Search results for "WES"
showing 10 items of 1585 documents
Inducible lectins with galectin properties and human IL1alpha epitopes opsonize yeast during the inflammatory response of the ascidian Ciona intestin…
2007
Studies on inducible ascidian lectins may shed light on the evolutionary emergence of cytokine functions. Here, we show that the levels of opsonins, with IL1alpha-epitopes, increase in Ciona intestinalis hemolymph as a response to an inflammatory stimulus and, in particular, to intratunic injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The inflammatory agent promptly (within 4 h) enhances Ca(2+)-independent serum hemagglutinating and opsonizing activities, which are both inhibited by D-galactose and D-galactosides (alpha-lactose, N-acetyl-D-lactosamine, thio-digalactoside), suggesting that anti-rabbit erythrocyte lectins with galectin properties are involved as opsonins. Inducible galectin molecules…
Polymeric proanthocyanidins from Sicilian pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) nut extract inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in RAW 26…
2011
Positive effects of pistachio nut consumption on plasma inflammatory biomarkers have been described; however, little is known about molecular events associated with these effects. We studied the anti-inflammatory activity of a hydrophilic extract from Sicilian Pistacia L. (HPE) in a macrophage model and investigated bioactive components relevant to the observed effects. HPE oligomer/polymer proanthocyanidin fractions were isolated by adsorbance chromatography, and components quantified as anthocyanidins after acidic hydrolysis. Isoflavones were measured by gradient elution HPLC analysis. RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were pre-incubated with either HPE (1- to 20-mg fresh nut equivalents) or i…
6-Dimethylamino 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives as new inhibitors of inflammatory mediators in intact cells.
2003
The synthesis of 6-dimethylamino 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines substituted at positions 1 and 4, and their effects on murine macrophage and human neutrophil functions are described. Several compounds and especially 4b-6b are potent inhibitors of PGE2 generation in murine macrophages. This action is related to a direct effect on COX-2 activity without affecting the enzyme expression. Some of these compounds also inhibited COX-1 and COX-2 in human monocytes and 4b showed selectivity for COX-2 inhibition. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Inability of rat alveolar macrophages to recycle l-citrulline to l-arginine despite induction of argininosuccinate synthetase mRNA and protein, and i…
1998
In the present study it was tested whether rat alveolar macrophages (AMphi) convert L-citrulline to L-arginine to maintain nitric oxide (NO) synthesis under conditions of limited availability of L-arginine. Rat AMphi (0.5 x 10(6) cells/well, cultured for 20 h in the absence or presence of 1 microg/ml lipopolysaccharides, LPS), were incubated for 6 h in amino acid-free Krebs solution and nitrite accumulation was determined as a measure of NO synthesis. After culture in the absence of LPS, nitrite in the incubation media was at the detection limit, independent of the addition of L-arginine or L-citrulline. AMphi, cultured in the presence of LPS, produced about 4 nmol per 10(6) cells and 6 h n…
Highly efficient liposome-mediated gene transfer of inducible nitric oxide synthase in vivo and in vitro in vascular smooth muscle cells.
2000
Objective: The efficient introduction of regulatory genes into vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is one of the most promising options for gene therapy of cardiovascular diseases. Cationic liposome-mediated gene transfer may become a favorable transfection technique with regard to patient’s safety for in vivo administration. However, this method until now has its limitation in a low transfection efficiency. Therefore, the present study was designed to improve cationic liposome-mediated transfection of rabbit vascular SMCs in vitro and in vivo, in order to enhance transfection efficiency and present an optimized system which may offer a potential therapeutic benefit for in vivo application.…
ttCH, a selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression with antiarthritic properties
2003
In a previous work, we investigated the effects of a series of dimethoxy- and trimethoxychalcone derivatives, with various patterns of fluorination, on nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine RAW 264.7 cells. The present study was designed to determine if 2,4,6-trimethoxy-2'-trifluoromethylchalcone (ttCH) could modulate the production of nitric oxide (NO) and/or prostaglandins in vitro and in vivo. On the mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7, ttCH inhibited dose-dependently NO and prostaglandin E(2) production, with IC(50) in the micromolar range. This compound had no direct inhibitory effect on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 activities. …
Inducible galectins are expressed in the inflamed pharynx of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis
2011
Although ascidians belong to a key group in chordate phylogenesis, amino acid sequences of Ciona intestinalis galectin-CRDs (CiLgals-a and -b) have been retained too divergent from vertebrate galectins. In the present paper, to contribute in disclosing Bi-CRD galectin evolution a novel attempt was carried out on CiLgals-a and -b CRDs phylogenetic analysis, and their involvement in ascidian inflammatory responses was shown. CiLgals resulted aligned with Bi-CRD galectins from vertebrates (Xenopus tropicalis, Gallus gallus, Mus musculus, Homo sapiens), cephalochordates (Branchiostoma floridae), echinoderms (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and a mono-CRD galectin from the ascidian Clavelina pict…
LPS-induced microglial secretion of TNFα increases activity-dependent neuronal apoptosis in the neonatal cerebral cortex.
2012
During the pre- and neonatal period, the cerebral cortex reveals distinct patterns of spontaneous synchronized activity, which is critically involved in the formation of early networks and in the regulation of neuronal survival and programmed cell death (apoptosis). During this period, the cortex is also highly vulnerable to inflammation and in humans prenatal infection may have a profound impact on neurodevelopment causing long-term neurological deficits. Using in vitro and in vivo multi-electrode array recordings and quantification of caspase-3 (casp-3)-dependent apoptosis, we demonstrate that lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation causes rapid alterations in the pattern of spontaneous b…
Bcl-2 is a negative regulator of interleukin-1β secretion in murine macrophages in pharmacological-induced apoptosis
2010
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cucurbitacin R, a natural anti-inflammatory product, has been shown to exhibit activity against both adjuvant-induced arthritis and delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions induced by various agents. Previous studies have demonstrated that the effects of cucurbitacin R stem from its inhibition of both cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES Effects of cucurbitacin R were investigated on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Cell cycle evolution was analysed by flow cytometry, detection of apoptosis by DNA ladder, Bcl-2, p21, p53, Bax, cleaved caspase-1 (p10), caspase-9, and caspase-3, cleaved caspase (p17) and interleukin-1β d…
The prophenoloxidase system is activated during the tunic inflammatory reaction of Ciona intestinalis
2008
Phenoloxidase (PO) activity was examined in the tunic tissue of Ciona intestinalis following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intratunic injection. Tunic homogenate supernatant (THS), assayed with the Dopa-MBTH reaction, displayed Ca(2+)-independent PO activity that was raised by LPS and further enhanced by proteases. Specific inhibitors (tropolone, phenylthiourea, diethylthiocarbamate) supported the specificity of the reaction. Assay with soybean trypsin inhibitor showed that, in the tunic, PO activation with trypsin was not significantly inhibited suggesting that proteases diverse from serine proteases were involved. In vivo experiments were carried out by injecting isosmotic medium or LPS, and T…