A nonradioactive high-throughput/high-content assay for measurement of the human serotonin reuptake transporter function in vitro.

Both the tricyclic and specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor classes of antidepressants act primarily by inhibiting the reuptake of released serotonin by the human serotonin reuptake transporter (hSERT). In this article, the authors describe the use of a fluorescent substrate of the transporter (4-(4-(dimethylamino)-styrl)-N-methylpyridinium, ASP) to develop a microplate-based high-throughput screen for hSERT function. The assay is sensitive to known inhibitors of serotonin uptake, including fluoxetine (Prozac), with the correct rank order of potency and IC(50) values close to those reported in the literature for tritiated serotonin uptake.

Gene expression in cortex and hippocampus during acute pneumococcal meningitis.

Background: Pneumococcal meningitis is associated with high mortality (approximately 30%) and morbidity. Up to 50% of survivors are affected by neurological sequelae due to a wide spectrum of brain injury mainly affecting the cortex and hippocampus. Despite this significant disease burden, the genetic program that regulates the host response leading to brain damage as a consequence of bacterial meningitis is largely unknown.

Vasomodulating potential of mediterranean wild plant extracts.

The incidence of cardiovascular disease and endothelial dysfunction is low in the Mediterranean area, where the major proportion of daily calories comes from plant food, high in antioxidant polyphenols. It has been shown that a reduced production or enhanced inactivation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the onset of endothelial dysfunction. We investigated the effects of Mediterranean wild plant, that is, wild artichoke and thyme, phenolic-rich extracts on NO release by porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAECs; by using indirect methods) and by cerebral cell membrane homogenates (by using direct NO detection).

The Streptococcus pneumoniae cia regulon: CiaR target sites and transcription profile analysis.

The ciaR-ciaH system is one of 13 two-component signal-transducing systems of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mutations in the histidine protein kinase CiaH confer increased resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and interfere with the development of genetic competence. In order to identify the genes controlled by the cia system, the cia regulon, DNA fragments targeted by the response regulator CiaR were isolated from restricted chromosomal DNA using the solid-phase DNA binding assay and analyzed by hybridization to an oligonucleotide microarray representing the S.

Influence of isolation procedure, extracellular matrix and dexamethasone on the regulation of membrane transporters gene expression in rat hepatocytes.

The influence of the isolation procedure of hepatocytes, extracellular matrix (ECM) configuration and incubation medium supplementation by dexamethasone (DEX) on the cell morphology and on the gene expression of membrane transporters was examined in rat hepatocytes. The mRNA levels were determined using oligonucleotide microarrays, in liver, in suspension and in primary culture in monolayer (CPC), and in collagen gels sandwich (SPC) in absence and presence of DEX (100 and 1000 nM). The results indicated pronounced morphological differences between CPC and SPC in response to DEX demonstrating that the hepatocytes re-formed, as in vivo, multicellular arrays with extensive bile canalicular network only in SPC in presence of DEX.

The trp RNA-binding attenuation protein (TRAP) regulates the steady-state levels of transcripts of the Bacillus subtilis folate operon.

The Bacillus subtilis folate operon contains nine genes. The first six genes are involved in the biosynthesis of folic acid and tryptophan and have been characterized previously. The 3'-region of the folate operon contains three additional ORFs: orf3, potentially encoding a DNA-binding protein of 68 amino acids, orf4, encoding a protein of 338 amino acids with homology to the Orf1 of the E.