We recently characterized a novel heart-specific hormone from salmon (salmon cardiac peptide, sCP). We have now prepared a recombinant plasmid expressing the NH(2)-terminal fragment of pro-sCP (NT-pro-sCP) and used it to set up a specific RIA for the peptide. Because of the sensitivity of the assay and the high circulating levels, NT-pro-sCP can be measured from as little as 2 microl of serum. ...

OBJECTIVE During selective cerebral perfusion (SCP), only the upper body is perfused. However, blood actually returns into the descending aorta through collaterals during SCP. This collateral blood flow (CBF) is thought to be important to protect the visceral organs and spinal cord from ischemia. The left subclavian artery is postulated to be important as a collateral source to the lower body. ...

background: recently, it has been revealed that tyrosine kinase inhibitors (tkis) act through inducing both oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (er) stress in chronic myeloid leukemia cells. however, er stress signaling triggers both apoptotic and survival processes within cells. nevertheless, mechanisms by which tkis avoid the pro-survival effects are not clear. the aim of this study was to ev...

Background: Many physical and mechanical phenomena occur during the acupuncture and tuina regime, and pressure is one of the most basic mechanical phenomena. Objectives: To understand the cellular bio-physical mechanism of basic mechanical stimulation via acupuncture and tuina by investigating the effect of different in vitro pressures on the cel...

The structure and expression of rat sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) were studied by cloning and sequencing SCP2 cDNAs and by hybridizing the SCP2 cDNA to RNA from a variety of rat tissues. Initial screening of a rat liver cDNA library with an oligonucleotide probe derived from the rat SCP2 protein sequence revealed an 825-base pair cDNA clone coding for the complete SCP2 protein sequence. Our r...

Sea cucumber is a precious and nutritious food with abundant protein other bioactive compounds, among which sea peptide (SCP) exhibits many beneficial functions. Although research on the development of SCP attracting more attention, ability to translate these new findings into industrial practice products remains immature. This review summarizes production characterization emphasizes recent adv...

Antibodies to small cardioactive peptide (SCP) label a segmentally iterated subset of cells in the leech nerve cord, including the previously identified alternating SCP (AS) neurons. Unlike the majority of leech neurons, these cells are asymmetrically distributed in the adult nerve cord. Moreover, each AS neuron shows a strong tendency to lie on alternate right and left sides in successive gang...

We appreciate the excellent questions raised by Koch [1] in response to our article [2] and the opportunity to elaborate on our ideas further here. Koch asked whether we propose that it is the existence of the SCP per se or the activity of associated pyramidal cells that is crucial for consciousness. We noted in the legend of Fig. 3a in the original paper: ‘We propose that long-lasting synaptic...

BACKGROUND Our understanding of the interaction of muscle bellies and their tendons in individuals with muscle pathology is limited. Knowledge of these interactions may inform us of the effects of musculoskeletal pathologies on muscle-tendon dynamics and the subsequent neurological control strategies used in gait. Here, we investigate gastrocnemius muscle-tendon interaction in typically-develop...

Background: Recently, it has been revealed that tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) act through inducing both oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in chronic myeloid leukemia cells. However, ER stress signaling triggers both apoptotic and survival processes within cells. Nevertheless, mechanisms by which TKIs avoid the pro-survival effects are not clear. The aim of this study was to ev...