Background : We tested the in vitro activity of pleconaril and AG7088 against five numbered human rhinovirus (HRV) serotypes and 46 clinical HRV isolates of undefined serotype recovered from patients with common colds. Antiviral effect of pleconaril and AG7088 were assessed by cytophathic effect (CPE) inhibition assays in Ohio HeLaI cells using microscopic and spectrophotometric methods. Both c...

The concentration requirements of calmodulin in altering basal, GTP-, and dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities in an EGTA-washed particulate fraction from bovine striatum were examined. In the bovine striatal particulate fraction, calmodulin activated basal adenylate cyclase activity 3.5-fold, with an EC50 of 110 nM. Calmodulin also potentiated the activation of adenylate cyclase by...

Chlorophyll-a fluorescence induction is a rapid technique for measuring photosynthetic electron transport in plants. To assess chlorophyll-a fluorescence as a bioindicator of effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures, chlorophyll-a fluorescence parameters and plant growth responses to exposure to the wood preservative creosote were examined in the aquatic plants Lemna gibba and Myriop...

Natural estrogens and their derivatives comprising 30 compounds in total were tested for their ability to induce microtubule disruption in Chinese hamster V79 cells. The cytoplasmic microtubule networks were examined by the indirect immunofluorescence method using anti-beta-tubulin antibody. The effective concentrations of 17 beta-estradiol (E2-17 beta) and 17 alpha-estradiol required for the i...

The whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to identify and to characterize volume-activated Cl- current (ICl(vol)) in fibroblasts derived from human periodontal ligament. During osmotic cell swelling, the cells exhibited an outwardly rectifying current, which was dependent upon the concentration of external Cl-. The anion permeability sequence of the chloride channel for anions was as follow...

Oleamide (cis-9-octadecenoamide) exhibits some cannabimimetic responses despite its low affinities at the currently known cannabinoid receptors. Here we have investigated whether or not it is a vasorelaxant in rat small mesenteric arteries. Oleamide elicited vasorelaxation (EC50=1.2+/-0.2 microM, Rmax=99.1+/-3.9%, n=8) which was reduced by endothelial removal. Nitric oxide synthase inhibition r...

Wastewater from seven dye and dye intermediate producing industries and a common effluent treatment plant was assessed to characterize the acute toxicity using Daphnia bioassay. The 24 and 48 h EC50 values and its confidence limits were estimated applying the probit analysis method. The 24 h EC50 values for different dye effluent samples A, B, C, D, E and F were 1.35, 17.32, 17.67, 29.18, 46.49...

PURPOSE Prevention of cough during emergence after nasal surgery is important for avoiding surgical site bleeding. We investigated the remifentanil effect-site concentration in 50% (EC50) of the elderly patients undergoing nasal surgery for smooth emergence without cough and compared it with that of adult patients. METHODS Twenty-two elderly (aged 65-80 years) and 25 adult patients (aged 20-6...

Purpose: To evaluate the phytochemical profile as well as in vitro antioxidant, iron-chelating, and antiglucosidase activities of Typha domingensis Pers. (Typhaceae) Methods: Total polyphenols, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, and pro-anthocyanidins in the respective aqueous extracts of male and female flowers, and fruit of T. domingensis were determined by established procedures. Antioxidant...

The impact of size-fractionated colloidal organic carbon (COC) originating from a biological wastewater treatment facility on the sensitivity of the yeast estrogen screen (YES) bioassay containing the human estrogen receptor (hER) gene was evaluated. Dose-response curves of serially diluted 17beta-estradiol (E2), both in the presence and absence of COC, were generated by the YES bioassay. The c...