Effects of the naturally occurring polyamine spermine on electrical and contractile properties of the rat portal vein were studied. 1 mM spermine nearly abolished spike activity and spontaneous contractions and decreased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). The phasic force responses to 0.1 and 1 microM phenylephrine were partially inhibited, but not the sustain plateau contraction caus

Background: Transient tachypnea of the newborn is characterized by tachypnea and signs of respiratory distress. Transient tachypnea typically appears within the first two hours of life in term and late preterm newborns. Although transient tachypnea of the newborn is usually a self limited condition, it is associated with wheezing syndromes in late childhood. The rationale for the use of epinephrin

The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent polyamine metabolism in the small intestine of the rat is controlled by the enteric nervous system. Polyamine metabolism was followed by measuring the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and in some instances also the content of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine). ODC activity in the intestine was increased when intralumin

The polyamine putrescine might be formed via a degradation (catalyzed by spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase, SSAT) of the higher polyamines spermidine and spermine to putrescine. The involvement of different intracellular signal pathways in the regulation of putrescine formation was studied in explants and in cultured cells of rat parotid glands by using receptor agonists that activate separ

Rat parotid gland and liver cells were cultured for 6 and 24 h. The cells as well as their growth medium were analyzed on their content of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine. In control medium the content of polyamines was very low but already after 6 h substantial amounts of all three polyamines under study had been released into the medium from parotid as well as from liver cells

The increase in the activity of ornithine decarboxylase, the key enzyme in the formation of polyamines, in the sublingual glands of the chloralose-anaesthetized rat in response to stimulation of the parasympathetic innervation was enhanced by employing an intermittent pattern of nerve stimulation. 20 Hz in bursts delivered for 1 second every 10th second over a period of 3 hours increased the activ

A decrease in nerve reflex activation for 7-14 days, induced by a liquid diet, caused the rat parotid gland to lose weight, involving reduction in both cell size and number. In the atrophied glands, the activity of ornithine decarboxylase, the key enzyme in polyamine formation, and the levels of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine were found to be lowered. The present results are co

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to assess the interaction between melatonin receptor 1B gene (MTNR1B) rs10830963 polymorphism and lifestyle intervention during pregnancy on occurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in high-risk women. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the randomised controlled gestational diabetes prevention trial ‘RADIEL’, conducted between 2008 and 2014

In parotid, sublingual and submaxillary glands stimulated by continuous intravenous infusion of the neuropeptides substance P or vasoactive intestinal peptide at various doses for 3 h, the concentrations of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine, spermine and N1-acetylspermidine as well as the activity of ornithine decarboxylase were determined. This enzyme catalyses the synthesis of putrescine and

Polyamines are important for protein synthesis and tissue growth. In rat salivary glands, the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the enzyme catalysing the formation of putrescine, and the content of putrescine, spermidine, spermine and N1-acetylspermidine were assayed after parasympathetic or sympathetic nerve stimulation in the presence of various autonomic receptor blockers. Increases in

In parotid, sublingual and submaxillary glands stimulated by continuous intravenous infusion of isoprenaline at various doses for 3 h, the concentrations of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine, spermine and N1-acetylspermidine as well as the activities of ornithine decarboxylase and spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase were determined. Ornithine decarboxylase is the enzyme that catalyses the

Introduction: Both decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation may be involved in the pathophysiology of suicidal behaviour, as well as cognitive symptoms of depression. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown interactions between HPA-axis activity and BDNF, but this has not been studied in a clinical cohort of suici

Parotid ducts were ligated unilaterally in rats for periods from 6 h to 5 months. A slight increase in gland weight was observed during the first 24 h; thereafter, the weight gradually fell, being less than 50% of controls at 5 months. The activity of the putrescine-forming enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), increased with peak values by 3 days and 3 weeks. However, the putrescine content had

Micromolar concentrations of the biologically active oestrogen 17beta-oestradiol reduce agonist-induced force in vascular preparations through an unidentified mechanism. The aim of the present study was to investigate the importance of oestrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) for oestrogen-induced vascular relaxation. 17beta-oestradiol was added to aortic rings from ERbeta knock-out (-/-) and wild-type (+

Purpose: SCOPA-SLEEP is a rating scale for night-time sleep and daytime sleepiness (DS) proposed for use among people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) as well as others. We translated it into Swedish and assessed its psychometric properties in PD and age-matched healthy controls. Methods: Following translation according to the dual-panel approach, the Swedish SCOPA-SLEEP was field-tested regarding co

The main purpose of this study was to assess the actual occurrence of Gram-negative oxidase-positive bacteria (GNOP) in human wounds caused by animals, mostly cat and dog bites and scratches, and with signs of infection. We report a prospective series of 92 wound samples. Routine culturing was combined with a procedure optimised for fastidious GNOP. All GNOP isolates were identified by 16S rDNA se

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder with a yet unknown cause, but the specific loss of hypocretin-producing neurons together with a strong human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association has led to the hypothesis that autoimmune mechanisms might be involved. Here, we describe an extensive effort to profile autoimmunity repertoires in serum with the aim to find disease-related autoantigens. Initially,

Objective: To characterize meal patterns across ten European countries participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) calibration study. Design: Cross-sectional study utilizing dietary data collected through a standardized 24 h diet recall during 1995–2000. Eleven predefined intake occasions across a 24 h period were assessed during the interview. In the p

For many decades, the predominant view in the cerebellar field has been that the olivocerebellar system’s primary function is to induce plasticity in the cerebellar cortex, specifically, at the parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapse. However, it has also long been proposed that the olivocerebellar system participates directly in motor control by helping to shape ongoing motor commands being issued b