In our previous report, we demonstrated that the tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins (TPSP) of guinea pig was associated with capacitation and hyperactivation (CAHA), and Ca and HCO3 were required for the initiation of CAHA and increasing the TPSP. The aim of this study was to further investigate the mechanism underlying the above events. The results showed that addition of cAMP agonists...

Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane receptor that serves as the major cofactor for factor VIIa-catalyzed proteolytic activation of factors IX and X. In response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), monocytes transcribe, synthesize, and express TF on their surface, thereby conveying to activated monocytes the ability to initiate the blood coagulation protease cascades. Agents that elevate ce...

In this study, to assess the feasibility of phlorotannins isolated from Ecklonia cava as an inhibitor of melanin formation, we evaluated its inhibitory effects on mushroom tyrosinase and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX)-induced melanin formation inhibitory effects in B16F10 melanoma cell. The ethanolic (EtOH) extract and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction obtained from E. cava evidenced a...

The effects of thrombin on adenylyl cyclase activity were examined in rat adrenal medullary microvascular endothelial cells (RAMEC). Confluent RAMEC monolayers were stimulated for 5 min with cAMP-generating agents in the absence and presence of thrombin, and intracellular cAMP was measured with a radioligand binding assay. Thrombin (0.001-0.25 U/ml) dose-dependently inhibited IBMX-, isoproteren...

Asfaha, Samuel, Cameron J. Bell, John L. Wallace, and Wallace K. MacNaughton. Prolonged colonic epithelial hyporesponsiveness after colitis: role of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Am. J. Physiol. 276 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 39): G703–G710, 1999.—Colonic epithelial secretion is an important host defense mechanism. We examined whether a bout of colitis would produce long-lasting changes i...

PURPOSE A striking characteristic of the human meibomian gland is its rich sensory, sympathetic, and parasympathetic innervation, yet the functional relevance of these nerve fibers remains unknown. Acting on the hypothesis that neurotransmitters are released in the vicinity of the gland, act on glandular receptors, and influence the production, secretion, and/or delivery of meibomian gland secr...

Many odorants related to manufactured explosives have low volatilities and are barely detectable as odors. We previously reported that zinc metal nanoparticles increased rat olfactory epithelium responses, measured by electroolfactogram (EOG), to several odorants. Here, we report that nanomolar concentrations of zinc metal nanoparticles strongly enhanced olfactory responses to the explosives re...

Protein I is a neuronal phosphoprotein associated primarily with synaptic vesicles. Regulation of its state of phosphorylation has been investigated in slices of rat facial nucleus. This brainstem motor nucleus has a facilitatory serotonergic input and contains no interneurons. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT, 10(-4) M), in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxant...

The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-(7-36) amide is best known for its antidiabetogenic actions mediated via a GLP-1 receptor present on pancreatic endocrine cells. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of GLP-1 action in muscle, we used cultured L6 myotubes. In L6 myotubes, GLP-1 enhanced insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis by 140% while stimulating CO2 production and lact...

Neurogenic differentiation of bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offers a new hope for patients with many neurological disorders. Several chemical inducers are employed to induce BMMSCs differentiation into nerve cells. In the present study, we compared different inducers [2-mercaptoethanol (BME), tretinoin (ATRA), dimethyl sulfoxide/butylated hydroxyanisole (DMSO/BHA), and indometh...