Dopamine plays important roles in normal brain function and many neuropsychiatric disorders. Classically, dopamine receptors are positively coupled to G protein-mediated signaling to regulate cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-protein kinase A (PKA)-dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa (DARPP-32) and Ca(2+) pathways. However, emerging evidence indicates that under hyperdopami...

A large number of hormones, neurotransmitters and other signal substances utilize adenosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) as an intracellular second messenger. Cyclic AMP regulates a number of different cellular processes such as cell growth and differentiation, ion channel conductivity, synaptic release of neurotransmitters, and gene transcription. The principle intracellular target for cA...

We studied interactions between the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway and cAMP-protein kinase (PKA) signaling pathway in regulation of mitogenesis of mesangial cells (MC) determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation, with or without added EGF. Forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP strongly (by 60-70%) inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation into MC. Cilostamide, lixazinone or cilostaz...

Introduction: Recent studies have shown that astrocytes play major roles in normal and disease condition of the central nervous system including multiple sclerosis (MS). Molecular target therapy studies in MS have revealed that connexin-43 (Cx43) and Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) contents of astrocytes undergo expression alteration. Fluoxetine had some effects in MS patients unrelated to its known antidep...

Compartmentalized cAMP signaling regulates mitochondrial dynamics, morphology, and oxidative phosphorylation. However, regulators of the mitochondrial cAMP pathway, and its broad impact on organelle function, remain to be explored. Here, we report that Drosophila Prune is a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase that localizes to the mitochondrial matrix. Knocking down prune in cultured cells redu...

Constipation is a common intestinal disease. Kiwi berries can effectively prevent constipation. However, studies have yet to be done determine how kiwi For two weeks, mice in this study were continually orally gavaged with berry, loperamide, or combination of the two. This found that group's feces had more water than constipated mice. In addition, speed up gastrointestinal transit (GI), shorten...

Opioids, acting at μ opioid receptors, are commonly used for pain management. Chronic opioid treatment induces cellular adaptations, which trigger long-term side effects, including constipation mediated by enteric neurons. We tested the hypothesis that chronic opioid treatment induces alterations of μ opioid receptor signaling in enteric neurons, which are likely to serve as mechanisms underlyi...

During human placentation, mononuclear cytotrophoblasts fuse to form multinucleated syncytia ensuring hormonal production and nutrient exchanges between the maternal and fetal circulation. Syncytial formation is essential for the maintenance of pregnancy and for fetal growth. The cAMP signaling pathway is the major route to trigger trophoblast fusion and its activation results in phosphorylatio...

Morphological transitions and metabolic regulation are critical for the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans to adapt to the changing host environment. In this study, we generated a library of central metabolic pathway mutants in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and investigated the functional consequences of these gene deletions on C. albicans biology. Inactivation of the TCA cycle impair...