Fetal sex and the relative reactivity of human umbilical vein and arteries are key determinants in potential beneficial effects of phosphodiesterase inhibitors.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a common complication of pregnancy. We previously demonstrated that IUGR is associated with an impaired nitric oxide (NO)-induced relaxation in the human umbilical vein (HUV) of growth-restricted females compared to appropriate for gestational age (AGA) newborns. We found that phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibition improved NO-induced relaxation in HUV, suggesting that PDEs could represent promising targets for therapeutic intervention.

Intrauterine growth restriction is associated with sex-specific alterations in the nitric oxide/cyclic GMP relaxing pathway in the human umbilical vein.

Introduction: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity, and is linked to an increased risk to develop chronic diseases in adulthood. We previously demonstrated that IUGR is associated, in female neonates, with a decreased nitric oxide (NO)-induced relaxation of the umbilical vein (UV). The present study aimed to investigate the contribution of the smooth muscle components of the NO/cyclic GMP (cGMP) pathway to this alteration.

Supramaximal Intensity Hypoxic Exercise and Vascular Function Assessment in Mice.

Exercise training is an important strategy for maintaining health and preventing many chronic diseases. It is the first line of treatment recommended by international guidelines for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases, more specifically, lower extremity artery diseases, where the patients' walking capacity is considerably altered, affecting their quality of life. Traditionally, both low continuous exercise and interval training have been used.

Alarm pheromone and kairomone detection via bitter taste receptors in the mouse Grueneberg ganglion.

Background: The mouse Grueneberg ganglion (GG) is an olfactory subsystem specialized in the detection of volatile heterocyclic compounds signalling danger. The signalling pathways transducing the danger signals are only beginning to be characterized.

Results: Screening chemical libraries for compounds structurally resembling the already-identified GG ligands, we found a new category of chemicals previously identified as bitter tastants that initiated fear-related behaviours in mice depending on their volatility and evoked neuronal responses in mouse GG neurons.

Frontline Science: amastigotes can replicate within neutrophils.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, causing a spectrum of clinical manifestations varying from self-healing to unhealing lesions that may be very difficult to treat. Emerging evidence points to a detrimental role for neutrophils during the first hours following infection with many distinct species (spp.) at a time when the parasite is in its nonreplicative promastigote form.