Search results for "Cell movement"
showing 10 items of 396 documents
Oxidative burst and neutrophil elastase contribute to clearance of Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia in mice.
2014
Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are important for the control of invasive aspergillosis (IA), a major threat to immunocompromised individuals. For clearance of Aspergillus fumigatus infections, PMN employ their potent oxidative and non-oxidative mechanisms. To clarify the relative contribution of these mechanisms, we analyzed p47(phox-/-), gp91(phox-/-) and elastase (ELA) deficient mice (ELANE) after intratracheal infection with A. fumigatus. Infected p47(phox-/-) and gp91(phox-/-) mice died within 4 days and had a significant higher fungal burden in the lungs compared to wild-type controls. Interestingly, the survival of ELANE mice after infection was unimpaired suggesting that ELA is …
Delivery of liquorice extract by liposomes and hyalurosomes to protect the skin against oxidative stress injuries.
2015
Liquorice extract, obtained by percolation in ethanol of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. roots, was incorporated in liposomes and hyalurosomes, new phospholipid-sodium hyaluronate vesicles, and their protective effect against oxidative stress skin damages was probed. As a comparison, raw glycyrrhizin was also tested. All the vesicles were small in size (≤ 100 nm), with a highly negative zeta potential ensuring long-term stability, and able to incorporate a high amount of the extract. In vitro tests showed that the liquorice extract loaded in vesicles was able to scavenge DPPH free radical (80% inhibition) and to protect 3T3 fibroblasts against H2O2-induced oxidative stress, restoring the normal condi…
Inhibition of endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase increases atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability in mice
2013
The role of endocannabinoids such as anandamide during atherogenesis remains largely unknown. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) represents the key enzyme in anandamide degradation, and its inhibition is associated with subsequent higher levels of anandamide. Here, we tested whether selective inhibition of FAAH influences the progression of atherosclerosis in mice. Selective inhibition of FAAH using URB597 resulted in significantly increased plasma levels of anandamide compared to control, as assessed by mass spectrometry experiments in mice. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice were fed a high-fat, cholesterol-rich diet to induce atherosclerotic conditions. Simultaneously, mice recei…
The non-neuronal cholinergic system in peripheral blood cells: Effects of nicotinic and muscarinic receptor antagonists on phagocytosis, respiratory …
2007
Peripheral blood cells express the complete non-neuronal cholinergic system. For example synthesis of acetylcholine and nicotinic as well muscarinic receptors have been demonstrated in leucocytes isolated from human peripheral blood. In the present experiments mononuclear cells and granulocytes were isolated from the peripheral blood to investigate content and synthesis of acetylcholine as well as phenotypic functions like respiratory burst, phagocytosis and migration. Mononuclear cells (T-cells and monocytes) contained 0.36 pmol/10(6) cells acetylcholine, whereas acetylcholine content in granulocytes was 100-fold lower. Acetylcholine synthesis amounted to 23.2+/-4.7 nmol/mg protein/h and 2…
Role of calcium in E-selectin induced phenotype of T84 colon carcinoma cells
2003
The adhesion of cancer cells to the endothelium during the metastatic process involves the interaction of specific cell-cell adhesion receptors on the cell surface. E-selectin on endothelial cells and sialyl Lewis X carbohydrate component on tumor cells are mainly implicated in the adhesion of colon carcinoma cells to the endothelium of target organ. In this paper we show that binding of E-selectin to T84 colon tumor cells causes approximately a twofold increase in intracellular calcium concentration. In particular, using two inhibitors of receptor operated calcium channels, CAI and SK&F 96365, we present evidences that the augmentation in cytoplasmic calcium originates from ionic influx fr…
Specific expression of a TRIM-containing factor in ectoderm cells affects the skeletal morphogenetic program of the sea urchin embryo
2011
In the indirect developing sea urchin embryo, the primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) acquire most of the positional and temporal information from the overlying ectoderm for skeletal initiation and growth. In this study, we characterize the function of the novel gene strim1, which encodes a tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) protein, that adds to the list of genes constituting the epithelial-mesenchymal signaling network. We report that strim1 is expressed in ectoderm regions adjacent to the bilateral clusters of PMCs and that its misexpression leads to severe skeletal abnormalities. Reciprocally, knock down of strim1 function abrogates PMC positioning and blocks skeletogenesis. Blastomere tran…
Platelet-endothelial interaction in tumor angiogenesis and microcirculation
2003
Activated platelets release angiogenic growth factors and have therefore been proposed to contribute to tumor angiogenesis within a potentially prothrombotic tumor microcirculation. The aim of the study was to investigate interactions of platelets with the angiogenic microvascular endothelium of highly vascularized solid tumors during growth and in response to endothelial stimulation in comparison with normal subcutaneous tissue. Experiments were performed in the dorsal skinfold chamber preparation of C57BL/6J mice bearing the Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC-1) or methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma (BFS-1). Fluorescently labeled rolling and adherent platelets, red blood cell velocity, and ve…
Combination of an allogenic and a xenogenic bone substitute material with injectable platelet-rich fibrin – A comparative in vitro study
2020
The aim of the in vitro study was a comparison of an allogenic (ABSM) and a xenogenic bone substitute material (XBSM) with and without injectable platelet-rich fibrin (ABSM-i-PRF & XBSM-i-PRF) on cell characteristics of human osteoblasts (HOB). Here, ABSM and XBSM (+ i-PRF = test; - i-PRF = control) were incubated with HOB for 3, 7 and 10 days. HOB viability, migration, proliferation and differentiation (RT-PCR on alkaline phosphatase (AP), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and osteonectin (OCN)) were measured and compared between groups. At day 3, an increased viability, migration and proliferation was seen for ABSM-i-PRF. For viability and proliferation (days 7 and 10) and for mig…
A Ciliary Motility Index for Activity Measurement in Cell Cultures With Respiratory Syncytial Virus
2018
[EN] Background: The respiratory epithelium is frequently infected by the respiratory syncytial virus, resulting in inflammation, a reduction in cilia activity and an increase in the production of mucus. Methods: In this study, an automatic method has been proposed to characterize the ciliary motility from cell cultures by means of a motility index using a dense optical flow algorithm. This method allows us to determine the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) together with a ciliary motility index of the cells in the cultures. The object of this analysis is to automatically distinguish between normal and infected cells in a culture. Results: The method was applied in 2 stages. It was concluded fro…
C57BL/6-specific conditions for efficient in utero electroporation of the central nervous system.
2014
Abstract Background In utero electroporation is a fast an efficient tool to specifically address gene expression in the murine central nervous system. This technique was originally established in ICR/CD-1 outbred mice. Neuroanatomical differences between the different mouse strains and variations in gestation length require the optimization of the conditions for each strain to avoid severe complications. Furthermore the relevant position information is currently only scarcely standardized and not always easy to transfer to C57BL/6 mice. New method In this study we present an improved method for in utero electroporation of C57BL/6 including a detailed atlas that allows for specific and effic…