The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a major site of cannabinoid-mediated analgesia in the central nervous system. In the present study, we examined the actions of cannabinoids on rat PAG neurons in vitro. In brain slices, superfusion of the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 inhibited electrically evoked inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic currents in all PAG neurons. The endogen...

Differences in placental mass and vascularity exist between cows gestating single vs. multiple fetuses. Therefore, the association between fetal number and placental development or function was assessed by comparing concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG), IGF-I, and progesterone in the maternal blood of cattle selected for twin birt...

The pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) are secretory products synthesized by the outer epithelial cell layer (chorion) of the placentas of various ungulate species. The amino acid sequences of eight PAGs have been inferred from cloned cDNA of cattle and sheep, as well as of the non-ruminant pig and horse. We compare the PAG sequences and present results of the three-dimensional models of...

S-allylcysteine (SAC) is an organosulfur-containing compound derived from garlic. Studies have shown that garlic is beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to elucidate if SAC is responsible for this cardioprotection using acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rat models. In addition, we hypothesized that SAC may mediate cardioprotection via a hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S...

To control proliferation and apoptosis, B-non-Hodgkin lymphomas utilize a plasma membrane, raft-associated signalosome made of the constitutively active Lyn kinase, the tyrosine phosphorylated Cbp/PAG adaptor and tyrosine phosphorylated STAT3 transcription factor. No such signalosome is found in rafts of ALK+ T-lymphoma and Hodgkin-derived cell lines, despite similar Cbp/PAG, Lyn and STAT3 expr...

The periaqueductal grey (PAG) area is involved in pain modulation as well as in opiate-induced anti-nociceptive effects. The PAG possess dopamine neurons, and it is likely that this dopaminergic network participates in anti-nociception. The objective was to further study the morphology of the PAG dopaminergic network, along with its role in nociception and opiate-induced analgesia in rats, foll...

background: visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is an endemic disease in some parts of iran. many techniques have been used for diagnosis of vl, among which the urine based la-tex agglutination test (katex) is a promising one. objective: to compare three diag-nostic tests of vl including katex, elisa and direct agglutination test (dat) in vl patients and healthy controls in the south west of iran. meth...

OBJECTIVES Creation of an atraumatic, hearing-preservation cochleostomy is integral to the future of minimally invasive inner ear surgery. The goal of this study was to develop and characterize a novel chemical approach to cochleostomy. STUDY DESIGN Prospective animal study. SETTING Laboratory. METHODS Experimental animal study in which phosphoric acid gel (PAG) was used to decalcify the ...

BACKGROUND Written materials used in pediatric public health settings often exceed the reading skills of caretakers. OBJECTIVE To compare a pictorial anticipatory guidance (PAG) sheet requiring limited reading skills to a TIPP (The Injury Prevention Program) sheet for providing injury prevention information to low-income urban families. DESIGN AND SETTING A convenience sample of families wi...