Improving outcomes with therapeutic hypothermia.

Therapeutic hypothermia appears to be effective in limiting the trauma resulting from ischemia as well as reducing reperfusion injury.

Enhancement of low-voltage-activated calcium currents by group II metabotropic glutamate receptors in rat retinal ganglion cells.

Current through voltage-gated calcium channels of rat retinal ganglion cells was recorded using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. All cells displayed high-voltage-activated currents, and 75% of these also displayed low-voltage-activated (LVA) currents. Currents could be separated on the basis of their voltage/time dependence and sensitivity to nickel ions.

Commonly used L-amino acid decarboxylase inhibitors block monoamine oxidase activity in the rat.

The effects of the peripheral aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) inhibitors, carbidopa and benserazide, and the central AADC inhibitor, 3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine (NSD-1015) on peripheral and brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B activity were investigated in the rat. In vitro, carbidopa, benserazide and NSD-1015 all potently inhibited hepatic MAO A and B activity (IC(50) 10-50 micro M). In ex vivo studies following systemic drug administration, NSD-1015 (100 mg/kg ip) produced 88% and 96% inhibition of hepatic and striatal MAO A and B activity respectively.