Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
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Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. · Aug 2009
Formalin-induced increase in P2X(3) receptor expression in dorsal root ganglia: implications for nociception.
1. ATP-gated P2X receptors in nociceptive sensory neurons participate in the transmission of pain signals from the periphery to the spinal cord. The effect of formalin on the expression of P2X(3) receptors in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) was characterized using molecular and immunological approaches and the patch-clamp technique. 2. ⋯ At 24 h after the formalin injection, currents in isolated small and middle-sized DRG neurons were increased by 1 micromol/L alpha,beta-methylene-ATP. These currents were completely inhibited by 1 micromol/L A-317491, a potent and selective P2X(3) receptor antagonist. 4. These data suggest that formalin injection leads to early upregulation of P2X(3) expression in the spinal cord and DRG and that this may be one of the mechanisms giving rise to nociception.
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Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. · Aug 2009
Ischaemic post-conditioning protects both adult and aged Sprague-Dawley rat heart from ischaemia-reperfusion injury through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-AKT and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta pathways.
1. Numerous studies have demonstrated that ischaemic post-conditioning (IPoC) protects adult rats from myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Recent evidence suggests compromised cardioprotection by IPoC in aged mice. ⋯ LY294002 abolished the IPoC-induced phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3beta, as well as the infarct-limiting effect of IPoC in adult and aged rats. In addition, IPoC significantly attenuated plasma concentrations of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase after reperfusion in both adult and aged rats. 4. In conclusion, IPoC, at the onset of reperfusion, reduces myocardial infarct size in both adult and aged rat hearts, potentially through a PI3-K-, Akt- and GSK-3beta-dependent mechanism.