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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Constitutive Activation Of Kappa Opioid Receptors At Ventral Tegmental Area Inhibitory Synapses Following Acute Stress., Abigail M Polter, Kelsey Barcomb, Rudy W Chen, Paige M Dingess, Nicholas M Graziane, Travis E Brown, Julie A Kauer
Constitutive Activation Of Kappa Opioid Receptors At Ventral Tegmental Area Inhibitory Synapses Following Acute Stress., Abigail M Polter, Kelsey Barcomb, Rudy W Chen, Paige M Dingess, Nicholas M Graziane, Travis E Brown, Julie A Kauer
Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications
Stressful experiences potently activate kappa opioid receptors (κORs). κORs in the ventral tegmental area regulate multiple aspects of dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic cell function. Here we show that at GABAergic synapses on rat VTA dopamine neurons, a single exposure to a brief cold-water swim stress induces prolonged activation of κORs. This is mediated by activation of the receptor during the stressor followed by a persistent, ligand-independent constitutive activation of the κOR itself. This lasting change in function is not seen at κORs at neighboring excitatory synapses, suggesting distinct time courses and mechanisms of regulation of different subsets of κORs. We also …
Sustained Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nanoparticles Interfere With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Adhesion And Biofilm Formation In A Rat Central Venous Catheter Model., Mircea Radu Mihu, Vitor Cabral, Rodney Pattabhi, Moses T Tar, Kelvin P Davies, Adam J Friedman, Luis R Martinez, Joshua D Nosanchuk
Sustained Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nanoparticles Interfere With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Adhesion And Biofilm Formation In A Rat Central Venous Catheter Model., Mircea Radu Mihu, Vitor Cabral, Rodney Pattabhi, Moses T Tar, Kelvin P Davies, Adam J Friedman, Luis R Martinez, Joshua D Nosanchuk
Dermatology Faculty Publications
Staphylococcus aureus is frequently isolated in the setting of infections of indwelling medical devices, which are mediated by the microbe's ability to form biofilms on a variety of surfaces. Biofilm-embedded bacteria are more resistant to antimicrobial agents than their planktonic counterparts and often cause chronic infections and sepsis, particularly in patients with prolonged hospitalizations. In this study, we demonstrate that sustained nitric oxide-releasing nanoparticles (NO-np) interfere with S. aureus adhesion and prevent biofilm formation on a rat central venous catheter (CVC) model of infection. Confocal and scanning electron microscopy showed that NO-np-treated staphylococcal biofilms displayed considerably reduced thicknesses and bacterial …