Diaz MR, Vollmer CC, Zamudio-Bulcock PA, Vollmer W, Blomquist SL, Morton RA, Everett JC, Zurek AA, Yu J, Orser BA, Valenzuela CF. (2014) Neuropharmacology. 79:262-74. Abstract Exposure to ethanol (EtOH) during fetal development can lead to long-lasting alterations, including deficits in fine motor skills and motor learning. Studies suggest that these are, in part, a […]

 Caraiscos VB, Bonin RP, Newell JG, Czerwinska E, Macdonald JF, Orser BA. (2007) Mol Pharmacol. 71(5):1277-87. Abstract The mechanisms by which insulin modulates neuronal plasticity and pain processes remain poorly understood. Here we report that insulin rapidly increases the function of glycine receptors in murine spinal neurons and recombinant human glycine receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney […]

Li J, Zhang N, Ye B, Ju W, Orser B, Fox JE, Wheeler MB, Wang Q, Lu WY. (2007) Br J Pharmacol. 151(4):483-93. Abstract BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) incidentally induce hypoglycemia, which is often seen in diabetic patients receiving sulphonylureas. NSAIDs influence various ion channel activities, thus they may cause hypoglycemia […]

Xiang YY, Wang S, Liu M, Hirota JA, Li J, Ju W, Fan Y, Kelly MM, Ye B, Orser B, O’Byrne PM, Inman MD, Yang X, Lu WY. (2007) Nat Med. 13(7):862-7. Abstract γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important neurotransmitter that, through the subtype A GABA receptor (GABAAR), induces inhibition in the adult brain. Here we […]

Bonin RP, Martin LJ, MacDonald JF, Orser BA. (2007) J Neurophysiol. 98(4):2244-54. Abstract GABAA receptors generate both phasic and tonic forms of inhibition. In hippocampal pyramidal neurons, GABAA receptors that contain the α5 subunit generate a tonic inhibitory conductance. The physiological role of this tonic inhibition is uncertain, although α5GABAA receptors are known to influence hippocampal-dependent learning […]

Wei WL, Sun HS, Olah ME, Sun X, Czerwinska E, Czerwinski W, Mori Y, Orser BA, Xiong ZG, Jackson MF, Tymianski M, MacDonald JF. (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci. 104(41):16323-8. Abstract Exposure to low Ca2+ and/or Mg2+ is tolerated by cardiac myocytes, astrocytes, and neurons, but restoration to normal divalent cation levels paradoxically causes Ca2+ […]

Bonin RP, Orser BA. (2008) Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 90(1):105-12. Abstract General anesthetics produce a constellation of behavioral responses and widespread neurodepression. Recent studies have implicated the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) subtype A receptor as a primary anesthetic target. During the past decade, considerable progress has been made in dissecting the behavioral effects of anesthetics according to the subunit […]

Merali R, Orser BA, Leeksma A, Lingard S, Belo S, Hyland S. (2008) Healthc Q. 11(3 Spec No.):54-7. Abstract A medication safety project for operating rooms (ORs) was initiated under the leadership of the Departments of Anesthesia and Nursing with a representative from the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada. […]

Lingard L, Regehr G, Orser B, Reznick R, Baker GR, Doran D, Espin S, Bohnen J, Whyte S. (2008) Arch Surg. 143(1):12-7; discussion 18. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess whether structured team briefings improve operating room communication. PARTICIPANTS: This 13-month prospective study used a preintervention/ postintervention design. All staff and trainees in the division of general surgery at a […]

Li GH, Jackson MF, Orser BA, Macdonald JF. (2009) Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol. 2(1):47-56. Abstract Activation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) can modulate excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system by dynamically altering the number of synaptic AMPA receptors (AMPARs). The surface expression of NMDARs themselves is also subject to modulation in an activity-dependent manner. In […]