Search results for "Acellular"

Inhibitory effects of okadaic acid on rat uterine contractile responses to different spasmogens

1997

In the present study, we examined the effects of okadaic acid, a selective inhibitor of type I and 2A protein phosphatases, on the mechanical responses evoked by oxytocin, K + - and Na + -modified solutions and ouabain in estrogen-primed rat myometrium. Oxytocin elicited a rapid, phasic contraction followed by rhythmic oscillations. The phasic response was partially resistant to the absence of external Ca 2+ . Okadaic acid (1 μM) and the L-type calcium channel blocker nifedipine (1 μM) abolished the oscillatory component and reduced the initial, phasic response to about 80% of the control response. High K + (60 mM) solution, ouabain (1 mM), K + -free medium and low Na + (25 mM) solution ind…

Oxygen and glucose deprivation induces major dysfunction in the somatosensory cortex of the newborn rat

2005

The mechanisms and functional consequences of ischemia-induced injury during perinatal development are poorly understood. Subplate neurons (SPn) play a central role in early cortical development and a pathophysiological impairment of these neurons may have long-term detrimental effects on cortical function. The acute and long-term consequences of combined oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) were investigated in SPn and compared with OGD-induced dysfunction of immature layer V pyramidal cortical neurons (PCn) in somatosensory cortical slices from postnatal day (P)0-4 rats. OGD for 50 min followed by a 10-24-h period of normal oxygenation and glucose supply in vitro or in culture led to pron…

Effect of coronary perfusion rate on the hydrolysis of exogenous and endogenous acetylcholine in the isolated heart

1977

1. The effect of perfusion rate on the hydrolysis of acetylcholine in isolated chicken hearts was studied by measuring both the spontaneous and the evoked output of endogenous acetylcholine into the perfusate in response to vagal stimulation and the arterio-venous difference of exogenous acetylcholine. 2. A decrease in the perfusion rate from 30 to 20 and 10 ml/min caused a graded and significant decline of both the spontaneous overflow of acetylcholine and the overflow evoked by stimulation of both vagus nerves (20 Hz, 1 ms, 40V) for 20 min. The spontaneous and evoked overflow at 30 ml/min were 2 and 3 times, respectively, the overflow at 10 ml/min. 3. Physostigmine (10−6M) raised both the…

Progressive pulmonary fibrosis is mediated by TGF-β isoform 1 but not TGF-β3

2007

Tissue repair is a well-orchestrated biological process involving numerous soluble mediators, and an imbalance between these factors may result in impaired repair and fibrosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta is a key profibrotic element in this process and it is thought that its three isoforms act in a similar way. Here, we report that TGF-beta3 administered to rat lungs using transient overexpression initiates profibrotic effects similar to those elicited by TGF-beta1, but causes less severe and progressive changes. The data suggest that TGF-beta3 does not lead to inhibition of matrix degradation in the same way as TGF-beta1, resulting in non-fibrotic tissue repair. Further, TGF-bet…

Red cell Ca2+ content (cytosolic and total) and erythrocyte membrane fluidity in vascular atherosclerotic disease

1991

An exploratory study of two Caco-2 cell models for oral absorption: A report on their within-laboratory and between-laboratory variability, and their…

2010

In 2005, the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) sponsored a study aimed at evaluating the reproducibility (between-laboratory and within-laboratory variability) and the predictive capacity of two in vitro cellular systems — the Caco-2/ATCC parental cell line and the Caco-2/TC7 clone — for estimating the oral fraction absorbed (Fa) in humans. Two laboratories, both of which had experience with Caco-2 cultures, participated in the study. Ten test chemicals with documented in vivo oral absorption data were selected. Atenolol, cimetidine and propranolol were included as reference compounds for low, medium and high intestinal absorption, respectively. Transport ex…

Retinoids induce MMP-9 expression through RARalpha during mammary gland remodeling.

2007

Retinoic acid (RA) is a signaling molecule in the morphogenesis of the mammary gland, modulating the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The aim of this paper was to study the role of RA during weaning, which consists of three events: apoptosis of the secretory cells, degradation of the extracellular matrix, and adipogenesis. CRABP II and CRBP-1 carrier proteins increased significantly during weaning compared with lactating glands but reverted to control values after the litter resuckled. The effects of RA are mediated by the nuclear receptors RARalpha, RARbeta, RARgamma, and RXRalpha, which underwent an increase in protein levels during weaning. In an attempt to elucidate the R…

Effects of sodium fluoride on the mechanical activity in mouse gastric preparations.

2005

The aim of the present study was to investigate the responses induced by sodium fluoride (NaF) on gastric mechanical activity, using mouse whole-stomach preparations. The mechanical activity was recorded in vitro as changes of intraluminal pressure. In most of the preparations, NaF induced a tetrodotoxin-insensitive biphasic effect characterized by early relaxation followed by slowly developing contractile response. The contraction was dependent on the concentration of NaF, whereas the relaxation was observed at only 10–30 mmol/L NaF. The contractile effect was significantly reduced by nifedipine (an L-type Ca2+channel blocker), ryanodine or ruthenium red (inhibitors of Ca2+release from sar…

Thyroid hormones induce sumoylation of the cold shock domain-containing protein PIPPin in developing rat brain and in cultured neurons.

2006

We previously identified a cold shock domain (CSD)-containing protein (PIPPin), expressed at high level in brain cells. PIPPin has the potential to undergo different post-translational modifications and might be a good candidate to regulate the synthesis of specific proteins in response to extracellular stimuli. Here we report the effects of thyroid hormone (T3) on PIPPin expression in developing rat brain. We found that a significant difference among euthyroid- and hypothyroid- newborn rats concerns sumoylation of nuclear PIPPin, that is abolished by hypothyroidism. Moreover, T3-dependence of PIPPin sumoylation has been confirmed in cortical neurons purified from brain cortices and culture…

Current Strategies for Tracheal Replacement: A Review

2021

Airway cancers have been increasing in recent years. Tracheal resection is commonly performed during surgery and is burdened from post-operative complications severely affecting quality of life. Tracheal resection is usually carried out in primary tracheal tumors or other neoplasms of the neck region. Regenerative medicine for tracheal replacement using bio-prosthesis is under current research. In recent years, attempts were made to replace and transplant human cadaver trachea. An effective vascular supply is fundamental for a successful tracheal transplantation. The use of biological scaffolds derived from decellularized tissues has the advantage of a three-dimensional structure based on t…