Effect of 8-bromo-cAMP on the tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium (Nav 1.8) current in small-diameter nodose ganglion neurons.

We examined whether 8-bromo-cAMP (8-Br-cAMP)-induced modification of tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) sodium current in neonatal rat nodose ganglion neurons is mediated by the activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and/or protein kinase C (PKC). In 8-Br-cAMP applications ranging from 0.001 to 1.

Association between intronic SNP in urate-anion exchanger gene, SLC22A12, and serum uric acid levels in Japanese.

Serum uric acid levels are maintained by urate synthesis and excretion. URAT1 (coded by SLC22CA12) was recently proposed to be the major absorptive urate transporter protein in the kidney regulating blood urate levels. Because genetic background is known to affect serum urate levels, we hypothesized that genetic variations in SLC22A12 may predispose humans to hyperuricemia and gout.

Temporomandibular joint inflammation potentiates the excitability of trigeminal root ganglion neurons innervating the facial skin in rats.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation alters the excitability of trigeminal root ganglion (TRG) neurons innervating the facial skin, by using behavioral, electrophysiological, molecular, and immunohistochemical approaches. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) was injected into the rat TMJ to produce inflammation. The threshold for escape from mechanical stimulation applied to the orofacial area in TMJ-inflamed rats was significantly lower than that in naïve rats.

Association of the SNP-19 genotype 22 in the calpain-10 gene with elevated body mass index and hemoglobin A1c levels in Japanese.

Background: An association of variations in the calpain-10 gene (CAPN10) with type 2 diabetes was originally reported in Mexican Americans. However, some studies in other racial groups were contradictory.

Methods: We studied the influence of genotypes and haplotype combinations (haplogenotypes) of CAPN10 on the metabolic traits in 286 Japanese subjects who visited a General Health Check-up Center.