Search results for "STAR"
showing 10 items of 4285 documents
Pruritus precipitated by hydroxyethyl starch: a review.
2005
Summary Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is widely used for fluid management in broad populations of patients, particularly in the surgery and intensive care settings. Pruritus, often manifested as pruritic crises, is increasingly being recognized as a common major adverse effect of HES administration. This iatrogenic form of pruritus is frequently severe and protracted with a serious negative impact on patient quality of life, including sleep disturbance, disruption of daily routine and mental distress. Such pruritus is generally refractory to available therapies and can persist for up to 12–24 months. All currently clinically available HES solutions entail the risk of pruritus, including those o…
Beta-2-glycoprotein I is growth regulated and plays a role as survival factor for hepatocytes
2004
Beta-2-glycoprotein I (beta(2)GPI) is mainly produced by the liver and is found in plasma partially associated to lipoproteins. Although various properties have been attributed to this protein, its physiological role remains still unclear. We investigated its expression in cultured liver cells and in regenerating liver. Expression studies in HepG2 cells demonstrate that beta(2)GPI mRNA is regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner, with very low expression in low cycling conditions and increasing levels in proliferating cells. p21 WAF-dependent growth arrest, induced by butyrate treatment, down-regulate beta(2)GPI mRNA levels. Immunolocalization in normal rat liver shows a non-homogeneous p…
Effect of histamine on the longitudinal and circular muscle of the oestrogen dominated rat uterus.
1993
The response of the longitudinal and circular myometrial strips to histamine was studied in oestrogen-treated rats. Histamine produced a dose-related inhibitory response in KCl-contracted longitudinal and circular uterine strips. Histamine was equipotent in producing the relaxant response but the maximal effect achieved in the longitudinal muscle was higher than the circular one. Ranitidine antagonized the histamine-induced relaxation with a similar dose ratio in both longitudinal and circular strips. Clemizole and reserpine treatment did not produce any modification of the dose-response curve to histamine. In the longitudinal and circular strips which were not preconstricted by KCl, neithe…
Retinoids induce MMP-9 expression through RARalpha during mammary gland remodeling.
2007
Retinoic acid (RA) is a signaling molecule in the morphogenesis of the mammary gland, modulating the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The aim of this paper was to study the role of RA during weaning, which consists of three events: apoptosis of the secretory cells, degradation of the extracellular matrix, and adipogenesis. CRABP II and CRBP-1 carrier proteins increased significantly during weaning compared with lactating glands but reverted to control values after the litter resuckled. The effects of RA are mediated by the nuclear receptors RARalpha, RARbeta, RARgamma, and RXRalpha, which underwent an increase in protein levels during weaning. In an attempt to elucidate the R…
Innovative barriers for peritoneal adhesion prevention: liquid or solid? A rat uterine horn model.
2005
Objective To compare the effects of solid barriers (PDLA membrane and foil, Interceed), innovative barrier solutions (Adept and Hyalobarrier Gel, phospholipid emulsion), and Ringer’s lactate solution in preventing postsurgical peritoneal adhesions in the rat. Design Prospective, randomized experimental study. Setting Rat model in an academic research environment. Animal(s) Female, nonpregnant Wistar rats. Intervention(s) Standardized surgical injuries were applied to the parietal and visceral peritoneum and the uterine horns. The barrier agents were applied and the wound was closed. A second-look laparoscopy was performed 31 days after surgery to assess adhesion formation. Main Outcome Meas…
Thyroid hormones induce sumoylation of the cold shock domain-containing protein PIPPin in developing rat brain and in cultured neurons.
2006
We previously identified a cold shock domain (CSD)-containing protein (PIPPin), expressed at high level in brain cells. PIPPin has the potential to undergo different post-translational modifications and might be a good candidate to regulate the synthesis of specific proteins in response to extracellular stimuli. Here we report the effects of thyroid hormone (T3) on PIPPin expression in developing rat brain. We found that a significant difference among euthyroid- and hypothyroid- newborn rats concerns sumoylation of nuclear PIPPin, that is abolished by hypothyroidism. Moreover, T3-dependence of PIPPin sumoylation has been confirmed in cortical neurons purified from brain cortices and culture…
Response to dopamine agonists of the rat isolated uterus.
1993
1. Quinpirole did not produce any effect in isolated uterus from oestrogenized rats even when it is contracted by KCl (37 mM). 2. Fenoldopam produced a relaxant effect on rat isolated uterus contracted by KCl which was not significantly modified by SCH 23390. 3. Reserpine decreased the effect of the lowest doses of fenoldopam. In reserpinized rats, propranolol (10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7) M) antagonized the effect of the lowest doses of fenoldopam and neither SCH 23390, sulpiride nor ranitidine modified the effect of fenoldopam. 4. The results confirm our previous finding that DA1-receptors are not functional in our preparation. The effect of fenoldopam was partially due to a catecholamine-relea…
A Direct Comparison of Seprafilm, Adept, Intercoat, and Spraygel for Adhesion Prophylaxis
2010
Background Commercially available agents for adhesion prophylaxis are legion but there is a lack of direct comparisons between them. Here we compare four of the most commonly used adhesion barriers against a control group in a clinically relevant rat model. Material and Methods Standardized lesions were created in Wistar rats using electrocautery and suturing. Subsequently, the experimental lesions were treated with Seprafilm (n = 30), Adept (n = 30), Intercoat (n = 30), Spraygel (n = 30), or no barrier (n = 30). The resulting adhesions were examined 14 d postoperatively. Results The mean area covered by adhesion was 77% in the control group, 46% in animals treated with Seprafilm, 54% in an…
Effects of BIS076 in a model of osteoarthritis induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection in ovariectomised rats
2015
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent articular disease and a leading cause of disability. There is a need for effective treatments able to slow the progression of disease. Some of the available treatments are dietary supplements providing natural components. Recent studies have shown that estrogen deficiency contributes to the pathophysiological events of OA progression. Methods We have used the anterior cruciate ligament transection model of OA in ovariectomised rats to study the effects of BIS076, a new formulation of a natural porcine cartilage extract associated with hydroxyapatite (as a source of calcium) and vitamin D3. Cartilage degradation, proteoglycan depletion and …
Acute exercise induced changes in rat skeletal muscle mRNAs and proteins regulating type IV collagen content
2001
This experiment tested the hypothesis that running-induced damage to rat skeletal muscle causes changes in synthesis and degradation of basement membrane type IV collagen and to proteins regulating its degradation. Samples from soleus muscle and red and white parts of quadriceps femoris muscle (MQF) were collected 6 h or 1, 2, 4, or 7 days after downhill running. Increased muscle β-glucuronidase activity indicated greater muscle damage in the red part of MQF than in the white part of MQF or soleus. In the red part of MQF, type IV collagen expression was upregulated at the pretranslational level and the protein concentration decreased, whereas matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), a protein th…