Though melatonin was known to regulate gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in chick astrocytes and mouse hepatocytes, the underlying mechanism by melatonin was not elucidated in hydrogen peroxide- (H(2)O(2)-) treated HaCaT keratinocyte cells until now. In the current study, though melatonin at 2 mM and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) at 300 μM showed weak cytotoxicity in HaCaT kerati...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Astrocytes may play a vital role in neuroprotection by providing energy substrates to neurons and regulating the concentration of K+ and neurotransmitters through gap junctions. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is one of the major gap junction proteins in astrocytes. We have shown that, after focal stroke, heterozygote Cx43 null (Cx43+/-) mice exhibited larger infarction volumes than w...

Introduction: The behavior of multivalent elements such as iron, chromium, vanadium, and euro-pium in magmatic systems reflects the f O2 of the environment. The oxidation state of these elements will influence the mineral assemblage, crystallization sequence , and element partitioning[1]. The effect of f O2 on the relative proportions of divalent and trivalent Eu has proven to be a useful tool ...

Introduction: High-Ca pyroxene and plagioclase are typically present as minor phases in diogenites [1]. However, although the trace element content of diogenite orthopyroxene has been measured in a number of studies e.g., [2, 3]; almost no trace element data is available for the high-Ca pyroxene and plagioclase with which it routinely coexists in these meteorites. These data could provide insig...

Astrocytes, the most prominent glial cell type in the brain, send specialized processes called endfeet, around blood vessels and express a large molecular repertoire regulating the cerebrovascular system physiology. One of the most striking properties of astrocyte endfeet is their enrichment in gap junction proteins Connexin 43 and 30 (Cx43 and Cx30) allowing in particular for direct intercellu...

Several isoforms of the gap junction protein connexin (Cx) have been identified in a variety of tissues that communicate intercellular signals between adjacent cells. In the kidney, Cx37, Cx40, and Cx43 are localized in the vasculature, glomerulus, and tubular segments in a punctuate pattern, typical of classic gap junction channels. We performed immunohistochemistry in the mouse, rat, and rabb...

Noise-induced hearing loss is at least in part due to disruption of endocochlear potential, which is maintained by various K(+) transport apparatuses including Na(+), K(+)-ATPase and gap junction-mediated intercellular communication in the lateral wall structures. In this study, we examined the changes in the ion-trafficking-related proteins in the spiral ligament fibrocytes (SLFs) following in...

BACKGROUND While it is accepted practice to remove extradural (EDH) and subdural haematomas (SDH) following traumatic brain injury, the role of surgery in parenchymal traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (TICH) is controversial. There is no evidence to support Early Surgery in this condition. OBJECTIVES There have been a number of trials investigating surgery for spontaneous intracerebral haem...

UNLABELLED Traumatic head injury is a common cause of mortality and acquired neurological impairment in children. However, pediatric epidural hematomas (EDHs) are not common and few series have studied the evolution of these patients. In this study, we present the results from a sample of patients with EDH with long-term follow-up. METHOD Between January 2006 and December 2008, 49 patients wi...