We developed a screening procedure to identify small-molecule compounds that altered infection by Listeria monocytogenes to gain insights into bacterial/host cellular processes required for intracellular pathogenesis. A small-molecule library of 480 compounds with known biological functions was screened, and 21 compounds that altered the L. monocytogenes infection of murine bone marrow-derived ...

N-formyl peptide receptor (FPR1) and N-formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL1, now known as FPR2) are G protein-coupled receptors involved in host defense and sensing cellular dysfunction. Because of the potential for FPR1/FPR2 as a therapeutic target, our recent high-throughput screening efforts have focused on the identification of unique nonpeptide agonists of FPR1/FPR2. In the present studie...

PURPOSE The retinal blood flow is regulated by the tone of resistance arterioles, which is influenced by purinergic compounds such as adenosine and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) released from the retinal tissue. However, it is unknown what cellular elements in the perivascular retina are responsible for the effect of purines on the tone of retinal arterioles. METHODS Porcine retinal arterio...

Calcium signalling plays a pivotal role in sperm physiology, being intimately involved in the regulation of acrosome reaction, chemotaxis and hyperactivation. Here we describe briefly the mechanisms of calcium regulation in somatic cells and the ways in which these mechanisms have been adapted to function in mature spermatozoa. We then consider recent data from this and other laboratories on th...

a series of 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers bearing 1-(4-x -benzyl)-5-imidazolyl substituent at 4 position (5a-e) (x=h, f) were synthesized and tested for antihypertensive activity in desoxycorticosterone acetate (doca)-induced hypertension in rats. amlodipine was used as the standard dihydropyridine. all compounds tested showed lower antihypertensive activity than that of amlodipi...