Search results for "ALPHA"
showing 10 items of 3228 documents
A Molecular Dynamics-Shared Pharmacophore Approach to Boost Early-Enrichment Virtual Screening: A Case Study on Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Rec…
2016
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can be used, prior to virtual screening, to add flexibility to proteins and study them in a dynamic way. Furthermore, the use of multiple crystal structures of the same protein containing different co-crystallized ligands can help elucidate the role of the ligand on a protein's active conformation, and then explore the most common interactions between small molecules and the receptor. In this work, we evaluated the contribution of the combined use of MD on crystal structures containing the same protein but different ligands to examine the crucial ligand-protein interactions within the complexes. The study was carried out on peroxisome proliferator-activat…
Replication of Human Norovirus in Mice after Antibiotic-Mediated Intestinal Bacteria Depletion
2022
Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are the main cause of acute gastroenteritis causing more than 50,000 deaths per year. Recent evidence shows that the gut microbiota plays a key role in enteric virus infectivity. In this context, we tested whether microbiota depletion or microbiota replacement with that of human individuals susceptible to HuNoVs infection could favor viral replication in mice. Four groups of mice (n = 5) were used, including a control group and three groups that were treated with antibiotics to eliminate the autochthonous intestinal microbiota. Two of the antibiotic-treated groups received fecal microbiota transplantation from a pool of feces from infants (age 1-3 months) or an au…
Nutrient intakes of children aged 1-2 years as a function of milk consumption, cows' milk or growing-up milk.
2012
AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the nutritional adequacy of diets in early childhood as a function of milk intake, cows’ milk (CM) or growing-up milk (GUM).DesignFrom a cross-sectional food consumption survey, two groups of children aged 1–2 years were defined: Group CM fed exclusively on CM ≥ 250 ml/d and Group GUM fed on GUM ≥ 250 ml/d. Proportions of children at risk of nutrient excess or insufficiency were estimated relative to the French Recommended Daily Allowances, Estimated Average Requirements or Adequate Intakes.SettingParents participating in the survey were recruited from all regions of France by a polling organization. Distribution was adjusted to that of the French population.Sub…
Vitamin A deficiency alters rat lung alveolar basement membrane: reversibility by retinoic acid.
2010
Vitamin A is essential for lung development and pulmonary cell differentiation and its deficiency results in alterations of lung structure and function. Basement membranes (BMs) are also involved in those processes, and retinoic acid, the main biologically active form of vitamin A, influences the expression of extracellular matrix macromolecules. Therefore, we have analyzed the ultrastructure and collagen content of lung alveolar BM in growing rats deficient in vitamin A and the recovering effect of all-trans retinoic acid. Male weanling pups were fed a retinol-adequate or -deficient diet until they were 60 days old. A group of vitamin A-deficient pups were recovered by daily intraperitonea…
alpha-Tocopherol, MDA-HNE and 8-OHdG levels in liver and heart mitochondria of adriamycin-treated rats fed with alcohol-free beer.
2008
Different studies indicate that oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage are key factors in different pathogenic process. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of alcohol-free beer on adriamycin-induced (ADR) heart and liver toxicity using biomarkers of oxidative stress. This effect was compared with the effect of alcohol beer intake and with a control group. Rats were randomly divided into six groups. The first group received no adriamycin, was fed with water and was regarded as the control group; the second group was injected with a ADR (two cycles of 5mg/kg); the third and fourth groups were fed with alcohol-free and beer for 21 days, respectively and the…
α-Tocopherol Modulates Phosphatidylserine Externalization in Erythrocytes
2006
Objective— The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of α-tocopherol, the main vitamin E isomer on phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure at the surface of circulating erythrocytes, and to determine consequences on erythrocyte properties. Methods and Results— In vitro α-tocopherol enrichment of isolated erythrocytes significantly decreased PS externalization as assessed by lower Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate labeling. Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) transfers vitamin E, and both α-and γ-tocopherol accumulated in circulating erythrocytes from PLTP-deficient homozygous (PLTP −/− ) mice as compared with wild-type mice. In agreement with in vitro studies, vitamin E–enr…
Hypoxia Positively Regulates the Expression of pH-Sensing G-Protein–Coupled Receptor OGR1 (GPR68)
2016
Background & Aims: A novel family of proton-sensing G-proteinâcoupled receptors, including ovarian cancer G-proteinâcoupled receptor 1 (OGR1) (GPR68) has been identified to play a role in pH homeostasis. Hypoxia is known to change tissue pH as a result of anaerobic glucose metabolism through the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. We investigated how hypoxia regulates the expression of OGR1 in the intestinal mucosa and associated cells. Methods: OGR1 expression in murine tumors, human colonic tissue, and myeloid cells was determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The influence of hypoxia on OGR1 expression was studied in monocytes/macrophages and…
Anti-inflammatory Function of High-Density Lipoproteins via Autophagy of IκB Kinase
2015
Background & Aims: Plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are frequently found decreased in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, and because HDL exerts anti-inflammatory activities, we investigated whether HDL and its major protein component apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) modulate mucosal inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The human intestinal epithelial cell line T84 was used as the in vitro model for measuring the effects of HDL on the expression and secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM). Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-responsive promoter activity was studied by …
Mosaic activating mutations in GNA11 and GNAQ are associated with phakomatosis pigmentovascularis and extensive dermal melanocytosis
2016
Common birthmarks can be an indicator of underlying genetic disease but are often overlooked. Mongolian blue spots (dermal melanocytosis) are usually localized and transient, but they can be extensive, permanent, and associated with extracutaneous abnormalities. Co-occurrence with vascular birthmarks defines a subtype of phakomatosis pigmentovascularis, a group of syndromes associated with neurovascular, ophthalmological, overgrowth, and malignant complications. Here, we discover that extensive dermal melanocytosis and phakomatosis pigmentovascularis are associated with activating mutations in GNA11 and GNAQ, genes that encode Gα subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins. The mutations were det…
Somatic Symptoms among Children and Adolescents in Poland: A Confirmatory Factor Analytic Study of the Children Somatization Inventory.
2013
The aim of the present study was to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the short version of the Children’s Somatization Inventory (CSI-24) in Poland. The CSI-24 is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess somatic symptoms in children and adolescents. A total of 733 children and adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, participated in this research. The participants for this study were recruited from urban and suburban schools of Opole province in South Western Poland. In addition to the CSI-24, all participants completed the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The bifactor model that included the three domain-…