Induction of apoptosis in B16-BL6 melanoma cells following exposure to electromagnetic fields modeled after intercellular calcium waves.

Exposure to time-varying electromagnetic fields (EMF) has the capacity to influence biological systems. Our results demonstrate that exposure to time-varying EMF modeled after the physiological firing frequency of intercellular calcium waves can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in malignant cells. Single exposure of B16-BL6 cells to a Ca EMF for 40 min reduced the number of viable cells by 50.

Functional genomics highlights differential induction of antiviral pathways in the lungs of SARS-CoV-infected macaques.

The pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is likely mediated by disproportional immune responses and the ability of the virus to circumvent innate immunity. Using functional genomics, we analyzed early host responses to SARS-CoV infection in the lungs of adolescent cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that show lung pathology similar to that observed in human adults with SARS. Analysis of gene signatures revealed induction of a strong innate immune response characterized by the stimulation of various cytokine and chemokine genes, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IP-10, which corresponds to the host response seen in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Pulmonary edema complicating continuous intravenous prostacyclin in pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis.

Continuous intravenous epoprostenol (prostacyclin) produces hemodynamic and symptomatic responses and improves survival in patients with severe primary pulmonary hypertension refractory to conventional medical therapy. However, it has been recently shown that short-term infusion of epoprostenol can produce pulmonary edema in pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, presumably because of increased pulmonary perfusion in the presence of downstream vascular obstruction. We describe two additional cases of pulmonary edema complicating continuous intravenous epoprostenol in patients displaying severe pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis, a rare condition characterized by the proliferation of thin-walled microvessels in the alveolar walls.

Platelet-derived growth factor expression in primary pulmonary hypertension: comparison of HIV seropositive and HIV seronegative patients.

Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is characterized by intimal fibrosis and cell proliferation (including fibroblasts, smooth muscle and endothelial cells) in the distal pulmonary arterial tree. Considerable interest has been generated by recent reports of PPH in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected individuals. Although the lack of evidence for a pulmonary artery infection has suggested that in such cases HIV may act through mediator release rather than by direct endothelial infection, the mechanisms underlying HIV-associated PPH remain poorly defined.