bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of glycine receptor function of native neurons by aliphatic n‐alcohols
Authors: Tao Liang , Ye Jiang Hong 
Published: January 2005

The inhibitory effects of n‐alcohols (methanol to dodecanol) on glycine‐activated currents were studied in neurons freshly dissociated from the ventral tegmental area of neonatal rats using whole‐cell patch‐clamp recording technique.
Ethanol enhanced and depressed glycine‐activated currents in 35% and 45%, respectively, of neurons of ventral tegmental area of neonatal rats. In this report, we extended our focus of ethanol‐induced inhibition of glycine currents to other straight‐chain alcohols.
Aliphatic n‐alcohols, which have carbon numbers less than nine, suppressed glycine currents in 45% (71/158) of the neurons. All results from this study are obtained from the 45% of cells displaying inhibition; the other 55% of the neurons were not studied.
Alcohol potency increased as the number of carbon atoms increased from one to five, and was at a maximal plateau from five to nine; alcohols with 10 or more carbons did not inhibit glycine‐activated currents. Thus, a ‘cutoff’ point in their potency for inhibition of glycine receptor function occurred at about decanol.
A coapplication of dodecanol with ethanol eliminated the inhibition resulting from ethanol. Thus, dodecanol may bind to the receptor silently and compete with ethanol.
These observations indicate that straight‐chain n‐alcohols exhibit a ‘cutoff’ point in their potency for inhibition of the glycine receptor function between nine and 10 carbon atoms. The inability of longer alcohols to change the activation properties of the receptors may contribute to the cutoff effect.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2002) 136, 629–635; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0704775
Tonic inhibitory control exerted by opioid peptides in the paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus on regional hemodynamic activity in rats
Authors: Lessard Andrée , Bachelard Hélène 
Published: January 2005

Systemic and regional cardiovascular changes were measured following bilateral microinjection of specific and selective opioid‐receptor antagonists into the paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus (PVN) of awake, freely moving rats.
PVN microinjection of increasing doses of the specific opioid antagonist naloxone – methiodide (1 – 5.0 nmol), or a selective μ‐opioid receptor antagonist, β‐funaltrexamine (0.05 – 0.5 nmol), evoked important cardiovascular changes characterized by small and transient increases in heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), vasoconstriction in renal and superior mesenteric vascular beds and vasodilation in the hindquarter vascular bed.
No significant cardiovascular changes were observed following PVN administration of the highly selective δ‐opioid‐receptor antagonist, ICI 174864 (0.1 – 1 nmol), or the selective κ‐opioid‐receptor antagonist, nor‐binaltorphine (0.1 – 1 nmol).
Most of the cardiovascular responses to naloxone (3 nmol) and β‐funaltrexamine (0.5 nmol) were attenuated or abolished by an i.v. treatment with a specific vasopressin V1 receptor antagonist.
These results suggest that endogenous opioid peptides and μ‐type PVN opioid receptors modulate a tonically‐active central depressor pathway acting on systemic and regional haemodynamic systems. Part of this influence could involve a tonic inhibition of vasopressin release.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2002) 136, 753–763; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0704780
M3 muscarinic receptors mediate contraction of human urinary bladder
Authors: Fetscher Charlotte , Fleichman Marina , Schmidt Martina , Krege Susanne , Michel Martin C 
Published: January 2005

Since muscarinic receptors appear to be the physiologically most important control system for urinary bladder contraction, we have characterized the receptor subtype mediating contraction in response to the muscarinic agonist carbachol in the human bladder. Experiments were based on four antagonists, the non‐selective atropine, the M1‐selective pirenzepine, the M2‐selective methoctramine and the M3‐selective darifenacin. All antagonists yielded Schild‐plots with a slope close to unity. The order of potency (atropinedarifenacin>pirenzepine>methoctramine) as well as the estimated antagonist affinities suggested that contraction of the human bladder occurs predominantly if not exclusively via the M3 receptor.British Journal of Pharmacology (2002) 136, 641–644; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0704781
Inhibition of the current of heterologously expressed HERG potassium channels by flecainide and comparison with quinidine, propafenone and lignocaine
Authors: Paul Ashok A , Witchel Harry J , Hancox Jules C 
Published: January 2005

