The objective of this study was to determine whether the voltage-sensitive release mechanism (VSRM) can be stimulated independently from Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) by drugs that elevate intracellular cAMP. Contractions were measured in voltage-clamped guinea pig ventricular myocytes at 37 degrees C. Na(+) current was blocked. We compared effects of agents that elevate cAMP through act...

The present study was undertaken to determine whether endometrial cancer cell line HEC-1-A differ from nontransformed cells, in that the cAMP and protein kinase C pathways may enhance IGF-I effects in mitogenesis by acting at the G1 phase of the cell cycle instead of G0. Immunofluorescence staining of HEC-1-A cells using the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) monoclonal antibody and flow...

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is known to increase intracytoplasmic cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and to regulate the growth of normal follicular cells. The aim of this study was to explore the role of the cAMP-mediated signaling pathway stimulated by TSH as a cell growth modulator in human thyroid cancer cells. One papillary thyroid cancer cell line, K1 cells and two anaplastic thy...

The ability of forskolin and isoproterenol to inhibit the contractile action of the muscarinic agonist, oxotremorine-M, was investigated in smooth muscle from wild-type and M(2) muscarinic receptor knockout mice. Forskolin (5.0 micro M) caused a significant reduction in the contractile activity of oxotremorine-M in ileum, trachea, and urinary bladder from both wild-type and M(2) muscarinic rece...

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (EC) were grown on elastic silicone membranes subjected to cyclic stretch, simulating arterial wall motion. Stretching conditions (20% amplitude, 52 cycle/min) stimulated stress fiber formation and their orientation transversely to the strain direction. Cell bodies aligned along the same axis after the actin cytoskeleton. EC orientation response was inhibi...

PURPOSE To investigate the mRNA and protein expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in human ciliary bodies in vitro. The effect of the adenylcyclase activator forskolin and/or the alpha2-adrenergic agonist brimonidine (an ocular hypotensive agent that inhibits aqueous humor formation) on NOS mRNA or protein expression was also studied. METHODS Frozen human ciliary bodies obtained from loca...

We have recently demonstrated that inhibition of Rho GTPase with Clostridium difficile toxin B, or with Clostridium botulinum C3 toxin, causes actin depolymerization and translocation of aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in renal CD8 cells in the absence of hormonal stimulation. Here we demonstrate that Rho inhibition is part of the signal transduction cascade activated by vasopressin leading to AQP2 insertio...

Adrenaline, forskolin and ATP all evoked accumulation of cyclic AMP in equine sweat gland epithelial cells, although the response to adrenaline was more transient than that to forskolin and ATP. Cells preincubated in adrenaline (10 micromol l-1, 32 min) showed essentially complete, homologous desensitisation, and this phenomenon reversed slowly (half-time 6.3+/-0.9 h). After 10 min of recovery ...

PURPOSE Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death is the final event leading to visual impairment in glaucoma; therefore, identification of neuroprotective strategies able to slow down or prevent the process is one of the main challenges for glaucoma research. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of RGC death induced by the in vivo transient increase in intraocular pr...

Effects of neurotransmitters on cAMP-mediated signal transduction in frog olfactory receptor cells (ORCs) were studied using in situ spike recordings and radioimmunoassays. Carbachol, applied to the mucosal side of olfactory epithelium, amplified the electrical response of ORCs to cAMP-generating odorants, but did not affect unstimulated cells. A similar augmentation of odorant response was obs...