BALB/c interleukin-4 (IL-4(-/-)) or IL-4 receptor-alpha (IL-4ralpha(-/-)) knockout (KO) mice were used to assess the roles of the IL-4 and IL-13 pathways during infections with the blood or liver stages of plasmodium in murine malaria. Intraperitoneal infection with the blood-stage erythrocytes of Plasmodium berghei (ANKA) resulted in 100% mortality within 24 days in BALB/c mice, as well as in ...

Nitric oxide is implicated in methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurotoxicity; however, the source of the nitric oxide has not been identified. Previous work has also revealed that animals with partial dopamine loss induced by a neurotoxic regimen of methamphetamine fail to exhibit further decreases in striatal dopamine when re-exposed to methamphetamine 7-30 days later. The current study examined...

The reaction between reducing sugars and protein free amines, known as the Maillar reaction results in the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). AGE modification changes the structure of proteins to amyloid cross-beta structure. These protein structures can activate receptors known as RAGE on glial cells (microglia and astrocytes), and induce the expression of inducible nitric oxi...

Cyclosporine toxicity mainly affects kidney and liver function. We have previously shown that cyclosporine nephrotoxicity alters kidney nitric oxide synthase mRNA pattern of expression. To determine if nitric oxide synthase expression changes are mediated directly by cyclosporine or by secondary hemodynamic alterations induced by cyclosporine, we evaluated if these effects are tissue specific a...

Nitric oxide has been shown to be beneficial for gastric ulcer healing. We determined the relative effects of endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases on gastric ulcer healing in rats. Ulcers were induced by serosal application of acetic acid. Ulcer severity, angiogenesis, and nitric oxide synthase expression were assessed 3-10 days later. The effects of inhibitors of nitric oxide synth...

Nitric oxide-containing neurons are widely distributed within the CNS, including regions involved in the control of reproduction and sexual behavior. The expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase is influenced by testosterone in male rat, and by estrogens in female. Moreover, nitric oxide synthase may co-localize with gonadal hormones' receptors. Gonadal hormones may influence nitric oxide s...

The reaction between reducing sugars and protein free amines, known as the Maillar reaction results in the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). AGE modification changes the structure of proteins to amyloid cross-beta structure. These protein structures can activate receptors known as RAGE on glial cells (microglia and astrocytes), and induce the expression of inducible nitric oxi...

Abstract Introduction: Matrix metalloproteinase 2 is one of the inflammatory mediators that is involved in nociceptive processing and its production is regulated by many inflammatory factors such as nitric oxide. We studied the role of MMP-2 on the analgesic effects of nNOS inhibitor. Methods: Considering that nitric oxide has many roles in pain processing, we studied the CSF levels of MMP-2 ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Nitric oxide-mediated cerebral vasodilation is altered in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats. Stroke predisposition in this strain could be related to a genetic defect of brain nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme responsible for nitric oxide production. We tested the hypothesis that brain nitric oxide synthase activity is altered in spontaneously hypertensive stro...