Experimental study of neural repair of the transected spinal cord using peripheral nerve graft.

It has been reported that transected spinal cord shows signs of axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve (PN) graft. We studied the membrane excitability and ion distribution in axons from transected rat spinal cord 3 weeks after PN graft using the spinal cord evoked potential, electron probe X-ray microanalysis, and the patch-clamp technique. Axonal structures were also observed using conventional electron microscopy.

Involvement of the ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ store in GLP-1-induced Ca2+ oscillations in insulin-secreting HIT cells.

We investigated intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) oscillations evoked by glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) in relation to the ryanodine receptor (RyR) and Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+)release (CICR) mechanism in pancreatic B cell HIT. GLP-1 produced [Ca(2+)](i) oscillations in the cells, both in media with and without Ca(2+), an effect inhibited by ruthenium red and mimicked by 8-Br-cAMPS. In addition, the GLP-1-evoked [Ca(2+)](i) rise was initiated at the local intercellular peripheral cytoplasm, and a resultant expansion of the intercellular space was also observed.