Effects of ZD7288, a hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel blocker, on term-pregnant rat uterine contractility in vitro.

The uterus is a myogenic organ that is able to produce discrete spontaneous action potentials and contractions without any stimuli. Myometrial excitability is governed by ion channels including Ca and K channels, but whether or not other channels such as hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, which play an important role in regulating cellular excitability, are also involved has not been reported in uterine smooth muscles. The aim of the present study was to examine whether blocking HCN channels with a specific blocker ZD7288 would modulate the uterine contractility in a rat model.

In vitro and in vivo characterization of plant growth promoting Bacillus strains isolated from extreme environments of Eastern Algeria.

This report is to our knowledge the first to study plant growth promotion and biocontrol characteristics of Bacillus isolates from extreme environments of Eastern Algeria. Seven isolates of 14 (50 %) were screened for their ability to inhibit growth of some phytopathogenic fungi on PDA and some roots exudates. The bacteria identification based on 16S r-RNA and gyrase-A gene sequence analysis showed that 71 % of the screened isolates belonged to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and the rest were closely related to B.

Differential input to dorsal horn dorsal spinocerebellar tract neurons in mid- and low-lumbar segments from upper cervical spinal cord in the cat.

Previous studies showed that ipsilaterally projecting dorsal horn dorsal spinocerebellar tract (dh-DSCT) neurons located outside Clarke's column in mid- and caudal-lumbar segments of the spinal cord receive different afferent inputs. Here, we examined, using extracellular recordings in anaesthetized cats, whether there are also input differences to these populations of dh-DSCT neurons from: (a) the spinocervical tract (SCT), estimated by stimulation of the ipsilateral dorsolateral funiculus at cervical cord C3 and rostral C1, below and above the termination of SCT axons in the lateral cervical nucleus (LCN), and (b) descending/ascending fibres activated by electrical stimulation at rostral C1. Seventy percent (21/30) of the lower-lumbar (L6-L7) dh-DSCT neurons received significantly greater excitation from C3 than rostral C1, whereas only 17% (5/30) of the mid-lumbar (L5) dh-DSCT neurons had greater responses from C3 than rostral C1.