Abstract figure legend Ischaemia is a major cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), but ischaemic dysfunction is less prevalent in the urethra than in the bladder. In the bladder, sympathetic overdrive associated with ageing or metabolic syndrome would constrict arteries/arterioles resulting in blood flow reduction. In the urethra, parasympathetic and sensory nerves well counteract sympathetic vasoconstriction to minimise blood flow reduction. NO released from parasympathetic nerves diminishes sympathetic transmitter release, while directly relaxing arteriolar smooth muscle cells. Acety ..read more

The Journal of Physiology, EarlyView ..read more

Abstract figure legend There are several lines of evidence from the rodent hippocampus that theta frequency oscillations (4–12 Hz) are rich in distal strata, while ripples (120–250 Hz) are prominent in strata that are within and around the pyramidal cell layer. Our goal here was to explore possible co-occurrence of these distinct bands of signals with differential distribution across strata. We simultaneously recorded extracellular signals from multiple strata in the hippocampus of foraging rats using multi-site silicon polytrodes. We identified theta epochs from extracellular signa ..read more

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Abstract figure legend Comparative analysis of mechanosensitive ion channels in mouse tissue-resident and bone marrow-derived macrophages. mRNA coding for the mechanosensitive ion channels Piezo1 and TRPV4 is found in both types of macrophages. Piezo1 activity is observed in the plasma membrane of bone marrow-derived macrophages, but not in the membrane of macrophages isolated from heart tissue while TRPV4 activity is found across the macrophage types studied. Abstract Macrophages (MΦ) play pivotal roles in tissue homeostasis and repair. Their mechanical environment has been identified as a ..read more

The Journal of Physiology, Volume 602, Issue 8, Page 1443-1444, 15 April 2024 ..read more

Abstract figure legend Short- and long-latency afferent inhibition are evoked by pairing single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with peripheral nerve stimulation. Participants received levodopa (l-DOPA) and Placebo on separate sessions. SAI was increased in the presence of L-DOPA but not Placebo. Abstract Short- and long-latency afferent inhibition (SAI and LAI respectively) are phenomenon whereby the motor evoked potential induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is inhibited by a sensory afferent volley consequent to nerve stimulation. It remains unclear whether dop ..read more

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Abstract figure legend Delta like 4 (DLL4), a NOTCH ligand in vascular endothelial cells (EC), binds NOTCH1 in adjacent EC, leading to its cleavage and activation of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) transcriptional program during angiogenesis. Using in vivo and in vitro genetic manipulation studies, we show that DLL4 governs cerebrovascular development and modulates endothelial integrity through the NOTCH-NICD-RBPJ-CLDN5 pathway, regulating the expression of tight junction protein claudin 5 (CLDN5). Neonatal hyperoxia exposure suppresses the expression of DLL4 and CLDN5. Abstract The me ..read more

Abstract figure legend After acute exposure to moderate hypobaric hypoxia, rats were killed at the indicated time points, and mitochondria from skeletal muscle and the heart were analysed. The results showed greater mitochondrial fragmentation in skeletal muscle, wheras heart mitochondria demonstrated an increase in supercomplex assembly. Abstract In eukaryotic cells, aerobic energy is produced by mitochondria through oxygen uptake. However, little is known about the early mitochondrial responses to moderate hypobaric hypoxia (MHH) in highly metabolic active tissues. Here, we describe the mi ..read more