MethodsA novel potent and selective NOP agonist SCH 221510 was used in the study. The effect of NOP activation on mouse intestinal motility was characterized in vitro and in vivo, in physiological conditions and in animal models of hypermotility and diarrhea. Well-established mouse models of visceral

pain were used to characterize the antinociceptive effect of the NOP activation. To provide additional evidence that the endogenous nociceptin system is a relevant target for IBS, NOP expression and nociceptin levels were quantified in serum and colonic biopsies from IBS-D patients. Key ResultsSCH 221510 produced a potent NOP-mediated inhibitory effect on mouse intestinal motility in vitro and in vivo in physiological selleck chemicals llc conditions. The NOP agonist displayed an antidiarrheal and analgesic action after oral administration in animal models mimicking Mocetinostat cost the symptoms of IBS-D. Studies on human samples revealed a strong decrease in endogenous

nociceptin system expression in IBS-D patients compared with healthy controls. Conclusions & InferencesCollectively, mouse and human data suggest that the endogenous nociceptin system is involved in IBS-D and may become a target for anti-IBS-D treatments using potent and selective synthetic NOP agonists.”
“Sylos Labini F, Ivanenko YP, Cappellini G, Gravano S, Lacquaniti F. Smooth changes in the EMG patterns during gait transitions

under body weight unloading. J Neurophysiol 106: 1525-1536, 2011. First published June 22, 2011; doi: 10.1152/jn.00160.2011.-During gradual speed MEK inhibitor clinical trial changes, humans exhibit a sudden discontinuous switch from walking to running at a specific speed, and it has been suggested that different gaits may be associated with different functioning of neuronal networks. In this study we recorded the EMG activity of leg muscles at slow increments and decrements in treadmill belt speed and at different levels of body weight unloading. In contrast to normal walking at 1 g, at lower levels of simulated gravity (< 0.4 g) the transition between walking and running was generally gradual, without systematic abrupt changes in either intensity or timing of EMG patterns. This phenomenon depended to a limited extent on the gravity simulation technique, although the exact level of the appearance of smooth transitions (0.4-0.6 g) tended to be lower for the vertical than for the tilted body weight support system. Furthermore, simulations performed with a half-center oscillator neuromechanical model showed that the abruptness of motor patterns at gait transitions at 1 g could be predicted from the distinct parameters anchored already in the normal range of walking and running speeds, whereas at low gravity levels the parameters of the model were similar for the two human gaits.