Verucciform xanthoma of the penis not associated with human papillomavirus infection.

Verruciform xanthoma (VX) is a rare lesion with a predilection for oral mucosa. Only 16 cases of VX of the penis have been reported. Histologically, VX lesions in different locations are identical; however, the etiology is controversial.

Sp1 regulates cathepsin B transcription and invasiveness in murine B16 melanoma cells.

Background: Increased expression of cathepsin B contributes to extracellular matrix degradation and invasion in cancer. Cathepsin B expression is under transcriptional control in murine melanomas and the major promoter contains potential binding sites for the Sp1 transcription factor.

Materials And Methods: Murine melanoma cells transfected with an Sp1 expression plasmid or its control were used in Matrigel invasion and cell motility assays in the presence or absence of the cathepsin B inhibitor, CA-074Me.

Aminopeptidase P isozyme expression in human tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cell fractions.

Aminopeptidase P (APP) isoforms specifically remove the N-terminal amino acid from peptides that have a proline residue in the second position. The mRNA levels of three different isoforms, each coded by a different gene, were determined in 16 human tissues and in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) fractions by RT-PCR. The cytosolic isoform, APP1, and the cell surface membrane-bound isoform, APP2, are expressed in all of the human tissues and PBMC fractions examined.

Neutrophil function in the healing wound: adding insult to injury?

Cells of the innate immune system, including neutrophils and macrophages, are a highly visible component of normal wound healing in adult mammals. The role of inflammatory cells in the healing wound has been widely investigated, and evidence for both positive and negative influences exists. Several recent investigations support the emerging paradigm that robust inflammation is detrimental to wound closure.

Rat and mouse membrane aminopeptidase P: structure analysis and tissue distribution.

Membrane-bound aminopeptidase P (mAPP) is a highly specific exopeptidase that removes the N-terminal amino acid only from a peptide (three amino acids or longer) that has a prolyl residue in the second position. mAPP can inactivate bradykinin, a potent vasodilating and cardioprotective peptide hormone, by hydrolyzing the Arg(1)-Pro(2) bond. Studies on the rat have shown that the metabolism of bradykinin is an important physiological role of this enzyme.

The effect of thrombocytopenia on dermal wound healing.

The immediate appearance of platelets in wounds and the ability of platelets to release growth factors suggest that platelets are an important trigger of the tissue repair process. To examine the effect of systemic thrombocytopenia on both the inflammatory and proliferative aspects of wound healing, adult mice were rendered thrombocytopenic by intraperitoneal administration of a rabbit antimouse platelet serum. Full-thickness excisional dermal wounds were prepared and analyzed for inflammatory cell content, growth factor production, reepithelialization, collagen synthesis, and angiogenesis at multiple time points after injury.