Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional protein that is found in milk, neutrophils, and other biological fluids, and its receptors have also been identified in the central nervous system. Recently, we found that bovine milk-derived LF (BLF) produced analgesia via a mu-opioid receptor-mediated response in the spinal cord. However, the precise mechanism of this analgesic effect remains unclear. In ...

Pulmonary vasoconstriction is influenced by inactivation of nitric oxide (NO) with extracellular superoxide (O2-*). Because the short-lived O2-* anion cannot diffuse across plasma membranes, its release from vascular cells requires specialized mechanisms that have not been well delineated in the pulmonary circulation. We have shown that the bicarbonate (HCO3-)-chloride anion exchange protein (A...

We used a newly developed digital motion analysis video technique to study the effects of nitric oxide (NO) and epinephrine on the early larval arterial and venous vasculature of zebrafish. Application of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside resulted in a significant increase in both the venous and arterial vessel diameters, whereas N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester caused a significant decrease ...

We tested the hypothesis that atopy and/or allergic lung inflammation enhances alpha1-adrenoceptor-mediated contractions of the bronchial artery. Bronchial arterial resistance vessels were isolated from rabbits that had undergone either systemic ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization followed by saline aerosol challenge (OVA/saline rabbits), or OVA sensitization followed by OVA aerosol challenge (OVA/OV...

The goal of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of a non-specific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to modulate the toxicity of aluminium chloride (AlCl3). Rats were killed at 3 h and at 30 days after treatments and the striatum was removed. Nitrite, superoxide, superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione wer...

In this study, near-infrared spectroscopy was applied to examine whether cytochrome oxidase in the rat brain is inhibited by nitric oxide in vivo. During normoxia, intravenous N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) administration significantly decreased the cerebral saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen but did not alter the cytochrome oxidase redox state. Anoxia significantly reduced the c...

We performed Ussing chamber experiments on cultured human bronchial epithelial cells to look for the presence of electrogenic dibasic amino acid transport. Apical but not basolaterall-arginine (10-1,000 μM) increased the short-circuit current. Maximal effect and EC50 were ∼3.5 μA/cm2 and 80 μM, respectively, in cells from normal subjects and cystic fibrosis patients. The involvement of nitric o...

Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in large number of pathologies ad in normal physiological function of the brain. The aim of this study was to recognize the effect of Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester mHC1 (NAME) and L-Arginine Ethyl Ester.HC1 (ARGININE) on reactivity of the central DA Dg receptor to agonist (Quinpirole) in rats. For this reason we have been used specific behavioural procedure...

Abstract Arsenic (As) negatively affects plant development. This study evaluates how the application of silicon (Si) can favor formation adventitious roots in rice under arsenate stress (AsV) as a mechanism to mitigate its negative effects. The simultaneous AsV and Si up-regulated expression genes involved nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, cell cycle progression, auxin (IAA, indole-3-acetic acid) b...

Inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis using N G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) or N G-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) increases venular permeability in the rat mesentery (I. Kurose, R. Wolf, M. B. Grisham, T. Y. Aw, R. D. Specian, and D. N. Granger. Circ. Res. 76: 30-39, 1995), but the cellular mechanisms of this response are not known. This study was performed to determine whether s...