The inhibition of the cardiac ‘rapid’ delayed rectifier current (IKr) and its cloned equivalent HERG mediate QT interval prolonging effects of a wide range of clinically used drugs. In this study, we investigated the effects of the Class Ic antiarrhythmic agent flecainide (FLEC) on ionic current (IHERG) mediated by cloned HERG channels at 37°C . We also compared the inhibitory potency of FLEC with other Class I agents: quinidine (QUIN, Class Ia); lignocaine (LIG, Class Ib) and propafenone (PROPAF, Class Ic).
Whole cell voltage clamp recordings of IHERG were made from an HEK293 cell line stably expressing HERG. FLEC inhibited IHERG ‘tails’ following test pulses to +30 mV with an IC50 of 3.91±0.68 μM (mean±s.e.mean) and a Hill co‐efficient close to 1 (0.76±0.09).
In experiments in which IHERG tails were monitored following voltage commands to a range of test potentials, IHERG inhibition by FLEC was observed to be voltage‐dependent and to be associated with a ∼−5 mV shift of the activation curve for the current. Voltage‐dependence of inhibition was greatest over the range of potentials corresponding to the steep portion of the IHERG activation curve. The time‐course of IHERG tail deactivation was not significantly altered by FLEC.
In experiments in which 10 s depolarizing pulses were applied from −80 to 0 mV, the level of current inhibition by FLEC did not increase between 1 and 10 s. Some time‐dependence of inhibition was observed during the first 200 – 300 ms of depolarization. This observation and the voltage‐dependence of inhibition are collectively consistent with FLEC exerting a rapid open channel state inhibition of IHERG.
Under similar recording conditions QUIN inhibited IHERG with an IC50 of 0.41±0.04 μM and PROPAF inhibited IHERG with an IC50 of 0.44±0.07 μM. Similar to FLEC, both QUIN and PROPAF showed voltage‐dependence of inhibition and blockade developed rapidly during a sustained depolarization.
LIG showed little effect on IHERG at low micromolar concentrations, but could inhibit the current at higher concentrations; the observed IC50 was 262.90±22.40 μM.
Our data are consistent with FLEC, PROPAF and QUIN exerting IHERG blockade at clinically relevant concentrations. The rank potency as HERG blockers of the Class I drugs tested in this study was QUIN=PROPAF>FLEC>>LIG.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2002) 136, 717–729; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0704784
Spermatology of the genus Lepidodasys Remane, 1926 (Gastrotricha, Macrodasyida): towards a revision of the family Lepidodasyidae Remane, 1927
Authors: Guidi Loretta , Pierboni Lara , Ferraguti Marco , Todaro M. Antonio , Balsamo Maria 
Published: January 2005

AbstractThe spermatozoa of Lepidodasys unicarenatus and Lepidodasys sp. are filiform and composed of a cork‐screw shaped acrosome, a helical nucleus surrounding a mitochondrial axis, and a 9 × 2 + 2 flagellum as in the basic structural model of the macrodasyidan sperm. The genus Lepidodasys has a debated phylogenetic position and has been linked in turn to the family Lepidodasyidae and the family Thaumastodermatidae. The sperm features of the two Lepidodasys species examined are distinct from those typical of the two families: the absence of the periaxonemal cylinder, a character shared only with Turbanellidae among Macrodasyida, could be considered as a symplesiomorphy, suggesting a basal position of the genus along the Macrodasyida clade. Moreover, a comparison of the spermatogenic process of Lepidodasys sp. with those of Acanthodasys aculeatus (Thaumastodermatidae) and Cephalodasys maximus (Lepidodasyidae) has revealed that the process of acrosome formation and nuclear morphology during spermatogenesis are peculiar in Lepidodasys sp. and differences are evident especially in the late stages of spermatogenesis. Penetrated spermatozoa were observed in the oocytes at all maturation stages in L. unicarenatus.
Morphometry and sexual dimorphism of the coastal spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata graffmani, from Bahía de Banderas, Mexico
Authors: Sanvicente‐Añorve Laura , López‐Sánchez José Luis , Aguayo‐Lobo Anelio , Medrano‐González Luis 
Published: January 2005

