Search results for "DASES"
showing 10 items of 485 documents
Effects of inhaled glaucine on pulmonary responses to antigen in sensitized guinea pigs.
2000
The alkaloid (S)-(+)-1,2,9,10-tetramethoxyaporphine (glaucine) is a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor with bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. In this study, we examined the in vivo effects of glaucine on an animal model of asthma. In ovalbumin sensitized guinea pigs, inhaled glaucine (10 mg ml(-1), 3 min) inhibited the acute bronchoconstriction produced by aerosol antigen (antigen response was 256+/-42 and 95+/-14 cm H(2)O l(-1) s(-1) in control and glaucine-treated animals, respectively; P<0.05). Pretreatment with glaucine (10 mg ml(-1), 10 min inhalation, 30 min pre- and 3 h post-antigen exposure) markedly reduced airway hyperreactivity to histamine, eosinophil lung accum…
The c.43_44insCTG variation in PCSK9 is associated with low plasma LDL-cholesterol in a Caucasian population.
2006
Abstract The genetic etiology of familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) is unclear in the majority of cases. Mutations in apolipoprotein B (APOB) are the only confirmed causes of FHBL. Recently, loss-of-function mutations of PCSK9 gene have been shown to be associated with the hypocholesterolemia phenotype. Our primary goal was to confirm that mutations in PCSK9 could be another cause of FHBL. Using the sequencing approach, we found that the c.43_44insCTG variation in PCSK9, a common in-frame insertion in both African American and Caucasian populations, is associated with the hypocholesterolemia phenotype in three FHBL families. Then we tested whether this variation could be associated wit…
Depletion of polysialic acid from neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) increases CA3 dendritic arborization and increases vulnerability to excito…
2012
Chronic immobilization stress (CIS) shortens apical dendritic trees of CA3 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus of the male rat, and dendritic length may be a determinant of vulnerability to stress. Expression of the polysialylated form of neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) in the hippocampal formation is increased by stress, while PSA removal by Endo-neuraminidase-N (endo-N) is known to cause the mossy fibers to defasciculate and synapse ectopically in their CA3 target area. We show here that enzymatic removal of PSA produced a remarkable expansion of dendritic arbors of CA3 pyramidal neurons, with a lesser effect in CA1. This expansion eclipsed the CIS-induced shortening of CA3 dend…
Quantification of intramuscular fat in patients with late-onset Pompe disease by conventional magnetic resonance imaging for the long-term follow-up …
2018
Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate a quantitative method based on conventional T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to assess fatty muscular degeneration in patients with late-onset Pompe disease and to compare it with semi-quantitative visual evaluation (the Mercuri score). In addition, a long-term retrospective data analysis was performed to evaluate treatment response to enzyme replacement therapy with alglucosidase alfa. Methods MR images of the lumbar spine were acquired in 41 patients diagnosed with late-onset Pompe disease from 2006 through 2015. Two independent readers retrospectively evaluated fatty degeneration of the psoas and paraspinal muscles by apply…
Immunoproteasome LMP2 60HH Variant Alters MBP Epitope Generation and Reduces the Risk to Develop Multiple Sclerosis in Italian Female Population
2010
BackgroundAlbeit several studies pointed out the pivotal role that CD4+T cells have in Multiple Sclerosis, the CD8+ T cells involvement in the pathology is still in its early phases of investigation. Proteasome degradation is the key step in the production of MHC class I-restricted epitopes and therefore its activity could be an important element in the activation and regulation of autoreactive CD8+ T cells in Multiple Sclerosis.Methodology/principal findingsImmunoproteasomes and PA28-alphabeta regulator are present in MS affected brain area and accumulated in plaques. They are expressed in cell types supposed to be involved in MS development such as neurons, endothelial cells, oligodendroc…
Endothelial Dysfunction in Tristetraprolin-deficient Mice Is Not Caused by Enhanced Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Expression
2014
Cardiovascular events are important co-morbidities in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Tristetraprolin (TTP) regulates pro-inflammatory processes through mRNA destabilization and therefore TTP-deficient mice (TTP(-/-) mice) develop a chronic inflammation resembling human rheumatoid arthritis. We used this mouse model to evaluate molecular signaling pathways contributing to the enhanced atherosclerotic risk in chronic inflammatory diseases. In the aorta of TTP(-/-) mice we observed elevated mRNA expression of known TTP targets like tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, as well as of other pro-atherosclerotic mediators, l…
Metformin increases APP expression and processing via oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and NF-κB activation: Use of insulin to attenuate m…
2015
AbstractClinical and experimental biomedical studies have shown Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to be a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study demonstrates the effect of metformin, a therapeutic biguanide administered for T2DM therapy, on β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism in in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models. Furthermore, the protective role of insulin against metformin is also demonstrated. In LAN5 neuroblastoma cells, metformin increases APP and presenilin levels, proteins involved in AD. Overexpression of APP and presenilin 1 (Pres 1) increases APP cleavage and intracellular accumulation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ), which, in turn, promotes ag…
Prostasome-like vesicles stimulate acrosome reaction of pig spermatozoa
2007
Abstract Background The presence of small membranous particles characterizes the male genital fluids of different mammalian species. The influence of semen vesicles, denominated prostasomes, on sperm functional properties has been well documented in humans, but their biological activity is scarcely known in other species. The present work investigated prostasome-like vesicles in pig semen for their ability to interact with spermatozoa and to affect acrosome reaction. Methods Prostasome-like vesicles have been isolated from pig seminal plasma by high-speed centrifugation and Sephadex G-200 gel chromatography. Morphology of purified vesicles has been checked by scanning electron microscopy wh…
Interrelationship between demethylation of p-nitroanisole and conjugation of p-nitrophenol in rat liver
1973
The metabolism of p-nitroanisole (pNA) and p-nitrophenol (pNP) was studied in isolated rat livers perfused with a hemoglobin-free medium. The activity and viability of the surviving organ was tested by recording pH, “arterial” and “venous” oxygen tension as well as the disappearance of added pNP. pNA is converted to its primary metabolite pNP which, in turn, is excreted into the perfusion medium as conjugates. The coordination of pNA oxidation and the conjugation reactions of pNP were investigated. When 50 μM pNA is added as substrate 0.4±0.1 nmoles×ml−1×(g liver)−1 are excreted as pNP-glucuronide and 3.5±0.2 nmoles×ml−1×(g liver)−1 as the sulphate within 90 min. When pNP itself (50 μM) is …
Decreased level of cardiac antioxidants in endurance-trained rats.
1989
Han-Wistar rats were exposed to a 194-200 h swimming protocol which caused a significant increase in the cardiac weight. The levels of various tissue antioxidants were assayed from the myocardium of the right ventricle and from the left ventricle (subendo- and subepimyocardium). This endurance training decreased the activities of catalase in the right ventricle and in the subendo- and subepimyocardium and Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase in the subendomyocardium as well as the concentration of vitamin E in the right ventricle and in the subendomyocardium. Also, the activity of thioredoxin reductase decreased in each part of myocardium and that of glutathione reductase in the right ventricle and i…