For the first time, simultaneous monitoring of changes in the concentration of cytosolic ATP ([ATP]c), pH (pHc), and intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of the individual neurons challenged with toxic glutamate (Glu) concentrations was performed. To this end, the ATP-sensor AT1.03, which binds to ATP and therefore enhances the efficiency of resonance energy transfer between blue fluorescent protein (energy donor) and yellow-green fluorescent protein (energy acceptor), was expressed in cultured hippocampal neurons isolated from 1-2-day-old rat pups. Excitation of fluorescence in the acceptor protein allowed monitoring changes in pHc. Cells were loaded with fluorescent low-affinity Ca2+ indicators Fura-FF or X-rhod-FF to register [Ca2+]i. It was shown that Glu (20 µM, glycine 10 µM, Mg2+-free) produced a rapid acidification of the cytosol and decrease in [ATP]c. An approximately linear relationship (r(2) = 0.56) between the rate of [ATP]c decline and latency of glutamate-induced delayed calcium deregulation (DCD) was observed: higher rate of [ATP]c decrease corresponded to shorter DCD latency period. DCD began with a decrease in [ATP]c of as much as 15.9%. In the phase of high [Ca2+]i, the plateau of [ATP]c dropped to 10.4% compared to [ATP]c in resting neurons (100%). In the presence of the Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor ouabain (0.5 mM), glutamate-induced reduction in [ATP]c in the phase of the high [Ca2+]i plateau was only 36.6%. Changes in [ATP]c, [Ca2+]i, mitochondrial potential, and pHc in calcium-free or sodium-free buffers, as well as in the presence of the inhibitor of Na+/K+-ATPase ouabain (0.5 mM), led us to suggest that in addition to increase in proton conductivity and decline in [ATP]c, one of the triggering factors of DCD might be a reversion of the neuronal plasma membrane Na+/Ca2+ exchange.

Discrete mechanical stretch of isolated spontaneously contracting cardiac myocytes was employed to examine the kinetics of NO production in these cells. NO oscillations were detected with fluorescent dye 4-amino-5-methylamino-2',7'-difluorofluorescein diacetate. The mechanisms underlying stretch-induced changes in NO concentration remain unclear and further studies are needed to evaluate the role of NO oscillation in the regulation of cardiomyocyte function.

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Key hemostatic serine proteases such as thrombin and activated protein C (APC) are signaling molecules controlling blood coagulation and inflammation, tissue regeneration, neurodegeneration, and some other processes. By interacting with protease-activated receptors (PARs), these enzymes cleave a receptor exodomain and liberate new amino acid sequence known as a tethered ligand, which then activates the initial receptor and induces multiple signaling pathways and cell responses. Among four PAR family members, APC and thrombin mainly act via PAR1, and they trigger divergent effects. APC is an anticoagulant with antiinflammatory and cytoprotective activity, whereas thrombin is a protease with procoagulant and proinflammatory effects. Hallmark features of APC-induced effects result from acting via different pathways: limited proteolysis of PAR1 localized in membrane caveolae with coreceptor (endothelial protein C receptor) as well as its targeted proteolytic action at a receptor exodomain site differing from the canonical thrombin cleavage site. Hence, a new noncanonical tethered PAR1 agonist peptide (PAR1-AP) is formed, whose effects are poorly investigated in inflammation, tissue regeneration, and neurotoxicity. In this review, a concept about a role of biased agonism in effects exerted by APC and PAR1-AP via PAR1 on cells involved in inflammation and related processes is developed. New evidence showing a role for a biased agonism in activating PAR1 both by APC and PAR1-AP as well as induction of antiinflammatory and cytoprotective cellular responses in experimental inflammation, wound healing, and excitotoxicity is presented. It seems that synthetic PAR1 peptide-agonists may compete with APC in controlling some inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.

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The effects of activated protein C (APC) on the quantitative parameters of neurons and neuroglia in the perifocal zone of infarction induced in the left hemispheric cortex were studied in two groups of rats. Group 1 animals served as control (control infarction). Group 2 rats were injected with APC (50 μg/kg) in the right lateral cerebral ventricle 3 h after infarction was induced, and after 72 h the infarction size was evaluated and the neurons and neuroglia in the perifocal zone were counted. APC reduced the infarction size 2.5 times in comparison with the control and reduced by 16% the neuronal death in the perifocal zone layer V, causing no appreciable changes in layer III, and did not change the size of neuronal bodies but increased (by 11%) the size of neuronal nuclei in layer III. The protein maintained the sharply increased count of gliocytes in the perifocal zone of infarction and promoted their growth. Hence, APC protected the neurons from death in the ischemic focus by increasing the gliocyte count and stimulating the compensatory reparative processes.

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