AbstractExternal measurements and size differences between the sexes were examined in the coastal spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata graffmani, in Bahía de Banderas, on the Mexican Pacific coast. The dolphins were collected by local fishermen and 29 external characteristics were measured by members of the Marine Mammals Laboratory, University of Mexico. The length of each characteristic with respect to total length was analysed through adjustment of the data to a power equation. A stepwise discriminant analysis was applied to the absolute values and to those expressed as proportions to analyse the differences between the sexes. Results indicate that growth in these dolphins is generally negatively allometric, and most of the characteristics measured were, in both absolute and proportional terms, greater in male dolphins than in female dolphins. As found in many species of odontocetes, the discriminant analysis showed that the main differences between the sexes for this coastal subspecies include the relative positions of the umbilicus, the genital aperture and the anus. The morphometric data provided by this study, corresponding to 29 specimens of S. a. graffmani collected in a restricted locality of the Mexican Pacific coast, are particularly interesting to studies documenting latitudinal morphological differences in the coastal spotted dolphin.
1. On note taking
Authors: Plaut Alfred B. J. 
Published: January 2005

Abstract:  In this paper the author explores the theoretical and technical issues relating to taking notes of analytic sessions, using an introspective approach. The paper discusses the lack of a consistent approach to note taking amongst analysts and sets out to demonstrate that systematic note taking can be helpful to the analyst. The author describes his discovery that an initial phase where as much data was recorded as possible did not prove to be reliably helpful in clinical work and initially actively interfered with recall in subsequent sessions. The impact of the nature of the analytic session itself and the focus of the analyst's interest on recall is discussed.The author then describes how he modified his note taking technique to classify information from sessions into four categories which enabled the analyst to select which information to record in notes. The characteristics of memory and its constructive nature are discussed in relation to the problems that arise in making accurate notes of analytic sessions.
Piecemeal degranulation in human tumour pheochromocytes
Authors: Crivellato Enrico , Finato Nicoletta , Ribatti Domenico , Beltrami Carlo Alberto 
Published: January 2005

AbstractPiecemeal degranulation (PMD) has been recognized in two cases of human pheochromocytoma from the adrenal medulla, which were studied by transmission electron microscopy. Tumour pheochromocytes presented a highly characteristic cytoplasmic admixture of normal resting granules, swollen granules with eroded matrices and enlarged empty containers. Chromaffin granules that appeared to be normal and altered granules maintained their individual structure, and did not fuse with each other or with the plasma membrane. In accordance with the currently accepted model for granule discharge during PMD, electron‐dense or clear vesicles 30–150 nm in diameter were seen either attached to the surface of chromaffin granules and the plasma membrane or free in the cytosol. This is the first description of PMD in human adrenal chromaffin cells and, in addition, is the first report of PMD in tumour secretory cells. These findings add further to the concept that PMD may have a broader spectrum of expression than hitherto recognized.
Microscopic anatomy of the sural nerve in the postnatal developing rat: a longitudinal and lateral symmetry study
Authors: Jeronimo André , Jeronimo Cláudia Alem Domingues , Filho Omar Andrade Rodrigues , Sanada Luciana Sayuri , Fazan Valéria Paula Sassoli 
Published: January 2005

AbstractRat sural nerve is widely used in experimental studies investigating injury and regeneration of the peripheral nervous system. However, it has not yet been established whether morphological and morphometric parameters differ within corresponding levels of the rat sural nerve. The aims of the present study were to investigate the normal morphological and morphometric aspects of the sural nerve in postnatal developing female rats, with special attention to longitudinal morphology and lateral symmetry. Rats aged 30, 90 and 180 days were killed, and proximal and distal segments of the right and left sural nerves were prepared for light microscopy and morphometric study. No differences were found between the proximal and distal segments or between the right and left sides at the same levels. In addition, postnatal growth continuously and symmetrically affected the sural nerve fascicles and myelinated fibres. Fibre population distribution was also affected by increasing body weight; distribution was unimodal at 30 days, and by 180 days this distribution was established as bimodal. We concluded that the sural nerve is long and constant in its morphology and presents a continuous and symmetrical growth, more pronounced between 30 and 90 days of age, thus providing a good model for experimental neuropathies.
Human IgE response to the Schistosoma haematobium 22·6 kDa antigen
Authors: Fitzsimmons C. M. , Stewart T. J. , Hoffmann Karl F. , Grogan Jane L. , Yazdanbakhsh Maria , Dunne David W. 
Published: January 2005

