Robson Faria

By R.X. Faria, L.G.B. Ferreira and L.A. Alves

Part of the book: Neuroscience

By L.G.B. Ferreira, R.A.M. Reis, L.A. Alves and R.X. Faria

Part of the book: Patch Clamp Technique

By Robson Faria

Part of the book: Receptors P1 and P2 as Targets for Drug Therapy in Humans

By Guilherme Teixeira and Robson Faria

Large conductance channels, when activated transiently, alter the plasma membrane permeability permitting the passage of molecules with the size of until 1000 Da. These pore-forming proteins are found in the plasma membrane of mammals and invertebrate cells such as the P2X7 receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), transient potential melastin receptor 8 (TRPM8), pannexin-1, and hemichannel proteins. Other proteins may be secreted for organisms creating nonselective pathways to large molecules and proteins. Some examples are α-hemolysin and gramicidin. In both cases, an efficient manner to evaluate the functionality is using fluorescent dyes. Thus, we discuss the uses of the fluorescent dyes as tools to study the functionality and some biophysical properties of the proteins described above, among others.

Part of the book: Fluorescence Methods for Investigation of Living Cells and Microorganisms

By Guilherme Teixeira and Robson Faria

Edema is a swelling from liquid accumulation in body tissues. Injuries in tissues or organs may cause this disorder leading to chemical mediators releasing and triggering the inflammatory process. Inflammatory mediators, when released in response to injuries, promote biological reactions at the affected site. Furthermore, plasma membrane receptors modulate the inflammatory chemical agent synthesis and release. Pattern recognition receptors, such as Toll Like is an example of plasma membrane receptors associated with chemical agents recognizing and cascade amplification. Therefore, these plasma membrane proteins exhibit essential roles during injuries and immunologic response. Thus, this review discusses the plasma membrane receptors modulation in the inflammatory area, focusing on edema formation.

Part of the book: Infections and Sepsis Development