No abstract available.
Animals ; Calcium Channels* ; Calcium* ; Rats*

The use of magnesium sulphate has recently increased in anesthesiology and pain medicine. The roles of magnesium sulphate are as an analgesic adjuvant, a vasodilator, a calcium channel blocker and reducing the anesthetic requirement. These effect are primarily based on the regulation of calcium influx into the cell and antagonism of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor. We discuss here the clinical effects of magnesium sulphate on anesthesiology and pain medicine.
Anesthesiology ; Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Magnesium ; N-Methylaspartate

Animals ; Calcium Channel Blockers* ; Calcium Channels* ; Calcium* ; Dogs* ; Hemodynamics*

OBJECTIVETo determine the expression levels of calcium channel alpha-2-delta-1 (Cavalpha2delta-1) subunit in trigeminal ganglia (TG) and trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis C1-C2 spinal cervical dorsal horn(Vc/C2) after infraorbital nerve (ION) ligation injury in relation to the development of neuropathic nociception.

METHODSTwelve male SD rats were divided into two groups randomly, with 6 rats for each. In the ligation group, the ION was ligated by chromic gut loosely. In the sham operation group, the ION was exposed under same procedure but not ligated. The behavioral tests were conducted before 1 d and after 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 d with calibrated von Frey filaments. Cavalpha2delta-1 protein levels in TG and Vc/C2 were measured with Western blots 15 days after surgery.

RESULTSCompared with the sham operation group, changes of allodynia to mechanical stimulation on the territory of ligated ION were found from the 9th to 15th day after operation in the ligation group (P<0.05). The expression levels of Cavalpha2delta-1 in TG and Vc/ C2 after ION ligation injury upregulated significantly (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe expression levels of Cavalpha2delta-1 in TG and Vc/C2 after ION ligation injury were upregulated and it may contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropathic nociception.

The early studies of cardiac and smooth muscle cells provided evidence for two different calcium channels, the L-type (also called high-voltage activated (HVA)) and the T-type (low-voltage activated (LVA)). These calcium channels provided calcium for muscle contractions and pace-making activities. As might be expected, the number of different calcium channels increased when researchers studied neurons and the identification of the neuronal calcium channel has proven to be much more difficult than with the muscle calcium channels. There are two reasons for this difficulty; (1) a larger number of different calcium channels in neurons and (2) many of the different calcium channels have similar kinetic properties. This review uses the N-type calcium channel to illustrate the difficulties in identifying and characterizing calcium channels in neurons. It shows that the discovery of toxins that can specifically block single calcium channel types has made it possible to easily and rapidly discern the physiological roles of the different calcium channels in the neuron. Without these toxins it is unlikely that progress would have been as rapid.
Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Calcium Channels, N-Type* ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myocardium ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Neurons

According to the analysis and integration on prior research results regarding meridian essence, it is believed that high-energy metabolism is one of the main characteristics of along-meridian specificity. With discussion on the formation mechanism of along-meridians high-energy metabolism as entry point, it is found out that proteins of voltage-gated calcium channel along the meridians are likely to play an essential role of starting and coupling during the along-meridians functional activity. Thus, the hypothesis "proteins coupling in the meridians" is modified to the hypothesis "calcium channels proteins coupling in the meridians", which opens new path to reveal material basis and action mechanism of meridians.
Calcium ; metabolism ; Calcium Channels ; metabolism ; Energy Metabolism ; Humans ; Meridians

Very little research has been carried out on safflower seed for the prevention and treatment of the bone deficiency diseases, including osteoporosis, which are supported by scientific evidences. In the present study, 3microliter of 0.1% dried crude extract or 2microliter of 0.1% dried aqueous fraction were shown to significantly accelerate the rate of differentiation of osteoblast. Also, the crude extract and aqueous fraction increased the [Ca2+]i of the cultured osteoblast cells: 3microliter of 0.1% dried crude extract and 2microliter of 0.1% dried aqueous fraction significantly increased the [Ca2+]i of the cultured osteoblast cells (8x104) to the extent that it deserves a considerable attention. Furthermore, the crude extract and aqueous fraction increased the [Ca2+]i of the cultured osteoblast cells, and 300microM Cd2+, specific calcium channel blocker, completely blocked the increase. Therefore, the increased [Ca2+]i of the cultured osteoblast cells by safflower seed component continued to activate calcium channel.
Calcium Channels ; Calcium* ; Carthamus tinctorius* ; Deficiency Diseases ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteoporosis

Rapamycin (Rap) is an immunosuppressant, which is mainly used in the anti-rejection of organ transplantation. Meanwhile, it also shows great potential in the fields of anticancer, neuroprotection and anti-aging. Rap can inhibit the activity of mammalian target of Rap (mTOR). It activates the transcription factor EB (TFEB) to up-regulate lysosomal function and eliminates the inhibitory effect of mTOR on ULK1 (unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1) to promote autophagy. Recent research showed that Rap can directly activate the lysosomal cation channel TRPML1 in an mTOR-independent manner. TRPML1 activation releases lysosomal calcium. Calcineurin functions as the sensor of the lysosomal calcium signal and activates TFEB, thus promoting lysosome function and autophagy. This finding has greatly broadened and deepened our understanding of the pharmacological roles of Rap. In this review, we briefly introduce the canonical Rap-mTOR-ULK1/TFEB signaling pathway, and then discuss the discovery of TRPML1 as a new target of Rap and the pharmacological potential of this novel Rap-TRPML1-Calcineurin-TFEB pathway.
Autophagy ; Calcium/metabolism* ; Calcium Channels ; Lysosomes/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Sirolimus

Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels are widely distributed in different kinds of cells. TRP expresses highly in the prostatic cancer epithelia at different levels, but whether it expresses in chronic prostatitis epithelia or not remains poorly understood. Investigating the roles of TRP ion channels in the pathogenesis of prostatic diseases could afford us a new approach to their diagnosis and therapy.
Calcium Channels ; Calcium Signaling ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transient Receptor Potential Channels

Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Humans ; Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels ; Small-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels