Search results for "trace"
showing 10 items of 3218 documents
Fibrosis is not just fibrosis - basement membrane modelling and collagen metabolism differs between hepatitis B- and C-induced injury
2016
BACKGROUND: While morphological patterns differ, the molecular phenotype of liver fibrosis is considered a stereotypical response to chronic liver injury. However, with different cellular triggers and networks regulating fibrosis, the molecular responses of the injured liver may not be identical.AIM: To investigate whether differences in extracellular matrix (ECM) composition of the liver during fibrogenesis in two seemingly similar types of viral hepatitis could be reflected by differences in ECM turnover.METHODS: Utilising a cross-sectional design, we measured specific ECM protein fragments in plasma from 197 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 403 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients ma…
Increased protein kinase A regulatory subunit content and cGMP binding in erythrocyte membranes in liver cirrhosis
2003
Abstract Background/Aims : Patients with liver disease show increased plasma cGMP and decreased intracellular cGMP in lymphocytes. The initial aim of this work was to assess whether decreased intracellular cGMP and increased plasma cGMP may be due to increased ATP-dependent release of cGMP from cells. The results obtained led to a new aim: to identify and quantify a protein responsible for the increased cGMP binding found in erythrocyte membranes from patients with liver disease. Methods : ATP-dependent cGMP transport was determined in inside-out vesicles from erythrocyte membranes. cGMP-binding proteins were isolated from the membranes and identified by MALDI-TOF peptide mass fingerprint. …
Extracellular Vesicles from Healthy Cells Improves Cell Function and Stemness in Premature Senescent Stem Cells by miR-302b and HIF-1α Activation.
2020
Aging is accompanied by the accumulation of senescent cells that alter intercellular communication, thereby impairing tissue homeostasis and reducing organ regenerative potential. Recently, the administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles has proven to be more effective and less challenging than current stem cell-based therapies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain a cell-specific cargo of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids that are released and taken up by probably all cell types, thereby inducing functional changes via the horizontal transfer of their cargo. Here, we describe the beneficial properties of extracellular vesicles derived from non-senescent M…
Selenium status during pregnancy: Influential factors and effects on neuropsychological development among Spanish infants
2017
Selenium(Se) has been positively associated with neurodevelopment in early life. However, its margin of safety is rather narrow, and few prospective studies have evaluated its potential neurotoxic effects at intermediate levels. We aimed to explore the association between maternal Se concentrations and child neuropsychological development, including the genetic effect modification of the Se metabolizing gene INMT. Study subjects were 650 mother-child pairs from the Spanish Childhood and Environment Project (INMA, 2003-2005). Infant neuropsychological development was assessed around 12 months of age by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Sociodemographic and dietary characteristics were…
THE VITAMIN D RECEPTOR TAQ I POLYMORPHISM IS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED VDR AND INCREASED PDIA3 PROTEIN LEVELS IN HUMAN INTESTINAL FIBROBLASTS
2020
The synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs731236, located in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene (Taq I) has been associated with both decreased levels of the protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and a fibrosis-related complication in Crohn´s disease (CD). Interactions between VDR and a protein-disulfide isomerase-associated 3 (PDIA3) in the regulation of extracellular matrix have been reported and we aim to analyze the relevance of the VDR genotypes and the effects of Vitamin D (VD) in the expression of VDR, PDIA3 and proliferation of intestinal fibroblasts. Human intestinal fibroblasts were isolated from the non-affected surgical resections of colorectal patients and cl…
Hypoxic macrophages impair autophagy in epithelial cells through Wnt1: relevance in IBD.
2014
A defective induction of epithelial autophagy may have a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases. This process is regulated mainly by extracellular factors such as nutrients and growth factors and is highly induced by diverse situations of stress. We hypothesized that epithelial autophagy is regulated by the immune response that in turn is modulated by local hypoxia and inflammatory signals present in the inflamed mucosa. Our results reveal that HIF-1 alpha and Wnt1 were co-localized with CD68 in cells of the mucosa of IBD patients. We have observed increased protein levels of beta-catenin, phosphorylated mTOR, and p62 and decreased expression of LC3II in colonic epithelial …
Genetic and environmental contributions to serum ascorbic acid concentrations: the Stanislas Family Study.
2006
Although numerous environmental factors are documented to influence serum ascorbic concentrations, little is known about the genetic versus environmental contributions to variation of this trait. The aim of this study was to estimate family correlation and, additive genetic heritability and household effects in a variance component analysis for serum ascorbic acid concentrations. In a sample of ninety French families, information was obtained regarding serum ascorbic acid concentrations, usual dietary intake, lifestyle, and other related covariates. Spouse, parent –offspring and offspring –offspring significant correlation coefficients for serum ascorbic acid concentrations, adjusted for ag…
Sex differences in conditioned stimulus discrimination during context-dependent fear learning and its retrieval in humans: the role of biological sex…
2015
BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women than in men. Despite this sexual dimorphism most experimental studies are conducted in male participants and studies focusing on sex differences are sparse. In addition the role of hormonal contraceptives and menstrual cycle phase in fear conditioning and extinction processes remain largely unknown. METHODS: We investigated sex differences in context-dependent fear acquisition and extinction (day 1) and their retrieval/expression (day 2). Skin conductance responses (SCRs) fear and unconditioned stimulus expectancy ratings were obtained. RESULTS: We included 377 individuals (261 women) in our study. Robust sex differences were observe…
A custom image-based analysis tool for quantifying elastin and collagen micro-architecture in the wall of the human aorta from multi-photon microscopy
2014
The aorta possesses a micro-architecture that imparts and supports a high degree of compliance and mechanical strength. Alteration of the quantity and/or arrangement of the main load-bearing components of this micro-architecture - the elastin and collagen fibers - leads to mechanical, and hence functional, changes associated with aortic disease and aging. Therefore, in the future, the ability to rigorously characterize the wall fiber micro-architecture could provide insight into the complicated mechanisms of aortic wall remodeling in aging and disease. Elastin and collagen fibers can be observed using state-of-the-art multi-photon microscopy. Image-analysis algorithms have been effective at…
Impaired plasma nitric oxide availability and extracellular superoxide dismutase activity in healthy humans with advancing age
2006
This study is aimed to verify the modifications of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) activity and its potential involvement on the mechanism responsible for the impairment of plasma nitric oxide (NO) availability occurring with advancing age in healthy humans. For this purpose, plasma samples were drawn from 40 healthy men, aged 20-92 years, in fasting state and used for measurements of stable end-product nitrite/nitrate (NOx), as expression of NO availability, EC-SOD activity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as marker of lipid peroxidation, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) as a measure of plasma total antioxidant capacity, and in vitro susceptibility …