The amoeba-to-flagellate transformation of Naegleria gruberi was studied, exploring the role of calcium in control of this pattern of morphogenesis. A direct and an indirect role for calcium are postulated based on experimental results. Direct inhibition in the presence of calcium is caused by ionophore A23187, substances with ionophore-like activity (amphotericin) and the hormone calcitonin, w...

BACKGROUND Fertilization failure is one of the most problems in assisted reproduction technology (ART). OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was the evaluation of oocytes activation by addition of calcium ionophore in unfertilized oocytes in ICSI cycles. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was done on 15 ICSI cycles (stimulated with standard long protocol). Mature retrieved oocytes with normal morp...

1. The effect of the extracellular calcium and magnesium concentrations and calcium ionophore, X-537A, on the frequency of miniature excitatory post-synaptic potentials (MEPSPs) was studied in cockroach leg muscle fibres. 2. The frequency of MEPSPs increased as the calcium concentration was increased from 0.1 to 10 mM. In the presence of 10 mM magnesium, however, raising the calcium concentrati...

Fertilization or ionophore activation of Lytechinus pictus eggs can be monitored after injection with the Ca-sensitive photoprotein aequorin to estimate calcium release during activation. We estimate the peak calcium transient to reach concentrations of 2.5-4.5 & free calcium 45-60 set after activation and to last 2-3 min, assuming equal Ca2+ release throughout the cytoplasm. Calcium is release...

A patient with a lifelong bleeding disorder is presented with a prolonged bleeding time and abnormal aggregation and secretion responses to arachidonic acid, thromboxane A2, PAF-acether and the divalent calcium ionophore A23187. Platelet alpha and dense granule contents and morphology appear normal. The proposed defect is due to an abnormality of a platelet intracellular calcium dependent process.

The mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) has been implicated in both central nervous system ischaemia/reperfusion injury and excitotoxic neuronal death. To characterize the mPT of brain mitochondria, fluorescent mitochondrial dyes were applied to cultured neurons and astrocytes and isolated brain mitochondria were prepared. In astrocytes, mPT induction was observed as calcium-induced mit...

Exogenous administration of arachidonic acid, prostaglandins PGF2 alpha, PGD2 and PGE2 increased potassium-stimulated uptake of calcium in rat brain synaptosomes from the brain of the rat, but had no effect on the basal uptake of calcium. Arachidonic acid-induced uptake of calcium was mediated by its prostaglandin metabolites, because a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, inhibited the resp...

Calcium-dependent regulation of intracellular protein degradation was studied in isolated rat skeletal muscles incubated in vitro in the presence of a large variety of agents known to affect calcium movement and distribution. A23187, KC1, sucrose, and 8-(diethylamino)octyl-3,4, 5-trimethoxybenzoate hydrochloride increase proteolysis while tetracaine, verapamil, and low extracellular calcium cau...

The present article reports the interplay of indoleamine neurohormones viz. serotonin, melatonin and calcium channels on shoot organogenesis in Mimosa pudica L. In vitro grown nodal segments were cultured on MS medium with B5 vitamins containing Serotonin (SER) and Melatonin (MEL) at 100 microM and indoleamine inhibitors viz. serotonin to melatonin conversion inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine (p-...