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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Comparison Of Beta-Adrenoceptor Coupled Camp Production In Cultured Human Mononuclear Leukocytes And Myometrial Cells, Yu-Li Liu
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
$\beta\sb2$-Adrenoceptor ($\beta\sb2$-AR) agonists, such as terbutaline, are used as tocolytic agents in the treatment of preterm labor. $\beta$-Adrenoceptor stimulation relaxes myometrium through specific receptors coupled through Gs to adenylyl cyclase (AC) that catalyzes the conversion of ATP to cAMP. The purpose of this study was to compare $\beta$-adrenoceptors and cAMP production in cultured human leukocytes and myometrial cells, and to determine the importance of $\beta$-adrenoceptors and cAMP production in isoproterenol-induced myometrial relaxation. $\sp{125}$I-iodopindolol was used to assess $\beta$-adrenoceptor affinity and number cAMP levels were analyzed before and after stimulation by isoproterenol, AlF$\sb4\sp-$, forskolin, and PGE$\sb1$. Isometric recording was used to …
Microcirculation: Electrophysiological Basis For The Response Of Endothelial Cells To Inflammatory Mediators-Bradykinin, Kai Miao
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Using conventional microelectrodes, I studied the electrical basis for determining the resting V$\sb{\rm m}$ in intact EC's from hamsters. The resting V$\sb{\rm m}$ were found to be $-$40 mV for aortic EC's and $-$43 mV for vena caval EC's. The contributions of ions to the resting V$\sb{\rm m}$ of aortic EC's were compared in terms of the transference number (t$\sb{\rm ion}$). To develop a technique for in situ monitoring changes in V$\sb{\rm m}$ of postcapillary venular EC's in the hamster mesentery, a voltage-sensitive fluorescent probe, bisoxonol, was used to load the cells and the fluorescence signals were analyzed under an …
Changes In Intracellular Chloride During Osmotic Stress And L-Alanine Uptake In Mouse Hepatocytes, Kening Wang
Changes In Intracellular Chloride During Osmotic Stress And L-Alanine Uptake In Mouse Hepatocytes, Kening Wang
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
A stable intracellular ionic environment is necessary for hepatocytes to function normally. Thus, during hypotonic shock or L-alanine uptake, hepatocytes swell and then exhibit a regulatory volume decrease (RVD), which comprises an increase in K$\sp+$ conductance (G$\sb{\rm K}$), an increased K$\sp+$ efflux, and a hyperpolarization of transmembrane potential (V$\sb{\rm m}$). Since hepatocyte intracellular Cl$\sp-$ has been demonstrated to distribute passively with V$\sb{\rm m}$, this study is designed to test the hypothesis that the hypotonic shock- or L-alanine uptake-induced hyperpolarization of V$\sb{\rm m}$ might provide an electromotive force for the efflux of hepatocyte intracellular Cl$\sp-$, which in turn would contribute osmotically …
Molecular And Cellular Analysis Of Chlamydia Trachomatis: Persistence And Reactivation, Kimberly R. Tau
Molecular And Cellular Analysis Of Chlamydia Trachomatis: Persistence And Reactivation, Kimberly R. Tau
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most prevalent sexually-transmitted infection in the United States. It has been suggested that CT infections can become latent. This has not been substantiated. CT persistence was examined at the molecular and cellular level in vitro and in vivo. Penicillin treatment of CT in vitro results in abnormal inclusions and reduced recovery of infectious CT. Penicillin did not inhibit initial stages of infection, but did downregulate CT rRNA levels after 25 hours post-inoculation (p.i.). DNA amplification was employed to differentiate between a resolved infection and a persistent one. Utilizing a primer pair that amplified a 144 …
Electrophysiology, Cell Calcium, And Mechanisms Of Hepatocyte Volume Regulation, Walid E. Khalbuss
Electrophysiology, Cell Calcium, And Mechanisms Of Hepatocyte Volume Regulation, Walid E. Khalbuss
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The electrophysiologic technique (Reuss, L., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:6014, 1985) was modified to measure changes in steady-state hepatocyte volume during osmotic stress. Hepatocytes in mouse liver slices were loaded with tetramethylammonium ion (TMA$\sp{+}$) during transient exposure of cells to nystatin. Intracellular TMA$\sp{+}$ activity (a$\sp{\rm i}\sb{\rm TMA}$) was measured with TMA$\sp{+}$-sensitive, double-barreled microelectrodes. Loading hepatocytes with TMA$\sp{+}$ did not change their membrane potential (V$\sb{\rm m}$), and under steady-state conditions a$\sp{\rm i}\sb{\rm TMA}$ remained constant over 4 min in single impalements. Hyperosmotic solutions (50, 100, & 150 mM sucrose added to media) and hyposmotic solutions (sucrose in media reduced by …