Search results for "fusion"

Differential regulation of the clusterin gene by Ha-ras and c-myc oncogenes and during apoptosis

1998

Clusterin (ApoJ) is an extracellular glycoprotein expressed during processes of tissue differentiation and regression that involve programmed cell death (apoptosis). Increased clusterin expression has also been found in tumors, however, the mechanism underlying this induction is not known. Apoptotic processes in tumors could be responsible for clusterin gene activation. Alternatively, oncogenic mutations could modulate signal transduction, thereby inducing the gene. We examined the response of the rat clusterin gene to two oncogenes, Ha-ras and c-myc, in transfected Rat1 fibroblasts. While c-myc overexpression did not modify clusterin gene activity, the Ha-ras oncogene produced a seven to t…

A natural-like synthetic small molecule impairs bcr-abl signaling cascades and induces megakaryocyte differentiation in erythroleukemia cells

2013

Over the past years, we synthesized a series of new molecules that are hybrids of spirocyclic ketones as complexity-bearing cores with bi- and ter-phenyls as privileged fragments. Some of these newly-shaped small molecules showed antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic and differentiating activity in leukemia cell lines. In the present study, to investigate more in depth the mechanisms of action of these molecules, the protein expression profiles of K562 cells treated with or without the compounds IND_S1, MEL_T1, IND_S7 and MEL_S3 were analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry. Proteome comparisons revealed several differentially expressed proteins, mainly r…

Fusion of bone-marrow-derived cells with Purkinje neurons, cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes

2003

Recent studies have suggested that bone marrow cells possess a broad differentiation potential, being able to form new liver cells, cardiomyocytes and neurons1,2. Several groups have attributed this apparent plasticity to ‘transdifferentiation’3,4,5. Others, however, have suggested that cell fusion could explain these results6,7,8,9. Using a simple method based on Cre/lox recombination to detect cell fusion events, we demonstrate that bone-marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) fuse spontaneously with neural progenitors in vitro. Furthermore, bone marrow transplantation demonstrates that BMDCs fuse in vivo with hepatocytes in liver, Purkinje neurons in the brain and cardiac muscle in the heart, resul…

In vitro fusion of phagosomes with different endocytic organelles from J774 macrophages.

1998

We describe novel biochemical and electron microscopy assays to investigate in vitro fusion of latex bead phagosomes with three different endocytic organelle fractions from J774 macrophages. After formation, early phagosomes fuse avidly with early and late endosomes and for a longer period of time with lysosomes, but they subsequently become fusion-incompetent. The fusion of early, but not late, phagosomes with all three endocytic fractions could be significantly stimulated by Rab5. In contrast to other cell types investigated, this Rab is uniquely enriched on both early and late endosomes in J774 macrophages. Moreover, exogenous Rab5 stimulates homotypic fusion between both sets of organel…

Hexapeptides that interfere with HIV-1 fusion peptide activity in liposomes block GP41-mediated membrane fusion

2006

AbstractUpon receptor-mediated activation, the gp41 hydrophobic, conserved fusion peptide inserts into the target membrane and promotes the kind of perturbations required for the progression of the HIV-cell fusion reaction. Using a synthetic combinatorial library we have identified all d-amino acid hexapeptide sequences that inhibited the fusion peptide capacity of perturbing model membranes. Two hexapeptides that effectively inhibited the fusion peptide in these systems were subsequently shown to inhibit cell–cell fusion promoted by gp41 expressed at cell surfaces. These observations might be of importance for understanding the mechanisms underlying fusion peptide activity and suggest new …

Destruction of Kupffer’s cells increases total liver blood flow and decreases ischemia reperfusion injury in pigs

2000

Mechanisms of cement hydration

2011

Abstract The current state of knowledge of cement hydration mechanisms is reviewed, including the origin of the period of slow reaction in alite and cement, the nature of the acceleration period, the role of calcium sulfate in modifying the reaction rate of tricalcium aluminate, the interactions of silicates and aluminates, and the kinetics of the deceleration period. In addition, several remaining controversies or gaps in understanding are identified, such as the nature and influence on kinetics of an early surface hydrate, the mechanistic origin of the beginning of the acceleration period, the manner in which microscopic growth processes lead to the characteristic morphologies of hydratio…

The isolated perfused rat brain as a model for studying drugs acting on the CNS

1974

An isolated perfused brain preparation is regarded as offering some important advantages over intact animals or tissue slices for studying drug effects on the CNS. The rat is by far the most suitable laboratory animal for this technique because of low cost, ease of preparation and extensive literature available for comparative purposes. In this paper various preparation techniques and perfusion systems for an isolated rat brain are reported. Investigations are presented proving the viability of the isolated perfused rat brain for more than seven hours and its suitability for studies on cerebral metabolism. Until now this preparation has been successfully used for pharmacological investigati…

Diffusion in slice preparations bathed in unstirred solutions

1987

A diffusion model is described here, which allows for the estimations of drug concentration changes in porous media, such as in slice tissues of the central nervous system (CNS) bathed in unstirred solutions following abrupt changes of drug concentration. This model may be used for the interpretation of data obtained in neuropharmacological studies if (i) the diffusion coefficient of the molecules under investigation is constant within the excised tissue, (ii) drug molecules are diffusing only in the extracellular space (ECS) and are not bound by the tissue, (iii) drug molecules diffuse mainly within one dimension, (iv) the drug concentration in the bath is changed within 5 s, and (v) the b…

Comparison of the effects of chloral hydrate and trichlorethanol on the EEG of the isolated perfused rat brain.

1973

An isolated perfused rat brain preparation was used to compare the effects of chloral hydrate and its metabolite trichloroethanol on the EEG. The concentrations of chloral hydrate and trichloroethanol in the perfusion medium ranged from 1.5 to 5.5 mM. 5, 10, 15, and 30 min after the beginning of the perfusions EEG-recordings were taken. The recordings were evaluated both by a descriptive method and by a simple quantitative appraoch, counting the waves with an amplitude greater than 50 microvolts and averaging this value for a period of 1 sec. The following results were obtained: Both drugs exhibited CNS depressant activity. Between 5 and 10 min of perfusion the effect of trichloroethanol wa…