Search results for "hole"
showing 10 items of 2900 documents
Anatomical Classification of the Peripheral Right Hepatic Duct: Early Identification of a Preventable Source of Morbidity and Mortality in Adult Live…
2008
Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of our classification on right graft adult live donor liver transplantation (ALDLT) outcomes. Methods Three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) reconstructions were used to classify the hilar and sectorial biliary anatomy of 71 consecutive live liver donors. Four possible clinical types were defined, based on the normal (N) or abnormal (A) features of the corresponding hilar/sectorial ducts: type I, N/N; type II, N/A; type III, A/N; and type IV, A/A. We subsequently performed an analysis of the operative outcomes based on the donor anatomy. Results Type I was encountered in 47.9% of cases, type II in 29.6%, type II…
Cholesterol as stabilizer of the oxytocin receptor
2002
AbstractThe function of the oxytocin receptor system is strongly dependent on steroids as demonstrated by several physiological studies. One key element of this dependence on steroids may be the interaction of cholesterol and the oxytocin receptor. In this study, we show that cholesterol stabilizes the solubilized human oxytocin receptor against thermal inactivation and proteolytic degradation. In the absence of additional cholesterol, the soluble receptor inactivates within minutes. Maximal stabilization of the oxytocin receptor requires a continuous supply with cholesterol from a cholesterol-rich environment. A structure–activity analysis of various cholesterol analogues and their effect …
Chronic kidney disease and dyslipidaemia
2016
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has to be considered as a high, or even very high risk cardiovascular risk condition, since it leads to an increase in cardiovascular mortality that continues to increase as the disease progresses. An early diagnosis of CKD is required, together with an adequate identification of the risk factors, in order to slow down its progression to more severe states, prevent complications, and to delay, whenever possible, the need for renal replacement therapy. Dyslipidaemia is a factor of the progression of CKD that increases the risk in developing atherosclerosis and its complications. Its proper control contributes to reducing the elevated cardiovascular morbidity and …
Fragmentation of bile duct stones: a prospective systematic in vitro evaluation of argon plasma coagulation, cryotechnology, and water-jet technology
2009
Background and study aim Choledocholithiasis is a common disease in the West. Lithotripsy by mechanical methods using baskets and by laser or electrohydraulic methods varies in effectiveness. With argon plasma coagulation (APC), high temperatures are used for devitalization and fragmentation; cryogenic techniques use the selective controlled application of freeze-thaw cycles to devitalize pathological tissue; and the dissecting water jet exploits the high pressure action of a thin laminar jet. We aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of APC, cryotechnology, and the dissecting water jet as options for the fragmentation of bile duct stones. Methods In an in vitro feasibility study…
Cholesterol accumulation is increased in macrophages of phospholipid transfer protein-deficient mice: normalization by dietary alpha-tocopherol suppl…
2007
Objective— Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) is a multifunctional, extracellular lipid transport protein that plays a major role in lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis. Recent in vivo studies suggested that unlike systemic PLTP, macrophage-derived PLTP would be antiatherogenic. The present study aimed at characterizing the atheroprotective properties of macrophage-derived PLTP. Methods and Results— Peritoneal macrophages were isolated from PLTP-deficient and wild-type mice and their biochemical characteristics were compared. It is shown that macrophages isolated from PLTP-deficient mice have increased basal cholesterol content and accumulate more cholesterol in the presence of LD…
Cholesterol and ocular pathologies: focus on the role of cholesterol-24S-hydroxylase in cholesterol homeostasis
2015
The retina is responsible for coding the light stimulus into a nervous signal that is transferred to the brain via the optic nerve. The retina is formed by the association of the neurosensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium that is supported by Bruch’s membrane. Both the physical and metabolic associations between these partners are crucial for the functioning of the retina, by means of nutrient intake and removal of the cell and metabolic debris from the retina. Dysequilibrium are involved in the aging processes and pathologies such as age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of visual loss after the age of 50 years inWestern countries. The retina is composed of severa…
Assessment of the association between cytomegalovirus DNAemia and subsequent acute graft-versus-host disease in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell…
2021
The potential role of active CMV infection in promoting acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGvHD) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains a matter of debate. We further addressed this issue conducting a retrospective, observational, multicenter study of 632 patients subjected to allogeneic peripheral blood HSCT at 20 Spanish centers. Monitoring of CMV DNA load in plasma or whole blood was performed by real-time PCR assays. Cumulative incidence of CMV DNAemia was 48.9% (95% CI, 45%-52.9%), of any grade aGvHD, 45.6; 95% (CI, 41.3%-50.1%), and of grade II-IV aGvHD, 30.7 (95% CI, 24.9%-36.4%). Overall, development of CMV DNAemia at any level resulted in an increa…
Ex vivoevidence for PGE2and LTB4involvement in cutaneous leishmaniasis: relation with infection status and cytokine production
1996
SUMMARYEx vivoculture of spleen cells from BALB/c mice infected with 2 × 106Leishmania major(L.major) promastigotes were cultured with ConcanavalinA (ConA) or leishmanial antigen (L. Ag) and tested for prostaglandin E2(PGE2) and for leukotriene B4(LTB4), in order to study their involvement in the evolution of cutaneous leishmaniasis and the connexion with lymphokine-mediated responses. The data were compared with those obtained in BALB/c mice protected againstL. majorby sublethal irradiation (550 rad; cured mice). In the unprotected BALB/c mice the levels of PGE2that were responsible for the depression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) Th1-associated cytokines and …
Intrarectal immunization with rotavirus 2/6 virus-like particles induces an antirotavirus immune response localized in the intestinal mucosa and prot…
2006
ABSTRACTRotavirus (RV) is the main etiological agent of severe gastroenteritis in infants, and vaccination seems the most effective way to control the disease. Recombinant rotavirus-like particles composed of the viral protein 6 (VP6) and VP2 (2/6-VLPs) have been reported to induce protective immunity in mice when administered by the intranasal (i.n.) route. In this study, we show that administration of 2/6-VLPs by the intrarectal (i.r.) route together with either cholera toxin (CT) or a CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotide as the adjuvant protects adult mice against RV infection. Moreover, when CT is used, RV shedding in animals immunized by the i.r. route is even reduced in comparison with…
Analysis of a soluble lipid-protein complex carrying endogenous 11-cis retinaldehyde from bovine retinal pigment epithelium.
1989
A soluble lipid-protein complex in bovine retinal pigment epithelium is shown to carry endogenous 11-cis retinaldehyde, in the extent of 15% of the total 11-cis retinaldehyde found in this tissue. The complex, analyzed with respect to its chemical composition, exhibits a lipid composition close resembling the lipid composition of the rod outer segment membrane; the SDS-PAGE evidences the presence of a number of protein bands, two of which of 34 and 27 kDa appear glycoproteins. Finally, the lipid-protein complex exhibits a discrete level of a Cathepsin D-like protease activity. From the above, the possibility is discussed that the soluble lipid-protein complex could represent some phagolysos…