Reformulating a Pharmacophore for 5-HT2A Serotonin Receptor Antagonists.

Several pharmacophore models have been proposed for 5-HT2A serotonin receptor antagonists. These typically consist of two aromatic/hydrophobic moieties separated by a given distance from each other, and from a basic amine. Although specified distances might vary, the models are relatively similar in their general construction.

Cross-signaling in metabotropic glutamate 2 and serotonin 2A receptor heteromers in mammalian cells.

We previously reported that co-expression of the Gi-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGlu2R) and the Gq-coupled serotonin (5-HT) 2A receptor (2AR) in Xenopus oocytes (Fribourg et al. Cell 147:1011-1023, 2011) results in inverse cross-signaling, where for either receptor, strong agonists suppress and inverse agonists potentiate the signaling of the partner receptor. Importantly, through this cross-signaling, the mGlu2R/2AR heteromer integrates the actions of psychedelic and antipsychotic drugs.

Malignant hyperthermia susceptibility arising from altered resting coupling between the skeletal muscle L-type Ca2+ channel and the type 1 ryanodine receptor.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility is a dominantly inherited disorder in which volatile anesthetics trigger aberrant Ca(2+) release in skeletal muscle and a potentially fatal rise in perioperative body temperature. Mutations causing MH susceptibility have been identified in two proteins critical for excitation-contraction (EC) coupling, the type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1) and Ca(V)1.1, the principal subunit of the L-type Ca(2+) channel.

Orthograde dihydropyridine receptor signal regulates ryanodine receptor passive leak.

The skeletal muscle dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) and ryanodine receptor (RyR1) are known to engage a form of conformation coupling essential for muscle contraction in response to depolarization, referred to as excitation-contraction coupling. Here we use WT and Ca(V)1.1 null (dysgenic) myotubes to provide evidence for an unexplored RyR1-DHPR interaction that regulates the transition of the RyR1 between gating and leak states.

Heart and skeletal muscle are targets of dengue virus infection.

Background: Dengue fever is one of the most significant re-emerging tropical diseases, despite our expanding knowledge of the disease, viral tropism is still not known to target heart tissues or muscle.

Methods: A prospective pediatric clinical cohort of 102 dengue hemorrhagic fever patients from Colombia, South America, was followed for 1 year. Clinical diagnosis of myocarditis was routinely performed.

Hyperosmotic stress activates p65/RelB NFkappaB in cultured cardiomyocytes with dichotomic actions on caspase activation and cell death.

NFkappaB is a participant in the process whereby cells adapt to stress. We have evaluated the activation of NFkappaB pathway by hyperosmotic stress in cultured cardiomyocytes and its role in the activation of caspase and cell death. Exposure of cultured rat cardiomyocytes to hyperosmotic conditions induced phosphorylation of IKKalpha/beta as well as degradation of IkappaBalpha.