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LAURA TEIXIDÓ Y COLS. AN. R. ACAD. NAC. FARM.
similar to the actual currents in human brain, and not merely a
chimeric combination of different receptor subunits. Our results,
therefore reinforce the usefulness of Xenopus oocytes expressing
human nicotinic mRNA as a tool for pharmacological research to
design drugs to ameliorate the symptoms in Alzheimer patients. The
pharmacology of the nicotinic current recorded reveals that the main
native combination of subunits corresponds to a4ß2, a3ß4 and a7
receptors which is consistent with the major presence of nicotinic
receptors in human brain (12-14).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was funded by DGESIC from the Spanish Government,
CIRIT from the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Fundació La
Marató de TV3. We are indebted to the Banc de Teixits Neurològics
(Brain Bank) of the Serveis Científico-Tècnics, Universitat de
Barcelona, for human brain sample. We also thank SAL of the
Universitat de Barcelona for linguistic help. The Win Whole Cell
analysis 3.0.2 program was kindly provided by Prof. Dempster
(Strathclyde University, Scotland, UK). P.N. received a fellowship
from the Fundació August Pi i Sunyer.
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