Carbon monoxide involved in modulating HCO3- secretion in rat duodenum.

We examined the effect of the tricarbonyl-dichlororuthenium (II) dimer (CORM-2), a carbon monoxide (CO) donor, on duodenal HCO(3)(-) secretion in rats and investigated whether endogenous CO produced by heme oxygenase (HO) is involved in the regulation of this secretion. Under urethane anesthesia, a duodenal loop was perfused with saline, and HCO(3)(-) secretion was measured at pH 7.0 using a pH stat method.

Prostaglandin EP receptor subtypes involved in regulating HCO(3)(-) secretion from gastroduodenal mucosa.

Gastroduodenal HCO(3)(-) secretion is a key process that aids in preventing acid-peptic injury. The HCO(3)(-) secretion in rats and mice was increased in response to PGE(2) as well as mucosal acidification, the latter response occurring with a concomitant enhancement of mucosal PG production. The duodenal responses to PGE(2) and acid were decreased in mice lacking EP3 receptors and reduced by coadministration of an EP3 or EP4 antagonist in rats, complete inhibition being observed when the EP3 and EP4 antagonists were given together.

In vivo imaging of the dendritic arbors of layer V pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex using a laser scanning microscope with a stick-type objective lens.

In the field of neuroscience, low-invasive in vivo imaging would be a very useful method of monitoring the morphological dynamics of intact neurons in living animals. At present, there are two widely used in vivo imaging methods; one is the two-photon microscope method, and the other is the fiber optics method. However, these methods are not suitable for the in vivo imaging of deeper subcortical structures.