SUMMARY In Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum infection, the 22·6 kDa tegumental antigens Sm22·6 and Sj22·6 are principal targets for the human IgE response, and levels of IgE to Sm22·6 have been correlated with resistance to re‐infection after chemotherapy. S. haematobium is arguably a more important species in terms of human infection, and in this report we describe for the first time the molecular characterization of a cDNA from S. haematobium (Sh22·6) that is closely homologous to Sm22·6 and Sj22·6. As a member of the tegument‐associated antigen family, Sh22·6 possesses EF‐hand domains and regions homologous to the dynein light chain domains. We have expressed recombinant Sh22·6 and studied the IgE responses to the antigen in a group of 99 infected individuals (68 children and 31 adults) from an endemic area of Gabon who donated blood before and 5 weeks after praziquantel treatment. IgE to Sh22·6 was detected by ELISA in 18 subjects (18%), and in the majority of responders levels rose between pre‐ and post‐treatment. Interestingly, the proportion of adults expressing IgE to Sh22·6 was 35·5%, significantly higher than the 10·3% seen in children. IgE from at least 10 of the 18 ELISA responders recognized Sh22·6 on Western blots of adult worm extract and recombinant antigen. These results demonstrate that like related molecules in other species, Sh22·6 is a target for the human IgE response. The data also indicate that changes in the IgE response occur with age or with progressive exposure to key antigens.
Increased risk of relapse after stopping nicotine replacement therapies: a mathematical modelling approach
Authors: Medioni Jacques , Berlin Ivan , Mallet Alain 
Published: January 2005

AbstractAims  To describe the effect of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) on the risk of relapse as a function of time since the quit date.Data sources  Meta‐analysis of 21 published, randomized, controlled clinical trials, comparing NRT to placebo.Data extraction  A total of 6644 smokers were treated with NRT and 2766 smokers treated with placebo.Data synthesis  During treatment with the medication, NRT reduced the hazard ratio (HR) significantly compared with placebo [early HR = 0.62 (95% CI: 0.58–0.67)]. At the end of the average treatment duration (145 days), the HR was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.71–0.94), showing that the benefit was still present at this time. After stopping treatment, the HR increased progressively up to a value of 1.44 (95% CI, 1.18–1.76) showing that the risk of relapse was higher after stopping NRT than after stopping placebo. If NRT and placebo had not been stopped, the HR of smoking relapse would have been established at 0.95 (95% CI: 0.76–1.18, P = 0.64), indicating a similar risk of relapse with NRT and placebo. Moreover, the observed HR of smoking relapse was significantly higher than the expected HR of smoking relapse if NRT had been continued: the difference in HR is 1.51 (95% CI: 1.16–1.98, P < 0.003). This suggests that if NRT had been been continued, around 50% of relapses could have been prevented.Conclusion  The protective effect of NRT against relapse slowly decreases as a function of time. After stopping NRT, the risk of relapse increases. It may be more beneficial not to stop NRT after the usual 3–6‐month treatment period but to use NRT for longer periods of time.
Do patient characteristics and initial progress in treatment moderate the effectiveness of telephone‐based continuing care for substance use disorders?
Authors: McKay James R. , Lynch Kevin G. , Shepard Donald S. , Morgenstern Jon , Forman Robert F. , Pettinati Helen M. 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACTAims  To determine whether substance use severity, psychiatric severity, social support, self‐help attendance or motivation moderated substance use outcomes in a telephone‐based continuing care intervention.Design  A randomized study comparing three 12‐week continuing care interventions: weekly telephone monitoring and counseling combined with a support group in the first 4 weeks (TEL), twice‐weekly individualized relapse prevention (RP) and twice‐weekly standard group counseling (STND).Methods  Following completion of 4‐week intensive out‐patient programs (IOP), 359 patients with alcohol and/or cocaine dependence were assigned randomly to a continuing care condition and followed quarterly for 12 months. Ten potential moderator variables were examined in separate analyses. Two of these variables reflected pretreatment status, whereas the other variables were focused on performance while in the IOP. A composite risk measure was also constructed from dichotomized versions of seven of these variables, with higher scores indicating greater potential for relapse. The dependent measures were total abstinence and percentage of days abstinent from alcohol and cocaine in each quarter.Findings  Of 40 interaction contrasts that were examined with individual risk indicator measures, only one reached the 0.05 level of significance. Patients with any alcohol use in IOP had a higher percentage of days abstinence in STND than in TEL. In addition, high scores on the composite risk indicator predicted higher total abstinence rates in STND than in TEL, whereas low to moderate scores predicted higher abstinence rates in TEL than in STND.Conclusion  For most graduates of IOPs, the combination of brief weekly telephone therapeutic contacts and a support group in the first month produced outcomes that are as good as those obtained in more intensive face‐to‐face continuing care interventions. However, patients with current dependence on both alcohol and cocaine who make little progress towards achieving the central goals of IOP may have better outcomes if they receive twice‐weekly group counseling following IOP.
The hTERT‐protein and Ki‐67 labelling index in recurrent and non‐recurrent meningiomas
Authors: Maes L. , Lippens E. , Kalala J. P. O. , De Ridder L. 
Published: January 2005

