Search results for "techniques"
showing 10 items of 4426 documents
Modulation of endotoxin-induced neutrophil transendothelial migration by alveolar epithelium in a defined bilayer model.
2006
Within the alveolus, epithelial cells, due to their close association with endothelial cells, can potentially influence endothelial cell responsiveness during inflammation and their interaction with leukocytes. To investigate this, three lung epithelial cell lines (A549, Calu-3, or NCI-H441) were grown with endothelium on opposing surfaces of Transwell filters and the formation and stability of bilayers was rigorously evaluated. All epithelial lines disrupted endothelial monolayer formation on filters with 3- or 5-microm pores by breaching the filter, and this occurred regardless of seeding density, matrix composition, or duration of culture. Endothelial disruption was not detectable by ele…
Theophylline suppresses the release of tumour necrosis factor-alpha by blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages.
1994
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of theophylline on tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) release by human blood monocytes (BMo), and rat BMo and alveolar macrophages (AM). BMo and AM were incubated in the absence or presence of theophylline, and the cell-free supernatants were harvested and tested for TNF-alpha activity by bioassay. Theophylline dose-dependently reduced TNF-alpha release by human BMo: significant inhibition was observed at 100 microns (41 +/- 5.9% of controls) and at 50 microns (59 +/- 4.8% of controls), while the inhibitory activity of theophylline at 10 microns (71 +/- 8.9% of controls) was not statistically significant. This activity was maximal a…
Direct effect of cigarette smoke on human pulmonary artery tension.
2010
The effect of chronic cigarette smoke on pulmonary artery (PA) tension has been studied extensively; nevertheless, the direct effect of cigarette smoke is poorly understood. We investigated the direct effect of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on PA tension in non-smokers, smokers, and COPD patients in vitro. PA samples from 35 patients who underwent lung resection were examined by measuring isometric tension in response to increasing serotonin concentrations. CSE dose dependently inhibited the response to serotonin in smokers and COPD patients, and to a lesser extent in non-smokers. CSE-induced relaxation was similarly inhibited by the nonspecific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor l-NOARG…
Prognostic scoring system predictive of survival after surgical resection of esophageal carcinoma.
2013
BACKGROUND The aim of our study was to develop a prognostic index score for patients undergoing surgical resection for esophageal cancer that accurately determines survival with specific clinicopathological characteristics. METHODS Clinical, histological, and demographical variables of 475 patients were entered in an univariate and multivariate regression model, followed by individual calculation of the Prognostic Indicator Score and model validation via simulation. RESULTS Significant variables included in the scoring system were number of positive lymph nodes, pT, pL, R, obesity, and American Society of Anesthesiologist classification. Survival probability and its associated hazard functi…
Chronological expression of Ciliated Bronchial Epithelium 1 during pulmonary development
2009
Ciliated Bronchial Epithelium (CBE) 1 is a novel gene, which is expressed in ciliated cells. As cilia are important during embryogenesis, the present authors characterised the murine homologue of CBE1 (Cbe1) and compared its temporal expression during murine and human lung development. Cbe1 cDNA was cloned and characterised using sequencing, standard PCR and Western blotting. Mouse and human embryonic/fetal lungs (HELs) were harvested for mRNA analysis and protein localisation in vivo and in vitro using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The Cbe1 amino acid sequence was >75% identical with CBE1 and its alternative splicing and tissue distribution were highly conserved. Pulmonary expression of…
GM-CSF expression by human lung microvascular endothelial cells: in vitro and in vivo findings.
2002
Recently, many findings indicate that granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung diseases. In the present paper, the production of this cytokine in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMEC) is investigated. In an in vitro study, quiescent HPMEC did not express GM-CSF, either at the transcriptional or at the protein level. After activation for 4 h with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (30/300 U/ml), lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.1/1 μg/ml), or interleukin (IL)-1β (100 U/ml), a significant release of GM-CSF was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, with a time-dependent increase over 72 h. IL…
CAT score single item analysis in patients with COPD: results from COSYCONET
2019
Abstract The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is in widespread use for the evaluation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed whether the CAT items carry additional information beyond the sum score regarding COPD characteristics including emphysema. Patients of GOLD grades 1 to 4 from the COPD cohort COSYCONET (German COPD and Systemic Consequences - Comorbidities Network) with complete CAT data were included (n = 2270), of whom 493 had chest CT evaluated for the presence of emphysema. Comorbidities and lung function were assessed following standardised procedures. Cross-sectional data analysis was based on multiple regression analysis of the single CAT items ag…
Lung fixation for the preservation of air spaces.
2004
The procedures for the fixation of entire lungs of small rodents are presented together with various techniques used to verify the structural integrity of the lung tissue. To achieve this, the lungs were dissected out from rats and mice killed by ether overdose. The specimens were rinsed with isotonic saline and fixation solution under low vacuum conditions. After fixation, they were dried using alcohol and stored in a noncollapsed state (i.e., state of inhalation). Light and scanning electron microscopy as well as magnetic resonance imaging using hyperpolarized 3He were employed to verify the intact state on interalveolar septa and walls of smaller bronchi as well as accessibility of the a…
Neutrophil Adherence to Activated Saphenous Vein and Mammary Endothelium After Graft Preparation
2005
Interaction of circulating leukocytes and vascular endothelium plays an important role in vasoconstriction, endothelial dysfunction, and vascular injury. Dilation procedures of grafts before coronary artery bypass graft surgery might lead to vascular injury and subsequent bypass graft disease.We analyzed in vitro the adherence of fluorescence-labeled polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) to endothelium of human saphenous vein grafts or internal mammary artery grafts after stimulation with thrombin (0.5 to 2 U/mL) or dilating procedures. Furthermore, we investigated endothelial function of prepared grafts.Thrombin stimulation resulted in a dose-dependent increase of PMN adherence to the endot…
Muscarinic M2 receptors in acetylcholine-isoproterenol functional antagonism in human isolated bronchus
2002
The muscarinic functional antagonism of isoproterenol relaxation and the contribution of muscarinic M2 receptors were examined in human isolated bronchus. In intact tissues, acetylcholine (ACh) precontraction decreased isoproterenol potency and maximal relaxation (−log EC50 shift = −1.49 ± 0.16 and Emax inhibition for 100 μM ACh = 30%) more than the same levels of histamine contraction. The M2receptor-selective antagonist methoctramine (1 μM) reduced this antagonism in ACh- but not histamine-contracted tissues. Similar results were obtained for forskolin-induced relaxation. After selective inactivation of M3 receptors with 4-diphenylacetoxy- N-(2-chloroethyl)piperadine hydrochloric acid (3…