Search results for " molecule"

Profile of leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions induced in venules and arterioles by nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors in vivo.

2013

Background There is controversy regarding cardiovascular (CV) toxicity of the nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors used to treat human immunodeficiency virus infection. Methods We evaluated the effects of nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors on leukocyte-endothelium interactions, a hallmark of CV diseases, in rat mesenteric vessels using intravital microscopy and in human arterial cells using a flow chamber system. Results Abacavir and didanosine increased rolling, adhesion and emigration in rat vessels. These effects were reversed with antibodies against Macrophage-1 antigen (Mac-1) or intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and were reproduced in human cells. Lamivudine, zidovudin…

Carbon Monoxide-Releasing Molecules: A Pharmacological Expedient to Counteract Inflammation

2008

Carbon monoxide (CO) mediates many of the biological effects that are attributed to heme oxygenase (HO), the enzyme responsible for CO production in mammals. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of HO-1, the inducible isoform of heme oxygenase, have been demonstrated in a variety of disease models and a therapeutic exploitation of this pathway is currently under scrutiny. In this context, the liberation of CO from CO-releasing molecules (CO-RMs) is extremely attractive as these compounds may form the basis of a new class of pharmaceuticals. Recent investigations indicate that HO-1 and CO modulate important processes in chronic inflammation; these include the control of immune respon…

Synthetic small molecules as anti-biofilm agents in the struggle against antibiotic resistance

2018

Abstract Biofilm formation significantly contributes to microbial survival in hostile environments and it is currently considered a key virulence factor for pathogens responsible for serious chronic infections. In the last decade many efforts have been made to identify new agents able to modulate bacterial biofilm life cycle, and many compounds have shown interesting activities in inhibiting biofilm formation or in dispersing pre-formed biofilms. However, only a few of these compounds were tested using in vivo models for their clinical significance. Contrary to conventional antibiotics, most of the anti-biofilm compounds act as anti-virulence agents as they do not affect bacterial growth. I…

Mechanism in allergic contact dermatitis.

1993

Embryonic neural cell adhesion molecules on human natural killer cells

1989

The neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) are surface glycoproteins that were first described in brain tissue. NCAM mediate adhesion in a variety of cell-cell interactions. In the present study we show that the so-called "embryonic" NCAM, i.e., the highly polysialylated forms of these proteins, are expressed on natural killer cells and some CD3+ cells in man. Homotypic binding of NCAM, believed to be of importance for cell-cell adhesion in neural tissues, appears not to be essential for NK cell-mediated killing. Yet, NCAM might be involved in NK cell migration, homing or related functions.

Alternative pathway activation of T cells by binding of CD2 to its cell-surface ligand.

1987

Activation of resting T lymphocytes is initiated by the interaction of cell-surface receptors with their corresponding ligands. In addition to activation through the CD3 (T3)-Ti antigen-receptor complex1, recent experiments have demonstrated induction of T-cell proliferation through the CD2 (T11) molecule2–4, traditionally known as the erythrocyte(E)-receptor, through which T cells can bind red blood cells (RBC)5–7. This 'alternative pathway' of T-cell activation2 was observed in vitro in response to combinations of anti-CD2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind to distinct epitopes of CD2, such as mAbs against T112 plus T113 (ref. 2). The physiological importance of this activation pathwa…

Stimulator cell-dependent requirement for CD2- and LFA-1-mediated adhesions in T lymphocyte activation by superantigenic toxins.

1992

Abstract The staphylococcal enterotoxins and related microbial T cell mitogens stimulate T cells by cross-linking variable parts of the T cell receptor (TCR) with MHC class II molecules on accessory or target cells. We have used cloned human T cells and defined tumor cells as accessory cells (AC) to study the requirements for T cell activation by these toxins. On AC expressing high levels of CD54 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1, ICAM-1) and CD58 (lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3, LFA-3), mAb to CD2 were relatively ineffective in inhibiting the response to the toxins and antibodies to the lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) did not inhibit at all. If added together, h…

Molecular Strategies for Targeting Antioxidants to Mitochondria: Therapeutic Implications

2015

Mitochondrial function and specifically its implication in cellular redox/oxidative balance is fundamental in controlling the life and death of cells, and has been implicated in a wide range of human pathologies. In this context, mitochondrial therapeutics, particularly those involving mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, have attracted increasing interest as potentially effective therapies for several human diseases. For the past 10 years, great progress has been made in the development and functional testing of molecules that specifically target mitochondria, and there has been special focus on compounds with antioxidant properties. In this review, we will discuss several such strategies, …

Synthesis and characterization of complexes of trialkyl- and triarylphosphine gold(I) with thiolated purines and pyrimidines. A class of bifunctional…

1991

Abstract New complexes of the type R 3 PAuL or (R 3 PAu) 2 (μ-L) where R=ethyl or phenyl and L=6-thioguanine, 2, 6- dithioxanthine, 2, 4-dithiouracil and/or dithioerythritol have been prepared. These complexes have been identified by using elemental analysis, 1 H, 13 C and 31 P NMR spectroscopy. The structures have been proposed based on these spectroscopic studies. Sulfur appears to be the binding site in disubstituted complexes of 2, 4-dithiouracil and 1, 4-dithioerythritol, while the phosphine gold( I ) moieties appear to be S and N bonded in 2, 6-dithioxanthine and 6-thioguanine. The potential use of these complexes as antitumor drugs is discussed.

Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the transport of small molecules in dispersed systems

1998

Abstract The knowledge of the behaviour of flavour compounds in complex multiphase systems with regard to their structure is of great importance in flavour perception of foods. The thermodynamic and kinetic behaviour of three selected flavour compounds belonging to a homologous series of esters, e.g. ethyl acetate, ethyl butanoate and ethyl hexanoate, were studied in simple and multiphase systems. The liquid system was composed of water (with or without sodium caseinate) and/or a lipid, Miglyol. First, the properties of the solutes were determined by means of their liquid–liquid partition at equilibrium and their diffusion in aqueous or lipid phases. This first step allowed to reveal the im…