Moreover, injection with a selective alpha 4 beta 2 nAchR agonist, RJR2403 oxalate, induced a pronounced parasympathetic response with a smaller sympathetic response. Collectively, these data show that activations of alpha 4 beta 2 nAchRs elicits a parasympathetic cardiovascular response and activation of a7 nAchRs elicits a sympathetic cardiovascular response. These data suggest that specific subtypes of nicotinic receptors at the level of the ganglia may play distinct roles in mediating sympathetic or parasympathetic activation. (C) selleck chemical 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background Cognitive impairment is an important contributor to disability. Limited clinical trial evidence
exists regarding the impact of physical exercise on cognitive function (CF). We report results of a pilot study to provide estimates of the relative impact of physical activity (PA) on 1-year changes in cognitive outcomes and to characterize relationships between changes in mobility disability and changes in cognition in older adults at increased
risk for disability.
Methods. Sedentary persons (102) at increased risk for disability (aged 70-89 years) were randomized to moderate-intensity PA or health education. Participants were administered the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), modified Stroop test. and Modified Mini-Mental State Examination at baseline and 1 year.
Results. Group differences were not significant but improvements in cognitive scores were associated with improvements in physical function. this website Specifically, the DSST significantly correlated with change in the Short Physical Performance Battery score (r=.38, p=.0002), in chair stand score (r=.26 p=.012), in balance score (r =.21 p =.046), and in 400-m gait speed (r=.15, p=.147). Change recall on the RAVLT and in the Stroop test was also positively correlated with changes in chair stand and balance. respectively.
Conclusions. These results provide further support for the benefits of exercise on CF in older adults. An adequately powered clinical trial of PA involving older adults at increased risk for
cognitive disability PI3K inhibitor is needed to expand the indications for prescribing exercise for prevention of decline in brain function.”
“Benign Familial Neonatal Convulsions (BFNC) are a rare epilepsy disorder with an autosomal-dominant inheritance. It is linked to mutations in the potassium channel genes KCNQ2 and KCNQ3. These encode for Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 potassium ion channels, which produce an M-current that regulates the potential firing action in neurons through modulation of the membrane potential. We report on the biophysical and biochemical properties of V589X, T359K and P410fs12X mutant-KCNQ2 ion channels that were detected in three BFNC families. Mutant KCNQ2 cDNAs were co-expressed with WT-KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 cDNAs in HEK293 cells to mimic heterozygous expression of the KCNQ2 mutations in BFNC patients.