Some authors have reported that quisqualic acid lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM), although producing large cortical cholinergic losses, have little effect on memory. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of quisqualic acid lesions of the NBM on working and reference memory in a double Y-maze. Each trial started with placement into one of the two end...

In the present study, the effect of NBM lesion on the temporal characteristics of response integration evoked by multiple whisker stimulations in the barrel cortex of rats was studied. Nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) projects to widespread areas of the cortex and provides the major cholinergic input (80%) to the cerebral cortex. In this study we examined the effects of NBM lesion on the respon...

An increase in cortical cerebral blood flow (CBF), independent of metabolic vasodilation, via the activation of cholinergic neurons originating in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) in the basal forebrain and projecting to the widespread cortices was recently demonstrated. In the present study, we aimed to clarify whether the increase in CBF following a stimulation of the NBM can improve dela...

Previously, we have reported that intranigral infusions of malonate, an inhibitor of mitochondrial function, lead to the degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway that is mediated, at least in part, through NMDA receptor activation and nitric oxide formation. In the present study, unilateral focal infusions of malonate into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbM) o...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of viral hepatitis. There is no effective therapy for most patients. We have identified a nucleotide binding motif (NBM) in one of the virus's nonstructural proteins, NS4B. This structural motif binds and hydrolyzes GTP and is conserved across HCV isolates. Genetically disrupting the NBM impairs GTP binding and hydrolysis and dramatically inhibits HCV RN...

BACKGROUND Point-of-care testing (POCT) devices for determining pre-donation haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations mark the advent of advanced technology for blood banks. POCT devices have undergone several improvements including changes in testing methodology and size of device, befitting the needs of blood donors and blood banks in terms of safety and quality of blood components. This study was pla...

The nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) of the rat, equivalent of Meynert's nucleus in the primate, is the origin of the main cholinergic innervation of the cerebral cortex. Stimulation of this area has been previously shown to induced marked, cholinergically mediated, blood flow increases in the frontal and parietal cortices. However, the complete distribution of the cerebrovascular effects ...

Galanin is associated with multiple projection neurons, and its immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex may be derived from diverse sources. We investigated the effects of subcortical lesions on cerebral cortical galanin concentrations. Lesions of the anterior noradrenergic bundle (ANB) comparably reduced cerebral cortical galanin and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations. The effects of the ANB l...

There is evidence that GABA plays a major role in sleep regulation. GABA(A) receptor agonists and different compounds interacting with the GABA(A) receptor complex, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines, can interfere with the sleep/wake cycle. On the other hand, there is very little information about the possible role of GABA(B) receptors in sleep modulation. The nucleus basalis of Meynert ...