IK Channel Confers Fine-tuning of Rod Bipolar Cell Excitation and Synaptic Transmission in the Retina.

During retinal visual processing, rod bipolar cells (RBC) transfer scotopic signals from rods to AII amacrine cells as second-order neurons. Elucidation of the RBC's excitation/inhibition is essential for understanding the visual signal transmission. Excitation mechanisms via mGluR6 and voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in the RBCs and GABAergic inhibitory synaptic inputs have been studied in previous studies.

The unanticipated contribution of Zap70 in retinal degeneration: implications for microglial inflammatory activation.

Inflammation is a major mechanism of photoreceptor cell death in the retina during macular degeneration leading to the blindness. In this study, we investigated the role of the kinase molecule Zap70, which is an inflammatory regulator of the systemic immune system, to elucidate the control mechanism of inflammation in the retina. We observed activated microglial cells migrated and populated the retinal layer following blue LED-induced photoreceptor degeneration and activated microglial cells in the LED-injured retina expressed Zap70, unlike the inactive microglial cells in the normal retina.

Atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine inhibits 5-HT receptor-mediated currents by allosteric and non-competitive mechanisms.

Olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, is widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder due to its modulation of dopamine and serotonin receptor systems. While its primary action involves antagonism of dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine)A receptors, recent evidence suggests that olanzapine also inhibits 5-HT receptors, which are ligand-gated ion channels involved in synaptic transmission in central and peripheral nervous systems. The present study aimed to investigate the action of olanzapine on 5-HT receptor-mediated currents using whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings in NCB-20 neuroblastoma cells.

Quetiapine competitively inhibits 5-HT receptor-mediated currents in NCB20 neuroblastoma cells.

The 5-hydroxytryptamine type (5-HT) receptor, a ligand-gated ion channel, plays a critical role in synaptic transmission. It has been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic, could inhibit 5-HT receptor-mediated currents in NCB20 neuroblastoma cells.

Haloperidol, a typical antipsychotic, inhibits 5-HT receptormediated currents in NCB-20 cells: a whole-cell patch-clamp study.

Haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic drug effective in alleviating positive symptoms of schizophrenia by blocking dopamine receptor 2 (DR2). However, it is also known to produce neuropsychiatric effects by acting on various targets other than DR. In this study, we investigated effect of haloperidol on function of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor, a ligand-gated ion channel belonging to the serotonin receptor family using the whole-cell voltage clamp technique and NCB20 neuroblastoma cells.

Characteristics of tire-road wear particles (TRWPs) and road pavement wear particles (RPWPs) generated through a novel tire abrasion simulator based on real road pavement conditions.

Microparticles such as tire-road wear particles (TRWPs) and road pavement wear particles (RPWPs) are generated by the friction between tire tread and road surface. TRWPs and RPWPs on roads are dispersed through traffic and transferred to rivers and seas via runoff to accumulate in sediments. However, research on the generation of both TRWP and RPWP has rarely been conducted.

Intraoperative monitoring of trigeminal neuralgia: a technical note.

Trigeminal neuralgia causes excruciating pain in patients. Microvascular decompression is indicated for drug-resistant s trigeminal neuralgia. Unlike facial spasms, any part of the nerve can be the culprit, not only the root entry zone.

Deciphering perivascular macrophages and microglia in the retinal ganglion cell layers.

The classically defined two retinal microglia layers are distributed in inner and outer plexiform layers. Although there are some reports that retinal microglia are also superficially located around the ganglion cell layer (GCL) in contact with the vitreous, there has been a lack of detailed descriptions and not fully understood yet. We visualized the microglial layers by using CX3CR1-GFP (C57BL6) transgenic mice with both healthy and disease conditions including NaIO3-induced retinal degeneration models and IRBP-induced auto-immune uveitis models.

Intradermal Inoculation of Inactivated Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Induced Effective Immune Responses Comparable to Conventional Intramuscular Injection in Pigs.

All pigs in the Republic of Korea are given the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) vaccine intramuscularly (IM) as part of the country's vaccination policy. However, the IM administration of the FMDV vaccine to pig results in residual vaccine components in the muscle and undesirable changes in muscle and soft tissues, causing economic losses in swine production. In this study, we evaluated whether intradermal (ID) vaccination could be proposed as an alternative to IM administration.

Giant skull base periosteal chondroma treated with endonasal endoscopic surgery: illustrative case.

Background: Intracranial chondroma is an extremely rare type of tumor composed of mature hyaline cartilaginous tissues. No previous cases of skull base periosteal chondroma have been presented.

Observations: A 31-year-old male had progressive memory loss and diminished motivation for the previous 1.

A Distinct Microglial Cell Population Expressing Both CD86 and CD206 Constitutes a Dominant Type and Executes Phagocytosis in Two Mouse Models of Retinal Degeneration.

Microglial cells are the key regulators of inflammation during retinal degeneration (RD) and are conventionally classified as M1 or M2. However, whether the M1/M2 classification exactly reflects the functional classification of microglial cells in the retina remains debatable. We examined the spatiotemporal changes of microglial cells in the blue-LED and NaIO-induced RD mice models using M1/M2 markers and functional genes.

The Illustration of Altered Glucose Dependency in Drug-Resistant Cancer Cells.

A chemotherapeutic approach is crucial in malignancy management, which is often challenging due to the development of chemoresistance. Over time, chemo-resistant cancer cells rapidly repopulate and metastasize, increasing the recurrence rate in cancer patients. Targeting these destined cancer cells is more troublesome for clinicians, as they share biology and molecular cross-talks with normal cells.

