Introduction: Rhinella schneideri is a toad widely distributed in South America and its poison characterized by inducing cardiotoxicity neurotoxicity. Objective: In this work, we investigated pharmacological strategies to attenuate the peripheral neurotoxicity induced R. avian neuromuscular preparation. Methods: The experiments were carried out using isolated chick biventer cervicis preparation...

Neuromuscular junction disorders affect the preor postsynaptic nerve to muscle transmission due to autoimmune antibodies. Members of the group like myasthenia gravis and LambertEaton syndrome have pathophysiologically distinct characteristics. However, in practice, distinction may be difficult. We present a series of three patients with a myasthenic syndrome, dropped-head syndrome, bulbar and r...

The contribution of neuronal dysfunction to neurodegeneration is studied in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) displaying impaired motor performance ahead of loss or atrophy of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Presymptomatic SCA1 mice show a reduction in the firing rate of Purkinje cells (both in vivo and in slices) associated with a reduction in the efficiency of the main glutamat...

Neuromuscular junction disorders affect the pre- or postsynaptic nerve to muscle transmission due to autoimmune antibodies. Members of the group like myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton syndrome have pathophysiologically distinct characteristics. However, in practice, distinction may be difficult. We present a series of three patients with a myasthenic syndrome, dropped-head syndrome, bulbar an...

Background: We found that 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP), a voltage-gated potassium channel (K V ) inhibitor, elicits pH-sensitive periodic contractions (PCs) of coronary smooth muscles. Underlying mechanism(s) of PCs however remained to be elucidated. Purpose: The present study was performed to examine the roles of ion channels in the genesis of PCs. Methods: To determine the electromechanical ...

The authors examined the effect of 3,4-diaminopyridine (DAP) on the gravity-dependent (GD) vertical ocular drift component of downbeat nystagmus in 11 patients with idiopathic cerebellar ataxia. With the head tilted downward (45 degrees ), DAP reduced slow phase velocity (SPV) in 7 of 11 patients by 36%. Its efficacy correlated with the GD modulation. DAP minimizes the gravity-independent veloc...

Processive cellobiohydrolases (CBHs) are the key components of fungal cellulase systems. Despite the wealth of structural data confirming the processive mode of action, little quantitative information on the processivity of CBHs is available. Here, we developed a method for measuring cellulase processivity. Sensitive fluorescence detection of enzyme-generated insoluble reducing groups on cellul...

Recently we have analysed the properties of new sodium channels which appear in tonic muscle fibres after denervation (Zachar et al. 1982). Both the conductance parameters and the selectivity of new sodium channels were in quantitative agreement to those in twitch fibres from the same muscle (Zacharová et al. 1983), except the activation and inactivation rate constants, which were by about one ...

In September 2011, two outbreaks of botulism toxemia (toxin A) incriminating the same artisanal product were responsible for nine cases of botulism in France. Among these cases, three women (Cases 1, 2, and 3) aged 27, 29, and 23 years, respectively, were hospitalized in our ICU for mechanical ventilation support. They rapidly received a trivalent botulism antitoxin serum. Two weeks later, Case...