Search results for "calcium-binding"
showing 10 items of 85 documents
Genome-wide association study for refractive astigmatism reveals genetic co-determination with spherical equivalent refractive error: the CREAM conso…
2015
To identify genetic variants associated with refractive astigmatism in the general population, meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies were performed for: White Europeans aged at least 25 years (20 cohorts, N = 31,968); Asian subjects aged at least 25 years (7 cohorts, N = 9,295); White Europeans aged <25 years (4 cohorts, N = 5,640); and all independent individuals from the above three samples combined with a sample of Chinese subjects aged <25 years (N = 45,931). Participants were classified as cases with refractive astigmatism if the average cylinder power in their two eyes was at least 1.00 diopter and as controls otherwise. Genome-wide association analysis was carried out for …
Expression pattern of Notch1, 2 and 3 and Jagged1 and 2 in lymphoid and stromal thymus components: distinct ligand–receptor interactions in intrathym…
1999
The suggested role of Notch1 or its mutants in thymocyte differentiation and T cell tumorigenesis raises the question of how the different members of the Notch family influence distinct steps in T cell development and the role played by Notch ligands in the thymus. We report here that different Notch receptor-ligand partnerships may occur inside the thymus, as we observed differential expression of Notch1, 2 and 3 receptors, their ligands Jagged1 and 2, and downstream intracellular effectors hairy and Enhancer of Split homolog 1 (HES-1) and hairy and Enhancer of Split homolog 5 (HES-5), depending on ontogenetic stage and thymic cell populations. Indeed, while Jagged2 is expressed in both st…
The antioxidative, non-psychoactive tricyclic phenothiazine reduces brain damage after experimental traumatic brain injury in mice.
2014
Abstract Oxidative stress due to free radical formation is an important mechanism of secondary brain damage following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Phenothiazine has been found to be a strong antioxidant in eukaryotic cells in vitro and in invertebrates in vivo. The present study was designed to determine the neuroprotective potency of unsubstituted phenothiazine in a paradigm of acute brain injury. Thirty minutes after pneumatic, controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury, C57BI6 mice were randomly assigned to “low dose” (3 mg/kg, LD) or “high dose” (30 mg/kg, HD) s.c. phenothiazine or vehicle treatment. Brain lesion, neurofunctional impairment, body weight, and markers of cerebral inflammati…
Local Delivery of Nimodipine by Prolonged-Release Microparticles—Feasibility, Effectiveness and Dose-Finding in Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
2012
Background and purposeTo investigate the effect of locally applied nimodipine prolonged-release microparticles on angiographic vasospasm and secondary brain injury after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).Methods70 male Wistar rats were categorized into three groups: 1) sham operated animals (control), 2) animals with SAH only (control) and the 3) treatment group. SAH was induced using the double hemorrhage model. The treatment group received different concentrations (20%, 30% or 40%) of nimodipine microparticles. Angiographic vasospasm was assessed 5 days later using digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Histological analysis of frozen sections was performed using H&E-staining as …
Germline deletion of Cetn1 causes infertility in male mice
2013
Centrins are calmodulin-like Ca2+-binding proteins that can be found in all ciliated eukaryotic cells from yeast to mammals. Expressed in male germ cells and photoreceptors, centrin 1 (CETN1) resides in the photoreceptor transition zone and connecting cilium. To identify its function in mammals, we deleted Cetn1 by homologous recombination. Cetn1−/− mice were viable and showed no sign of retina degeneration suggesting that CETN1 is nonessential for photoreceptor ciliogenesis or structural maintenance. Phototransduction components localized normally to the Cetn1−/− photoreceptor outer segments, and loss of CETN1 had no effect on light-induced translocation of transducin to the inner segment.…
Photoperiodic regulation of cold tolerance and expression levels of regucalcin gene in Drosophila montana
2011
Temperature-induced plasticity of cold tolerance has been reported in many insect species, but cold tolerance can also be affected by changes in day (or night) length. In the present study we elucidate the direct and indirect effects of photoperiod on the cold tolerance of females of two Drosophila montana strains--one which possesses a robust photoperiodic diapause and another which does not. In the diapause-strain the time needed for recovery from chill coma showed a positive correlation with day length, but diapause itself played only a minor role in photoperiodic acclimation. The strain that was not able to enter to diapause as a response to day length also lacked photoperiodic cold acc…
Infrequent co-existence of nitric oxide synthase and parvalbumin, calbindin and calretinin immunoreactivity in rat pontine neurons.
1995
Neurons in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTg), ventrolateral dorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTgV), pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), lateral and medial parabrachial nuclei (LPB and MPB) were immunoreactive to brain nitric oxide synthase (NOS) or isoform I. Double-labeling experiments showed that very few NOS-containing neurons in the pons were immunoreactive to any of the three calcium-binding proteins: calbindin-D 28K (CB-IR), parvalbumin (PV-IR) and calretinin (CR-IR). These findings extend our previous observation in the neocortex and suggest that a population of central NOS-containing neurons can be neurochemically characterized as CB/CR/PV deficient.
Altered expression of neuropeptides in the primary somatosensory cortex of the Down syndrome model Ts65Dn.
2011
Down syndrome is the most common genetic disorder associated with mental retardation. Subjects and mice models for Down syndrome (such as Ts65Dn) show defects in the formation of neuronal networks in both the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. The principal neurons display alterations in the morphology, density and distribution of dendritic spines in the cortex as well as in the hippocampus. Several evidences point to the possibility that the atrophy observed in principal neurons could be mediated by changes in their inhibitory inputs and, in fact, an imbalance between excitation and inhibition has been observed in Ts65Dn mice in these regions, which are crucial for learning and informati…
Muscarinic receptors, leukotriene B4 production and neutrophilic inflammation in COPD patients.
2005
Background: Acetylcholine (ACh) plays an important role in smooth muscle contraction and in the development of airway narrowing; preliminary evidences led us to hypothesize that ACh might also play a role in the development of airways inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: We evaluated the concentrations of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in induced sputum, and the expression of Ach M1, M2, and M3 receptors in sputum cells (SC) obtained from 16 patients with COPD, 11 smokers, and 14 control subjects. The SC were also treated with ACh and the production of LTB4 assessed in the presence or absence of a muscarinic antagonist (oxitropium). In blood monocytes, we evaluate…
Protection against 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid-induced colonic inflammation in mice by the marine products bolinaquinone and petrosaspongioli…
2005
Proinflammatory mediators, namely eicosanoids, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and cytokines, are clearly involved in the pathogenesis of intestinal bowel disease. bolinaquinone (BQ) and petrosaspongiolide M (PT), two marine products with potent anti-inflammatory action, have been shown to control the production of mediators in acute and chronic inflammatory processes. Hence, we have tested here the hypothesis that BQ and PT could ameliorate inflammation and oxidative stress parameters in 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in Balb/c mice. BQ and PT were given orally in doses of 10 or 20mg/kg/day. Treatment of the animals with BQ or PT at the highest dose signifi…