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Neurology

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

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Full-Text Articles in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health

Mouse Embryo Development In The Presence Of Capsaicin, Carlos Santiago Villar-Gosalvez Jul 1998

Mouse Embryo Development In The Presence Of Capsaicin, Carlos Santiago Villar-Gosalvez

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Capsaicin is the pungent agent found in hot peppers of the Capsicum genus. It is a potent neurotoxin that stimulates the degranulation and degeneration of C-afferent neurons. Capsaicin is widely used as a food condiment and medicine. Human exposure of capsaicin can exceed levels shown to be neurotoxic in laboratory animals. Additionally, capsaicin can cross the blood/placenta barrier and affect an embryo in utero. In order to assay the potential for toxicity to human embryos, mouse embryos were exposed to capsaicin and the effect of the capsaicin on embryo development was measured. Embryos were co-cultured in Krebs medium with 1% …


Lead Activation Of A Developmentally Regulated Calcium Channel In Rat Hippocampal Nerve Terminals, Troy E. Rhodes Jul 1996

Lead Activation Of A Developmentally Regulated Calcium Channel In Rat Hippocampal Nerve Terminals, Troy E. Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Low level lead (Pb2+) exposure may produce lasting deficits in learning and memory by altering calcium (Ca2+) dependent processes. Isolated presynaptic nerve terminals from rat hippocampus were loaded with the intracellular (Ca2+) indicator Fura-2. The changes in cytoplasmic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) were measured by stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy following depolarization with elevated potassium on a millisecond time scale (Lentzner et al., 1992). Depolarization promoted a rapid increase in Ca2+i which occured in two kinetically distinguishable phases: a fast component, representing the activity of rapidly inactivating Ca2+ channels (τ …