Search results for "Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction"
showing 10 items of 591 documents
The impact of ovarian stimulation on the expression of candidate reprogramming genes in mouse preimplantation embryos.
2012
Ovarian stimulation with gonadotrophins is an integral part of assisted reproductive technologies in human subfertility/infertility treatment. Recent findings have associated ovarian stimulation with the increased incidence of imprinting disorders in humans as well as defects in genome-wide methylation reprogramming and, in particular, imprinting in mice. Here, we present the first study that determined the impact of ovarian stimulation on the expression of developmentally important reprogramming genes <i>(Apex1, Lig1, Lig3, Mbd2, Mbd3, Mbd4, </i>and<i> Polb)</i> in single early mouse morula embryos (16-cell stage). Using absolute quantification of mRNA by quantitati…
Evidence for a role of inducible nitric oxide synthase in gastric relaxation of mdx mice
2006
Alterations of gastric mechanical activity have been reported in mdx mouse, animal model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This study examined if alterations in the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) system are present in mdx stomach. Gastric mechanical activity was recorded in vitro as changes of endoluminal pressure and neurally or pharmacologically evoked relaxations were analysed in mdxvs normal stomach. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. Relaxations to sodium nitroprusside in mdx stomach showed no difference in comparison with normal preparations. In normal stomach, VIP produced relaxation, which was…
Echinostoma caproni: Differential tegumental responses to growth in compatible and less compatible hosts
2010
Abstract The topography of the tegument of Echinostoma caproni adults collected from high (mice) and low (rats) compatible hosts was compared by SEM. In the oral (OS) and the ventral sucker (VS) areas, a worm age–host species interaction was found with regard to the density of spines. There was a decrease in the density of spines in the adults collected from mice, whereas an increase occurred in the OS area in worms from rats over time. The tegumentary spines in adults from mice became larger and blunter. Some spines from the VS area in adults from mice at 4 wpi were multipointed. The spines of adults from rats were sharper, not covered by the tegument and no multipointed spines were observ…
Involvement of plasmalogens in post-natal retinal vascular development
2014
Objective: Proper development of retinal blood vessels is essential to ensure sufficient oxygen and nutrient supplies to the retina. It was shown that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could modulate factors involved in tissue vascularization. A congenital deficiency in ether-phospholipids, also termed "plasmalogens'', was shown to lead to abnormal ocular vascularization. Because plasmalogens are considered to be reservoirs of PUFAs, we wished to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which plasmalogens regulate retinal vascular development and whether the release of PUFAs by calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2) could be involved. [br/] Methods and Results: By characterizi…
Viral Infections in Neonates with Suspected Late-Onset Bacterial Sepsis—A Prospective Cohort Study
2016
Objective The aim of our study was to evaluate the occurrence of viral infections in infants with suspected late-onset bacterial sepsis in a neonatal intensive care unit. Methods In a prospective study, infants with suspected late-onset bacterial sepsis underwent viral testing alongside routine blood culture sampling. Using a multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, nasopharyngeal aspirates were analyzed for adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza virus A and B, H1N1 virus, parainfluenza virus 1 to 4, metapneumovirus, coronavirus, and picornavirus. Stools were examined for adenovirus, rotavirus, norovirus, and enterovirus.…
Baculovirus-mediated periadventitial gene transfer to rabbit carotid artery
2000
Recombinant Autographa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrosis viruses (AcMNPV) have recently been shown to transduce mammalian cells in vitro. Since baculoviruses offer many advantages over viruses currently used in gene therapy, we have tested them for in vivo gene transfer by constructing a baculovirus bearing a nuclear targeted beta-galactosidase marker gene (LacZ) under a CMV promoter. Both rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells (RAASMC) and human ECV-304 cells were susceptible to LacZ-baculovirus transduction. Transgene expression was evaluated in vivo by applying 1 x 10(9) p.f.u. of LacZ-baculoviruses or LacZ-adenoviruses in a silastic collar placed around rabbit carotid arteries in the…
Influence of polymer content in Ca-deficient hydroxyapatite–polycaprolactone nanocomposites on the formation of microvessel-like structures
2009
Calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramics are widely used in bone tissue engineering due to their good osteoconductivity. The mechanical properties of CaP can be modified by the addition of small volume fractions of biodegradable polymers such as polycaprolactone (PCL). Nevertheless, it is also important to evaluate how the polymer content influences cell-material or cell-cell interactions because of potential consequences for bone regeneration and vascularization. In this study we assessed the general biocompatibilty of Ca-deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA)-PCL disks containing nominally 11 and 24% polycaprolactone using human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human primary osteoblasts. Confocal mi…
Inorganic polymeric phosphate/polyphosphate as an inducer of alkaline phosphatase and a modulator of intracellular Ca2+ level in osteoblasts (SaOS-2 …
2011
Inorganic polymeric phosphate is a physiological polymer that accumulates in bone cells. In the present study osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells were exposed to this polymer, complexed in a 2:1 stoichiometric ratio with Ca(2+), polyP (Ca(2+) salt). At a concentration of 100 μM, polyP (Ca(2+) salt) caused a strong increase in the activity of the alkaline phosphatase and also an induction of the steady-state expression of the gene encoding this enzyme. Comparative experiments showed that polyP (Ca(2+) salt) can efficiently replace β-glycerophosphate in the in vitro hydroxyapatite (HA) biomineralization assay. In the presence of polyP (Ca(2+) salt) the cells extensively form HA crystallites, which r…
The G428A Nonsense Mutation in FUT2 Provides Strong but Not Absolute Protection against Symptomatic GII.4 Norovirus Infection
2009
In November 2004, 116 individuals in an elderly nursing home in El Grao de Castellón, Spain were symptomatically infected with genogroup II.4 (GII.4) norovirus. The global attack rate was 54.2%. Genotyping of 34 symptomatic individuals regarding the FUT2 gene revealed that one patient was, surprisingly, a non-secretor, hence indicating secretor-independent infection. Lewis genotyping revealed that Lewis-positive and negative individuals were susceptible to symptomatic norovirus infection indicating that Lewis status did not predict susceptibility. Saliva based ELISA assays were used to determine binding of the outbreak virus to saliva samples. Saliva from a secretor-negative individual boun…
Characterization of a new murine retinal cell line (MU-PH1) with glial, progenitor and photoreceptor characteristics
2013
Unlike fish and amphibians, mammals do not regenerate retinal neurons throughout life. However, neurogenic potential may be conserved in adult mammal retina and it is necessary to identify the factors that regulate retinal progenitor cells (RPC) proliferative capacity to scope their therapeutic potential. Müller cells can be progenitors for retinal neuronal cells and can play an essential role in the restoration of visual function after retinal injury. Some members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family, TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4, are related to progenitor cells proliferation. Müller cells are important in retinal regeneration and stable cell lines are useful for the study of retinal stem cell bi…