Search results for "EURA"
showing 10 items of 3336 documents
Mesopolysaccharides: The extracellular surface layer of visceral organs
2020
The mesothelium is a dynamic and specialized tissue layer that covers the somatic cavities (pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial) as well as the surface of the visceral organs such as the lung, heart, liver, bowel and tunica vaginalis testis. The potential therapeutic manipulation of visceral organs has been complicated by the carbohydrate surface layer—here, called the mesopolysaccharide (MPS)—that coats the outer layer of the mesothelium. The traditional understanding of MPS structure has relied upon fixation techniques known to degrade carbohydrates. The recent development of carbohydrate-preserving fixation for high resolution imaging techniques has provided an opportunity to re-examine…
The quality of cortical network function recovery depends on localization and degree of axonal demyelination
2016
AbstractMyelin loss is a severe pathological hallmark common to a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Demyelination in the central nervous system appears in the form of lesions affecting both white and gray matter structures. The functional consequences of demyelination on neuronal network and brain function are not well understood. Current therapeutic strategies for ameliorating the course of such diseases usually focus on promoting remyelination, but the effectiveness of these approaches strongly depends on the timing in relation to the disease state. In this study, we sought to characterize the time course of sensory and behavioral alterations induced…
Free-Floating Mesothelial Cells in Pleural Fluid After Lung Surgery
2018
Objectives: The mesothelium, the surface layer of the heart, lung, bowel, liver and tunica vaginalis, is a complex tissue implicated in organ-specific diseases and regenerative biology; however, the mechanism of mesothelial repair after surgical injury is unknown. Previous observations indicated seeding of denuded mesothelium by free-floating mesothelial cells may contribute to mesothelial healing. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of mesothelial cells in pleural fluid during the 7 days following pulmonary surgery. Study design: Flow cytometry was employed to study pleural fluid of 45 patients after lung resection or transplantation. We used histologically validated mesothelial …
EAST/SeSAME syndrome: Review of the literature and introduction of four new Latvian patients.
2018
EAST (Epilepsy, Ataxia, Sensorineural deafness, Tubulopathy) or SeSAME (Seizures, Sensorineural deafness, Ataxia, Mental retardation, and Electrolyte imbalance) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome first described in 2009 independently by Bockenhauer and Scholl. It is caused by mutations in KCNJ10, which encodes Kir4.1, an inwardly rectifying K+ channel found in the brain, inner ear, kidney and eye. To date, 16 mutations and at least 28 patients have been reported. In this paper, we review mutations causing EAST/SeSAME syndrome, clinical manifestations in detail, and efficacy of treatment in previously reported patients. We also report a new Latvian kindred with 4 patients. In co…
Autoimmune polyglandular diseases.
2019
Autoimmune polyglandular diseases (APD) are defined as the presence of two autoimmune -induced endocrine failures. With respect to the significant morbidity and potential mortality of APD, the diagnostic objective is to detect APD at an early stage, with the advantage of less frequent complications, effective therapy and better prognosis. This requires that patients at risk be regularly screened for subclinical endocrinopathies prior to clinical manifestation. Regarding the time interval between manifestation of first and further endocrinopathies, regular and long-term follow-up is warranted. Quality of life and psychosocial status are poor in APD patients and involved relatives. Familial c…
Differential glutamatergic and GABAergic contributions to the tetrad effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol revealed by cell-type-specific reconstitution…
2020
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive ingredient of Cannabis sativa, exerts its actions through the endocannabinoid system by stimulation of the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor. The widespread distribution of this receptor in different neuronal cell types and the plethora of functions that is modulated by the endocannabinoid system explain the versatility of the effects of THC. However, the cell types involved in the different THC effects are still not fully known. Conditional CB1 receptor knock-out mice were previously used to identify CB1 receptor subpopulations that are "necessary" for the tetrad effects of a high dose of THC: hypothermia, hypolocomotion, catalepsy and …
Modulation of information processing by AMPA receptor auxiliary subunits
2020
AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are key molecules of neuronal communication in our brain. The discovery of AMPAR auxiliary subunits, such as proteins of the TARP, CKAMP and CNIH families, fundamentally changed our understanding of how AMPAR function is regulated. Auxiliary subunits control almost all aspects of AMPAR function in the brain. They influence AMPAR assembly, composition, structure, trafficking, subcellular localization and gating. This influence has important implications for synapse function. In the present review, we first discuss how auxiliary subunits affect the strength of synapses by modulating number and localization of AMPARs in synapses as well as their glutamate…
Interactions between odorants and glutathione transferases in the human olfactory cleft
2020
AbstractXenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and other proteins, including odorant-binding proteins located in the nasal epithelium and mucus, participate in a series of processes modulating the concentration of odorants in the environment of olfactory receptors (ORs) and finely impact odor perception. These enzymes and transporters are thought to participate in odorant degradation or transport. Odorant biotransformation results in 1) changes in the odorant quantity up to their clearance and the termination of signaling and 2) the formation of new odorant stimuli (metabolites). Enzymes, such as cytochrome P450 and glutathione transferases (GSTs), have been proposed to participate in odorant clea…
Chemical probes to potently and selectively inhibit endocannabinoid cellular reuptake
2017
The extracellular effects of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol are terminated by enzymatic hydrolysis after crossing cellular membranes by facilitated diffusion. The lack of potent and selective inhibitors for endocannabinoid transport has prevented the molecular characterization of this process, thus hindering its biochemical investigation and pharmacological exploitation. Here, we report the design, chemical synthesis, and biological profiling of natural product-derived N-substituted 2,4-dodecadienamides as a selective endocannabinoid uptake inhibitor. The highly potent (IC50 = 10 nM) inhibitor N-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl amide (WOBE437) exerted pronounced canna…
Confirmation of PDZD7 as a Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss Gene.
2016
Objective PDZD7 was identified in 2009 in a family with apparent nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. However, subsequent clinical reports have associated PDZD7 with digenic Usher syndrome, the most common cause of deaf-blindness, or as a modifier of retinal disease. No further reports have validated this gene for nonsyndromic hearing loss, intuitively calling correct genotype-phenotype association into question. This report describes a validating second case for biallelic mutations in PDZD7 causing nonsyndromic mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss. It also provides detailed audiometric and ophthalmologic data excluding Usher syndrome in both the present proband (proband 1) and the…