Search results for "models"
showing 10 items of 8211 documents
Localization and interactions of melatonin in dry cholesterol/lecithin mixed reversed micelles used as cell membrane models
2005
The state of melatonin confined in dry cholesterol/lecithin mixed reversed micelles dispersed in CCl4 was investigated using 1H-NMR and FT-IR spectroscopies as a function of the melatonin to lecithin molar ratio (R(MLT)) and of the cholesterol to lecithin molar ratio (R(CHL)). An analysis of experimental results leads to the hypothesis that, independent of R(MLT) and as a consequence of anisotropic melatonin/lecithin, melatonin/cholesterol and cholesterol/lecithin interactions, melatonin is totally solubilized in reversed micelles. Melatonin is mainly located in and oriented in the nanodomain constituted by the hydrophilic groups of cholesterol and lecithin. A competition of melatonin and c…
New biological aspects of Chromogranin A-derived peptides: Focus on vasostatins
2007
Chromogranin A (CgA), one component of the granin family, represents the major soluble protein co-stored and co-released with catecholamines, within chromaffin cells secretory granules. It is considered a diagnostic and prognostic marker of several diseases, including a variety of tumours and cardiac heart failure. It also represents a precursor of biologically active fragments, generated after proteolytic cleavage at the level of the multiple pairs of dibasic sites which enrich its sequence. CgA, and its derived fragments show an old evolutionary history being ubiquitously present throughout the animal word, from mammals to invertebrates. Their biological functions include control of hormo…
Review article: a comparison of glucagon-like peptides 1 and 2.
2013
Summary Background Recent advancements in understanding the roles and functions of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and 2 (GLP-2) have provided a basis for targeting these peptides in therapeutic strategies. Aim To summarise the preclinical and clinical research supporting the discovery of new therapeutic molecules targeting GLP-1 and GLP-2. Methods This review is based on a comprehensive PubMed search, representing literature published during the past 30 years related to GLP-1 and GLP-2. Results Although produced and secreted together primarily from L cells of the intestine in response to ingestion of nutrients, GLP-1 and GLP-2 exhibit distinctive biological functions that are governed by t…
Cardiac changes in subclinical and overt hyperthyroid women: retrospective study
2003
This retrospective and descriptive 4-year study was undertaken to describe cardiac changes in subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism.We revised the charts of 386 consecutive cardiopathic women whose blood samples were referred to the Radioimmunoassay Laboratory to evaluate thyroid function from 1 January 1997 through 31 December 2000.After excluding women because euthyroid or hypothyroid, or taking amiodarone and women with hypertension, rheumatic disease, myocardial infarction, a total of 31 hyperthyroid women were thus selected for the study: 19 with subclinical hyperthyroidism and 12 with overt hyperthyroidism. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation did not differ between subclinical (48%)…
Transgenic overexpression of corticotropin releasing hormone provides partial protection against neurodegeneration in an in vivo model of acute excit…
2008
Abstract Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is the central modulator of the mammalian hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. In addition, CRH affects other processes in the brain including learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, CRH has been shown to play a role in nerve cell survival under apoptotic conditions and to serve as an endogenous neuroprotectant in vitro . Employing mice overexpressing murine CRH in the CNS, we observed a differential response of CRH-overexpressing mice (CRH-COE hom -Nes) to acute excitotoxic stress induced by kainate compared with controls (CRH-COE con -Nes). Interestingly, CRH-overexpression reduced the duration of epileptic seizures and pre…
Inhibition of KIF20A by BKS0349 reduces endometriotic lesions in a xenograft mouse model
2019
AbstractSeveral studies have suggested a possible etiological association between ovarian endometriosis and ovarian cancer. Evidence has shown that KIF20A overexpression might confer a malignant phenotype to ovarian tumors by promoting proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. However, no data about the role of KIF20A in endometriosis have been described. In this study, the human endometrium (n = 4) was transfected by mCherry adenovirus and intraperitoneally implanted in mice. Subsequently, mice were divided in three groups (n = 8/group) that were treated with Vehicle, BKS0349 (KIF20A-antagonist) or cabergoline (dopamine receptor agonist) for 21 days. mCherry-labeled endometriotic lesions wer…
Evaluation of PAI-1 in endometriosis using a homologous immunocompetent mouse model
2018
To analyze the role of PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1) in endometriotic lesion growth, we studied the effect of PAI-1 inhibition by PAI-039 using a homologous mouse model of endometriosis that allows noninvasive monitoring. Endometrial tissue from donor mice was collected, labeled with mCherry adenovirus, and implanted into a subcutaneous pocket on the ventral abdomen of recipient mice. Seven days after transplantation, mice were randomly allocated in two groups and treated once daily for 2 weeks with either vehicle (control group) or PAI-1 inhibitor (PAI-039 group). Endometriotic lesion size generated in recipient mice was monitored by mCherry signal. Animals were euthanized 21 d…
The Inflammatory Feed-Forward Loop Triggered by the Complement Component C3 as a Potential Target in Endometriosis
2021
Copyright © 2021 Agostinis, Zorzet, Balduit, Zito, Mangogna, Macor, Romano, Toffoli, Belmonte, Morello, Martorana, Borelli, Ricci, Kishore and Bulla. The complement system is a major component of humoral innate immunity, acting as a first line of defense against microbes via opsonization and lysis of pathogens. However, novel roles of the complement system in inflammatory and immunological processes, including in cancer, are emerging. Endometriosis (EM), a benign disease characterized by ectopic endometrial implants, shows certain unique features of cancer, such as the capacity to invade surrounding tissues, and in severe cases, metastatic properties. A defective immune surveillance against…
Validity of a novel device for indoor analysis of cyclists' drag area
2021
Cyclists need to measure aerodynamic resistance accurately and reliably, as well as economically. Devices such as Notio Aerostick, an equipment device that includes one pitot tube, have appeared for this purpose. The aim of this study is, therefore, to test the reliability and degree of agreement in the evaluation of the CdA (coefficient of aerodynamic drag), assessed by means of the Notio Aerostick compared to the Virtual Elevation (VE) and Martin mathematical models.Seventeen professional cyclists rode in a 250-metre-long velodrome covered with a concrete surface with their own time trial bikes. Each cyclist completed three rides of 15 laps at constant speed for the evaluation of the CdA,…
A Strategy for the Prediction of the Response of Hysteretic Systems: A Base for Capacity Assessment of Buildings under Seismic Load
2014
A statistical non linearization method is used to approximate systems modeled by the Bouc differential equa- tion and excited by a Gaussian white noise external load. To this aim restricted potential models (RPM) are used, which are suitable for an extended number of nonlinear problems as have been proved several times. Since the solution of RPM is known by the probabilistic point of view, all statistical characteristics can be derived at once with advantages by the computational point of view. Hence, this paper discusses the possibility to determine sets of parameters characterizing po- tential models that are valid for describing a hysteretic behavior. In this way the characterization of …