Inflammatory pain is caused by sensitization of peripheral and central nociceptive neurons. Prostaglandins substantially contribute to neuronal sensitization at both sites. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) applied to the spinal cord causes neuronal hyperexcitability similar to peripheral inflammation. Because PGE2 can act through EP1-EP4 receptors, we addressed the role of these receptors in the spinal ...

One of the major causes of end-stage renal diseases is hypertensive renal disease, in which enhanced renal prostaglandin (PG) E2 production has been shown. PGE2, a major arachidonic acid metabolite produced in the kidney, acts on 4 receptor subtypes, EP1 through EP4, but the pathophysiological importance of the PGE2/EP subtypes in the development of hypertensive renal injury remains to be eluci...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the expression of prostaglandin E2 receptor subtypes, E-prostanoid (EP) 1-4 receptors, in acquired cholesteatoma and its possible role in the pathologic process of this disorder. METHODS Specimens of human acquired cholesteatoma were obtained from 29 patients and 19 skin biopsies of normal external auditory canal were as controls. The mRNA and protein expression of E...

OBJECTIVE: Mechanical and physical stimuli can evoke release of several substances by the urothelium, for example, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), nitric oxide, acetylcholine and adenosine triphosphate. It has been shown, that PGE2 and acetylcholine seem to act in a positive feedback on molecular level. This feedback was located in the urothelial/ suburothelial layer. Therefore, the aim of our study w...

Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) can have pro- or anti-inflammatory effects, depending on engagement of different PGE(2) receptor (EP) subtypes. The role of EPs in regulating autoimmune inflammation was studied in the murine arthritis/lupus model induced by pristane. Peritoneal macrophages were isolated (biomagnetic beads) from BALB/c, DBA/1, or C57BL/6 mice treated with pristane (intraperitoneally,...

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a principal fever mediator that induces hyperthermia when injected into the organum vasculosum lamina terminalis (OVLT) and the adjacent preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA). PGE (EP) receptors have four subtypes, i.e. EP1, EP2, EP3, and EP4. In the rat OVLT/POA region, at least three of these receptors, i.e. EP1, EP3, and EP4 receptors, have distinctively differen...

Aptamers are molecules that reveal highly complex and refined molecular recognition properties. These molecules are capable of binding with high affinity and selectivity to targets, ranging from small molecules to whole living cells. Several aptamers have been selected for targeting cellular proteins and they have also used in developing therapeutics and diagnostic strategies. Epithelial cell a...

We present a new and simpler regression model for the estimation of the first oxidation potentials (Ep1) of flavonoids based on the number of phenolic, alcoholic, and carboxylic OH groups. In the regression we included the Ep1 of 12 polyphenols (mostly flavonols and catechins) that were measured in our laboratory at pH 3. The model yielded r=0.986 and SE=0.040. Later successive inclusions of pr...

Endogenous prostaglandins (PGs) play a central role in adaptive cytoprotection induced in the stomach by mild irritants. In the present study, we used taurocholate (TC) as a mild irritant in both rats and EP-receptor knockout mice, and examined which EP receptor is responsible for the adaptive gastric cytoprotection. Gastric lesions were induced by p.o. administration of HCl/ethanol (60% ethano...