Search results for " alpha"

Molecular mechanisms underlying proteins-membrane interaction

Differential response of neuronal cells to a fusion protein of ciliary neurotrophic factor/soluble CNTF-receptor and leukemia inhibitory factor

2002

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) displays neurotrophic activities on motor neurons and neural cell populations both in vivo and in vitro. On target cells lacking intrinsic expression of specific receptor alpha subunits cytokines of the IL-6 family only act in the presence of their specific agonistic soluble receptors. Here, we report the construction and expression of a CNTF/soluble CNTF-receptor (sCNTF-R) fusion protein (Hyper-CNTF) with enhanced biological activity on cells expressing gp130 and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIF-R), but not membrane-bound CNTF-R. At the cDNA level, the C-terminus of the extracellular domain of human CNTF-R (amino acids 1-346) was linked via a sing…

Motivation zur psychosomatisch-psychotherapeutischen Bearbeitung von beruflichen Belastungen - Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens

2005

Background There is a lack of questionnaires assessing the motivation of inpatients to scrutinize occupational stresses and deal with them as part of their psychotherapeutic treatment. Work-related stress contributes significantly to the development of mental disorders. Vocational reintegration is an outcome criterion for the success of vocational rehabilitation. Patients are often not motivated for dealing with occupational stresses during inpatient medical rehabilitation. Therefore it is necessary to assess patient motivation at the beginning of treatment, in order to assign them to specific interventions, e. g. promoting motivation. Method A questionnaire (Fragebogen zur berufsbezogenen …

The pituitary gland prevents shock-associated death by controlling multiple inflammatory mediators

2018

Abstract Bacterial infections cause a major burden of disease worldwide. Sepsis and septic shock are life-threatening complications of infections. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis initiates the release of endogenous glucocorticoids that modulate the host stress response and acute inflammation during septic shock. It is an ongoing controversial debate, if therapeutic manipulations of the HPA axis could benefit the clinical situation in the context of shock. Here, we have studied Long Evans rats with hypophysectomy followed by endotoxic shock. The shock-associated lethality was substantially higher in hypophysectomized rats as compared to control mice after cranial sham surgery (…

"RKKH" peptides from the snake venom metalloproteinase of Bothrops jararaca bind near the metal ion-dependent adhesion site of the human integrin alp…

1999

Integrin alpha(1)beta(1) and alpha(2)beta(1) are the major cellular receptors for collagen, and collagens bind to these integrins at the inserted I-domain in their alpha subunit. We have previously shown that a cyclic peptide derived from the metalloproteinase domain of the snake venom protein jararhagin blocks the collagen-binding function of the alpha(2) I-domain. Here, we have optimized the structure of the peptide and identified the site where the peptide binds to the alpha(2) I-domain. The peptide sequence Arg-Lys-Lys-His is critical for recognition by the I-domain, and five negatively charged residues surrounding the "metal ion-dependent adhesion site" (MIDAS) of the I-domain, when mu…

Fiabilidad y validez de constructo de la traducción al valenciano/catalán del Cuestionario para la Evaluación del Síndrome de Quemarse por el trabajo…

2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and construct validity of the Valencian/Catalonian version of the Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI) in a sample of non-university teachers from the Valencia province (Spain). The sample consisted of 1359 teachers (67.2% were women). This instrument contains 20 items distributed into four dimensions: Enthusiasm toward the job (5 items), Psychological exhaustion (4 items), Indolence (6 items) and Guilt (5 items). The psychometric properties were examined through the following analyses: confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha). All items achieved appropriate values for both statistical and psychometric parameters,…

Induction of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor by fenofibrate in rat liver

1992

AbstractThe process of peroxisome proliferation in rodent liver by hypolipidemic compounds and related substances has recently been shown to be receptor-madiated. In the present study, we have examined the effect of oral administration of the strong peroxisome proliferator fenofibrate on the hepatic expression level of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) in rats. Immunoblots of rat liver cytosols and nuclear extracs using antibodies raised against recombinant PPAR/β-galactosidase fusion proteins revealed a pronounced increase in the amount of PPAR protein in response to fenofibrate treatment. This induction could also be confirmed at the level or RNA by Northern blotting. …

CD14+CD16+ monocytes in coronary artery disease and their relationship to serum TNF-α levels

2004

SummaryMonocytes play a central role in the inflammatory disease atherosclerosis. CD14+CD16+ monocytes are considered proinflammatory monocytes, as they have an increased capacity to produce proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, and are elevated in various inflammatory diseases. We hypothesized that patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have increased levels of CD14+CD16+ monocytes, and that CD14+CD16+ monocytes are associated with inflammation markers. We investigated CD14+CD16+ monocytes in 247 patients with CAD and 61 control subjects using flow cytometry. In addition serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, and Hs-CRP were assessed. Patients with CAD had higher levels of CD14+CD16…

Glycolytic phenotype and AMP kinase modify the pathologic response of tumor xenografts to VEGF neutralization.

2011

Abstract VEGF antagonists are now widely used cancer therapeutics, but predictive biomarkers of response or toxicity remain unavailable. In this study, we analyzed the effects of anti-VEGF therapy on tumor metabolism and therapeutic response by using an integrated set of imaging techniques, including bioluminescence metabolic imaging, 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, and MRI imaging and spectroscopy. Our results revealed that anti-VEGF therapy caused a dramatic depletion of glucose and an exhaustion of ATP levels in tumors, although glucose uptake was maintained. These metabolic changes selectively accompanied the presence of large necrotic areas and partial tumor regress…

Paracrine in vivo inhibitory effects of adipose tissue–derived mesenchymal stromal cells in the early stages of the acute inflammatory response

2015

Abstract Background aims Excessive or unresolved inflammation leads to tissue lesions. Adipose tissue–derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AMSCs) have shown protective effects that may be dependent on the modulation of inflammation by secreted factors. Methods We used the zymosan-induced mouse air pouch model at two time points (4 h and 18 h) to evaluate the in vivo effects of AMSCs and their conditioned medium (CM) on key steps of the early inflammatory response. We assessed the effects of AMSCs and CM on leukocyte migration and myeloperoxidase activity. The levels of chemokines, cytokines and eicosanoids in exudates were measured by use of enzyme-linked immunoassay or radio-immunoassay. In …