Switching-on of serotonergic calcium signaling in activated hepatic stellate cells

AIM:To investigate serotonergic Ca 2+ signaling and the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) receptors,as well as Ca 2+ transporting proteins,in hepatic stellate cells(HSCs) . METHODS:The intracellular Ca 2+ concentration([Ca 2+ ]i) of isolated rat HSCs was measured with a fluorescence microscopic imaging system.Quantitative PCR was per-formed to determine the transcriptional levels of 5-HT receptors and endoplasmic reticulum(ER) proteins involved in Ca 2+ storage and release in cultured rat HSCs. RESULTS:Distinct from quiescent cells,activated HSCs exhibited[Ca 2+ ]i transients following treatment with 5-HT,which was abolished by U-73122,a phospholipase C inhibitor.Upregulation of 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B receptors,but not 5-HT3,was prominent during trans-differentiation of HSCs.Pretreatment with ritanserin,a 5-HT2 antagonist,inhibited[Ca 2+ ]i changes upon application of 5-HT.Expression of type 1 inositol-5'-triphosphate receptor and type 2 sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ ATPase were also increased during activation of HSCs and serve as the major isotypes for ER Ca 2+ storage and release in activated HSCs.Ca 2+ binding chaperone proteins of the ER,including calreticulin,calnexin and calsequestrin,were up-regulated following activation of HSCs. CONCLUSION:The appearance of 5-HT-induced[Ca 2+ ]i response accompanied by upregulation of metabotropic 5-HT2 receptors and Ca 2+ transporting/chaperone ER proteins may participate in the activating process of HSCs.

The effect of individualized music on agitation for home-dwelling persons with dementia

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effect of individualized music on agitation for homedwelling patients with dementia. Method: One group pre-post test was used for research design and a total of 26 subjects participated in this study. Individualized music intervention was subjects’ listening to their preferred music for 30 minutes prior to peak agitation time twice a week for a total of four sessions. The subject’s agitation levels were measured for three different points: thirty minutes prior to listening to music, 30 minutes while listening to the music, and after listening to the music throughout the 4 sessions. To measure the agitation level, the modified CohenMansfield Agitation Inventory was used. A Paired ttest was used for data analysis. Results: Most subjects were female (73.1%), Caucasian (92.4%), Protestant (50%), and independent activity (53.8%). The mean of the subjects’ MMSE scores was 8.08 (8.17). The most favorite music types included country/western music (31.0%), religious music (26.9%), and big band (26.9%). Agitation level decreased while listening to the music compared to the baseline (t = 3.70, p < .001). Conclusion: The findings of this study would provide meaningful data to develop an individualized music intervention protocol to control agitation for homedwelling patients with dementia.