The basic, fundamental property of living structures is excitability. This process defines how an organism responds to both internal and external stimuli. Previous studies have indicated the existence of physical and chemical interactions between cations and anions sites of proteins within the extracellular environment that have a specific functional importance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the adult brain, astrocytes account for about 40% of the cell population in the central nervous system. Normal, reactive and neoplastic astrocytes can be identified in immunohistochemical preparations by means of glial fibrillary acid proteins (GFAP) expression. This protein is considered to be a sensitive indicator of xenobiotics toxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn order to study the influence of lithium on the cellular environment, we conducted research in multiple experimental models: groups of rats with normal cerebral excitability and groups susceptible to audiogenic convulsion, rat neuroglia cultures and perfusion of dog isolated head. We assumed blood composition to be a good indicator of cell environment composition. Blood serotonin level differs in the two groups of animals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis research concentrated on the hydroelectrolytic balance response after centrifugation (+5G/30 minutes, five times) in two lots of rats: one lot made up of animals with normal cerebral excitability, and another one of animals prone to audiogenic seizure. Both before and after centrifugation, we determined: water (ml/24 hrs.) and sodium chloride (mEq/24 hrs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring research performed in humans of both sexes, aged 17-30, suffering from disorders of gall-bladder kinetics, we found a constant association between this disorder and a cervical syndrome with occipital cephalea, spasmophilia, pre-molar and molar dental decay, even to edentation. We believe the mechanism inducing those disorders originates in the malabsorption of vitamin D2, caused by the absence of biliary salts in the intestine. Our findings could be of interest for the therapeutic management of such cases.
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