Search results for "BLAST"

Preeclampsia: a defect in decidualization is associated with deficiency of Annexin A2.

2020

Background Decidualization defects in the endometrium have been demonstrated at the time of delivery in women with severe preeclampsia and to linger for years, which suggests a maternal contribution to the pathogenesis of this condition. Global transcriptional profiling reveals alterations in gene expression, which includes down-regulation of Annexin A2 in severe preeclampsia patients with decidualization resistance. Objective We investigated the functional role of Annexin A2 deficiency during endometrial decidualization and its potential contribution to shallow trophoblast invasion during implantation and subsequent placentation using in vitro and in vivo modeling. Study Design Annexin A2 …

Digital Image Analysis Applied to Tumor Cell Proliferation, Aggressiveness, and Migration-Related Protein Synthesis in Neuroblastoma 3D Models

2020

Patient-derived cancer 3D models are a promising tool that will revolutionize personalized cancer therapy but that require previous knowledge of optimal cell growth conditions and the most advantageous parameters to evaluate biomimetic relevance and monitor therapy efficacy. This study aims to establish general guidelines on 3D model characterization phenomena, focusing on neuroblastoma. We generated gelatin-based scaffolds with different stiffness and performed SK-N-BE(2) and SH-SY5Y aggressive neuroblastoma cell cultures, also performing co-cultures with mouse stromal Schwann cell line (SW10). Model characterization by digital image analysis at different time points revealed that cell pro…

Inhibition of B2 receptor internalization delays its dephosphorylation

1997

Porphyroblast crystallization kinetics: the role of the nutrient production rate

2011

The mechanisms that govern porphyroblast crystallization are investigated by comparing quantitative textural data with predictions from different crystallization models. Such numerical models use kinetic formulations of the main crystallization mechanism to predict textural characteristics, such as grain size distributions. In turn, data on porphyroblast textures for natural samples are used to infer which mechanism dominated during their formation. Whereas previous models assume that the rate-limiting step for a porphyroblast producing reaction is either transport or growth, the model advanced in this study considers the production of nutrients for porphyroblasts as a potentially rate-limi…

Cytokines and growth factors in wound drainage fluid from patients undergoing incisional hernia repair

2006

Knowing the dynamics of growth factor and cytokine secretion within the site of a surgical operation is important, as they play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of wound healing and are a target for modifying the repair response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production of several cytokines and growth factors in the drainage wound fluid from patients undergoing incisional hernia repair: namely, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-1alpha, IL-1 ra, interferon-gamma, vascular endothelial growth factors and basic fibroblast growth factor. Ten female patients with abdominal midline incisional hernia undergoing surgical repair were included in this study. In all cases, a closed-suction…

Isolated osteoblastoma of the cuboid bone: A case report and review of the literature

2020

Osteoblastoma is a relatively rare, benign, bone-forming tumor, commonly observed in the second and third decades of life. Spine and the long tubular bones are the most common sites of involvement. Osteoblastoma is infrequently seen in other sites, including the bones of hand and foot. A rare case of a 35-year-old man that presented an osteoblastoma of the cuboid bone is reported. The patient was treated with surgical resection and grafting. After the intervention, the patient recovered with no clinical and radiological evidence of recurrence after one year of follow-up. Several cases of osteoblastoma-like variant of osteosarcoma of the cuboid have been previously reported, but, to our know…

Topotecan triggers apoptosis in p53-deficient cells by forcing degradation of XIAP and survivin thereby activating caspase-3-mediated Bid cleavage.

2009

The topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan (TPT) is used in the therapy of different tumors including high-grade gliomas. We previously showed that TPT-induced apoptosis depends on p53 with p53 wild-type (wt) cells being more resistant because of p53-controlled degradation of topoisomerase I. Here, we show that p53-deficient (p53(-/-)) fibroblasts undergo excessive mitochondrial apoptosis featuring H2AX phosphorylation, Bcl-x(L) decline, cytochrome c release, caspase-9/-3/-2 activation, and cleavage of Bid. In wt and apaf-1(-/-) cells, caspase-2 did not become activated and Bid was not cleaved. In addition, p53(-/-) cells cotreated with TPT and caspase-3 inhibitor showed neither caspase-2 acti…

Embryo culture: can we perform better than nature?

2010

Culture of preimplantation-stage embryos has always been a key element of laboratory embryology and has contributed substantially to the success of many assisted reproduction procedures. During the past decade, its importance has increased as extended in-vitro embryo culture and single blastocyst transfer have become indispensable parts of the approach to decreasing the chance of multiple pregnancy while preserving the overall efficiency of the treatment. However, in spite of the scientific and commercial challenge stimulating research worldwide to optimize embryo culture conditions, a consensus is missing even in the basic principles, including composition and exchange of media, the requir…

New specimens of Lingulocystis Thoral, 1935 (Eocrinoidea, Blastozoa) from the Arenig (Lower Ordovician) of Montagne noire (southern France): Intraspe…

2007

16 pages; The genus Lingulocystis Thoral, 1935 is a preponderant component of the echinoderm fauna of the Lower Ordovician of Montagne noire (France), as suggested by its abundant remains. Its morphology is characterized by a flattened theca, composed of a frame enclosing numerous small polygonal central plates. The new specimens have been determined partly as Lingulocystis elongata Thoral, 1935 and partly as Lingulocystis aff. deani Ubaghs, 1994. This study is the first report of Lingulocystis in the Foulon Formation. New stratigraphic ranges have been defined for both species: L. elongata from the early Tremadoc (Saint- Chinian Formation) to the middle Arenig (lower part of the Landeyran …

T Cell Polarization toward T

2016

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a fibro-inflammatory disorder involving virtually every organ with a risk of organ dysfunction. Despite recent studies regarding B cell and T cell compartments, the disease’s pathophysiology remains poorly understood. We examined and characterized subsets of circulating lymphocytes in untreated patients with active IgG4-RD. Twenty-eight consecutive patients with biopsy-proven IgG4-RD were included in a prospective, multicentric study. Lymphocytes’ subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry, with analysis of TH1/TH2/TH17, TFH cells, and cytokine release by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Results were compared to healthy controls and to patients with primary…