We use Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations to study the ionic conduction and valence selectivity of a generic electrostatic model of a biological ion channel as functions of the fixed charge Q(f) at its selectivity filter. We are thus able to reconcile the discrete calcium conduction bands recently revealed in our BD simulations, M0 (Q(f)=1e), M1 (3e), M2 (5e), with a set of sodium conduction ba...

To study the role of calcium movements in mediating the effects of sodium chloride on the response of blood pressure to angiotensin II (ANG II), we infused ANG II before and after giving calcium channel blocking drugs (nifedipine and diltiazem) and calcium infusions to normal subjects during high and low sodium intakes. ANG II was also in nine patients with essential hypertension eating a low s...

Na+/Ca2+ exchange activities in purely inside-out and mixed inside-out and right-side-out fish enterocyte basolateral plasma membrane vesicle preparations display equal affinities for Ca2+, showing that only the intracellular Ca2+ transport site of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger is detected in experiments on vesicle preparations with mixed orientation. Therefore, Ca2+ pump and Na+/Ca2+ exchange activit...

Though environmental improvement has been claimed for the application of nanotechnology to solar cells, several characteristics of the fullerene-based organic, and the dye-sensitized nanoparticulate, solar cell are not conducive to such improvement. These include relatively high energy and materials inputs in the production of nanoparticles, a relatively low solar radiation to electricity conve...

The development of electrical excitability involves complex coordinated changes in ion channel activity. Part of this coordination appears to be due to the fact that the expression of some channels is dependent on electrical activity mediated by other channel types. For example, we have previously shown that normal potassium current development in embryonic skeletal muscle cells of the frog Xen...

Electron probe x-ray microanalysis of the composition of rabbit portal anterior mesenteric vein smooth muscle was performed following sodium loading and washout into sodium-free lithium solutions. Sodium and lithium were also measured with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Cellular uptake of sodium and loss of potassium during sodium loading were much faster at high (37 degrees C) than at lo...

The membrane potential in the dark and the saturated response height of the ventral nerve photoreceptor of Limulus was measured by an intracellular electrode while the external concentra­ tion of calcium, magnesium and sodium ions was varied. Decreasing the extracellular calcium concentration from 10-2 mol/1 causes a calcium-dependent lowering of the dark membrane potential and at very low conc...

After chronic spinal injury, motoneurons spontaneously develop two persistent inward currents (PICs): a TTX-sensitive persistent sodium current (sodium PIC) and a nimodipine-sensitive persistent calcium current (calcium PIC). In the present paper, we examined how these PICs contributed to motoneuron firing. Adult rats were spinalized at the S(2) sacral level, and after 2 months intracellular re...

In a balanced diet, roughly 1000 mg of calcium is ingested each day and about 200 mg is secreted in the bile and other gastrointestinal secretions. Depending on the comcentrations of circulating parathyroid hormone (PTH) and active i.25.di-(OH)D3 about 200-400 mg is absorbed from the intestine each day. The remaining calcium is excreted in the stool. Maintenance of body calcium stores depends o...