Myofibroblast differentiation is a key process in pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases. Cardiac glycosides (ouabain, digoxin) inhibit Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, resulting in increased intracellular [Na(+)]-to-[K(+)] ratio in cells. Microarray analysis suggested that increased intracellular [Na(+)]/[K(+)] ratio may promote the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a critical enzyme in the synthesis of pr...

Since monosodium urate (NaU) may play an important etiologic role in the formation of renal stones containing Ca in patients with hyperuricosuria, the current studies were undertaken to define some of the physiocochemical factors which determine the formation of NaU. In solutions containing Na, uric acid was rapidly transformed to NaU at pH greater than 6. The results indicated that NaU, and no...

We have explored the processes regulating presynaptic calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in the generation of post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) at crayfish neuromuscular junctions, using spectrophotometric dyes to measure changes in [Ca(2+)](i) and [Na(+)](i) and effects of inhibitors of Ca(2+)-transport processes. The mitochondrial Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange inhibitor CGP 37157 was without effect, w...

Levels of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium were determined in plant organs (bud, flowers, fruit, seed, leaves, stems, roots, cobs, styles, shaft, grains and efflorescences) of three Fadama farms located in Ifaki-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti and Ikere-Ekiti of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The highest levels of Mg, K, Na and Ca were obtained in the bud of Hibiscus esculentus with respective values (ppm dry ...

Dear Sir: With ion-selective microelectrodes, it is possible to measure intracellular ion activities and calculate transmembrane electrochemical potential differences. Recently, these techniques have been carefully applied to the measurement of Na and Ca ion activities in mammalian ventricular and Purkinje fibers (Sheu and Fozzard, 1982). The results show that under a wide variety of circumstan...

This paper reports a study on mice and human to check the theory of Stolkowski which hypothesizes that mineral (Na, K, Ca) imbalance in the diet of the female before fertilization affects the sex ratio of the progeny. For this aim, total 40 female and 16 male 2 months age white mice used; which were separated into 8 groups, each of them consisted of 5 female and 2 male animals. Group 1 was a co...

In many nonexcitable cells, hormones and neurotransmitters activate Na(+) influx and mobilize Ca(2+) from intracellular stores. The stores are replenished by Ca(2+) influx via "store-operated" Ca(2+) channels (SOC). The main routes of Na(+) entry in these cells are unresolved, and no role for Na(+) in signaling has been recognized. We demonstrate that the SOC are a major Na(+) entry route in ar...