Islets of Langerhans respond to a rapid and constant increase of the glucose concentration with biphasic release of insulin, a pattern that is observed in the portal vein in humans [l ] and in isolated pancreatic preparations [2-41. The presence of extracellular Ca” has been thought essential for both phases of insulin release [2,5,6]. However, recent studies have suggested that the first phase...

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) modulates renal calcium reabsorption and parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion and is involved in the etiology of secondary hyperparathyroidism in CKD. Supraphysiologic changes in extracellular pH (pHo) modulate CaR responsiveness in HEK-293 (CaR-HEK) cells. Therefore, because acidosis and alkalosis are associated with altered PTH secretion in vivo, we examined ...

Müller glial cells of the vertebrate retina express purinergic P2 receptors; activation of these receptors causes an increase of the intracellular free calcium concentration and a subsequent activation of calcium-dependent potassium channels in the plasma membranes. The expression of these receptors varies among the animal species. Müller cells of all species investigated so far express metabot...

We have previously shown that ADP-induced thromboxane generation in platelets requires signalling events from the G(q)-coupled P2Y1 receptor (platelet ADP receptor coupled to stimulation of phospholipase C) and the G(i)-coupled P2Y12 receptor (platelet ADP receptor coupled to inhibition of adenylate cyclase) in addition to outside-in signalling. While it is also known that extracellular calcium...

This study evaluates the role of glycine in in vivo modulation of the activity of excitatory amino acid receptors sensitive to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in the rabbit hippocampus. Changes of extracellular calcium concentration were studied by the microdialysis technique combined with 45Ca-utilizing clearance method. The steady state level of amino acids in the dialysate was analyzed with HPLC...

The subfornical organ (SFO) is sensitive to both ANG II and ACh, and local application of these agents produces dipsogenic responses and vasopressin release. The present study examined the effects of cholinergic drugs, ANG II, and increased extracellular osmolarity on dissociated, cultured cells of the SFO that were retrogradely labeled from the supraoptic nucleus. The effects were measured as ...

BACKGROUND The epithelial cell response to stress involves the transmission of signals between contiguous cells that can be visualized as a calcium wave. In some cell types, this wave is dependent on the release of extracellular trinucleotides from injured cells. In particular, extracellular ATP has been reported to be critical for the epithelial cell response to stress and has recently been sh...

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is essential for B-lineage development and represents an emerging family of non-receptor tyrosine kinases implicated in signal transduction events initiated by a range of cell surface receptors. Increased dosage of Btk in normal B cells resulted in a striking enhancement of extracellular calcium influx following B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) cross-linking. Ectopic...

Immune dysfunction has been reported in hypertensive rats, and circulating levels of ouabain are increased in some experimental models of hypertension. Ouabain is an inhibitor of the Na /K -ATPase capable of diverse effects on cells of the immune system, but its mode of action on these cells is still unknown. The levels of cytoplasmic calcium ions play an important role in cell signaling, and o...

To study developmental changes in intracellular calcium handling in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), cells were isolated from distal and proximal pulmonary arteries from rabbits at different developmental stages: juvenile (4-6 wk old), newborn (<48 h), and full-term fetal. Isolated PASMCs were studied using the calcium-sensitive dye fura 2. Cells from each age group responded to c...