The capsaicin receptor TRPV1 is a nonselective cation channel that is expressed in sensory neurons. In this study, we examined the role of the nonreceptor cellular tyrosine kinase c-Src kinase in the modulation of the rat TRPV1. Capsaicin-induced currents in identified colonic dorsal root ganglion neurons were blocked by the c-Src kinase inhibitor PP2 and enhanced by the tyrosine phosphatase in...

We present here a "non-invasive" computational method to estimate the strength of individual hydrogen bonds using magnetically induced currents. The method is calibrated using H-bonding dimers, and applied on Watson-Crick DNA base pairs and proton wires in carbonic anhydrase.

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are cation channels that are activated by protons (H(+)). They are expressed in neurons throughout the nervous system and may play important roles in several neurologic disorders including inflammation, cerebral ischemia, seizures, neurodegeneration, anxiety, depression, and migraine. ASICs generally produce transient currents that desensitize in response to a ...

In vertebrate retina, melatonin regulates various physiological functions. In this work we investigated the mechanisms underlying melatonin-induced potentiation of glycine currents in rat retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Immunofluorescence double labelling showed that rat RGCs were solely immunoreactive to melatonin MT(2) receptors. Melatonin potentiated glycine currents of RGCs, which was revers...

Although glial GABA uptake and release have been studied in vitro, GABA transporters (GATs) have not been characterized in glia in slices. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings were obtained from Bergmann glia in rat cerebellar slices to characterize carrier-mediated GABA influx and efflux. GABA induced inward currents at -70 mV that could be pharmacologically separated into GABA(A) receptor and GA...

Uezono, Yasuhito, Muneshige Kaibara, Osamu Murasaki, and Kohtaro Taniyama. Involvement of G protein -subunits in diverse signaling induced by Gi/o-coupled receptors: study using the Xenopus oocyte expression system. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 287: C885– C894, 2004. First published May 19, 2004; 10.1152/ajpcell.00125. 2004.—We studied the functions of -subunits of Gi/o protein using the Xenopus o...

Long-term potentiation of synpatic transmission (LTP) of the perforant path--dentate gyrus synapse is induced by 5 Hz, theta-like stimulation patterns. Such stimuli induce plasticity that is most likely driven by a decrease in synaptic inhibition (disinhibition) mediated by GABAB autoreceptors. In the present study, we demonstrate that LTP induced in this manner is completely antagonized by eth...

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective cation channel activated by capsaicin, low pH, and noxious heat and plays a key role in nociception. Understanding mechanisms for functional modulation of TRPV1 has important implications. One characteristic of TRPV1 is that channel activity induced by either capsaicin or other activators can be sensitized or modulated by f...

The treatment of the previous paper is extended to molecular wires. Specifically, the effect of electron-vibrational interactions on the electronic transport induced by femtosecond omega+2omega laser fields along unbiased molecular nanojunctions is investigated. For this, the photoinduced vibronic dynamics of trans-polyacetylene oligomers coupled to macroscopic metallic leads is followed in a m...

The integration of medical linear accelerators (linac) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems is advancing the current state of image-guided radiotherapy. The MRI in these integrated units will provide real-time, accurate tumor locations for radiotherapy treatment, thus decreasing geometric margins around tumors and reducing normal tissue damage. In the real-time operation of these integ...