Intracellular pH may be an important variable regulating neurotransmitter release. A number of pathological conditions, such as anoxia and ischemia, are known to influence intracellular pH, causing acidification of brain cells and excitotoxicity. We examined the effect of acidification on quantal glutamate release. Although acidification caused only modest changes in release, recovery from acid...

Diverticula rarely occur within the lumen of the duodenum and are diagnosed in 2-5% of patients. They usually arise near the papilla of Vater and extend distally [1]. Duodenal diverticula are classified into two types: extraluminal or intraluminal. Although the patient with a diverticulum may be asymptomatic, a duodenal diverticulum usually presents with typical or atypical symptoms of peptic u...

Excitotoxic neuronal injury is known to be associated with increases in cytosolic calcium ion concentrations. However, it is not known if perturbations in other intracellular ions are also associated with glutamate (GLU)-induced neuronal death. Accordingly, intracellular hydrogen ion concentrations were measured in cultured hippocampal neurons with the fluorescent dye BCECF during and after tox...

Acidification of macrophage phagosomes serves an important bactericidal function. We show here that the redox-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channel TRPM2 is expressed in the phagosomal membrane and regulates macrophage bactericidal activity through the activation of phagosomal acidification. Measurement of the TRPM2 current in phagosomes identified TRPM2 as a functional re...

Ocean acidification threatens organisms that produce calcium carbonate shells by potentially generating an under-saturated carbonate environment. Resultant reduced calcification and growth, and subsequent dissolution of exoskeletons, would raise concerns over the ability of the shell to provide protection for the marine organism under ocean acidification and increased temperatures. We examined ...

This investigation was designed to examine whether or not deionized water could be acidified by roots of intact rice seedlings. Roots of intact rice seedlings caused significant acidification of the deionized water in which they were immersed and this acidification could be repeated after replacement of acidified water with fresh deionized water. The addition of K, Na, and Mg* to the deionized ...

Atmospheric pCO2 is predicted to rise from 400 to 900 ppm by year 2100, causing seawater temperature to increase by 1-4 °C and pH to decrease by 0.1-0.3. Sixty-day experiments were conducted to investigate the independent and combined impacts of acidification (pCO2 = 424-426, 888-940 ppm-v) and warming (T = 28, 32 °C) on calcification rate and skeletal morphology of the abundant and widespread ...

We present a unique case of duodeno-duodenal intussusception from a duodenal bulb ulcer. A 38-year-old man presented with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Computed tomography showed duodenal intussusception. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) showed a linear gastric ulcer and a duodenal bulb ulcer with an overlying blood clot. Helicobacter pylori status was positive. Intussusception resolved...

Duodenal trauma is an uncommon injury associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Upper gastrointestinal radiological studies and computed tomography may lead to the diagnosis of blunt duodenal trauma. Exploratory laparotomy remains as the ultimate diagnostic test if a high suspicion of duodenal injury continues even in the face of absent or equivocal radiographic signs. The majority o...

Duodenal stenosis and duodenal atresia are well-known gastrointestinal anomalies in patients with Down syndrome. Although duodenal atresia presents early and classically with vomiting in the immediate neonatal period, the presentation of duodenal stenosis can be significantly more subtle and the diagnosis delayed. Here, we describe the case of a 5-month-old male infant with Down syndrome and de...