Search results for "type"
showing 10 items of 10618 documents
Positive and negative effects of trauma in patients after myocardial infarction : The role of type D personality
2020
Background: Experiencing a myocardial infarction threatens the health and life of the patient; therefore, it can be perceived as a traumatic event. Indeed, myocardial infarction may result in negative consequences, including symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is also possible to experience positive effects from traumatic events, which is expressed as posttraumatic growth. Personality characteristics, including type D (i.e., distressed) personality, are among several factors that have been shown determine the occurrence of negative and positive consequences after exposure to trauma. Aim of the study: The aim of the present study was to establish the role of distres…
Klotho and vitamin D in multiple sclerosis: an Italian study
2019
Introduction Low vitamin D levels have been recognised as an important risk factor for autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a multifactorial disease, the pathogenesis of which contributes both to genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in genes codifying molecules involved in vitamin D homeostasis have been associated with hypovitaminosis D. However, the influence of polymorphisms of Klotho, which codify a protein with a pivotal role in vitamin D metabolism, have never been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association among genetic variants of Klotho, namely rs1207568 and rs9536314, serum 25(OH)D3 levels, and multiple sclerosis (both …
Imaging of VSOP labeled stem cells in agarose phantoms with susceptibility weighted and T2* weighted MR Imaging at 3T: determination of the detection…
2013
Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the detectability of stem cells labeled with very small iron oxide particles (VSOP) at 3T with susceptibility weighted (SWI) and T2* weighted imaging as a methodological basis for subsequent examinations in a large animal stroke model (sheep). Materials and Methods We examined ovine mesenchymal stem cells labeled with VSOP in agarose layer phantoms. The experiments were performed in 2 different groups, with quantities of 0–100,000 labeled cells per layer. 15 different SWI- and T2*-weighted sequences and 3 RF coils were used. All measurements were carried out on a clinical 3T MRI. Images of Group A were analyzed by four radiologists blinded for the num…
Inhibition of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway Mediates the Anti-inflammatory Effects of Petrosaspongiolide M
2003
Petrosaspongiolide M (PT) is a potent secretory phospholipase A(2) inhibitor and anti-inflammatory agent. This marine metabolite reduced the production of nitrite, prostaglandin E(2), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the mouse air pouch injected with zymosan. These effects were also observed in mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with zymosan. Inhibition of these inflammatory mediators was related to reductions in inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclo-oxygenase-2, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression. Since nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) appears to play a central role in the transcriptional regulation of these proteins by macrophages, we investigated the effects of PT on thi…
Comparison of adjuvant and adjuvant-free murine experimental asthma models
2009
Introduction The most widely used protocol for the induction of experimental allergic airway inflammation in mice involves sensitization by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of the antigen ovalbumin (OVA) used in conjunction with the adjuvant aluminium hydroxide (alum). Although adjuvants are frequently used, there are questions regarding the necessity of alum for murine asthma studies due to the non-physiological nature of this chemical. Objective The objective of this study was to compare experimental asthma phenotypes between adjuvant and adjuvant-free protocols of murine allergic airway inflammation in an attempt to develop a standardized alternative to adjuvant use. Method An adjuvant-…
Lovastatin stimulates p75 TNF receptor (TNFR2) expression in primary human endothelial cells
2005
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) exert pleiotropic physiological effects. Among others they attenuate cellular responses to genotoxic and inflammatory stress. We investigated the effect of lovastatin on the expression level of TNF receptors (TNFR) in primary human endothelial cells (HUVEC). ELISA, FACS and immunocytochemical analyses show that lovastatin selectively increases the cell surface expression of TNFR2 without affecting the expression level of TNFR1. This effect of lovastatin is independent from inhibition of cell-cycle progression since cells both in G1- and G2-phase showed elevated levels of TNFR2 after lovastatin treatment. To analyze the physiological relevance of lovast…
Cytokine components and mucosal immunity in the oviduct of Xenopus laevis (amphibia, pipidae)
2011
Abstract Most studies on the mucosal immunity in female reproductive tissues have been performed in mammals. In all species, apart from their reproductive strategies, immunity in the genital mucosa is required to defend the host against luminal pathogens. In this study we investigated the role of the innate immunity of the oviductal mucosa of Xenopus laevis , an amphibian characterized by external fertilization. In particular we examined the expression and localization of Interleukin-1β (IL1B), Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and Interleukin-1 receptor type 1 (IL1R1) in different oviductal portions including an upper glandular region, an intermediate and a lower aglandular regi…
Interferon-beta: a therapeutic for autoimmune lupus in MRL-Faslpr mice.
2005
Type I interferons are associated with lupus. Genes that are regulated by IFN-alpha are upregulated in pediatric lupus patients. Gene deletion of the IFN-alpha/beta receptor in experimental lupus-like NZB mice results in reduced disease activity. Conversely, IFN-beta is a well-established treatment in multiple sclerosis, another autoimmune disease. For determining whether IFN-beta treatment is harmful or beneficial in lupus, MRL-Fas(lpr) mice were injected with this type I IFN. Treatment was initiated in MRL-Fas(lpr) mice with mild and advanced disease. IFN-beta was highly effective in prolonging survival and ameliorating the clinical (renal function, proteinuria, splenomegaly, and skin les…
Immune Modulating Effects of NKT Cells in a Physiologically Low Dose Leishmania major Infection Model after αGalCer Analog PBS57 Stimulation
2014
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic infection affecting ∼12 million people worldwide, mostly in developing countries. Treatment options are limited and no effective vaccines exist to date. Natural Killer T (NKT) cells are a conserved innate-like lymphocyte population with immunomodulating effects in various settings. A number of reports state a role of NKT cells in different models of Leishmania infection. Here, we investigated the effect of NKT cells in a physiologically relevant, intradermal low dose infection model. After inoculation of 103 infectious-stage L. major, comparable numbers of skin-immigrating NKT cells in both susceptible BALB/c mice and resistant C57BL/6 mice were noted. Compared …
Absence of the lactase-persistence-associated allele in early Neolithic Europeans.
2007
Lactase persistence (LP), the dominant Mendelian trait conferring the ability to digest the milk sugar lactose in adults, has risen to high frequency in central and northern Europeans in the last 20,000 years. This trait is likely to have conferred a selective advantage in individuals who consume appreciable amounts of unfermented milk. Some have argued for the “culture-historical hypothesis,” whereby LP alleles were rare until the advent of dairying early in the Neolithic but then rose rapidly in frequency under natural selection. Others favor the “reverse cause hypothesis,” whereby dairying was adopted in populations with preadaptive high LP allele frequencies. Analysis based on the cons…