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Study shows how myelinated mammalian nerves propagate nerve impulses at high frequencies

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers, for the first time ever, have achieved patch-clamp studies of an elusive part of mammalian myelinated nerves called the Nodes of Ranvier.

6 Nov 2019

Why granny’s herbs work to lower high blood pressure

A study from the University of California, Irvine, explains a hitherto unknown mechanism of action for bioactive molecules in commonly used plant-based folk medicines like fennel, camomile and lavender that are used to lower the blood pressure.

1 Oct 2019

Scientists take first step towards digital map of the ion channels in the brain

Researchers have mapped the molecular workings of voltage-gated potassium ion channels within the brain.

16 Aug 2019

Neuronal gene mutations may be linked to seizures associated with Long QT Syndrome

Researchers identified a gene in fruit flies that helps prevent the hyperexcitability of specific neurons that trigger seizures. In humans, mutations in the gene may be linked to seizures associated with Long QT Syndrome.

From PLOS ONE 13 Aug 2019

Research shows that water molecules do not co-migrate via potassium channel

Do only potassium ions pass through the selectivity filter of a potassium channel, or are there water molecules between the ions? This question has been a source of controversy for years.

12 Aug 2019

Why cilantro (coriander) is good for your health

Scientists have uncovered the molecular action through which the herb cilantro delays the onset of certain seizures in epilepsy and other diseases.

25 Jul 2019

Defective potassium channels linked only with headaches, not body pain

Defective potassium channels involved in pain detection can increase the chance of developing a headache and could be implicated in migraines, according to research in mice published in eNeuro.

From Society for Neuroscience 19 Jul 2019

Study confirms QT-prolonging effects of grapefruit juice

Grapefruit juice is already listed as a substance to avoid when taking QT-prolonging medications because it increases the toxicity of many drugs.

9 May 2019

Researchers report novel findings on plant hormone

Jasmonic acid is not just the aromatic odor of the plant Jasminum grandiflorum used in cosmetics and perfume industries. Plants wounded by e.g. chewing herbivores produce jasmonic acid as a defense signal, as a phytohormone to mount their defense responses - this includes for example the formation of toxic substances.

10 Dec 2018

Researchers discover molecular basis for therapeutic actions of an African folk medicine

Researchers in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine have discovered the molecular basis for therapeutic actions of an African folk medicine used to treat a variety of illnesses and disorders including diabetes, pain, headaches, paralysis and epilepsy.

15 Nov 2018

Scientists discover primary, direct target of alcohol in the brain

When alcohol enters the brain, it causes neurons in a specialized region called the ventral tegmental area, or VTA -- also known as the "pleasure center" -- to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that produces those feel-good sensations, and tells the brain that whatever it just experienced is worth getting more of.

23 Oct 2018

Newly discovered protein shown to cause amyloid-beta plaques in Alzheimer's

Scientists have discovered that a potassium channel called KCNB1 can trigger the formation of amyloid-beta plaques seen in Alzheimer's disease.

2 Oct 2018

Rutgers study uncovers new mechanism linked to Alzheimer's and traumatic brain injury

Rutgers researchers have discovered a new mechanism that may contribute to Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury. They now hope to launch a clinical trial to test the treatment in humans.

27 Sep 2018

UAB study shows how ion channel differentiates newborn and mature neurons in the brain

The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus is part of the brain that helps form memories. It is also one of just two areas in the adult brain where new neurons are continuously formed.

13 Aug 2018

UCI research team uncovers new unexpected mode of neurotransmitter-based communication

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine have discovered the first example of a novel mode of neurotransmitter-based communication.

22 May 2018

Researchers to take 'unprecedented look' into protein behind hypertension, epilepsy, and overactive bladder

The seemingly unrelated conditions of hypertension, epilepsy and overactive bladder may be linked by electrical activity in a protein long studied by a biomedical engineer at Washington University in St. Louis.

15 May 2018

Genome editing identifies neural circuit behind leptin’s anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects

Revealing surprising answers to a long-standing enigma about the brain target of the anti-obesity hormone leptin, neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have used CRISPR genome editing to identify a neural circuit in the hypothalamus as the primary mechanism in mediating leptin's anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects and have identified two distinct mechanisms underlying leptin's inhibition of appetite.

19 Apr 2018