Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors are widely expressed in the brain and its association with nitric oxide is suggestive ofits role epilepsy. In this study, we investigated effects of exenatide, a glucagon-like receptor agonist, on theepileptiform activity induced by penicillin injection. The study used 72 male Wistar albino rats 9 groups. All groupsexcept last group which received only intracor...

BACKGROUND The potential edematogenic effect and the pharmacological characterization of a glucose-mannose-binding lectin from Dioclea violacea (DvL) were investigated. METHODS Paw edema was induced with DvL in control animals, and in animals pretreated with glucocorticoid or with blockers of histamine, nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase, platelet activating factor (PAF), bradykinin and li...

Effects on wool growth rate of abomasal supplements of several amino acids (glycine, glutamic acid, arginine, lysine, and threonine) and of some sulphurcontaining compounds (L-cysteamine, sulphuric acid, and methionine hydroxy analogue) were examined. None of the abomasal supplements, apart from methionine hydroxy analogue, was effective for stimulating wool growth. Methionine hydroxy analogue ...

T cell dysfunction that occurs after surgery or trauma is associated with a poor clinical outcome. We describe that myeloid suppressor cells expressing CD11b(+)/Gr-1(+) markers invade the spleen after traumatic stress and suppress T cell function through the production of arginase 1. We created a consistent model of traumatic stress in C57BL/6 mice to perform this work. A significant number of ...

NOSs (nitric oxide synthases) catalyse the oxidation of L-arginine to L-citrulline and nitric oxide via the intermediate NOHA (N(ω)-hydroxy-L-arginine). This intermediate is rapidly converted further, but to a small extent can also be liberated from the active site of NOSs and act as a transportable precursor of nitric oxide or potent physiological inhibitor of arginases. Thus its formation is ...

Atropine has been used to block cholinergic neurotransmission in basic research. Large doses of atropine cause vasodilation of the blood vessels in the skin. This effect is apparently unconnected with the antimuscarinic activity of atropine and seems to be due to a direct action on the blood vessels. It has been suggested that atropine blocks muscarinic receptors at low doses and it induces th...

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of action of 6-gingerol on alterations of vascular reactivity in the isolated aorta from diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into two experimental groups, control and diabetics. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg kg(-1)), and the rats were left for 10 weeks...

Several mysteries surround the structure and function of the nitric oxide synthases (NOS). The NOS oxygenase domain structure is unusually open with a large area of solvent that could accommodate an unidentified ligand. The exact mechanism of the two-step five-electron monoxygenation of arginine to N(G)-hydroxy-L-arginine, thence to citrulline and nitric oxide (NO), is not clear, particularly a...

The expression of arginase I has been a focus of research into the pathogenesis of experimental asthma, because arginase deprives nitric oxide synthase (NOS) of arginine and therefore participates in the attenuation of bronchodilators such as nitric oxide (NO). The present study used an intranasal mite-induced NC/Nga mouse model of asthma to investigate the contribution of arginase to the asthm...