Atypical antidepressant mirtazapine inhibits 5-hydroxytryptamine3 receptor currents in NCB-20 cells.

Mirtazapine, an atypical antidepressant, is known to enhance serotonergic transmission by inhibiting the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-HT, and 5-HT receptors. However, the mechanism of action on the 5-HT receptor remains unclear. We investigated the inhibitory mechanisms of mirtazapine on 5-HT receptors of NCB20 neuroblastoma cells using the whole-cell voltage-clamp method.

Amplification of olfactory signals by Anoctamin 9 is important for mammalian olfaction.

Sensing smells of foods, prey, or predators determines animal survival. Olfactory sensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium (OE) detect odorants, where cAMP and Ca play a significant role in transducing odorant inputs to electrical activity. Here we show Anoctamin 9, a cation channel activated by cAMP/PKA pathway, is expressed in the OE and amplifies olfactory signals.

Chorion-derived perinatal mesenchymal stem cells improve cardiac function and vascular regeneration: Preferential treatment for ischemic heart disease.

Background: Stem cell therapy has emerged as a novel treatment for heart failure after myocardial infarction (Ml). Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are commonly considered because of their accessibility and usability. However, their therapeutic potential remains controversial.

Differential Response of Müller Cells and Microglia in a Mouse Retinal Detachment Model and Its Implications in Detached and Non-Detached Regions.

Retinal detachment (RD) is a sight-threatening condition, leading to photoreceptor cell death; however, only a few studies provide insight into its effects on the entire retinal region. We examined the spatiotemporal changes in glial responses in a mouse RD model. In electroretinography, a- and b-waves were reduced in a time-dependent manner.

Comparative Analysis for Genetic Characterization in Korean Native Jeju Horse.

The Jeju horse is a native Korean species that has been breeding on Jeju Island since the 13th century. Their shape has a distinct appearance from the representative species, Thoroughbred. Here, we performed a comparison of the Jeju horse and Thoroughbred horse for the identification of genome-wide structure variation by using the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique.

Complement System and Potential Therapeutics in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex multifactorial disease characterized in its late form by neovascularization (wet type) or geographic atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium cell layer (dry type). The complement system is an intrinsic component of innate immunity. There has been growing evidence that the complement system plays an integral role in maintaining immune surveillance and homeostasis in AMD.

Light microscopic evidence of in vivo differentiation from the transplanted inferior turbinate-derived stem cell into the rod photoreceptor in degenerating retina of the mouse.

The human turbinate-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hTMSCs), which were DiI-labeled and transplanted into the subretinal space in degenerating mouse retina, were observed in retinal vertical sections processed for rhodopsin (a marker for rod photoreceptor) by confocal microscope with differential interference contrast (DIC) filters. The images clearly demonstrated that DiI-labeled hTMSCs have rhodopsin-immunoreactive appendages, indicating differentiation of transplanted hTMSC into rod photoreceptor. Conclusively, the finding suggests therapeutic potential of hTMSCs in retinal degeneration.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic integration for optimal dosage of cefquinome against Streptococcus equi subsp. equi in foals.

Cefquinome is administered in horses for the treatment of respiratory infection caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, and septicemia caused by Escherichia coli. However, there have been no attempts to use cefquinome against Streptococcus equi subsp.

Evaluation of fecal DNA extraction protocols for human gut microbiome studies.

Background: DNA extraction is an important factor influencing the microbiome profile in fecal samples. Considering that the QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit, one of the most commonly used DNA extraction kits, is no longer manufactured, this study aimed to investigate whether a new commercially available kit, the QIAamp PowerFecal Pro DNA Kit, yields comparable microbiome profiles with those previously obtained using the QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit.

Results: We extracted DNA from fecal samples of 10 individuals using three protocols (protocol P of the QIAamp PowerFecal Pro DNA Kit, and protocols SB and S of the QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit with and without an additional bead-beating step, respectively) in triplicate.

Elevated conversion of CO to versatile formate by a newly discovered formate dehydrogenase from Rhodobacter aestuarii.

Due to climate change, recent research interests have increased towards CO utilization as a strategy to mitigate the atmospheric CO level. Herein, we aimed to explore formate dehydrogenases (FDHs) from chemoautotroph to discover an efficient and O-tolerant biocatalyst for catalyzing the CO reduction to a versatile formate. Through genome-mining and phylogenetic analysis, the FDH from Rhodobacter aestuarii (RaFDH) was newly discovered as a promising O-tolernat CO reductase and was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli.

Calcium- and Voltage-Dependent Dual Gating ANO1 is an Intrinsic Determinant of Repolarization in Rod Bipolar Cells of the Mouse Retina.

TMEM16A/anoctamin1 (ANO1), a calcium (Ca)-activated chloride (Cl) channel, has many functions in various excitable cells and modulates excitability in both Ca- and voltage-gating modes. However, its gating characteristics and role in primary neural cells remain unclear. Here, we characterized its Ca- and voltage-dependent components in rod bipolar cells using dissociated and slice preparations of the mouse retina.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram inhibits 5-HT receptor currents in NCB-20 cells.

Escitalopram is one of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants. As an S-enantiomer of citalopram, it shows better therapeutic outcome in depression and anxiety disorder treatment because it has higher selectivity for serotonin reuptake transporter than citalopram. The objective of this study was to determine the direct inhibitory effect of escitalopram on 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT) receptor currents and study its blocking mechanism to explore additional pharmacological effects of escitalopram through 5-HT receptors.