Large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK) channels can regulate cellular excitability in complex ways because they are able to respond independently to two distinct cellular signals, cytosolic Ca(2+) and membrane potential. In rat chromaffin cells (RCC), inactivating BK(i) and noninactivating (BK(s)) channels differentially contribute to RCC action potential (AP) firing behavior. However, th...

The conformers of gaseous bradykinin, BK, (Arg(1)-Pro(2)-Pro(3)-Gly(4)-Phe(5)-Ser(6)-Pro(7)-Phe(8)-Arg(9)) and its protonated forms, [BK + H](+), [BK + 2H](2+), and [BK + 3H](3+), were examined theoretically using a combination of the Merck molecular force field, Hartree-Fock, and density functional theory. Neutral BK, [BK + H](+), and [BK + 2H](2+) exist in zwitterionic forms that are stabiliz...

A peptide with bradykinin (BK)-like immunoreactivity was isolated from an incubate of heat-denatured eel plasma with porcine pancreatic kallikrein. The purified peptide had the following amino acid sequence: Arg-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Ser-Trp-Pro-Leu-Arg. This decapeptide, named eel [Arg(0)]BK, was identical to two previously identified BK homologs from cod and trout. High conservation of the BK seque...

Bradykinin (BK) is a vasoactive nonapeptide cleaved from circulating kininogens and that is degraded by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). It has been reported that the PR3 protease from human neutrophil releases an alternate peptide of 13 amino acids, Met-Lys-BK-Ser-Ser, from high molecular weight kininogen. We have studied vascular actions of this kinin. Its affinity for recombinant B₁ and ...

Xu H, Garver H, Fernandes R, Galligan JJ, Fink GD. Altered L-type Ca channel activity contributes to exacerbated hypoperfusion and mortality in smooth muscle cell BK channel-deficient septic mice. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 307: R138–R148, 2014. First published May 14, 2014; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00117.2014.—We determined the contribution of vascular large conductance Ca -activated K ...

Background: BK virus, a human polyomavirus, causes nephropathy and allograft loss in renal transplant recipients. Although it was discovered 1971, understanding of the humoral immune response to BKV is limited.
 Objective: To serological detection level estimation anti-BK-IgG renal-transplanted recipients healthy blood donors as control.
 Patients Methods: Serum samples were collected...

In most tissues, the function of Ca(2+)- and voltage-gated K(+) (BK) channels is modified in response to ethanol concentrations reached in human blood during alcohol intoxication. In general, modification of BK current from ethanol-naïve preparations in response to brief ethanol exposure results from changes in channel open probability without modification of unitary conductance or change in BK...

Objective- To evaluate the effects of bupivacaine (B), ketamine (K), and a combination of bupivacaine and ketamine (BK) after lumbosacral epidural analgesia in sheep.   Design- Experimental study.   Animals- Nine healthy male and non-pregnant female Iranian Chall sheep with mean body weight of 38.9 ± 15.1 kg.   Procedures- Animals were selected randomly and three treatments administered. The ...

background bk virus (bkv) belongs to the human polyomaviridae and the primary bkv infection is occurred during childhood then the virus could be latent through life, especially in the kidneys and urinary system. it became reactive after an immunocompromised status, such as pregnancy or transplantation. isolated bkv from different locations of the world is grouped into four subtypes using serolo...

We previously reported hypotensive and vasodilator effects from C-terminally extended bradykinin (BK) sequences that behave as B2 receptor (B2R) agonists activated by vascular or plasma peptidases. D-Arg0-BK-Arg-Arg (r-BK-RR) is a novel prodrug peptide hypothetically activated by two catalytic cycles of Arg-carboxypeptidases (CPs) to release the direct agonist D-Arg0-BK. N-terminally extending ...