Simultaneous assessment of mechanical and electrical function in Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts.

Background: The Langendorff-perfused isolated heart model has been extensively used to study cardiac function for many years. However, electrical and mechanical function are often studied separately-despite growing proof of a complex electro-mechanical interaction in cardiac physiology and pathology. Therefore, we developed an isolated mouse heart perfusion system that allows simultaneous recording of electrical and mechanical function.

On-the-Job Safety During Enlarging an Intensive Care Unit for the COVID-19 Pandemic: Team-Based Approach with Low Infection Rate of the Staff.

Objective: Healthcare workers had a 7.4-fold risk of severe coronavirus disease-19 than non-essential employees in the United Kingdom during the first phase of the pandemic. In this study, we describe interdisciplinary measures for increasing on-the-job safety used during the first phase of the pandemic in an Italian hospital.

COVID-19 and the Vasculature: Current Aspects and Long-Term Consequences.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in December 2019 as a novel respiratory pathogen and is the causative agent of Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Early on during this pandemic, it became apparent that SARS-CoV-2 was not only restricted to infecting the respiratory tract, but the virus was also found in other tissues, including the vasculature. Individuals with underlying pre-existing co-morbidities like diabetes and hypertension have been more prone to develop severe illness and fatal outcomes during COVID-19.

Evaluation of a New Topical Treatment for the Control of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

() causes cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World. The infection mostly induces a localized lesion restricted to the sand fly bite. The costs and the side effects of current treatments render imperative the development of new therapies that are affordable and easy to administrate.

TLR7 Sensing by Neutrophils Is Critical for the Control of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Neutrophils are rapidly recruited to sites of infection, where they kill invading pathogens. However, they may also act as early temporary shelters, favoring subsequent pathogen dissemination in the host. We find that TLR7 sensing of the protozoan Leishmania parasite in neutrophils is essential for early parasite load regulation.

Resistance of to Meglumine Antimoniate or Miltefosine Modulates Neutrophil Effector Functions.

is the main causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia and is usually treated with either meglumine antimoniate (MA) or miltefosine (MIL). In recent years, there has been increasing evidence of the emergence of drug-resistance against these compounds. Neutrophils are known to play an important role in immunity against .

Deletion of Interleukin-4 Receptor Alpha-Responsive Keratinocytes in BALB/c Mice Does Not Alter Susceptibility to Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

The skin microenvironment at the site of infection plays a role in the early events that determine protective T helper 1/type 1 immune responses during cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) infection. During CL in nonhealing BALB/c mice, early interleukin-4 (IL-4) can instruct dendritic cells for protective Th1 immunity. Additionally, keratinocytes, which are the principal cell type in the skin epidermis, have been shown to secrete IL-4 early after infection.

IL-4Rα Signaling in Keratinocytes and Early IL-4 Production Are Dispensable for Generating a Curative T Helper 1 Response in -Infected C57BL/6 Mice.

Experimental infection with the protozoan parasite has been extensively used to understand the mechanisms involved in T helper cell differentiation. Following infection, C57BL/6 mice develop a small self-healing cutaneous lesion and they are able to control parasite burden, a process linked to the development of T helper (Th) 1 cells. The local presence of IL-12 has been reported to be critical in driving Th1 cell differentiation.

[Leishmania mexicana DNA activates murine macrophages and increases their TLR9 expression].

Background: Macrophages are immune system cells that recognize pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) through receptors that can be located on the cell membrane or in intracellular compartments, such as the TLR (toll like receptors). Different TLRs bind to ligands shared among multiple pathogens. The binding of ligands to TLRs induces a signaling cascade that leads to cytokine and co-stimulatory molecule production due to the nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB.