Search results for "Surge"

Angiotensin II and leukocyte trafficking: New insights for an old vascular mediator. Role of redox-signaling pathways.

2019

Abstract Inflammation and activation of the immune system are key molecular and cellular events in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension-induced target-organ damage, and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Angiotensin II (Ang-II) is the main effector peptide hormone of the renin-angiotensin system. Beyond its role as a potent vasoconstrictor and regulator of blood pressure and fluid homeostasis, Ang-II is intimately involved in the development of vascular lesions in cardiovascular diseases through the activation of different immune cells. The migration of leukocytes from circulation to the arterial subendothelial space is a crucial immune response in le…

2018

Easy-to-achieve interventions to promote healthy longevity are desired to diminish the incidence and severity of infections, as well as associated disability upon recovery. The dietary supplement palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) exerts anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Here, we investigated the effect of prophylactic PEA on the early immune response, clinical course, and survival of old mice after intracerebral E. coli K1 infection. Nineteen-month-old wild type mice were treated intraperitoneally with two doses of either 0.1 mg PEA/kg in 250 μl vehicle solution (n = 19) or with 250 μl vehicle solution only as controls (n = 19), 12 h and 30 min prior to intracerebral E. coli K1 in…

A rare association of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with c-ANCA-positive Wegener’s granulomatosis: a case report

2016

Background Wegener’s granulomatosis is a systemic vasculitis of the small- and medium-sized vessels, produced by the action of ANCA, which involves the respiratory tract, kidneys, and eyes, with a potential for lethal evolution in the first year after diagnosis. Its association with chronic lymphocytic leukemia is rarely described in the literature, and it may be difficult to diagnose and to treat this association. Case presentation We present the case of a 73-year-old Caucasian patient, a rare case in which Wegener’s granulomatosis is associated in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, who is admitted in the Infectious Disease Department for fever, diplopia, headache, purulent and h…

A role for Mog1 in H2Bub1 and H3K4me3 regulation affecting RNAPII transcription and mRNA export.

2018

17 páginas, 12 figuras.

A New Mutation of the p53 Gene in Human Neuroblastoma, Not Correlated with N-myc Amplification

1999

N-myc gene amplification and/or loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 1 (LOH lp) are important criteria for prognosis and progression in human neuroblastoma (NB). Despite the high incidence of alterations of the p53 gene in human cancers, very few p53 mutations have been reported in NB. The objective of our study was to search for p53 mutations in NB and their correlation with N-myc amplification and clinical or pathologic parameters. We analyzed 14 selected cases of NB from the Spanish Protocol N-II-92. We found a missense mutation in codon 248 CGG to GGG (Arg/Gly) in one case of stage 4 NB with no N-myc amplification. Our results confirm the low incidence of p53 gene mutation in neuroblas…

Chronic benzodiazepine treatment decreases spine density in cortical pyramidal neurons.

2015

The adult brain retains a substantial capacity for synaptic reorganization, which includes a wide range of modifications from molecular to structural plasticity. Previous reports have demonstrated that the structural remodeling of excitatory neurons seems to occur in parallel to changes in GABAergic neurotransmission. The function of neuronal inhibitory networks can be modified through GABAA receptors, which have a binding site for benzodiazepines (BZ). Although BZs are among the most prescribed drugs, is not known whether they modify the structure and connectivity of pyramidal neurons. In the present study we wish to elucidate the impact of a chronic treatment of 21 days with diazepam (2mg…

Chronic stress leads to epigenetic dysregulation in the neuropeptide-Y and cannabinoid CB1 receptor genes in the mouse cingulate cortex.

2017

Persistent stress triggers a variety of mechanisms, which may ultimately lead to the occurrence of anxiety- and depression-related disorders. Epigenetic modifications represent a mechanism by which chronic stress mediates long-term effects. Here, we analyzed brain tissue from mice exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), which induced impaired emotional and nociceptive behaviors. As endocannabinoid (eCB) and neuropeptide-Y (Npy) systems modulate emotional processes, we hypothesized that CUS may affect these systems through epigenetic mechanisms. We found reduced Npy expression and Npy type 1 receptor (Npy1r) signaling, and decreased expression of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) …

Environmental Tobacco Smoke During the Early Postnatal Period of Mice Interferes With Brain 18 F-FDG Uptake From Infancy to Early Adulthood – A Longi…

2020

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, mainly in childhood. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of postnatal ETS exposure in the brain 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake of mice by positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging in a longitudinal study. C57BL/6J mice were exposed to ETS that was generated from 3R4F cigarettes from postnatal day 3 (P3) to P14. PET analyses were performed in male and female mice during infancy (P15), adolescence (P35), and adulthood (P65). We observed that ETS exposure decreased 18F-FDG uptake in the whole brain, both left and right hemispheres, and frontal cortex in both male and female i…

2020

Objective: We investigated cerebral opioid receptor binding potential in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) using positron-emission-tomography (PET) and correlated our results with patients' systemic interleukin-4 (IL-4) gene expression. Methods: In this pilot study, seven FMS patients (1 man, 6 women) agreed to participate in experimental PET scans. All patients underwent neurological examination, were investigated with questionnaires for pain, depression, and FMS symptoms. Additionally, blood for IL-4 gene expression analysis was withdrawn at two time points with a median latency of 1.3 years. Patients were investigated in a PET scanner using the opioid receptor ligand F-18-fluoro-…

Evolution of Ciona intestinalis Tumor necrosis factor alpha ( Ci TNFα): Polymorphism, tissues expression, and 3D modeling

2017

Although the Tumor necrosis factor gene superfamily seems to be very conserved in vertebrates, phylogeny, tissue expression, genomic and gene organization, protein domains and polymorphism analyses showed that a strong change has happened mostly in invertebrates in which protochordates were a constraint during the immune-molecules history and evolution. RT PCR was used to investigate differential gene expression in different tissues. The expression shown was greater in the pharynx. Single-nucleotide polymorphism has been investigated in Ciona intestinalis Tumor necrosis factor alpha (CiTNFα) mRNA isolated from the pharynx of 30 ascidians collected from Licata, Sicily (Italy), by denaturing …