A new method to quantify the human visual threshold from melanopsin sensitive ganglion cells.

Traditional photoreceptors utilize the chromophore retinal to absorb light coupled with a unique opsin protein to specify receptor spectral sensitivity. Light absorption triggers a cascade of events transducing light energy to neural signals beginning with graded potentials in receptors (rods and cones) and bipolar cells in outer and middle retina eventuating in action potentials at the inner retinal amacrine and ganglion cell levels. Unlike traditional photoreceptors, ganglion cells in the inner retina (intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, ipRGCs) absorb short wavelength, blue light utilizing their photopigment melanopsin.

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system gender differences in an Afro-Caribbean population.

Hypothesis / Introduction: Prior studies have denoted gender differences in the expression and therapeutic benefits of hypertension treatment and clinical outcomes. This study documents for the first time gender differences in the expression of blood and urine angiotensin peptides in normotensive Afro-Caribbean Barbadians (25 males; 26 females).

Materials And Methods: Participants provided clinical anthropometric measurements, 24h ambulatory blood pressure and urine collections, and a blood sample for measurements of angiotensin peptides.

Plasmin Activation of Glial Cells through Protease-Activated Receptor 1.

The objective of this study was to determine whether plasmin could induce morphological changes in human glial cells via PAR1. Human glioblastoma A172 cells were cultured in the presence of plasmin or the PAR1 specific activating hexapeptide, SFLLRN. Cells were monitored by flow cytometry to detect proteolytic activation of PAR1 receptor.