Search results for "Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction"
showing 10 items of 591 documents
Effects of levosimendan on hemodynamics, local cerebral blood flow, neuronal injury, and neuroinflammation after asphyctic cardiac arrest in rats.
2014
Despite advances in cardiac arrest treatment, high mortality and morbidity rates after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation are still a major clinical relevant problem. The post cardiac arrest syndrome subsumes myocardial dysfunction, impaired microcirculation, systemic inflammatory response, and neurological impairment. The calcium-sensitizer levosimendan was able to improve myocardial function and initial resuscitation success after experimental cardiac arrest/cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We hypothesized that levosimendan exerts beneficial effects on cerebral blood flow, neuronal injury, neurological outcome, and inflammation 24 hours after experimental cardiac arrest/cardiopulmonar…
Angiotensin II contractile effects in mouse colon: role for pre- and post-junctional AT1A receptors
2013
Aim This study investigates whether a local renin–angiotensin system (RAS) exists in mouse colon and whether angiotensin II (Ang II) may play a role in the regulation of the contractile activity. Methods Isometric recordings were performed in vitro on the longitudinal muscle of mouse proximal and distal colon. Transcripts encoding for RAS components were investigated by RT-PCR. Results Ang II caused, in both preparations, a concentration-dependent contractile effect, antagonized by losartan, AT1 receptor antagonist, but not by PD123319, AT2 receptor antagonist. The combination of losartan plus PD123319 caused no change on the Ang II-induced contraction than losartan alone. Tetrodotoxin, neu…
An experimental comparative study of dexamethasone, melatonin and tacrolimus in noise-induced hearing loss.
2008
The calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus (TCR) and the pineal gland hormone and antioxidant melatonin (MLT) have been shown to possess otoprotective properties against noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). In contrast, dexamethasone (DXM) was not effective as an otoprotective agent against NIHL. Further studies are needed to understand the exact molecular mechanisms involved.Exposure to noise pollution and use of audio devices for long periods of time at high volume is known to cause hearing loss or NIHL. Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of various known compounds such as the anti-inflammatory DXM, the antioxidant MLT and the immunosuppressant TCR against NIHL.Thirty-two Wistar rats were…
Hepatic steatosis is not due to impaired fatty acid oxidation capacities in C57BL/6J mice fed the conjugated trans-10,cis-12-isomer of linoleic acid.
2004
Decreased body fat mass and liver steatosis have been reported in mice fed diets containing the conjugated linoleic acid trans-10,cis-12-C18:2 (CLA2), but not in those fed diets containing cis-9,trans-11-C18:2 (CLA1). Because the decrease in fatty acid (FA) oxidation may cause fat accumulation, we questioned whether the effects of both CLAs on enzyme activities and mRNA expression were related to liver FA oxidation. To address this question, 7-wk-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed for 4 wk a diet supplemented with 1% CLA1, CLA2, or cis-9-C18:1 (control) esterified as triacylglycerols. In CLA2-fed mice, the proportions of CLA2 in the total FA of liver lipids were substantially lower than those …
Cannabinoid type 1 receptor blockade promotes mitochondrial biogenesis through endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in white adipocytes
2008
OBJECTIVE—Cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor blockade decreases body weight and adiposity in obese subjects; however, the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) induces mitochondrial biogenesis and function in adipocytes. This study was undertaken to test whether CB1 receptor blockade increases the espression of eNOS and mitochondrial biogenesis in white adipocytes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We examined the effects on eNOS and mitochondrial biogenesis of selective pharmacological blockade of CB1 receptors by SR141716 (rimonabant) in mouse primary white adipocytes. We also examined eNOS expression and mitochondrial biog…
Resveratrol Reverses Endothelial Nitric-Oxide Synthase Uncoupling in Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice
2010
A crucial cause of the decreased bioactivity of nitric oxide (NO) in cardiovascular diseases is the uncoupling of the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) caused by the oxidative stress-mediated deficiency of the NOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)). The reversal of eNOS uncoupling might represent a novel therapeutic approach. The treatment of apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE-KO) mice with resveratrol resulted in the up-regulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoforms (SOD1-SOD3), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), and catalase and the down-regulation of NADPH oxidases NOX2 and NOX4 in the hearts of ApoE-KO mice. This was associated with reductions in superoxide, 3-nitrotyrosine, and malondiald…
Genetic, clinical and radiographic signs in knee osteoarthritis susceptibility
2014
Abstract INTRODUCTION: Osteoarthritis (OA) is considered to be a multifactorial and polygenic disease and diagnosis is mainly clinical and radiological. Correlation between radiographic data and clinical status has been reported. However, very few studies, especially in Caucasian people, describe the association between the Kellgren and Lawrence OA grading scale (KL) and genetic alterations to better understand OA etiopathogenesis and susceptibility. In order to update the knee OA grading, in this study we assessed the associations between KL grade, clinical features such as American Knee Society Score (AKSS), age, and polymorphisms in the principal osteoarthritis susceptibility (OS) genes …
Effects of nitroglycerin or pentaerithrityl tetranitrate treatment on the gene expression in rat hearts: evidence for cardiotoxic and cardioprotectiv…
2009
Nitroglycerin (NTG) and pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (PETN) are organic nitrates used in the treatment of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure. Recent data show marked differences in the effects of NTG and PETN on the generation of reactive oxygen species. These differences are attributed to different effects of NTG and PETN on the expression of antioxidative proteins like the heme oxygenase-I. To analyze the expressional effects of NTG and PETN in a more comprehensive manner we performed whole genome expression profiling experiments using cardiac total RNA from NTG- or PETN-treated rats and DNA microarrays containing oligonucleotides representing 27,044 rat…
Long-term expression of differentiated functions in hepatocytes cultured in three-dimensional collagen matrix.
1998
Hepatocytes entrapped in collagen gel and cultured in serum-free conditions survived longer than cells cultured on plastic (5 days vs. 3 weeks), showed fewer signs of early cell senescence (no increase in c-fos oncoprotein expression), and maintained the expression of differentiated hepatic metabolic functions over a longer period of time. Cells cultured in collagen gels retained their ability to respond to hormones. The insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis rate remained fairly constant during 18 days in culture (between 5.4 +/- 0.37 and 9 +/- 2.7 nmol glucose/h/microg DNA). Collagen-cultured hepatocytes recovered glycogen stores to levels similar to those found in liver, or in hepatocytes…
Assessment of hepatitis C virus-RNA clearance under combination therapy for hepatitis C virus genotype 1: performance of transcription-mediated ampli…
2007
Monitoring of HCV-RNA in blood during antiviral therapy is performed mostly by commercially available reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-based (RT-PCR) assays, with a lower detection limit of 30-50 IU/mL of HCV-RNA. Use of different tests in the pivotal trials of combination therapy has generated some discordance, in terms of predictive value of the early virological response (EVR). To evaluate whether the use of a more sensitive test, as a qualitative assay based on transcription mediated amplification (TMA) with a lower detection limit of 5-10 IU/mL of HCV-RNA, may obtain a better prediction of EVR and of the ultimate virological outcome, we retrospectively evaluated serial s…