Search results for "WESTERN"

VEGF receptor signaling links inflammation and tumorigenesis in colitis-associated cancer.

2010

Inflammation drives expression of VEGFR2, which is expressed on and drives growth of tumor cells in colitis-associated cancer.

Reactive oxygen species activation of MAPK pathway results in VEGF upregulation as an undesired irradiation response

2013

Background Radioresistance limits the effectiveness of radiotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. We previously demonstrated post-radiogenic mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway activation and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release resulting in reduced tumor cell response. Here, we examined the association of this mechanism with the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under irradiation (IR). Methods Intracellular ROS after IR were measured. We modeled radiation-induced ROS by exposure of two SCC lines to H2O2 and evaluated the impact of irradiation and ROS on ERK phosphorylation by Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA. Results We found eleva…

The impact of the receptor binding profiles of the vascular endothelial growth factors on their angiogenic features

2013

Abstract Background Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are potential therapeutic agents for treatment of ischemic diseases. Their angiogenic effects are mainly mediated through VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Methods Receptor binding, signaling, and biological efficacy of several VEGFR2 ligands were compared to determine their characteristics regarding angiogenic activity and vascular permeability. Results Tested VEGFR2 ligands induced receptor tyrosine phosphorylation with different efficacy depending on their binding affinities. However, the tyrosine phosphorylation pattern and the activation of the major downstream signaling pathways were comparable. The maximal angiogenic effect stim…

Comparative study assessing effects of sonic hedgehog and VEGF in a human co-culture model for bone vascularisation strategies.

2011

The morphogen sonic hedgehog (Shh) seems to mediate adult repair processes in bone regeneration and vascularisation. In this study we investigated the effects of Shh on co-cultures consisting of human primary osteoblasts and outgrowth endothelial cells in terms of angiogenic activation and vessel maturation in comparison to the treatment with the commonly used proangiogenic factor, VEGF. Both, stimulation with VEGF or Shh, leads to an increase in the formation of microvessel-like structures compared to untreated controls. In contrast to VEGF, proangiogenic effects by Shh could already be observed after 24 h of treatment. Nevertheless, after 14 days the angiogenic activity of OEC was compara…

Protein kinase C   promotes angiogenic activity of human endothelial cells via induction of vascular endothelial growth factor

2008

Aims Protein kinase C (PKC) plays an important role in the regulation of angiogenesis. However, downstream targets of PKC in endothelial cells are poorly defined. Methods and results mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was analysed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and HUVEC-derived EA.hy 926 cells. siRNA was used to knockdown PKC isoforms and VEGF. Matrigel tube formation assay was used to analyse the angiogenic activity of endothelial cells. Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) enhanced the ability of HUVEC to organize into tubular networks when plated on Matrigel, a phenomenon that could be prevented by PKC inhibi…

Invasive vascular plant species of oxbow lakes in south-western Poland

2015

Abstract Natural water reservoirs are very valuable floristic sites in south-western Poland. Among them, the most important for the preservation of biodiversity of flora are oxbow lakes. The long-term process of human pressure on habitats of this type caused disturbances of their biological balance. Changes in the water regime, industrial development and chemisation of agriculture, especially in the period of the last two hundred years, led to systematic disappearances of localities of many plant species connected with rare habitats and also to the appearance of numerous invasive plant species. They are: Azolla filiculoides, Echinocystis lobata, Erechtites hieraciifolia, Impatiens glandulif…

Estetyka natury w malarstwie i sztukach wizualnych: krótki rys historyczny

2014

Is Green Harvesting a Useful Instrument to solve Market Problems in the Wine Sector? Some Lessons from Sicily

2016

The green harvesting (GH) policy measure has been introduced in Italy starting from the 2009/2010 wine season, with the goal of preventing market crises by reducing the yield of a given parcel to zero. In the 2010-2012 period, almost 85% of the national expenditure and about 81% of European Union (EU) expenditure for this measure have been showered on Sicily. This paper, after examining the application of GH in this Region, explores the motivations of 300 vine growers of Western Sicily for taking part, or refusing to do so, in the GH measure. The survey shows the contrasting nature of the opinions that the implementation of GH has caused among the interviewed sample. In fact, on the one han…

Influence of Variety and Maturity Stage on Sterolic Composition of Virgin Olive Oil from Central-Western Sicily

Olive oil is one of the most important food products throughout the Mediterranean Basin due to its high nutritional and dietetic value. In recent years, there has been increased interest in the sterols of olive oil for their health benefts and their importance to virgin olive oil quality regulation. The impact of sterols on the human health is proved by several studies, showing that a suffcient quantity of β-sitosterol inhibits the intestinal absorption of LDL-cholesterol. In olive oil the phytosterol concentration ranges from 800 to 2600 mg kg-1. Sterol esters evaluation has been proposed as useful parameter in studies related to varietal and geographical discrimination. Cultivar and matur…

Metallic nanoparticle enrichment at low temperature, shallow CO2 seeps in Southern Italy

2012

We report on metal enrichment along a natural pH gradient owing to increased CO2 degassing at cold, shallow seeps of Vulcano Island in the Mediterranean Sea, off Sicily. We assessed composition of unfiltered and filtered seawater (<100 nm) along acidic zones ranging between ambient and pH 5, and showed that most seep derived elements are present as nanoclusters which then aggregate into larger colloids while mixing with ambient seawater along a pH gradient. Size and elemental composition of such naturally occurring nanoparticles assessed by modern characterisation methods were in good agreement with the results from conventional analytical methods. We provide analytical evidence for the pre…