Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Stimulants01:29

Stimulants

1.0K
Stimulants are substances that enhance neural activity and elevate dopamine levels in the brain, leading to their highly addictive nature. These drugs include cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA, caffeine, and nicotine, each with distinct mechanisms of action and varied health implications.
Cocaine can be administered via snorting, injection, or smoking. It primarily functions by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in a euphoric high characterized by an intense sensation of happiness and...
1.0K
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

8.7K
Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
8.7K
tRNA Activation02:26

tRNA Activation

23.0K
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are present in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Though eukaryotes have 20 different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases to couple to 20 amino acids, many bacteria do not have genes for all of these aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Despite this, they still use all 20 amino acids to synthesize their proteins. For instance, some bacteria do not have the gene encoding the enzyme that couples glutamine with its partner tRNA. In these organisms, one enzyme adds glutamic acid to all of the...
23.0K
Activation Energy01:26

Activation Energy

86.7K
Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy necessary for a chemical reaction to move forward. The higher the activation energy, the slower the rate of the reaction. However, adding heat to the reaction will increase the rate, since it causes molecules to move faster and increase the likelihood that molecules will collide. The collision and breaking of bonds represents the uphill phase of a reaction and generates the transition state. The transition state is an unstable high-energy state...
86.7K
Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

3.8K
When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
3.8K
Muscle Stimulation Frequency01:22

Muscle Stimulation Frequency

4.6K
The contraction strength of muscles is regulated by motor neurons, which modulate the frequency of action potentials dispatched to the motor units based on the body's requirements. This process of varying the muscle stimulation frequency allows muscles to contract with a force that is precisely tailored to the needs of the moment, whether lifting a feather or a heavy box.
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...
4.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Nonlinear dose-response relationship between serum ferritin and anemia in Chinese children: a matched case-control study.

Frontiers in nutrition·2026
Same author

Beyond seizures: eye tracking evidence of cognitive dysfunction in epilepsy - A systematic review.

Epilepsy & behavior : E&B·2026
Same author

Evidence for Potentiation of M-Type Potassium Current by Flavonoid Corylin (3-(2,2-Dimethylchromen-6-yl)-7-hydroxychromen-4-one).

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Modulatory Effects of Bioactive Phytoconstituents on the Amplitude and Gating Properties of Membrane Ion Channels.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

[Forty Years of Dedicated Development： Establishing a High-Quality Academic Platform for Forensic Medicine - A Review of the 40-Year History of <i>Fayixue Zazhi</i>].

Fa yi xue za zhi·2026
Same author

Accurate Chemistry Collection: Coupled cluster atomization energies for broad chemical space.

Scientific data·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Measurement of BK-polyomavirus Non-Coding Control Region Driven Transcriptional Activity Via Flow Cytometry
11:54

Measurement of BK-polyomavirus Non-Coding Control Region Driven Transcriptional Activity Via Flow Cytometry

Published on: July 13, 2019

9.4K

Pioglitazone, a PPAR-γ Activator, Stimulates BK

Tsang-Shan Chen1, Ming-Chi Lai2, Te-Yu Hung2

  • 1Department of Neurology, Tainan Sin-Lau Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.

Frontiers in Pharmacology
|September 14, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Pioglitazone stimulates Ca2+-activated K+ currents and inhibits M-type K+ currents in hippocampal neurons. These effects on potassium channels may explain its broad pharmacological actions.

Keywords:
Ca2+-activated K+ currentM-type K+ currenthippocampal neuronlarge-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channelpioglitazone

More Related Videos

Generation of Local CA1 &#947; Oscillations by Tetanic Stimulation
08:02

Generation of Local CA1 γ Oscillations by Tetanic Stimulation

Published on: August 14, 2015

9.5K
Recombinant &#945;- &#946;- and &#947;-Synucleins Stimulate Protein Phosphatase 2A Catalytic Subunit Activity in Cell Free Assays
09:36

Recombinant α- β- and γ-Synucleins Stimulate Protein Phosphatase 2A Catalytic Subunit Activity in Cell Free Assays

Published on: August 13, 2017

7.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Measurement of BK-polyomavirus Non-Coding Control Region Driven Transcriptional Activity Via Flow Cytometry
11:54

Measurement of BK-polyomavirus Non-Coding Control Region Driven Transcriptional Activity Via Flow Cytometry

Published on: July 13, 2019

9.4K
Generation of Local CA1 &#947; Oscillations by Tetanic Stimulation
08:02

Generation of Local CA1 γ Oscillations by Tetanic Stimulation

Published on: August 14, 2015

9.5K
Recombinant &#945;- &#946;- and &#947;-Synucleins Stimulate Protein Phosphatase 2A Catalytic Subunit Activity in Cell Free Assays
09:36

Recombinant α- β- and γ-Synucleins Stimulate Protein Phosphatase 2A Catalytic Subunit Activity in Cell Free Assays

Published on: August 13, 2017

7.1K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Pioglitazone (PIO) is a thiazolidinedione known to activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ).
  • PIO exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-diabetic, and antidepressive properties.
  • Its effects on specific potassium currents in central neurons are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of Pioglitazone on Ca2+-activated K+ currents (IK(Ca)) and M-type K+ currents in hippocampal neurons.
  • To elucidate the specific potassium channels affected by PIO.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-cell and inside-out patch-clamp recordings were used to measure potassium currents in mHippoE-14 cells.
  • The effects of PIO (10 μM) on IK(Ca) and M-type K+ currents were analyzed.
  • Specific channel blockers (paxilline, TRAM-39, apamin) were used to identify the type of K+ channels involved.

Main Results:

  • Pioglitazone (10 μM) significantly increased the amplitude of Ca2+-activated K+ current (IK(Ca)) in hippocampal neurons.
  • PIO's stimulation of IK(Ca) was reversed by paxilline, indicating involvement of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels.
  • PIO concentration-dependently activated BKCa channels (EC50 = 7.6 μM), altering their open and closed times and shifting their activation curve.
  • Pioglitazone also suppressed the amplitude of M-type K+ currents in these neurons.

Conclusions:

  • Pioglitazone modulates both Ca2+-activated K+ (specifically BKCa channels) and M-type K+ currents in hippocampal neurons.
  • These perturbations of potassium channel activity may contribute to the diverse pharmacological effects of Pioglitazone.
  • Further research into these channel interactions could reveal new therapeutic strategies.