CO Breathing Prior to Simulated Diving Increases Decompression Sickness Risk in a Mouse Model: The Microbiota Trail Is Not Forgotten.

Decompression sickness (DCS) with neurological disorders is the leading cause of major diving accidents treated in hyperbaric chambers. Exposure to high levels of CO during diving is a safety concern for occupational groups at risk of DCS. However, the effects of prior exposure to CO have never been evaluated.

Honeybee CaV4 has distinct permeation, inactivation, and pharmacology from homologous NaV channels.

DSC1, a Drosophila channel with sequence similarity to the voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV), was identified over 20 years ago. This channel was suspected to function as a non-specific cation channel with the ability to facilitate the permeation of calcium ions (Ca2+). A honeybee channel homologous to DSC1 was recently cloned and shown to exhibit strict selectivity for Ca2+, while excluding sodium ions (Na+), thus defining a new family of Ca2+ channels, known as CaV4.

Functional Characterization of Four Known Cav2.1 Variants Associated with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Cav2.1 channels are expressed throughout the brain and are the predominant Ca channels in the Purkinje cells. These cerebellar neurons fire spontaneously, and Cav2.

Signaling Pathways and Potential Therapeutic Strategies in Cardiac Fibrosis.

Cardiac fibrosis constitutes irreversible necrosis of the heart muscle as a consequence of different acute (myocardial infarction) or chronic (diabetes, hypertension, …) diseases but also due to genetic alterations or aging. Currently, there is no curative treatment that is able to prevent or attenuate this phenomenon that leads to progressive cardiac dysfunction and life-threatening outcomes. This review summarizes the different targets identified and the new strategies proposed to fight cardiac fibrosis.