Search results for "Complement"
showing 10 items of 2113 documents
Does Music Therapy Improve Anxiety and Depression in Alzheimer's Patients?
2017
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of a short protocol of music therapy as a tool to reduce stress and improve the emotional state in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: A sample of 25 patients with mild Alzheimer's received therapy based on the application of a music therapy session lasting 60 min. Before and after the therapy, patient saliva was collected to quantify the level of salivary cortisol using the Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) immunoassay technique and a questionnaire was completed to measure anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). RESULTS: The results show that the application of this therapy lowers th…
Seminal plasma-induced suppression of the respiratory burst of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes.
1984
Summary: Based on recent findings indicating suppression of lymphocytic functions by seminal plasma (SP) we tested the effects of SP from men with normo- and oligozoospermia (n = 7, each) on the generation of luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and monocytes (Mo) stimulated in vitro with zymosan. We found a complete suppression of CL of PMN and Mo by undiluted SP's, 1,000-fold dilutions still induced ≥ 20 percent inhibition. There was no difference between normo- and oligozoospermic men in inhibition of CL both with PMN and Mo. Protein concentrations of SP's were closely the same; all SP were free of the complement components C4 and C3c. After dialy…
Development of systemic lupus erythematosus in a patient with selective complete C1q deficiency
1997
A 7-year-old male with recurrent erythematous and desquamated skin lesions and respiratory infections was diagnosed as selective complete C1q deficiency following detailed studies of the complement system. His asymptomatic sister also had selective complete C1q deficiency. During a follow up period of 3 years, his skin lesions persisted, he suffered from recurrent bronchopneumonias and glomerulonephritis developed. Renal function deteriorated with the appearance of anti-DNA antibodies. Renal biopsy was consistent with systemic lupus erythematosus. The patient was treated with immunosuppressive drugs, but died of renal failure. It is postulated that in this patient defective clearance of ant…
Complement activation product C4d in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
2015
OBJECTIVE: Complement C4d-containing fragments have been proposed as diagnostic markers for lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of C4d in oropharyngeal (OPSCC) and oral (OSCC) squamous cell carcinomas. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: C4d staining was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 244 OPSCC surgical specimens. C4d levels were quantified by ELISA in resting saliva samples from 48 patients with oral leukoplakia and 62 with OSCC. Plasma samples from 21 patients with leukoplakia and 30 with oral carcinoma were also studied. RESULTS: C4d staining in OPSCC specimens was associated with nodal invasion (P = 0.001), histopathologic grade (P = 0.014), disease stage (P = 0.0…
Exercise Adherence and Effect of Self-Regulatory Behavior Change Techniques in Patients Undergoing Curative Cancer Treatment: Secondary Analysis from…
2020
Introduction: Adherence to exercise interventions in patients with cancer is often poorly described. Further, it is unclear if self-regulatory behavior change techniques (BCTs) can improve exercise adherence in cancer populations. We aimed to (1) describe exercise adherence in terms of frequency, intensity, time, type (FITT-principles) and dropouts, and (2) determine the effect of specific self-regulatory BCTs on exercise adherence in patients participating in an exercise intervention during curative cancer treatment. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis using data from a Swedish multicentre RCT. In a 2×2 factorial design, 577 participants recently diagnosed with curable breast, col…
Portulaca oleracea reduces triglyceridemia, cholesterolemia, and improves lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in rats fed enriched-cholest…
2014
Abstract Purpose The effects of Portulaca oleracea ( Po ) lyophilized aqueous extract were determined on the serum high-density lipoproteins (HDL 2 and HDL 3 ) amounts and composition, as well as on lecithin: cholesterol acyltansferase (LCAT) activity. Methods Male Wistar rats ( n = 12) were fed on 1% cholesterol-enriched diet for 10 days. After this phase, hypercholesterolemic rats (HC) were divided into two groups fed the same diet supplemented or not with Portulaca oleracea ( Po -HC) (0.5%) for four weeks. Results Serum total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerols (TG), and liver TG values were respectively 1.6-, 1.8-, and 1.6-fold lower in Po -HC than in HC group. Cholesterol concentrat…
Reconstitution of the Complement Function in C1q-Deficient (C1qa−/−) Mice with Wild-Type Bone Marrow Cells
2001
Abstract Besides Ab-independent and Ab-dependent activation of the complement classical pathway in host defense, C1q plays a key role in the processing of immune complexes and in the clearance of apoptotic cells. In humans, C1q deficiency leads to systemic lupus erythematosus-like symptoms in over 90% of the cases, thus making this defect a strong disease susceptibility factor. Similarly, C1q-deficient mice (C1qa−/−) develop systemic lupus erythematosus-like symptoms, such as autoantibodies and glomerulonephritis. We have previously provided evidence that C1q is produced by cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage. In this study, we have tested whether transplantation of bone marrow cells w…
C1-ESTERASE INHIBITOR REVERSES FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF SUPERIOR MESENTERIC ARTERY ISCHEMIA/REPERFUSION BY LIMITING REPERFUSION INJURY AND RESTORIN…
2006
Activated complement contributes significantly to reperfusion injury after ischemia. This study explores functional consequences of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) treatment after superior mesenteric artery occlusion (SMAO)/ reperfusion using intravital microscopy. Thirty anesthetized, spontaneously breathing, male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent SMAO for 60 min followed by reperfusion (4 h). C1-esterase inhibitor (100 and 200 IU/kg body weight) or saline (0.9%) was given as a single bolus before reperfusion. Sham-operated animals (n = 10) without SMAO served as controls.Systemichemodynamicsweremonitoredcontinuously,arterial bloodgasesanalyzedintermittently, andleukocyte/ endothelial interacti…
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Juice Exerts an Anticonvulsant Effect in Mice through Binding to GABA Receptors
2008
Naturally occurring benzodiazepines have been identified in regular food such as wheat and potato, but there is still no evidence that potato extracts can affect CNS responses in vivo. Here we found that undiluted potato juice and potato juice diluted with saline 1 : 2 administered 10 min intracisternally ( I. C.) and 30 min per os before bicuculline exerted significant anticonvulsant activity in the bicuculline-induced seizure threshold test in mice. In vitro, potato juice from different harvests at dilution series from 10 % to 0.000001 %, diluted 100,000-fold, displaced 50 % of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor ligand [ (3)H]GABA and diluted 40-fold displaced 50 % of [(3)H]flunitraz…
Re-establishment of complement C6-deficient rabbit colony by cryopreserved sperm transported from abroad.
2007
Introducing rabbits as genetic materials into institutes for experimental animals from other colonies is essential for biomedical research. Currently, it is inconvenient to transport live rabbits from abroad, since they suffer from stress, are prone to accidents and must be inspected, as well as endure quarantine during the often long journey. To overcome these limitations of live animals, we transported sperm cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. Rabbit sperm was collected from complement C6-deficient rabbits in Germany and then transported to Japan using a dry-shipper containing liquid nitrogen. After thawing the frozen semen and artificial insemination (AI), eleven live pups were born. Subse…