Tag Archives: receptor
P2X7 antagonism: a specific tool to decrease inflammatory status in human atherosclerotic vessels?
Atherosclerosis is a dynamic progressive disease of the large arteries characterized by the tendency to accumulate lipids, inflammatory cells, smooth muscle cells and extracellular matrix within the sub-endothelial space, and progressing in unpredictable way to different stage.
Farnesoid X receptor and liver X receptor ligands initiate formation of coated platelets
Platelets play a key role in the prevention of excessive blood loss through the formation of a thrombus at the site of vessel damage. Hyper-reactive platelets lead to unwanted, excessive platelet activation and contribute to atherothrombosis that
A novel PET radiotracer for molecular imaging of the α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a family of ligand-gated ion channels that mediate fast synaptic transmission in the brain. These receptors are homo- or hetero-pentameric combinations of the α and the β subunits which each subtypes
Chemokines, an answer to the gut inflammation?
Our gut is a complex organ which not only digests the food but also acts as an immune organ. The gut is lined by a single layer of specialized cells called as intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) which
L-carnitine attenuates antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia by stimulating pituitary GABA receptors
Antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinaemia occurs overall in up to 70% of patients with schizophrenia, depending on the medications used. Hyperprolactinemia may cause sexual dysfunction, amenorrhea, infertility, galactorrhea, and osteoporosis, which in general relates to the degree of prolactin elevation.
The promiscuous mineralocorticoid receptor
Hormones and nerves are the key communication systems in the human body. Nerves are like a fixed-line telephone network, capable of very fast messaging: think of the pianist’s fingers playing the Minute Waltz. Hormones are like radio,
IL-1 Receptor 8: a novel player in immunothrombosis
In addition to be a key component of blood hemostasis and coagulation, platelets have recently been implicated in thrombotic events associated with immune dysfunctions or inflammation. Platelets participate to innate immune responses and inflammation by releasing a
RIC-3’s effect on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and the implications in health and disease
Signal transmission – cells sending and receiving signals from other cells – is the basis of physiology. Everything our body does essentially, is a result of this cell-to-cell communication and innumerable diseases are the results of this
Serotonin and sleep regulation: cellular and molecular mechanisms
Serotonin ( 5-HT ) is a neurotransmitter, which plays major roles in several physiological functions including circadian rhythmicity, appetite, thermoregulation, nociception, emotion and cognition. The relationship between 5-HT and sleep was demonstrated by several experiments, including in particular an
Androgen receptor; a tale of two cancers
Prostate cancer and breast cancer share similarities as hormone related cancers with a wide range of heterogeneous settings. Macklin, as early as 1954, provided evidence for a significantly higher frequency of prostate cancer among relatives of breast
Special molecular mechanism makes CD147 an interesting drug target in cancer or autoimmune diseases
T cells are important players of the immune system, recognizing foreign or dangerous agents with their unique receptors. They defend the body from these agents either directly by killing or by recruiting or regulating other immune system
The olfactory system may extract sensory information by summating signals from multiple receptors
We interpret the world around us by means of individual sensory nervous systems, vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and balance/movement. These systems transduce the physical world into neural information in the brain through multi-step processes. Generally, one
BC007, first steps of this new drug on the way for future treatment of patients with cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart in which the heart chambers stretch and thin (dilate). Under this condition, the heart and cannot pump enough blood needed by the other organs need. DCM presents as
Another prince awakened Sleeping Beauty?
Tumor suppressor genes are one of the body’s defenses against uncontrolled growth of tumor cells. When these genes are ‘silenced,’ or prevented from doing their work, the abnormal cells grow unchecked, usually with fatal consequences to the
A synaptic receptor with a dual personality
Learning and storage of information in the brain at the cellular level involves dynamic modification of synapses, the place where information passes from a neuron to another. The efficacy of this transmission of information changes and depends
Hosts and pathogens: war without end
Theodosius Dobzhansky once famously remarked that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”. Nowhere is this truer than in the never ending struggle between animals and the pathogens (viruses, bacteria and parasites) which
Active-state of AT1 receptor attenuates inverse agonism of ARBs through changes in specific ligand-receptor interactions
G protein – coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute one of the largest gene superfamilies in the human genome. The angiotensin II ( Ang II ) type 1 receptor ( AT1R ) belongs to G – protein coupled receptor
Keys to unlocking human dopamine D1 receptor signal transduction
Our body organs, such as the brain, are made of different cells that talk to each other by releasing natural chemicals outside the cells. The free chemicals then attach to specialized proteins named receptors, which are anchored
Kidney angiotensinogen as a cardinal risk factor in hypertension
High blood pressure is prevalent in over 30% of the adult population and accounts for approximately one fourth of patients with heart failure, especially the elderly. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is of critical importance in the regulation
AntiVEGF therapy: hidden changes on heart and vessels
VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor) is a protein normally present in our organism that promotes the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. Cancer cells produce this substance in large quantity, obtaining a continuous
