Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) has multiple effects on the excitability of pyramidal neurons in rat frontal neocortex. Synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability are both affected. During studies of the effects of quisqualate on synaptic activity, it was observed that quisqualate also induced a slow inward current. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were obtained f...

As the demand for cloned embryos and offspring increases, the need arises for the development of nuclear transfer procedures that are improved in both efficiency and ease of operation. Here, we describe a novel zona-free cloning method that doubles the throughput in cloned bovine embryo production over current procedures and generates viable offspring with the same efficiency. Elements of the p...

Embryonic stem cells are capable of differentiating to variety of cell tissues including cardiomyocytes. This developmental change is accompanied with a great deal of ion channel expression and functions. Mouse stem cell derived cardiomyocytes were prepared and separated to yield isolated single cell suspension for cell current recording. In the present study some properties of the K(+)-current...

Modulation of high-conductance chloride channels by eicosanoids, stilbene derivatives and Zn2+ ions was studied in cultured myoblasts (L6 rat muscle cell line) in excised and cell-attached membrane patches using a conventional patch clamp method. Arachidonic acid (AA) blocked the channel at concentrations 1-50 mumol/l from the internal side of the membrane in excised (inside out) patches with a...

Single canine Purkinje cells were voltage clamped under Ca2+-free conditions using the patch pipette. Depolarizing pulses from a holding potential of -42 mV induced a time-dependent rapidly activating-slowly inactivating outward current, which was identified as the transient outward current. The current showed two exponential time constants of inactivation (48,352 msec at +58 mV and 53,325 msec...

In a study by Björksten et al. 1994 [1], approximately 60 % of female laboratory technicians who pipetted more than 300 hours per year, reported hand ailments. Buckle and David 1997 [2] reported that approximately 90 % of participants complained of problems in the hand area following continuous pipetting for 60 minutes. The possible health consequences of such strain in the laboratory are obvio...

Na(+) reduction induces contraction of opossum lower esophageal sphincter (LES) circular smooth muscle strips in vitro; however, the mechanism(s) by which this occurs is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the electrophysiological effects of low Na(+) on opossum LES circular smooth muscle. In the presence of atropine, quanethidine, nifedipine, and substance P, conventio...