Decreases in metabolic ATP open K channels and reduce firing in an auditory brainstem neuron: A dynamic mechanism of firing control during intense activity.

Cartwheel (CW) neurons are glycinergic interneurons in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) that exhibit spontaneous firing, resulting in potent tonic inhibition of fusiform neurons. CW neurons expressing open ATP-sensitive potassium (K) channels do not fire spontaneously, and activation of K channels halts spontaneous firing in these neurons. However, the conditions that regulate K channel opening in CW neurons remain unknown.

Metabolic syndrome agravates cardiovascular, oxidative and inflammatory dysfunction during the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice.

We evaluated the influence of metabolic syndrome (MS) on acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Obese Swiss mice, 70 days of age, were subjected to intraperitoneal infection with 5 × 10 trypomastigotes of the Y strain. Cardiovascular, oxidative, inflammatory, and metabolic parameters were evaluated in infected and non-infected mice.