Search results for "Growth factor"
showing 10 items of 1300 documents
Utility of C-peptide for a reliable estimate of insulin secretion in children with growth hormone deficiency.
2016
OBJECTIVE: GH treatment (GHT) can lead to glucose metabolism impairment through decreased insulin sensitivity and impaired pancreatic β-cell function, which are the two key components of the pathogenesis of diabetes. Therefore, in addition to insulin sensitivity, during GHT it is very important to perform a reliable evaluation of insulin secretion. However, conflicting data exist regarding the insulin secretion in children during GHT. C-peptide provides a more reliable estimate of β-cell function than insulin, but few studies evaluated it during GHT. Our aim was to assess the usefulness of C-peptide in the evaluation of insulin secretion in GH deficiency (GHD) children. DESIGN: In 48 GHD ch…
A whole blood test to measure SARS-CoV-2-specific response in COVID-19 patients
2021
Objectives To examine whether specific T-cell-responses to SARS-CoV-2 peptides can be detected in COVID-19 using a whole-blood experimental setting, which may be further explored as potential diagnostic tool. Methods We evaluated IFN-γ levels after stimulating whole-blood with spike and remainder-antigens peptides megapools (MP) derived from SARS-CoV-2 sequences; IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17A, eotaxin, basic FGF, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, PDGF, RANTES, TNF-α, VEGF were also evaluated. Results IFN-γ-response to spike and remainder-antigens MPs was significantly increased in 35 COVID-19-patients compare…
The complex alteration in the network of IL-17-type cytokines in patients with hereditary angioedema
2018
Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare autosomic-dominant disorder characterized by a deficiency of C1 esterase inhibitor which causes episodic swellings of subcutaneous tissues, bowel walls and upper airways that are disabling and potentially life-threatening. We evaluated n = 17 patients with confirmed HAE diagnosis during attack and remission state and n = 19 healthy subjects. The samples were tested for a panel of IL (Interleukin)-17-type cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, granulocyte–macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-17, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) subtypes. Data indicate that there are variations of cytokine levels in HAE subjects compar…
Methodological Approach to Use Fresh and Cryopreserved Vessels as Tools to Analyze Pharmacological Modulation of the Angiogenic Growth
2016
The sprouting of new vessels is greatly influenced by the procedure chosen. We sought to optimize the experimental conditions of the angiogenic growth of fresh and cryopreserved vessels cultured in Matrigel with the aim to use this system to analyze the pharmacological modulation of the process. Segments of second-order branches of rat mesenteric resistance arteries, thoracic aorta of rat or mouse, and cryopreserved rat aorta and human femoral arteries were cultured in Matrigel for 7-21 days in different mediums, as well as in the absence of endothelial or adventitia layer. Quantification of the angiogenic growth was performed by either direct measurement of the mean length of the neovessel…
Vascular‐derived TGF‐β increases in the stem cell niche and perturbs neurogenesis during aging and following irradiation in the adult mouse brain
2012
Neurogenesis decreases during aging and following cranial radiotherapy, causing a progressive cognitive decline that is currently untreatable. However, functional neural stem cells remained present in the subventricular zone of high dose-irradiated and aged mouse brains. We therefore investigated whether alterations in the neurogenic niches are perhaps responsible for the neurogenesis decline. This hypothesis was supported by the absence of proliferation of neural stem cells that were engrafted into the vascular niches of irradiated host brains. Moreover, we observed a marked increase in TGF-β1 production by endothelial cells in the stem cell niche in both middle-aged and irradiated mice. I…
FGF-2/FGFR1 neurotrophic system expression level and its basal activation do not account for the age-dependent decline of precursor cell proliferatio…
2010
It is largely accepted that neurogenesis in the adult brain decreases with age and reduced levels of local neurotrophic support is speculated to be a contributing factor. Among neurotrophic factors involved on neurogenesis, we focused our attention on the neurotrophic system fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and its receptor FGFR1, a potent modulator of precursor cell proliferation. In the present work, we aimed to analyse if potential age-dependent changes of the FGF-2/FGFR1 neurotrophic system may give account for the age-dependent decline of precursor cell proliferation in the neurogenic region of the subventricular zone (SVZ) in the rat brain. Using in situ hybridization and western bl…
Conserved role of Ras-GEFs in promoting aging: from yeast to mice
2011
RasGRF1 is a Ras-guanine nucleotide exchange factor implicated in a variety of physiological processes including learning and memory and glucose homeostasis. To determine the role of RASGRF1 in aging, lifespan and metabolic parameters were analyzed in aged RasGrf1(-/-) mice. We observed that mice deficient for RasGrf1(-/-) display an increase in average and most importantly, in maximal lifespan (20% higher than controls). This was not due to the role of Ras in cancer because tumor-free survival was also enhanced in these animals. Aged RasGrf1(-/-) displayed better motor coordination than control mice. Protection against oxidative stress was similarly preserved in old RasGrf1(-/-). IGF-I lev…
SARS CoV2 infection _The longevity study perspectives
2021
Graphical abstract
Metformin induces an agonist-specific increase in albumin production by primary cultured rat hepatocytes
1995
Abstract Metformin (MET) is known to increase several biological effects of insulin (INS), but there is no information concerning its direct effects on protein synthesis. We studied the action of MET on albumin production by primary cultures of freshly isolated rat hepatocytes, alone or in combination with various agonists: INS, IGF-1, EGF, thyroxin, and dexamethasone. While having no effect alone, MET in vitro potentiates the effects of INS, IGF-1, and EGF. When this increasing effect toward INS was studied over a broad concentration range, MET appeared to improve low-acting INS levels and to intensify the maximal INS effects. In contrast, MET did not change the production of albumin stimu…
Enhanced Activity of Meprin-α, a Pro-Migratory and Pro-Angiogenic Protease, in Colorectal Cancer
2011
Meprin-α is a metalloprotease overexpressed in cancer cells, leading to the accumulation of this protease in a subset of colorectal tumors. The impact of increased meprin-α levels on tumor progression is not known. We investigated the effect of this protease on cell migration and angiogenesis in vitro and studied the expression of meprin-α mRNA, protein and proteolytic activity in primary tumors at progressive stages and in liver metastases of patients with colorectal cancer, as well as inhibitory activity towards meprin-α in sera of cancer patient as compared to healthy controls. We found that the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)- induced migratory response of meprin-transfected epithelial c…