DNA-programmed chemistry (DPC) is a novel technology for synthesis of a wide variety of organic compounds at nanomolar concentrations under physiologic conditions (1 ). Annealing of small molecule-oligonucleotide precursors to DNA templates, each with an attached chemical moiety, can generate high amounts of effective molarities of these reactants. This phenomenon can enhance, by nearly 1-milli...

Heterologous expression of 1D-adrenergic receptors ( 1DARs) in most cell types results in intracellular retention and little or no functionality. We showed previously that heterodimerization with 1B-ARs promotes surface localization of 1D-ARs. Here, we report that the 1B-/ 1D-AR interaction has significant effects on the pharmacology and signaling of the receptors, in addition to the effects on...

The ends of human chromosomes consist of several kilobases of simple telomeric repeats (TTAGGG)n (1). Telomeres are important for maintaining chromosome structure by protecting the chromosomes from DNA degradation, end-to-end fusions, rearrangements, and chromosome loss. Because DNA polymerases synthesize DNA in the 59 to 39 direction and require an RNA primer for initiation, telomeric DNA may ...

Meningiomas are the second-most common intracranial tumours in adults. They are derived from the arachnoid cells, and although approximately 90% of meningiomas are benign, more than half of all meningiomas develop peritumoral brain oedema (PTBE), which increases morbidity. The PTBE can be treated with steroid therapy, but this treatment is not specific, is not always effective, and involves lon...

Ultrasound that is routinely used for imaging is now exploited for therapeutic applications including drug delivery or gene transfer. Today, ultrasound imaging is an established and confident technique for diagnosis. It is mainly based on the development of contrast imaging methods that aim to identify and display the echo from contrast agent as well as rejecting the echo from surrounding tissu...

The measurement of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH 1-39; Mr 4500) plays a key role in the evaluation of hyperand hypocortisolism (1–3), but low ACTH concentrations make accurate measurement challenging. Two automated, nonisotopic ACTH assays have become available in recent years. Because it is usual for rather small series to be assayed for ACTH in a clinical setting and because nonisotopic m...

Terminalia arjuna is an important medicinal plant widely used in the preparation of Ayurvedic formulations used in cardioprotection. Only one sapogenin acid i.e. arjunolic acid has been shown to provide cardiac protection in induced necrotic rats but no other report for the biological activity of any of the isolated components is available. The present work is to rationalize all saponins for th...

Mechanical stretch and paraand/or autocrine factors, including endothelin-1, induce hypertrophy of cardiac myocytes and proliferation of fibroblasts. To investigate the effect of mechanical load on endothelin-1 production and on endothelin system gene expression in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes and fibroblasts, we exposed cells to cyclic mechanical stretch in vitro (0.5 Hz, 10% to 25% elong...

-Opioid receptor (MOR) mediates most of the pharmacological effects of opioid drugs. The expression of MOR is temporarily and spatially regulated at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Long-term morphine treatment that induces tolerance does not alter MOR mRNA expression, suggesting no direct link between agonist treatment and MOR gene transcription. We previously identifi...

Recent studies have shown that use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction. To explore whether NSAIDs may induce endothelial apoptosis and thereby enhance atherothrombosis, we treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with sulindac sulfide (SUL), indomethacin (IND), aspirin (ASA), or sodium salicylate (NaS), and...