<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-arachidonoyl glycine,an abundant endogenous lipid,potently drives directed cellular migration through GPR18, the putative abnormal cannabidiol receptor

Background  

Microglia provide continuous immune surveillance of the CNS and upon activation rapidly change phenotype to express receptors that respond to chemoattractants during CNS damage or infection. These activated microglia undergo directed migration towards affected tissue. Importantly, the molecular species of chemoattractant encountered determines if microglia respond with pro- or anti-inflammatory behaviour, yet the signaling molecules that trigger migration remain poorly understood. The endogenous cannabinoid system regulates microglial migration via CB₂ receptors and an as yet unidentified GPCR termed the 'abnormal cannabidiol' (Abn-CBD) receptor. Abn-CBD is a synthetic isomer of the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) and is inactive at CB₁ or CB₂ receptors, but functions as a selective agonist at this G_i/o-coupled GPCR. N-arachidonoyl glycine (NAGly) is an endogenous metabolite of the endocannabinoid anandamide and acts as an efficacious agonist at GPR18. Here, we investigate the relationship between NAGly, Abn-CBD, the unidentified 'Abn-CBD' receptor, GPR18, and BV-2 microglial migration.     

STUDIES OF ADHESION OF METAL PARTICLES TO SILICA PARTICLES BASED ON ZETA POTENTIAL MEASUREMENTS

The zeta-potentials of silica, copper, platinum and gold particles have been measured as a function of pH. The isoelectric points were found to be at pH 3.0, 5.8, 3.0 and 3.5, respectively. In the pH range 3.0 to 5.8 copper and silica particles are oppositely charged and accordingly the coating of silica with copper particles could be demonstrated. In the case of gold and platinum the sign of the charge is such that direct adhesion to silica particles cannot be expected and this was also demonstrated in the case of platinum.     

PACAP and its receptors exert pleiotropic effects in the nervous system by activating multiple signaling pathways

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) was originally isolated from the ovine brain in 1989 as a novel hypothalamic hormone that potently activates adenylate cyclase to produce cyclic AMP in pituitary cells. This neuropeptide belongs to the secretin/glucagon/vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) superfamily, and exists in two amidated forms as PACAP38 (38-amino acid residues) and PACAP27 derived from the same precursor. The primary structure of PACAP has been remarkably conserved throughout evolution among tunicata, ichthyopsida, amphibia and mammalia, and a PACAP-like neuropeptide has also been determined in Drosophila. Both PACAP and its receptors are mainly distributed in the nervous and endocrine systems showing pleiotropic functions with high potency. There are three types of receptors with high PACAP-binding affinity and with different tissue-distribution patterns. All of them belong to G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily with seven transmembrane domains. PAC(1) is the PACAP-specific receptor and exists in at least eight splice variants which couple to different intracellular signal transduction pathways. VPAC(1) and VPAC(2) are the common receptors for both PACAP and VIP, which are coupled to adenylate cyclase. This review article presents and discusses an update on PACAP research and its pleiotropic physiological functions based on multiple receptor-mediated signaling mechanisms in both the central and peripheral nervous system, including the regulation of hypothalamic neurosecretion, homeostatic control of circadian clock and behavioral actions, involvement in learning and memory processes, neuroprotective effects such as anti-apoptosis and response to injury and inflammation, and neural ontogenetic functions on proliferation/differentiation processes from early stages.     

Set the controls for the heart of the Sun

In this paper we describe experiments conducted with high-power lasers that are attempting to replicate, for a very short time and in miniature, conditions found in the Sun. Experiments to date have reached conditions in the outer part of the Sun. To reach the Sun's centre requires compression of material to very much greater than solid density and heating to over ten million degrees. To achieve this, a new class of experiments and a new generation of high-power lasers are required.