BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Sinomenine is an alkaloid compound and a prominent anti-inflammatory agent found in the root of the climbing plant Sinomenium acutum. However, its effects on the mechanism of human mast cell line (HMC)-1-mediated inflammation remained unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS To provide insight into the biological effects of sinomenine, we examined its influence on the pro-infl...

The transporting abilities in the mitochondrial membrane for Ca++ and Mg++ of ten semi-synthetic analogs A23187 (calcimycin) and X14885A are compared. Analogs classified as efficient divalent cation carrier retained the calcimycin antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive strains tested.

This study was designated to clarify the influence of activation of porcine matured oocytes by calcium ionophore on in vitro development of the parthenotes. The follicular oocytes were matured, activated and cultured in North Carolina State University-23 (NCSU-23) medium supplemented with 10% porcine follicular fluid (pFF). The in vitro-matured oocytes were exposed to calcium ionophore at conce...

Rabbits were rendered hypertensive by suprarenal coarctation of the abdominal aorta. Seven days later, endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vascular relaxations were examined in vascular rings taken from hypertensive (thoracic aorta, carotid artery) and normotensive (abdominal aorta) regions. Relaxation of phenylephrine-contracted rings in response to endothelium-dependent agonists...

Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from l-arginine by the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-sensitive endothelial NO synthase (NOS) isoform (eNOS). The present study assesses the role of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II) in endothelium-dependent relaxation and NO synthesis. The effects of three CaMK II inhibitors were investigated in endothelium-intact aortic rings of normotensive rats. NO ...

Nitric oxide is an endothelium-derived relaxing factor. Conversion of L-arginine to nitric oxide follows mediator-induced elevation of endothelial cytosolic calcium concentration. However, not all endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is caused by endothelium-derived relaxing factor, and few studies have correlated changes in vascular tone with measurement of free cytosolic calcium concentration...

The short-term effects of elevated glucose on cyclic GMP (cGMP) and eicosanoid production in pig aortic endothelial cell monolayers was determined by incubating cells in 5.5 mM or 44 mM glucose for 6 hours. Bradykinin- or A23187-stimulated cGMP production was significantly reduced in cells incubated in 44 mM glucose compared with 5.5 mM glucose. Stimulation of cGMP levels with exogenously added...

12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) can significantly reduce the Ca-ionophore-induced rise in the intracellular calcium concentration (Cai) of T lymphocytes measured by quin2 or fura-2 fluorescence. This counteraction of TPA is maximal at a preincubation of 90 min at TPA concentrations higher than 20 nM. 45Ca uptake and efflux measurements directly indicate that TPA does not activate th...

To compare the mediator releasability between atopic and nonatopic asthmatics, we measured basophil histamine releasability (BaHR) using a calcium-ionophore A23187 and anti-IgE in 137 subjects who were treated at Seoul National University Hospital. Subjects were categorized into atopic (group AA, n=77) or nonatopic asthmatics (group NA, n=32), or normal controls (group NC, n=28). Serum total Ig...