppression of body fat accumulation in mice due to piperine (PIP) and black pepper (BP) intake. To induce adiposity, mice were fed a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFS) diet as a control diet for 4 weeks. Visceral fat weights decreased significantly in the mice fed diets of 0.03% and of 0.05% PIP. Body weight in the 0.05% PIP group ...

This paper presents a novel systolic Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Architecture for real-time image and video processing called PIP. The PIP is a scalable architecture that combines the low-latency characteristic of systolic array architectures with a runtime reconfigurable datapath. Reconfigurability of the PIP enables it to perform a wide range of image pre-processing tasks directly on a pixe...

The cold-sensing channel transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) features Ca(2+)-dependent downregulation, a cellular process underlying somatosensory accommodation in cold environments. The Ca(2+)-dependent functional downregulation of TRPM8 is manifested with two distinctive phases, acute desensitization and tachyphylaxis. Here we show in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons that TRPM8 ...

Docetaxel (DTX) is widely used for metastatic castrated resistant prostate cancer, but its efficacy is often compromised by drug resistance associated with low intracellular concentrations. Piperine (PIP) could enhance the bioavailability of other drugs via the inhibition of CYPs and P-gp activities. Thus, we hypothesize a positive effect with the DTX-PIP combination on the anti-tumor efficacy ...

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZO) versus PIP/TAZO plus amikacin in febrile neutropenic children with acute leukemia (AL). Children with AL who had febrile neutropenic episodes were randomized to treatment with PIP/TAZO versus PIP/TAZO plus amikacin. Modification was defined as addition of other antimicrobials and/or antifungal ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate a newly developed laser-based imaging technique for the study of soft tissue changes and acute inflammatory processes of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS A novel imaging device was developed which allows the transillumination of PIP joints using laser light in the near-infrared wavelength range. In a first clin...

BACKGROUND Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) is common in older people in primary care, as evidenced by a significant body of quantitative research. However, relatively few qualitative studies have investigated the phenomenon of PIP and its underlying processes from the perspective of general practitioners (GPs). The aim of this paper is to explore qualitatively, GP perspectives regar...

The assignments structures of the four 1:1 pipemidic acid (pipH)–magnesium(II), calcium(II), zinc(II), and iron(III) complexes, [Mg(pip)(H2O)3(Cl)].6H2O, [Ca(pip)(H2O)3(Cl)].2H2O, [Zn(pip)(H2O)3(Cl)].4H2O, [Fe(pip)(H2O)2(Cl)2].6H2O, (where pip = deprotonated pipemidic), were synthesized through chemical reactions MgCl2.6H2O, CaCl2.2H2O, ZnCl2, FeCl3.6H2O metal salt chlorides with pipH chemother...

In the present work, we studied the effects of piplartine (PIP), an amide alkaloid isolated from the roots of Piper tuberculatum (Piperaceae), in the elevated plus maze, open field, rota rod, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures, and forced swimming tests, in mice (Swiss, male, 25 g) to assess anxiolytic, sedative, muscle relaxant, anticonvulsant and antidepressant effects, respectively. R...