New Insights into Dose-Dependent Effects of Curcumin on ARPE-19 Cells.

Opposing dose-dependent effects of curcumin (Cur) have been documented in Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE); therefore, to shed the light on the mechanisms of action is crucial for ophthalmic applications. On this basis we explored new insights about the dose-dependent mechanisms triggered by Cur in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19). Three concentrations (0.

Neuromuscular Strategies in Stretch-Shortening Exercises with Increasing Drop Heights: The Role of Muscle Coactivation in Leg Stiffness and Power Propulsion.

When applying drop jump exercises, knowing the magnitude of the stimulus is fundamental to stabilize the leg joints and to generate movements with the highest power. The effects of different drop heights on leg muscles coactivation, leg stiffness and power propulsion were investigated in fifteen sport science students. Drop jumps from heights of 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 cm in a random order were performed on a force platform.

Erythropoietin Increases GABA Currents in Human Cortex from TLE Patients.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hematopoietic growth factor that has an important role in the erythropoiesis. EPO and its receptor (EPO-R) are expressed all over in the mammalian brain. Furthermore, it has been reported that EPO may exert neuroprotective effect in animal models of brain disorders as ischemia and epilepsy.

Partial block by riluzole of muscle sodium channels in myotubes from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.

Denervated muscles undergo fibrillations due to spontaneous activation of voltage-gated sodium (Na(+)) channels generating action potentials. Fibrillations also occur in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Riluzole, the only approved drug for ALS treatment, blocks voltage-gated Na(+) channels, but its effects on muscle Na(+) channels and fibrillations are yet poorly characterized.

Hormonal and neuromuscular responses to mechanical vibration applied to upper extremity muscles.

Objective: To investigate the acute residual hormonal and neuromuscular responses exhibited following a single session of mechanical vibration applied to the upper extremities among different acceleration loads.

Methods: Thirty male students were randomly assigned to a high vibration group (HVG), a low vibration group (LVG), or a control group (CG). A randomized double-blind, controlled-parallel study design was employed.

A neural switch for active and passive fear.

The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) serves as a major output of this structure and plays a critical role in the expression of conditioned fear. By combining cell- and tissue-specific pharmacogenetic inhibition with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we identified circuits downstream of CeA that control fear expression in mice. Selective inhibition of a subset of neurons in CeA led to decreased conditioned freezing behavior and increased cortical arousal as visualized by fMRI.

Long-term dark rearing induces permanent reorganization in retinal circuitry.

Recent data challenged the assumption that light has little effect on retina development. Here, we report evidence that dark rearing permanently changes the synaptic input to GCs. A reduced spontaneous postsynaptic currents (SPSCs) frequency was found in retinal GCs from rats born and raised in the dark for three months.

Stimulation of chemokine CXC receptor 4 induces synaptic depression of evoked parallel fibers inputs onto Purkinje neurons in mouse cerebellum.

In the present work, we studied the effects of the stimulation of the chemokine CXC receptor 4 (CXCR4) by the stromal-derived cell growth factor-1alpha (SDF-1alpha) on the evoked excitatory postsynaptic current. This was generated in Purkinje neurons (PN) from mouse cerebellar slices by the stimulation of parallel fibers. It was found that the amplitude of EPSC was reversibly reduced by SDF-1alpha application.