Short duration waveforms recorded extracellularly from freely moving rats are representative of axonal activity.

While extracellular somatic action potentials from freely moving rats have been well characterized, axonal activity has not. We report direct extracellular tetrode recordings of putative axons whose principal feature is a short duration waveform (SDW) with an average peak-trough length less than 179 μs. While SDW recordings using tetrodes have previously been treated as questionable or classified as cells, we hypothesize that they are representative of axonal activity.

Increased expression of interleukin-6 family members and receptors in urinary bladder with cyclophosphamide-induced bladder inflammation in female rats.

Recent studies suggest that janus-activated kinases-signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathways contribute to increased voiding frequency and referred pain of cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis in rats. Potential upstream chemical mediator(s) that may be activated by CYP-induced cystitis to stimulate JAK/STAT signaling are not known in detail. In these studies, members of the interleukin (IL)-6 family of cytokines including, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), IL-6, and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and associated receptors, IL-6 receptor (R) α, LIFR, and gp130 were examined in the urinary bladder in control and CYP-treated rats.

A non-anesthetized mouse model for recording sensory urinary bladder activity.

The goal of this study was to develop an in vivo awake mouse model for extracellular bladder sensory nerve recording. A bipolar 125-μm silver electrode was positioned under a single postganglionic bladder nerve. Efferent nerve signals were eliminated by tying off the postganglionic bladder nerve between the major pelvic ganglion and the recording electrode.

Size at birth, obesity and blood pressure at age five.

Background: The fetal origins hypothesis indicates that morphometric evidence of fetal nutritional deprivation is predictive of excessive weight gain/obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease after birth. However, it is unclear whether these effects are present in offspring with "normal" birth weights in contemporary Western society, whether they are population specific, and how early in life they appear. This study was designed to examine these questions in a select populace of morphometrically diverse offspring to test the null hypothesis that morphometric evidence of nutritional restriction in utero has no effect on the presence of either obesity or increased blood pressure at ages 5 and 6.

Survival of propofol infusion syndrome in a head-injured patient.

Objective: To describe the clinical progression of an adult patient with traumatic brain injury who survived propofol infusion syndrome.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Tertiary care surgical intensive care unit.

Gender alters the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol response to cardiac rehabilitation.

Purpose: A reduced level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is a powerful independent risk factor for the development and progression of coronary heart disease. This study assessed the effects of cardiac rehabilitation exercise training on HDL-C and other lipid subfractions, giving close attention to the role of gender and baseline values.

Methods: The study population consisted of 340 patients with coronary heart disease who enrolled in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation and completed 36 sessions of exercise over a 12-week period.

Solution structure of the human Grb7-SH2 domain/erbB2 peptide complex and structural basis for Grb7 binding to ErbB2.

The solution structure of the hGrb7-SH2 domain in complex with a ten amino acid phosphorylated peptide ligand representative of the erbB2 receptor tyrosine kinase (pY1139) is presented as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance methods. The hGrb7-SH2 domain structure reveals the Src homology 2 domain topology consisting of a central beta-sheet capped at each end by an alpha-helix. The presence of a four residue insertion in the region between beta-strand E and the EF loop and resulting influences on the SH2 domain/peptide complex structure are discussed.

Contribution of nonendothelial nitric oxide to altered rat uterine resistance artery serotonin reactivity during pregnancy.

Objective: The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of pregnancy on the serotonin reactivity of the mesometrial arteries and to assess the relative contribution of endothelial and smooth muscle cells to the overall effect.

Study Design: Arteries were obtained from nonpregnant (n = 20) and late pregnant (n = 28) Sprague-Dawley rats and were cannulated in the chamber of an arteriograph. Changes in lumen diameter were measured by a video dimension analyzer.

The anticoagulation factor protein S and its relative, Gas6, are ligands for the Tyro 3/Axl family of receptor tyrosine kinases.

We report the identification of ligands for Tyro 3 (alternatively called Sky, rse, brt, or tif) and Axl (alternatively, Ark or UFO), members of a previously orphan family of receptor-like tyrosine kinases. These ligands correspond to protein S, a protease regulator that is a potent anticoagulant, and Gas6, a protein related to protein S but lacking any known function. Our results are reminiscent of recent findings that the procoagulant thrombin, a protease that drives clot formation by cleaving fibrinogen to form fibrin, also binds and activates intracellular signaling via a G protein-coupled cell surface receptor.

Risk indicators in low back pain.

Injuries leading to low back pain can occur by direct trauma, overexertion or repetitive trauma. Overexertion is claimed by 60% of low back pain patients as the cause of injury. Of these patients with overexertion injuries, 66% implicated lifting and 20% pushing or pulling.