PURPOSE In peripheral sodium-transporting tissues, the serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase (SGK) isoform-1 is an early corticosteroid target gene in the activation of epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs). Sodium transport across the human ocular nonpigmented and pigmented ciliary epithelial bilayer (NPE-PE) is essential for aqueous humor production, but the expression of SGK1 and ENaC subu...

Central glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and NMDA receptors (NMDARs) have been shown to play a significant role in the mechanisms of neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve injury; however, how central GRs and NMDARs interact in this process remains unknown. Here we show that the expression and function of spinal NMDARs after peripheral nerve injury were modulated by central GRs. Chronic constric...

Stress impairs hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), but it is unknown whether the stress evoked by opiate withdrawal has the same effect. Here the authors report that opiate withdrawal for 4 days does not influence basal synaptic transmission, but results in a greatly increased LTP in hippocampal CA1 area in anesthetized rats. Elevated-platform stress enabled a large LTP in rats withdrawn ...

Immobility time of rats in the forced swim test was reduced after bilateral infusion of an 18-mer antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide targeted to the glucocorticoid receptor mRNA into the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Vehicle-, sense- and scrambled sequence-treated animals spent significantly more time immobile than antisense-treated animals during the initial test. Immunolabeli...

BACKGROUND In acute renal failure, a pronounced net protein catabolism occurs that has long been associated with corticoid action. By competitively blocking the glucocorticoid receptor with the potent antiglucocorticoid RU 38486, the present study addressed the question to what extent does corticoid action specific to uremia cause the observed muscle degradation, and does inhibition of glucocor...

Repeated low-dose morphine treatment facilitates delayed-escape behaviour of hippocampus-dependent Morris water maze and morphine withdrawal influences hippocampal NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity. Here, we examined whether and how morphine withdrawal influenced delayed-escape behaviour and NR2A/2B expression ratio of hippocampal synaptosomes. We found that both delayed-escape behavi...