The effect of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) on neuromuscular transmission were studied. High concentrations (0.6 to 18 mM) of ALA caused significant reductions in the amplitudes of curarized end-plate potentials (epps). Changing the ratio of calcium to magnesium in the bathing solution allowed the quantal content of the epps to be directly measured. Under these conditions, ALA reduced the quantal content of epps without affecting the depolarization produced by a single quantum of acetylcholine. It was concluded that ALA, in high concentrations, inhibits the release of acetylcholine evoked by a nerve impulse but is unlikely to be the cause of the neurological defects of acute porphyria.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ana.410050114 | DOI Listing |
J Neurosci
January 2025
Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892. USA.
Dopamine critically regulates neuronal excitability and promotes synaptic plasticity in the striatum, thereby shaping network connectivity and influencing behavior. These functions establish dopamine as a key neuromodulator, whose release properties have been well-studied in rodents but remain understudied in nonhuman primates. This study aims to close this gap by investigating the properties of dopamine release in macaque striatum and comparing/contrasting them to better-characterized mouse striatum, using ex vivo brain slices from male and female animals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReceptors for the vasoactive adipokine apelin, termed APJ receptors, are G-protein-coupled receptors and are widely expressed throughout the cardiovascular system. APJ receptors can also signal via G-protein-independent pathways, including G-protein-coupled-receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), which inhibits nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and nitric oxide (NO) production in endothelial cells. Apelin causes endothelium-dependent, NO-mediated relaxation of coronary arteries from normotensive animals, but the effects of activating APJ receptor signaling pathways in hypertensive coronary arteries are largely unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Cell Neurosci
January 2025
The Research Center for Brain Function and Medical Engineering, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.
The evolution of brain-expressed genes is notably slower than that of genes expressed in other tissues, a phenomenon likely due to high-level functional constraints. One such constraint might be the integration of information by neuron assemblies, enhancing environmental adaptability. This study explores the physiological mechanisms of information integration in neurons through three types of synchronization: chemical, electromagnetic, and quantum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurophysiol
January 2025
Dept of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) using electrical stimulation of neuronal tissue in the basal forebrain to enhance release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is under consideration to improve executive function in patients with dementia. While some small studies indicate a positive response in the clinical setting, the relationship between DBS and acetylcholine pharmacokinetics is incompletely understood. We examined the cortical acetylcholine response to different stimulation parameters of the basal forebrain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
The co-existence and co-transmission of neuropeptides and small molecule neurotransmitters within individual neuron represent a fundamental characteristic observed across various species. However, the differences regarding their in vivo spatiotemporal dynamics and underlying molecular regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we develop a GPCR-activation-based (GRAB) sensor for detecting short neuropeptide F (sNPF) with high sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution.
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