Search results for "Physiological Phenomena"

Differential Roles of Macrophages in Diverse Phases of Skin Repair

2010

Abstract Influx of macrophages plays a crucial role in tissue repair. However, the precise function of macrophages during the healing response has remained a subject of debate due to their functional dichotomy as effectors of both tissue injury and repair. We tested the hypothesis that macrophages recruited during the diverse phases of skin repair after mechanical injury exert specific functions to restore tissue integrity. For this purpose, we developed a mouse model that allows conditional depletion of macrophages during the sequential stages of the repair response. Depletion of macrophages restricted to the early stage of the repair response (inflammatory phase) significantly reduced the…

Growth and defense in deciduous trees and shrubs under UV-B

2005

Abstract Reflection by waxy or resinous surface structures and hairs, repair reactions of biomolecules and induction of different sheltering components provide the means of plant protection from harmful solar UV-B radiation. Secondary products, especially flavonoids and phenolic acids as defense components are also important in plant tolerance to UV-B, fulfilling the dual role as screens that reduce UV-B penetration in plant tissues, and as antioxidants protecting from damage by reactive oxidant species. Plants are sensitive to UV-B radiation, and this sensitivity can be even more clone-specific than species-specific. The results available in the literature for deciduous trees and shrubs in…

Phytoestrogens increase the capacity of serum to stimulate prostacyclin release in human endothelial cells

2003

Both the estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and beta isoforms are expressed in the endothelium. The ER beta has been assigned a crucial role in normal vascular wall function. Prostacyclin has been ascribed a beneficial effect on vessel wall physiology. Isoflavones bind with higher affinity to ER beta. We investigated the hypothesis that their administration to postmenopausal women can promote endothelial prostacyclin production.Twenty-five healthy postmenopausal women with mild climacteric symptoms received capsules containing 55 mg/day isoflavones derived from soy and red clover for 6 months. Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed for 24 h to serum collected before…

Recent progress in understanding the non-neuronal cholinergic system in humans.

2007

Priming with a combination of proangiogenic growth factors improves wound healing in normoglycemic mice

2011

Growth factors and/or angiogenic factors are supposed to improve wound healing. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of subcutaneous pretreatment with combinatory proangiogenic factors on wound closure, mechan - ical properties, vessel density and morphology. Twenty-eight Balb/c mice were divided equally into two groups. A mixture of VEGF (35.0 µg), bFGF (2.5 µg) and P dGF (3.5 µg) was administered subcutaneously 3, 5 and 7 days to 14 mice before full thickness skin punch biopsy wounding, whereas 14 control animals received three injections of 0.2 ml saline solution. Wound sizes were assessed daily and the repaired tissues were harvested 7 days after complete wound closure. Comp…

LOCAL ADAPTATION, RESISTANCE, AND VIRULENCE IN A HEMIPARASITIC PLANT-HOST PLANT INTERACTION

2000

Coevolution may lead to local adaptation of parasites to their sympatric hosts. Locally adapted parasites are, on average, more infectious to sympatric hosts than to allopatric hosts of the same species or their fitness on the sympatric hosts is superior to that on allopatric hosts. We tested local adaptation of a hemiparasitic plant, Rhinanthus serotinus (Scrophulariaceae), to its host plant, the grass Agrostis capillaris. Using a reciprocal cross-infection experiment, we exposed host plants from four sites to hemiparasites originating from the same four sites in a common environment. The parasites were equally able to establish haustorial connections to sympatric and allopatric hosts, and…

Behaviour-modifying compounds for management of the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliver).

2014

BACKGROUND: Populations of red palm weevil (RPW), a severe pest of palms in Mediterranean countries, might be limited by semiochemical-based behaviour-disrupting methods. We evaluated the effects of electroantennogram (EAG)-active plant volatiles on the behaviour of RPWs from Italy and Israel. In field experiments, α-pinene, citronellol, geraniol, citral and 1-octen-3-ol were tested for their ability to disrupt attraction to pheromone-kairomone and molasses baited traps. Those that were found to be disruptive in the field were evaluated in a laboratory choice bioassay in individual cages for their effect on RPW female feeding and oviposition. RESULTS: Field experiments showed reduced captur…

Losing weight after menopause with minimal aerobic training and mediterranean diet

2020

Objective: It is a common belief that menopausal women have greater difficulty losing weight. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a Mediterranean diet (MD) to promote weight loss in postmenopausal women. All participants were prescribed a hypocaloric traditional MD, tailored to the individual. Subjects were asked not to begin any kind of physical activity. Body composition was measured at the beginning and after 8 weeks of treatment. In total, 89 women (age 52.8 &plusmn

Development and characterization of essential oil component-based polymer films: a potential approach to reduce bacterial biofilm

2013

The development of new polymeric materials aimed to control the bacterial biofilm appears to be an important practical approach. The goal of the present study was to prepare and characterize poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) copolymer (EVA) films containing citronellol, eugenol, and linalool and evaluate their efficiency on growth and biofilm formation of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in monospecies and dual species. The results showed that the addition of oil components influenced the elastic modulus (15 % decrease), the tensile stress (30 % decrease), the elongation at break (10 % increase), and the co…

Mangiferin nanoemulsions in treatment of inflammatory disorders and skin regeneration

2018

Abstract In this paper mangiferin nanoemulsions were developed using hyaluronic acid of different molecular weight, in absence or presence of Transcutol-P. An extensive study was carried out on the physico-chemical properties of nanoemulsions. Nanosizer and transmission electron microscopy showed oil droplets average size 296 nm with monodisperses distribution (PI ≤ 0.30). The zeta potential was highly negative (−30 mV). FTIR analysis confirms the existence of physical interactions among compounds. Rheological measurements allowed to conclude that all formulations present a pseudoplastic behavior (s ∼ 0.4) in presence of the biopolymer. Moreover, mangiferin release depends on the molecular …