BACKGROUND Long QT syndrome (LQTS) predisposes affected individuals to sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias. Although most LQTS individuals do not have cardiac events, significant phenotypic variability exists within families. Probands can be very symptomatic. The mechanism of this phenotypic variability is not understood. METHODS AND RESULTS Genetic analyses of KVLQT1, HERG, KCNE1, KCNE2, a...

kcne are evolutionarily conserved genes that encode accessory subunits of voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels. Missense mutations in kcne1, kcne2, and kcne3 are linked to congenital and acquired channelopathies in Homo sapiens. Here we show an unique example of conservation of kcne activities at genetic, physiological, functional, and pathophysiological level in Caenorhabditis elegans. Thus, mps-4...

1272 CMAJ, August 9, 2011, 183(11) © 2011 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors In a First Nation community located northeast of Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, a 38-year-old woman required resuscitation from an apparent cardiac arrest that had occurred while she was coaching at a competitive sports event. She had a history of syncope and palpitations. Her family history included a bro...

Once again, a MinK-related peptide (MiRP) has been implicated in allowing a pore-forming, voltage-gated potassium channel a subunit to achieve its potential. In this issue of Circulation Research, Zhang et al1 show that MiRP1 (encoded by the KCNE2 gene) can alter the function of Kv4 family subunits (which contribute to Ito, transient outward currents in heart and brain) when they are expressed ...

mdma generally known as ecstasy, have deleterious effects on the serotonergic neurotransmitter system. recent findings suggest that the liver and brain are major target organs of mdma-related toxicities. although most research is being dynamically performed on brain, however, the molecular mechanisms by which mdma elicits adverse effects in both organs are poorly undrestood.the present study wa...

background 3-4methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma) is a synthetic and psychoactive drug, which is known popularly as ecstasy and has toxic effects on human organs. objectives considering the potential toxic interaction, this study was performed to quantify the expression of bax and bcl2 genes in mdma-induced hepatotoxicity on rat liver. subsequently, we evaluated pentoxifylline as a possible pr...

rapid detection and differentiation of infectious bronchitis virus (ibv) involved in the disease outbreak is very important for controlling disease and developing new vaccines. in the present study, three regions of the genome of ibv vaccine and field isolates including s1 gene, gene 3 and nucleocapsid (n) gene along with 3' untranslated region (3' utr) were amplified and subjected to restricti...

objective: today, aids is considered as a global problem and many efforts to generate an effective vaccine against this disease have been made, but remain inconclusive. dna vaccines are a member of the new generation of vaccines that can efficiently stimulate the immune system. however, recent findings indicate low immunogenicity for these vaccines and it is believed that these types of vaccine...