Neuromuscular transmission at the skeletal muscle occurs when a quantum of acetylcholine from the nerve ending is released and binds to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the postjunctional muscle membrane. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the endplate respond by opening channels for the influx of sodium ions and subsequent endplate depolarisation leads to muscle contraction. The ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Splanchnic vasodilation is an essential disturbance in portal hypertension. Increased systemic sympathetic nerve activity is well known, but potential corresponding vascular desensitization is incompletely characterized. Release of splanchnic sympathetic neurotransmitters noradrenaline (NA) and co-transmitter neuropeptide Y (NPY) remains to be elucidated. Finally, the effects ...

The influence of polyvalent cations on the activation of end plate receptors has been studied in vitro on the sartorius muscle of the frog. In the absence of extracellular calcium, the sensitivity of the receptors to depolarizing quaternary ammonium salts was markedly reduced. Maximum receptor activation occurred in those fibers equilibrated in 1.8 mM calcium Ringer solution, with the response ...

A regional technique for the study of curare sensitivity has been applied to patients with Duchenne type muscular dystrophy, myotonic disorders, certain lower motor neurone disorders, to patients with weakness in the arm after hemiplegia, to patients with hyper-reflexia and hypertonia without weakness, and to Parkinsonism. In the dystrophy patients, sensitivity to curare differs from normal con...

Intrarenal adenosine concentration is threefold greater in the one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rat compared with normotensive animals. Since exogenously administered adenosine may increase renal blood flow by direct vasodilation, inhibition of renin release, or prejunctional interruption of adrenergic neurotransmission, these studies examined whether endogenous intrarenal adenosine maintains ...