Search results for "Intracellular"
showing 10 items of 821 documents
Sodium Fluxes and Astroglial Function
2012
Astrocytes exhibit their excitability based on variations in cytosolic Ca(2+) levels, which leads to variety of signalling events. Only recently, however, intracellular fluctuations of more abundant cation Na(+) are brought in the limelight of glial signalling. Indeed, astrocytes possess several plasmalemmal molecular entities that allow rapid transport of Na(+) across the plasma membrane: (1) ionotropic receptors, (2) canonical transient receptor potential cation channels, (3) neurotransmitter transporters and (4) sodium-calcium exchanger. Concerted action of these molecules in controlling cytosolic Na(+) may complement Ca(2+) signalling to provide basis for complex bidirectional astrocyte…
A Quantitative In Vitro Approach to Study the Intracellular Fate of Gold Nanoparticles: From Synthesis to Cytotoxicity
2009
Due to their physico-chemical characteristics, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) seem to be suitable for biomedical and therapeutic applications even if conflicting data on their toxicological profiles are present in literature. In order to better understand if AuNPs could be safe we must consider different biological endpoints such as cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, inflammation and biopersistence. Starting from these considerations, one of the first issues to be assessed is to better understand if AuNPs can be internalized by cells. In this work, we propose a methodological approach to radioactivate AuNPs by neutron activation and the quantification of their internalization by two in vitro cell syst…
Electrochemical sensor based on rGO/Au nanoparticles for monitoring H2O2 released by human macrophages
2021
Abstract Increased oxidative burden contributes to the pathogenesis of most inflammatory diseases and is associated with aging and chronic inflammation. Macrophages contribute to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within inflamed tissues. Currently, ROS generation is measured using fluorescent probes and colorimetric/fluorimetric biochemical assays. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) diffuses through the cell membrane and can be monitored in the extracellular space. Herein, we present a sensor for H2O2 detection released by cells in culture supernatants. H2O2 sensing performance was evaluated using chronoamperometric detection. A sensitivity of 0.0641 μA μM−1 cm−2 with a limit of detecti…
Transplanting the genetic susceptibility to Crohn’s disease
2003
Susceptibility to Crohn’s disease may be transferred via haematopoietic stem cells, highlighting the pivotal role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease Crohn’s disease (CD) is one of the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The prevalence of CD has increased in Western countries over the past decades and mainly young patients are affected, with a peak incidence between 15 and 35 years.1 The aetiology of IBD is still unclear and should be considered as multifactorial according to recent studies.2 Genetic factors seem to play a pathogenic role as well as environmental, infectious, and immunological factors. All of these different aetiological aspects …
Freeze-fracture features of epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells, and phagocytic macrophages
1987
The freeze-fracture morphology of epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells (Langhans' type), and phagocytic macrophages was investigated. The intensely folded and interdigitating surface membranes of epithelioid cells and multinucleated giant cells displayed no specialized areas of cell contact. The size of the intramembranous particles (IMP) and the fact that the area density of IMPs was higher in the cytoplasmic (P) faces than in the external (E) faces of the cell membranes agreed with observations in other eukaryotic cells. The area densities of the IMPs suggest lower transport rates of molecules across the cell membranes of granuloma cells than of certain epithelial cells. Small pi…
(2'-5')Oligoadenylate and intracellular immunity against retrovirus infection.
1992
1. 1. The double-stranded RNA-dependent 2′,5′-oligoadenylate (2–5A) synthetase/ribonuclease L (RNase L) system plays an essential role in the establishment of the antiviral state of a cell exposed to virus infection. 2. 2. Until recently, the application of 2–5A derivatives to reinforce this system seemed to be limited mainly due to the low specificity of RNase L for viral RNA. 3. 3. Two new strategies have been developed which yield a selective antiviral effect of 2–5As at least against human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection: (i) an “intracellular immunization” appproach using 2-5A synthetase cDNA linked to HIV trans -acting response element (TAR) and (ii) inhibition of retrovira…
A prospective randomised, open-labeled, trial comparing sirolimus-containing versus mTOR-inhibitor-free immunosuppression in patients undergoing live…
2010
Abstract Background The potential anti-cancer effects of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors are being intensively studied. To date, however, few randomised clinical trials (RCT) have been performed to demonstrate anti-neoplastic effects in the pure oncology setting, and at present, no oncology endpoint-directed RCT has been reported in the high-malignancy risk population of immunosuppressed transplant recipients. Interestingly, since mTOR inhibitors have both immunosuppressive and anti-cancer effects, they have the potential to simultaneously protect against immunologic graft loss and tumour development. Therefore, we designed a prospective RCT to determine if the mTOR inhibito…
Intracellular signalling via the AKT axis and downstream effectors is active and prognostically significant in cancer of unknown primary (CUP): a stu…
2012
Background: Hypothesising that cancer of unknown primary (CUP) may harbour unique characteristics, we present a translational study of the immunohistochemical expression and clinical correlation of key PTEN/AKT pathway molecules. Patients and methods: We collected 100 paraffin-embedded CUP tissue blocks. We studied using tissue microarrays the expression of PTEN, phospho-AKT, Cyclin D1, p21, phospho-RPS6. From the percentage of staining tumour cells and the literature, we selected cut-offs to classify the expression of each biomolecule. We correlated IHC expression with clinical data. Results: PTEN, pAKT, and pRPS6 showed frequent expression. At univariate analysis, high IHC expression of p…
Physical forces in blister formation. The role of colloid osmotic pressure and of total osmolality in fluid migration into the rising blister.
1978
The physical forces operative in the fluid migration from the interstitial spaces into the blister cleft have not been directly measured until now. The colloid osmotic pressure and the total osmolality were determined in suction blister fluid after mild suction blister production by a modified “Dermovac” and in blister fluid of patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, bullous allergic contact dermatitis and pemphigus vulgaris and in the sera of healthy persons. The colloid osmotic pressure was measured by means of a recently developed osmometer with a semipermeable membrane between 2 chambers, one of them filled with Ringer solution, the other with the blister fluid or serum sample. The nega…
285 DOWNREGULATION OF ORGANIC CATION TRANSPORTERS OCT1 (SLC22A1) AND OCT3 (SLC22A3) IN HUMAN HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA AND THEIR PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICAN…
2012
Background Organic cation transporters (OCT) are responsible for the uptake and intracellular inactivation of a broad spectrum of endogenous substrates and detoxification of xenobiotics and chemotherapeutics. The transporters became pharmaceutically interesting, because OCTs are determinants of the cytotoxicity of platin derivates and the transport activity has been shown to correlate with the sensitivity of tumors towards tyrosine kinase inhibitors. No data exist about the relevance of OCTs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).