Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology

Abstract Sex differences in vascular adrenergic responsiveness contribute to differential regulation of vascular tone. Female vessels exhibit enhanced β-adrenergic relaxation compared with males, but the role of oestrogen receptors in maintaining this phenotype and the capacity of sex hormone exposure to reprogram vascular β-adrenoceptor expression remain incompletely understood. Thoracic aorta a…

Abstract Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic tool for managing glioblastoma (GB), particularly in radiosensitisation. However, their mechanisms of action are not yet fully understood. Since ion channel activity is implicated in various aspects of radioresistance, we investigated the electrophysiological effects of AgNPs on GB cells. In the U251 human GB cell line,…

Abstract Spexin (SPX) is an endogenous peptide expressed throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Although its impact on postprandial intestinal motility has been examined, its effect during fasting remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the direct effects of SPX on jejunal and ileal segments in vitro , its effects on fasting small intestinal motility in vivo , and to determine the roles …

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is a pleiotropic factor that plays a key role in the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, targeting TGF-β inhibition failed to mitigate CKD in practice. The proximal tubule (PT), the most vulnerable renal segment, plays a central role in post-injury repair or the drift to CKD. Despite its well-documented profibrotic effects, recent stud…

The kidney is a major regulator of phosphate metabolism. The body can lower systemic phosphate levels by increasing renal phosphate excretion, and kidney injury results in elevated serum phosphate concentrations (hyperphosphatemia). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with various organ injuries, including vascular calcification and cardiovascular disease, where hyperphosphatemia acts as a…

Hypertension is a serious global public health problem that significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Its etiology involves inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, and imbalances in blood pressure (BP) regulatory systems. In this context, the search for new therapeutic agents remains a major challenge, highlighting natural compounds such as cinnamic acid (CA) and its derivati…

Actin is a key component of the cytoskeleton and also plays diverse roles within the cell nucleus. While polymerized F-actin can be detected using a wide range of probes, reliable methods to identify unpolymerized (“G-”) actin in fixed cells are relatively limited. Fluorescently labeled DNase I has long served as a high-affinity probe for monomeric actin and has recently gained renewed interest i…

Elimination of excess acid loads in metabolic acidosis requires stimulation of ammoniagenesis. Cortisol is critical to increase proximal tubular cells’ ammonia production. We aimed to specifically examine whether children’s low fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, which goes along with an increased dietary acid load, may raise cortisol secretion and whether glucocorticoids relevantly associate with a…

G Protein activated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channels are inhibited during stimulation of Gq Protein-coupled receptors (GqPCRs) by depletion of phosphatidyl-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and/or channel phosphorylation by proteinkinase C (PKC). Receptor-specific effects of Gq signaling pathways on GIRK channel activity comprise the activation of different PKC isoforms that target distinct phosphory…

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is commonly used for rat euthanasia, but its potential negative side effects call for alternatives causing less distress while providing a fast and reliable loss of consciousness (LOC). Euthanasia with CO2 is currently performed in a highly non-standardized manner with different CO2 volume displacement rates/minute (VDRM) ranging from replacing 30 to 70% of the chamber volume…

Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) detect odorants and send electrical signals to glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. Unlike most neurons, OSNs are continuously regenerated throughout life and immature neurons contribute to odorant-evoked responses in glomeruli. However, their intrinsic excitability properties are largely unknown. Here, we used acute slices of the olfactory epithelium from neonatal OM…

Under conditions of dietary sodium (Na+) excess, the kidneys may fail to adequately excrete Na+, potentially compromising blood pressure homeostasis. Body tissues, such as skin, can offer sites of short-term extrarenal Na+ storage and previous research has shown that this can help guard against hypertension in small mammals (e.g., rodents). Large mammals have relatively greater Na+ storage potent…

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a movement disorder commonly recognized as being neurodegenerative. An increasing number of studies also show primary HD dysfunction in multiple tissues, consistent with the widespread expression of the mutated huntingtin gene. Studies of HD skeletal muscle have revealed membrane hyperexcitability and prolonged action potentials due to Cl– and K+ channel dysfunction a…