Abstract.  Meningiomas are considered as benign neoplasms affecting the coverings of the central nervous system and compromise approximately 20% of all intracranial tumours. However, a number of these tumours recur even after total resection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance for recurrence of the human telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) in the cells of meningiomas. The expression of hTERT‐protein can be evaluated by immunohistochemical staining using a monoclonal antibody against hTERT (clone 44F42, NCL‐L‐hTERT). The interdependence between tumour recurrence and cell proliferation in this study is analysed by Ki‐67 immunoreactivity (clone MIB‐1). Archival material from 29 non‐recurrent and 32 recurrent tumours has been evaluated, including specimens from World Health Organization (WHO) stages I (n = 73), II (n = 2) and III (n = 12). Although the tumours were categorized as benign meningiomas following the WHO classification, recurrence in 22 of 50 cases did not correlate with the tumour stage. For hTERT staining, the following results were found for nucleolar and total nuclear staining, respectively: non‐recurrent meningiomas, 2.9% (± 7.7) and 3.0% (± 8.0); recurrent meningiomas at first resection, 16.8% (± 19.7) and 31.6% (± 30.2). Concerning the Ki‐67 labelling index (LI): for the group of non‐recurrent meningiomas, results were 2.1% (± 1.7) and for the recurrent group at first resection, 1.7% (± 2.0). A significant difference was seen for the hTERT staining (P < 0.001) between the non‐recurrent and recurrent meningiomas, whereas no statistical significance was found for Ki‐67. In conclusion hTERT‐positive meningiomas had a high incidence for recurrence. Ki‐67 was a good marker of cell proliferation status of the tumours, but did not correlate with recurrence; thus, hTERT alone seemed to be a potential predictor for recurrence.
Probing plasmid partition with centromere‐based incompatibility
Authors: Bouet Jean‐Yves , Rech Jérôme , Egloff Sylvain , Biek Donald P. , Lane David 
Published: January 2005

SummaryLow‐copy number plasmids of bacteria rely on specific centromeres for regular partition into daughter cells. When also present on a second plasmid, the centromere can render the two plasmids incompatible, disrupting partition and causing plasmid loss. We have investigated the basis of incompatibility exerted by the F plasmid centromere, sopC, to probe the mechanism of partition. Measurements of the effects of sopC at various gene dosages on destabilization of mini‐F, on repression of the sopAB operon and on occupancy of mini‐F DNA by the centromere‐binding protein, SopB, revealed that among mechanisms previously proposed, no single one fully explained incompatibility. sopC on multicopy plasmids depleted SopB by titration and by contributing to repression. The resulting SopB deficit is proposed to delay partition complex formation and facilitate pairing between mini‐F and the centromere vector, thereby increasing randomization of segregation. Unexpectedly, sopC on mini‐P1 exerted strong incompatibility if the P1 parABS locus was absent. A mutation preventing the P1 replication initiation protein from pairing (handcuffing) reduced this strong incompatibility to the level expected for random segregation. The results indicate the importance of kinetic considerations and suggest that mini‐F handcuffing promotes pairing of SopB–sopC complexes that can subsequently segregate as intact aggregates.