Ciguatoxin (CTX) (0.1 pM to 10 nM) added to a suspension of Torpedo synaptosomes incubated in Ca(2+)-free medium caused no detectable acetylcholine (ACh) release. However, subsequent addition of Ca2+ caused a large ACh release that depended on time of exposure, dose of CTX and on [Ca2+]. Tetrodotoxin completely prevented CTX-induced Ca(2+)-dependent ACh release. Simultaneous blockade of Ca2+ ch...

The extended-spectrum-lactamases-producing Escherichia coli has rapidly spread worldwide. Escherichia coli has been becoming much more resistant to β-lactam antibiotics and other commonly available antimicrobials. We investigated the prevalence, resistance, and probable gene type of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) using minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) testing and polymerase c...

OBJECTIVES To study the clonality of gentamicin-resistant, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-negative and ESBL-producing Escherichia coli isolated from community-onset urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Cornwall. METHODS Isolates were identified by API, susceptibilities were determined by local disc testing, and MICs were determined at the reference laboratory, both interpreted using BS...

Gliomas are primary brain tumors that arise from differentiated glial cells through a poorly understood malignant transformation. Although glioma cells retain some genetic and antigenic features common to glial cells, they show a remarkable degree of antigenic heterogeneity and variable mutations in their genome. Glioma cells have recently been shown to express a glioma-specific chloride ion ch...

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed solid tumors in United States men. Survival with advanced prostate cancer is dismal because of a lack of effective treatments. Overexpression of interleukin 4 receptors (IL-4R) on prostate carcinoma cells makes them suitable targets for the interleukin 4 (IL-4) fused Pseudomonas exotoxin, IL-4 cytotoxin (IL4-CTx). Androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and -in...

OBJECTIVE We performed a single-centre non-blinded clinical trial to compare the clinical efficacies of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and intermittent cyclophosphamide (CTX) pulse therapy as induction treatments in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) vasculitis (AAV) and moderate renal involvement. METHODS Patients with active AAV and serum creatinine <500 micromol/L receiv...

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the antinociceptive effect of intrathecal administration of huwentoxin-I (HWTX-I), a N-type calcium channel blocker from the venom of the Chinese bird spider Ornithoctonus huwena (Wang) [=Selenocosmia huwena wang], by comparison with omega-Conotoxin-MVIIA (omega-CTX-MVIIA) and morphine hydrochloride in the formalin test in conscious rats. Similar to...

Kopka, Stacy L., Laura C. Geran, and Alan C. Spector. Functional status of the regenerated chorda tympani nerve as assessed in a salt taste discrimination task. Am. J. Physiol. Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 278: R720–R731, 2000.—We tested whether the recovered ability of rats to discriminate NaCl from KCl after chorda tympani nerve transection (CTX) is causally linked to nerve regenerat...

  Background and Objective: Organisms producing CTX-M β-lactamases are emerging as a source of resistance to oxyiminocefalosporins such as ceftriaxone and ceftazidime. However, the laboratory detection of these strains is not well defined. In this study, phenotypic assay for screening of extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing strains and molecular assay for the identification of CTX-M β-lact...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate variations in IncF plasmids and the genetic environments of bla(CTX-M-15) in CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from South Korea. METHODS A total of 56 E. coli and 15 K. pneumoniae isolates, which were previously characterized for CTX-M-15 production, sequence type by multilocus sequence typing and rep...