The ERG and the extracellular potassium concentration, [K+]o, of the isolated superfused rat retina were measured in a physiological solution and in solutions containing 10 mM MgCl2 or 100 mu M APB. MgCl2 nearly abolished the b-wave, but the light-induced distal [K+]o increase was enlarged from 0.13 +/- 0.05 to 0.28 +/- 0.08 mM. There was also an increase in the light-induced [K+]o in the proxi...

Effects of a wide range of concentrations of four salts (NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2) on cell proliferation were investigated in suspension culture of a mangrove plant, Sonneratia alba. The results were compared to those obtained with suspension culture of another mangrove species, Bruguiera sexangula and non-mangrove tobacco BY-2 cells. Effects of salts on suspension cells were determined with bot...

We compared the performance of three methods for quantifying high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with the Reference Method for HDL-C, using samples with a wide range of triglyceride (TG) concentrations (290-18000 mg/L). All three comparison assays-- utilizing a magnetic dextran sulfate precipitating reagent, a direct method, and a standard MgCl2-dextran sulfate reagent--were precise, w...

Sodium fluoride (NaF) is used for prevention of caries in the form of fluoridated drinking water, fluoride tablets etc. In the present study, the effect of NaF-induced alterations in hydroxyproline (Hyp) and collagen was investigated in rat liver. The effect of pretreatment with MgCl2 on NaF-induced changes in liver Hyp and collagen was also studied. The NaF treatment at 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body...

Plagioclase minerals have been detected over large portions of the Mars surface. Average plagioclase mineral compositions are approximately An60 for dust free areas on Mars; however, these likely reflect a mixture more and less sodic at also observed in association with chloride sulfate salts surface meteorites. Understanding dissolution brines provides insight into post-Noachian weathering Mar...