Search results for "TGF"

Role of cyclooxygenase pathways in bowel fibrotic remodelling in a murine model of experimental colitis

2022

Abstract Objective Gut fibrosis occurs under chronic inflammation. This study examined the effects of different cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors on fibrosis in the inflamed colon. Methods Colitis was induced by 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS) in albino male Sprague–Dawley rats. After 6, 12 and 18 days, macroscopic and microscopic damage, collagen and elastic fibre content were examined. At day 6, pro-fibrotic factors (collagen I and III, hydroxyproline, fibronectin, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signalling [TGF-β, Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA), phosphorylated small mother against decapentaplegic (pSMAD)-2 and -6] and peristalsis …

GARP: A Key Target to Evaluate Tumor Immunosuppressive Microenvironment

2021

Simple Summary Tumors are not only composed of cancer cells but also of various infiltrating cells constituting the tumor microenvironment (TME); all these cells produce growth factors which contribute to tumor progression and invasiveness. Among them, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has been shown to be a potent immunosuppressive cytokine favoring cell proliferation and invasion and to be associated with resistance to anticancer treatments. Glycoprotein-A repetition predominant (GARP) plays a critical role in the activation of TGF-β1 and has been shown to be expressed at the membrane of cancer cells and also of regulatory T cells and platelets in the TME. An increased GARP expressio…

Myostatin and related proteins on the control of skeletal muscle mass and capillary density

2013

Skeletal muscle wasting is a feature of many pathological conditions such as muscular dystrophies, cancer and diabetes. Human ageing also results in the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, a condition known as sarcopenia (or myopenia). Therefore, interventions that can reverse or slow down muscle loss are highly desirable. The TGF-β member myostatin is a well-known inhibitor of skeletal muscle growth, but it may also, if deleted, decrease muscle oxidative capacity. We have used the activin receptor 2B (ActR2B) fused to the Fc region of immunoglobulin G (ActR2B-Fc) as a trap to sequester myostatin and inhibit its activity. We sought to evaluate possible differences between doses an…

The role of the fibronectin synergy site in skin wound healing

2022

Upon skin barrier disruption, complex cellular and molecular events are activated to repair the damage and restore skin integrity. In adulthood, the outcome of this process can result in scarring and fibrosis, whereas complete tissue regeneration is observed in fetal wounds and wounds in lower vertebrates and invertebrates .Although there is abundant literature about the factors and mechanisms that determine the endpoint of either scarring/fibrosis or regeneration after tissue injury, the process is still poorly understood. After cutaneous injury, fibronectin (FN) is instantly released and deposited by cells, and represents a major ECM component in all stages of the wound healing process. F…

Ringetteä ajatellen ja ymmärtäen : pelikäsitystä painottavan opetuksen tutkimus koululiikunnassa

2008

TGFbeta signaling: roles of Smads

2009

Observation of intrinsically bright terrestrial gamma ray flashes from the Mediterranean basin

2015

Abstract  We present three terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) observed over the Mediterranean basin by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscope Imager (RHESSI) satellite. Since the occurrence of these events in the Mediterranean region is quite rare, the characterization of the events was optimized by combining different approaches in order to better define the cloud of origin. The TGFs on 7 November 2004 and 16 October 2006 came from clouds with cloud top higher than 10–12 km where often a strong penetration into the stratosphere is found. This kind of cloud is usually associated with heavy precipitation and intense lightning activity. Nevertheless, the analysis of the cloud type…

Cytokine Polymorphism in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

2014

IMIN11. Cytokine Polymorphism in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy P. Di Gangi1, L. Scola1, S. Giambanco1, M. Bova1, G. Santini1, L. Vaccarino1, C. R. Balistreri1, D. Lio1, P. Assennato1, S. Novo1, G. Novo1 1University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy Background: Takotsubo (TT) cardiomyopathy is characterised by an acute left ventricular dysfunction triggered by emotional or physical stresses. Clinically, the syndrome is characterised by acute symptoms mimicking acute infarction without relevant electrocardiographic and biochemical markers of myocardial damage changes. Stressful events inducing an excess catecholamine release and myocardial β-adrenergic receptors (β-AR) seem to play a major role in TT. Ac…

TGFβ-induced EMT requires focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling

2007

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial process, occurring both during development and tumor progression, by which an epithelial cell undergoes a conversion to a mesenchymal phenotype, dissociates from initial contacts and migrates to secondary sites. We recently reported that in hepatocytes the multifunctional cytokine TGFβ induces a full EMT characterized by (i) Snail induction, (ii) E-cadherin delocalization and down-regulation, (iii) down-regulation of the hepatocyte transcriptional factor HNF4α and (iv) up-regulation of mesenchymal and invasiveness markers. In particular, we showed that Snail directly causes the transcriptional down-regulation of E-cadherin and HN…

Treatment with soluble activin type IIB-receptor improves bone mass and strength in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

2017

Background: Inhibition of activin/myostatin pathway has emerged as a novel approach to increase muscle mass and bone strength. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disorder that leads to progressive muscle degeneration and also high incidence of fractures. The aim of our study was to test whether inhibition of activin receptor IIB ligands with or without exercise could improve bone strength in the mdx mouse model for DMD. Methods: Thirty-two mdx mice were divided to running and non-running groups and to receive either PBS control or soluble activin type IIB-receptor (ActRIIB-Fc) once weekly for 7 weeks. Results: Treatment of mdx mice with ActRIIB-Fc resulted in significantly…